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After Marcus left, Sophia and Wolf held each other for a long time. They sat on the brand-new couch that sat on the brand new rug in the brand new snug, and let their not-quite-brand-new feelings guide each of them to the other. Wolf had stroked Sophia’s back softly as she sobbed into his chest. He’d tried his best to keep things normal, of course. The last thing Wolf wanted was for Sophia to feel like this evening might be the last time she’d ever see him.
But it was quite possible.
The plan for the raid was dangerous. It amounted to a full-on assault of the Death Division’s drugs lab. For months, Marcus had been building up a stockpile of weapons which The Drifters would use to force the DD to close down the lab. There was no room for error — the last thing that anyone wanted was a gunfight. Unfortunately, it felt as though the DD weren’t going to go down without one.
Of course, Wolf didn’t share any of this stuff with Sophia. She already knew it was risky, but she didn’t need to know the details.
The best part of the evening had been dinner. Sophia had watched cartoons on their new big-screen TV in the snug while Wolf had prepared the food. It was strange to work in a new kitchen, but it sure as heck beat the camping stove he’d done most of the cooking on recently.
He’d never really though of himself as much of a chef, but he’d definitely improved his skills since having to cook for Sophia. She didn’t exactly hold back in her criticism of his food.
‘What’s cooking, Daddy?’ she’d asked, sauntering through to check in on him.
‘Ever heard of Bahn Mi?’
Sophia had raised an eyebrow. ‘A fragrant, spicy Vietnamese sandwich?’
‘Yeah. Well, it’s kinda like that. But, you know, not fragrant, spicy, or Vietnamese.’
It was a dumb joke, but it had been worth it to see her smile.
‘So it’s…’
‘Just a sandwich,’ he had said with a grin. ‘Should be good, though. Seared tofu, field mushrooms, mustard. And a side of fries, too.’
Later, they’d sat together at the table and demolished what could have been their final dinner together.
‘This is way better than Bahn Mi,’ Sophia had said, biting into her crusty baguette.
‘Oh yeah?’
‘Definitely. This was made with love. I can tell. Your cooking has improved so much.’
‘Not sure whether to take that as a compliment,’ Wolf had said, although of course he knew she wasbeing nice to him.
‘Course it’s a compliment, silly,’ she’d replied, her mouth full of French fries.
‘Darling,’ he had said, ‘I’m sorry about today. Hell, I’m not just sorry abouttoday— I’m sorry about all of it. Every bad thing that’s ever happened to you. I want it all to stop. I want you to have a home, to feel safe, and to be able to live the rest of your life in peace.’
Sophia batted her unique gray eyes at him and smiled a sad smile. His hand snaked into his and she squeezed. ‘That’s all I want, too.’
‘Hey — how close are you to finishing the contract for Clever Monsters?’
‘I’ve got one more to go,’ Sophia had said, suddenly excited. ‘He’s the most delicate job, so I saved him for last.’
‘Wanna show me?’
She had grimaced. ‘I do, but, um, this is gonna sound bad… Do you mind not touching him?’
‘Of course! I know how delicate some of these stuffies are.’
‘One sec.’
She had washed her hands then disappeared downstairs, before returning with a box big enough to fit a basketball. She was also wearing a set of latex gloves.
‘Okay, here he is. The Doctor.’
Wolf had watched as she’d carefully opened the cardboard flaps of the box, before reaching in and pulling the bear out.
