Jack Comes Back [A Four Brothers Fanfic]

Part 4

The next day, Jerry and Angel came back to the house to check up on Jack. He was recovering fast, but still seemed secretive when people asked him about his rude rescuer.

While Jack rested and watched TV, the remaining Mercer brothers did what they loved: they went to the rink to play hockey. It was a three-on-three, with no spectators whatsoever, but Bobby didn't care, as long as the one rule was not broken: NO GIRLS COULD PLAY ON "HIS" RINK. All of the opponents wore hockey masks, and had plain wooden sticks. One thing about them, their high voices, disturbed Bobby.

"Fairies, just like Jack." he muttered to himself. "It should be easy to beat them."

Then, a sudden thought hit him. "Sorry, Mom." he muttered.

After a few minutes, the score was tied, and they were just starting the next half of the game, after a time out on the opponents' part. However, Bobby noticed as he ran a hand through his damp hair, they still didn't take off their masks.

The next half of the game was brutal. As Bobby was about to score, one of the opponents ran up to him and rammed him into the fence, knocking him to the ground. The opponent gained control of the puck and made a goal, finishing the game and beating Bobby, Jerry and Angel. Bobby stood on the ice, catching his breath, while the winning team high-fived each other. They finally took off their masks. Bobby was so astonished, his feet slipped out from under him and he fell on his ass on the ice. Standing in the snow, with red faces but triumphant smiles, were girls. More importantly, the girl who had rammed him was none other than Jessica. She slid over to him on the ice and held out a hand.

"You'll catch hypothermia from the ass up if you don't get up soon." She said mockingly, but with good nature.

Bobby slid away from her hand and helped himself up. He was pissed. Jessica had just broken the one rule on the ice.

"What the hell are you doing here!" he yelled.

"What does it look like?" she answered. "Playing. Competing. I could ask you the same stupid-ass question." she said sassily.

The other girls, sensing uneasiness, grabbed their stuff.

"Um, Jess, I...gotta get going."

Jessica waved them away unimportantly. "So, how's Jack?" she asked with supposed innocence. At that point, Bobby had had enough.

"Don't interfere." he growled to his brothers, scowling.

With one hand, he grabbed ahold of Jessica's arm, and started dragging her to a dark corner of the park.

"Hey, what are we - where are you - get off!" she cried, but to no avail. As the remaining brothers turned away from the scene, Jerry asked, "Shouldn't we help her?"

Angel, with a regretful glance at his hotheaded brother, shook his head. "He wants information. Frankly, I do too. And she's holdin out on us." Jerry shook his head.

"I don't know..."

They started to walk home.

***

Meanwhile, Bobby had the girl held up against a tree, against her struggles.

"I want some fucking info. You give it to me. You didn't have to save him, but you did. So now, you're officially involved. Congratulations."

Jessica shook her head. "Sorry, asshole. Right to withhold information. I don't have to tell you jack shit."

As she said this, her eyes burned with fire. But, unfortunately for her, so did Bobby's. He grabbed her by her coat and shook her once, hard, to mean business.

"Like I said before, you're involved. I asked Jack about you. He gave me a story. You gave me a story. They didn't match up. One of you was feeding me and my brothers bullshit. And from past meetings with you, I think I would tend to think it was you."

He let her down slowly, letting his hand fall to his side. "I just want some info."

Jessica sighed. "Fine."

She opened her mouth to speak, but at that moment the same car that had pulled up in front of Bobby's house before now pulled up in front of the park. The window rolled down to reveal a gunman.

"Get down!" Bobby yelled, just as the gunman started firing.

Jessica screamed, though whether she had been hit or not wasn't clear to Bobby. They army crawled to the cover of trees, and sat down against the trunk of an old birch. Jessica held her leg.

"Did you get hurt?" Bobby asked.

Jessica turned to him, her eyes scared. "I wanted you to help me before. But this is too much. Forget me. Forget this ever happened. I'll go anywhere, somewhere that they can't find me. They won't hurt you. Please, forget about me!"

Tears slid down her pretty face, leaving thin trails. "I'm not going to. You want help gettin away from these fuckers, I'll help you." Bobby said. Jessica shook her head, crying in earnest now.

"You can't help me. I'll just end up hurting you, or Jack, again."

Bobby looked at her, clearly waiting for a story. Jessica got herself under control. "There's this gangster, maybe you've heard of him. His nickname is the General. Works with Victor Sweet." Bobby nodded.

"He's my father."

She lowered her eyes as Bobby's widened.

"He didn't have any kids. He was just a normal for-hire gangster." Jessica shook her head.

"He had one kid. I was a mistake." Her voice was bitter as she began her story.