"What level, garden variety or…"
"I want to know the brand of tweezers he uses to pluck his nose hair." Anubis wasn't playing games. If the man was the one Sky wanted in her life, he damn well better be a good guy. If not, Anubis would ensure he disappeared from his daughter's world-without a trace.
"Well alrighty, then. One nose-hair-level dossier coming up."
He heard her keyboard sing.
"Um… dude? This guy, he's up in Sacramento with you… right?"
A tingle of anticipation ran up Anubis' spine. "Yes."
"Are you sure you got his name right? There are three Trey Crosses in California, one is eighty-seven, one is in maximum security lock up at the Super Max facility in Lompoc, and one is seven years old."
"I have a license plate number." Anubis watched lights turn on at the other end of Sky's small house.
"Well, duh. That would help." Jewell's sarcastic reply made him chuckle. Bengal had his hands full with this one that was for sure. He popped off the license plate number and listened as she worked the keyboard.
"Okay, well first off his name is Arnold T. Cross. Let's just see what his middle name is… Oh, this is a gem. Arnold Treynor Cross. Goodness, no wonder he shortened his name."
Anubis shifted as he listened to Bengal's woman. He pushed against the small out building at the side of the yard adjacent to Sky's neighbor across the street. The view gave him unimpeded visual access to her front door. He'd locked the back door and activated a cheap, but effective, magnetic balance sensor on the outside frame. He'd also placed pressure sensors under all the windows of her home. Until he could obtain more advanced tech, old school at the back door would do. If someone was outside trying to get in, he'd know.
"Okay, I have a complete dossier in the works. How can I get this to you? I'm assuming you don't have a secure email out there?" She left the question hanging.
"No, but I'll need to have access to the information. In our section of the organization, we have dead drop email accounts."
"Of course. I can work that for you. Give me a couple hours and then call back. Wait… no, strike that, Zane's going to drag me out of here in about an hour. He's stupid crazy about only letting me work ten hours a day, but I'll have this for you first thing in the morning. Is that okay?"
"Perfect."
"Cool. Hey, while we're working together, what am I supposed to call you?"
He shook his head at Jewell's question. Yes, Bengal must have his hands full. "You don't. I-call-you. Good night." He disconnected the burner phone and pulled out the cheap sim card, snapping it in two. One piece flew toward the street, the other the top of the small structure he was using as cover.
Anubis leaned against the shed and continued to watch the world flow around him. Cars came and went. Dogs barked up and down the neighborhood. The few children who lingered out in the chilly September evening grumbled and complained when adult voices called them inside for the night. Ani glanced at his watch. According to the pattern set the previous nights he'd watched the small house, the light in Kadey's room should go out soon. He'd wait until the little one was asleep before he returned to talk with Sky.
Anubis ticked off the things on tomorrow's schedule. He would drive out to a private practitioner that Guardian had cleared and sanctioned to have his blood drawn and tested. He hadn't had a physical in the true meaning of the word in years, and there were some questionable needles used to patch himself up on occasion. Making sure he hadn't acquired something he could give to his daughter was essential. He'd need Sky to advise the doctors performing Kadey's operation that she'd found an Rh-null blood donor.
No, he couldn't think of them as his family. Anubis had no certainty he could live a life outside the shadows that Guardian cast. Even if he could turn his back on Guardian and walk away from the profession that had claimed him, Sky obviously didn't want him in her daughter's life. Six years ago, he'd allowed himself to forget "Anubis" for a short time, and while he healed physically, he'd allowed himself to fall in love. The result? He wounded a woman he'd never intended to hurt and fathered a baby girl that he now needed to protect. He would protect her, with his life if need be… but, in reality, the easiest way to protect her was to stay out of her life.
The moment he looked at the picture Bengal pushed across the table, he knew he'd do anything to protect his daughter. That pile of dark brown curls and the perfect Cupid's bow lips… yes, he could see the family resemblance. She looked just like her aunt and grandmother, two people, she'd never be able to meet. Anubis shook his head. The little angel looked like his sister Thea when she was that age. He'd been twelve when his little imp of a sister was born. Back then, she was an amazing little person that worshiped the ground he walked on, and he could deny her nothing.
Anubis watched the neighborhood settle into the evening and wondered what his daughter was like. He yearned to see her awake, listen to her talk, watch her expressions, see her laugh and smile. He needed to strangle those thoughts. Emotion couldn't seep into the equation. It would be best if he treated the entire situation as a mission. He knew the parameters of this event. His objective was to follow through, ensure Sky and the child were safe, healthy, and financially secure, and then walk away. This time it would be forever.
Anubis hoisted away from the building and after a long searching sweep of the area, moved out of the shadows. He crossed the street and went to the back door. The lock took only seconds to manipulate. He let himself in quietly. Walking silently through the laundry room and into the kitchen, he paused. Expecting silence, or perhaps the television, the sound of Sky's soft sniffs drew him toward the interior of the house. He carefully worked his way into the living room without making a sound.
She sat on the couch, hugging an old ragged teddy bear. Strain showed on her face and tears fell down her cheeks. Whatever sent her lover away earlier must be weighing heavily upon her. For the first time in one hell of a long time, Anubis wasn't sure what he should do or say. So, he said nothing. He allowed his boot to scrape the floor.
"It's real? You're here to help?" Sky looked up at him, her big brown eyes begging him to answer.
"I am here to help you. I'll take care of everything, including any hospital bills." Anubis glanced around the room. His eyes stopped at the framed pictures he'd noticed on the wall earlier in the day. They showed mother and daughter in front of a Christmas tree, Kadey with Santa, and portrait photos of them together, each one about a year apart if he'd have to guess.
Sky followed his eyes toward the hallway at the back of the house. "She's asleep."
"I know. I was looking at the pictures." Not one of the displayed photos had his bud Arnie Cross in them. Anubis filed that information away, pleased the man hadn't infiltrated the displayed memories.
"She's my world." Sky reached for a tissue and blew her nose.
"I didn't know you were pregnant." Anubis sat down across from her. A gentle pulse of warm air pushed across the room when the furnace kicked on.
"Would it have mattered if you had? I obviously wasn't enough to keep you from going."
"It wasn't you."
Sky let out a bark of laughter. "Oh, please, don't give me the old, 'it wasn't you, it was me', speech. I think I deserve some answers."
"Answers I probably cannot give you." Figuratively, his hands were bound, and he had a gag order in place. If he told Sky anything about his life, he'd not only endanger her and Kadey but the people who walked with him in the shadows.
"Did you always know you were going to leave?" Sky worried the seam on the side of the teddy bear with her fingers rather than look at him. He understood the need to know and yet not wanting to know.
"Yes. I was only in Fresno to recuperate, although I didn't expect to be called away so suddenly. I couldn't explain why I was leaving. I felt it was easier for you if I just disappeared."
&
nbsp; "Right, because every pregnant woman wants to wonder what she'd done to make the man she loved run away in the middle of the night." Sky gave a half-hearted laugh and threw the bear aside.
Anubis watched the bear, but his mind focused on her words. "You loved me?"
"I thought I did, once upon a time, but you messed that up." Sky pulled her legs up into the chair and wrapped her arms around them. She leaned forward placing her chin on her knees. The woman was beautiful, even when exhausted. Thick brown hair fell past her shoulders. She had large, beautiful brown eyes and a smile that could light up a room. Anubis hadn't seen that smile since he'd returned. "You'll come to the hospital with me tomorrow?"
"No. I have an appointment with a physician tomorrow to have my blood drawn and tested. I will have the results sent to Kadey's doctor."
"I'll get his name for you…"
"I have all the information I need to ensure the tests are sent. You should notify Dr. Erickson that you have found a donor and the test results will be forwarded to him tomorrow."
"How do you have that information? Wait, let me guess, your people?"
"Yes."
"They'll want to schedule the surgery soon." Sky bit her bottom lip before she spoke again. "Thank you for coming back. I don't think I said that before. You're giving her a chance to live."
"She's my daughter."
"No, she's Kaeden Lang's daughter, but from what I've discovered, Kaeden Lang doesn't exist."
"He does now, at least for a short while." They sat in silence, looking at each other as if the quiet could strip away the results of years of separation and secrecy. Whatever damage he'd done to their relationship, nothing could erase the memories of their days and nights together. Anubis kept them tucked away from everything and everyone. They were his and his alone, precious memories that sustained him in the darkest of nights.
"Will you answer some questions?" The quiet lilt of her voice floated across the room and returned him to the present.
"If I can." He would tell her what he could, which wouldn't be much.
"What government organization do you work for? Are you a spy?"
Anubis chuckled and shook his head. "Like James Bond? No, I'm not a spy. I work for a large security concern, and I perform my duties overseas, exclusively."
"Doing what?"
Sky's gaze leveled on him and he held the connection. "My job. I won't elaborate."
Sky dropped her gaze and whispered, "Is it dangerous?"
Anubis drew a deep breath and relaxed back into the recliner. "It's dangerous only if I make mistakes."
"Do you make many mistakes?"
"I've made one. Hence, the trip to Fresno to recuperate."
"Why did you act like there was a terrorist wielding a gun at my door when Trey knocked earlier?" Sky released the hold on her legs and leaned against the side of the chair. Her eyes were heavy with fatigue.
"I'm still getting used to being back. When I'm overseas, my job requires meticulous vigilance. Perhaps, I overreacted."
"You did." Her eyes dipped closed and then popped open, and she sagged further into the arm of the chair. Finally, Sky yawned and put her head down on the arm. "You've missed out on so many wonderful things. She's amazing, and she's my entire world."
Anubis nodded. He swallowed hard. Her words picked at the scar that covered the place where he stored his emotions. "What about your lover, where does he fit into your world?"
Sky chuckled sadly. "He doesn't. He wanted to spend the night tonight. God, I guess he was trying to be nice, but I don't have the emotional energy to explain to Kadey why he would be here in the morning. He got pissed, again, and stormed out." She closed her eyes again. Her lids fluttered but remained closed.
"How will you explain me to Kadey?"
"Hmmm… you're her daddy. Simple…" Sky's voice trailed off and her breathing tapered into a steady rhythm.
Anubis stared at the woman in front of him. She'd lost weight since he'd known her, probably from the stress she was living under. He stood silently and maneuvered around the coffee table stooping to pick up Sky.
Her eyes blinked open.
"Shhh… I'm just taking you to your bed. I'll watch over both of you."
"I can walk." The effect of her complaint lessened dramatically when her head fell against his shoulder.
Anubis tightened his hold slightly before carrying her to her room. A small lamp on the bedside illuminated the room. He laid her down and pulled an old quilt up from the foot of the queen-sized bed. Turning to switch off the light, he paused. A framed picture sat on the table. It was a stupid selfie taken when they were together. A mistake he never should have allowed. Her thick hair obscured his face almost completely as they wrestled for the phone. They were both laughing and happy. He had deleted the digital version of that photo and destroyed the chip that held it, but not the memory of the night. He'd allowed that one printed photo… and she'd kept it.
Anubis switched off the light and made his way into Kadey's room. He smiled at the furnishings. It looked like all the cartoon princesses of the world had combined in one location and exploded inside the room. It was vibrant and kind of hideous at the same time with countless shades of pink and all things sparkly. The canopy over the twin bed was festooned with ribbons and billowing pink fabric. He kneeled down beside the bed and watched his daughter sleep. Her long lashes fell against her cheeks, and her eyes twitched under her lids. Anubis dared to reach out and push a stray curl away from her cheek.
He moved away before he disturbed her slumber and made a circuit of the home, noting the areas of security he would enhance before he left. Anubis repositioned the chair he'd sat in earlier, moving his back to a corner, and ensuring his vision of both bedrooms remained unimpeded. Of all the surveillance operations he'd ever conducted, this one was the most important.
Chapter Four
Oh no! Sky woke with a start. Her heart slammed in her chest as she pushed the covers off her and bolted into Kadey's room. The bed covers were thrown back, the bed empty. Sky swiveled on a dime and yelled, "Kadey!"
"In the kitchen, momma!" Oh, thank God! Sky bolted through the small house and skidded to a stop at the kitchen doorway, taking in the sight before her. "We're making pancakes!" Kadey stood on her step stool holding a dripping spoon in the air. A huge white t-shirt draped over her pink pajamas, and a knot at the side kept her from stepping on the hem. Sky glanced from her daughter to Kaeden. The man winked at her and expertly guided Kadey's attention back to the big mixing bowl he was holding for her.
How did this happen and why isn't Kadey freaked out about Kaeden being here? "Ahh… when did you wake up, honey?" Sky moved into the kitchen, ping-ponging her eyes between her daughter and Kaeden.
Kadey shrugged and looked up at Kaeden.
"About twenty minutes ago?" Kaeden asked Kadey. The little girl smiled and nodded.
"And you're making pancakes…" She glanced at Kaeden. The man had the audacity to smile. Smile! She had a thousand questions, and he was standing there smiling at her!
"Yup." Kadey held the spoon with both hands and pulled it around in the batter. "See, Momma?"
"I do." I don't understand, but I do see you." She glanced up at Kaeden and mouthed over Kadey's downturned head. What did you do?
"Hey squirt, let me finish up with this. We have to put it on the griddle now anyway."
"Okay. Momma, can I watch Dora?"
"Yes, honey." Kadey got off the stool and skipped into the kitchen, the T-shirt waving behind her.
Sky spun on her heel. "What did you tell her?"
"That I was a friend of yours. That I was making you breakfast so you could sleep."
"And she didn't ask any questions?"
"Other than could she help make you breakfast? Nope. Children are remarkably trusting." Kaeden's look lingered on her face. He nodded almost as
if he was confirming some unspoken opinion. "You look better rested and just as beautiful as the day I met you."
Oh. Well… oh. Dang it! No… do not let him get to you again! Sky pushed her hair out of her face. No rat's nest that she could feel, but she probably looked horrible. Who cares? "Yeah, I doubt that I look anything like that girl. I haven't slept that long or that deeply in months. Thank you for that, too, by the way." Sky rubbed her temples and tried to pull herself together. Why in the hell was she worried about how she looked? This thing with Kaeden was over. Besides, she needed answers to questions and exhaustion was no longer an excuse to put off the discussion that needed to happen. "I didn't ask this last night, but do you want her to know… about you?"
"What does she already know?" Kaeden whisked the batter as he spoke.
"Only enough to satisfy her curiosity. I told her that her daddy loved her very much, but he couldn't come live with us because other people needed him and that he was a good man."And that I could have loved him with all my heart. Sky shrugged away the thought. It would never happen. He didn't do relationships. She was just a hook-up for him. It was something she'd learned to accept.
Kaeden looked at her with an intensity that, had she not known the man intimately, would have terrified her. Finally, he spoke, "If you think me being here and then leaving again will be too hard for her, then feel free not to tell her."
"Because you will be leaving again."
"Yes." He portioned the batter out, and the pancakes hit the griddle with a low hiss.
Sky poured a cup of coffee and sat down at the small table. "Part of me wants to spare her that pain of the inevitable separation, but she deserves to know her daddy cared for her enough to come back and save her." She saw Kaeden's shoulders stiffen. "You do care, don't you?" Sky had seen him last night; she'd recognized the way Kaeden looked at his daughter. She looked at Kadey that way, but maybe she was letting her emotions cloud her judgment. She knew Kaeden didn't have feelings for her, but Kadey was his child. There was no disputing that fact. Still, her own father didn't care if she existed… so…
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