Elizabeth Reyes - Romero (The Moreno Brothers series #4)

ROMERO

(The Moreno Brothers series #4)

By Elizabeth Reyes

Romero By Elizabeth Reyes

Copyright 2011 By Elizabeth Reyes. All rights reserved including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Cover Art Miroslav Georgijevic

This book is dedicated to my loyal readers. Particularly the ones who emailed me more than once to request that I write Romero and Isabels story. This story was never going to be and if it hadnt been for you guys it may never have blossomed the way it did and now Im so glad its part of the Moreno Brother series. Just beware. Romero is well Romero. =)

I hope you enjoy!

Romero

Manny was on his third disposable camera. His girlfriend Aida stood next to him, wearing a dress that looked like he just picked her up on a street corner.

Can you wind up your plastic camera a little faster so we can get out of here? Max said. Its hotter than shit out here.

Shut up and get in there, will you? Im sending every damn one of these to Cousin Lou in Texas. That asshole didnt think we could raise this kid. He smiled at Romero, and if Romero didnt know any better, hed think Manny was getting choked up again. Jesus . Cmon smile, will you?

Romeros uncles had always insisted he use their first names

You know, if you break down and buy a digital camera like everyone else, you can send them to him tonight in an email, Max said.

Manny took a few more pictures. Romero got tired of telling him about his finger on the lens. Let him be pissed about it when he got all the pictures back. All he could think of was getting the hell out of there to go party with his friends.

I can do the same with these as soon as I get them back. They give you a disc over at the drug store, smartass. Besides why would I buy a digital camera when I got a load of these?

Romero frowned. His uncles had plenty of friends with connections. They constantly hooked him up with things that fell off of delivery trucks, in exchange for favors. Because of the business his uncles ran they had plenty of favors to barter with that those types of guys would really enjoy. The latest hook-up had been a few dozen boxes of disposable cameras. Are we done? Romero asked.

Yeah, with this one. Manny dumped the camera in a tote and pulled out another brand new disposable camera. Go get your friends. I want a few with them in it.

Romero began to protest, but it was pointless. If he didnt obey, his uncle was bound to start yelling for his friends to get their asses over here anyway. Rather than endure another one of their usual public scenes, he complied. All right, Ill go get them but make it fast because I got somewhere to be.

Yeah, yeah, youll go when I say you go. Were going to dinner, remember? I didnt get all dolled up for nothing.

Aida fixed his uncles bright red tie. Both his uncles had worn suits for the occasion. As usual, their choice in clothes didnt disappoint. Manny, a heavyset man, was in a white suit with a black shirt and bright red tie. Max looked like something out of a zoot suit movie. But it was all good. Romero was used to this. This was nothing compared to the matching powder blue suits theyd worn to his middle school graduation, and the scuffle they started in the crowd during the ceremony. That fat bitch got right in front of me just as I was taking the picture! was Mannys argument.

That fat bitchs husband didnt take too kindly to his uncles foul mouth and it was on.

As he walked through the crowd of bodies, many still in their graduation robes, he spotted Clairesweet, quiet, bookworm, Claire. Ever since the tenth grade when hed caught her trying not to laugh at one of his lewd remarks, shed been on his get-to-know list. Up until then hed only had a to-do list when it came to girls. In fact, there were only two girls on his get-to-know list ever. Ironically, the other one, Libby, was a lot like Claire. Only unlike Claire, hed never gotten the feeling Libby might actually be attracted to him, except for the few times he caught her staring and he thought she mightve blushed. Unfortunately, theyd been in class and shed spun her head around so fast he wasnt able to tell. Another unfortunate thing about her is shed moved away a year ago.

Hed been surprised to see Claire in the Forensic science class hed taken this past semester on the weekends as part of their schools regional occupational program. He hadnt told anyone about the class. Not even his uncles knew. Hed told them he enrolled in a weekend program but said it was a weight training thing.

Like in school, he hadnt expected to have much interaction with Claire, until they were partnered up on a project. There was no denying the attraction she tried so desperately to hide. He saw right through her. Even now, it made him smile at the times hed broken through that sweet innocent wall of hers, and gotten her to admit a thing or two. Like when he teased her about being so holier-than-thou, shed probably never even had a naughty dream. Not only did she admit to having had some, but they hadnt all been about her boyfriend.

Her boyfriendthat wiped the smile right off his face. Hed waited too damn long to get to know her and by the time he started talking to her in the ROP class she was taken. If she had wanted to, it wouldnt have been the first time that Romero had borrowed a little time with someone elses girl. Only thing was, with Claire he hadnt been too sure if he could handle sharing her. He never got a chance to find out though.

As strong as he felt her attraction had been, she wasnt the cheating type and apparently things between her and her boyfriend were pretty serious. Of course, that only made Romero want her more. What had really thrown him was when he smugly asked her if any of those dreams had been of him. He completely expected her to blush and deny it vehemently. Instead sweet innocent Claire smiled the wickedest smile that nearly made him blush and she pled the fifth.

But even that didnt top what he remembered most fondly about her. With all the suggestive teasing hed done, he expected more demure responses. But after they finished up their project, instead of demure shed teased him right back, calling him closet-smart. Something that for some reason always shut him right up.

Romero slowed down watching her pose for a picture with a woman he could only imagine was her mom. She noticed him after the picture had been taken and smiled, making Romero breathe in deeply. He smiled back and began walking toward her. Shed only taken a few steps, when her boyfriend stepped in front of her with a bouquet of flowers. The moment was over and he decided to walk away.

He rounded up his two best friends: Eric Diego and Angel Moreno. Dont ask me why, but Manny wants pictures with you guys in em. Lets get this over with. The sooner were done, the faster I can get dinner with them out of the way and we can meet up.

Do you have to make that face in every picture? This isnt a mug shot. Max, will it kill you to fucking smile in just one of these? Stop with the tough guy poses, Moe, no ones buying that shit.

Eric and Angel stifled in laughs. Romero had always gone by his last name to everyone else but his uncles. His first name was Ramon, though hed never gone by it. Manny and Max both called him Monie when he was a kid. Over the years it morphed into Moe. His uncles loved introducing themselves as Manny, Max, and Moe any chance they got. They thought it was cool but Romero knew peoples first thought, especially considering his two uncles appearances were the Three Stooges.