“What mission are you talking about, Sonny?” Nick turned to face the boy. Sonny, to his credit didn’t look away. The damn kid talks like he’s twenty instead of ten. No wonder he gets along so well with Jean.
“I don’t know and I don’t care. I know you do good things for America, Sir. I know you can’t talk about them. My folks are scared to death of you, probably for good reason. They also know you have influence in places where they keep or get rid of government appointees like my Dad. I appreciate everything you’ve taught me and worked with me on. I don’t want to move away even if it means asking you to help my Dad, who probably doesn’t deserve it. He’s a good guy, Sir. He just looks a little too hard for the easy way to do things and it usually gets him into trouble.”
The visions of ten year olds sharing secrets about his life as a government assassin flashed through Nick’s mind in an unwanted panorama of thought. He looked over the black clad ten year old Ninjas with a cynical eye. Like Rachel always says, ‘I’m going to hell’.
“Please, Dad?” Jean tugged on his hand.
“I will do what I can, but it all depends on the truth as to why he’s being considered for firing. I promise to look into it tomorrow morning, Sonny. Please don’t take this talk about missions or what I do lightly, kid. Your folks are right to be scared to death of me. You should be too, but I see that you are under thrall to The Daughter of Darkness. Be careful. Jean will tell you this is not a game. I can see right now the two of you are going to be a force I’ll have to reckon with if I do keep you in the area, Sonny. If I do succeed on your behalf I expect you to be more circumspect about how you speak of the goings on in my house or about me. Can you do that? I can tell you understand honor. I would like your word on it.”
“Yes, Sir. I understand. You have my word I will never betray you or your family.”
Nick held out his hand and Sonny shook it. “We’re your family too from now on. You two get to bed… in separate rooms.”
Jean gasped but Sonny stifled a laugh which earned him a head slap. “Dad!”
“Get moving, Daughter of Darkness. I can see the Dekester wants to go for a spin around the block. I’ll be going to the beach for a meeting with my associates at 10 am if anyone would care to go.”
Jean stopped as she reached the kitchen entry. “Did you write any today?”
“Two thousand words as usual.”
“Are you still going to call it ‘Dark Interlude’?”
“Yes. It seems appropriate lately. I’m thinking of reading portions of it to your Mom, the romance critic because my assassin Diego is cultivating a love interest.”
“You should call it ‘Dark Desire’ then or ‘Dark Dummy’.” Jean giggled and ran for the stairs with Sonny on her heel.
“Now you see why I never answer questions about my books from family, Dekester. Let’s go. Let me grab the waste bags and leash.”
*
Rachel awoke to fingertips tracing random patterns on her bare back. She moaned. “Oh my. That feels nice. What time is it?”
“Nearly 4 am,” Nick replied, sliding closer, and exploring more. “I changed and fed Quinn. I had dual Ninjas in hiding to assault me on my way in this morning. It seems Phil gave Sonny a mission to recruit my help in keeping his job. I guess you smelled something rotten when he was offered for an overnight visit.”
Rachel turned in Nick’s arms, kissing him with fervor. After a few moments, she breathlessly broke away. “I… did, but I figured it could wait for morning. You can tell me… all about it then. For now, I feel something else I’d like to take care of.”
“Agreed.”
*
Nick finished a scene where Diego’s duplicitous love interest runs afoul of an East Coast mobster, requiring Diego’s intervention. Rachel entered the kitchen where Nick and Deke shared a space at the table. She wound her arms around him as he leaned away from the keyboard.
“That was a nice sleep interruption. Did you sleep at all after?”
Nick reached around to draw Rachel onto his lap. “I slept for nearly four hours. I wanted to get five hundred words done before walking to the beach. I’m meeting my Unholy Trio companions there. Want to come? I’m getting the Ninja duo awake soon for breakfast.”
“I have a dentist appointment at eleven. Can you take Quinn with you?”
“Sure. The Ninjas expressed some interest in going with me. Unless they want to go to the dentist with you, they will be going with me. I’m making them French Toast. Would you like me to make you a couple?”
“No, but thanks,” Rachel initiated a heated kiss good morning which evoked a hands roaming launch of erotic intent from Nick. Rachel gasped and twisted out of Nick’s grip and on to her feet. “Where are you going? I thought we were only starting.”