Her Brother's Keeper: The Sacred Brotherhood Book II

by A. J. Downey

  Those lightly colored eyes, so pale a gray as to almost not even be there had bored into mine and… I don’t know, it was like he’d communicated with me, without having said a word.

  “Sage, get back here! Don’t go out there!” I frustratedly sighed. My little brother wasn’t listening to me, hadn’t been listening to me like at all since our dad had died. Like now, he already had the front door open, a man in black leather on the other side, fist poised to knock. I swallowed hard at his appearance. Black gloves with white skeletal finger bones printed on the backs. He had one of those matte black half helmets on; his eyes indiscernible behind black wraparound sunglasses. The lower half of his face was hidden beneath a bandanna, printed much like his gloves with a leering skull that overlaid his face beneath perfectly.

  He looked down at Sage and his muffled voice asked, “Is your sister home?”

  “Why, you here to kidnap her?” Sage asked, “Because I would totally love that.”

  “Sage!” I snapped and the man at the door lifted his gaze from my brother, pinning me where I stood halfway from the kitchen, up the hallway, into the living room. Though I couldn’t see if it was him, the man from the store, the gaze, even through the dark glasses held the same weight, it stole my breath and I swallowed hard, hoping but not expecting.

  Sage looked back over his shoulder at me and rolled his eyes, stepping aside and opening the front door wider so they could see me.

  “She’s right here,” he said.

  “Can I help you?” I asked and the man pulled off his sunglasses with one hand and the bandana down off his face with the other.

  “Do you remember me?” he asked, and it was him, standing on my doorstep.

  “Yes, of course. What can I do for you?” I asked, ghosting timidly up to the open door, blasted by the frigid air outside. More of the bikers were stepping up onto our front porch and I shifted from foot to foot, nervously.

  “I’m Nox, and these are my brothers and sisters,” he said. “We wanted to come by and wish you a Merry Christmas,” he said and unzipped his jacket part way down. He pulled out a long green envelope and held it out to me.

  “I… I don’t understand,” I stuttered.

  “Take it,” he urged gently and I did, reaching out with trembling fingers. It was full of money. I looked up at him and the shock must have been visible on my face because some of the men and women behind him started to laugh and a couple of the other men gave each other high fives.

  I was numb with stunned disbelief, I blinked up at him and said again, “I don’t understand.”

  “Well, sweetheart, all you need to understand is that you made an impression on our boy, Nox, here; and he asked us all to help, and so we did.”

  I let my gaze drift from the man from my checkout line at work to the man who had spoken. He was much shorter than Nox, who was taller than me by a head, although where Nox was slim, this man was wider with an impressive breadth of shoulders. He was also Hispanic, his coal dark eyes sparkling with good feeling, the gray in his beard and the crow’s feet fanning out from those dark eyes placing him at quite a bit older than my strange benefactor… maybe a good thirty years or more older.

  “How did you know where I lived?” I asked and the older man gave me a crooked grin.

  “We have our ways,” he said and held out his hand. “I’m Dragon, the president of this here chapter.”

  “Maren, Maren Tracy,” I said giving his gloved hand a light shake, “I honestly don’t know what to say, um… I uh… would you like to come in?” I asked, which didn’t feel like the right thing to say to a bunch of bikers, but it did feel like the right thing to say to anyone who had just handed you an envelope full of money saying ‘Merry Christmas’ on your doorstep on the eve before Christmas Eve.

  “Nox and I would love to.” The older man, Dragon, said before turning back and calling out, “All o’ you fuckers make a line and start passing it forward!”

  I blinked, but a cheer went up, and the next thing I knew, wrapped gifts were being passed forward and I was staring at Nox who had this ghost of a mischievous smile on his face.

  “I don’t understand…” I uttered again and he put a gloved hand on my shoulder, smiled, and said to me, “You don’t have to, just let us do something nice for you and the boy,” he said jerking his chin in Sage’s direction who was exclaiming over the packages invading our living room.

  I looked over to the empty hospice bed that was supposed to be picked up two days after Christmas and felt my eyes well up.

  “Why are you doing this?” I asked, and Nox smiled even bigger.

  “Because I think you may have forgotten there’s good people in the world and that good things happen too.”

  I stared up at him and I think this is what people meant when they said someone was shocked because it was like I couldn’t move and I couldn’t speak. I was just speechless, and so incredibly numbed by everything that had happened to us lately.

  “Thank you,” I murmured watching the bed and couch fill up in the small space, figuring that the last thing I wanted to do was say ‘no’ when I’d had no hope of getting Sage anything for Christmas this year. Just seeing him lit up and smiling was worth it.

  “Hey, it’s okay. You know, a lot of us get it,” Nox said, low and sympathetic as I dashed at the tears gathering on my lashes. I didn’t want to cry, but how could I not?

  “I don’t know why you would do this for me, I mean you don’t even know me!”

  “Tell you the truth, I don’t know either, but that’s okay, too. Sometimes people are put in your path for a reason, it’s just on you if you answer the call or not.”

  He confounded me, confused me, and at the same time, delighted me with the smile he’d put on my brother’s face. I stared at him with gratitude and hugged him tightly like I had in the store.

  “Thank you, so, so, much. I didn’t think I was going to be able to do it, but maybe I can, thanks to you.”

  He patted my shoulder awkwardly and chuckled, “Maybe here’s to the start of a new friendship,” he said and I pulled back to see him eyeing my brother, Sage, who was looking at all of the leather-clad men with adoration.

  I didn’t quite know what to think right that minute about that, but I couldn’t deny that it sounded appealing. I was curious about this guy.

  “I’m sorry, I just finished fixing us lunch, and I want Sage to eat it before it gets cold,” I said giving my head a little shake, trying to wake up from this dream that wasn’t a dream at all, but totally real… “I um, I could try to fix enough for everyone, it’s just grilled cheese and tomato soup…”

  “Thank you kindly,” Dragon said, smiling brightly, “but we’ve got to ride before it snows again.”

  “Oh, I completely understand, I really don’t know how to thank all of you.”

  “It’s no problem,” Nox said and he pulled off one his gloves to fish in the sideways slanted outside pocket on his jacket beneath the leather vest that he wore over it. He pulled out a business card and handed it to me.

  “You call if you need anything,” he murmured. “Okay?”

  I looked down at the card, Landon Fisher LMP was written on it, and it was just a plain white business card, with blocked blue letters on it. I didn’t know what an LMP was, but I could Google it and the business name on the upper left-hand corner.

  “Okay,” I agreed and nodded.

  “My cell’s on the back, and I mean it, if you need help with anything here around the house, a fix or whatever, I’m pretty sure me or one of my brothers will know how to do it. Hopefully, that takes a little more of the pressure off.” I flicked my gaze from the card in my hand up to his face and he winked at me, pulling his glove back on.

  “I really don’t know what to say,” I said. I’d already said thank you, but all of this went so far beyond a mere ‘thank you’ and he was right, knowing I could reach out if something went nuts in the house really did take some of the fear of living in the house alone, jus
t me and Sage.

  Even when my father was near the end, he was still a comforting presence to me. I was doing everything before, but he was still the adult, you know? Still smart, still the planner and thinking ahead for just about every eventuality. He’d tried so hard to hold on until I was eighteen, which was just three months away, but when he realized he couldn’t, he’d signed the paperwork readily while he was still alive, emancipating me. As far as the courts were concerned, I was a legal adult and capable of caring for Sage.

  We’d still been supplied a state social worker with the Department of Children’s Health Services to oversee that I could and would take care of Sage but even there I’d been lucky. Pamela Swanson had been working with me for a while and she’d become a good ally. Raising an eleven-year-old boy who was angry and hurt and just didn’t understand what was at stake was harder than you could imagine.

  “I mean it, Maren. Call me if you need anything,” Nox murmured and I shuddered, coming up out of my deep, dark, thoughts like a swimmer coming up for air. I stared, wide-eyed while my brain tried to catch up.

  “Y’know, Maren’s a pretty name,” Dragon remarked, before tipping three fingers to the red bandana covering his forehead like he was tipping a hat and stepping back out my front door. I smiled and gave a nod to accept the compliment he’d given me. Nox followed his president back out the door.

  “Thank you all, so much!” I called out to the large group and another cheer went up before the roar of motorcycles being kicked to life drowned them out. Sage stood next to me grinning and I put an arm around his shoulders. He shrugged me off with an annoyed glare and I sighed inwardly.

  I watched Nox and his brothers ride off, his sisters paired off and riding on the bikes behind the other men, and wondered even more about them all. I was still confused. I mean, bikers were outlaws weren’t they? Thieves and drug dealers and almost like modern day asphalt pirates…

  I looked down at the envelope of money in my hand and closed the front door saying to my brother, “Sage, go eat your dinner before it gets cold.”

  “No way! I want to open some of these.”

  “No, you can wait until Christmas.”

  “Yeah, but Dad is dead, who is gonna stop me? You?”

  I arched an eyebrow at my brother and counted to ten inside my head, “Sage, he was my father, too. Now go eat your dinner before it gets cold. We’re sticking to family tradition. This Christmas is no different from any others. One on Christmas eve, the rest on Christmas morning.”

  Sage rolled his eyes and my temper frayed even further. I crossed my arms, pulling my cardigan closer around me. The door standing open for as long as it had, had sufficiently chilled the house and I couldn’t afford to turn up the heat. Or at least I couldn’t a minute ago. You’re still going to have to make the money in the envelope stretch as far as possible. I told myself.

  Out loud I said, “Roll your eyes at me again, Sage, see what it gets you.”

  He gave me a dirty look, “You’re not Mom, Maren,” he sniped at me but he was moving in the direction of the kitchen now.

  ““You’re right, I’m not, but I am all you’ve got a little brother. We’re all each other has left,” I murmured, but I was talking to myself; Sage was already sitting at the kitchen counter eating his soup. I shoved the envelope in my back pocket and considered the business card again, turning it over.

  I mean it. Anything. It read, and below that, was his cell phone number as promised. The fresh ache of the loss of our dad throbbed anew in the center of my chest. I wanted so badly not to feel so alone like I did, to have someone that I could talk to about this who was grown up enough to understand.

  None of my classmates did, and for that, I was more than a little jealous. Gone were my days where the worst thing I had to worry about was what outfit I was going to wear to the Friday night football game. Hello, days of being responsible for a terminally ill parent and obstinate preteen brother. Except I would give anything to still be responsible for terminally ill dad, rather than simply responsible for everything that came after.

  His funeral had already been carried out, but I still needed to pick up his urn from the funeral home. The handwritten text on the back of the business card blurred as my eyes welled up with tears. I slid it into my back pocket with the envelope and stared at the gifts piled on the sheets and blankets on the couch.

  I’d been sleeping down here almost the full last three months of dad’s life. I had my bedroom upstairs, but the first night, after my father had died, when I’d tried to sleep in it, I couldn’t bring myself to. I’d tossed and turned and had eventually wound up back down here. I’d lain awake wondering if I’d ever meet the strange and wonderful biker who’d been so kind when that woman had been so awful and now here he was been and gone, delivering more kindness when all I could do was despair over the fact that I couldn’t give my brother a Christmas this year.

  I wondered briefly if my dad had a hand in that from wherever he was now, the words Nox had uttered about answering a call sticking with me.

  “It’s not fair, you know?” Sage demanded, calling from the kitchen.

  “What’s not?” I called back.

  “You making me come in here and eat before my food got cold but you’re still in there.”

  “You’re right, I’m coming,” I called with a sigh, wiping the tears out from under my eyes with my middle fingers.

  I took a fortifying breath and went to eat with my little brother who I knew was only acting out lately because he was hurting. He did that, a mean little shit one minute, the next he had to be in whatever room I was, just so he didn’t feel lonely. I had to be patient. I had to be strong. I had to be kind. Most importantly, I had to be everything our mom was not. I had to just hold on and be here, no matter how hard it got, because I couldn’t leave Sage all alone.

  Chapter 3

  Nox

  Bzzt! Bzzt!

  I groped for my phone on the nightstand and sucked in a deep breath, squinting at the screen which was damn bright in the dark of my room.

  Unknown: Are you awake, by chance?

  I blinked, forehead wrinkled and shot back: ‘who is this?’ I had a feeling I knew who it was, but I just wanted to be sure before I blabbed business that didn’t belong on a stranger’s cell.

  Unknown: I’m sorry, it’s Maren.

  Me: Don’t b, and yeah, I’m up. Is everything OK?

  While the bouncing dots indicating she was replying did their thing, I took the liberty of adding ‘Maren Tracy’ to the unknown number’s contact info, as well as saving it to my phone. I had a feeling the girl needed a friend. I didn’t mind being that for her.

  Maren: Yes! I mean, everything is okay with the house and with Sage… I guess I just can’t sleep.

  Me: I don’t blame u girl.

  Maren: There was over five thousand dollars in that envelope.

  Me: I know.

  Maren: Why? I just really can’t get my head around it.

  Me: I honestly couldn’t tell u. Ur situation resonated with me I guess.

  Maren: I’m sorry.

  Me: Why?

  Maren: That means your dad died, right?

  Me: Actually no, I never met my dad. I don’t know if he’s alive or dead.

  Maren: Oh, your mom then?

  Me: Actually don’t know if she’s alive or dead either.

  Maren: Oh. Then how does my situation compare?

  Me: I grew up in foster care with my twin brother and 2 other foster brothers.

  Maren: Oh, I’m so sorry. I don’t want that for Sage.

  Me: That’s what got me, I think. When u said u had 2 take care of him. I’d hate to see either of u go into the system. It’s not someplace u want to be. Trust me.

  Maren: I do, believe me, I do; but I wouldn’t end up there, my dad signed the papers to emancipate me before he died. Technically I’m a legal adult, but so far I don’t feel like one. :(

  Me: Could have fooled me, ur doing pretty okay.


  Maren: Now how do you figure that?

  Me: House was clean. The boy was fed and taken care of. Power was on, heat was on – means u pay ur bills. Didn’t look like there was any drugs, drinking, or partying going on.

  Maren: LOL I’m not exactly a party girl.

  Me: That’s good. See. Ahead of the game already.

  Maren: What game?

  Me: The one called life. Ur doing good by all accounts.

  Maren: I probably shouldn’t even be talking to you.

  Me: How’s that?

  Maren: I mean, it’s late and I’m probably bothering you.

  Me: If u were bothering me I would have said so.

  She didn’t text back right away, the little dots at the bottom of the screen suspiciously absent, the little message below the blue chat bubble I’d just sent marked ‘read’ though, so I waited; drifting off some before jolting awake when the phone buzzed against my chest.

  Maren: Thank you.

  Me: For what?

  Maren: For listening. It’s been a lot harder than I expected.

  Me: Anytime, and I mean that. Ur good, girl. I promise.

  Maren: I think I should try to sleep.

  Me: OK, keep in touch. I’m here anytime. If I don’t answer right away, I promise I’ll hit u back as soon as I see it. K?