Page 64 of The Deadly Candies

“I don’t know what to do,” she sobbed. “If my pa doesn’t kill me, my ma will. And if I live, they’ll take the baby—or worse, they’ll make me go south and take the baby—” She broke off, lifting her watery gaze to José. “I’m scared.”

José ran a shaky hand through his hair, pacing. “Does he know?”

Debbie shook her head quickly. “No, I ran away from him,” she admitted. “I told him I had to quit the job at Esposito’s—that was a lie, but he still wanted us to be together. I took letters to Mama Stewart from Kathy and left before he got there. I just… I just ran.”

José’s anger boiled over.

“And Kathy?” he hissed. “Are you both insane? She’s still writing to Carmelo? After everything that happened to her?” He threw up his hands. “And you—whyMatteo?Why him? He’s a thug! A creep!”

Debbie’s teary eyes flashed with anger. “No, he isn’t,” she argued. “He’s a good person. You just have to know him.”

José laughed bitterly. “Right. A good person?Matteo Ricci?The same Matteo who walks around with a gang and is known for cutting people up with knives?”

Debbie flinched again, but this time in shock.

“No. No, that’s not true.” She shook her head frantically. “It’s all lies. I’m telling you, José, they lie on Matteo. Blame him for everything. He’s a good man. A Christian.”

José exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples.

“Dios mío, Debbie, what do you want me to say?” he groaned. “I don’t know how to fix this. I don’t?—”

She cut him off.

“There’s a lady,” she said quickly. “Magdalena. They call her Magdalia. She’s Spanish. Doesn’t speak good English. She helps girls with… problems.”

José’s stomach dropped.

“You’re talking about abruja,” he said darkly.

Debbie didn’t deny it.

“She’s in East Harlem,” she continued. “She said she can… fix me. I just have to bring payment.”

José’s eyes narrowed. “What kind of payment?”

Debbie lifted her wrist, and under the golden glow of the noonday sun, her diamond and sapphire bracelet sparkled.

José’s jaw tensed.

“He gave you that?” he asked.

Debbie nodded sadly and touched her belly. “He gave me a lot of things I can’t keep.”

José’s chest ached at the sorrow in her voice.

She took a shaky breath. “I need someone to go with me, who can translate,” she whispered. “Because… some girls get hurt. That’s what Suga told me.”

José’s blood ran cold.

“You toldSuga?” His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. “So now the whole damn school is gonna find out?”

“No! She kept my secret.” Debbie looked away. “She had to use her too.”

José felt like the ground beneath him had tilted.

He began pacing again, muttering in Spanish, shaking his head.

“So, you’re not gonna tell him?” he asked, stopping abruptly.

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