Accession of the Stone Born: The Vigiles Urbani Chronicles (3 page)

I blushed. “Well, thank you very much....”

Andrew chuckled. “Isidore....”

Isidore shook his head and pursed his lips. “What? I can’t admire?”

The man’s good nature was contagious. “Thank you for the compliment, but you have at least one too many appendages.” I cleared my throat and stood upright. “I’m sorry, but I’ll have to pass.”

Isidore sighed longingly and dusted off his shoulder in a dismissive gesture. “Your loss.”

And just like that he was over me completely. “I’m sure.” Patting Andrew on the shoulder, I smirked. “He didn’t tell you because I didn’t tell him. I only knew I was on my way to New Orleans about twenty-four hours ago.” I shrugged. “I’ve been away for a long time, and I thought a visit was in order.”

Isidore gave me another appraising look and circled me. “Too clean to be prison, so I’m guessing military.”

Andrew sensed my discomfort and turned to Isidore. “Would you be a doll and lock up on your way out? From the looks of things, Gavin and I have a lot to catch up on.” Andrew glanced back with an appraising look and nodded. “You look like you’ve had a hard day. Care for some dinner?”

The mention of food made my stomach rumble, and from what I remembered Andrew was a fantastic cook. “Dinner sounds great! All I’ve had today is three fingers of rye whiskey for brunch.”

Andrew snorted and waved at the back of the store. “You go ahead. I’ll be up shortly.”

Holding my bag close, I swept by, making my way to the stairs, and all the while Isidore admired the view.

Andrew cleared his throat to get his attention. “Make sure the front gate is locked. We don’t need any of those tourists getting on the grounds again.”

Isidore rolled his eyes. “Yes, Mom.”

My amusement faded quickly when I glanced back at them.

Andrew advanced on the younger man, towering over him when he spoke. His tone was low and calm, yet every word carried weight. “I mean it.” Isidore shrank back at Andrew’s words. “I have a guest, and I don’t want to be disturbed.”

Isidore’s fright was easy to read, and he quickly stammered. “I was kidding. I’ll make sure everything is locked up tight. I promise.”

Satisfied, Andrew stepped back, turned, and waved me onward. “You do remember the way, don’t you?”

Surprisingly, I did. The third step from the top creaked every time someone stood on it. When I was a child I’d made a game of trying to make music with it, much to my parents’ annoyance. Andrew was suddenly right behind me, closing the oversized seven-foot door as we stepped into the massive living room at the front of the house. Four large floor-to-ceiling windows flanked the french doors leading out to the spacious balcony overlooking the tiny front yard.

Deep reddish brown hardwood floors covered the upstairs. The vaulted twelve-foot ceilings gave me a sense of comfort, knowing that I wouldn’t be knocking my head against anything important. The living room was maybe twenty feet wide and thirty long, and a massive burgundy Persian rug covered most of the room. A fashionable yet comfortable looking deep brown leather couch sat against the far wall, allowing a good view through the windows. Four wing chairs sat at one end of the room, three of which sat around a sturdy looking table covered in beautiful leather tomes, notebooks, and pens of all sorts.

At the other end of the room sat a large oak desk with a red leather office chair and two chairs in front. The desk was clean, with a box holding a few papers at one side, three framed pictures on the other, and a centerpiece of a glass case containing what looked to be a sapphire about the size of my fist.

I took in the photos on the desk with a curious glance. The one at the far left was a photo of my father, mother, and me. The second was a black and white photo of a dark skinned woman with the most amazing eyes, clean jawline, and delicate features…one of the most beautiful women I’d ever seen. She was stunning, and it was hard to take my eyes off her to look at the next photo. Finally, I moved on to see my uncle, the woman, and a man I’d never seen before.

Andrew glanced back at the door and snickered. “You’re not going to try to play the
National Anthem
tonight, are you?”

I chuckled. “Not tonight anyway. Honestly, I’m tired as hell, but you said there was the possibility of food.”

Andrew swept by me as he nodded. “Leftovers all right?”

Real food sounded wonderful. It had been a very long time since I’d had real food on a regular basis. “Leftovers sound divine!”

Andrew stopped suddenly and turned. “I’ve got to ask.” He was quiet for a moment, searching for the right words. “I’m really glad you’re here, but it’s been awhile since your last visit. Is everything all right?”

I felt an urge to unburden myself and tell him everything, but that wasn’t going to happen. Still I struggled with the urge for another half second before I could focus and form a complete thought. “I’m sorry about not visiting prior, but my work has kept me very busy.”

Andrew appeared displeased before turning towards the kitchen with me in tow. “And what kind of work is that exactly?”

Again I felt compelled to tell him everything, but how could I? I hadn’t exactly been employed by the warm and fuzzy bunny brigade. “Just work. Overseas mostly....” Exclusively. I hadn’t been back on US soil in nearly twenty years. “But that’s over now. That’s kind of the reason I’m here.”

The kitchen was spacious, with a massive restaurant sized stainless steel Viking gas stove and a double wide commercial stainless steel refrigerator on the opposite wall. Terracotta tiles covered the room. In the far corner, next to the window overlooking the neighbors, was a small breakfast table and four chairs. Again, one was against the far wall and three sat around the table. It was odd to see such an arrangement repeated without any type of explanation.

Andrew set to work pulling leftovers out of the refrigerator. “Red beans and rice all right?”

God, that sounded good. “Sounds great.”

He ladled rice and beans into two bowls and placed them in the microwave. “All right, son, tell me what’s going on.”

Again the need to unburden myself swept over me. It was a hard thing to fight, but I wasn’t about to confess my sins to anyone, especially not family. If he ever found out about me I’d lose the only person I had left in my life. Yet I couldn’t stop the next words from falling out of my mouth. “I got fired.”

Andrew looked back at me in disbelief. A part of me was unsure what he was surprised by…the revelation I’d been fired, or that I hadn’t told him more.

“Care to elaborate?” he asked.

My mind wanted to betray me, but I quickly locked that desire in a small room without a key before I proceeded. The last twenty-four hours had been the culmination of a lot of very bad things, and I wasn’t about to unburden myself to anyone, especially not someone as kind and gentle as my uncle. “The world changed around me and I didn’t change with it.”

Andrew raised an eyebrow. I read the confusion on his face and wrote it off to me being an asshole. He was trying to be there for me, and I wouldn’t let him. Andrew didn’t deserve that kind of weight on his soul.

Andrew gave me a curious look and painted a smile on his face. “That’s remarkably vague.”

The disappointment in his voice was clear and it made me fight back a frown when I spoke.  “I suppose it is. Can we just say that my services were no longer needed?”

Andrew turned and pulled the bowls out after the microwave beeped. Setting one in front of me and the other next to him, he nodded as he put his hand on mine. “I just need to know that you’re okay.”

I was confused. No one had asked about my welfare in twenty-eight years. “What do you mean?”

Andrew looked sad if not a little pained when he looked into my eyes. “I mean, are you okay? Are you hurt? Can I do anything for you?”

I sat back, looking at the food and then at my uncle, and smiled before lying. “I’m fine.” I pulled the bowl closer to me, unconsciously wrapping an arm around it. “I could use a place to sleep. I don’t have a house here and I don’t want to stay at a hotel.” Truth be told, I didn’t feel safe anywhere else. “It’s not a matter of money. I’ve got three decades’ worth of pay I haven’t touched, so I can afford a hotel, but I’d rather be here if that’s okay. And before you ask again, yes, I’m fine. I’m healthy, I’m not dying or anything. I just miss....” I didn’t know how to finish that sentence. It was silly to say I missed family. My parents had died long ago, and I barely knew my uncle.

Andrew took a bite of his beans, considering my words. “I have a spare room, and I could use a helping hand here if you have the time.”

Relief swept over me. “I’ve got nothing but time. Thanks.”

Andrew beamed. “I have one more question.”

“Shoot,” I replied, and shoved another spoonful of food into my mouth.

Andrew never took his eyes off me when he spoke. “You could obviously have gone anywhere in the world; why here?”

I took a deep breath, leaned back in my chair, and considered his question for several seconds. He wasn’t going to give up anytime soon. “I needed to see family, and you’re all I’ve got. I’ve missed the feeling of being at home, of being safe.”

That last bit slipped out.

“No wife or kids?” Andrew asked.

That was fucking ridiculous, and I shook my head. “There’s been women, of course, just no one special, and as far as I know no children.”

Andrew was ecstatic. “I’m glad you’re here. Finish your food, and the guest room is down the hall on the left.”

Shoving another bite of food into my mouth, I nodded. “I remember.”

Andrew eyed my bowl. “Want some more? I have plenty.”

My stomach was already feeling stretched to its limits, and I shook my head. “I think I’ll save my appetite for breakfast.”

Andrew bobbed and gestured towards the living room. “Go put your bag away, get a shower, and meet me in the living room for a civilized dessert.”

Groaning, I leaned back in my chair and shook my head. “I’m not really into sweets.”

Andrew pointed and said. “That wasn’t a request. Now go get cleaned up, and come see me in the living room when you’re done.”

I made a right out of the kitchen to the end of the hall. Opening the door, I stood there for a moment trying to take it all in. Over the last few decades I’d become accustomed to a ten by ten room with a communal bath. The door opened to reveal a decent size living room, a kitchenette, and three doors at the back of the room. One led into a sprawling bedroom, another into a massive bath, and the final one held a small washer and dryer for laundry.

Throwing my bag on the bed, I pulled out a fresh pair of jeans and a clean blue polo before heading to the bath. After a piping hot shower, I slipped into some clean clothes, tied my boots, and headed for the living room. Andrew had cleaned off the table at the far end of the room and sat in one of the wing chairs, waving me over. On the table was a bottle of Dalmore twelve-year-old Scotch. Tumblers sat on either side of the bottle, with three fingers of amber fluid in each.

Andrew waved at the chair next to his. “I hope you’ll be comfortable. I’ve been considering trying to find someone to live in there for the company.”

That hurt. He was lonely and I’d been busy working, never even giving him a second thought. Grabbing the nearest glass, I held it up for a toast. “To my good fortune and to a good man.”

Andrew blushed and took a drink. “Thank you, but I’m not so sure good would describe me. I’ve made plenty of mistakes…that’s why I live alone.”

The last bit was tinged with enough grief and remorse that it made my heart ache. “To the two of us together, then.”

Andrew nodded. “To the two of us.”

Taking another drink, I looked around the room and wondered how he maintained it. “How are you able to keep this place so clean? If I lived here it’d be dusty as hell and cluttered with shit from floor to ceiling.”

Andrew actually hooted. “Says the man that can hold everything he owns in a single bag.” I winced but he kept on. “But I don’t keep up with it all. I have a nice lady, Heather, who works three days a week downstairs and cleans up here the other two.” Andrew took a sip of scotch and his good nature vanished. “Do you recall the house rules?”

Indeed. It had been the one and only rule my father and Andrew had ever imposed on me. Everything past my uncle’s bedroom was off limits. I could’ve run through the precious books downstairs with a fucking flamethrower and they wouldn’t have cared, but if I took one step into the hall leading east they’d flip their shit. “I do. I’ve always wondered why.”

Andrew only sipped his scotch. “Tell you what…if you stick around long enough I’ll give you a personal tour of the entire floor.”

Now that was tempting. I was always curious about my uncle and his very strange home. Andrew’s bedroom was next to the living room, ensuring that no one could ever use trying to find him as an excuse to wander around unattended. What had struck me the most was the fact that given I had a propensity for ignoring rules all my life, I’d never once even dreamt of breaking this one.

“You may regret making that deal,” I said.

Andrew chuckled. “Why do you say that?”

“I might be tempted to stay here indefinitely just to find out what’s down there.”