He didn’t understand how that worked. Since he’d never met any of his relatives before, he wasn’t sure of a lot of things. However, Todd didn’t think that just because you were an aunt to someone, you eventually became a grandma.
“We’d like to take you home with us.” Todd sat there for a minute or two before realizing they were waiting on him to get out of the limo. Sure they were going to be back at the home. He was tense until he realized they were in front of a restaurant, one he’d never been to before. Del got down on one knee and looked at all four of them. “I’ve just been thinking that this isn’t going to be a place you’re going to enjoy. I was thinking steaks, but I’m now wondering if you’d like a pizza or some burgers more.”
“Burgers. I love hamburger without any cheese on it, but cheese on my French fries.” He looked at Amy when she spoke. “Well, I do. What do you want to eat? Whatever they plop down in front of you like they do at that place? If they take our food from us for being here, don’t you want something you’d like to remember?”
“I don’t want you or Jane to be without at all.” She hugged him, and Todd felt his eyes fill with tears. “I love you guys, and I don’t want you to starve because of this night, Amy. You’re all I have.”
They were loaded back into the car and taken to a hamburger place he’d seen commercials about when he lived at home. Going inside, Del picked up Jane when she started to fuss about the little fall she’d taken, and they all found a table.
Almost sick with worry, Todd let someone order for him. Peter sat beside him and let him see a folder he had with him. It was adoption papers. It had not just his name on them, but his sisters’, as well as Brian’s. Todd asked the big man what that meant.
“Just as Del told you. He and his wife are going to take you home with them as their children. They’ll take good care of you, and you’ll never have to worry about them giving you away to a place like you’re in now, or I’ll personally kick their butts. But that’s not going to happen. They’ll be good parents, and you’ll want for nothing.” He said all he wanted was a bed and food all the time. “I’m sure you do, son. I’m sure you do. However, there are a lot of things they’ll be able to give you that I’m betting you’ve not had from your parents. Your mother, more than likely, but not your father. They’ll both love you all like you’re all the candy in the world wrapped into a nice box with a bow.”
He couldn’t help it. Todd had been trying for so long to be brave for his family, but it was just too much right now. Crying hard, his body shaking with it, it wasn’t until he was lifted up and put over a strong shoulder that he knew he was going to be able to talk to Del. They were outside on a bench when he was asked if he was all right.
“Yes, sir. I’ve been making sure my sisters were all right since Momma died, and I’ve been scared to death that someone would take them away and I’d never see them again. Then my cousin, who I never seen before, comes along, and I have to take care that he’s not hurt either. That woman, she’s meaner than a snake and takes our food from us when we’re bad.” He looked up at Del. “I promise you, if you take my sisters and not me, they’ll be as good as gold. Just make sure my father doesn’t try and sell them off like he wanted to. He would have, too, if not for the social worker coming by all the time after Momma died. Now we’re in this home that I don’t know, and we got nothing from our home. I just don’t think I’m going to make it. I’m going to have me a heart attack before I can relax again. You understand?”
“I do, and I’m so sorry you’ve had to go through all that. No seven-year-old should have to be stressed out over keeping his sisters safe. But you’ve done a good job, Todd. They’re very safe, and it’s all do to you.” Todd thanked him. “Now, later today, we’re going to go see the judge about the adoption. We want all four of you, but my wife is going to see if she can find Brian’s dad and get him home for him. Also, we’re never going to have to worry about your father. I’m going to take care that he understands what he’s done is wrong.”
“You gonna kill him?” Del didn’t answer, and that scared Todd just a little. Then he realized it was all on his father and not him, so he smiled at the big man. “You can beat him up, but if you go to jail, they’ll not let us go home with you. And I’d surely like to go there. I don’t care what sort of house you have either, so long as we can have a warm bed and some food when we want it. We’ll be good too.”
“I’ve figured that out as well.” Todd nodded. “All right. Let’s go back in and have some lunch, talk about some of the things you’d like to see in your room when we get home, as well as some of the things you’d like to have for school and such. My mom, Katie, she’s wanting a hug too, if you can find it in you to give her one. She’s been more worried than you have about the four of you.”
“She must have had some really bad dreams then. I know I have.” Del told him she’d never tell them that, but she more than likely had. “You’re not kidding us, are you, Del? I mean, you’re not going to just take us back there and never come back? I’d understand it, I would, but it would hurt badly if you did.”
“I’m going to talk to Peter about having you stay with us while we’re here. That way, you don’t ever have to go back. Then when that meeting is over, you’re going to have to brace yourself. I have four more brothers at home and a grandpa of my own, as does Merce. You’re going to have so many relatives around you that you might wish you were back at the home.”
“Never.”
Del nodded at him, and they went back to their seats. His burger and fries were waiting for him as soon as he settled. Taking his first bite of a hot French fry he’d had in forever, it seemed, Todd hoped the man was right. He surely did. It would be nice to have a hot meal all the time again.
Chapter 8
Del didn’t so much as stretch as they stood on the front porch of the nice home. He had been warned, no less than ten times, that he was not to hit his cousin no matter how much he provoked him. No one, especially his mom, wanted to visit him in jail. Merce didn’t threaten him so much as she glared. He found that to be so much more telling than the threats his family had put on him.
Del wanted to stretch his neck. To feel the tension that was building up behind his eyes dissipate into the evening air with a loud pop. However, just as he was moving his shoulders to just relieve a little of it, he looked at his wife.
There was no mistaking the look she gave him. Merce could outstare his mom right now, he’d bet. Not only that, but he was more afraid of her than he was his mom. Del was terrified of her. So, instead of doing all the things he wanted to the man in this house for what he’d done to his own children, he pushed the doorbell. When it broke under his finger, he didn’t bother looking at the rest of them.
“It must have been very old.” No one said anything when he said that. He did hear Peter laugh, but it was cut short. He’d bet his last check that his mom had popped him a good one in the back of the head. It was her favorite thing to do when she was upset.
The door opened, and there stood James Pencil. Del wanted to point out that he looked just like his namesake. That his head was pointed at the top, with graying hair that looked like he’d styled it to be messy. Fucker. Putting out his hand, Del had an uncontrollable urge to kill James.
“What did you do?” He looked at Merce when she smacked him. “Del, I believe you were told several times to behave yourself.”
Not sure what she was talking about, he looked to where James had been standing, and he was gone. So gone, in fact, that one of his shoes was still where the man had been. Looking around for him, he saw the man lying on the floor across the room, not moving.
“How did he get there?” Del was smacked again, and that seemed to be all it took to loosen up some of his memories. “I did that.”
“Of course you did that, you fucker. You grabbed him around the throat, lifted him up, then tossed him across the room
. He flew like he had wings. What the hell is wrong with you?” He didn’t answer Merce. Not that he didn’t have one, but he didn’t think it would help matters if he admitted he enjoyed knowing he had tossed the man around a little. “I’ll deal with you in a bit. Christ, I hope he doesn’t remember how he got there. That way, you might not spend the next fifty or so years in prison.”
He didn’t follow her in but waited until his mom had passed him. Del was sure she had a grin on her face, but he wasn’t going to push his luck. It wasn’t until Peter stood in front of him that he was able to smile. Peter just shook his head.
“You beat me to it. And I don’t know if you noticed it or not, but Mom had a gun out at her side. Like her thought process was to shoot him right where he stood. So if you think about it, you probably saved his life and kept Mom from going to prison too.” Del asked his brother if he was sure it was a gun. “Yes. I’m sure. She not only put it in her purse, Del, but she took out the clip, the ammo in the chamber, as well as put the unspent bullet back in the clip. I had no idea she knew anything about guns. Did you?”
“No. But then she’s been a mystery to me all my life.” They both laughed as they entered the house. There was enough shrieking going on that he thought about putting his fingers in his ears. Whatever was going on had to do with the new wife and her husband laid out on the floor.
Peter put his fingers in his mouth and whistled. Del had always been jealous of him being able to do that. However, today it didn’t seem to have the desired effect as it normally did. The arguing went on for a few more minutes until his mother pulled out the gun and fired it twice toward the windows just beyond them. That worked.
“Now, we’re going to have a nice conversation, and you will stop that caterwauling before I have to tape your mouth closed. Go into your dining room and sit down before I have to sit you down.” Mom looked at him. “Del, honey, get a bucket of water and dump it on this little shit to have him come around. I’m not sure how much time we have before the others arrive, but we really should be ready.”
“Mom, when did you get a gun? And learn how to fire it?” She just stared at him. “I think that’s a good question, don’t you?”
“I’ve had it for years. As for how to fire it? Honey, all you need to do is pull the trigger. That’s all it takes. Now get the shit up, and we’ll get this over with, so I can go home and spoil my grandchildren.”
When she walked away, he looked at Peter. He was staring at Mom like he’d never seen her before. Going to the kitchen, he was surprised to see it in such a mess. There didn’t seem to be any staff around, nor did it look as if they were in any way cleaning up after themselves.
Getting a large pot off the sink, he filled it with cold water. It had been tempting to use hot, but he thought he’d pushed enough buttons for today. Taking it to the front hall, he was disappointed to see that James had awakened on his own and was headed to the dining room.
Since the front door was open, Judge Middleton walked in with three other men. Two of them were officers, and the third one he didn’t know. Also, there were the children. It did his heart a world of good to see them smiling and giving him a hug. Putting down the pot of water, he got down on his knees and hugged all three of them. Brian was at a doctor’s appointment and would join them later. They entered the dining room just as Judge Middleton was talking about why they were there.
“We’re here to acknowledge that you are the biological father to these three children.” As the judge went over the reasons for this meeting, he asked James if he wanted an attorney. When he said yes, he was allotted ten minutes to call himself one and another thirty minutes to have him at the house. Otherwise, he was forfeiting his need for one. James asked if it was still his home. “For now. Your time is running out, young man. I suggest you get your butt in gear.”
Twenty-nine minutes had passed when his attorney showed up. He didn’t look any happier about it than James did. He must have been at a softball game too. The T-shirt he had on said he was a coach. When the judge brought him up to date on what was going on, Mr. Shadow looked at his client.
“I’m sorry. What does he mean, you gave your children up for adoption?” James told him he was beginning a new life. “Without your children? Do you have any idea the repercussions that could come with this?”
“So long as they’re no longer my problem, I don’t care.” Middleton handed some paperwork to Shadow. When he read it over, he looked shocked, more so than before. “You said you didn’t care what happened to them so long as they weren’t in your hair? How the hell do you think that is even remotely a good thing?”
James leaned over to Shadow and whispered loud enough for them all to hear his plan. “I’m not sure we’ve spoken about this, but my dead wife made it so only the kids could collect the money. However, if anything should happen to them that they’re no longer my children, the money would be given to charity. I’m working on this one thing at a time. After this, I’m going to declare she wasn’t of sound mind when she said that.”
Shadow looked at him, and Del spoke then. “I’m here to adopt the children so they won’t be in the system. I’m their blood relative through my mom. Her sister was James the dick’s mother.” Shadow looked at his mom before looking back at him. “Her name is Katherine Archer. You should have received information on her through an email that was sent out on Monday.”
“I got it but didn’t know what was going on until this moment. I’m sorry about that. I know who you are. As well as your wealth.” He looked back at his client. “I’m no longer your attorney, Mr. Pencil. I can’t do this for you, whatever it is you think I might be able to do. You’ve dug your own hole, and now you’re going to be buried in it. I’m not going to lose my license because your wife was a good deal smarter than you ever gave her credit for.”
“I need that money so I can start fresh.” Shadow told him good luck. “You’re my attorney, Phillip. I demand that you fix this so I don’t have to wait any longer for the money that should have been mine all along.”
“Your Honor, I want to say that I had no dealings with this monstrosity. Nor did I have any involvement in Mr. Pencil giving up his children. I would like to suggest that if it is something the Archers are willing to take on, they should most assuredly be able to adopt and care for these children. They’d be better off with them than with a man who has no concept of what having a family means.”
“I agree with you, Mr. Shadow. As soon as we’re finished with the rest of this meeting, for lack of a better term, we’ll see to it that they’re in a good home.” Todd raised his hand and asked if they were going to have to go back to the home. “No. You’re going to go home with these good people. I know we’ve spoken about this, but I want to ask you again. Are you all right with spending your life with this family?”
“Yes, sir. Yesterday we had some really good food. And when I was upset, crying, Del held me until I was okay again.” James called his son a pussy. Before he could react, Merce punched him in the face, and he fell back off his chair and landed on the floor. “My goodness, sir, they sure do know how to make a boy feel like we’re safe, don’t you think?”
“I do at that. And had Mrs. Archer not hit him, I’m sure any number of people would have done it.” Judge Middleton looked at them. “You can leave if you wish. The rest of this is going to be having Mr. Pencil and his wife here put in jail pending the trial for what they’ve done by endangering children. Thank you for this. Also, I will need you to be here when we talk about young Brian with his mother.”
“I have some information on that case, Your Honor.” Peter handed him what he’d been able to find. “It seems his wife has called in a couple of favors and had her ex-husband detained in Grenada pending a stolen identification. She has been playing him, keeping him away from his son so she can do what her brother has done. Give them to the home, so she no longer has to deal with him. There is also an ind
ication that she had her lover break the young man’s leg in order to keep him from interrupting their…fun time, I’m going to call it.”
Del and his new family headed out the door. He didn’t know what was going to happen to James and his wife, but he found that he didn’t care. Kissing Merce’s bruised knuckles, he told her he loved her.
“I love you as well. How about we load up the kids, head to the hospital to get Brian, and go home. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough of your family for the time being.” He agreed with her. “Good. All right, guys. Load your butts into the car. We’re off to home.”
The kids were still cheering as they pulled up in front of the hospital. Calling ahead to see if Brian was finished, he was happy that he was. The judge had given them temporary care of Brian until his father returned, and that was fine with them. The kids didn’t know each other any more than he did them, but they were making a good start in getting to be close friends.
“You know we’re going to have to tangle with Mary soon enough.” He said he didn’t care for now. “I don’t either, but we’re going to have to do the same thing all over.”
“This time, we’ll have a good solid lead on getting his dad home. I’m all right with that too.” She said she was going to miss the little boy. “Not if we can talk his dad into living closer to us. I’m sure it won’t be all that hard after we tell him how hard we worked on getting his son safe.”
“You’re a dork.” He kissed her again. “I love you, Del, but there are times I do worry about your sanity.
Before You Go…
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Delmar (Archer's Dynasty Book 1) Page 12