“What does that mean?”
“It means he’ll never be normal. As much as I’d rather he put the past behind him and have a simple life, that’s not in the cards for him. He’s already made it clear he’ll be involved in bringing justice to the people who hurt him.”
“How can he be involved in that? He’s Gael’s age.”
“He is, and he isn’t. He’s working with the therapist you met in Wimberley, and she’s helping him to reclaim some of the things he lost. Some of those things, though, are gone forever. He is a very different person now.”
“Tell me.”
Even though we’ve been speaking in Spanish, I lean in and lower my voice even more.
“He has a capacity for violence that is frightening.”
Her eyes widen, but I quickly hold up my hands and clarify. “He doesn’t want to hurt innocent people. Knowing that, we’ve decided to give him a code of ethics.”
A myriad of emotions kaleidoscopes over her face. In the end, she simply sets her jaw. “He should get to dictate how he heals.”
“On that, we are agreed. I can’t tell you everything, but we are working with the right people to make sure he handles his impulses ethically.”
Nodding thoughtfully, she picks at one of the beer labels as the bar activity swirls around us.
“I don’t need all the details to know this is not a typical family he’s found himself with,” she says, choosing her words carefully.
“That is true. In English, they call it found family.”
“Found? Like trash on the side of the road?”
I laugh. “That’s what Ant said the first time they used that phrase with him. They responded that just because someone overlooks his value doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”
She takes a beat to absorb what I’m saying. “That tall, quiet guy—Erik? He picked us up from a private airfield and flew us across the US border, where we landed at a place with an armed gate. All without once having to show documentation. Something tells me this found family of his is rather powerful.”
“Very. And Charlie? The guy who owns the ranch? He’s—”
“You’ve talked about him before. Years ago, right? Erik is the Silent One, no?”
I chuckle, thinking of Erik’s displeasure at being called quiet. “Yes. That’s him. You should know Ant has feelings for him.”
“We passed strangers on the highway who know Ant has feelings for him,” Yaya jokes. Lifting her chin toward Erik, she asks, “Do you think Erik understands he has feelings for Ant?”
I shake my head. “Completely in denial. I’ve seen him treat Ant like a little kid sometimes, and…oof.”
“I bet Ant hates that.”
“He does. Despite their size difference, he’s not afraid of the man. He stands up for himself, and that says a lot.”
“Our nephew reminds me of you in that way,” she says, her smile a little sad.
“In what way?”
“This experience changed him, but it changed you too. You were like a ghost in this family for years, but when he went missing, all of a sudden, you were this person who could walk into danger without caring about yourself. All because you were looking for him. He was living in that danger. I’m so proud of both of you. You’re using your experiences as a force for good.”
I rub my aching chest.
“What’s wrong, brother?”
“I have been a mess of guilt these last few days. He’s been going on his own vigilante missions, going after the worst kinds of people. Just like the other people in this family. My first thought was that he’s been ruined by the people who did this to him.”
Before I can even finish the sentence, she shakes her head. “He’s a Hernández. He cannot be ruined by small people. He rises above.” Before I can protest, she overrides me. “Yes, they took a chunk out of him. They stole something from him that he cannot get back, but he is taking his power back where he can. He is a brave, strong boy.” She pauses, holding up her hand. “He is no boy. He is aman. I know you’ve got a lot of guilt about your life before, but none of that is necessary.”
