Be Brave (15 page)

opinion of you, and inevitably they spoke about Angel.”

“But you did it on purpose, encouraged me to take him along?”

Angel and the Assassin: Be Brave

65

“Yes. I wanted to know what he could do.”

“I should smack you for that,” Kael said. He put his lunchbox on the bench

beside him. Conran got up at once to put several feet of space between them now

that Kael"s hands were free. “My boy is going to go to uni and have a bright future.

I"d be happy for him to work for SIS, just not what I do. He could work in

intelligence.”

Conran came closer again even though they were alone. He spoke quietly.

“Look, there"s a situation I want you involved in. You are the only man for the job.”

Kael finished his sandwich and took out the banana. “What does this remind

you of, Stephen?” He grinned and slowly peeled it.

Conran sat down again, pulling his jacket closer against the sharp wind from

the river. “Someone will need to be brought back from Europe. I want you in on this

one. I don"t have the details yet.”

Kael ran his tongue up the side of the banana and laughed when Conran

crossed his legs and placed his hands over his crotch. He bit into the banana, taking

half in one bite. “That"s what I"ll do to your cock if you try to get my boy caught up

in anything dangerous. Do you understand?”

“Yes.” Conran looked nervous. “We"ll talk again about this.” He began to walk

away.

“I"m a teacher now,” Kael called after him.

Conran walked back and leaned in close. “Saunders, you"re a killer. It comes as

naturally to you as—”

“As crawling on your knees does to you?” Kael interrupted.

“I was going to say as naturally as breathing.” He walked away.

66

Fyn Alexander

Chapter Eight

“I"m so excited. Daddy will be so happy.”

Angel looked at the glass and oak dining room table set with candles and white

damask napkins. He had found them in the dining room sideboard along with the

beautiful set of dishes they had used only once before, last Christmas day when

Sharon had spent the holidays with them.

“Everything looks lovely.” Adam smiled.

Freddie"s husband and their two daughters had arrived an hour ago to help

Angel. Adam had consulted at length on the phone with Angel in the days prior.

Angel would make the birthday cake, a quiche, and a chicken dish, and Adam would

cook the rest of the food and bring a few bottles of wine. Freddie had arranged the

day before to take Daddy out for a drink and a catch-up chat so they could arrange

the surprise. Freddie was due to walk in the door with Kael at any minute.

“Did you want to do the whole jumping out and shouting „surprise" thing?”

Adam asked.

My Daddy shoots people who surprise him.

“That"s probably not a good idea. He"ll be surprised enough. But actually…” He

looked at Zoe and Amelia, who had been running up and down the open-plan living

room-dining room since they arrived, and he called them over. “Girls, Uncle Kael

will be here any minute with your dadda.”

“No, this is Dadda,” Amelia said, coming to a skidding halt in from of him.

Angel scanned the hardwood floor for skid marks.

“And Daddy is Daddy,” Zoe explained.

“Right. Okay. Uncle Kael and your daddy will be here in a few minutes. I want

you girls to hide in the bedroom until you hear them come in. Then come running

out and shout „Happy birthday, Uncle Kael."” He showed them to the bedroom, and

they climbed into the middle of the king-size bed. “Not a sound until you hear

them,” he said and walked out.

“That will keep them quiet for five minutes,” Adam said when Angel joined

him again to look at the table.

“I"ll light the candles now.” Angel struck a match and lit the three tall white

candles in the elegant, plain silver candelabrum. He looked at Adam, who was

uncorking the white wine and watching him at the same time.

“You"re an odd couple, aren"t you?” he said kindly.

Angel and the Assassin: Be Brave

67

“Me and Daddy? Why?”

“A big, handsome, tough man like him and a sweet innocent youth like you.”

He chuckled. “Zeus and his Ganymede. Hadrian and Antinous.”

An image of the two men he had shot last September jarred Angel for a

moment, along with some of the stuff he had seen and experienced in the not so

loving foster homes he had lived in. He shoved the images out of his mind and

focused on the elegant table. “I"m not as innocent as I look.”

“Do you think Kael will mind the girls being here? I get the impression he"s not

crazy about children.”

The thought had occurred to Angel, but he didn"t want to say anything. “He"d

probably prefer it if they sat quietly and didn"t touch anything or drop any food.”

“Well, that"s not going to happen.” Adam placed the open wine bottle on the

table.

Angel laughed. “I know. It"s probably good for Daddy to realize that the world

will not fall apart just because food gets spilled on the floor.”

* * *

leaned on the wall, looking down into the water. “What made you ring me

yesterday?” he asked Freddie.

“I haven"t seen my old mate since Christmas, that"s what.” Freddie briefly

wrapped his arm around Kael"s waist and hugged him. “I wanted a natter and a

drink with you.” They had sat in a straight pub for two hours reminiscing about

their years at College Grange before going for a walk along the river. Freddie"s

mobile buzzed, and he took it out and read a text. “Come on; I"ll walk you back.”

They walked slowly along the river toward his flat. Kael had been told twice by

Freddie to slow down as they walked. Not only were Freddie"s legs a lot shorter, but

he was overweight and unable to keep up with Kael"s athletic pace. “I"m so glad it"s

worked out with you and Angel,” Freddie said. “He"s a lovely boy, but I must say I

never thought you would have the patience required for a teenager.”

“I"m as surprised as you are,” Kael said. “But Angel"s not an ordinary

teenager.”

“How"s the teaching going? Languages, right? You were always top of the class

in Latin, French, and German.”

“Yes, I was, but it seems that knowing languages and teaching them are two

completely different things. I"m rethinking my future right now. I was told I"ve got

no people skills.” He looked sideways at Freddie for his reaction.

Freddie nodded as though it was obvious. “We can"t be good at everything.”

“Is it true? Am I bad with people?”

“You"re better than you were when we were kids. At least now you don"t punch

everyone who disagrees with you. But Kael, interpersonal skills are not your strong

point, my old mate.”

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Fyn Alexander

Outside Kael"s beautiful condominium building, Freddie looked at his car and

said, “I"ll come up for a minute and say hello to Angel.”

“He"s really fond of you. And he loves your kids.”

They were at Kael"s door when Penelope Chalmers caught up with them. She

must have been watching for him, and she came after him the minute he stepped

out of the lift. “Mr. Saunders!”

“Mrs. Chalmers.” Kael introduced Freddie, then said quickly, “Please excuse

us.”

“Angel had his music blaring again when you were away on business. His

friend was rather cheeky when I complained.”

The smell of the woman"s makeup and perfume was so strong it turned Kael"s

stomach. All his senses were exceptional, and strong smells in his proximity had to

be appealing to him or they were unbearable rather than merely annoying as they

would be to most people. But he didn"t want to hear that Angel had been bad

mannered. “Was Angel cheeky?”

“Not at all. He was very apologetic, and he turned it down. But he seems to

forget almost at once and then repeats the infraction.”

Infraction indeed
! “I"m sorry. I"ll talk to him about it.”

“I wouldn"t mind so much if you could get him to play something nice.”

“It won"t happen again.” He opened the door, shoving Freddie in ahead of him.

“You didn"t come to my cocktail party, Mr. Saunders.”

“No, something came up. Perhaps another time.” He closed the door.

Freddie laughed. “That"s what I mean about no people skills, Kael. You closed

the door in her face.”

“Good. Hopefully she"ll get the message and won"t bother me again.”

“I doubt that, mate. That woman has the look of a predator.” Freddie burst out

laughing, and Kael could only imagine how scared his face looked.

They hung their jackets in the hall cupboard, and Kael preceded Freddie into

the living room. “Smells delicious in here. Angel must be cooking.” He was confused

when he saw Freddie"s husband standing beside Angel, smiling. Adam stuck out his

hand. “Happy belated birthday, Kael.”

The candles in his peripheral vision caught his attention, and Kael looked at

the dining room table, beautifully set for six people. Angel put his hands on Kael"s

shoulders and leaped up, wrapping his legs around Kael"s waist. “Happy birthday,

Daddy. Why didn"t you tell me? I had to find out from Freddie.”

Freddie slapped him on the back. “He made me get you out of the house so he

could prepare the party.”

Overcome with emotion, Kael kissed Angel lightly on the lips. He had loved his

birthdays when he was a kid; his mum had always done something special, even

when they were broke, but as an adult, he had ignored them. Many a time over the

years he had been on a hit on the actual day. It hadn"t even occurred to him to tell

Angel and the Assassin: Be Brave

69

Angel, not even when he had got his present in the post from his mum. “I"m not big

on fuss. You know me.” Carrying Angel, he walked over to the table they never used

ordinarily. It looked beautiful. A small flower arrangement of roses sat in the

middle. The silverware and glittering white plates caught the light from the

candles. Tall wineglasses gleamed at each plate.

There were six places and only four of them. Fear clutched suddenly at Kael"s

belly. He looked at Angel and whispered, “Please tell me those little girls aren"t

here.”

“Uncle Kael!”

Angel jumped down as the two little girls, one blonde, the other dark-haired,

ran into the room, their curly hair tied up in ribbons, screaming, “Happy birthday,

Uncle Kael.” Kael went rigid as they grabbed a leg each and hugged it tight. He

looked down at them in horror. His fear of Penelope Chalmers paled in comparison.

“Get them off,” he said desperately.

What they all found so funny was beyond him, but Angel and Adam removed

the children, allowing him to move. He made his way to the couch without further

assault and sat down with Freddie while Angel and Adam began to put out the food

and got the girls involved by giving them small things to carry from the kitchen.

Every time they passed through the living room to the dining room area, they felt

compelled to draw his attention.

“Uncle Kael. Look what I"m bringing.” Kael glanced at them and then

shrugged at Freddie.

“They want you to say „well done" or „aren"t you strong," something like that,”

Freddie told him.

“Well done,” he called, grateful that they were busy. “What are their names? I

forget.”

Freddie laughed. “Zoe and Amelia. Zoe just turned five, and Amelia will be

four in May.”

“Why do they like me?” He was genuinely perplexed.

“Kids are like cats,” Freddie said. “They always go to the people who are either

scared of them or just don"t like them.” They looked at each other and laughed.

Angel invited them to the table, and Kael sat at the head with Adam and

Freddie to his right and left. To his immense relief, Angel had seated the girls on

the other side of their fathers so they were well away from him. Angel sat at the

other end so he could help with the girls.

They began to pass the dishes around and serve the food. “Everything looks

great,” Kael said.

“Daddy, I made the chicken and the quiche, but Adam cooked everything else.”

“He needed a bit of help, that"s all. He"s turning into a great cook,” Adam said.

“Are you going to make a toast, Angel?” Freddie asked, picking up his glass.

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Fyn Alexander

Angel"s cheeks were already flushed from excitement. He looked at Kael, then

Freddie, and got a bit tongue-tied. “You do it.”

Everyone picked up a glass. Kael glanced at the girls, relieved that they had

plastic cups with lids and spouts.

“Kael, my old chum.” Freddie beamed at him. “It is such a pleasure to see you

settled down with this lovely boy”—he nodded at Angel—“and happy at last. Here"s

to the next thirty-three years.” They raised their glasses and drank. Solemnly the

girls copied, raising their sippy cups.