Dancing in Circles (Circles Trilogy)

by Adams, Victoria

  "Whose?" Julie's voice was a whisper.

  "Pete's. Devil's Blood killed him. I sent him in and they knifed him. It took us a week to find him. He died in an alley. Now I've gotta decide whether there's a war or not." He leaned on the counter, shoulders bowed as if the weight of the world had settled on him.

  He stared at his running shoes. "If I start a war, more friends'll die. But if I don't retaliate, then Pete's death…. He's gotta be avenged. I can't handle this." He lifted his face, and his gaze met Julie's. "I don't know what to do."

  The coldness of his voice sent a shiver through her.

  "They register me in a school I can't afford to go to, then demand I go or I go back to jail. I can't quit the gang. If I back out now, all hell'll break loose. I wanted to be out of here by now. I thought maybe…I'd found a safe haven. Maybe ya were beginnin' to trust me. I shoulda known better." He spun, punched the kitchen cabinet and headed for the door.

  Mrs. Anderson grabbed his shirt, pulled him close and wrapped her arms around him. As he sagged against her, she motioned to Julie to leave.

  An hour later, she tapped on Julie's door. "He's asleep. He's very uncomfortable here. He doesn't like our charity. If he can't pay for it, he doesn't want to take it and that includes our food. He hasn't eaten or slept much in the past few days."

  She crossed the room and sat on Julie's bed. "I think he's trying to repay his misdeeds, but he's harder on himself than anyone else has been. We have to try and make him feel comfortable until he leaves." She picked up a sweatshirt and folded it then placed it on her lap. "And he will leave. He doesn't trust us. No, he doesn't understand us. He can't figure out why we're helping him. He's scared of driving you away. I don't know if he's capable of loving you, but he's as close as he can get right now."

  "Mommy," Ashley yelled.

  Mrs. Anderson sighed and hurried to find her youngest daughter.

  Julie tiptoed into Robert's room. He was sprawled belly down on the bed. She couldn't resist the temptation to stroke his back. She was careful, she didn't want to disturb him, but not even an eyelid flickered. "Can't do it all yourself, Robert. Just learn to love me."

  ***

  Julie strolled into the kitchen about 8:30, the next morning. Robert was finishing his breakfast. "Hello, sleepy head."

  Julie smiled. The old Robert was back. The toaster popped. She snatched the toast and spread peanut butter on it. "Are you going to write bio?"

  Her mother handed her a glass of milk.

  "I'll give it a stab." He chugged the last of his drink and put the glass on the counter. Mrs. Anderson playfully smacked his arm and pointed to the dishwasher. He rolled his eyes and placed it inside.

  "I can quiz you on the way in." She popped the last corner of her toast into her mouth.

  "I won't be home this afternoon." He pulled his hoodie over his head.

  Home. He called it home. "We've got English tomorrow." Julie reminded him as she slipped on her coat and picked up her purse.

  "I've gotta go to Pete's funeral."

  "May I go? As a friend." Julie walked to the door.

  Her mother pulled her aside. "You be careful. I'm not crazy about this."

  Julie patted her arm and whispered, "It's okay. He'll protect me."

  "Thanks for breakfast." Robert held the door for Julie and followed her out.

  ***

  As Mr. Parks handed out the exam papers, Julie gave an encouraging smile to Robert. He winked back and settled down to work. When she was satisfied with her answers, Julie flipped her paper and glanced at Robert. He'd finished checking his work and was waiting for the class to be dismissed. After the exams were collected, they hurried to her car. "Will we be late?" She pressed unlock.

  "No, they have to wait for me." He slid onto the passenger's seat, shut the door, then directed her to North Shore.

  The atmosphere in the small chapel was sombre, but the sense of rage was stifling. Shoresmen were in full colours. As Robert entered, Paul handed him his jacket. Robert indicated a pew in the back row. Julie slid in, and he sat next to her. Paul sat with his wife. The funeral director spoke a few words of consolatory welcome then introduced Robert. Julie looked up. "A gang leader's duty, Juls – bury the dead."

  He walked to the front and stopped by the casket. Inside lay a young man with a scar on his cheek. "You will be avenged, Peter. You will be avenged."

  A roar rose from the fellow members. Robert turned to face the crowd and waited until they silenced.

  "I'd hoped when we buried Linc, he'd be the last member to die in colours. Pete died honourably. He died tryin' to prevent a war between us and Devil's Blood."

  At the mention of the murderous gang's name, a chorus of jeers and profane insults was thrown out to the open air. Stern looks from family members and the Reverend settled the voices.

  Robert continued, "I don't want this death to be a senseless one. I want it avenged. We cannot allow Blood to move into our territory. Many Shoresmen died stakin' out and protectin' what is ours. We must be prepared to do the same."

  As howls of agreement filled the chapel air, Robert walked across the front of the room. "I said we must be prepared. I didn't say we're gonna charge out that door and kill every Blood we find. I know you're itchin' for a good fight, but a gang war never stays between gangs. As I look out, I see kids, wives, mothers. These are the innocents who get hurt in a gang war. We must find a way to stop Blood from invadin' and we must settle the score for Pete."

  Low grumbles were heard. Robert glared at a few members. "There'll be no war until I declare it. I will not negotiate with Blood. We're Shoresmen! We control Shore. I will not give up any territory Shoresmen blood bought." He stood before his gang proud and defiant.

  Turning to face the people seated in the front row, he said, "To Pete's family. I grieve for your loss. I'm to blame for sendin' him into Blood territory, and I'll live with that for the rest of my life." He lowered his head for a moment.

  Raising his head, he let his gaze fall on a group of Shoresmen in the back corner. "The war council and I will say bye to Pete here. Council, twelve noon, clubhouse." He turned and placed his hand over his dead friend's heart. "Pete, my friend, wherever ya are, may the beer run freely and the babes be friendly."

  The Shoresmen cheered. Robert shook a man's hand then kissed the woman seated next to him. He exited the chapel, motioning to Julie to follow.

  When he got to her car, he slammed his fist on the roof. "Damn! I hate this. Funerals. Wars. I don't want to fight. I don't want any more deaths." He flung his hand in the direction of the chapel. "They're ready to explode. How do I stop this?"

  Julie wrapped her arms around him. "You'll find a way. You're a good leader. You handled yourself wonderfully. I'll drive you to the clubhouse."

  "No, go home and study. I may need to rack your brains again."

  She gave him a peck on the cheek then turned to leave. He caught her hand and pulled her back. "Thanks for being there." He held her face and pressed his lips against hers. Something deep within him tried to awaken but was crushed by the reality of the moment.

  She brushed her hand along the side of his cheek, entered her car and drove away. The kiss lingered on his lips as he watched her taillights fade.

  "Looks like you've got more on your mind than a gang war, Bob." Paul slapped him on the back.

  "Someday, I'll ask ya about bein' in love, but today I ain't got time."

  ***

  After supper, while Julie helped her mother with the dishes, her father sat in the kitchen reading the paper. "Julie, there's a story here about the Shoresmen. By the way, where is our guest? Has he moved out?"

  Julie placed several dishes in the dishwasher. "No, actually, he's avoiding you."

  Mr. Anderson looked over the top of his glasses.

  "Yes, you." She smiled at her father. "He hates Judge Anderson, but he respects you for taking him to the hospital. He's caught between emotions."

  "Right now, I'd say he's ca
ught between more than that." He turned back a page in his newspaper. "It says, North Shore Tenses as Rival Gangs Square Off. The article's about a gang called Devil's Blood's attempts to invade Shoresmen territory." He frowned. "One gang member has been killed."

  "Pete, that's whose funeral Robert and I went to today." She sat across from her father. "Robert sent him in to discover what the other gang is up to. He was killed. Now Robert's trying to negotiate something that'll avert a gang war, but avenge Pete's death."

  Mr. Anderson's eyebrows rose. "I'm amazed you know anything about this. And I'm surprised with Robert. He's not the kid I remember. That kid would've started the war like that." He snapped his fingers.

  "Robert's worried he may have to." Julie played with her fingernail.

  "In the meantime." Mrs. Anderson pressed start on the dishwasher then settled on a kitchen chair. "He works seven days a week, attends school and runs a gang. On top of all of that, somewhere he finds the time to eat, sleep and read bedtime stories to Ashley."

  "Intriguing person." Julie's father returned to reading his paper.

  Responding to a knock, Julie opened the backdoor.

  "It's locked." Robert entered. "And I didn't think pickin' it would be a good idea."

  As he stepped past Julie, the smell of beer and smoke reached her nose. "What happened at the clubhouse?"

  He started to answer when he noticed both adult Andersons staring at him. He looked down at his gang jacket. "Oh, shit, I forgot I was wearin' this. I'm sorry." He pulled the jacket off.

  "It's okay, Robert," said Mrs. Anderson. "It's just a surprise to see you in it."

  "I don't want the little kids to see it. Keys, please." He held out his hand.

  Julie tossed them to him. "Put it in the car. I'll drive us to school tomorrow."

  He returned a few minutes later. Mrs. Anderson was at the counter preparing a plate of leftovers. He stood next to her. "You sit. I can do this." Hating the fact his presence caused her more work, he avoided the house. But a person can only sleep in cold, damp places for so long.

  "Do we have to go through this again?" She brushed a stray hair off her face. "Don't pamper me just because I'm pregnant."

  Chastised, Robert sat.

  "Julie was telling us about the funeral." Mr. Anderson folded his paper and placed it on the table. "Any developments?"

  Robert shook his head. "I don't know. I talked to Juan. Blood's leader. He says they ain't invadin' us. That it's a rebel group in his gang. He's promised to bring out Pete's killer." As he yawned, he rubbed his face. "But I don't trust him. Somethin's up. Just can't figure out what."

  "What do you mean bring out Pete's killer?" Julie offered him a beer. He accepted it with a grin.

  "They hand the killer over to us."

  She sat next to him. "But what about the police?"

  Robert chugged half his beer then placed the bottle on the table. "The cops'll get him eventually. If he's still alive."

  Mr. Anderson coughed. It was a concerned judge cough.

  Mrs. Anderson put a plate in front of him.

  "Hmm smells great." He smiled. "Thanks."

  He turned his attention to Julie's father. "Look, reality is, if Blood delivers him when I'm not around, the guy's dead meat and I say, looks good on him. If I can get my hands on him first, I promise he'll be alive when I turn him over." Breathin' and a heartbeat but not much else.

  Mrs. Anderson sat next to her husband. "Julie said Pete was a friend?"

  Between mouthfuls, Robert said, "Paul's my best bud, and if I was ranking them, Pete's next." He swallowed. "When we was hungry, Pete and I used to raid stores. One of us would distract the owner, and the other would load up his jacket with whatever. Pete loved peanut butter and crackers. We'd eat jar fulls." He paused. "Guess maybe I shouldn't be sayin' this to a judge."

  "I'm a judge between nine and five, and Bill the rest of the time." Mr. Anderson smiled.

  "Pardon me for saying this, but if a friend of mine was murdered, I wouldn't be as calm as you. I'd be screaming and running around. I'd go crazy." Julie tried to stop the tremor of fear rippling her shoulders.

  "Haven't got time." Robert swallowed the last of his beer. "Pete knows I miss him. He knows I'll get revenge. Meanwhile, I've gotta keep the rest of the gang alive. I'm sure Pete doesn't want no company."

  Julie rested her hand on his shoulder. "What was it you said to Pete at the end of your eulogy?"

  "Just somethin' I made up for another funeral. It's kinda become the gang's motto."

  "Well, what is it?" Mrs. Anderson offered seconds. Robert shook his head.

  He put his dirty dishes in the sink then sat at the table. "Wherever ya are, may the beer flow freely and the babes be friendly."

  "Fitting," said Mrs. Anderson.

  "I made one for a girl – wherever ya are, may the sun always sparkle in your eyes." He paused a moment. "I had to make one up for a kid. He was beaten to death by his old man. Wherever ya are, may it always be Christmas."

  "You may have a cold steel exterior, but you have the heart of a poet." Mrs. Anderson patted his arm.

  "Speaking of poetry, I still gotta study English."

  "I'll quiz you like this morning." Julie headed to her room.

  Robert took a deep breath. "Mrs. Anderson, I appreciate what ya did yesterday. I was really pis…mad at ya, but I figured out what ya were doin'. It's not easy for a tough guy to say but thanks." He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I'd buy ya some roses, but I'm broke."

  She laughed as Robert went upstairs.

  Julie quizzed Robert on novels, poems, authors, and grammatical styles until he conceded exhaustion. "One quick question and I'll leave."

  "Forget the question. I'd rather have a kiss." Yawning, he reached for her.

  She pushed him back down to his bed. "Question first. What did you write for question six – the DNA one?"

  Unfortunately, while Robert puzzled this out, his eyes closed. Julie whispered goodnight, pressed the wall switch and closed the door. She smiled as she walked to her room. He's back home. He's safe. Life is good.

  Little did she know that all hell was about to break loose.

  Chapter Eleven

  Waiting outside the calculus exam, Julie scanned the hall, wondering where Robert was. She glanced at her watch and sighed. The exam started in five minutes. She entered and sat. Mr. Ross put his hand on the door and pulled. Robert squeezed past, winked at Julie and slid into his desk. The exams were distributed and the class settled down to work. An hour later, Robert stood and took his exam to the teacher's desk.

  Mr. Ross frowned. "You know the rules. You may not leave until the exam is over."

  "Got permission. Ask the office." He dropped his exam on the desk, smiled at Julie and left.

  She finished checking her last question as the teacher announced time was up. After handing in her papers, she headed home. Stretched out on her bed, Julie smiled at the ceiling. No school thoughts until Monday and her dance exam was tomorrow. Her stomach grumbled.

  Hoping for an invitation to preview the nursery, Julie decided to surprise her mother by making lunch. While it was a surprise, instead of a sneak preview, Julie's mother said they needed to buy groceries. As they grabbed their coats and purses, Robert strolled into the kitchen.

  "Shopping." Julie spun him around towards the door. "We need a slave…I mean a big strong man to carry the packages."

  "Lunch." He turned back into the kitchen.

  "No time." Mrs. Anderson turned him to the door. "I need groceries if there are to be meals next week."

  "Tonight is still pizza night, right? You promised Jason." Julie stifled a giggle as Robert wiggled out of her mother's grip then grabbed the cookie jar and a bottle of juice from the refrigerator.

  Her mother buttoned her coat and nodded. "You good to go?"

  "Yup." He bit an oatmeal cookie, followed them out of the house then crawled onto the backseat and grabbed another cookie.

  Mrs. Anderson b
acked out of the driveway and drove to Midtown Market. "So tell us what happened yesterday."

  "Yes, you made it to calculus by seconds this morning." Julie shifted around to face him.

  "Nothing much." Robert chugged some juice. "Both war councils met all night. The police guy shuttled between the two of us. Blood isn't negotiatin' well. I'm afraid I'm gonna have to get tough. I got the cop to give me an escort to school to explain why I had to leave early. By noon, I was beat. I left everythin' to the cops. Can't be logical and reasonable forever. They're paid to be." He shrugged and popped another cookie into his mouth.

  Mrs. Anderson pulled into the Midtown Market parking lot and parked the car. Over the years, a small local open-air market had grown to include places where one could buy fresh eggs, chickens, meats, exotic fruits and vegetables, cheeses and heady smelling herbs and spices from faraway places. Julie loved to shop there. The sights and smells excited her senses.

  They wandered among the vendors stalls. Her mother tested, sniffed and purchased the produce.

  "Hey, Robert." A large man held a loaf of French bread in one hand and waved.

  Robert stepped closer to the stall. "Hey, Phillipe. How's Maria?"

  Phillipe used his free hand to mimic a big round belly. "Two months before baby is born."

  "Take care. And tell Maria to stay healthy."

  As they continued to wander through the produce sellers, people shouted hello while others tossed Robert an apple or an orange.

  "Why do all these people know you?" Julie asked accepting his offered apple.

  "Shoresmen patrol this place. It's one of the things I started. We do a better job than the police. When we catch someone shopliftin', we don't give'em a warning or a ticket." He chuckled. "The cops show up every now and then, just to let us know they're still in charge. We let'em think that, and they go away happy."

  Mrs. Anderson stopped at a meat stall. She was examining a roast when Robert came up behind her. "It's got to be a large roast. I am feeding an extra hungry mouth these days." She smiled at Robert.