by Rose Nickol
Todd wrapped his arms tightly around Sawyer’s neck and pulled his head down until he could whisper in his ear, “I saw him.”
“Who did you see, Todd?” Sawyer asked, confused.
“Shh, I’ll get in trouble. It has to be a secret,” Todd whispered again.
“Okay,” Sawyer answered quietly, looking at Felicia for help.
She just shrugged her shoulders. “No clue,” she mouthed and turned to her son. “Dustin, do you know what Todd’s talking about?”
“Yeah, but he might get in trouble if I tell,” Dustin answered.
Felicia knelt down to Dustin’s level. “Honey, if you know something that will help us figure out what is going, would you please tell us?” she said softly.
Dustin looked at Todd and said, “You better tell them. They’ll find out.”
Todd nodded back and said, “I lied,” very softly.
“What did you lie about?” Sawyer asked.
“I said I was sick.”
“Why did you say you were sick?” Sawyer was even more confused.
“Because of him.” Todd stuck his thumb back in his mouth.
“Him who, Todd?” Sawyer could tell something had really upset the child, and he needed to figure out what it was.
Hunter had stepped outside to call Rock, River, and Angie and tell them what was going on.
“Do you know what he’s talking about, Dustin?” Felicia asked her son.
“The man. There was a man. He didn’t look nice. He was at the window. The teacher didn’t see him. He said something to Todd, then Todd started crying and said he was sick.” Dustin grabbed Felicia and hugged her tight.
“Todd, do you know who the man was?” Sawyer asked, pulling Todd’s thumb out of his mouth so he could answer.
“The mean man. He pushed me down when he yelled at Angie. He wants to hurt us.” Todd started crying and clung to Sawyer.
Chapter Fourteen
Hunter explained the problem with the teacher to River. He wasn’t sure why River was answering Rock’s phone, but whatever. They needed to get Angie to the school before the teacher left.
River hung up the phone. “We need to get to the school. The teacher knows where Todd is, but she won’t tell Sawyer or Hunter since they aren’t a parent or a guardian.”
“That’s Ms. Jean. She’s good with the kids and very protective of them. I need to add all of you to Todd’s pick-up information. We can do that on Monday. Everybody likes to get out early on Friday if they can. She won’t tell anyone but me what’s going on.”
River helped Angie stand up, and they told Alvin they’d be back soon and headed to the school.
Sawyer, Hunter, Dustin, Felicia, and Todd were all standing outside the school waiting when they arrived.
Angie rushed out of the car and ran up to them, grabbing Todd and pulling him close to her. “What happened?” she asked no one in particular.
“The mean man was here and I lied.” Todd started sobbing again.
“Oh, honey, it’s okay. Let’s go home and we’ll talk about it.” They all started walking toward the vehicles.
Angie was even more upset when she realized Todd was talking about Thomas. She knew Rock was correct. She had to do what was needed to protect Todd, and that meant staying with the brothers at their house. Thomas wasn’t stupid enough to try anything with the four men around. She hoped.
* * * *
Todd was excited when Angie told him they were going to stay with the Tompkins brothers. That made things much easier on Angie. She was afraid he was going to put up a fight.
Thomas had scared him so bad that he was clingy with all of the brothers as well as with Angela.
With all the excitement they decided not to start on the porch until Saturday morning. They secured the materials as much as they could and then treated Todd to pizza and games to help everyone relax.
The next morning they were up early and started working. Angie, Todd, and the puppies were playing in the yard when she saw the car Thomas had been in the day before drive by slowly several times.
She pointed it out to Rock, and he watched as Thomas slowed down and yelled something out his window.
She couldn’t understand what he was saying, but his hand gesture explained more than the words did. Todd also saw and came running to Angie. “I want to go away. I don’t want to be here anymore,” Todd cried, clinging to Angie.
“I know, honey. We’re going to go into the house and let Rock and his brothers finish up out here. Is that better?” Angie held Todd tight. She couldn’t let anything happen to him. She couldn’t.
Angie paced in the house. She wanted to be out helping. But Todd was so much calmer inside. She needed to see what was going on.
They had only been in the house a few minutes when she heard yelling outside. She ran to the window, but couldn’t see much because there was some wood stacked against it.
“Todd, you stay in here. I’m going to see what ‘s going on.” Angie ran to the door with Todd clinging to her. Frustrated, she picked him up and set him on her hip. Damn it, what now?
She pushed the door open and stepped cautiously out onto the floor of the porch. The men had worked hard to demolish the old porch and get the floor finished for the new one so that they could use the front door.
Angie stepped out with Todd on her hip, clinging to her. “What’s going on?” she said loudly.
All four men were standing in the street, and it looked like they were surrounding another man.
“Oh shit! You stay right here.” Angie put Todd down and jumped off the porch, running out to the street to see what was going on.
She found Thomas standing in the street arguing with all four of the Thompkins brothers. She shoved her way between Rock and Hunter who were standing with their backs to her.
“What do you want, Thomas? I told you I don’t have anything for you. You need to stop coming around, or I’m going to call the cops,” Angie yelled, getting in Thomas’s face.
Rock grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back. “We got this, darling. Now be a good girl and go sit on the porch.”
Angie whipped around and yelled, “Be a good girl! Is that how you think of me? This is my fight. You go sit on the porch!”
She whipped back around and stared at Thomas. “Now look. I’m done messing with you. You’re scaring me, and more importantly, you’re scaring Todd. I won’t have it! There’s no money! The lawyer paid off all the bills, and I got a few thousand dollars. That’s it! You want your half, fine! I’ll give you your half, and that’s it. Then we’re done, and you better not come around her again!” She shoved Rock and Hunter out of the way and stomped up to the porch.
“Where are you going?” Thomas asked quietly.
“To get my fucking checkbook. I want your ass gone, and I want it now!” Angie yelled over her shoulder as she made her way to the front door.
River was standing there with Todd. He must have gone over there when she was yelling at Thomas.
“May I help you?” he asked with a shit-eating grin on his face.
Angie stopped long enough for River to lift her up and slammed her way into the house. She was so mad. She was going to end this for once and for all. She stopped long enough to write a check and ripped it out of the book.
Then before she could stop and think about what she was doing she slammed back out the door. River reached one hand up to help her down, then stood back and let her stomp back out to the street.
“Angie’s mad,” Todd whispered to River.
“Yep,” River answered, still grinning.
Angie made her way back to Thomas and shoved the check in his face. “There! That’s your half. Never ask me for anything again!”
Thomas looked at the check and then back at Angie. “That’s all?” he asked in a small voice.
“Yes! That’s all that was left. I told you what happened. If you don’t believe me, you can call Mom and Dad’s attorney. I’m done.” Angie ran one
hand through her hair. This was going to be one hell of an adrenaline drop when Thomas left.
“It’s not enough,” Thomas said, looking at the check.
“I don’t care. That’s all there is.” Angie put her hands on her hips and stared at Thomas.
“They’re gonna kill me.” Thomas continued to look at the check.
Angie let out a long sigh and reached one hand out to Thomas. “Tell me about it.” She took him by the hand and led him to the yard. She didn’t owe Thomas anything, but he was her brother and although they hadn’t gotten along for years, her mother would have wanted her to try.
Thomas looked at her. “Why do you care?”
“Cause you’re my brother. I don’t want you dead most of the time. We’re the only family we have left.”
Rock, Sawyer, and Hunter had followed them to the porch and were standing close enough that if Angie needed them they were there, but not too close.
They sat in the chairs in the yard that had been moved off the porch when the men were working and started talking. Really talking.
“I’m in trouble, Angie,” Thomas said, still looking at the check.
“I figured that. Tell me about it. Maybe we can figure a way to get you out of it,” Angie said, squeezing his hand.
“I got out of jail a few months ago. Instead of going to the halfway house like my probation officer wanted me to, I got involved with the old gang again.” Thomas looked down at his hands.
“Are you on drugs?” Angie hated to ask the question, but she felt like she needed to know.
“Yes,” Thomas answered softly.
Well, that explained a lot of his behavior, Angie thought.
She took another deep breath. “We can get you help. Get you in a program. How much are you in for this time?”
“Over five hundred thousand dollars,” Thomas answered and looked down at the ground. “They’re gonna kill me.”
Angie gasped when she heard the amount.
“Yeah. They probably will,” Rock said, standing behind Angela.
“When did you move over here?” Angie asked, leaning her head back and looking up at him.
“You didn’t think we were going to leave you alone, did you?” River answered. He was standing beside Rock.
Thomas dropped his head into his hands. “I don’t know what to do. I was sure that once I got the money and paid them off everything would be fine. If I don’t give them that money, they will kill me.”
“How did you get in so deep?” Sawyer asked.
“Thomas, you know Mom and Dad never had that kind of money! What the hell were you thinking?” Angie reached up and covered Rock’s hand with hers. He was squeezing her shoulder in a show of support.
“It’s not my fault,” Thomas started.
“How can it be not your fault?” Angie asked, her voice shocked.
“I…I…I didn’t know. I didn’t know it was worth that much!” Thomas yelled and started to stand. Hunter was behind him and put a hand on each of his shoulders, holding him down.
“Tell me about it, Thomas,” Angie said with a sigh, and she looked around for Todd who was standing behind Rock’s legs, both arms wrapped around one of his thickly muscled thighs.
“It started slow. When I got out of prison I had nowhere to stay. The house was gone. Mom and her husband were gone. I ended up staying with Jimmie Jackson. I needed money to live on. I tried to find a job. I did!”
Hunter pressed down a little harder on his shoulders, keeping him from standing up.
“Okay, I know it’s hard to find work. What happened next?” Rock asked.
Angie looked over at Sawyer who had picked up Todd and standing a few steps away. She didn’t know how much either of them could hear.
“At first I was doing shit like I was supposed to. Going to see my proby officer and all that shit. That lasted a couple of months.” Thomas let out another sigh.
“Jimmy was using, and all the old gang was coming around. I tried to stay out of it, but you don’t understand. I was sad and shit, and when I’m using, I don’t care about anything. Everything is good. I needed money to get shit. Jimmy hooked me up with his dealer, and I started dealing, too. I know I shouldn’t, but I needed money to live,” Thomas whined and looked down at his hands.
“There was a big drop, and they trusted me to get it. I fucked up and didn’t get there.”
“If you didn’t get it there, that means you still have it? Right?” Rock asked, moving around to stand in front of Thomas.
“Most of it,” Thomas answered and looked at the check again. He handed it back to Angela. “You might as well keep this. It won’t do me any good.”
“That’s a good start,” Rock said. “You know what you need to do.”
“What?” Thomas answered.
“You need to turn yourself in. Go the cops and come clean. That’s the only way to end this. You know that,” River said.
“We know several high-ranking officers in the county sheriff’s department and the local police officers. I think your best bet would be to talk to one of them,” Rock said, and Angie could see he was watching Thomas closely.
“But that means I go back to jail!”
“Yes, it does. But think about it. In jail, you’ll be safe. You won’t have to deal drugs to survive. They’ll make sure you have food. You’ll have a roof over your head and won’t have to stay with someone on drugs. I’ll make sure they get you in a program and you get straightened out. When you are released, I’ll help you find a place to stay. If you get clean and stay clean, you could stay with me.”
Angie took a deep breath and said a little prayer before she said the next part. “Thomas, as long as you are clean and behaving like a responsible adult, I want you to be around Todd. You’re his uncle, and I want him to get to know you. He needs family in his life, and I don’t want him to be scared of you.”
“How is he related to us?” Thomas asked, looking over at Sawyer who was holding Todd.
Angie motioned them over and took Todd from Sawyer, holding him on her lap. Then she told Thomas the story of what had happened after their parents were killed and how she and Todd came to be a family.
While Angie was telling Thomas her story, Rock and River made some calls to law enforcement friends of theirs. It wasn’t long before several cop cars were pulling up.
Thomas stood and looked like he was ready to run. Angie handed Todd to River and grabbed Thomas by the hand. “I’ll walk over with you. You can do this,” she said, threading her fingers through his.
Thomas nodded and stood up straight. He looked at Angie and let go of her hand. “I can do this by myself.”
Rock wrapped one arm around Angie and pulled her close. “Let him do this.”
Angie nodded, and they watched as Thomas got in the police car. One of the officers walked over to talk to Rock and his brothers.
“Angie, this is Chad Parsons. He’s a good friend of ours. He and his two brothers, Zeke and Brock, are both with the sheriff’s department,” Rock said, introducing them.
“Howdy, ma’am,” Zeke said, reaching for her hand. He grasped her fingertips and pulled her knuckles to his lips.
Rock tightened the arm he had around her and pulled her close. “Back off, Parsons. She’s taken.”
Zeke looked at Angie and his eyes twinkled. “If you ever get tired of these boys, you come find me and my brothers. We’ll show you what real men are like, honey,” he said with a shit-eating grin on his face.
Angie didn’t know what to say but was saved by River. “I wouldn’t be waiting if I were you, Parsons. Angie knows who makes her happy.” He leaned down and brushed a kiss against her lips before saying, “Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”
Angie nodded and threaded her fingers into River’s hand, smiling. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m happy with what I have.”
Zeke nodded, then he and his brother shook hands with each of her men and they walked away.
After all the cars wer
e gone, Angie was left with her men. “We’d better get back to the porch,” Sawyer said.
“There isn’t much left to do,” Hunter said as they walked back to start working again.
“I guess I won’t need to stay with you if Thomas isn’t a threat,” Angie said with a sigh.
“That doesn’t mean you can’t. You could stay with us, and we could fix up that shower for you and do some of the other things that need to be done. It would be easier if you were out of the house.” Sawyer looked so eager.
“I’ll think about it,” was all Angie said. It sounded good though, really good.
“Are we staying here or at the big house?” Todd asked.
“Where do you want to stay?” Angie had a feeling she was outnumbered.
“At the big house,” Todd answered.
“Then tonight we will stay at the big house.” Even though Angie knew there wasn’t a chance of Thomas getting out, she still didn’t feel safe. Anything could happen.
Chapter Fifteen
They finished what they could on the porch and made sure everything was secure. Then they headed back to the men’s house.
Angie had just finished settling Todd into bed. While she was reading his story to him, each man quietly left the room until it was just her and Todd. She read until she was sure he was sound asleep.
She pulled his bedroom door mostly shut and stepped out into the hall. She started toward the same bedroom she had used before when she felt someone grab her hand. She was pulled against a hard body, and her mouth was covered by a hand.
“I didn’t want to scare you, and have you wake Todd,” River’s voice said in her ear.
Angie nodded and his hand moved. “Follow me,” he said and led her down the hall to the large room they had built for their wife. Rock, Sawyer, and Hunter were waiting. Angie stepped into the room, and it was filled with flowers and candles. River pulled her into the room and led her to the bed. “Sit down, honey. We have something we want to talk to you about,” Rock said, moving to stand in front of her.
He dropped to one knee as did his brothers beside him. “We have a question to ask you.”