No Cops!

Chapter 14

"Shh, Suzy, it's me." Bert gradually relaxed his hold on Suzy's mouth. He could feel her deep breaths, she was shaking with fear.

"R-Rob?"

"Yep. I need to talk." Suzy's neck was craned and pulled back. He let her go slowly. She straightened and turned around to see him.

Her eyes widened when she noticed his cowboy costume but then her eyes misted. "Oh sweetheart, are you OK? I've been worried sick."

"Why are you whispering?" Bert asked and she laid a finger on his lips.

"Not here," she whispered and pointed at the downstairs neighbor's house. The windows were dark and the curtains were drawn.

"We can sneak up, but please be quiet."

"That doesn't look like your mom." Tamara, who he had asked to hide in the hedge, stepped out.

"Who's she?" Suzy turned to him.

"She's Tamara, my friend." He turned to Tam. She had dressed in black jeans and jacket and was scowling at Suzy. "Tam, Suzy's my sister."

#

"What a small apartment!" Tamara, the one with the dirty-blond hair, levelled a look of disdain at Suzy's home. "The couch looks nice though." She plopped her size two ass on her new couch cushions.

Suzy turned to her brother who shot her a sheepish grin. "She's saved my life, Suze."

Suzy just gritted her teeth. She was bristling with fury. She got up and started pacing the room. Abruptly, she stopped and faced her brother. "And, pray tell, why did your life needed saving?"

He looked away and Suzy felt her nostrils flare. She took a deep breath, but unbidden tears sprang into her eyes. She realized that Tamara was staring at her and sniffed and blinked away her tears.

"Could you give us some privacy please?" She asked the other girl.

Tamara shrugged. "There isn't another room. Unless you want me to stay in the bathroom?"

Rob turned to her. "I want Tam here, if you don't mind. I trust her with my life."

She took a deep breath and turned to Rob. Stubborn, obstinate boy!

She turned away and stood at the window. She was beyond angry now.

"Well, I need to go wash." Tamara took the hint and walked into her bathroom. She heard a whispered conversation between her and Rob, but the bathroom door closed shut shortly.

Her brother came up behind her. "Well, that was rude. Why did you have to drive her away?"

She turned and fisted her hands. She wasn't going to hit him, she wasn't.

She was shaking with a mixture of anger and relief. "Robert Thomas Ford! What have you gotten yourself into this time? How could you still be with the Marauders? You promised me that you'd quit, you did!"

She couldn't help it. She landed fists on his chest. He was still thin, he hadn't filled out. Her little brother wasn't a grown man yet.

He grabbed her hands and pulled her in for a hug. Suzy let out a sob. "Oh, how could you? You'd promised me!"

"Hush. I'm not hurt. And I tried to quit the gang, but...well...it's not easy."

When she still went on sobbing, Rob buried her face in his jacket. It was the same leather jacket she had bought for him last year for Christmas. When he had promised her that he would quit clowning around and get a job.