AN: Hey guys, thanks for the reviews. I was kind of unsure about the rating on this story and I was thinking about moving it up to a 'M'. Let me know what you think. Thanks. Hope you enjoy!
"Get him! Hit him Bobby! He's coming after you! Jack! You go! Woo!" Ellie yelled as she watched her brothers from the sideline. Neal was standing beside her laughing at the shenanigans out on the rink.
"Bobby is pretty good. A little violent, but you can tell he has a lot of skill." Neal commented as Bobby raced by with the puck.
"Yeah, he was in the league for a while but after getting kicked out of so many games they finally kicked him out of the league completely." Ellie informed. "Yay! Way to go Angel!" She screamed as Angel scored on the other team. "You sure you don't want to play? This is actually a pretty tame game compared to most games involving my brothers."
"Yeah, I'm sure. I have a feeling it wouldn't stay as 'tame' if I got on the ice." Neal said as he caught sight of Bobby glaring at the couple , or more specifically him, from across the rink. Ellie linked her arm through Neal's and leaned up to kiss his cheek.
"So what family are you staying with in Detroit?" Ellie asked with her best attempt at nonchalance. After her talk with Bobby and Jerry that morning she was really beginning to worry about Neal's absences.
"Oh, my aunt lives right outside the city. When she heard I was in town she insisted I come stay." Neal replied. "What do you have planned for the rest of the day?"
"Well actually, my brothers and I were going to go to my mom's lawyer after this for the reading of her will."
"Oh, well I guess you don't need me for that. It looks like the game is finishing up." Neal said as he pointed to the tired players filing off the rink. "I don't think there is anyone left for Bobby to take out." Neal joked. "I'm going to head out so you can meet up with the lawyer. I'll call you later tonight?" Neal asked.
"Um, yeah sure. Talk to you then." Ellie replied as Neal kissed her forehead and turned and headed towards his car. Ellie headed over to where her brothers were sitting removing their skates.
"Nice game boys. Shame you were too scared of being shown up by a girl to let me play." Ellie teased.
Angel grabbed Ellie around the waist and pulled her into his lap ruffling her hair with his free hand. "You know that's not it, lil sis. We just didn't want to risk having you mess up that pretty face of yours." He said as he pinched her cheek.
"Yeah sure." Ellie replied as she struggled to get free from his grasp. "What time is it? We have to be downtown by 3."
"Yeah, we better be on our way." Jerry informed as they all got to their feet and headed towards his Volvo.
Ellie kicked a stray can across the empty warehouse floor that Jerry had dragged her and her brothers to. They had just finished opening their mom's safety deposit box when Jerry said he had something to show them. This run down building was apparently his 'dream'. She had no idea what he was planning but she decided to just trust him. Jerry knew what he was doing and he was good at it. She remembered when she had moved up to Madison Jerry came with her and helped her settle in. He had helped her find a cheap apartment near campus, not an easy feat in itself, but he also was some how able to talk her landlord into knocking fifty dollars off of her rent because of some loophole he found in the lease agreement. To this day she didn't know how he did it, but she wasn't complaining. Jerry just always had this business savvy about him. If he said he was going to turn this heap of bricks into luxury condos then Ellie had no doubt that he would.
"Let's go get some real drinks!" Bobby proclaimed as he threw his empty beer bottle across the room. Ellie couldn't agree more. It was cold and she had no real desire to return to her mother's empty house anytime soon. Just walking in the door and not seeing Evelyn there to greet her brought a dead, cold feeling to her stomach. Yep, a drink was just what she needed.
A few hours later and a few bars later (Bobby never liked to stay in one place too long, well at least the bar owners never liked Bobby to stay in one place too long) Ellie was beginning to enjoy the buzz she had going. She had forgotten how much fun her brothers could be. They were making toasts left and right, constantly teasing each other, chatting up everyone and generally enjoying themselves. They had just gotten to another bar that was a little shady for Ellie's tastes but she was with her brothers so she didn't really give it a second thought. As they all sat down and Bobby was ordering their first round of drinks, Ellie decided to take the opportunity to hit the ladies' room.
As Ellie was returning to their table she saw a familiar mop of brown hair from the corner of her eye. She turned and looked and saw the back of a man's head who was sitting in a chair with a very friendly and willing woman wrapped around him. Ellie moved a little closer trying to focus her blurry eyes. She could have sworn she had seen that blue sweater he was wearing earlier today. The woman leaned seductively in and whispered something into the man's ear. He leaned his head back and let out a deep rich baritone laugh. It hit Ellie like a ton of bricks. She knew that laugh. It was Neal! Ellie's feet refused to move, in fact, her entire body refused to function. She stood rooted to the spot. She had no idea how long she was standing there before she was snapped from her stupor by Jack stumbling up to her.
"Hey, there you are! They sent me to check on you. Did you fall in?" He slurred as he wrapped his arm around her to pull her back to the table. When Ellie didn't budge he followed her transfixed gaze over to where Neal was sitting, still enthralled by the woman in his lap. "Hey isn't that..." Jack trailed off. "Come on" he said as he led Ellie back to their table.
"There you are!" Bobby exclaimed. "I had to send little Jackie to get you before someone drank your drink." Ellie continued to stare straight in front of her unable to respond to Bobby, let alone form a sentence. The initial shock was beginning to wear off and now she was caught in a rush of emotions as questions raced through her mind. How could he? Who was she? Why? She didn't know where to begin or where to end.
"What the fuck did you do to her Jack?" Angel demanded as the brothers focused in on their little sister.
"Wasn't me, man. Her boyfriend is here. With another girl." Jack told the guys.
"What do you mean 'another girl'" Angel demanded.
"I mean, another girl." Jack stressed giving the boys a significant look.
Bobby's face lit up as realization dawned on him. "That fuck face thinks he can scam my little sister! He's got another thing coming!" Bobby exclaimed as he violently stood up, his chair crashing to the ground behind him. He turned and took off in the direction Ellie and Jack had just come from. This seemed to snap Ellie from her stupor as she jumped up and chased after him.
"Bobby! No, wait!" Ellie yelled as she ran up after him.
"You son of a bitch!" Bobby yelled as he reached Neal. The commotion caused Neal to stand up and spin around, knocking the bimbo who was previously in his lap to the ground.
"What the hell?" Neal said as quickly spun around. The recognition, followed quickly by the fear, was evident in his features. Bobby pulled back to punch him but Ellie quickly stepped in between the two men.
"Ellie what the fuck are you doing?" Bobby asked as he tried to move around her to get to Neal.
"Bobby, he isn't worth it. This is my problem." Ellie replied as she continued to block Neal from Bobby.
"Get out of the way girl. This ass fucker is going down." Bobby yelled enraged.
Neal mistook Ellie's actions as loyalty to him and decided to try and weasel his way out of the situation. "Ellie, baby, what is going on? I thought you were going to be home tonight."
That was the last fucking straw. Ellie had just been trying to prevent Bobby from getting into trouble but Neal trying to baby her and act like he hadn't just been caught with his pants down just pushed her over the edge. "Baby?" She asked incredulously as she turned to face him, still standing between him and the fuming Bobby. "Don't you fucking 'Baby' me. I never want to see you again, let alone hear your voice!" She yelled.
"But honey, what's the matter. You aren't mad about Christina, are you?" Neal asked as he reached towards her.
"Christina? You asked for her name? Don't even think about touching me you bastard." Ellie yelled enraged as she slapped his hand away. "Don't move any closer. It is over. My mother just died and you are off scoring pussy from some white trash girl! Don't even think about coming home. It is over!" Ellie declared as she tried to push her brothers away and leave the scene that they had created.
"Ellie, baby." Neal pleaded. Ellie saw red as she turned around punching Neal square in the jaw forcing him to stumble back.
"I said don't fucking call me baby!" She yelled as Jerry wrapped his arms around her and started pulling her out of the bar, her other brothers trailing closely behind. There was no need to be officially kicked out of this bar. They were more than happy to leave on their own. The five moved quickly moved to the car.
Ellie sat in the back seat between Jack and Angel as Jerry drove them towards another one of Bobby's old hangouts. "Man you should have let us beat him up Ellie" Angel complained.
"Is that all you do? Beat people up?" Jerry questioned as he shook his head.
"I don't want to talk about it." Ellie mumbled. Jack took her hand in his as they drove the rest of the way in silence.
The next bar they went to was much more low key. The siblings all took a seat up at the bar as they once again toasted their beloved mother.
"Another round for all of us, but make it a double for my sister and a warm milk for the fairy on the end." Bobby declared.
"Man, I can drink you under the table!" Jack challenged.
"Yeah, little brother, but this is whiskey, not sperm." Bobby countered.
Ellie laughed at her brothers' antics when a guy scooted up to Ellie. "Can I buy you your next drink?" He questioned with a smile. Out of nowhere Angel cut in between the two.
"Ellie, there is an open table over there. We are all moving." He announced as he ushered Ellie and the rest of the guys over to the empty table without a backwards glance at the guy they left in their wake.
"Jack drinks Jack! Jack drinks Jack!" Jack drunkenly chanted. There was no doubt that Ellie loved her brother but he could be one huge pain in the ass when he was drunk. Ellie tried to focus in on what her brothers were saying but she couldn't get her mind off of that bastard. She was sure they were just teasing Jack anyway.
Johnny G, the bartender walked up to their table. "Hey man, I'm sorry about your mom. That's some bad stuff. Freaking gangs. Worms. Someone ought to step on them."
"What gangs, Johnny G?" Bobby questioned, his attention raptly held by the bartender.
"Oh shit, here we go. I knew it. Same old Bobby. Momma always said, 'as bright as Bobby is, he just does not like to think.' Ain't no good going to come from this. Let the police do their job." Jerry began.
"Stop with the police." Jack interrupted in a surprisingly strong voice.
"I'm telling you Greene is on our side." Jerry defended.
"She was the only woman who ever gave a damn. The least we can do is go knock on a few doors. We owe her that much." Angel rumbled.
"The guys who did this are probably from the same shitty ass streets as we are. Mom would have been the first to forgive them and you know it." Jerry countered.
"We can't all be saints, Jerry." Bobby replied, followed shortly by Jack.
"All right. All right. Cool. Don't call me when you get shot up." Jerry angrily replied as he stood and put his coat on. "This here is Detroit, in case you forgot."
"Jerry, can you take me home?" Ellie spoke up for the first time since sitting down. She knew her brothers were about to get into some trouble and she was just not up for it right now, not after what had just happened.
"Yeah, Jerry. If you are going to pussy out, take Ellie home. She don't need to be around for this shit." Bobby told Jerry.
"Fuck off Bobby, I am not a baby. I just want to go home." Ellie replied defiantly.
"Come on Ellie, I'll drive you home." Jerry said as he held out her coat for her. "You dumb ass idiots better watch out, whatever you do."
Ellie put on her coat and moved to follow Jerry out the door. She stopped before fully exiting and locked eyes with Jack, hoping to convey the message to be safe. She knew Bobby would watch out for all of them, but it didn't mean she wasn't going to worry. She saw Bobby turn his full attention to Johnny G as the bartender sat down in her vacant seat and she turned and followed Jerry out to his car.