L.L. Foster - The Kindred

She pulled her hood up again, hiding her silken, tousled hair. “I’ve got some stuff I have to do, that’s all.”

Here we go again . Sighing, Luther put his arms around her from behind and nuzzled past the hood to kiss her temple. “Can we move beyond that brick wall of yours? At least until we get that bloodsucking, cannibal creep off the streets?”

She deflated without a fight, surprising him. “Yeah, okay.” Looking at him over her shoulder, she added, “But you might not like it.”

Everything inside him clenched in preparation. From anyone else, a statement like that might not have meant much. With Gaby, God only knew what he had in store for him. “I’m properly braced. Let’s hear it.”

“No matter what you say, I’m not changing my mind,” she forewarned him. Before Luther could address that, she turned in his arms. “And I’m not going to let you interfere.”

Butting heads with Gaby gave him a constant headache. “ Why would I want to interfere?” If he started with that, maybe he’d eventually know what she planned.

Fisting her hands in his shirt, she held onto him, her expression serious, maybe even grave. “Because you’re a cop down to the marrow of your bones, that’s why.”

Luther’s understanding of Gaby went beyond the comprehensive acceptance of her singular perspective on things. Nothing else explained why he got the gist of her complaint, if not the implied content. “I’m also a man who knows right from wrong, whether it’s within legal bounds or not. I’ve proven that to you, haven’t I?”

“Maybe. Sometimes.”

“Trust me, Gaby.” He waited, holding eye contact with her, and saw the moment she acquiesced.

“I took two girls off the street.”

Luther waited, but she said nothing more, leaving his imagination to take over. Gaby had spent quite a bit of time hanging out with hookers. Had she found new friends in that arena? Not that he’d be quick to judge. Bliss had once been a hooker, and she was a real sweet girl driven by circumstance, not a lack of morals.

“They were homeless, Luther.”

Were, meaning they no longer suffered that unfortunate state? “So . . . now you’re tussling with another pimp?” The last pimp who had tried to come between Gaby and the women she’d befriended had not fared well.

“For crying out loud, Luther!”

Her affront over the suggestion threw him off. “So, no pimp?”

“Of course not. In fact, there’s no one. The girls are all alone. That was the problem. They had no one.”

Suspicion sparked. “How old are these girls?”

“Kids.” She waved a hand. “Dacia is twelve, but she’s mature way beyond that. Her sister, Malinal, is only five. It’s hard to tell though, because she’s so small and . . . well, what do I know about kids?”

Luther’s head started to pound. Now he had to deal with Gaby taking in children? The repercussions of that boggled his mind.

But most of all, he hated that she shortchanged herself. Gaby knew that kids needed to be protected and cherished. He figured that was more than enough. “What did you do with them?”

“I left them with Bliss.”

“Oh.” He considered that, and nodded. “Yeah, I can see Bliss looking after them.” Hopefully for the short-term.

“Yeah, she’s got that mothering instinct thing down pat. When I left she was feeding them dessert and promising all sorts of things.”

“So why do you look so put out?”

“Bliss gave me a list of stuff they’ll need, including clothes with sizes, toys, and books.” Gaby pulled the list out and looked at it with dismay. “Problem is, I don’t know shit about any of this. What toys? How many books?” The list crumpled in her fist. “I barely shop for me, and I’ve never shopped for a kid, so how does Bliss expect me to get any of this right?”

Luther took the list from her, smoothed it out so he could read it, and recoiled. That wasn’t a small compilation meant to tide things over for a night or two. It looked more like Gaby planned to settle the children in for a lifetime.

“Gaby . . . ”

“You’re not interfering with this, remember?”

A knocked sounded on the door, and Ann called in, “Wrap it up, Luther. The eyebrows are starting to waggle.”

Damn it, he’d already been upstairs too long, but he couldn’t leave something this monumental open-ended.

“Hold that thought, Gaby.” He strode to the door and opened it for Ann.

She started to speak, paused, and gave him the once-over. She shook her head. “Shame on you, Luther. A little decorum is in order. This is your workplace.”

Luther dropped back against the door frame with a sigh. “It’s that obvious?”

“You do have a glow about you.” She smirked, looked beyond him to Gaby, and smiled. “Nookie in the conference room. Scandalous. It’s amazing how you’ve gotten him to loosen up, Gaby. I’d say that’s not an altogether bad thing.”

Luther waited for Gaby to turn defensive the way she often did around Ann, and instead she looked at Ann like all her problems had just been solved.

“You should make a run for it now,” Luther told her.

Ann hesitated. “What are you talking about?”

“Ann.” Coming closer, note in hand, Gaby said, “You’re into fashion, right?”

“Uh . . . ” Ann looked between them, fearful of a trap but unsure how to avoid it. She smoothed a hand over the front of her expensive, tailored suit. The almond color made her skin glow and showed off the highlights in her blonde hair. “Yes, I like to think so.”

Amazed, Luther watched as Gaby reeled her in.

“You probably even enjoy shopping, don’t you?”

“Sometimes . . . ” Unwilling to commit, Ann dragged out the word and then flung her distrust at Luther. “What’s going on?”

Luther opened his arms toward Gaby. “You’ll have to ask her, because I haven’t a clue.”

Gaby handed Ann the list. “How about you pick up that stuff for me?”

Ann glanced at the list, and her eyes widened. “All of it?”

“Yeah. We’re starting at ground zero here. The girls have what’s on their backs, and a pathetic bundle of rags. But don’t worry, I’ll pay you back. Oh, and the sooner you can get on that, the better.”

She started past Ann as if that decided it.

Luther caught her arm and swung her back around. “Hold up, Gaby.”

“Don’t you have some detecting to do?”

It was unfortunate that Ann stood there, still too stumped to remember etiquette and extend them a measure of privacy. She just stared at the note, tallying, perhaps, all that her shopping trip would entail.

“Tell me about the girls.”

Gaby folded her arms and met his gaze. “Sure. I’m keeping them.”

“Keeping them?”

“Yeah. They can stay with Bliss for now. She’s good with kids. But I’ll provide for them.”

“Gaby—”

“You are not going to call social services, Luther. I forbid it.”

That snapped Ann out of her trance. “Oh, perhaps I should wait outside.” She made as if to do that, but didn’t quite leave the room.

“When you get the stuff,” Gaby told her, “drop it off for Bliss, okay? The girls could really use a bath and all, but they need something clean to change into first.”

She turned back to Luther. “I won’t have them put into a flawed system, separated, and left with . . . with . . . ”

“With the kind of foster homes you had?”

Her chin shot up. “They wouldn’t. I was— am —a scary oddity. But the girls are sweet-natured and easy to be around. It’s just . . . ”

“You won’t take the chance.”

“Stop finishing my sentences for me!”

Instead of obliging her, Luther hauled in close. “I know you, Gaby. I understand how your mind works.” He took a deep breath. “And I promise you, we’ll work this out together to find the best solution for the girls. Okay?”