“Constantine, I could hug you. You are amazing.”
Before I even tried, he raised his paw. “Child, sit your butt down. Which part of ‘injure’ do you think I was kidding about?” He was trying to be serious, but he couldn’t hold the glare. “Oh, come over here and let me pet you.”
I jumped out of my chair and hugged Constantine. I scratched him behind his ears and rubbed his head. He purred loudly. Every once in a while, Constantine behaved like a normal cat.
“OK, enough now. You’re messing up the fur.” He was still purring as he spoke. “Remember, shake and then bed. You need rest.”
“What are you two going to do?”
Bob was already heading toward the door, and Constantine was following him.
“We got a shipment in that we need to inventory. Bob has some ideas about remodeling downstairs that we are going to discuss. In other words, business as usual. Rest, Isis. You’ve had a busy week.”
“Good night, Isis. See you tomorrow,” Bob said. He was smiling from ear to ear.
“Good night, Bob. Don’t work him too hard, Constantine.”
“Yeah, yeah. It didn’t take him three days to decide he wanted the job. So I’m pretty sure Bob is fine. Rest now.” Bob was holding the door for his evil dictator. “By the way, Isis, nice job.” They were both out the door.
I took my shake to the couch and dropped down. I couldn’t believe it had only been a week. I had been beaten up, blown up, and nearly executed several times, and somehow I had made it and saved the hostages. Not only that—I now had a family. Not your traditional family, but who needed traditional when you worked for Death? Not a bad week for a girl who had no idea what she was doing.
I finished the shake and curled up on the couch. I could see Bob and Constantine roaming the shop downstairs. Not a bad week at all. I closed my eyes and smiled to myself, wondering what tomorrow would bring.
About the Author
D. C. Gomez was born in the Dominican Republic; raised in Salem, Massachusetts; and educated in New York City. After serving in the US Army, the writer moved to Wake Village, Texas, where she now lives with a very sassy tabby cat, Chincha.
