Four Brothers

Chapter 1

I couldn't hear anything other than the sound of my brother's and my own heavy breathing and the occasional yells of our step father who was chasing after us. I screamed as shots rang out and pushed my little brother Mark into the snow to get him out of the way. When there was a pause in the shooting we stood up and started running again, I didn't know where we were going until we came upon the hockey rink that was usually packed full but was unfortunately empty leaving us nowhere to run to. I slid onto the ice, dragging Mark behind me, stopping as a scream left my lips. Looking down to where the sudden pain was radiating from I noticed that my stomach was bleeding profusely and didn't look like it would stop anytime soon. Whimpering I slid down against the boards trying to hide from the sight of the man as I tried to think of what to do to at least keep my brother safe. "Lexi" Mark whispered hands clasping tightly to the arm draped across my wound as I fought to remain coherent. "I'm okay Mark, I need you todo me a favor" I muttered pulling him close as heavy breathing and yells got closer and closer. "I want you to run okay? Run and don't look back, find Evie" I whispered before telling him the general address that I was pretty sure she lived at. "Run" I ordered shoving him away from me and watching him run along the edge of the rink until he broke out into a sprint in the direction I had told him. "Come out you little bitch, I saw your brat of a brother run off" Greg's voice screamed over the slight snowfall. I had to bite my fist to keep from making too much noise, as my body shook with shivers since all I had was sweatpants, boots and a thin white t-shirt that was quickly turning red. I hid as long as I could until the balding, sweaty man was standing directly in front of me looking down at me with a sick, satisfied smirk on his lips. I probably looked as miserable as he wanted me to be if not more. Wet hair, pale skin, bleeding, tear stained cheeks, purple lips and shaking, it was as powerless as he could ever possibly make me, now I just needed to stall him with the hope that Mark was getting help. "Look at you, pathetic and helpless just like you should be" he mocked pacing in front of me as I slowly climbed to my feet using the boards to stay stable. "Go to hell faggot, the only thing I see that's pathetic is the fact that you're sweating so much after a little run." I sassed back not wanting to show him how terrified I was that he would leave me to die on the hockey rink. "That's a lot of shit coming from some little punk ass bitch who's about to die." He growled stepping closer as my body started to crumble from blood lose and exhaustion. 

"Excuse me, is there a problem here?" a deep voice asked from slightly behind me as Greg hid the gun behind his back. "No sir, just trying to get my step-daughter to come on home before she gets sick." He replied a fake polite smile plastered on his face. I whimpered pathetically as it sounded like the man was walking away until I felt a strong hand on my shoulder and I was slowly being turned around. "You alright girl?" a taller black guy asked as the shorter white guy looked me over eyes locking on the red spot of my shirt. "Boys, I think our girl here has been hurt" he pointed out jumping over the boards and standing with me on the ice, the other two men following his lead. "Now you wouldn't by any chance know who did this to you, do you Lex?" the guy asked as if we had known each other for some time. I nodded my head slowly leaning against the man as he whispered in my ear that everything would be okay now. "Who did this to you baby girl?" the other, smaller black guy asked kneeling down to inspect my wound, carefully peeling the cotton away from the spot. "Him" I muttered raising my arm just enough to get the point across that Greg had done it. "You shot my princess?" the black guy kneeling in front of me growled as he stood up and started walking closer to Greg who began backing away. "No, I didn't she's lying I would never hurt her" he started rambling as all three men advanced on him, it wasn't long before he had dropped the gun and ran the opposite direction more than eager to get away from the three larger men. "I'm Jeremiah, you can call me Jerry though and this is my brother Angel and my brother Bobby" the smaller black guy introduced as they helped me into the car and we started the drive to Evie's. "You're the sons she talks about" I whispered leaning back against the seat as Angel put pressure on my stomach. "Little Jack is at home with Ma and your brother, kid is real scared for you" Jerry smirked softly as we arrived at the house and Mark was the first one out the door followed closely by the blonde that must be Jack and then Evie. "Lexi" Mark cried slamming into me sending us both to the snow as his arms wrapped around me tightly. "I'm right here, I'm okay" I cooed over and over again turning the white snow around us pink, until Evie finally convinced him to getup so we could get me inside into warm clothes and stitch up my wound. 

It didn't take long until I was sandwiched between Angel and Jack under layers of borrowed clothes and blankets. Mark was sitting directly in front of me with Jerry and Bobby while Evie was sitting in her rocking chair as the Red Wings game blasted over the TV. "Sorry about Bobby, he really gets into his hockey games" Angel apologized a flirty smile on his face as I turned to look at him with a small shrug. "I've seen him play before, so it could be worse" I whispered catching the Michigan Mauler's attention. "You've seen me play?" he asked eyebrow arched as I smirked while Mark started jabbering away excitedly about how our real dad had taken us to a few games just before he had died and just before Bobby had been kicked out of the league. Once Mark's talking died down the attention turned back to the game and I could feel myself starting to get tired so I carefully situated myself so I was leaning on Jerry with my legs on Angel as I drifted off to sleep everything finally taking its toll on me.

Evelyn's POV 

"Ma, what should we do...I told Camille I'd be over soon and Angel's going to see Sofi" Jerry whispered careful not to wake the sleeping children that had ran into our lives a few hours ago. "Well...Mark and Jack can share a room, I'll clean out the spare room tomorrow for Lexi...for now Bobby why don't you take Jerry's place so she stays in the same position. Angel you should be alright to let her legs down." I whispered grabbing another blanket, and a bowl of chips along with a beer for Bobby, as the girl started shivering, I waited patiently as Bobby and Jerry switched out as carefully as they could barely shaking the teenager in their arms. Once Bobby got comfortable lying on the couch with Lexi between his legs still sound asleep I draped the blanket over both of them before turning off the lights. "Mark, if you want to follow Jack he'll show you where you can stay and make sure you're comfortable." I smiled at the boys leaving them to walk the rest of the way to Jack's room while I tucked myself away in my own room, a content smile knowing I was able to give more kids a chance at life. I could still hear the hockey game downstairs without the usual noise of Bobby which was slightly surprising. He never cared how quiet he should be but as soon as that girl showed up he was a completely different person, in a good way of course. I shut my lights off and drifted to sleep a happy smile on my face. 

End Evelyn's POV

 I don't recall when I fall asleep but when I woke up there was a different hockey game on the screen and instead of Angel and Jerry it was just Bobby who was happily watching the game one hand in a bowl of chips on the floor and the other resting on my stomach. I whimpered quietly as I tried to adjust slightly to see the game better which caught Bobby's attention. "Are you okay?" he asked quickly hands grabbing the blankets and pulling them back around us as I managed to get comfortable. "I just wanted to see the TV better" I whispered snuggling back into his body and the blankets happier than I had ever been before. "Get some more rest Baby Girl, you've had a long day and you need the energy to heal" he whispered his hand returning to its spot on my stomach as we both went quiet. "Bobby" I whispered playing with his fingers as his eyes darted down to me. "What baby" he returned letting me know I had his attention "why do you call me baby and baby girl...why are you being so nice to me...why aren't you treating me like shit, like everyone else" I asked quietly afraid to look him in the eyes. "I...I don't know...you're different Lexi, baby you don't deserve to be treated badly...there's just something about you" he sighed lacing our fingers together. "I don't know how to explain it" he added with a soft sigh as I nodded and the room went silent with the exception of the announcers on TV. "Goodnight Bobby" I mumbled already falling back asleep as he shut the TV off and pulled the blankets tighter around us.