Slowly pushing myself up, I stood with a sharp intake of breath when my back protested but shook my head. Resolutely, I walked to the register to perform my job. No matter what, no matter how much I may hate or fear it, I had a duty, and I would do it.
I didn’t speak and kept my eyes low while I scanned the assortment of snacks and sodas. For some reason, the pack of condoms made my soul ache. Chastising myself inwardly, I remained calm with a neutral expression. A soft whimper came from the boy on the right, but I dared not look at his face. A soft snarl came from the one in the middle, Kyler he called himself, and the faint cry stopped. I chanced a glance, my eyes full of sorrow for whatever he suffered to make him cry, and his eyes became sorrowful. Then they narrowed, and he glared at Kyler, as did the boy on the left.
After dropping my gaze, I placed their items in a bag, with the receipt, and bid them to have a wonderful evening.
“Oh, I will,” Kyler assured me. “But you won’t, street rat.” My heart stuttered while my mind tried to decide if it was him stating a fact, or issuing a threat. I wondered for a few seconds until the door opened, and Marcus entered. The three boys straightened with a snarl twisting Kyler’s lips. For a moment, I swear it looked like his canine teeth were bigger than they should be, but I blinked, and they looked normal.
“Kyler,” Marcus growled with his stance shifting to indicate he was ready for a fight. But then his eyes met mine, and he calmed. “Are you all right, Angel?” His voice was laden with concern, and I ducked my head while my cheeks heated.
“Ah, going for an older man?” Kyler taunted, and I flinched.
“No, jackass,” Marcus snarled, “her name is Angel.”
“A street rat named Angel, oh the irony,” Kyler scoffed, and I sighed. It wasn’t the worst I heard, although his words cut in places no one else reached. I pondered that for a moment but shook my head to dispel those thoughts. Why did it matter? He hated me, so whatever feelings I had for some stupid reason were irrelevant. Plus, he was right, I was a street rat, and, judging by his clothes, he wasn’t from a poor family.
“This is your last warning, boy, get out of my store,” Marcus snarled. “And leave my employee alone. She doesn’t deserve your cruelty.” No, Marcus, I don’t deserve your protection. I wish I did, but I’m not worthy. Kyler’s growl cut through the tense silence, and I hunched my shoulders, trying to make myself smaller.
“Kyler,” one boy murmured. I felt his eyes on me and shuddered when Kyler’s hostile gaze fell upon me too. With a scoff, Kyler snatched his bag and stormed past Marcus who watched them leave with tense shoulders.
“I’m sorry to say those boys go to your school,” he murmured while locking the door. “If you like, I can drive you to school and pick you up.” Alarm filled me, and I jerked my head to meet his eyes with panic constricting my chest.
“Marcus, I can’t ask that of you!” I protested while taking a step back, and he chuckled.
“You didn’t, Angel. I offered, remember?” He soothed while tousling my hair, albeit I remained tense. “It would make me feel better if I know you make it to and from school all right. I know we determined your bus, but this is something small and easy for me to do. Besides, Ava will be super pleased when she finds out that I’m providing you with a ride. Just like when you need groceries, I’ll take you. Ava would offer, but she understands that it’s hard enough for you to trust me. The day you allow her to drive you around, she’ll be over the moon.”
A soft noise of protest escaped my throat, and Marcus chuckled. Without another word, he pulled me into a comforting hug, and I relaxed after a few minutes. Chucking me under my chin, he grinned and helped me close up shop before ushering me to his house.
Ava smiled with delight when she saw me, and my cheeks heated. Before I knew what was happening, I sat at their table with a heaping plate of spaghetti in front of me. I blinked, and Marcus added a thick slice of homemade bread laden with butter. “Eat, or I dump it,” he shrugged, and I swallowed while tears stung my eyes. Ava made a noise, but Marcus shook his head, and she leaned back in her chair with a frown tugging at her lips. “Sometimes,” he told me with a gentle smile, “people come into our life for the right reasons. Perhaps I am repaying a debt, doing for you what someone once did for me. Thus, I keep my promise, and you gain a needed break. Everyone wins.”
Nodding, although we both knew I didn’t agree that I deserved a break, I began eating. “Angel’s even more feral than I was,” Marcus informed his wife dryly. “Albeit, she’s a gentle feral where I was ferocious. You threaten that brother of hers, however, and she’ll make my worst look like a purring house cat in comparison. Angel’s strength is in her protection. Alas, her type does not defend themselves unless they must to protect another.”
My cheeks heated under his regard, and he smiled before ruffling my hair again. “God, do I ever see some of me in you,” he
