Page 47 of Jacob Michaels Is Not Jacob Michaels

More snarls sounded, but they were silenced quickly by a glare from Oma. She turned her head slowly, looking at all of the men in turn, her eyes finally returning to center, to focus on Jason.

“You got a dick in your ear, son,” Oma said calmly, her hand going back to her hip. “Andrew got hit because he tried to attack Rob. Rob wasn’t the one who hurt him. Then y’all came up on my property in the middle of the goddamn night to try to get revenge on the wrong person, and that person defended themselves. Seems to me you should be kickin’ each other’s asses for being so goddamn dumb. ‘Course, y’all wasn’t exactly the top of your class, so I don’t expect you to be very damn smart now.”

Jason just glowered at Oma.

“Tell me,” Oma continued, “why was…Katie…still burned all to hell the next mornin’? She shoulda been fine once she had a few hours. But she came up in my yard lookin’ like someone melted half her body like a candle.”

“She was one of our young ones.”

“Young?” My head whipped to Oma.

“He just means new,” Oma spoke out of the corner of her mouth. “She wasn’t no damn child.”

“She wasn’t an old woman who was ready for death, either!” Jason bellowed.

More snarls.

Lucas and I fidgeted as the men all glowered up at us, their eyes really glowing, even in the light provided by the porch, their teeth gnashing.

Oma started to cackle.

Slowly, the snarling and teeth gnashing tapered off and all of the men were looking at Oma again, unsure of themselves.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you just threatened me, Jason.” Oma actually bent down to slap her knee. “And that is just too damn precious for words. I done told you that if you boys showed up on my property again that I wouldn’t be happy with you and now here you are testin’ my patience. Your balls are bigger than your brains. Though I’m sure both are tiny.”

Jason Morris looked around, fidgeting slightly as he looked at his comrades. The way that they were twitching, I wasn’t so sure that they were loyal enough to have his back against Oma. Though, I wasn’t sure exactly why that was. I had never seen anything besides Oma’s shotgun and her tongue that did much damage.

“Now,” Oma shook her head with a sigh, “the way I see it, you feel you’re owed something over Andrew’s little boo-boo’s even though he ain’t in with y’all—again, he will be hearing from me, so you let him know that—and you’re owed something over Katie’s death. Even though both was their own damn faults. Am I right?”

“That’s about the size of it.” Jason nodded, trying to look menacing, but failing spectacularly as he stared up at my elderly, small grandmother.

“Mm.” Oma snorted. “Well, I know where you live. We’ll be sure you get money to pay for Katie’s funeral. Make sure she’s buried proper-like and has a decent headstone. So her family—if any still claim her—ain’t put out with anything more than grief. You’ll need to make up a story to Sheriff Dennard, so he knows who he’s got in the morgue.”

“Oma…”

“Shut up.” She snapped at me out of the corner of her mouth.

“What about Andrew?” Jason snarled.

His cohorts didn’t do anything but look up at Oma.

“He ain’t one of yours.” Oma shrugged. “If he feels he’s owed something for getting banged up by someone defending themselves, he knows where to find me. But I guarantee you he won’t come looking for compensation. So, that settle your hash, Jason Morris?”

Jason stood at the base of the steps, looking up at Oma, the wheels creaking in his head. Finally, he nodded.

“I need to hear you say it out loud in front of your pack here, Jason.” Oma grinned. “Let’s hear ya’ say, ‘Yes, Mrs. Wagner. That will settle us up.’ Can you be a good boy and do that for me?”

Jason glowered at her, but he still followed directions.

“That will settle us up, Mrs. Wagner.”

“Good.” Oma’s hands fell from her hips.

“Now, Robbie, say you’re sorry for giving Katie what she deserved.” Oma turned her head to me with a shit-eating grin.

“You just hold on!” Jason jabbed a finger up at Oma, which was not all that threatening considering how docile he became just from her chewing him out. “What about Darrell? Your damn grandson set him on fire back at the stadium!”

Oma turned back to Jason with a roll of his eyes.