Page 80 of Street of Dreams
It was late by the time Jake got back to the house, and he was fucking exhausted. Everything hurt. Jumping on top of Mac during both shootouts left Jake’s knees and elbows bruised from contact with the hard concrete. The bullet that ripped through his shoulder left his arm in a sling. Every time he moved, it felt as if an icepick stabbed him in the collarbone. But his heart . . . his heart felt as if it sprouted wings and was soaring through the air. He felt emancipated for the first time in his life, and it felt fucking wonderful.
He hadn’t let go of Mac’s hand since they left the hospital. He needed physical contact. Too much time had gone by without this gorgeous man in his life, and nothing was going to keep them apart again.
With Mac’s assistance, Jake sat on the couch in the living room. His body complained, even with the pain killers, and he let out a grunt.
“Jeez,” Danny said, with a grimace. “You look like shit. You sure you’re OK?”
“I’m fine.”
Henry smirked at Mac, menacingly. “My brother’s been in the hospital three times because of you.”
“Hey!” Jake snapped. “Don’t you dare fucking talk to him like that. None of this is his fault. It’s all on Bruce. Don’t ever talk to Mac with disrespect. Ever. Ya hear me?”
Henry’s shoulders folded into himself, and he lowered his head as he muttered, “Sorry.”
Mac was about to say something, probably agree with Henry, but Jake shut him down. “Don’t. You and my brothers are the only good things in my life. The four of you are the only people I love. And the only people who love me. We’re a family. And that includes you too, Mac. That means we all get along, and we all fight for one another. Notwithone another. There’s no targeting. No bullying.” Jake shook his head, even though it pulled at his wound and sent a sharp pain through his back. “I hate that fucking shit. That’s how we lived our whole lives. I’m done with it.” He looked around the room and at a house that was never really a home. It held no memories worth a damn. “We’re moving,” he announced. “And I’m gonna burn this motherfucker to the ground.”
The twins looked at one another and then stared at Jake, confused. “Where are we gonna live?” Danny asked.
“Somewhere nice. Maybe on the north side of Chicago,” Jake answered.
“We’re South Side,” Henry remarked, clearly not on board with the move.
“I live in L.A. now.” Mac looked at Jake, then at Henry and Danny. “I was kind of hoping you’d all move there with me.”
Too much was happening all at once. Jake’s head was foggy from the narcotics, and emotional exhaustion was taking its toll. “I don’t know where we’re going to live yet.” He surveyed the interior of the house with disgust. “But it sure as shit ain’t gonna be here. That, I can tell you for sure.” They’d discuss it tomorrow. Right now, Jake needed to tell his little brother that their old man was dead.
He went upstairs to Ben’s room, alone, and watched his little brother sleep. This kid was pure and innocent, unsullied by the King legacy, which was a fucking miracle in itself. A memory swarmed in his head. It was when they all came home from foster care after their mother died and the state took them away. That first night back home, Bruce had ordered a banquet of food for dinner and Jake had hope that things were going to change. But after they ate, Bruce took off and left Jake in charge of his brothers . . .
Jake stared down at Ben, sleeping in his crib. This poor kid was barely a year old, and he’d lost his mother and had been ripped away from his family. “You’re home now, Benny,” he whispered. “I’ll never let anyone take you ever again.” Tears filled Jake’s eyes, and he hated that he wasn’t stronger. He needed to step up. He was 14 now. He had to take care of his baby brother. And the twins. The social worker told him that a nanny would be coming to take care of Ben during the day, but he wished he could drop out of school and do it himself.
Ben made a suckling noise and let out a small laugh in his sleep. Jake smiled, and a tear ran down his cheek. He quickly wiped it away and fingered the dark black curls at the back of his baby brother’s neck. “I love you, Ben. I’m going to protect you from the messed-up life we were born into. You don’t deserve any of it.”
“Everything OK?” Henry poked his head in Ben’s room, with Danny right behind him.
“Yeah,” Jake answered. “I was just watching Ben sleep and telling him that he doesn’t deserve any of the bullshit we live with. Our parents are losers.” He realized he spoke about his mother as if she were still alive and felt remorse at her death. For a minute. “We can’t let Bruce do to Ben what he does to us. We can’t. We need to protect him from Bruce and his bullshit.”
Henry and Danny both nodded.
“Yeah. He’s just a kid,” Danny said, peering into the crib.
Henry nodded. “Just tell us what to do, Jake, and we’ll do it.”
Jake had no idea what to do, but he somehow managed to run a household and take care of the twins since he was nine years old. Add diaper changes and nightly feedings for the last 10 months, plus schoolwork, and Jake was completely overwhelmed. But, for the first time in his life, he felt as if he had help. As if the responsibility of the world didn’t lie on his shoulders alone. “Thanks, you guys. I knew I could count on the both of you.” He loved his brothers so much. They were everything to him. He had been going crazy with worry when they were all separated in foster care, especially for Ben’s welfare. The thought that they’d be split up and never see each other again had him crying himself to sleep every night. His eyes watered from relief, and he pulled the twins in for a hug. “C’mere. I’m so happy we’re all together. We always gotta stick together. Always. Remember that. Don’t ever forget it. Each other is all we got.”
The twins hugged him back and nodded. But something was missing. Or, rather, someone. He didn’t care that Ben was sleeping, the baby was part of this bond between brothers.
Jake leaned over the crib and gently picked up his baby brother. Ben wiggled and let out a whimper. “Shh. It’s OK.” He held Ben to his chest, and the boy quieted as he snuggled into the crook of Jake’s neck. Holding him close with one hand, he outstretched his other arm and called the twins in for a hug. The three of them stood there in Ben’s room for a long time, just holding one another, with Ben at the center of their group hug. They were four boys with no one but each other . . .
Jake wiped at the tear that hung in the corner of his eye as he remembered that day. They’d been through so much since then, but he and his brothers made good on their promise to protect Ben, and this kid turned out great.
As if Ben felt Jake’s presence, he rolled over and picked his head up from the pillow. “Why are you in my room?” Ben asked, rubbing one eye with his fist.
“I gotta tell you something.” Jake sat on the edge of the bed. “It’s not good news.”
Ben eyed the sling hanging across Jake’s shoulder. “You broke your arm? Did you have a fight?”
“It’s not broken. I just hurt it a little.”
