could get started. “The best chance I’ve got is to get Colleen through high school, get Mike and Davey into a trade school at some point, and make sure they know how to do something that’ll keep ’em going. They’ll be plumbers or mechanics or some shit, but at least they won’t be shiftless bums. Assuming I can keep ’em in school and outta jail that long, which is touch and go, if you haven’t noticed.” Bobby was quiet, looking like he disagreed but wasn’t about to argue, so Tommy added, “That’s as close to optimism as I get.”
When Bobby might have offered more on the topic, Collin came running into the house, chasing after Davey. Tommy could tell by the way they carried themselves and held their arms over their stomachs they were hiding something, trying to sneak it in.
“Freeze!” he shouted.
Both kids skidded to a stop.
They had been moving too fast at first for Tommy to see the bulge under Collin’s T-shirt. It wiggled. Collin looked like something out of a horror movie, as if an alien was about to pop out of his stomach.
“What gives?” Tommy had already guessed, but he wanted to give them a chance to explain.
Collin took a deep breath and then yelped. Tommy could tell Bobby was trying not to laugh as Collin winced and lifted his shirt. A small cat was plastered to Collin’s chest, claws digging into his skin. “Can we keep him, Tommy?”
Davey pulled a bag of kitten chow out from under his jacket then and said quickly, “We’ll take care of him, and he won’t be any trouble.”
As Collin tried to detach the animal, the cat started hissing and growling, squirming in his grip.
Tommy jumped back when the cat spat at him. “Jesus, where’d you find that thing?”
Davey answered excitedly, “Down at that old abandoned house on Mimosa. There’s, like, I don’t know, twenty of ’em down there.”
Tommy reached for the cat when it looked like it might claw Collin’s eyes out. “Gimme that,” he said, trying to take it from his brother. The cat hissed more, scratching and biting at Tommy. “It’s a wild animal, for fuck’s sake. You can’t raise it to be a pet. Christ. What’re they called?” He glanced at Bobby, who wasn’t even trying to hide his amusement any longer.
“Feral,” Bobby answered, laughing. “You should go get those scratches cleaned up, Collin, and keep an eye out for infection or any red lines branching off from them.”
Tommy was still fighting with the cat as he tried to get to the door. “Yeah, we know the drill.”
When he tossed the cat into the yard, it took off like a bat out of hell, scrambling up the fence and darting across the street so fast it was a blur. Tommy’s hands were bleeding. He leveled a condemning glare at Collin. “You’re lucky that thing didn’t get to the twins.” He didn’t bother with more of a lecture because Collin and Davey looked like they realized how bad that would have been. “Go get cleaned up.” He let out another curse when he looked at his own injuries and started for the kitchen, but the phone rang and he stopped to answer it.
Colleen was on the other end of the line, sounding upset. “Tommy?” She was sniffling.
Dread socked Tommy in the stomach when he answered her, “What’s wrong?”
Bobby set Zoe down and stood up, walking over to Tommy.
“Nothing….” She sounded like she was still trying to understand what was wrong exactly. “I mean, I don’t know. I’m down at the police station. Some guys jumped me and Wyatt on our way back from the park and—”
“Police station? What happened, Col?” Tommy wanted to curse or kick something, but he forced himself to stay calm.
She sounded like she was about to lose it. “I don’t know. I mean, they jumped us, and they were trying to roll Wyatt, and I took my bat and went after them, and….”
He had to swallow his panic as he wondered what else had happened. “Are you okay?”
“I think so, but can you come get me?” She
When Bobby might have offered more on the topic, Collin came running into the house, chasing after Davey. Tommy could tell by the way they carried themselves and held their arms over their stomachs they were hiding something, trying to sneak it in.
“Freeze!” he shouted.
Both kids skidded to a stop.
They had been moving too fast at first for Tommy to see the bulge under Collin’s T-shirt. It wiggled. Collin looked like something out of a horror movie, as if an alien was about to pop out of his stomach.
“What gives?” Tommy had already guessed, but he wanted to give them a chance to explain.
Collin took a deep breath and then yelped. Tommy could tell Bobby was trying not to laugh as Collin winced and lifted his shirt. A small cat was plastered to Collin’s chest, claws digging into his skin. “Can we keep him, Tommy?”
Davey pulled a bag of kitten chow out from under his jacket then and said quickly, “We’ll take care of him, and he won’t be any trouble.”
As Collin tried to detach the animal, the cat started hissing and growling, squirming in his grip.
Tommy jumped back when the cat spat at him. “Jesus, where’d you find that thing?”
Davey answered excitedly, “Down at that old abandoned house on Mimosa. There’s, like, I don’t know, twenty of ’em down there.”
Tommy reached for the cat when it looked like it might claw Collin’s eyes out. “Gimme that,” he said, trying to take it from his brother. The cat hissed more, scratching and biting at Tommy. “It’s a wild animal, for fuck’s sake. You can’t raise it to be a pet. Christ. What’re they called?” He glanced at Bobby, who wasn’t even trying to hide his amusement any longer.
“Feral,” Bobby answered, laughing. “You should go get those scratches cleaned up, Collin, and keep an eye out for infection or any red lines branching off from them.”
Tommy was still fighting with the cat as he tried to get to the door. “Yeah, we know the drill.”
When he tossed the cat into the yard, it took off like a bat out of hell, scrambling up the fence and darting across the street so fast it was a blur. Tommy’s hands were bleeding. He leveled a condemning glare at Collin. “You’re lucky that thing didn’t get to the twins.” He didn’t bother with more of a lecture because Collin and Davey looked like they realized how bad that would have been. “Go get cleaned up.” He let out another curse when he looked at his own injuries and started for the kitchen, but the phone rang and he stopped to answer it.
Colleen was on the other end of the line, sounding upset. “Tommy?” She was sniffling.
Dread socked Tommy in the stomach when he answered her, “What’s wrong?”
Bobby set Zoe down and stood up, walking over to Tommy.
“Nothing….” She sounded like she was still trying to understand what was wrong exactly. “I mean, I don’t know. I’m down at the police station. Some guys jumped me and Wyatt on our way back from the park and—”
“Police station? What happened, Col?” Tommy wanted to curse or kick something, but he forced himself to stay calm.
She sounded like she was about to lose it. “I don’t know. I mean, they jumped us, and they were trying to roll Wyatt, and I took my bat and went after them, and….”
He had to swallow his panic as he wondered what else had happened. “Are you okay?”
“I think so, but can you come get me?” She
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