Page 105 of Vandal Unbound

The bastard knows exactly what he’s singing about, and my cheeks warm. Then he turns back to pouring us some coffee.

“You alright there, Daisy?” Havoc asks.

“What?”

“You look warm. You can jack up the aircon over there.” He innocently points to a panel on the wall, before lowering his head to whisk. But it’s impossible to miss the way his shoulders move in laughter too.

“Assholes,” I mutter, which only seems to make them both laugh harder.

“Momma. You shouldn’t say bad words.”

I try to school my face. “You’re right, sweetie. I’m sorry.”

But something twists warmly in my chest. I feel like I’m building a family. And my daughter finally has some good men in her life.

A few minutes later, there’s a knock at the door, but it opens without waiting for Vandal to answer. In walks a woman with dark hair like Vandal’s, only hers is streaked with beautiful thin strands of silver.

But her eyes are just like her son’s, and so is her smile.

“I heard there was a little girl called Elsie in the house,” she says.

My daughter, who seemingly has found magic in the walls of this house, drops down off the stool. “That’s me.”

Usually, she wouldn’t be so quick to ingratiate herself with strangers, but I think it’s because she’s feeling the same kind of safety I do here.

“Well, I’m Elaine, and I figured you might like apple pie and ice cream.”

Elsie looks up at me and then grins. “I love apple pie and ice cream.”

“Then it’s a good job I made you some, isn’t it.”

Vandal walks over to her and kisses her cheek. “Thanks, Ma.”

“Good morning, sweetie,” she says, placing the pie and ice cream down onto the decorative side table before pulling Vandal into a tight hug.

It makes me smile. Moms everywhere, still calling their kidssweetie, regardless of their age.

“You must be Daisy,” she says, finally releasing him as I stand to greet her. But just when I’m about to raise my hand to offer it to her, she tugs me into a fierce hug too.

“It’s nice to meet you,” I manage.

“You must be a very special woman,” she whispers, then smiles at me like we now have a secret.

“Who wants completely natural, healthy pancakes, made from organic ingredients that definitely do not contain chocolate chips?” Havoc asks.

“Me,” Vandal and Elsie say at the exact same time.

“Ha!” Elsie says and looks to Havoc. “We said it at the same time. Told you he was my best friend.”

Havoc sighs. “Guess you must be right.”

31

VANDAL

“Outside of last night, are you generally sleeping better?” Doc asks on our video call.

I smile at the question as I lean over the fence by the pool and look in the direction of the marsh. A heron is standing knee-deep, completely motionless. He looks like a stiff breeze would blow him over, and yet he’s still standing. I suppose there’s a metaphor about life for me in that.