Oops

Chapter 7

                                                                                    Maya

                My hand froze in my pocket as I stared at Antonio. Nani squealed happily and launched herself across the room, wrapping her arms around his neck. Antonio laughed as he hugged her tightly. “What’s happenin’, niña?”

                “Dad hasn’t killed you yet!” she exclaimed. 

                I frowned at her, but she didn’t seem to notice that Rocky was still listening in on the conversation.

                Antonio let go of Nani and turned to me. “What about you, Maya?” he said, grinning teasingly. “No hug for you big brother?”

                “Big brother?” I heard Rocky echo quietly behind me.

                “How’d you find us?” I said over him, looking towards the door apprehensively. “Are you the only one who knows we’re here?”

                Tony shook his head. “Always alert,” he said fondly. Without warning he pulled me into a hug. “I missed you so much, Maya,” he said into my ear.

                I blinked, and then melted into his embrace, sighing. “I missed you too, Tony.”

                I didn't realize just how much I'd missed him until memories came flooding back; the way he always looked out for me when we were on the run, his older brother protectiveness kicking in like it always did for me and Nani. I remembered the stricken look on his face when he found me packing our bags, the argument he and I had gotten over before I left. I remember him kissing me on the forehead and telling me he loved me, not matter what I did.

                Part of me wanted to remain bitter, to not give him the satisfaction of knowing I missed him. But he was my brother, and five years didn’t change that, not in the least bit.

                “So, this is the great Rocky Nelson,” Antonio said, stepping back and peering at Rocky like he was a piece of meat.

                Rocky didn’t like Antonio at all, I could already tell. Even sitting, tied to a chair, he looked Tony up and down like he was sizing him up instead of the other way around. “Yeah, that’d be me,” he said snarkily. “And who are you supposed to be, Erick Estrada?”

                Antonio chuckled. “He’s funny,” he told me, right before he hit Rocky right across the face with a hard backhand slap.

                Rocky’s head snapped to the side, almost hitting the back of the chair. “Tony!” I shouted, grabbing his hand as he raised it again. “Stop!”

                Antonio looked at me in surprise, just in time for Rocky to recover. His foot shot out, the toe of his Converse slamming into Tony’s shin. A yelp of pain followed as Antonio crumpled to one knee. Seeing an opening, Rocky lifted his foot again, but I stepped between them.

                “What the hell is wrong with you two?” I yelled. I pointed to Antonio. “Tony—no hitting the rock star for no reason!” Turning to Rocky, I snapped, “And you—get control of your stupid manly urges to redeem your dignity, okay?”

                “Fine,” both spat out at the same time. I grabbed Antonio’s arm and dragged him across the room. He looked ultimately pissed, refusing to look across the room at Rocky as Nani turned his chin so she could see the bruise already forming on Rocky’s cheek.