Moreno's: Moreno Brother's prequel (Moreno Brothers) Read online

  Alej knew it was old-fashioned to think it because women should be allowed to stop at a bar and have a drink without being labeled a whore. But in a small pueblo like this one, it wasn’t ideal. There was only one cantina, and the patrons were mostly loud, sloppy, and disrespectable drunk men. Not like the trendier bars in the city where girls could drop by in groups to let their hair down and have a good time. Women who walked in here risked getting labeled. Yet ever since the Negretes had moved into town, more and more of the younger, respectable señoritas were making their way in there, especially when word got out about one or more of the brothers being there.

  Cido eyed the table with the three girls giggling and looking in the Negrete brothers way. Even Alej had been caught in one or more of their sultry stares. Though he’d break the eye contact fast enough, Cido hadn’t missed that the Negretes weren’t the only ones getting attention from the girls.

  He turned to Alej with a smirk. “I’m not gonna complain if it means I’ll get some. But don’t they care about becoming bienes dañadas?” He shook his head before taking a swig of his beer. “I mean who’s gonna want these putas once they give it up to the Negrete brothers or anyone else in here?”

  Alej took a swig of his beer, glancing subtly at the giggling girls and shrugged. “As long as they’re discreet about it, who’d know?”

  “I’d now. I’d know for sure. My dad and uncles talk about it all the time. All I know is any girl I marry better bleed our first time. The more the better. My dad says, if she’s a real virgin, meaning she’s never had anything in that pinocha, including fingers or even a tongue, she should bleed for days. My bride doesn’t bleed like a stuck pig on our wedding night after I stick my verga into her, that puta will be out on the street before morning.”

  “Easy.” Alej rolled his eyes, feeling disgusted and not even sure why, being that this was coming from Cido. His dad and uncles were known to be idiotas when it came to the degrading way they spoke of women. “Even if you’ve fucked plenty of girls before her?”

  “Hello? Amigo, this is a man’s world!” He tapped his chest. “I think your obvious yearning for Isa’s pinocha has got you twisted and—”

  Alej reached across the table, grabbing Cido’s shirt by the neck, and pulled him so hard it knocked over the bar table between them, sending their beer mugs crashing loudly onto the floor. “Don’t you ever talk about Isa like that!” Feeling his muscles pulsate from just hearing Cido’s vulgar words and Isa in the same sentence, had Alej slamming him against the wall. “What the fuck’s wrong with you?”

  Not even hearing Cido’s head clunk loudly against the wall calmed Alej. He felt ready to slam a fist into his friend’s fucking mouth.

  “Alej,” Cido tried in vain to undo Alej’s tightly fisted hands pushing up against his neck. “All I meant was—”

  “Calmado.”

  Alej turned to a girl who touched his still pulsating forearm even as he struggled to calm his breathing. She was one of the giggling girls at the table Cido had commented about. Fernandez was bitching loudly now about someone being liable for the broken mugs and table and was on the bar’s payphone dialing furiously.

  The girl still touching Alej smiled when their eyes met again. Then her eyes fell to his flexed forearm, which she now caressed. “Vamos, caballero.” She motioned to the door. “Before the juda gets here. Fernandez is calling them now.”

  The moment Alej loosened the death grip he had on Cido’s shirt, he pulled loose. “Go, cabrón,” Cido said, looking mildly annoyed but even more repentant as he worked to smooth his shirt out. “Before he gets here. I’ll take care of Fernandez. But you need to get out of here.”

  Hesitant at first, Alej started to the door, slowing only when Fernandez started yelling that he needed to pay for his beer and the things he broke.

  “I got it,” Cido said loudly, holding his hand up to Fernandez, but turned and motioned for Alej to keep moving.

  The girl hooked her arm into Alej’s as they walked out the door. When he was about to protest or at the very least politely pull away, she cleared her throat, motioning to Rivera, the town sheriff rushing toward the cantina. Rivera took one look at the seemingly innocent-looking couple walking out of the cantina and rushed right past them.

  Atrevido, who waited outside patiently for Alej, neighed then snorted almost as if to warn they better go. “He yours?”

  “Yeah.” He turned to the girl as he reached Atrevido, trying to remember where he knew her from.

  “Good. Súbeme.”

  “What?” Alej asked, feeling suddenly panicked.

  “Trust me. Rivera’s a friend of my dad. He’s less likely to try and stop you if I’m on the horse with you. But you gotta hurry.”

  Hearing the loud voices coming from inside the cantina still, then seeing Fernandez’s son rushing toward them from up the road, Alej helped the girl onto his horse. Just as he’d hopped on behind her, the doors to the cantina swung open. To his relief, it wasn’t Fernandez or Rivera, but the girl on his horse groaned under her breath as the Negrete brothers stopped and took them in.

  “Go,” she whispered, and before anyone else came out, they galloped away.

  They rode silently for a few minutes, headed to the outskirts of the pueblo in hopes that once they headed back, things in town would be calmed. After a few more silent moments, curiosity got the best of Alej. “I know just about everyone in town, and you look familiar, but I can’t place you.”

  She chuckled but it felt forced. “Poetic.”

  “What does that mean?”

  She shook her head. “Means I’ll never forget you and you can’t even place me. Story of my life.”

  Feeling bad suddenly, Alej racked his brain to try and remember, but he was drawing a blank. “You do look familiar,” he offered.

  “I’ve only lived in el pueblo a few months. Not my whole life like you.”

  That only made him feel worse. How the hell did she know he’d lived here his whole life and he couldn’t even remember where he knew her from?

  “We went to the same preparatoria in Juarez, Alej,” she said as if to let him off the hook. “You were my first kiss and I’ll never forget it.”

  Glad she wasn’t facing him, Alej squeezed his eyes shut, remembering the stupid teen games he’d been talked into by Cido back in high school. He remembered her now—Lourdes. As far as he could remember, she’d technically been his first kiss also. Though the only unforgettable first kiss he’d never forget was the heavenly one he planted on Isa at her quinceañera. Kissing her everywhere was all he could think of these days. The only thing he remembered taking away from his very first kiss with Lourdes was that: A. He prayed it never got back to Isa who was only thirteen at the time and way too young for him to even think about kissing, and: B. He needed to get better at it so when he finally did get to kiss Isa’s sweet lips, she’d never forget it. It’s why when Lourdes had been willing he’d let it go on for the whole two minutes.

  “It’s okay if you don’t rememb—”

  “I remember.”

  “No, Alej.” She shook her head. “You don’t have to pretend just because—”

  “Señora Dolores was out sick for the day, and we were supposed to be studying. Jugamos, dos minutos en el paraíso.” She turned to face him briefly and smiled. “You were my first kiss, too. I remember.”

  Now he did. But he’d just about forgotten all about it. Barely recognized her until she mentioned it. And he was certain he’d forget all about it again the moment he had his beautiful Isa in his arms again. That reminded him. Pueblo chismoso. His nearly being in a brawl at the bar with his best friend then leaving with a girl was something that would for sure get around fast. He’d already panicked about how he’d explain this to Isa when Lourdes first suggested he help her onto Atrevido. What he needed to do was get her off and away from him ASAP. He already knew he’d be doing a hell of a lot of groveling tomorrow. Alej wasn’t even past dropping to his knees for her if need
be. But he hated the thought of her being too upset.

  “Where do you live?”

  She explained about living in the small ranch just outside the Negrete’s estate. “Really?” Alej asked, already starting toward it. “I could swear they said they were tearing it down when they started building Rancho Negrete.”

  “They started to, I guess,” she explained. “But then they stopped, and it was left abandoned for a long time. It’s why my dad and stepmom were able to get it so cheap. Rivera’s who told them about it. They had to replace a few walls and such, but it’s home now.”

  They reached her place, and Alej got off and helped her off. “Thanks for, uh, calming me back there.” He flicked the tip of his bangora and smiled.

  She shrugged. “You did look pretty pissed, but I’d already been looking for a good reason to leave. Should’ve never let my friends convince me to go in there in the first place.”

  “Yeah, a cantina with a bunch of drunks and scuffling men is probably not the best place for señoritas to be hanging out.”

  “Scuffling very foulmouthed men,” she smirked.

  Alej winced. “Yeah, sorry about that.”

  He turned when the neighing and snorting of a horse got his attention. Luis and his brother were on their way home.

  “Yeah, some men aren’t quite as respectful as others.”

  Alej turned back to Lourdes and peered at her. “What? These two?”

  “Seems when you invite someone into your home when your parents aren’t home and give into the beseeching of a kiss, it makes you not such a respectful señorita to some.”

  The reminder of Cido’s bias against girls who weren’t, in his opinion, impeccably pure, the vulgar words he used, and this reference to Isa in the same breath had every muscle in Alej’s body going stiff again. Apparently, Luis was just as much of an idiot caveman when it came to this shit too. Turning back to the brothers as they rode by, Luis didn’t even look at him now. Instead, his eyes were on Lourdes with that same smug smirk, the one that had annoyed Alej too many times now. Luis tipped his hat. “Evening, Lourdes.”

  “That’s Señorita Lourdes,” Alej snapped. “Have some respect.”

  The brothers chuckled but kept going. “Is that what she told you?” Luis asked.

  “I didn’t ask, asshole.”

  They laughed again. “Yeah, well, maybe you should.”

  “Hey!”

  “Let it go, Alej.” Lourdes jumped in front of Alej, just as Luis turned his horse around.

  “Hey, what?” Luis barked back.

  “Nothing,” Lourdes said, holding her hand to Alej’s chest. “Nothing, Luis. Just go.”

  The front door to Lourdes ranch house opened just as the Negretes started on their way again. An older man holding a shot gun stared at the brothers for a moment before turning to Alej and Lourdes, still standing by Atrevido.

  “Lourdes? Que pasa?”

  “Nada, Papa.” Lourdes turned to Alej and mouthed the word, gracias. “They were just talking, and I was on my way in.”

  “Buenas noches, Señor.” Alej tipped his hat at the man but hopped onto his horse. No way was he sticking around and giving him reason to use that gun. “Saw her walking home in the dark, so I offered to give her a ride the rest of the way home. Have a good one.”

  Without waiting for a response, he clucked his tongue, and Atrevido got moving. Any further thought of Lourdes was quickly replaced with thoughts of explaining this to Isa tomorrow. He was just glad now that she wasn’t scheduled to be back until late in the afternoon. At least she wouldn’t have a whole day in town hearing about yesterday’s gossip before he got a chance to talk to her. She might not even be aware when he got back in town from peddling in the city. There was still the chance he could get to her before she heard and be the one to tell her about it.

  Thoughts of his dad’s words about mujeres encabronadas had him breathing deep. Only for an altogether different reason now.

  Capítulo 9

  Boom!

  Isabella

  As nice as it was to see her aunts and as bittersweet as she knew it was for her mother and her grandmother to say good-bye to them, Isabella had, as usual, been anxious to get home. They hadn’t even been in town for an hour when they heard the chisme. Isabella and her mom had just walked down to the mercantile to buy beans to soak overnight. It was the first thing Señora Navarro, the mercantile owner asked.

  “¿Ellos hicieron las paces?”

  Exchanging glances with her mom, Isabella could see her mom did her best to refrain from frowning. Neither had any idea who Señora Navarro was asking about if they’d made peace. But her mom and Abuela had always made her out to be the town’s biggest chismosa.

  “Who?”

  With an incredulous look, Señora Navarro, craned her neck back. “You haven’t heard? Cido y Alej. They had a brawl at the cantina last night and the juda was even called out.”

  Surprised by this, and slightly alarmed, Isabella peered at her. “A brawl? ¿Con quien?”

  “With each other! It’s why it was so surprising. I thought they were good friends.”

  Glancing at her mom, Isabella shook her head slightly, certain Señora Navarro had heard something out of context. Too many times she’d seen Cido and Alejandro push each other in feigned shoving matches. But it did surprise her that the police were called out.

  Turning back to Señora Navarro, Isabella shook her head. “We just got back in town. I haven’t spoken to either of them, yet. But I’m sure, whatever it was, they’ve made amends. They are good friends.”

  They bought what they were there for and walked out. Isabella was just beginning to explain to her mother about all the times Alejandro and Cido had gotten into it, but it was always over something trivial and it never got seriously physical.

  “They practically tackle each other over dumb disputes over their favorite futbal team but never anything—”

  “Buenas tardes, Señorita Isabella. Señora Franco?”

  Isabella turned to Luis Negrete, who was tying his horse to the pole outside the mercantile. He smiled at her sweetly, though it surprised her because he’d been rather aloof since the day Alejandro showed up at her house and she’d been seeing Luis off almost two years ago. Not that she cared. She was actually grateful for it. Alejandro’s reaction when it came to any other guys showing interest for her, was even shriller now. He’d never made a secret of his sense of entitlement over her, but since their relationship had crossed over into new territory, she knew the intensity of that entitlement had now also soared to a whole new level. She didn’t even blame him because she felt the same way now too.

  Both Isabella and her mother greeted Luis.

  “How’s everything been?” he asked, taking a few steps toward them.

  Turning to look at him again to address his question, Isabella glanced at her mom for guidance. Would it be too rude to say fine and keep walking? Or should she do the polite thing and stop and chat for a bit? Her mother nodded at Isabella almost as if to say go ahead then took the beans from her. “I need to get these soaking. I’ll meet you at home.” She then turned to Luis. “Hasta luego, Luis.”

  Luis tipped his hat at her mom, smiling even bigger as he approached Isabella now. “You still selling in the placita? I didn’t see you today.”

  “We do, but we were out of town this weekend,” she explained “Went to visit family in El Paso. It was my aunt’s birthday, and they had a little something for her. Just got back actually about an hour ago.”

  “Ah.” He nodded, his eyes going bright suddenly. “So, I take it you haven’t heard about the drama in the cantina last night?”

  “Actually, Señora Navarro just asked us about it.” Isabella motioned in the store’s direction. “But before that I hadn’t heard anything about it. Alejandro and Cido work in the city on the weekends, so I haven’t talked to either of them.”

  The reminder had her realizing it was right around the time they should be getting ba
ck. Last thing she wanted was for Alejandro to see her chatting with Luis first thing back. “Which reminds me, I need to go unpack.”

  To her surprise, he undid the reins on his horse quickly and offered to walk with her. “I’m going that way anyway. Gotta go see Don Pedro about a job my dad might have for him.”

  Great.

  He started alongside her between her and his horse. “Yeah, so it was a surprise to see them go at it. Everyone in town knows how tight they are.”

  Isabella turned to him, feeling somewhat alarmed again. “Go at it?”

  “Well.” Luis shook his head, glancing away. “That’s not exactly accurate. They might’ve if someone hadn’t stepped in to calm Alejandro. He looked ready to knock his buen amigo into tomorrow.”

  This really surprised Isabella. She’d seen Alejandro annoyed enough with Cido on many occasions but never to the point he needed to be calmed. “Were they drunk?”

  Luis shook his head again. “As far as I could tell, no. He seemed fine and well enough to know they should get out of there as quickly as they did. Cido stayed behind to cover the tab and broken glass and to explain things to the juda that was called out.”

  Still surprised by it all, Isabella crossed her arms in front of her, staring at the ground, then turned to him again, confused. “But you said they left together.”

  “Alejandro and Lourdes, the señorita with him who calmed him and got him out of there.”

  Feeling the hair on the back of her neck stand on end, Isabella stared at him, not sure if he was just trying to get a reaction from her, so she glanced away.

  “Lourdes?” she asked as casually as she could manage.

  “Yeah, Cido stayed and even had another beer. But Alejandro rode away with Lourdes before the juda ever got to talk to him.”

  Searching Luis’s eyes now, she sought out any signs of insincerity. She almost expected him to chuckle and say this was a stupid joke. Everyone in the pueblo knew how inseparable she and Alejandro had always been but even more so lately. Even Luis had to know this was hardly pleasant news for her. In fact, if she didn’t know any better, this was exactly why, after almost two years of nothing more than indifference and curt greetings, he was now here walking her home.