Page 88 of Unruly

Cece waved until she caught Cross’s eye. His brooding mood flew just long enough for him to flash a wide smile for their daughter. He waved, too.

“Bye, Daddy! Loves my daddy, Daddy!”

Cross couldn’t hear her.

Catherine figured …

He knew.

“Okays, Daddy, I be good.”

“Promise?”

“Pinkies promise,” Cece replied as earnestly as she could in her childish voice.

“Pinky promises are the most serious promises, Cece.”

“I knows, Daddy. I be good for Ma.”

“You better.”

In the background of the call, Cross heard Catherine say, “Say goodbye to Daddy, baby.”

“Byes, Daddy!”

“Love you, bambina.”

“Loves my daddy, Daddy.”

A shuffle echoed through the speakers before Catherine came onto the phone.

“How was that?” he asked.

“Well, she’s already crawling into bed.”

“Yeah?”

“I think she just needed to talk to you again.”

Cross smiled to himself. Cece had been giving her mother a hard time about going to sleep, and Catherine thought to call Cross. He was happy to help.

Of course, he wouldn’t admit that it made him strangely happy to know his daughter was missing him, but that was only because he couldn’t have them home yet. After all, his deadline to hand Katya over to the Russians was now up. Catherine and Cece had only been gone for a single day.

Silence was a bad thing.

Cross was waiting for the shoe to drop.

“How’s things your way?” Catherine asked.

Their conversations were always vague and cryptic over the phone. It had to be that way for safety. He could easily hear her unspoken question, though.

“Quiet,” he answered.

Catherine sighed. “Wishful thinking, but maybe it’ll stay that way.”

“Wishful thinking, for sure.”

“I might not call tomorrow or the next day.”