Little Fury: Book 1 of The deadly Little Thing Trilogy
Little Fury: Chapter 10

Marcus’s 12th birthday is a month after mine. We had a big pool party planned for tomorrow with all the kids from school. Everything was ready for the next day. We were sitting down for dinner with Beth and Harry, talking about the party; Marcus was excited. He wouldn’t stop talking.

I overheard Beth and Harry talking one night about Marcus’s changes. He seemed so happy now, like a kid. When he arrived here, he was a very sad 7-year-old boy. Beth said he was broken when he got here, and now he smiled, laughed, and loved.

Yes, I eavesdrop. I’m curious by nature.

Just as we finished clearing the dishes, we saw headlights coming up the road to the ranch. It was more than one vehicle, and Harry was instantly out of his chair and heading to the door. It’s easy for me to forget sometimes that Harry isn’t just a father figure. Underneath his funny, larger-than-life Scottish personality is a very smart and calculating man who could kill you just as quickly as he could laugh with you.

In the five years, Marcus and I spent here, the ranch did its best to shield us from the more brutal aspects of what people came here to learn. It was an unwritten rule among the people who lived and worked here and the guests who stayed that when it came to Marcus and me, you made sure to keep yourself under control.

Only once did we see the other side of Harry. About a year and a half ago, a guest didn’t follow the rule that no guns should be allowed outside designated areas. No, instead, the gentleman thought it would be okay to threaten Parker over him, beating him in a game of cards the night before.

Harry was walking to the main house when he saw the altercation and was on the man so fast. If we hadn’t seen it, I don’t think either of us would have believed it if the other had told us about it.

Harry knocked the man to the ground with one kick to the knee. The guy screamed in pain and went down hard. He tried to get the gun on whoever had attacked him, but Harry was faster. Knew what the guy was going to do before he even did it. Harry grabbed the guy by the wrist with one hand, getting the gun away from him with the other, all while the dude was still trying to figure out who the hell attacked him. Harry turned the gun on him as he straddled the man’s chest, pinning one arm under his knee.

“Whoa whoa whoa whoa,” the man frantically yelled at Harry. “I meant no harm! I wouldn’t have shot him. I swear, I just wanted him to know he can’t cheat me and get away with it,” the man confessed to Harry in a panicked voice.

Without removing the gun from the man’s forehead, “Don’t move.” Harry ordered the man as he looked up at Parker.

“Boss, we were playing cards; I won,” Parker tells him like it’s just any other Monday. “I don’t cheat. I’m just smarter than him, and the asshole has a really big fucking tell. He thinks running his tongue along the inside of his cheek is somehow less noticeable than smirking.” Parker looks at the guy under Harry, “Dude, it isn’t.” Parker turns his eyes away from the man under Harry.

“Well, then,” Harry says, returning his focus to the man he has under him. “It looks like we need to reteach Mr. Hudson here the rules by which I run this place.”

By this time, more people had come over to the commotion. Marcus and I were over by the arcade watching the whole thing happen. Wes, one of the guys who works for Harry, saw us and made Harry aware that we were watching.

“Take Mr. Hudson to the gym. I’ll be there shortly.” Harry starts towards us, tossing the gun at Parker as he walks by.

“Kids,” Harry drawls at us as he approaches. “You two better close your mouths before you catch flies in them. Questions?”

“Not so much questions as observations,” I say to Harry, cocking my head to the side as I study the big man in front of me. “First off, WOW! That was very cool for an old person.” Harry raises a red eyebrow at me. “Second, no one here is stupid enough to play cards with Parker. He always wins, so the guys don’t even let him play Go Fish with them.” Marcus stifles a laugh. “Third, Harry, we are almost 11. We have eyes and have lived here for four years. We’ve seen a lot of shit.”

“Don’t swear, Little Ava, Bethy doesn’t like it,” Harry tells me.

“Well, Beth is in town picking up groceries, so she didn’t hear it, so it never happened. And fourth, Harry, while we may not talk about it, Marcus and I both know why and what we were sent here to learn. So, some asshole pulling a gun, especially on Parker, barely even registers. What did grab our attention was you! Dude! You’re old! And that was badass!”

That memory makes me smile it was the first time we saw that side of Harry.

Harry grabs a gun from the drawer in the table by the door and heads up towards the main house. A group of guys join him as they wait for the vehicles to make it all the way to the house.

We could hear car doors slam and hear voices but had no idea what was happening. About 5 minutes after Harry left, Parker knocks and walks in. “Hey Beth, Hey Ava. Marcus, I need you to come with me to the main house bud.” Parker tells him.

“I’ll come with him,” I say, but Parker shakes his head.

“Sorry. I was told very clearly by Harry, Marcus only,” Parker says, looking right at me. “You and Beth are to go to the arcade. That’s what Harry wants. Come on, Marcus. We shouldn’t keep him waiting.”

I see Marcus stiffen at the mention of him. He looks over his shoulder at me and gives me a wink. I shake my head and give him the finger. It’s a practised goodbye between us. One winks, and the other flips the bird. They leave, and I look at Beth. “It’s his father, isn’t it?”

“Probably Ava,” she answers me. “Come on, we should get to the arcade. We can see and hear what’s going on from there. Parker finished wiring the entire property with cameras, and some places have sound.”

We head out the back door and make our way over to the arcade. We head through to the back and up the stairs. I walk over to the computer that controls the feeds, type in a few commands, and instantly, we can see the cameras up at the main house. And sure enough—there he is.

Enzo Rossi.

He hasn’t seen his son since the day five years ago when he left his son here.

Marcus and I told each other a couple of years ago why we were here. Marcus’s mom had died, and his dad wanted to marry another woman. But that woman wanted nothing to do with Marcus and told his father to get rid of him. So, Enzo sent him here. Gave Harry no choice. He pays for him to be here, and Harry wasn’t about to turn his back on a kid in need.

I’ve never met the man, but I really do fucking hate him. Marcus and I have slowly been learning the ins and outs of what his father does. Over the last five years, we weren’t taught per-say, it was more like osmosis. We absorbed the information from around us. Parker was the only one here who could teach us things. But I have a feeling that is all about to change. We turn the sound up so we can hear the conversation.

“What brings you here, Enzo?” He doesn’t even try to hide his disgust with the man.

“What the fuck have you been doing with him all this time? I expected him to be more than this!” Enzo yells as he gestures to his silent son.

Marcus is gangly. All limbs and sinew. He’s handsome and you know that he will only grow into his looks as he gets older. He has the most intense green eyes, his blonde hair is long, but he doesn’t care; just pushes it out of the way. He has a straight nose, high cheekbones and an air about him that makes it seem like he is looking down his nose at you. On a kid, it’s not the best look, and it’s gotten him into a few fights over the years, but as he gets older, you can see the authority of the role he was born into, rising closer to the surface.

“Listen very carefully to me, Enzo.” Harry says in a muffled voice, his Scottish brogue in full force, “Ye dae nae come intae my house and start yelling for any reason. Dae I make myself clear? This is ma ranch, ‘n’ here my word is the only fuckin word” Harry pauses to take a breath getting the Scottish in him under control.

“I seem tae remember some pathetic asshole telling anyone who would listen that someone takes him or ye will put a fucking bullet in his head. I also remember informing that asshole about how I trained or when I started the training th’ bairn was at my discretion. His parental rights were null n’ void. Dae ye think the asshole remembers that part o’ th’arrangement?” Harry pauses, calming himself down, staring at him. “So, I will ask you again. Why the fuck are you here?”

Enzo realizes quickly he is not in charge here. He’s in Harry’s world and here Harry is God. “I came to see my kid and bring him home for his birthday weekend.” Saying it like the Scotsman is an idiot for making him explain himself. Parker steps forward and whispers into Harry’s ear.

“Or maybe,” his temper finally reigned back in. “Mila’s family has arrived in New York and wants to meet her son. I’m assuming you didn’t tell them five years ago that you would put a bullet in his head if no one would take him. And that has always confused me. Why didn’t you just give him to Mila’s family?” Harry asks him.

Mr. Rossi says nothing, so he continues. “I would bet it’s because you worried if they knew you were threatening to kill Mila’s son, they would at the very least strip you of any standing in their family and take the boy and the money he has from Mila. Or, and I do think it’s this reason more than the other—they kill you for being such a shit father. Take the boy and the money and never give you another thought,”. Harry says with a smirk.

“I’m surprised it took five years for someone to finally rat you out and tell them they should check on Mila’s only child. I do wish the families here had better relations with Mila’s family there. But I guess even sometimes the sun shines on shit.”

Marcus steps forward. “It’s okay, Harry. I’ll go.” He tells him, not bothering to look at his father.

“You don’t need tae go wit this twat.”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind. So, take a breath; your Scottish is showing.” I laugh lightly hearing the taunt we are so fond of using on Harry.