Page 54 of The Enforcer

“It’s just some bacon and eggs.”

It was more than that. He remembered having breakfast when his mother was still alive. They didn’t have much, but whatever they had, they ate together. Sharing a table, sharing your food, was what being a family was about. He’d never understood that until his mother died. Mary didn’t, couldn’t, know what this meant to him. He wanted to haul her over the table and pull her on his lap, but the pitter-patter of tiny feet stopped him.

Zoe ran back into the kitchen. He liked seeing that after the subdued way she’d been in the warehouse.

They had breakfast together, talking about nothing much. Zoe talked a mile an hour. When she was finished, she suddenly stared down at her plate.

“Do I have to go back?”

God, the sound of her voice. It seemed as if the kid was readying herself for bad news.

“Zoe. Look at me.”

She looked up, her big hazel eyes watery. He held out his hands and she hopped off her stool and crawled into his lap. Then she started crying. Big, fat tears pooled on her face and wet his shirt.

“I don’t want to go back with Mrs. Wilson to that place. Nobody makes cupcake there or wants to braid my hair. And I missed Mary.”

As much as he wanted to reassure her, he wasn’t ever going to make a promise he wasn’t sure he could keep. Nothing was worse than relying on someone, thinking they would help you, and then be disappointed.

“We’re going to do everything we can to keep you with us. Everything. Now, we need to talk to some people first, so wecankeep you with us, okay?”

“What kind of people?” She sniffed.

“Mrs. Wilson and a judge. They’re going to look to see if this house is a good place for you. And when they do, you can stay here.”

“Promise?”

“Cross my heart. Now go get ready, so we can get you a new room.”

Mary took Zoe out of his arms and gave him another kiss. Then they went upstairs.

As soon as he was alone, he called Jackson. “Talk to me about the guardianship thing. Tell me we got a shot at this.”

“Actually, I’ve been on the phone with Mary’s lawyer and there will be a hearing tomorrow morning. CPS plans on visiting you this evening. They wanted to give you some time after the happenings of last night.”

“And Pachenkov? Any word on him?”

“Guess you haven’t seen the news yet. Pachenkov was found in a ditch on the outskirts of town, with all of his organs removed. SFPD isn’t exactly in a rush to solve that particular crime. They think it was a cleanup job, and the world is a better place without him roaming the streets. Your buddy Ivan didn’t fare much better. They found him in an alley with his hands chopped off.”

He had to give it to Kristoff; he really did have a poetic way of dealing with scum.

They spent the afternoon in a bunch of home decor stores. His two girls had the time of their lives picking out a bed, wallpaper, a new closet, and every other accessory a six-year-old couldn’t live without, according to Mary. Zoe stayed close by. He noticed that every now and then, she would disappear, and a few minutes later, she came back, reaching for his hand. Part of her needed the reassurance that he was still there. It amazed and humbled him at the same time, that this little human saw him as her protector. It also made him all the more determined to keep her in their lives. And to keep his crazy at bay.

Of course, that’s when it happened.

In the sea of swarming bodies, he saw Decker. His dead friend’s face so close by and yet so far away. It was like taking a slug to the chest.

Dios, protégeme.

He was beginning to see dead people.

During daylight.

CHAPTER 19

MARY

There were two moments in her life Mary would remember forever; marrying Hector and becoming Zoe’s legal guardian. Last night, Mrs. Wilson had come for an inspection, after which she’d given them her blessing. And this afternoon, the judge had made it official. She was on cloud nine, practically dancing in the kitchen.

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