Page 92 of The Thief

“No, she hasn’t. And she never will.”

I took another step back, pulled a lighter out of my pocket and put it under the letter. I flicked the lighter and lit the paper, watching as the flames grew stronger, devouring the words I never wanted to read again. Words that’d be etched into my mind forever.

As my fingertips felt the heat, I dropped the letter to floor, watching it curl and burn away. And then I stamped the flames out with my foot until all that was left were ashes and embers.

We heard feet pounding and I peered around the fence to see two lads bolting away down the alley.

“That was two of them,” Elliot said, as he hid behind me, and when another lad fell to the floor, he added, “That’s the other one.”

It took everything in me not to step out of the shadows and run over to the gang. I wanted revenge on the bastards that’d hurt my brother. But I knew staying with him, making sure he knew that I had his back and that I loved him and wanted to be here for him, was more important.

“We should go,” Elliot begged quietly, but when the tall guy stomped on the bully’s hand as he lay on the floor, making him scream in pain, I had to stay for a moment longer. Call it morbidcuriosity, but I wanted to see what was going to happen.

“One more minute,” I promised him, then I watched, as they gestured to some books scattered on the floor.

“Are those your books?” I asked Elliot.

“Yes. But it’s okay, they took a twenty out of the boy’s wallet and gave it to me to buy new ones.”

Shock hit me, and I turned to look at my brother.

“They took money off them and gave it to you?”

“That’s what I said,” Elliot retorted, and I laughed.

“Who the fuck are they?” I pondered out loud, and my brother, as plain as day stated, “I think they’re angels.”

I stared into his eyes, suddenly seeing how utterly exhausted he looked. He’d been carrying the burden of all of this for God knows how long, and today, the tables had turned. His luck hadn’t run out, it’d run in at just the right time.

“I think you might be right,” I replied, swallowing through the lump in my throat.

I heard more cries and peered around the fence again to see one of the lads cut the bully’s cheek with his knife. I grimaced, moving so Elliot couldn’t see.

These lads meant business.

They weren’t the kind of boys you wanted to mess around with.

But I thanked God they’d been the ones to come to my brother’s defence tonight.

“Elliot.” I turned to face him again, my brotherly protective streak burning hotter than ever. “You need to promise me you won’t do anything stupid. Ever. You won’t hurt yourself, not like you said you might in that letter.”

He frowned, scowling at me as he mumbled, “I thought we weren’t gonna talk aboutthat again.”

“Elliot,” I said more forcefully. “Promise me.”

“I promise,” he replied, and I let out a ragged breath.

“Good. And if you ever have any trouble again, you come to me, yes?”

“I will.” He nodded. “But we have to tell Adam Noble as well. I promised.”

“That’s fine. We’ll do that together. But I think we need to go home now and get you cleaned up.” I put my arm over his shoulder to lead him back down the alley. “But let’s stop off at the chip shop first. Mum cooked bacon and eggs, and it’s cold and rubbery.”

“Gross.” Elliot grimaced, then grinned and asked, “Can I have a sausage too?”

“You can have whatever you fucking want,” I told him, leading him away from the nightmare he’d escaped, ready to take my brother home to safety.

But as I walked through the alleyway, the reality of what’d happened tonight hit me. My brother had wanted to kill himself, but because of those boys, he’d been saved. If there’d been a noose around his neck, then they were the ones to come and pull it off him. I would forever be grateful for that. I’d be grateful that they were there when I couldn’t. If they hadn’t stepped in tonight, I might not have a brother.