Jon ducked behind the chip rack next to the drink section. He looked and saw the suspect dressed all in black with a stocking over his face. The cashier was panicking and trying to hurry to give the criminal the money to save his life.
"Please don't kill me!" the cashier said.
"Shut the fuck up. Don't say nothing and just give me the money and you won't lose your life," the criminal said.
Jon pulled out his gun from his holster and slowly moved from his position from behind the chip rack. He crept closer and closer behind the criminal. The cashier's eyes flicked towards Jon and Jon quickly put a finger up to his lips, signaling to the cashier to remain silent.
Jon cocked his gun and aimed it at the criminal's head.
"Freeze!" Jon called out to the criminal.
The criminal turned around and saw Jon with his gun pointed at him. This freaked the criminal out and he took off out of the store.
Jon quickly followed suit after him.
The criminal kept looking back over his shoulder to see how close Jon was to him.
Jon was catching up to him quickly.
The criminal knocked over some trashcans to slow Jon down. Jon jumped clean over the trashcans and finally caught up to the criminal. Jon tackled him down. He yanked the stocking off of the criminal's face.
"Hey, I don't want trouble!" the criminal said.
"You should've thought about that before you decided to rob the store. I don't wanna hear it," Jon said.
Jon slapped handcuffs on the criminal and brought him to his feet. As soon as Jon got a better look at the criminal, his heart sank down south. The criminal he caught was Adriana's own little brother, Max.
"Max..." Jon said.
Max had got caught up with the wrong crowd and got strung out. Max simply up and left home, leaving his sister and mother.
"J-Jon? Hey man, look, please, I can't go to jail. I was just trying to get some cash," Max said.
"What happened to you man?" Jon said, shaking his head. "I thought you were going to make something out of yourself like you promised. You really hurt your sister and mother."
"I know but...I don't know, just please, don't take me to jail, please man," Jon said.
If Jon told Adriana that he caught Max robbing the liquor store and had to take him to the police station, that would break her heart into a million pieces. Jon didn't want to take Max to jail. He really didn't. So, Jon simply took the handcuffs off of Max.
"Thanks Jon," Max said, rubbing his wrists.
"I told you to look after your sister and mother while I was gone. Did I not?" Jon said, sternly. "And you go and do stupid shit."
"Look, I know what I did was wrong alright? Just please, please, don't tell Adriana or Mom," Max pleaded.
"I'm not going to break your sister and mom's hearts. Man, good thing I did become a cop. If it was anyone else, who knows what would've happened," Jon said.
"I know, man. But how are they? How have you been?"
"Everyone's doing fine. I almost died in the Army while in Iraq and Japan but I came back in one piece. Your mother got remarried and your sister got married," Jon said.
"Oh man. I'm glad you came back home safe. But who did my sister marry?" Max asked.
Jon held up his left hand.
"Congratulations!" Max said.
"Thanks. You also have a nephew," Jon said.
"Sweet! What's his name?" Max said.
"Jonathan, Junior. J.J.," Jon said.
"That's cool. I wish I could see them," Max said. "I know they hate me. Think you could convince them to let me come back?"
"They don't hate you. Your mom wants to see you again," Jon said. "She misses you a lot. Your sister does as well. Even J.J. wants to meet you. I told him about you."
"I would like to meet the little guy as well," Max said.
"We're having a BBQ this weekend. I'll tell the family that you want to come," Jon said.
"Um, I don't really have anywhere to go," Max said, fiddling with his fingers.
"You're homeless or something?" Jon asked.
Max did look pretty slim and hungry.
"No. Well, probably. Me and the people I was with were kicked out of our apartment a few hours ago, so I've just been wandering the streets," Max said. "I thought I could rob the liquor store and get some money so I could stay in a cheap motel somewhere for the night and get some hot food finally."
Listening to Max tell him everything, Jon knew that he had to bring Max back home to his family.
"Look, I'm taking you home with me. I can't have you out here on the streets," Jon said.
"Thanks, man. I appreciate it," Max said.
Jon walked Max back to his car. Jon bought some snacks for him and Max. He told the cashier that he was related to Max. The cashier forgave Max but said that he was going to keep an eye out for him. Jon joined Max in the car and then drove off.
"My shift is over with. Good. I'm going to take you to get some clothes," Jon said.
Jon stopped by Walmart and let Max pick out clothes and get some toiletries as well. Soon, they were off to the house.
Max waited anxiously as Jon unlocked the door to the house.
"Don't be shy," Jon said.
Max timidly stepped into the house and looked around.
'So much good stuff here,' Max thought to himself. 'That vase looks like it's worth some good money. I'm gonna sneak that out of here soon.'
"Adriana," Jon called out.
"Yes?"
"Someone's here to see you," Jon said.
Max broke out of his thoughts and looked at Jon with wide eyes and shook his head.
"I don't think she wants to see me," Max said.
"She does. Trust me," Jon said.
"Who is it?" Adriana said.
As soon as she laid eyes on Max, she stopped dead in her tracks.
"Max?" Adriana said.
"Yeah. It's me. In the flesh," Max said, nervously.
"Oh my goodness!"
Adriana ran to her brother and gave him a big hug.
"I thought I'd never see you again! Please tell me you've left those awful people?" she said.
"Yeah, I did," Max said.
"How did you two run into each other?" Adriana asked.
"I was patroling the streets and saw Max walking by himself. So, I told him he needed to come home," Jon said.
Max smiled at Jon.
"This is a nice home you two have here. Can I crash on the couch? I'm beat!"
Max waited until Jon and Adriana had gone to sleep to scope out the house. Max was blown away by the beautiful stuff that Adriana and Jon had. He took a good look at the vase he was looking at earlier. It looked like it had come from Japan or somewhere. Max then remembered how Jon did tell him that he was in Japan and he had survived that experience.
"Nice Buddha statue," Max said aloud.
He heard someone coming out of their room. Max dashed back to the couch and slid under the covers quickly. Someone was now in the living room with him.
"Max?"
It was Jon.
Max sat up. Jon turned on the light.
"What's up?" Max said.
"Nothing. Just wanted to talk to you for a minute," Jon said.
"That's cool. What do you want to talk about?"
"I'm not accusing you of anything and don't assume I am. But are you still on any drugs or stuff like that?" Jon asked.
"No," Max said.
Max actually had crack in his back pocket. He had an addiction to it. He hadn't smoked it in a few days. Max planned to rob the liquor store, get some cash, go to a motel, and get straight fucked up on it. But Jon caught him before he could go through with his plan.
"You sure?" Jon asked.
"Yeah, I'm sure," Max said.
Jon knew deep down Max was lying. Max looked a little out of it earlier but Jon decided to leave it at that.
"Tomorrow I'm taking you to your mother's house," Jon said.
"Man...what do you think she's going to say?" Max said. "She might disown me and put me out."
"She didn't do that before. YOU left the nest," Jon said. "No one forced you to."
Max thought about what Jon just told him.
"Man. I screwed up bad, didn't I?"
"Well, you made a huge mistake but you learned from it. What you CAN do is learn from it, move on, and don't repeat the same mistake multiple times and land yourself in trouble again," Jon said. "Because next time, it won't be me chasing after you. And it won't be me letting you off the hook with a slap on the wrist. I want you to clean yourself up and turn your life around. Not for me. Not for your sister. Not for your mother. For you. Of course, they'll be happy that you will be doing something positive and productive with your life, but you need to do it for you. Because it's going to benefit you. I'll help in anyway I can as well."
"Thanks. I really needed to hear that," Max said.
"I'm glad I could be of assistance. You sure you're clean? You're not lying to me are you?"
Something told Jon to ask Max one more time if he was clean.
"I'm sure. Nothing on me," Max lied again.
"Alright. Goodnight man. Get some sleep," Jon said. "See you in the morning."
"Night," Max said, laying back down.
Jon stopped and looked back at Max for a few seconds.
As much as he really wanted to believe Max, Jon knew he had to keep on eye out for him.
Author's Note: If anyone has forgotten, Adriana does have a brother. And I finally brought him back.
P.S. I know this may sound weird but sometimes I forget what a minor character's name is. So I am calling Adriana's brother Max. :p
P.S.S. Tell me what you think of this little twist in the story.