Four Flames for Angela

“You know what I want. If you’d read the letters I sent, you would know. I want what I’m owed. You give me what you owe me, and you won’t see me again. If you don’t, who knows what might happen? Little man here looks fucking fragile. Wouldn’t want him to get fucking hurt. Would we?” He reached down and ruffled Todd’s hair, hard enough to make the boy cling to Angela.

“You leave Todd alone. He’s nothing to you! I mean it, Thomas!” Angela wrapped her arms tighter around Todd.

“Don’t give me that! You know what I want. I want the insurance money. Sure, he was your dad, but she was my mom, too. Give me what I’m owed and we’ll see. I only want what I’m owed!” Thomas turned and walked over to the vehicle he’d driven up in. As the car sped away, leaving tire tracks on the road, he yelled out the passenger window, “I’ll be back, and you better have what I want!”

Angela dropped to her knees, holding Todd tight. What was she going to do? The only thing Thomas wanted was money. He’d sent her letters from prison asking for his half of the insurance money. Angie had tried to explain to him that all the money had gone to take care of bills, but he didn’t understand it. He wanted half of that insurance money and wouldn’t be happy until he got it. When their parents had died, the insurance money had been given to her, but once all the debts had been paid off, there wasn’t much left. The money she’d gotten from her paternal grandmother had been used to purchase the house and the little she had in savings was for repairs and for her and Todd to live on until her writing started to pay the bills. She wouldn’t be able to convince Thomas of that though.

After she watched Thomas drive off recklessly down the street, she sat and pulled Todd into her lap. He had his thumb in his mouth, something she’d thought they’d broken him of. That alone told her how much Thomas had upset him. She couldn’t let that happen again.

“It’s okay, honey. I won’t let him hurt you. It’ll be okay.” She tried to soothe the little boy and herself.

“Who was that mean man, Angie? Do you know him? He’s really mean. I don’t like him.” Todd clung to her. “I’m gonna tell Rock and River. They can beat him up. Sawyer and Hunter can help.”

“Wouldn’t that be nice?” Angie muttered under her breath. What was she going to do? She sat there rocking Todd in her lap until she saw another SUV pull up. Thinking it might be Thomas coming back, she quickly stood up and lifted Todd into her arms. He was getting big and too heavy to be carrying around, but she felt better having him close.

They stood there together and watched as first River, then Rock, got out of the truck and walked quickly over to them. “Hey, you two. What’s going on?” River said, walking quickly to them when he saw both of their faces.

Another SUV pulled up behind River and Rock. Angie cringed again before she saw Sawyer, Huston, and another man get out.

Before Angela could say anything, Todd started talking. “This bad man came and he pushed me and was mean to Angie. Will you beat him up for us?” He reached for River who took him from Angela and set him on his hip.

“What’s going on?” Rock asked Angela, taking her by the hand and leading her to the porch where Hunter and Sawyer were waiting with another man.

“Umm…can we talk inside?” Angie looked at the man she assumed was Alvin, not comfortable talking in front of him.

“Yeah. How about you and I go inside and the guys can show Alvin around out here while we talk?” Rock said, opening the door and taking Todd from River.

“Todd can stay…” Angie started to stay. If Todd stayed outside, she could fudge what she was telling Rock. Todd wouldn’t let her edit the story, and she wasn’t sure she wanted the men to know about Thomas yet.

Todd was clinging to Rock, and there was no way he was letting go soon. “He can come with us.”

“Yeah, that’s probably best.” Angie walked into the house and sat down in the same chair she’d sat in the first night they were at her house, taking Todd from Rock and sitting him on her lap.

“So, what’s going on?” Rock asked, standing tall in front of them, his muscular arms crossed over his massive chest.

Angie looked up at him and noticed Sawyer had followed them in and was standing beside the door, his pose similar to Rock’s. “We had a visitor,” Angie said quietly. She guessed she was going to tell Rock about Thomas even if she wasn’t sure she wanted to.

“Yeah, he was a mean guy. I don’t like him,” Todd added and clung to Angela.

“I’ve got an older brother I haven’t seen for years. Last I knew he was in prison, and I didn’t know he’d been released. I don’t know how he even found me,” Angela said softly, holding tight to Todd.

“Did he threaten you?” Sawyer asked from his place by the door.

“Kind of. He wants money. I don’t have any to give him. The money I got from the insurance when our parents were killed went to pay bills. Thomas and I had different fathers. His was killed overseas fighting for our country. Mom had me after she remarried. I used the money I got from my father’s mother to pay for this place. There’s no money to give Thomas.” Angela stared down at Todd before looking up at Rock and Sawyer. “Thomas is older than me. When our parents were killed, he had already been in prison for a couple of years. I don’t remember much about him. He was older and always hanging out with his friends when we were growing up. The little I remember about him was that he was okay before he got into drinking and doing drugs. Then he got in a lot of trouble and was always mean to Mom. Then he got started robbing houses to get drug money and was in even more trouble. Mom and Dad didn’t talk about him a lot. The rare times I remember him being home, he wasn’t very nice. Always calling me names and hitting me and my mother. If he could be like he was before the drugs, I would help him. My dad was a big guy, and Thomas wasn’t stupid enough to mess with him. When Dad was at work were the worst times.”

“What did he say to you?” Rock asked, squatting down in front of Angela and Todd. He took one of Angela’s hands in his and held it tight, smiling when Todd placed his hand over both of theirs.

“He said I owe him, and if I give him what he wants he’ll go away. But I don’t think he will. I think once I start giving him money he’ll keep coming back. The only money I have left is what I got from my grandmother. Mom was really young when she had him, and he’s been different since the drugs. Meaner, madder, angry all the time. When our parents were killed I got all the insurance money, but after all the bills were paid there wasn’t much left. I think he wants that money. I don’t know how to stop him from coming around.”

“Todd said he was mean. What did he do to you, little man?” Rock asked, looking Todd in the eyes.

“He called me little man, too, but when he said it, it didn’t sound as nice as when you say it. He pushed me and made me fall. I’m okay though. Angie took care of me.” Todd looked up a Rock with his dark brown eyes, and Angie felt a tear slide down her face. She couldn’t let anything happen to Todd. She couldn’t.

“You should have called us. We would have come and gotten rid of him,” Sawyer said as he walked over and sat on the side of the chair, putting one arm around Angela and Todd. “I want you to promise to call us if he comes back. Okay?”

“Why would you want to get involved in my problems? You’re all nice guys, but…” Angie started.

“Because we like and care for you and Todd and don’t want anything to happen to either of you,” Rock answered, squeezing the hand he was still holding.