Dunsky had to be describing Enlil.
“And Maity seems to like him.” Charlie had trouble holding the squirming one-year old, who definitely wanted to get down and go to Ishkur.
“Okay. That’s fine, but next time you might want to let me know so I don’t get the crap scared out of me.” She listened and nodded. “Yeah, Ken, and I love you. I’ll call you on Christmas day. Bye.”
Charlie ended her conversation and stood looking out at Ishkur for another moment before slipping through the screen door. “You’ve been approved,” she told him, “not just by my brother, but by this little imp.”
Ishkur looked at Maitlynn, who had just struggled down out of her mother’s arms and teetered on unsteady feet, deciding whether to walk or crawl to Ishkur. She didn’t look like any imp the god had ever encountered in hell, and he wondered why Charlie would call her by such an evil moniker? The baby was anything but.
Maity must have finally decided that walking seemed best, because her two chubby little legs pumped in Ishkur’s direction. Her blonde curls bounced and her blue eyes riveted to his knees. She made it to him without falling and grabbed his jeans with surprisingly strong fingers, then looked up at him and declared, “Da.” Much to his amusement.
Ishkur swept the toddler up into an arc above his head, and received more of her baby giggles before settling her crooked in one big arm against his chest.
“Well that answers the question of whether you know how to handle kids.” Charlie grinned at her obviously happy daughter who prodded at one of Ishkur’s dimples. “If she’s too much, I’ll take her back any time.”
“No need.” Ishkur felt as happy as he could remember being in a very long time. Nope. He wasn’t about to give up his many times great grand-daughter any time soon. “So. Where were you two headed?” he asked instead.
“I have a couple mornings off, and our routine for those two days is always the same. We make a trip to the park where Maity covers herself from head to toe and inside her diaper with sand. Then we stop at the grocery store before we come home.” Charlie’s smiled brilliantly. “This week I have three days off in a row because of Christmas. We’re going to like that, aren’t we, baby?” Charlie inched up close and wiggled her nose into Maity’s stomach, blending her blonde hair with her daughter’s, both of which cascaded over Ishkur’s arm. Her daughter shrieked uncontrollably. The vibration sent a pleasant rumble through Ishkur’s chest.
He had to blink back a rush of tears. His arms tightened a fraction of an inch. Warm humanity, fresh baby smells, and womanly perfume; he was overwhelmed with sensation. Up until this very minute, he truly believed he’d been one of the lucky gods who had adjusted to invisibility without a glitch, but this reminder of what he’d been missing nearly brought him to his knees. He coughed to cover his emotion.
“Park it is,” he stated with all the cheeriness he could muster. “Lead the way.”
Charlie turned left outside of the small chain link fence that surrounded the property and turned to question him. “How long have you known Ken?” she asked, clearly happy to have her arms free of wriggling baby.
“Not long,” Ishkur chose his words carefully. “Do you know your brother’s team well?”
“Absolutely.” She beamed. “I think they’ve adopted me and Maity as their favorite little sisters.” She rolled her eyes. “Very over protective, the whole bunch.” She looked up at Ishkur and gave a see-what-I-mean nod, indicating his presence as evidence.
“As well they should be.” Ishkur happily understood her familiarity with the agents and that they rallied around their own. He gave Charlie a truncated version of his association with the DEA.
“My group met Candy first,” Ishkur informed. “She was on assignment in Maine, which eventually led her to us. She wormed her way into our affections and we ended up working on a case together.”
He wouldn’t go into detail about the evil goddess they’d had to take down or the queen of the Underworld they’d saved.
“When Candy ran into some trouble that put her off the DEA grid, and didn’t check in with Jake at an appointed time, her team―including your brother―mobilized eastward and descended on our home in the Blue Hills. After a little chest thumping back and forth, we decided that combining forces might benefit us all. In order to mix things up, your brother stayed with my group, and a couple of us made the trip here as a tentative swap. It seems to be working out fine.”
“I hope I’m not keeping you from anything important then?” Charlie turned her large brown eyes up toward him questioningly.
“No. Not at all,” Ishkur demurred. “I haven’t been given any assignment yet.” He couldn’t let on he wasn’t capable of being involved any time soon. Invisibility made it difficult to interact with the other agents. Time enough for those explanations when―and if―she came back to the Blue Hills.
“Here we are.” Charlie turned into a small treed area that held a few benches, a swing set, and the sandbox that Maity suddenly attempted to throw herself into despite her lofty position in Ishkur’s arms. He held her back easily.
“Just wait, little one,” he soothed, making quick strides toward her goal. It was still early, and no other children vied for position in the sand. It was safe to put her down in the middle of the big box. Charlie, moving in behind him, dug into the large bag she had slung over one shoulder and came up with a small plastic shovel. Maity snatched it instantly and the two adults were summarily dismissed, relegated to unheeded background. They took a seat on the closest bench.
“So tell me what you do for work, Charlie?” Ishkur asked curiously. She presented a small figure. Not as petite as the Abelard twins, Tess and Holly, but there was a frailty to her that those goddesses never exhibited. He had the tiny woman pegged for office work.
“I’m a line cook at a diner.” She tilted her head to the sun and absorbed the rays.
Ishkur gaped, surprised. Wasn’t that a fast-paced, demanding occupation? No wonder she looked a little emaciated. Displeasure had him frowning.
“We’re only open for breakfast and lunch. It’s a busy place, but it allows me to have my afternoons and evenings free for Maity.”
Ishkur huffed that she had to juggle work and motherhood.
“Hey. I’m not mooching off Ken.” She must have misinterpreted his irritation. “I make a decent wage.” Charlie assured him haughtily. Then why did she look guilty? Without any verbal nudge, she continued.
“Okay. So, I feel a little moochy.” She wrinkled her nose. “My ex, Hal―up until I moved in with Ken―managed to siphon off any money I made. That’s how I ended up at Ken’s,” she continued. “But I’m glad. Now that I’m under Ken’s wing and protected, my asshole ex can’t get hold of my paychecks.”
A scowl marred her smooth features. “Which doesn’t mean he’s stopped trying,” she admitted. “I constantly have to fend him off when he confronts me at the end of shift on paydays, but my coworkers know what’s going on, and whenever possible, one or another of the guys―nice married types who are very protective―walk me home.” Her eyes fixed on Maity in the sandbox.
“Now I haven’t seen Hal in several weeks. That’s why I’m surprised he called and asked to see Maity on Christmas Eve.”
Ishkur remained silent and patient as a myriad of emotions slid over her face.
“Sorry,” she said, finally noticing the conversation had lapsed. “You must think I’m overreacting, but I’m not happy about seeing him tomorrow night.”
“Which is the reason I’m here.” Ishkur let her know. “Dunsk—Ken wants me to accompany you and make sure everything goes well.”
Charlie looked relieved. “That makes me feel better.” She put out a hand and touched Ishkur’s arm. “Thanks.”
Ishkur covered her small fingers with his own large ones, and every protective instinct in his body roared to life.
He forced himself to focus on Maitlynn again, afraid he would confess everything about himself, gods, Chosen, and h
is long dead wife and daughter. Wouldn’t that just fuck with her head.
No. What Ishkur wanted was to take Charlie away from here, away from the fear of her ex-husband, and from a job that―along with caring for a young child―clearly wore her down. Ishkur experienced a deep-seated need to take care of Charlie and bring her back to the compound where she and Maity would be loved and cherished. Not such a foolish wish. Suddenly, Ishkur had an idea.
“Would it be possible for you to get a few extra days off from work?” he asked his descendant, trying to keep the excitement out of his voice.
Charlie crinkled her nose. “I suppose I could ask,” she told him in a puzzled tone. “Any particular reason?”
“What would you say about a trip to Boston to visit your brother?” Ishkur enthused. “I could book us a flight early on Christmas day. That way you can keep your promise to your ex-husband and see him on Christmas Eve, but still have something to look forward to.” He turned, trying not to appear too hopeful or insistent.
Her face brightened, then fell. “I haven’t got those kind of funds…” Charlie shook her head, looking mildly embarrassed.
“It’s not a problem,” Ishkur broke in and assured her. “I’ll take care of everything. It will be a great surprise for your brother.” Not to mention mine, Ishkur snorted, wondering which one of them would turn visible for Christmas, but suddenly his big idea for the grand plans came to a screeching halt.
He had no phone to make a call. He had no identification to board a plane. Hell, he had no money on him or credit cards to book tickets. Having just turned visible, he was about as prepared as Maity to launch himself out into the real world.
Okay. Shit. Not to panic. He knew what he had to do. He needed to contact Shamash and “out” himself to the god of logic if he hoped to pull this off. But knowing Shamash, he’d be cool and keep Ishkur’s secret.
Charlie, unaware of Ishkur’s inner turmoil, turned to thank him. “You know, I haven’t had a vacation in several years, and I’ve never been to the East Coast.” She smiled and Ishkur noticed a dimple in her cheek that nearly mimicked his. “Thank you for this and― Hey.” Her eyebrows shot up. “I don’t even know your name.” She chortled, overcome with mirth. “I’m trusting you with our care, I’m about to go across the country with you, and I don’t even know what to call you.” She waited expectantly.
“My name is Ishkur.” He stuck his hand out in Charlie’s direction.
She took it and looked him over with care. What did she see, he wondered? His short, neatly trimmed dark hair, peppered liberally with a vibrant steel gray might pronounce him as ex-military with its preciseness. Would that be belied by the permanent five o-clock shadow that covered the lower part of his face? The two might appear incongruous.
What would she think of the twin indentations of prominent dimples in his cheeks that mimicked her own? And would she feel safe and trusting with what she saw?
Her wandering gaze stopped. It latched onto his tattoo, the top of which poked out just visible above his collar bone, under the neck of his T-shirt. “What does your tattoo say,” she asked, then clapped her hand over her mouth, perhaps thinking better of being intrusive. “I’m sorry. That was nosy of me,” she backtracked.
“No. I don’t mind.” He placed his hand over the tattoo he hadn’t seen in years. Being invisible, mirrors had been useless. But without a reflection and without a recent visual, he still knew exactly what it looked like. “It’s my daughter’s name,” he said with reverence.
“Oh. You have a daughter?” Charlie beamed. “Is she back in the Blue Hills?” Too late she caught the far-off look in Ishkur’s eyes, and her face fell.
“She passed on,” he told her, his eyes misting again.
“I’m really sorry.” Charlie looked devastated that she’d asked.
“No. It’s fine.” He comforted her. “It happened a long time ago,” he murmured. “A very long time ago.”
He worked the collar of his shirt down to let her have a look at his ink. The single word had been done in an elegant script, black with no further embellishments. Pearl, it said.
A strange look passed over Charlie’s face and she shivered.
“My middle name is Pearl,” she whispered, “and so is Maity’s.” She blinked earnestly up at him. “My mother’s as well. It’s a family tradition as far back as anyone can remember. All of the women in our family have had Pearl either as a first or a middle name.”
Now there was no mistaking the emotion Ishkur had tried to hold back. Moisture swamped his eyes and he couldn’t help himself. He put his arms around Charlie and weeping, swept her up into a deep and shuddering embrace.
“Are you okay? Ishkur?” she said, after several minutes crushed against his breastbone.
“Yeah. It just makes me remember.” He stepped back and wiped his eyes, smiling. “I’m fine now, Charlie.” His voice wavered with a new-found joy. “As a matter of fact, I’m more than fine.” He wouldn’t be able to explain it to her, but he’d found delight in life again. He extended his hand and gave her arm a heartfelt squeeze.
Ishkur couldn’t wait to explain everything to Charlie. Then he could welcome a part of himself, a part of the long-ago wife he’d loved, and a part of his darling Pearl, back into his life.
He needed to reach out to Shamash and soon.
Chapter Sixteen
“Another afternoon off?” Enlil teased the group of agents, who closed up shop early. It was only three o’clock, but the entire bunch had stayed late the previous night doing paperwork following the festival busts.
Candy and Enlil had been tired and hungry after yesterday’s marathon of red tape. They’d gone back to her apartment and ordered Chinese. Candy had been uncustomarily quiet for the balance of the night. They’d watched funny cop movies, one with Eddie Murphy that had Enlil in stitches, but not once had she cracked a smile.
Eventually she’d headed listlessly into her room and closed the door behind her with a decisive click, letting him know that company was out of the question. Enlil had crashed on the floor mattress, totally pissed off.
He had tossed and turned for many hours, thinking about Candy. He was tired of her attitude. He needed to identify her problem, attack it, and consummate their relationship. When he got back from spending Christmas Eve and Christmas with his god family, virgin or no virgin, Candy wouldn’t have another minute to ponder things. He needed to find out if she was his Chosen, and if fucking her would be the only way to accomplish it, then the deed would be done. He’d bring the collar back with him and he wouldn’t brandish an enormous bull cock, but that was as far as he would bend. Let her try being incorporeal for more than three hundred years and see how patient she’d be.
Enlil got a shitty night’s sleep.
****
“Let’s go shoot some hoops,” JP suggested at the office the next day, breaking through Enlil’s midafternoon haze. “We haven’t seen Tiny in a few months. We should go wish him a merry Christmas.”
“Tiny?” Enlil questioned. Laughter erupted from every corner. Jake explained.
“He was my first partner when I came into the agency twenty years ago. I started out, a tender twenty-three to his forty. He kicked my ass and taught me everything I needed to know, including how to survive.” Jake looked over the team in the room. “Most of these fuck-up’s came to me through him.” Nobody looked annoyed at Jake’s less-than-flattering terminology.
“Unfortunately, Tiny got put out on early disability after getting plugged in the knee cap from a bust gone bad. But true to his nature, he refused to disappear off the radar. Hell, no. Not him. He opened a youth club down on South Central and recruited new blood from there.” He looked around with a grin. “Every misfit kid, every hard-luck smart ass, all fucking genius agents in the making according to Tiny. And once they passed muster with him, he sent them to me.” Jake’s gaze turned to Flick, Z, and Cub, then finally to Candy, which surprised Enlil. He hadn’t asked how she’d come to th
e DEA.
“I vetted every kid he threw at me, keeping the ones I deemed worthy. Tiny trusted me to do the dirty work of separating the motivated from the lazy.
“The good ones got financial help from him and a bunch of other retired agents he constantly tapped. Bills were taken care of, and Tiny’s recruits were sent off to school to earn their degrees.
“It was tough. Old friends and old habits, even for teenagers, die hard. About eighty percent of the ones we figured would make it, eventually dropped out and jumped back to the streets. The rest,” Jake became full of smiles now, “had jobs waiting for them when they finished. Most of those lucky bastards got stuck with me once they emerged, still wet behind the ears. I worked them hard to make them who they are today.”
“Yeah,” Cub sent back good-naturedly. “You said it. We’re your fucking slaves.”
Enlil got the picture and gave Candy even more credit than before. She really had picked herself up from a life that might have ended badly. He couldn’t wait to meet this guy, Tiny, who had given her and the other guys, such an opportunity.
They jumped in cars and made the quick trip. As they pushed in the doors of the somewhat sad looking building, Enlil looked for the man named Tiny. He’d assumed that Tiny would be an apt description, and pictured a small man in his sixties, bent over with bad knees, tough talking and gruff. Turns out, he had everything wrong.
Tiny towered over him, a smiling giant of a man. Enlil rarely had to look up to anyone at his own six foot three, but Tiny proved the exception. And the dude sported eyes that delved right into one’s core. Enlil wondered if every sin he’d ever committed zipped through Tiny’s brain.
Enlil wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d gotten god vibes off the guy, but he didn’t. Tiny was just one big-ass, extraordinary mortal.
“You’re here with Candy.” The man’s voice flowed over Enlil like butter. How did Tiny come to that conclusion? The ex-agent must be an expert at reading body language.
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