Free The Collector Book One: Mana Leak by Daniel I Russell Page A

a twenty pound note from within.
    “Nice purse, girly man,” said Smithy, deadpan.
    “Erm…it’s not a purse,” Adam replied. “It’s a wallet.”
    “Bollocks it’s a wallet. It’s a fucking purse. My grandmother has one exactly the same.”
    Adam froze and looked over at Jake.
    “In fact,” Smithy continued, looking at his watch, “she should be back from the bingo by now.”
    Adam swallowed. “Jake? I think we might have-”
    “Shut up, Adam.” Jake snatched the note and passed it to Smithy. “There you are. Pleasure doing business with you. Right, we’re off now…”
    “You seem a little eager to go all of a sudden,” said Smithy. “What’s the hurry, guys?”

5.
    “I can’t believe you told him that, Jake.”
    “Look, we had to get out of there. Imagine if the police came walkin’ in with old Granny Smith!”
    “What? An apple?”
    Jake sighed.
    “Not the apple, you dumb fuck! Smithy’s grandmother! You know, the one that we kinda mugged? They’d have turned up eventually, so we needed to get out there quick. Smithy asked what the hurry was…”
    “But you could have said something different! You could have said…I dunno…maybe that we had to go home for Mum.”
    “Look, Ad, I panicked. I was put on the spot. You were stood there with that porno mag and it was the only thing I could think of!”
    “You know, if you weren’t my brother, I’d fuckin’ kill you for what you said!”
    “Look on the bright side, bro. He let you keep the porno mag. Here…”
    Jake reached into his long coat and pulled out the glossy magazine, which Adam took with some enthusiasm.
    “Yeah, I suppose. Let’s get this inside quick and sample the purchase, shall we?”
    Jake agreed and held open the door to the garage at the back of the Dean house. The wind had grown stronger still, and the first drops of rain fell on the boys. No stars emerged through the thick formation of cloud in the dark sky. Jake paused, hearing the possible rumble of approaching thunder.
    Adam pulled the bike by the handlebars and wheeled it inside. He propped it up in its usual spot just inside the garage.
    “You two! Wait right there.”
    The twins turned from the sound of the shrill voice and shared a small groan as their mother came trotting out of the house. She wore a faded blue dressing gown wrapped tightly around her, and worn out furry slippers that slapped the paving stones of the yard. Her hair had been crudely tied back. She fidgeted with the ring hanging from her necklace, which she usually did in times of stress.
    “You two, in here, right now.”
    Adam snorted. “Why?”
    “Because I want to talk to you, that’s why.”
    “What about?” chipped in Jake.
    “Look, it’s too late and too cold to stand arguing out here. Come in the house.” She turned to head back in the kitchen but stopped and wheeled round. The boys inched towards the open door of the garage.
    “Either you come in here, or I’ll go in there after you. It’s your choice.” She rubbed the ring again and vanished back into the house.
    Adam cast his brother a worried look.
    “She can’t,” he said.
    Jake agreed. Their mother couldn’t go into the garage, not with some of the items lying around. Besides, it was theirs, the only place they escaped from their nagging, overbearing mother.
    “Come on,” said Jake, heading towards the back door of the house. He bowed his head against the wind that threw raindrops against his face.
    Adam followed close behind. “Wonder what she wants this time?”
    They found Jenny in front of the fireplace in the lounge. The room hadn’t been cleaned up, which was a bad sign. When their mother let things slip in the house, she was either very angry, very upset or both. The brothers collapsed in front of her onto the messy sofa.
    “Thank you,” said Jenny, a hint of sarcasm creeping into her voice. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
    Jake grunted while Adam watched the television.
    Jenny reached over