“Their father.” Rogen looked hard at Sissy as if she was telling her to drop it for now. So when she got down on her knees in front of the kids, she handed them each an envelope. “This is the money the government gives to people that do what you guys have done. I split it four ways because I thought that even though the girls didn’t lift it, they still helped by keeping an eye out for anyone coming by.”
Thomas handed his envelope to Ginger. “Don’t you want to see how much it is for yourself?” He told her whatever it was, he’d like it to be put into a college fund for himself. The other kids, except Sarah, did the same thing. “That’s an excellent idea. But I think you should each take just a small part of it and get yourself something special. What you four did was an amazing thing, and you deserve some kind of reward for it.”
“Mr. Jonas gives us what we need. And when we ask for something, he gets it for us, as long as it’s not dangerous and won’t hurt one of us.” Thomas pointed to the checks. “I don’t care how much it is. We did it so our dad wouldn’t be able to sell it to people that would die. He didn’t care who died so long as he had money to get him a new bunch of kids.”
“He didn’t mean that. I’m sure you misheard him, Thomas.” Thomas turned to Sissy and stared at her for the longest time before he finally turned away. “Rogen, you don’t believe he said that to them, do you?”
“I do. Because when he was arrested, again, he said the same thing to one of my officers. That he was going to find the shit, his words, that the kids had taken from him and buy himself some new ones. There is also something else you should be aware of, all of you. Their father hurt these kids in ways that will turn your stomach.” Dad asked if he’d abused them sexually. “Yes.”
The one word hung there for several seconds before Rogen turned to the kids again. She handed them all a second envelope and told them what it was for. Guns. Not a few either, she explained to Dad when he asked, but several hundred of them that had been carried by the children from a place they’d been hidden to another place, to keep them from being sold.
“You did this? All of you?” Dad watched them as each one, including little Sarah, nodded. He thought she was mimicking the other children, but it did solidify what he needed to know.”I don’t know what to say. I do know I’m very proud of the four of you. It must have taken you a long time to do something like that. Not to mention bravery. Whatever that amount is on those checks isn’t nearly enough as far as I’m concerned.”
Rogen laughed. Sissy just didn’t understand these people at all. Just as she was thinking she couldn’t wait to get home with the children, Ginger spoke up. When she stood up, so did Jonas.
“I’m going to be staying here with Jonas. And if possible, we’d like to keep the kids here with us. Jonas is my mate.” Dad stood up and yelled loudly as he danced around with Ginger. Then he shook Jonas’s hand until Sissy was sure he was going to tear it off. “Also, Sissy, I have some news for you. You’re going to have a baby. The family—they’re tigers, as you know—can smell it on you.”
“I can’t have children.” Ginger just cocked her head at her and smiled. “No. I’ve been to the doctor, and he told me there wasn’t much of a chance I’d ever conceive.”
“Well, he didn’t say you never could, just that you didn’t have much of a chance. Congratulations.” Dad hugged her as well, but gently. Sissy was still confused as to how she was going to have a child when she realized how the child would have been conceived.
The sting to her face had her looking at Ginger. She’d hit her. Looking around the room, she realized it was just the two of them there. Asking her why she’d hit her, Ginger smiled.
“You zoned out on us. I thought for sure it was because you were going to have a baby, but then you started talking about rape and being tied up. Jonas took the kids out of the room, and the rest of them followed. Did he rape you, baby?” Nodding, Sissy started crying as she held onto Ginger. “I have you now. You’ve nothing to worry about.”
When her tears started to slow, she thought about the things she’d been told and heard the last few minutes. Sissy felt betrayed by her sister. She’d not even wanted to come here, and now she was taking the children from her. Why? Her head wanted to scream at her sister.
“Say it, Sissy. Say it before you zone out again.” She did. Sissy told her how unfair it was of her to take the kids from her. “You didn’t have them, so I didn’t take them from you. But they’re happier here than they’ve been in a long time, and I think that uprooting them now would be—”
“So you decided you’d take them from me and stay here too, with a man you don’t know. How selfish can you be?” Ginger stood up and went to the couch across from the one she was sitting on. “As I said, you didn’t even want to come here anyway, and now that you have, you think to just take the kids like I didn’t want them for myself.”
“Why did you want them for yourself, Sissy? A large family is what you’ve been saying, but I think it’s deeper than that. What is it? And I’m not being selfish. I’m thinking of their lives thus far, and how much it would—”
“I could have moved here for them. I could have helped them out by moving here and raising them. But you didn’t even give me a chance at that, did you? You just had to step in and take over. That’s what you always do, isn’t it? When you think I’m too delicate or something, you just ramrod yourself into whatever it is and take over. I’m a grown assed woman, Ginger, and you’re not being fair.” Ginger didn’t speak, and that pissed her off more. “What is it you think you can do for them that I can’t? I’m sure you have a long list of things you think I’d fail at. Tell me what it is?”
“What the hell is up your ass?” Sissy demanded that she tell her what was going on. “All right, no, I don’t think you have the support it takes to raise them. Did you know that Sarah was raped by her uncle when he was around? And that her father knew about it? That Hailey has nightmares that have her waking up screaming that someone else is going to come into her bedroom at night and fuck her? That Bobby has cigarette burns over ninety percent of his body? That some of the scars will be there for the rest of his life? That there will be scars on his mind, too, that may never go away? Did you know that someone used his mouth as a sex toy? That they put firecrackers in his mouth and lit them? That Thomas has been raped so many times he’s terrified to have anyone but a few people he trusts touch him? That—”
“That’s enough, Ginger.” They both looked at Dad when he came into the room. “You’ve made your point, and even though it scares me to no end that these kids have endured this, there is no reason whatsoever to tell Sissy.”
“Why? Why are you forever trying to protect me?” Dad asked Sissy what she was saying. “The two of you ganging up on me, keeping me in the dark about shit. Why do you do that? Do you think I’m going to fall apart? That I’m going to fall into some kind of despair now that I’ve had a glimpse into what those kids have had to do to survive? I’ll have you both know that I’m stronger than you think I am.”
“Of course you are.” Dad sat down beside her. “Sissy, you can’t think you can take on four children all alone that have this many problems to deal with. I’m not going to be around forever, and with Ginger getting married, you’ll be all alone in this. Not to mention a baby on the way. You’ve got a great deal on your plate right now as it is. A baby. A divorce coming up. I don’t want, any more than Ginger does, for you to be too stressed. Having a baby is hard on a woman. Raising those children will be a great deal to tackle.”
Sissy looked at her sister. There wasn’t a smirk on her face as she had expected. Not that she’d done that before, but this was different. This was what she had wanted all her life. A big family to hang around the Christmas tree with. Dinners with their families. Now her sister was taking that away from her.
Getting up, she headed to the front door. She knew she was going to regret speaking if she stay
ed any longer and left the house. She was nearly to the car when Ginger caught up with her. When she asked her where she was going, Sissy turned to her and snarled.
“Don’t speak to me.” Ginger backed away from her temper that Sissy didn’t seem to have any control over. “Just don’t. You got what you wanted, and hurray for you. You always do, don’t you? Well, I’m going to fight you on this. You’ll see that I win, too. Stay away from me, or so help me. I’ll find those drug dealers and have them come after you.”
“You’ll kill the kids too if you do that. Just as quickly as you had put a gun to their heads yourself.” Sissy felt her heart crumble. Ginger hadn’t cared that she was threatening her, but the kids were first. “Sissy, this is no way to end this. You have to see that.”
“What I see is you barging in on things that were never your concern. Don’t contact me, Ginger. I’m going to go back home and pretend like you don’t exist. I’m sick of coming in second place to you.” Ginger told her it wasn’t like that at all. “So you say. Goodbye, Ginger. Enjoy them while you have them because I will win this.”
She didn’t have any idea how she was going to return home. Her purse and all her things were in the house, the one she had no plans to return to. Walking to town had her thinking, and she no more liked the thoughts she was having now than what her sister had done to her. And she had done her wrong, no matter how it looked to her.
Her cell was ringing just as she found a small inn. Pulling out her phone, she saw that the caller was unknown and didn’t answer. As soon as she was in the doorway, greeted by a plump woman with a huge smile on her face, she handed her the phone that was on her desk. Answering it, she was embarrassed as well as upset that her sister had gone this far.
“It’s Rogen, not Ginger. I must say, Sissy, you’ve done a bang-up job of upsetting my household. What is it you’re planning next? I do hope you know that if you follow through on your plans to turn those kids over to the drug dealers, I’ll make your death so long and tortuous that they’ll never be able to identify your body with dental records. What the fuck is wrong with you?” Sissy told Rogen she’d not understand. “Then you go ahead and explain it to me. Oh, by the way, when I call, answer. Mrs. Apple has a room for you, but you’ll understand that you’re putting her and her entire family in danger by your antics. However, I’ve had to put extra guards around you so that you stay put and keep your fucking mouth shut.”
“You can’t talk to me like that.” Rogen just laughed. “You want to know what happened? Well, I’ll tell you what I told Ginger. I’m going home, and fuck you and anyone else that comes along to try and get something from me. Ginger took those kids from me just as surely as if she had kidnapped them. I wanted them first.”
“So, because you wanted them first, you think you’re entitled to have them. All right. I’ll tell you what. Come and get them. I’ll talk to Mrs. Apple about them staying there with you, and you keep them with you until you leave here. Or when this mess is over.” Sissy asked if she’d be able to take them when she left. “Yes. I’ll talk to Jonas and Ginger. They’ll understand that you wanted them first. I’ll send them over to you since I don’t believe they’ll be able to walk all that way. Is that all right with you?”
“Why do I feel like you’re trying to trick me into something? As I said to my dad, I’m stronger than anyone has given me credit for.” Rogen told her that was all right too. “All right. I’ll take them. This will be a good time for us to get to know one another before I have to move back home. Because I will take them with me when I leave here.”
“Of course you will. If you’d like, before you leave, I’ll set up the paperwork that says you’re their mother from now on too. No point in taking them to a courtroom.”
This was working out better than she could have hoped for. But she still felt as if she was being tricked into something.
“I’ll have them put into a car right now and brought to you. Jonas will have their schedules too.”
The call was disconnected before she could ask what kind of schedules. It was probably nothing more than just what time they had bedtime and their eating schedule. Sissy danced around the hallway before Mrs. Apple showed her to the upper floor of the inn.
“There is only one bathroom on this floor. That’s why we don’t use it much. But there are four rooms here that you can use.” The bathtub was a huge one, one that she thought she could soak in for hours. The rooms were pretty. The beds were all made up to look like an old room. No television in the rooms, which she was happy about. There was no point in letting them get used to watching too much television anyway. “You’ll be all right up here then?”
“Yes, of course.” Mrs. Apple didn’t look convinced. “I’ll be fine. Just fine. By the end of the week, it’ll be just like we were meant for each other.”
“You don’t have any kids of your own, do you, missus?” She told her that she was actually expecting her very first one. “Well, good luck to you. Mrs. Rogen said that I was to treat you like any other guest in the place and not to make any exceptions. You all right with that too?”
“I am. I’m really glad she mentioned that to you as well. I’m going to have fun. I’ve always wanted a big family. This will be just perfect. For all of us.” Mrs. Apple went down the stairs, shaking her head. “You’ll see. All of you will see. This is going to be epic.”
~*~
Jonas wasn’t happy about this. About any of it. But Ginger told him this was just what Sissy needed, to figure out that she wasn’t made to raise four children with special needs. Not that she couldn’t do it with just one child, but four was just too many for most people.
“But you think we can.” She nodded and looked around the room where they were. There was his family, his parents, as well as a few others that would gladly help if needed. But they weren’t going to be there for Sissy. “I don’t understand. Why can’t we go and give her some help when she needs it? I have it.”
“She won’t have anyone like this family here once she goes home. My sister needs to learn things the hard way about what is involved in doing what you, with the help of your entire family, have been doing for these little guys. I’m not stubborn enough to think I could do it without help. But Sissy needs to figure this out on her own. Ask Dad. He’ll tell you the same thing.”
He had. Heath, their father, had told Jonas that he was proud of him for doing this and that he’d better never hurt either of his daughters or now his grandchildren. “Your father, he knows we’re all cats, right? I mean, first of all, I’d never hurt anyone unless they were harming one of you guys. Then there is the fact that I can’t hurt you, as you’re my mate.”
“About that—what did Thatcher say when you told him you’d lied to him? I’m sure he wasn’t thrilled.” Jonas smiled and told her he wasn’t pissy at all. Confused but not pissy. “I’m glad. I’m happy about a lot of things right now.”
He knew she wasn’t—her heart was hurting for what Sissy had said to her, the things she’d blamed on her. Holding her in his arms felt right, but she pulled away too quickly for him, and he asked her if she was all right.
“I’m not. Not at all. But I’m going to be.” She looked away as she picked up the jacket that Sarah had worn over to Thatcher’s home. “I’m glad your brothers are taking them to her. I don’t know what I’d do if they started crying for you. My heart isn’t normally so tender, but right now, it feels like it’s been stomped on quite a few times.”
Jonas had sat the kids down on the couch and talked to them about what was going to happen. Not that it was a lesson being taught to Sissy, but that she wanted to take them home with her when she left. There had been a great many tears, even his own, but they said they’d be on their best behavior while with her. Hailey was the most afraid, he’d realized. She’d been terrified that Sissy was going to get them hurt. Thomas made a promise that he’d make sure to call if there was trou
ble. Jonas had hugged them tightly several times before gathering up their clothing and coats.
Once they were gone, it was as if a cloud had settled over the house. Even his mom was caught crying several times when he ventured into the dining room where they were working. Rogen and Ginger were going over the plans for the building she’d found and working to make sure the kids were guarded.
“Benny was released an hour ago. They’re still keeping an eye on Margo. I don’t think anyone is actually looking for her, but then I haven’t any idea what the guys after the drugs and guns know about her. If they find her, it won’t be long until they find Benny too. Then Sissy.” Mr. Morgan asked Rogen what might happen to Sissy if they found her. “Not to be indelicate, sir, but they’ll kill her. After making sure she hasn’t any idea where the things are. However, I predict that she’ll crack under the pain and tell them where the kids are if they’re not with her when they find her. And they will find her. There was several million dollars’ worth of drugs and weapons that the kids hid. There is a great deal at stake with this shipment, and they won’t be able to walk away.”
“But she’s out there alone.” Rogen pulled up the inn where Sissy was staying and pointed out the people she had there watching her. “You think they’re going to strike soon, don’t you?”
“Soon? I’d say within the next few days. There are still two people between Sissy and the drugs. Margo is already being watched. And as of the moment Benny left the jail, he was as well. I’m not so worried about Carson, Margo’s ex-husband. He’s in prison right now on other charges. But I will take care of him too.” Heath, as he’d asked them to call him, shivered as if he had an idea what sort of things Rogen was capable of. “The only thing that could mess this up is Sissy getting stupid. The fact that she’s out of my range of being able to keep an eye on her worries me, but I have the best men on her.”
Jonas: Robinson Destruction – Paranormal Tiger Shifter Romance Page 4