Little Firecracker
1211 Words
DS looked at Theo with narrowed eyes but quickly changed to a blank look, “Do I know you?”
Amelia frowned and stepped in front of DS, “He is my brother. Also, please watch your language in front of the children.”
Theo looked at Amelia and then back at DS. Smiling in apology, he reached out to offer a handshake, “I am so sorry for my outburst, I mistook you for a… colleague.”
DS was reluctant but eventually shook his hand. Theo felt around the palm and joints of DS’s hand; DS jerked his hand away.
Theo turned to smile at Amelia, “I’m starving, can I help set the table?”
Amelia, happy to see the situation resolved, went back to her soup, “Don’t worry about it. Just wash your hands before dinner. DS can show you the way to the guest bathroom.
Theo smiled broadly at DS, “Shall we?”
DS kept a stoic face and they walked away leaving Chris with Amelia. As they neared the bathroom, Theo grabbed DS’s arm and hissed into his ear, “I didn’t hear you left China. When did you get here? How do you know this family?”
DS turned and swept Theo’s arm off, “You have the wrong person.”
Theo sneered, “You can’t trick me. I know your face and you even have callouses from years of handling knives and guns… although they seem a little faded…”
His eyes grew wide and he stared at the impassive DS, “You!!! You’re the…”
“Stop harassing my uncle!”
They both looked down to see Peter with damp hands glaring up at Theo.
Peter stood tall, trying his best to look imposing. He couldn’t help his uncle in the morning but now, they were on his turf. He’d give up a month’s worth of snacks if he couldn’t protect his uncle now.
“Who are you? Why are you bothering uncle? Why are you here?” Peter shot a rapid fire of questions.
Theo masked his dark nature behind his practiced smile and tried to diffuse the situation. Crouching down he stuck out his hand, “Hey little buddy! I’m your mom’s friend. Let’s be friends.”
Peter curled his little lips and avoided Theo’s outstretched hand, “I just washed my hands and I don’t associate with bullies.”
The smile on Theo’s face twitched, “Well aren’t you a little firecracker.”
He stood up and looked at DS with a more serious expression, “I didn’t expect to see you. You know your family put a bounty on your head.”
Without a word, DS went into the bathroom to wash his hands. He roughly dried his hands and walked out still ignoring Theo. Peter huffed at Theo, hooked pinkies with DS, and they walked hand in hand back to the dining room leaving Theo alone outside the guest bathroom.
***
When Theo rejoined them at the dinner table, Amelia smiled and gestured for him to take a seat next to Chris, “Please have a seat. I hope you don’t have any food allergies.”
Jenny eyed Theo curiously, “Hello Uncle! You’re pretty. Want to be my friend??”
Amelia spluttered, “Jenny!”
Flattery normally didn’t work on him but coming from the mouth of a sweet cherubim? He was reduced to mere putty. Theo laughed, he already liked this little girl more than the boy… a lot more.
With a bright smile he practically chirped, “I’d love to be your friend.”
Jenny giggled. Peter scoffed, “Don’t be his friend, Jenny. He bullied uncle.”
Jenny looked shocked and turned to Theo with wide eyes, “You bullied uncle??”
The corner of Theo’s mouth twitched, “Uh…”
Jenny sniffed, “I don’t think we could be friends…”
Theo’s heart plummeted.
***
Dinner ended and Amelia went to put something on the television for the children leaving the three men to clear the table.
Theo glanced at DS, “Hey, can you go explain to the kids that I didn’t bully you?”
DS smirked, “But you did.”
Theo sighed in exasperation, “What are you, three!? Give me a break!”
“Why are you even here, Theo?” Chris joined in.
“You told me to find out who targeted your woman…”
“Amelia,” DS corrected quietly.
Theo rolled his eyes, “Amelia, his woman, same difference… I figured I would report my findings to her as well.”
Amelia walked back in just catching the last of his words, “Report what to me?”
Theo looked to Chris who nodded, so he continued, “ I found a third-party broker by the name of Crowley who has been in the back pocket of a rich… hag… for more than 30 years. She wanted to kidnap…,” he paused looking back at Chris, unsure how much information he should divulge. If Amelia knew the kidnapping was just a front and murder was the actual endgame, she would be distraught. Chris just blinked letting Theo decipher the ambiguous code.
“Ahem, so she wanted to kidnap your kids,” he finished.
Amelia frowned, “She? Did you happen to get a name?”
“It’s Gloria Roger, your ex-mother-in-law.”
The men watched Amelia to see if she would faint or become irate, instead, there was an uncanny calm about her.
Amelia scoffed, “I figured. The Roger family is a s**t house of lunatics. Did they not consider the risk of a botched job?!”
Theo swallowed as she hit the bullseye.
Amelia squeezed out a tired smile, “Thank you for looking into this matter for me, Theo. And thank you, Chris,” she said turning to him, “for helping me connect with your capable brother. I can’t imagine the amount of work you had to put in to get this information for me.”
Theo felt a prick to his consciousness, Crowley was his underling so anything he did, by association, came back to him.
Chris cleared his throat, “Well it is getting late and Amelia probably has to help the children wind down and clean up for bed. I think we should leave for the evening,” he moved forward slowly and kissed Amelia on the crown of her head, “I’ll come to visit first thing in the morning.”
Amelia smiled gently and saw the brothers off. When the front door closed, Chris turned to his brother, “What else came up in your report?”
Theo lowered his voice, “It was meant to be murder, not kidnap. The old hag is bent on killing Amelia’s children.”
Chris gritted his teeth. F*cking hell, that witch is insane! While he wasn’t a saint himself, he would not stoop so low as to kill innocent children.
Theo sighed and stood up straight resuming his normal stoic and dark demeanor, “Do you want my help to clean this up?”
Chris smirked, “No need. She’s my wife, I should take revenge for her.”
They parted ways, both smiling like devils in the night.
- Writer
