Four Brothers
Jan. 24th, 2010 08:57 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
veiledndarknessTitle: Strays 11/?
Author: veiledndarkness
Pairing: Bobby/Jack
Rating: R
Summary: What’s it all worth when you’re alone?
Disclaimer: Not mine, no profit made and no harm intended.
Notes: AU, the brothers were not raised together by Evelyn.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter10
X
"...Just do it, I don't wanna hear another word, we clear?"
Jack shifted on the bed, wrapped up in a bundle of blankets and sheets, warm and drowsy from his nap. He yawned, tugging the blankets higher up. Bobby paced nearby, his eyes narrowed, great irritation evident on his face. He marched to the other end of the room, his dress shirt mussed and wrinkled, a phone tucked under his chin as he barked instructions.
"I don't care what the fuck Sweet said, you do as I say! Yeah...Yeah well that ain't any of your business, now is it? Anythin' coming outta Sweet's mouth should have your guard up, you dumbass!"
Jack pushed up on one elbow, watching Bobby. He licked his lips and squinted a bit in the dim light. "Bobby..."
Bobby turned, looking over at him. He mouthed a 'sorry' to him and dropped his voice to a fierce whisper. "You hear me? You got it? Good. Don't call back till it's done." He snapped the phone shut and stuffed it into his rumpled pants pocket. "Christ, Jack, I'm sorry, didn't mean to wake you up."
"S' ok," Jack shrugged and slipped onto his side, yawning again. "Come lie down, you're gonna get all cranky if you don't."
Bobby dropped down onto the bed with a heavy sigh. "Em's gonna have dinner ready in an hour or so. You might as well stay awake."
"An hour means I got plenty of time to talk you into relaxin'," Jack snaked his arm around Bobby, tugging him back with surprising strength. "Lie down, Mr. Mercer."
"That an order?" Bobby looked amused. He settled against Jack's side, running his fingers through Jack's sleep tousled hair.
"Yessir," Jack leaned into the touch. "What's got you so pissy anyway? You were restin' fine till the phone went off."
"That little pompous asshole, Victor Sweet is the problem. He's got his eyes on takin' over. All the short ones do. There's always another hungry one waitin' for you to let ya guard down."
Jack tried, and failed, to hold back a snort of laughter. "Um...Bobby, you do know how tall you..."
Bobby silenced him with a glare. "Shut it, kid."
"You're really fucking adorable when you look pissed, did you know that?" Jack poked his side. "Grumpy little Boss man..."
Bobby curled his fingers in Jack's hair, tugging his head up. "Brat, teasin' fucking brat," he muttered, pressing his mouth to Jack's, letting the kiss melt away his anger. He traced his tongue along Jack's lip, deepening the kiss.
Jack pulled away, his cheeks warm. "Uh huh, you charm all the boys like that?"
Bobby reached for him, kissing him harder, Jack's lips parting under the heated kiss. Jack made a soft sound, his body moving into the touch. He slipped his hand over Bobby's shirt, fisting his fingers in the material. 'Falling...' his mind whispered, 'Falling too fast.'
Jack splayed his fingers wide over the cloth, Bobby's heart beat tapping out a fast rhythm under his hand. 'He's falling too...'
"Tell me somethin' about you," Bobby whispered as the kiss ended.
"Like what?" Jack quirked an eyebrow, "There's not much to tell, and none of it's all that great, y' know?"
Bobby stroked Jack's cheek with his thumb, tracing his skin. "Gotta be somethin' to you, you've lived nineteen years, yeah?"
Jack shrugged, his fingers rubbing at one of the neat black buttons on Bobby's shirt. He popped the button through the hole. "I don't know too much. My first memories are of bein' in an' outta different homes, foster shit..." He pushed another button through the next hole, slowly parting the dress shirt, Bobby's skin visible then. His breath caught at the tattoo beneath his fingers. He glanced at Bobby, startled. "Huh..."
"I had trouble rememberin' my rosaries years ago," Bobby smiled a little. "So one day, I got it into my head that if I had one put on permanently, then I'd be safe."
Jack snickered and shook his head. "Bobby...you're so...yeah," he ran his pinkie over the coloured beads, intrigued by them. "Anyway, like I said, it's all a fuckin' blur of shitty homes and some people were good, others, not good. I got bounced around a lot."
"You don't look like trouble though."
Jack's lips twitched in a sad smile. "I guess maybe I was. I dunno. I never fit in. And bad..." he looked away. "Bad shit happens sometimes. And the wrong ones get blamed for it. And suddenly your file gets bigger an' you get shipped to more homes, but it never lasts and then you end up in juvie with kids that use you an' show you how to stop bein' the bitch..." he bit down on the words, his face flushed. "You learn not to trust, an' to never let anyone know what you're thinkin'."
"Yeah, yeah I know what all that's like. Been there, Jackie, been there. Hell and back," Bobby said, hugging him closer, feeling the slightest of trembling from the young man. "But all that bad stuff, it's over now. You're safe now."
Jack closed his eyes, his fingers tracing the inked skin. "I know..." He swallowed over the lump in his throat. "Em told me that you had an adopted mom, right?”
Bobby sighed and nodded. "Evelyn Mercer... not a day goes by that I don't miss her. She was the sweetest lady in the whole goddamn world, I swear. Tiny little thing but she was made of steel, took no bullshit, ever. She found me one day..."
He stood in the alleyway, slumped against the brick wall, eyes focused on the people passing back and forth on the sidewalks. He sniffed, wiping at his runny nose with one dirty hand. It was too cold, much too cold to be out panhandling, he grumbled to himself. His ears burned from the cold wind, unwashed hair falling in greasy sections over his face.
There...By the street parking. He smiled. An unpleasant smile, he knew. A woman stood with several bags at her side, her head down as she unlocked the car door. He moved fast, darting through the crowd expertly. She lifted her head, alert as he approached. He reached a hand out, a blade tucked into his palm. She turned, looking at him.
He skidded to a stop, staring back at her. He scowled and moved his hand, letting the tip of the blade show between his fingers. She raised one eyebrow, blue eyes dancing with amusement then. There was a moment, a silence, an unspoken conversation between them.
It hit him hard, the clarity of it. She wasn't afraid.
There was no fear, no once over of his appearance with a wrinkled frown of distaste. She simply wasn't afraid.
He let his hand fall back and wiped at his nose once more. Silently, she dropped her car keys into her pocket and tilted her head. He sniffed and took a step back. Her silence was unnerving, more so then the lack of fear. She narrowed her eyes and looked him over. "Been on the streets very long?"
He glared at her, shifting from foot to foot. "The fuck do you care?"
"Someone needs to," she countered, the corners of her mouth tugging in a not quite there smile. "Not enough people do, I find."
He shrugged and ran his thumb over the blade, comforted by the familiar weight of it. She lifted one of the bags. "Would you open the car door for me, please?"
He stared at her. "Huh?"
"The car door," she nodded her head to the side of the car. "I need to put my bags inside."
He frowned, his feet moving him forward. In a daze, he reached for the car door and tugged the handle, all his instincts dulled. He stepped back as the door opened. She smiled at him and he felt a wash of warmth roll over him. She looked pleased. He shuddered and took a big step back, completely unnerved.
"What's your name?"
He wiped at his running nose, ignoring every reflexive thought he had. "Bobby..."
"Bobby," she echoed, nodding. "I'm Evelyn Mercer."
Jack rubbed his finger along the tips of the tattoo rosary. "She wasn't afraid at all?"
"I figure, since I was only a kid, maybe I wasn't so scary lookin', but no one ever looked at me the way she did," Bobby said, his voice faded, lost in the memory, "Like I wasn't some piece of trash in the gutter. She had this way of talkin' to even the most scared an' angry kids, and they would...listen, y' know? There was somethin' about her that made you feel like ya mattered, for once."
Jack swallowed over the lump in his throat. "She saw through the front you had. Actin' tough, yeah?"
"Right from the minute she saw me," Bobby chuckled a little. "And even when I was bad, she understood. She never, ever gave up on me. She used to say I was giving her gray hairs and did I want that on my conscience?"
"Em said she passed away."
Bobby's lips thinned, his forehead creased. "Yeah, before I met Em. She was gunned down in a variety store."
Jack sighed. "I...Fuck, I'm sorry, Bobby. Me an' my big mouth..."
"Over two hundred people turned out for her funeral," Bobby curled his fingers, stroking Jack's hair once more. "People...she touched so many fucking lives...saved so many kids. And just...ripped away like that." The words caught in his throat and Bobby blinked, choking on his rage and grief. "Gunned down like it was nothin'…"
Jack pushed into the touch. He brushed a kiss over the rosary, whispering, "Guess God needed an angel back."
Bobby looked down at him and smiled. "Yeah...Yeah, I guess he must've. Still haven't forgiven him for it. Maybe I never will." Bobby looked away abruptly, a gleam to his eyes, unshed tears for Evelyn.
X
The turkey, roasted to perfection, sat in its place of honour on the table, waiting to be carved. Em had set the table with Bobby's best linens, plates and glasses, and elegant dinner setting. Jack chewed on the inside of his lip, amused by it all. The presentation, the fancy dinnerware, you'd think royalty was coming, he laughed silently.
Em shook the match out in her hand and fanned at the air after lighting the last of the candles on the table. "Hopin' ya broughtcha appetite t' night, Jackie," she said in his direction, "Got a turkey near as big as you."
He rolled his eyes. "Em, for the last time, I'm not that skinny!"
"A wee boy ya are, but ya got some meat startin' t' show on them bones of yours," she ran a hand over his hair. "Gonna have ya fattened up no time a' tall."
"He's fine, Em, you don't need to fuss," Bobby shook his head. "He's not a waif," he added, sitting down near Jack.
Em put her hands on her hips and cocked her head, "You a fine one t' talk, big Boss man. No eatin' ain't never good for no one, an' no back talkin' on motherin', boys."
“Yes’m,” Jack tipped a wink at her, laughing.
Angel took a seat across from Jack, his back stiff. Em shot him a warning glance and nodded towards Jack. The message was very clear. Apologize or else. Angel jerked his head, a cut off nod, enough of one to placate her for now.
Lucy sat on the other side of Jack, her eyes on the plate before her. Her shoulders were tucked in, her body small and tensed. Bobby rapped his knuckles on the table. “Lucy…”
She lifted her head, peering at him through the veil of hair. “Y-yes…”
“Smile, Lucy, its Thanksgiving, a great day, you know?” Bobby gave her a kind smile and Jack would have bet anything he had that few others had ever seen such a thing right then.
A small smile formed on her lips. "Yes, it is…happy day.”
"I gotta say this is the first Thanksgiving I ever really wanted to have," Jack toyed with the silver fork by his fingers. "I mean...well, yeah..." he shrugged and flicked a grin at Bobby.
Bobby sat back in his chair, the lines in his face relaxed. "I know the feelin'."
Em bustled about, bringing more dishes out until the table fairly groaned under the weight of the food. She stood beside Angel and held her hands out on either side. “Out with ya hands. Bobby, you be leadin’ this one, yeah?”
Bobby nodded to the others and stood with his hands out as well. Jack lifted one amused eyebrow. Angel stood, as did Lucy and Jack sighed inwardly. He was not much of the praying type, but if the others did…He glanced at Bobby and shrugged. When in Rome, he thought.
He stood and clasped Bobby’s hand in his, feeling the smooth and rough skin grasping his palm, his head bowed and he closed his eyes, listening to the soft spoken prayers from a man feared by many.
X
Victor ran his finger over his pen, his eyes half lidded, Jerry’s words still floating in the air. Afraid of Bobby…the very thought, he sneered. Bobby Mercer was no different than any other boss, any crime lord, any gangster. And everyone has a weakness.
He smiled and nodded to the other men nearby. “Everyone…” he paused, savouring the moment of silence, the way the others looked to him as he spoke. Even his own father was listening, he noted with pride. A flicker of his uncle pressed into his memory and he swallowed, pushing the thought back where it belonged, buried in the past.
Malcolm Sweet left a legacy of brutality behind him, a generation of hatred and violence and corruption. Victor flashed a bright smile at the men. He was better than Malcolm, better than Bobby, he was sure of that much.
“We have a…situation…to deal with,” he said. “Now, no need to fret none,” he waved one hand idly. “I know jus’ how to deal with this situation, oh yeah, I got this one.”
His father quirked one corner of his mouth and Victor swore a vicious streak in his mind. Don’t even try it old man, he sneered again. “Bobby has himself a little pet, another stray. Funny how people get so attached to their pets, huh? You remove the pet and suddenly they can’t seem t’ think on nothin’ but their lost toy, and wouldn’t it be a damn shame, damn shame, if Bobby lost his little stray?”
“You remove the pet, you distract the man,” Victor said with slow precision.
“His name is Jack.”
X
Author: veiledndarkness
Pairing: Bobby/Jack
Rating: R
Summary: What’s it all worth when you’re alone?
Disclaimer: Not mine, no profit made and no harm intended.
Notes: AU, the brothers were not raised together by Evelyn.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter10
X
"...Just do it, I don't wanna hear another word, we clear?"
Jack shifted on the bed, wrapped up in a bundle of blankets and sheets, warm and drowsy from his nap. He yawned, tugging the blankets higher up. Bobby paced nearby, his eyes narrowed, great irritation evident on his face. He marched to the other end of the room, his dress shirt mussed and wrinkled, a phone tucked under his chin as he barked instructions.
"I don't care what the fuck Sweet said, you do as I say! Yeah...Yeah well that ain't any of your business, now is it? Anythin' coming outta Sweet's mouth should have your guard up, you dumbass!"
Jack pushed up on one elbow, watching Bobby. He licked his lips and squinted a bit in the dim light. "Bobby..."
Bobby turned, looking over at him. He mouthed a 'sorry' to him and dropped his voice to a fierce whisper. "You hear me? You got it? Good. Don't call back till it's done." He snapped the phone shut and stuffed it into his rumpled pants pocket. "Christ, Jack, I'm sorry, didn't mean to wake you up."
"S' ok," Jack shrugged and slipped onto his side, yawning again. "Come lie down, you're gonna get all cranky if you don't."
Bobby dropped down onto the bed with a heavy sigh. "Em's gonna have dinner ready in an hour or so. You might as well stay awake."
"An hour means I got plenty of time to talk you into relaxin'," Jack snaked his arm around Bobby, tugging him back with surprising strength. "Lie down, Mr. Mercer."
"That an order?" Bobby looked amused. He settled against Jack's side, running his fingers through Jack's sleep tousled hair.
"Yessir," Jack leaned into the touch. "What's got you so pissy anyway? You were restin' fine till the phone went off."
"That little pompous asshole, Victor Sweet is the problem. He's got his eyes on takin' over. All the short ones do. There's always another hungry one waitin' for you to let ya guard down."
Jack tried, and failed, to hold back a snort of laughter. "Um...Bobby, you do know how tall you..."
Bobby silenced him with a glare. "Shut it, kid."
"You're really fucking adorable when you look pissed, did you know that?" Jack poked his side. "Grumpy little Boss man..."
Bobby curled his fingers in Jack's hair, tugging his head up. "Brat, teasin' fucking brat," he muttered, pressing his mouth to Jack's, letting the kiss melt away his anger. He traced his tongue along Jack's lip, deepening the kiss.
Jack pulled away, his cheeks warm. "Uh huh, you charm all the boys like that?"
Bobby reached for him, kissing him harder, Jack's lips parting under the heated kiss. Jack made a soft sound, his body moving into the touch. He slipped his hand over Bobby's shirt, fisting his fingers in the material. 'Falling...' his mind whispered, 'Falling too fast.'
Jack splayed his fingers wide over the cloth, Bobby's heart beat tapping out a fast rhythm under his hand. 'He's falling too...'
"Tell me somethin' about you," Bobby whispered as the kiss ended.
"Like what?" Jack quirked an eyebrow, "There's not much to tell, and none of it's all that great, y' know?"
Bobby stroked Jack's cheek with his thumb, tracing his skin. "Gotta be somethin' to you, you've lived nineteen years, yeah?"
Jack shrugged, his fingers rubbing at one of the neat black buttons on Bobby's shirt. He popped the button through the hole. "I don't know too much. My first memories are of bein' in an' outta different homes, foster shit..." He pushed another button through the next hole, slowly parting the dress shirt, Bobby's skin visible then. His breath caught at the tattoo beneath his fingers. He glanced at Bobby, startled. "Huh..."
"I had trouble rememberin' my rosaries years ago," Bobby smiled a little. "So one day, I got it into my head that if I had one put on permanently, then I'd be safe."
Jack snickered and shook his head. "Bobby...you're so...yeah," he ran his pinkie over the coloured beads, intrigued by them. "Anyway, like I said, it's all a fuckin' blur of shitty homes and some people were good, others, not good. I got bounced around a lot."
"You don't look like trouble though."
Jack's lips twitched in a sad smile. "I guess maybe I was. I dunno. I never fit in. And bad..." he looked away. "Bad shit happens sometimes. And the wrong ones get blamed for it. And suddenly your file gets bigger an' you get shipped to more homes, but it never lasts and then you end up in juvie with kids that use you an' show you how to stop bein' the bitch..." he bit down on the words, his face flushed. "You learn not to trust, an' to never let anyone know what you're thinkin'."
"Yeah, yeah I know what all that's like. Been there, Jackie, been there. Hell and back," Bobby said, hugging him closer, feeling the slightest of trembling from the young man. "But all that bad stuff, it's over now. You're safe now."
Jack closed his eyes, his fingers tracing the inked skin. "I know..." He swallowed over the lump in his throat. "Em told me that you had an adopted mom, right?”
Bobby sighed and nodded. "Evelyn Mercer... not a day goes by that I don't miss her. She was the sweetest lady in the whole goddamn world, I swear. Tiny little thing but she was made of steel, took no bullshit, ever. She found me one day..."
He stood in the alleyway, slumped against the brick wall, eyes focused on the people passing back and forth on the sidewalks. He sniffed, wiping at his runny nose with one dirty hand. It was too cold, much too cold to be out panhandling, he grumbled to himself. His ears burned from the cold wind, unwashed hair falling in greasy sections over his face.
There...By the street parking. He smiled. An unpleasant smile, he knew. A woman stood with several bags at her side, her head down as she unlocked the car door. He moved fast, darting through the crowd expertly. She lifted her head, alert as he approached. He reached a hand out, a blade tucked into his palm. She turned, looking at him.
He skidded to a stop, staring back at her. He scowled and moved his hand, letting the tip of the blade show between his fingers. She raised one eyebrow, blue eyes dancing with amusement then. There was a moment, a silence, an unspoken conversation between them.
It hit him hard, the clarity of it. She wasn't afraid.
There was no fear, no once over of his appearance with a wrinkled frown of distaste. She simply wasn't afraid.
He let his hand fall back and wiped at his nose once more. Silently, she dropped her car keys into her pocket and tilted her head. He sniffed and took a step back. Her silence was unnerving, more so then the lack of fear. She narrowed her eyes and looked him over. "Been on the streets very long?"
He glared at her, shifting from foot to foot. "The fuck do you care?"
"Someone needs to," she countered, the corners of her mouth tugging in a not quite there smile. "Not enough people do, I find."
He shrugged and ran his thumb over the blade, comforted by the familiar weight of it. She lifted one of the bags. "Would you open the car door for me, please?"
He stared at her. "Huh?"
"The car door," she nodded her head to the side of the car. "I need to put my bags inside."
He frowned, his feet moving him forward. In a daze, he reached for the car door and tugged the handle, all his instincts dulled. He stepped back as the door opened. She smiled at him and he felt a wash of warmth roll over him. She looked pleased. He shuddered and took a big step back, completely unnerved.
"What's your name?"
He wiped at his running nose, ignoring every reflexive thought he had. "Bobby..."
"Bobby," she echoed, nodding. "I'm Evelyn Mercer."
Jack rubbed his finger along the tips of the tattoo rosary. "She wasn't afraid at all?"
"I figure, since I was only a kid, maybe I wasn't so scary lookin', but no one ever looked at me the way she did," Bobby said, his voice faded, lost in the memory, "Like I wasn't some piece of trash in the gutter. She had this way of talkin' to even the most scared an' angry kids, and they would...listen, y' know? There was somethin' about her that made you feel like ya mattered, for once."
Jack swallowed over the lump in his throat. "She saw through the front you had. Actin' tough, yeah?"
"Right from the minute she saw me," Bobby chuckled a little. "And even when I was bad, she understood. She never, ever gave up on me. She used to say I was giving her gray hairs and did I want that on my conscience?"
"Em said she passed away."
Bobby's lips thinned, his forehead creased. "Yeah, before I met Em. She was gunned down in a variety store."
Jack sighed. "I...Fuck, I'm sorry, Bobby. Me an' my big mouth..."
"Over two hundred people turned out for her funeral," Bobby curled his fingers, stroking Jack's hair once more. "People...she touched so many fucking lives...saved so many kids. And just...ripped away like that." The words caught in his throat and Bobby blinked, choking on his rage and grief. "Gunned down like it was nothin'…"
Jack pushed into the touch. He brushed a kiss over the rosary, whispering, "Guess God needed an angel back."
Bobby looked down at him and smiled. "Yeah...Yeah, I guess he must've. Still haven't forgiven him for it. Maybe I never will." Bobby looked away abruptly, a gleam to his eyes, unshed tears for Evelyn.
X
The turkey, roasted to perfection, sat in its place of honour on the table, waiting to be carved. Em had set the table with Bobby's best linens, plates and glasses, and elegant dinner setting. Jack chewed on the inside of his lip, amused by it all. The presentation, the fancy dinnerware, you'd think royalty was coming, he laughed silently.
Em shook the match out in her hand and fanned at the air after lighting the last of the candles on the table. "Hopin' ya broughtcha appetite t' night, Jackie," she said in his direction, "Got a turkey near as big as you."
He rolled his eyes. "Em, for the last time, I'm not that skinny!"
"A wee boy ya are, but ya got some meat startin' t' show on them bones of yours," she ran a hand over his hair. "Gonna have ya fattened up no time a' tall."
"He's fine, Em, you don't need to fuss," Bobby shook his head. "He's not a waif," he added, sitting down near Jack.
Em put her hands on her hips and cocked her head, "You a fine one t' talk, big Boss man. No eatin' ain't never good for no one, an' no back talkin' on motherin', boys."
“Yes’m,” Jack tipped a wink at her, laughing.
Angel took a seat across from Jack, his back stiff. Em shot him a warning glance and nodded towards Jack. The message was very clear. Apologize or else. Angel jerked his head, a cut off nod, enough of one to placate her for now.
Lucy sat on the other side of Jack, her eyes on the plate before her. Her shoulders were tucked in, her body small and tensed. Bobby rapped his knuckles on the table. “Lucy…”
She lifted her head, peering at him through the veil of hair. “Y-yes…”
“Smile, Lucy, its Thanksgiving, a great day, you know?” Bobby gave her a kind smile and Jack would have bet anything he had that few others had ever seen such a thing right then.
A small smile formed on her lips. "Yes, it is…happy day.”
"I gotta say this is the first Thanksgiving I ever really wanted to have," Jack toyed with the silver fork by his fingers. "I mean...well, yeah..." he shrugged and flicked a grin at Bobby.
Bobby sat back in his chair, the lines in his face relaxed. "I know the feelin'."
Em bustled about, bringing more dishes out until the table fairly groaned under the weight of the food. She stood beside Angel and held her hands out on either side. “Out with ya hands. Bobby, you be leadin’ this one, yeah?”
Bobby nodded to the others and stood with his hands out as well. Jack lifted one amused eyebrow. Angel stood, as did Lucy and Jack sighed inwardly. He was not much of the praying type, but if the others did…He glanced at Bobby and shrugged. When in Rome, he thought.
He stood and clasped Bobby’s hand in his, feeling the smooth and rough skin grasping his palm, his head bowed and he closed his eyes, listening to the soft spoken prayers from a man feared by many.
X
Victor ran his finger over his pen, his eyes half lidded, Jerry’s words still floating in the air. Afraid of Bobby…the very thought, he sneered. Bobby Mercer was no different than any other boss, any crime lord, any gangster. And everyone has a weakness.
He smiled and nodded to the other men nearby. “Everyone…” he paused, savouring the moment of silence, the way the others looked to him as he spoke. Even his own father was listening, he noted with pride. A flicker of his uncle pressed into his memory and he swallowed, pushing the thought back where it belonged, buried in the past.
Malcolm Sweet left a legacy of brutality behind him, a generation of hatred and violence and corruption. Victor flashed a bright smile at the men. He was better than Malcolm, better than Bobby, he was sure of that much.
“We have a…situation…to deal with,” he said. “Now, no need to fret none,” he waved one hand idly. “I know jus’ how to deal with this situation, oh yeah, I got this one.”
His father quirked one corner of his mouth and Victor swore a vicious streak in his mind. Don’t even try it old man, he sneered again. “Bobby has himself a little pet, another stray. Funny how people get so attached to their pets, huh? You remove the pet and suddenly they can’t seem t’ think on nothin’ but their lost toy, and wouldn’t it be a damn shame, damn shame, if Bobby lost his little stray?”
“You remove the pet, you distract the man,” Victor said with slow precision.
“His name is Jack.”
X
