‘And so we know and relay on the love God had for us…
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because
fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made in perfect in
love.’
~1 John 4:16;18~
The first thing Bran noticed was
the duffel bag. It didn’t stick out of the common crowd milling on up and down
Courtlandt Avenue. School had let out across the city and everyone was out for
their afternoon buzz. It was the first day of March and at last there wasn’t a winter
chill in the air. Bran had been thinking an ice cream run for him and Paula.
She walked before behind him, head bent over her phone, conversing with the
friends she had just left in the schoolyard. Bran would normally harp on his
niece about the redundancy of this. Now however, he was glad to have it
distracting her from the two men hounding his car.
“Paula,” Bran turned, placing a
hand on her shoulder. “Hang tight a minute.”
Paula looked up, brows angled at
him. “Uncle Bran-“
“Stay.” Bran told her and continued
the few yards to his car. He sized up the two men waiting there; sharing a
cigarette like it was a typical Tuesday. Only today was Friday.
“Get off my car.” Bran snapped at
the younger one leaning on the hood. He hadn’t seen him before; the other one,
he had seen plenty. Magnus- yes, that was a name. It was Irish and misleading
in its refinery. He had had to face off with this man since October… even after
Bran had issued the restraining order. He was here and, as before, he had the duffel
bag with him.
“That’s a poor way to greet an old
friend.” Magnus’ smile stayed pristine on his pouty, Jimmy Stewart lips. He
extended the duffel out to Bran. “Especially when they’re dropping off a
present.”
Bran shoved the bag away. He could
feel the money inside and it burned his palm. “You’re violating our restraining
order. Again.”
“Touchy.” Magnus’ pal snorted,
taking another drag from the cigarette.
“Get out of here.” Bran narrowed
his eyes at him. “There’s no reason for us to be within fifty yards of each
other. Court’s over. We took the settlement.”
“We’re just making sure that it
still satisfies.” Magnus kept the duffel between them. “You know how people get
when they’re strapped for cash- they get desperate and stupid.”
Bran didn’t hinder eye contact with
him. It was a battle of wills with this guy- and Magnus had been trying to push
Bran back from the start. And Bran, as tired as he was, had yet to give him an
inch. Thank God.
“We don’t want your money.” Bran
remained aware of Magnus’ buddy, shuffling onto the sidewalk. Was he looking at
Paula? “And I know you and your flunkie have more illegal things to do then
bribe me.”
Magnus shrugged the shoulders of
his suit, smug in his position between Bran and his car. What was his problem? The police, their
lawyer, had said it was all over when the judge had banged his gavel. New York
was a big city; no reason for Bran, Paula, or his parents to see Magnus Healy-
or associates- again. Yet, here he was.
“You discuss this with Kate?”
Magnus placed his free hand in his pocket. “Maybe the amount would interest
her…”
Bran’s cell phone was up and he
spoke loud and clear so the 911 operator could hear him. “This’ Bran Robins,
I’m on Courtlandt Avenue-“
Magnus and his buddy were already
walking as the operator tried to get Bran to stop talking. He waited. “Bran
Robins… No, there’s no immediate threat… can you ring Detective Lument’s desk,
please.”
The operator, clearly annoyed, put
him on hold. Bran shifted his position as Paula stepped up beside him. Her
phone was down and her eyes followed the two to the corner.
One
wish, Lord. Bran watched Paula’s oval features clench, her cheeks going
red. That she didn’t have to know those
kind of people existed.
Extortionists, drug traffickers,
members of the Irish mob that still clung to the city of New York. That was the
reality his niece was forced to live with, the company his ‘responsible’ older brother
Simon had kept. Employing himself as Magnus' personal accountant had exposed Paula to the motivations of greed and power. Simon had cheated their own parents out of their savings so he could stay in their good graces- and his pockets padded with cocaine. The amount taken had been the settlement that the judge had decided on; with interest. This hadn't offered any closure to Simon's mysterious murder, but their lawyer had told Dad and Mom to take it. They had their money back, but not their son. And Bran had Paula; every day fighting to keep her out of the dismal colors of her past.
“I thought I was having a good day
today.” Paula proved his point, watching a car pick the two men up on the
corner. Bran found her hand, putting Paula’s brown eyes on him. “Don’t let
people like that decide whether you had a good day or not.”
Paula nodded and Bran got them both
into the car before Detective Lument answered. “44th precinct-“
“Sam, it’s Bran Robins.” Bran got
to the point, thrashing his seat belt on. “They violated the order again."
~To Be Continued~
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