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Friday, January 31, 2014

Cover Reveal & Excerpt: Before You by Amber Hart!




4
Diego
  
She sees right through me? What does that mean? I wonder for the twentieth time as I enter the cafeteria. I managed to avoid my peer helper after my first few classes, rushing out before she could meet me. Did she really think I couldn’t get another class schedule? Maybe next time she won’t underestimate me.
A sweet smell hits my nostrils as I pass the fruit section. It smells like my peer helper, and I’m reminded of my disgust for her. She thinks she knows me, but she knows nothing. She’s a snob, trying to prove something. They’re all the same.
            Girls like her don’t know what it’s like to struggle, really struggle.
She’s probably never gone so hungry her stomach knots. Never roamed the streets wondering if she’ll have a safe place to sleep. With a face and body like hers, she’s probably never had to work for anything in her life. The people she represents, the life she lives, it’s all fake.
Javier, my cousin, warned me about her. She’s one of the Big Five, the ones who think they rule this school. Even with her perfect boyfriend and flawless life, she isn’t fooling me.
I hear Javier before I see him. “Diego, aquí.”
Through the crowd, I spot my cousin sitting with a group of Latinos. With his six-foot, two-hundred-pound frame, he’s hard to miss. I approach him. One of his friends mumbles something in Spanish about how tall I am.
“Hey, what can I say? They make ’em big in mi familia,” Javier says, laughing.
Truth backhands me. I realize now that I never actually thought I would see Javier again. After … after … no. I shove the thoughts away. Not here.
Not here.
“What’s up, ’cuz?” Javier says.
Nada.” I force a smile, though my relief is real. It’s good to see family.
¡Siéntate!” Javier says.
I sit. Sitting is usually an indulgence for those who can afford to relax. I pretend for a moment that I’m one of them. My cousin takes a minute to introduce his friends.
“Diego, this is Ramon, Esteban, Juan, Rodolfo, and Luis.”
Ramon and Esteban, with their slight overbites and similar features, must be brothers. Juan has a large head for his small frame; he’s covered in tattoos. Rodolfo has a smile full of white teeth and a dimple on the left side of his cheek. What happened to the other dimple? It’s as though God had an asymmetrical look in mind when He created him. Next to my cousin, Luis is the biggest. He has lots of freckles, splattered on his face like paint, seeping into his skin.
“Welcome to los Estados Unidos,” Juan says, biting into his burger.
Gracias,” I reply.
My stomach growls, an animal hungry to live. Javier notices.
“Come with me.” He motions for me to follow him through the crowd.
As we walk to the lunch line, I spot my peer helper at a table, surrounded by her friends. There’s one of her kind at every school. The girl everyone hates to love and loves to hate. She’s probably been stabbed in the back countless times. Not that she would know, since everyone acts fake to her face. Her friends remind me of worker bees, buzzing for the queen’s attention. I wonder if she knows that the workers eventually kill the queen.
“When you get to the front, show them your student ID,” Javier says.
The guidance counselor already explained that I get one free lunch a day because of our low income. As we pass the food selections, I cannot believe the prices.
“Are they for real?” I ask. “Six dollars for chicken and fries?”
I have an image of Faith Watters taking out her designer wallet and easily paying for one of the pretentious lunches.
“Yep. Gringos,” Javier says, eyes hardening. He remembers what it was like in Cuba, the struggle.
Just by looking at the lunchroom crowd, it’s clear who the haves and have-nots are. Surprisingly, though, there are more Latinos than I expected. 
I grab a burger and make my way to the register. As I pull out my ID, football players in letterman jackets glance my way. Part of me wishes I had it easy like them: popular, at ease, able to pay for things.
I shouldn’t want to be like them.
I don’t want to be like them.
Yes, I do.
Some days.
The bigger part of me knows that a life like that will never happen for someone like me. It’s just the way things are.
I grab a water bottle and head back to the table with Javier. Do people here know that most of the world doesn’t get water from a bottle, but from a stream or river or muddy ground?
“So, you fittin’ in well?” Javier asks.
“Yep.” For the most part. No one has singled me out for being new.
“Latinos blend around here. One of the good things about Florida,” he says.
We pass a beautiful girl on the way back to our seat. I take a moment to look. She smiles.
“That’s Isabella,” Javier explains. “Sexy, but taken.”
“Too bad,” I say.
I’m not looking for a girlfriend, but it would be nice to have a little fun. I’m almost at the table when someone steps in front of me.
“What’s your problem?” my peer helper asks, one of her friends in tow.
Momentarily shocked by her boldness, I quickly regain my hard stance. Just like earlier, she doesn’t seem fazed by me. She’s either tougher than I thought, or she puts on a great front.
“I don’t know what you mean,” I reply. I try to feign confusion, but a smile creeps through.
“Oh, you think this is funny?” she asks, hands on her hips. For a second, she looks kind of beautiful, eyes hard and old. Wisps of hair fall out of her ponytail and around her face like angel feathers. 
“A little.” I grin.
She huffs. “You weren’t there to meet me after your classes this morning. If I report you, you could lose your chance to attend this school.”
Is she threatening me? “Like I said, I already have a mamá. I don’t answer to you.”
I hand my tray to Javier. He sets it on the table so I can deal with her.
“You’re being difficult,” she says.
“So are you.”
What is your weakness? is what I want to ask.
She doesn’t back down. “I’ll be there before the end of your next class. Don’t even think about ditching me again.”
I have to, don’t you see?
“I’m serious,” she says.
This girl is asking for it. I glance at her blond friend, who’s eyeing Javier, not paying us any attention. I wish my peer helper was as easily distracted.
Being tough does not scare Faith Watters. Time to change tactics. I relax and flash a grin.
Mami, why don’t I help you loosen up a little?”
She blinks, but doesn’t show any outward evidence that my words have affected her. I move close, very close. When I look down at her, she doesn’t look away.
Her eyes remind me of stained glass, bright and cutting.
“We could have a good time, you and me,” I say, mischief punctuating my voice.
“I don’t think so,” she says coldly.
I will not let her upstage me. I give her a long, slow onceover. She dresses older than she is, like she doesn’t belong in high school. I wonder what makes her so uptight.
What are you hiding, chica?
I usually don’t have to try with girls. It’s one of the very few advantages life has thrown my way.
“Oh, come on. You might like Latino if you tried it,” I say, voice low. The guys behind me laugh, egging me on.
“When you’re done with him, I’m available, mamacita,” Juan says. “I don’t mind leftovers.”
She sneers. Good. That’s progress.
“Let me take you out,” I say.
I’m not really going to take her anywhere. I just want to make a crack in her icy shield.
Why do you have a shield, anyway?
“Why?” she asks suspiciously.
Because I know it annoys you when someone else has control. “Because it would be fun,” I say, bending close to her face. “And I can promise you one thing.”
She looks cautious.
It’s a look I know well.
 “What?” she asks.
That one night with me will relax you.
Girls like her love bad boys, whether they admit it or not. I imagine it’s similar to visiting a haunted mansion. Exciting, at first. One foot slips through the door, then the next. Heart hammers. Blood races. It’s a rush. A fix. Never knowing what’s around the next corner, through the closed door, beyond the shadows. Trying to find a way out. Not really wanting to leave. Wondering how close a person can come to danger before something bad happens. Looking for the moonlight at the end of the tunnel, an exit.
Sometimes there is no light at the end of the tunnel.
I can show her excitement like she’ll never experience with that boyfriend of hers.
But I don’t say any of those things. Instead I let my lips brush her ear lobe as I answer.
“That you will leave satisfied.”


Book Blast & Giveaway: Becoming His Slave byTalon ps & Princess SO!


Dominion of Brothers Series
Written by Talon p.s. & Princess S.O.

Five Brothers at Arms share a lust for control and bondage; now they are living the BDSM lifestyle openly, and they are the very Masters who can provide satisfaction to the world of Taboo. 

Plenty of people love their kink, but when the Dominion of Brothers come to New York, the Lifestyle gets a re-do with not only a boost in stimulation, their fellow Lifestylers also get a guardian. Now, the Brothers will stop at nothing to protect their friends, loved ones, and those who look to them for sexual freedom.


Becoming His Slave
Dominion of Brothers Series: Book 1
Written by Talon p.s.

BDSM & D/s / MF / Erotic Romance / some MM & FF

Katianna Dumas hovers on the edge of passion, caught up inside the exquisite eroticism she crafts as an author. Her erotic novels seduce readers with tales of new and unknown heights of pleasure to which Katianna herself, is inexperienced. That is until one night she couldn't even remember; she confessed a secret desire to Trenton Leos, who's now intent to bring her fantasy to life and lure her into his world of Dominance and Submission where he's not just any Dom, he's the Dominus. The Master of all Doms.

Life with the Dominus promises to surround her with rich, somatic passions, but therein too lies danger, and she's not sure she's strong enough to hang on. Especially when being with Him means submitting her life to Becoming His Slave.

Trenton Leos isn’t just another Master of Doms; he’s referred to as Dominus. The Master of them all. Known internationally for his skill with a cane and for serving up the most delectably trained slaves for the Masters who love to possess them. As Dominus, he has everything he could want out of life except one, his own personal slave. Waiting until he finds the one perfect unicorn for the ultimate surrender—  their life to his dominant control.

When a friend introduces him to her newest star writer, he’s certain he’s found his Life Slave. But as he starts to obsess over the nervously petite woman, he soon realizes she can’t surrender a lifetime of control she does not possess. So he must make the first sacrifice— by letting her go.
Katianna Dumas, a writer of erotic romance is no stranger to the allure of eroticism and Trenton Leos is probably the sexiest lure she’s ever fantasized about. There’s just one problem, she doesn’t play his game.
For four years Katianna has known the Dominus as little more than the man who‘d given her the chance to stand on her own for once, as a friend he kept his distance. Close enough to tease the senses, but not enough to tease his bed, though she likes it when he looks her way.
After a mishap at Club Pain, Katianna finds herself in the protective custody of Trenton Leos for the night and everything changes for the two of them. Katianna can’t remember what secret desires she exposed, but now the Dominus is demanding to court her for the ultimate submission— to become his Slave for life.
Life with Trenton promises to surround her with rich, somatic passions, but it also comes with dangers and she’s not sure she’s strong enough to hang on, or bear to be let go if she fails to keep up with his desires that constantly overwhelm her.

Buy links:
iTunes: {banned due to unfair censorship}
Createspace: {coming soon}


We Came— We Saw— and then we made it sexy.

And that's pretty much how the Twins came to write Erotic Romances and Dark Fantasies. Both Talon PS and Princess SO have been writing together since they were kids, always challenging and competing with each other, and always each other's biggest supporters. After a life time of gathering experiences and honing their story telling skills, they have finally starting putting them to novel size tales. And so far have seen 8 titles published with three scheduled for next year releases so far, and still another 30 something projects in the works. So have those book moments ready, as Talon always says—

"I'm about to make you wet."  ~The Twins: Talon & Prin

Contact links:
Website: 
{ http://talon-ps.com/}
{ https://www.facebook.com/pages/Talon-ps-Princess-so/240542056008862}
{ https://www.facebook.com/Talonps?fref=ts}
{ https://www.facebook.com/princess.obriot}
Goodreads: 
{ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6422844.Talon_P_S_}

{ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6906024.Princess_S_O_}


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Book Blast & Giveaway: Burn For Me by Cynthia Eden!


Burn For Me
Phoenix Fire Series, Book One
Release Date: January 28, 2014
Publisher: Kensington Brava
Genre: Paranormal Romance
ISBN: 0758284047 / 9780758284044


Under Fire
Eve Bradley was undercover looking for a story, not a cause. But something about the man they called Subject Thirteen got her involved. The scientists said he was a devil, and they had a decent case: Terrifying power. A bad attitude. And looks that could lead anyone to sin. . .
Cain O’Connor knows the minute he catches her candy scent that Eve could drive him wild. But she’s a threat–in a way no one has been for him in years. She’s safer away from him, too. But with a powerful conspiracy determined to shut Eve up for good, there’s no time to argue. All they can do is trust their instincts–and their hearts. . .






USA Today Best-selling author Cynthia Eden has written over twenty-five novels and novellas. She was named as a 2013 RITA® finalist for her paranormal romance, ANGEL IN CHAINS, and, in 2011, Cynthia Eden was a RITA finalist for her romantic suspense, DEADLY FEAR.

Cynthia is a southern girl who loves horror movies, chocolate, and happy endings.  She has always wanted to write (don’t most authors say that?), and particularly enjoys creating stories about monsters–vampires, werewolves, and even the real-life monsters that populate her romantic suspense stories.
Cynthia’s foreign sales for her books include translations to Japan, Germany, Thailand, Greece, and Brazil.

(Back in the day…) Cynthia graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Alabama where she studied Sociology (because people interest her) and Communication (because she likes to write about said people).  Cynthia has worked as a college admissions counselor, a teacher, and as an editor. But now, Cynthia is thrilled to be spending her days making up stories.

Connect with Cynthia:


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Release Day Event: Drowning in Rapture and An Arrangement of Love!

How kinky are you?
Authors Kenya Wright and Megan D. Martin seem to get kinkier by the minute, especially with their new erotic romance releases An Arrangement of Love and Drowning in Rapture. 
Check out the books below and scroll to the bottom for a VERY kinky giveaway!
An Arrangement of Love
By Kenya Wright
Genre: Adult Erotic Romance
He kissed me. And not just any kiss. He kissed me like he owned me, as if he bought me last night and my orgasm was the payment. His tongue didn't explore my mouth instead it taunted me, gliding in and out between my lips in a rhythm that reminded me of hot sex. He shifted his hand to the back of my head and trapped me to him. My bag and its contents dropped to the floor. . . What would you do for six figures? Billionaire Chase Stone offers Jasmine a six-figure job that requires a full-time commitment in his office as well as his bed. If only she knew that before she agreed, then life would’ve been easier. It’s not that he’s unattractive. Jasmine just didn't graduate from Harvard with honors so she could be some rich guy's over paid mistress. What’s even more repulsing is that he lives with three women and wants her to be the fourth. Not going to happen! But Chase won't give up, and Jasmine won't give in. Someone's going to have to change because the more they meet, the more something thick, hot, and electric bridges between them, until neither can breathe or think.
****
Drowning in Rapture By Megan D. Martin Genre: New Adult Erotic Romance Buy on Amazon I didn’t plan to become a stripper who performs live sex shows. But that’s what happened. It’s what I do, and I’m good at it. I was going to go on and do something with my life. I was going to be something more than just a piece of ass. But that’s not how it worked it out. Men don’t control me. Not anymore. Not until my best friend left and he came into my life. I don’t want lose myself and drown in another man. But I’m afraid it’s already too late. **This book is intended for mature audiences only, due to graphic depictions of sex and bad language.

Annnnnd now for the giveaway!
No one should go through life without some super kinky toys for the bedroom. Two winners will be picked. 
Winner #1 will receive...
A flirty feather Anal Plug and a pair of double locking hand cuffs! 
Winner #2 will get…
A pink bejeweled vibrator and a pink vibrating jelly cock ring.
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Thursday, January 30, 2014

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Make Me Forget by Brandelyn Harris!




*Inspired by true events*

Where do you turn when the ones who are supposed to love you most, hurt you?
When is enough, enough?
That is the exact question Chloe Evans had when she escaped her own personal hell that terrifying night. Even though the road to rebuilding her life has been tough, she's spent the last two years trying to mend her battered soul. Doubting that all her efforts are even worth it, she begins to feel she will forever be tied to the man who took everything away from her.
Ryder Matthews is the epitome of what most girls associate with perfection. With his good looks, bad boy persona, multiple tattoos and piercings he is every girl’s fantasy; every girl except Chloe Evans that is. Ryder sees Chloe as a challenge...one that he's more than confident he will win.
We all have things in life we'd like to forget about. Some bigger than others. When Chloe uses college as her diversion to escape the memories will Ryder be able to make her forget?


Brandelyn Harris resides in Richmond, Virginia with her husband, teenage son, and furry friend. She can normally be found hiding away in her writing cave, blogging, eating Dove dark chocolate, drinking wine, or reading a steamy romance novel on her Kindle. Her love for reading and just recently writing started once she read the infamous Fifty Shades of Grey Series. Make Me Forget, Brandelyns’ debut novel is slated to be released early 2014.

Add Make Me Forget on Goodreads
Contact Brandelyn:
On The Web:
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Cover Reveal (Part 3): Before You by Amber Hart!




3
Faith

“Hi, I’m Faith Watters.”
Those are the first words I speak to the new Cuban guy in the front office. He grimaces. He’ll be a tough one. I can handle it, though. He’s not the first.
I can’t help but notice that he looks a lot like a model from the neck up—eyes the color of oak, strong bone structure. Everywhere else, he looks a lot like a criminal. Chiseled, scarred body … I wonder for a second about the meaning behind the tattoos scratched into his arms.
One thing’s clear. He’s dangerous.
And he’s beautiful.
“I’ll show you to your classes,” I announce.
I’m one of the peer helpers at our school. It’s not my favorite thing to do, but it counts as a class. Basically I spend the first two days with new students, introducing them around and answering their questions. Some parents with kids new to the school voluntarily sign their students up, but it’s only mandatory for the international students, of which we have a lot. Mostly Latinos.
            This Cuban guy towers over me. I’m five six. Not tall. Not short. Just average. Average is good.
This guy’s not average. Not even a little bit. He must be over six feet.
            I glance up at him, kind of like I do when I’m searching for the moon in a sea of darkness.
“Looks like you have math first. I’ll walk you there,” I offer.
            “No thanks, chica. I can handle it.”
            “It’s no problem,” I say, leading the way.
            He tries to snatch his schedule from my hands, but I move too fast.
            “Why don’t we start with your name?” I suggest.
            I already know his name. Plus some. Diego Alvarez. Eighteen years old. Moved from Cuba two weeks ago. Only child. No previous school records. I read it in his bio. I want to hear him say it.
            “You got some kinda control issues or somethin’?” he asks harshly, voice slightly accented.
            “You got some kind of social issues or somethin’?” I fire back, holding my stance. I won’t let him intimidate me, though I’ll admit, he’s hot. Too bad he has a nasty attitude.
            The side of his lip twitches. “No. I just don’t mix with your type,” he answers.
            “My type?”
            “That’s what I said.”
            “You don’t even know my type.” No one does. Well, except Melissa.
            He chuckles humorlessly. “Sure I do. Head cheerleader? Date the football player? Daddy’s little girl who gets everything she wants?” He leans closer to whisper. “Probably a virgin.”
            My cheeks burn hot. “I’m not a cheerleader,” I say through clamped teeth.
            “Whatever,” he says. “Are you gonna give me my schedule or not?”
            “Not,” I answer. “But you can feel free to follow me to your first class.”
            He steps in front of me, intimately close. “Listen, chica, nobody tells me what to do.”
            I shrug. “Fine, suit yourself. It’s your life. But if you want to attend this school, it’s mandatory for me to show you to your classes for two days.”
            His eyes narrow. “Who says I want to attend this school?”
            I take the last step toward him, closing the gap between us. When we were little, Melissa and I used to collect glass bottles. Whenever we accumulated twenty, we’d break them on the concrete. When the glass shattered, the slivered pieces made a breathtaking prism of light.
I cut myself on the glass by accident once. It was painful, but worth it. The beauty was worth it. It’s funny how the bottle was never as beautiful as when it was broken.
You will not shatter me, I silently tell Diego. Somebody already did.
“If you don’t want to be here, then don’t come back,” I say.
            A taunting smile spreads across his face. My first thought is that he has nice teeth, but then I scold myself for thinking about him like that.
            “My name is Diego,” he says, like he’s letting me in on some kind of secret.
            “Well, Diego,” I say, “better hurry. Class starts in two minutes.” I step around him to lead the way.
While we walk to math, I feel Diego’s eyes on me. I don’t know what it is about him. All the other confident students had nothing on me, and I swear I’ve heard it all, but he seems different. He shines. In a dark way. When he looks at me, I get a tingly sensation, like I’m being zapped by electricity.
It doesn’t matter. He’s rude. And besides, I have a wonderful boyfriend. Jason. Think about Jason.
“Quit staring at me,” I say, glancing at him.
He laughs, and strands of black hair fall into his eyes. I imagine it’s a little like looking at the world through charred silk.
“Why? Does it make you uncomfortable?”
He’s messing with me to get under my skin, like a pesky little splinter.
It’s working.
“Yes,” I answer.
In his white shirt, Diego’s skin is dark. Perpetually tanned by heritage. 
I keep Diego’s schedule out of his reach. He inches closer, no doubt to grab it and run. I try to concentrate on the newly painted beige walls and tiled floors. Every few feet hangs a plaque about achievement or school clubs or tutoring programs.
When we come to the door, Diego rests an arm on the wall and leans toward me.
“I have a proposition for you,” he says in a sultry voice.
It’s hard to seem unaffected.
“I don’t do propositions,” I say dismissively.
He grins, his mouth arching up like the curl of a wave.
“But you haven’t even heard me out,” he says.
“Don’t need to.”
He ignores my comment. “What do you say we forget about this thing where I follow you around like a little dog? And when the guidance counselor asks, I will say you were superlative.”
“Big word,” I mumble. This guy did not do well on his entry exams, but he says things like superlative? What’s with that?
He glares at me; I sigh.
“You know, it wouldn’t kill you to drop the tough-guy act for two days. You’ll be rid of me soon.”
I turn to leave but Diego grabs my arm gently. My breath catches.
“It’s not an act,” he says, jaw hard.
I wave him away nonchalantly, like his touch didn’t just do all kinds of crazy things to my body—things that make me want to forget about the warning blaring in my mind.
I need to stay away from him.
I need to forget him.
Will you touch me again please?
I walk away. He watches me go.

“By the way,” I say as I flick a look over my shoulder at his hardened face, “I see right through you.”


Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Cover Reveal (Part 2) and Excerpt: Before You by Amber Hart!





2
Diego 
“Diego, vamonos.”
            I can’t help the frustrated sigh that escapes my lips, hurled at mi padre, my dad, like a gust of wind that threatens to flatten our house of cards. It’s my fault. I should have built something stronger with the cards I was dealt. But I didn’t. I didn’t know how.
“Go away,” I say. “Vete.”
I’m not planning to attend school today.
In fact, I didn’t plan to be in the States at all.
            “Vamonos. Let’s go,” mi padre repeats in his heavily accented voice, yanking me off of the couch. “You will not miss senior year.”
            He has this new thing where we have to speak English as much as possible now that we live in the States. I almost wish I weren’t fluent. Several trips to Florida, and I am. 
            With a grimace, I pass him, reluctantly moving toward my room. It feels like my feet are sinking, like I’m walking over sticky sand instead of thick, dirty carpet.
How did I get stuck in this place?
I open my dresser drawer and pull out faded jeans, a white T-shirt, and my Smith & Wesson.
            “No,” mi padre says, grabbing the gun.
            I take a step toward him, challenging. He does not back down.
“This is why we left,” he says.
Hypocrite. Under his bed is a similar gun, waiting. Just in case. But he’s also the one who taught me how to fight. I’m bigger than he is, but he has more experience. And the scars to prove it.
Not that I haven’t been in countless fights myself.
            “Fine,” I say through clenched teeth, and turn toward the bathroom.
            The hot water heater goes out after five minutes. The tiny two-bedroom apartment—this hole we now call home—is the only thing mi padre could afford. It’s not much, but it’s inexpensive. That’s all that matters. The plain white walls remind me of an asylum. Feels like I’m going crazy already.
Our jobs keep us afloat. They’re our life vests, our only chance of survival in a sea of ravenous sharks. Mi padre found a job with a lawn crew a couple weeks ago. Not many people would hire him with his scarred face and tattooed body. A restaurant offered me work part-time. Two shifts as a cook, one as a busboy. They promised a free meal every night that I worked. Couldn’t pass that up.
            “Don’t be late for school or work,” mi padre says as I step out of the house.
School’s only ten minutes away. I walk, staring at the graffiti-covered sidewalk that stretches in front of me like a ribbed canvas. Latinos roam the block. It didn’t take moving to the States for me to know that’s how it is. The gringos, white people, live in nice houses and drive cars to school while the rest of the world waits for a piece of their leftovers. I’m trying not to think about how screwed up it all is when a Latina walks up to me.
Hola,” she says. “¿Hablas inglés?
“Yeah, I speak English,” I answer, though I’m not sure why she asks since both of us speak Spanish.
“I’m Lola.” She smiles, sexy brown eyes big and wide. She reminds me of a girl I knew back home. Just the thought, the image of home, makes my guts clench.
“What’s your name?” she purrs.
“Lola,” a Latino calls from across the street. She ignores him. He calls again. When she doesn’t come, he approaches us.
One look tells me he’s angry. He has a cocky stance and a shaved head.
“Am I interrupting something?” he snaps.
What’s this guy’s problem?
“Yep,” Lola says, turning her back on him. “My ex,” she explains, brushing a strand of curly hair out of her face.
Perfecto. Just what I need. I didn’t even do anything. Not that I’m going to explain.
“She’s mine,” the guy says, staring me down. “¿Entiendes, amigo?”
            “I’m not your friend,” I say, gritting my teeth. “And you do not want to mess with me.”
            Lola is smiling. I wonder if she enjoys the attention. Probably. I’ve met too many girls like her. She fits the type.
            “You don’t know who you’re messing with,” he says, stepping closer.
            A few guys come out of nowhere, closing in on me. Blue and white bandanas hang from their pockets like a bad-luck charm. I know what the colors signify. Mara Salvatrucha 13 Gang, or MS-13.
I turn to Lola. Watch her smile.
            This is all part of the game. What I can’t figure out is if the guy really is her ex and she doesn’t care that she could be getting me killed, or if he sent her to see how tough I am, to help decide whether he wants to recruit me. 
            I turn to walk away, but someone blocks my path.
“Going somewhere?” another gang-banger asks.
            This whole time I’ve wondered if I’d end up fighting at school. I hadn’t thought about the fact that I may never make it in the first place. I silently curse mi padre for hiding my gun. He wouldn’t get rid of it completely, though.
            “What do you want?” I ask.
            The original guy laughs, looks me up and down. The number 67 is tattooed behind his right ear in bold black numbers. It only takes me a second to figure out the meaning. Six plus seven equals thirteen.
“What are those markings?” he asks, eyeing my tattoos.
            “Nothing,” I lie.
            If they wanted to fight me, they would’ve done it already. This is a recruit.
            “Where you from?” he asks.
            I don’t answer. Members of MS-13 stretch around the globe like fingers. They can easily check my past. I’m not gonna give them a head start.
            “Swallow your tongue?” one of the guys asks.
            I’m trying to figure out if I can win a fight against the five guys who surround me. I look for weak spots, scars, old injuries. I look for bulges that might be weapons. I’m a good fighter. I think I can take them. But at the same time, fighting will guarantee me a follow-up visit from MS-13.
            Just then, someone speaks behind us. “Is there a problem?” a police officer asks from the safety of his car.
            Everyone backs away from me.
“Nope,” one of the gangbangers answers. “We were just leaving.”
            “See you around,” 67 says, throwing an arm around Lola.
            I turn my back and walk the last block to school. The police officer trails slowly behind, like a hungry dog sniffing for scraps. He leaves as I enter the double doors.
            I think about what my dad said. Moving here will give you a brighter future.

His words sit heavily on my mind, like humidity on every pore of my skin. His intentions are good, but he’s wrong. So far, moving here has done nothing but remind me of my past.