Page 24

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SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

Nemo

Less than five minutes later, they were out of the apartment, down the elevator, and out on the street. Scheherazade was leashed for appearances’ sake until they were on the beach. Then she was free to run. Nemo would have been more than happy to throw her manatee around for her, but she was just excited to run around and around in the surf to get the zoomies out, as well as say hello to all the other dogs.

Gem was sitting on the top of one of the picnic tables, her feet on the bench portion. The sun was starting to dip below the horizon, looking like it was setting the ocean on fire.

Damn, she is breathtaking. She’s so clueless about how beautiful she is.

He sat up next to her on the table, hip-to-hip, thigh-to-thigh, his weight leaning on his forearms, which were resting on the tops of his thighs, and Scheherazade’s useless leash coiled up in his hand, hanging between his knees. “So. Your da.”

He heard her sigh. The breeze blew some of her curls up into her face, and she tried to move them away, but to no avail. To prevent being blinded, she looked back in the same direction he was, following Scheherazade.

They followed Scheherazade’s erratic meet and greet path with all of the other dogs. He could tell this was going to be a difficult conversation, so unless she initiated eye contact, he would focus elsewhere. His girl was strong, but sometimes, conversations were easier when people didn’t look at each other. If the conversation had been about them, he would have insisted she meet his gaze, but this was about her, and he wanted her to feel safe in opening up to him.

He shouldn’t have been surprised when she picked up the conversation from nearly twenty minutes earlier as if they’d never taken a break from it.

“My father was known as Le Chevalier Noir. Probably the greatest jewel thief of all time. Until…”

“Until?” he prompted.

“Until he made a mistake.” Gem’s smile was sad. “But to understand how that happened, you have to understand who he was as a man my age. He specialized in private residences. It’s how he met my mother.

“He was breaking into a castle, essentially, in Algeria. Back then, he stole items for the sheer joy of it. Along the same lines as Native Americans counting coup, if you’re familiar with the concept.”

“It was more the pride of getting away with it than the actual prize acquired.”

She nodded.

“The way he describes meeting my mother, it was like Errol Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood . Have you seen that film? When he comes through the window and confesses his love for Maid Marian for the first time?”

He nodded. “One of the most romantic moments in film.”

“She wasn’t supposed to be there. He’d met her weeks earlier when he’d been posing as a guest at a public party as a way to case the place. She caught him snooping somewhere he shouldn’t have been. She threatened to turn him in. He made love to her. She let him slip away.

“Weeks later, he made his move. She’d come home from vacation early, and he’d chosen her room to enter through because she was supposed to be gone. Imagine his surprise when he came through the window, and she was sitting there talking on the phone. Not exactly Lady Bess, but he swore that he fell in love that very moment. She claimed to feel the same.

“He left the castle that night with an emerald necklace and my mother. They fled back to England, sold the necklace, and bought a cottage on a hobby farm. She swore that the money, the lifestyle she’d grown up in, was nothing if she couldn’t have him at her side. And maybe, for a while, it was. They lived in that cottage together for eleven years. Had four children—three boys and me. Da continued his jobs, but when I was two, she begged him to give it up. Rowan, my eldest brother, said she hated being alone and lonely on the farm with no one but four young children to talk to, so Da decided to take on a partner. That way, he could be at home more, like a regular father.” She barked out a laugh. “Because being a jewel thief screams with the ability to live a legitimate life.”

The sun was on the verge of totally slipping beneath the sea. Scheherazade had resorted to barking at crabs and driftwood since her new friends were starting to head home with their owners for the night. Nemo’s heart hurt for the quiet beauty of the woman next to him. It didn’t take a genius to figure out how this story was going to end, or how a twenty- four-year-old girl ended up a notorious jewel thief in her own right.

Scheherazade trotted over, but instead of heading to Nemo, she went straight to Gem. Standing on her hind legs, tail whipping back and forth, front paws on Gem’s knees, she soaked in the scratches behind her ears that were probably as much a comforting gesture to Gem as they were for the dog. He watched his pixie bend her face down for doggy kisses, their foreheads touching in the sweetest bonding moment. If he hadn’t already been in love with her, that would have been the moment.

“What happened?” he asked.

Gem reached for Scheherazade’s manatee, which she had faithfully carried in her mouth to the beach. Rearing back her arm, Gem violently flung the toy as far as she could down the sand. With a yip, the dog was off and searching.

“For years, he had worked alone. No one depended on him, and he didn’t have to rely on anyone either. But he met this guy somewhere, somehow, and his fate was written. The first job they did together would be his last. He had a chance at a huge score. Some Indian prince or something. Doesn’t matter in the long run. His partner buggered him at the first sign of trouble. My father fell thirty feet along a sheer cliff, and the man left him at the base. By all rights, Da should be dead. Instead, he had a broken back and two broken legs. Lay there for two days before someone saw him, and even then, that was a miracle. The only thing that saved him from prison was that he didn’t have any equipment on him. He was free-climbing, and they couldn’t prove he was trying to break in. So they took him to the local hospital. He recovered, and when he was healthy enough to leave, he was escorted to the border and informed if he ever returned to the country, he would be imprisoned for life .

“Ma decided enough was enough. She left her four children with my da’s mum, and we never saw her again.”

The breeze shifted and blew curls across her face again. Nemo reached up to smooth them back, but just like before, they immediately blew back into her face. “And little jewel thieves were born,” he surmised.

Gem huffed and rolled her eyes. Scheherazade had returned with her slobbery and salty toy, plopping it in Gem’s lap, her muddy paws once again on her jean-clad legs. Laser-focused on Gem, she watched as the woman picked up the toy and flung it in a new direction. Off she went, barking at every shadow in the twilight.

“You could say that. His body didn’t heal properly. After the accident, he never was able to walk without pain, and the arthritis set in, causing him to lose his dexterity. He figured if he could no longer do the job he loved, then his children would bloody well learn to love it and keep his legacy alive. From the moment he returned home, there was never a moment in my childhood where I wasn’t somehow being trained to be a jewel thief. Making us run across wet, mossy logs. Climbing anything and everything. Competitions to see who could hold their breath the longest. At night, he’d take us places and teach us how to break in and out without leaving a trace. And when we couldn’t be outside, we were learning how to tell the difference between the different uncut stones. What the best environments were for which stones. If it could be turned into a thieving skill, we knew how to do it.”

“All of you are thieves?”

“Yes, but we have different specialties. My eldest brother, Rowan, specializes in urban environments—skyscrapers, that kind of thing. He’s based out of London. Gael lives on St. Kitts. He specializes in larger acquisitions. Oddities. Like, say you wanted to steal an elephant from South Africa and move it to Texas.”

“He has not.”

“I can neither confirm nor deny that hypothetical example.”

Nemo whistled. “That takes balls way bigger than brains.”

She continued, “Oscar is our version of Indiana Jones. Antiquities are his passion. No clue where he is right now. And then there’s me.”

“And then there’s you.” Nothing could have stopped him from touching her at that moment. He reached out and gently pinched her chin between his thumb and index finger, turning her to face him. “The brightest jewel in the crown.”

He leaned in, stopping halfway to give her time to rebuff him if she didn’t want his kiss. When she stayed still, her eyes fixed on him, he continued his slow lean. Her eyes closed just before contact was made.

The kiss was merely the placement of his lips on hers, his head tilted to adjust to her position. His top and bottom lip surrounded her top lip, the slightest of pulls to her flesh. He kissed her like that, dragging out the time from touch to pull, just enjoying her mouth beneath his. She soaked in the attention, not reciprocating but certainly not discouraging his attention.

On the fourth soft kiss, he felt a featherlight touch on his face. Her hand had lifted to touch his cheek, then curved around his jaw.

“Nemo.” His name was an exhaled vocalization.

“Yes, Gem? Stop?”

Eyes still closed, fingertips still on his skin, she sucked in her lips and shook her head. “No. Don’t stop.”

“Good. Because I don’t want to stop.”

It should have been impossible to get physically closer to her, but he managed to shift the infinitesimal amount needed so that they were seamlessly pressed against one another, shoulder to hip to knee. His lips returned to hers, not changing the pressure or action. Just showing her over and over how much he liked kissing her.

The beeping of his watch interrupted the tender moment. Forehead to hers, he muttered an apology. He knew he needed to answer the text, but he remained motionless, his eyes closed, soaking up this quietness with her. The next time the notification pinged, he pulled back, tapped his watch, and saw his brother’s request to call him.

Another tap to his watch, and Midas answered before the first ring was even complete.

“You alone?”

Gem gave him a smile and jumped down from the table to give him privacy, heading over to Scheherazade, who was now standing at the edge of the surf, barking at the waves.

“What is so damn important?” Nemo barked.

“Waters wants everyone on a curfew.”

“What are we? Twelve? Is he doing bed checks, too?”

Midas snorted. “What would be the point? You’re never in yours.”

Silence.

Midas sighed. “Sorry, baby bro.”

Nemo chuckled. “You’re not wrong.”

“This whole situation has me out of sorts. We just heard the jet’s going to be coming in hot, and we need to be ready to go when Medusa gets here. Apparently, we’re picking up Cerberus on our way to Africa.”

Nemo grumbled, “I don’t trust that guy.”

“You’re a bit biased. However, Loki has convinced Waters that he’s a stand-up guy, and allegedly, we need him, so we’re collecting him in Sri Lanka. Maybe once we’re with him in person, the vibe will change.” There was a pause. “How’s Operation Gem in Thirty Days proceeding?”

Damn, that nickname sounds so good coming out of people’s mouths.

“Was going great until my watch pinged. But no harm done. Can you do me a favor, though?”

“Have I ever turned you down?”

“I need you to keep some people under watch for me. Three males. Rowan, Oscar, and Gael Dawson.”

“Gem’s brothers. Already done when I dove into her background.”

“You didn’t tell me that.”

“Believe it or not, I don’t tell you everything I do. Some of it you don’t need to know, and a lot of it would bore you,” Midas groused. “Anyway… relax. They’re all good, although I haven’t been able to tag Oscar in a couple of weeks. He must be underground. Possibly literally. Last I knew, he was in the Andean Mountains.”

“Does that mean you also have her father on file?”

“He passed away in 2018, shortly after you two ran into each other in Riquewihr.”

“Ah. The changes in her personal life before taking the job with Mythos.”

“Yeah, I’m guessing. Complications of dementia. He was in a nursing facility for his last three years.”

Nemo cursed softly. “What about her mother?”

“I had to really backtrack to find her, but that’s another dead end. She left her husband when Gem was two. Aneurysm about fourteen months later.”

“Okay.”

There was a pregnant pause again.

Nemo knew his brother better than he knew himself. Something wasn’t right. “What’s going on, big bro? ”

“Look, I don’t know how to ease into this, so I’m just going to spit it out. There’s a hit out on Gem.”

Nemo’s heart stuttered. “Fuck. The Kaders?”

“Yeah. I’m watching it. So far, no takers, but that probably won’t last long. I don’t want to take it down and risk any leads we might have, but keep her close and your head on a swivel. You gonna tell her?”

“Yeah, she deserves to know. But not right now. When we’re in the air, maybe.”

“Good idea. Use us as the buffer for when she either flips her shit or freaks out.”

“Not sure how she’ll take it. She’ll likely be scared, but it won’t stop her.”

“Nope. And what’s the saying? Forewarned is forearmed?”

“Thanks for the recall to base and the warning. We’ll head back now.”

“Copy that.”

Nemo tapped his watch to end the call. He spent a few minutes just watching Gem run with Scheherazade, allowing her the freedom and joy of playing with the dog. She had taken off her shoes and had Zade’s manatee up above her head, running through the surf, laughing as Zade chased, jumped, and barked for the return of her spit-riddled toy. It made him smile to see her so free.

He pushed off the picnic table and whistled at the pair. Gem was breathless when she reached him, but her eyes were sparkling. Scheherazade was appeased as she had her disgusting toy in her mouth, rescued from the evil queen who kidnapped it.

Eww. That’s going in the washing machine as soon as we get back to the apartment.

“We have to head back,” he told her. “We’re leaving earlier than expected. Have to make a stop to pick up the infamous Cerberus on the way.”

She nodded, looked down at Scheherazade, and gave her head a solid rubbing. “This girl pretty much tired me out anyway.”

Nemo clipped the leash to Scheherazade, grabbed Gem’s hand, and they headed back toward Tribe. The walk was silent but comfortable. She didn’t pull her hand from his, and he took that as a good sign.

Once inside his apartment, he threw the toy in the washer, and Scheherazade promptly sat in front of the front-loading machine, watching it go round and round. She’d be on guard until it came out so that she could see it was still in one piece, safe and sound.

Nemo walked down the hall with Gem toward the bedrooms. When they reached her doorway, he stopped her and gave her a lingering kiss on her cheek. “Sleep well, kitty cat. It’s gonna be a bumpy ride for a few days.”

“You too,” she whispered. Then, with a smile, she entered her room and closed the door.

He stood there for a few moments, just staring. Giving his head a shake, he headed into his bedroom and began laying out his gear for the trip. By the time he had it all in piles on his bed, Scheherazade was barking that the washing machine was done. When he stepped out into the hallway, his throat dried up at the sight of Gem opening the door of the machine. As he expected, the dog was halfway in, pulling out Manny and then waiting for Gem to open the dryer.

“Won’t sleep with a wet baby, huh?” she whispered. “I don’t blame you.”

Gem opened the dryer, Scheherazade put Manny inside, then settled to watch her baby tumble on low.

His eyes drew back to the woman petting his dog’s head, crooning that Zade would have her baby back soon. She was wearing a ribbed tank top that cut off just above her belly button and a pair of sleep shorts that hung low on her hips. Her tattoos were out in all their glory, and it appeared that she, too, had been adding to her body since they’d last seen each other. She seemed to be almost as covered as he was, including a sleeve going all the way down her left leg.

But what snagged his eye and held it was her belly button. It glinted in the dim light above the washer and dryer in his hallway. She was pierced.

That’s new.

And then his eyes narrowed.

No. Fucking. Way.

He made sure to make a slight noise so as not to startle her, then traveled down the hallway, his eyes never leaving the piercing. When he was close enough, his hands reached out to rest on her hips, and he lowered himself to his knees.

“You still have it.”

“Yes,” she admitted.

He looked up at her. “You put it on your body.”

“Yes.”

“Oh, kitty cat. I’m trying so hard to behave here, but seeing this on you? Knowing you didn’t forget that night? Knowing you wanted to remember? You’re making it difficult.”

“So don’t behave. In what universe do you think I expect you to behave and not try to fuck me? Isn’t that what you do?”

Her words held no malice or judgment, but they should have. He wanted so badly to follow through with the offer, but he couldn’t. So instead, he kissed just above her belly button, lingering there long enough to circle it with the tip of his tongue and dip inside to where the moonstone nestled, coaxing out the infectious giggle from the tickling sensation he created. Then he tipped his head forward to rest along her belly, hands still on her hips, his thumbs brushing back and forth across the skin.

“I can’t do it, pretty baby. I won’t. There will come a time when I probably can’t hold back anymore because, believe me, I want you more than you can imagine. But that time is not tonight. I need to be better for you. I don’t deserve you if I’m not.”

“But—”

“No.” He stood up, moving his hands from her hips to frame her face. “I will take some of that sugar, though.” His lips touched hers again. They opened for him slightly, inviting her to match him. When she responded, he let his tongue drift into her mouth, the tip touching hers, then he slid against its entire surface with one swipe. He drew back, not prolonging the kiss. “So sweet. Nothing better. The only thing that comes close is bubblegum, and now I see even that’s a poor substitute. Be prepared to be kissed, kissed often, and within an inch of your life, sugar cat.”

After another kiss, this time to the tip of her nose, he let go and stepped back. “I’ll take care of Manny”—he nodded at the dryer—“and I’ll wake you at three thirty. Night.”

She watched him for a moment. Her hand reached up to ghost along his cheek, and then she walked past him to bed. With the soft snick of the door closing, he leaned on the dryer top, his arms locked. Eyes closed, he exhaled.

You did the right thing. Making her feel good is one thing. Making her feel like she’s yours is so much more.