Della shook her head and she looked a bit panicked again.“Jack, I know you were like my big brother growing up and I’m sorry that I don’t trust you.But I’ve been out here on my own since I was a teen.It’s better that I move on.Again.I mean, you don’t know what he’s like.He’s a horrible person now, I don’t even know him anymore.”She paused then studied him for a bit.“I do think you are the same guy though.I’m so relieved!”
He smiled at her.Yet, he knew he wasn’t the same guy inside.The things he and his group had endured in war had changed them all.He wouldn’t say anything about that right now though.This poor girl was frightened enough and from her own brother no less.It was still hard to fathom that Jesse had gone to the dark side entirely.He had felt that same thing approaching him when he lived there.He had to get away from it.If he had stayed, he would have become a monster too.“All I knew around that time was I had to get out of that damn town or it was gonna swallow me whole.The service was the only thing I could think of that would do help me escape.I tried to talk Jesse into coming with me.I told him that we could go together.It would give us jobs and skills, but he couldn’t take that step away and I guess he let the city swallow him.”
Della nodded her head.“Yeah, I guess he did.He changed overnight too.One day, he was best friends with you and the next day after you were gone, his whole personality changed.I had never felt afraid of him before.Mom tried to talk to him but he refused to talk to either of us.Della’s eyes filled with tears.“T-then...Mom was knifed just outside of the grocery store where she worked.”
Stunned by this news, Snake sucked in a breath.“Lettie—is dead?”
Nodding, Della looked away as she swiped at an errant tear.“I found out later that she had tracked the leader of the Red Devils down and told him to leave her family alone.”She now looked back over at Snake.“T-they killed her, Jack!They murdered her.He refused to listen to me when I tried to tell him.I’d hoped that he would see how evil they were.But he was unreachable.He got lost in all the muck and mud, he gave his soul to the Red Devils and they twisted it to their own values.It wasn’t pretty either.The last time I saw my brother I looked him in the eyes and I saw nothing there.His eyes were cold and black.I found no emotion at all in his eyes.Oh sure, his body was buff and his mind was sharp but it was focused with all the wrong thoughts.I knew then I’d lost the brother I grew up with and the shell of the man standing there wasn’t my brother anymore.”
Snake reached out and brushed a strand of hair away from her face.“I won’t let him hurt you, Della.I won’t let anyone hurt you again.”
Della shook her head.“You are just one man, Jack.You can’t stop them all.”
Snake smiled.“I’m not just one man anymore darlin, I’m part of something much bigger than just one man.My brothers will stand with us and I have contacts you don’t know about.”
Della frowned at his words.“What are you talking about, Jack?I mean you aren’t with a gang are you?”She looked around.“I didn’t think this town had any.”
Snake just smiled.“No...”He laughed.“Not a gang.But you aren’t running, it’s time that you were able to have a home and not be run out of it.And if they come here looking for you, they’ll find out that they can’t have you.I promise you that.”
Looking doubtful, Della shook her head.“I think I’d rather run.You have no idea what kind of monster Jesse has become.He’ll just come in shooting and he won’t care who he hits.Neither will his gang.They will just come in and step over the bodies to gather whatever you got that they can take for themselves.”
Snake shook his head.“I’d like to see them try.I really would.But don’t you worry, they won’t even reach the front door.Me and my brothers can and will protect you.”
Della shook her head.“But at what cost, Jack?I can see that you are a decent person now.The world still needs men like you but no one would miss a girl like me.And while I’m not ready to die yet, I won’t let the monster of my brother hurt you or your brothers.Please don’t ask me to do that.”
Snake caught his breath at her words and something in his heart cracked.Something nudged at him from a long time ago, something he didn’t dare acknowledge.As he was getting on that bus he felt a loss so profound that it almost stopped him in his tracks.He had feelings for Della but that went against everything.She was only sixteen and it would have destroyed his friendship with Jesse.So, he mostly ignored it as it was truly forbidden at the time.
He couldn’t break the bro code he and Jesse had so noticing Jesse’s sister would never do but he’d already been interested in her.Now though, he just needed to make sure she would be safe.“Come on, let’s go home.You are no longer alone.You got me and I’m not going anywhere without you.”
Della stared at him for a long moment before she raised her trembling hand and placed it into his.She sighed hard then whispered, “I’m tired of running and hiding but I didn’t have a choice.I wasn’t going to be used and abused for Jesse.”
“That won’t happen.You can stay right here.”
Della nodded and stepped closer.“Ok, but it might just be easier to leave and start over somewhere else, you know?”
Snake shook his head.“No, it wouldn’t.I don’t run from problems and I don’t want you to do that either.If we face him, we’ll face him together with my brothers at our back.”He shrugged.“It’s what we do anyway.We all have helped each other.Just wait until you hear all those stories.”
They began walking along the deserted street then Jack looked down at her and asked, “Were you done with work tonight?”
Della nodded.“I had already locked the door and I was taking out the trash.Then I usually walk home as I don’t have a car.They have been good to me at the diner.I’ve been there for three months now.”
“Anyone waiting for you at home?”he asked, hoping it would be a flat no.
Della nodded.“He’s been good to me too.I owe him a lot.”
Snake felt like her words were hitting him like a sledgehammer.He had hoped...Well, he would still help her.She meant a lot to him.
