Page 154 of Death is Familiar

A choke emanated from the back of his throat. The wall of muscle trembled. “So, you’re saying…”

“We’re going to…” My mouth quivered. “You’re going to…” I couldn’t finish.

“…have a baby?” Disbelief and reverence radiated from Jack. The moment more tender, more all-consuming, than I could have hoped.

Slipping my arms up through the circle of Jack’s embrace, I sheltered my face with my hands and nodded.

“Really?” Jack’s words were a whisper against my skin. I just kept nodding, not daring to look at anything beyond the darkness of my closed lids. “Delilah, this is… thank you. I—” Jack repositioned himself, cupping my head, holding me close, his lips at my temple. “This is the greatest gift I’ve ever received. Our child won’t want for anything. I promise you.”

“Easy for you to say,” I choked.

“I’ll prove it to you.” He hummed against my skin. “I’ll do right by you. Our child. I swear it.”

And for a second, I let myself forgot all about the dangers at our doorstep, and let myself believe him.

Just for a second before⁠—

Ahem-hem. Someone cleared their throat behind us.

Peeling out of Jack’s arms, I turned to find Todd surveying the alley, avoiding eye contact at all costs. “We should go.”

I took another couple steps away from Jack, as if Todd hadn’t just caught me wrapped up in his superior’s arms. “I can’t go back in there.”

The hospital was far too close to the set up I had with the Seal, and way too close to judgmental doctors, hospital gowns, ultrasounds, and everything from the last three months I was trying to forget.

“You don’t have to go back in.” Rain collected on Todd’s shoulders, plastering his shirt to his form. “But we need to get you somewhere safe.”

My need to leave, or my refusal to return, had been anticipated because parked at the far end of the alley was Todd’s sedan. And while my body still screamed at me to run, to get as far away from dealing with my situation as possible, I forced myself to say, “Fine. But this coat is mine until I get some real clothes.”

The fluttering in my stomach renewed with vigor as I spun on my heel and marched towards the car. The sedan unlocked as I approached and slid into the back seat where there was more room for me to occupy. But the men hadn’t followed.

Over my shoulder, Todd had a hold on Jack, keeping him at arm’s length. Both were perfectly still, staring at each other in the rain. A moment or two passed, then with a spontaneous and simultaneous nod, they came to some sort of agreement. Todd released his grip on Jack, before walking shoulder to shoulder in an intimidating wall of muscle towards the car.

Feeling somewhat the voyeur, I spun myself around to avoid getting caught gawking, but it just so happened I had positioned myself in perfect alignment with the rear-view mirror, and continued to watch as Todd said, “For the record, Jack, the question you should have asked was about her wellbeing. Not why you were left out.” He shot cold hard steel in Jack’s direction. “Do better.”

Jack absorbed the feedback with a dip of is head, before the agents rounded the car, going their separate directions. Todd took the driver’s seat. Jack slid into the back with me.

I was going to comment on the lack of personal space, when Jack guided my head onto his shoulder and said, “We’ve got you.” Any remaining resistance promptly left. “Rest.”

But even with the steady drum of Jack’s heart against my ear, all I could pay attention to was Todd as he repositioned the rear-view mirror until I was in his eyeline, and I was staring straight into his molten core. He was livid. I could feel the disappointment rolling off him.

Guess he figured out Jack was the father.

36

To say the car ride was intense was an understatement.

All of the things left unsaid formed a tangible friction I was certain would boil to a head if left unchecked. Even in the back seat, I could feel the tension rolling off Todd, just as he could see the very tactile concern, and care, from Jack.

Hands stroked my hair, my cheek, my back, until Jack’s sense of duty was resurrected—which resulted in a number of phone calls. The first of which was to Rochan’s office, apprising her of the situation, how I’d been found, and that we were headed to a safehouse for debrief. At Todd’s suggestion, Fawzy and Thruppy were updated as well, their paths corrected, as they were given more details about their real target, Three. And though, I still had not as of yet shared her name, I did share what she was wearing. What she looked like. Where she was last seen. The works.

A thrumming hive of activity and obligation, Jack really should have taken his own car, rather than subjecting us to the all too familiar role of unwitting listeners. When he’d assured us he’d have his car collected at a later time, so we didn’t have to separate, we hadn’t been anticipating Todd’s sedan becoming a meeting room on wheels.

As Jack continued to handle various matters, I fixed my gaze out the window and watched as city transformed into towns, and towns into long stretches of country road.

I’d been underground, and further south, when the seasons changed, so it was strange to see the world awash with burnt orange, butter yellows, and a smattering of crimson.

Taking in the beauty, I knew I should have asked where we were, but I found I was enjoying the view and the magic of being in a place between places—somewhere that didn’t have a name.