Chapter 5 Zeke
Zeke
I’d just finished ordering my chicken sandwich and fries when a noticeable hush fell over the busy restaurant. Conversations died mid-sentence and every eye turned to gawk at the newcomer striding through the door. Even without looking, I knew it was Dad. Wherever he went, people noticed.
He spotted me immediately and strutted over to my booth, looking like he’d just stepped off a Hollywood film set in his black leather jacket, jeans that fit perfectly, and aviator sunglasses.
I hated that he’d flown here in less than an hour and his hair looked better than mine.
Most people thought we were brothers because despite being one of the original angels to come to Earth, he barely looked older than me.
Removing the glasses, however, the way his eyes studied me was all parental concern. No surprise he’d flown here to make sure I was okay. That was Dad, and I loved him for everything he did for me.
“Hey kiddo,” he said, sliding into the booth across from me. He put the glasses on the table and continued to scrutinize me with a worried expression. “You okay?”
I shrugged, trying to play it cool even though I was still upset by Orion’s outburst. “Yeah, I’m good. It’s not the first time someone tried to break down my door in anger.”
My joke fell flat and Dad’s eyes flashed with barely suppressed anger. “I swear I don’t know what’s wrong with that boy. It’s a good thing Gabriel went to talk to Ori. I’d have knocked him on his ass.”
Much as I appreciated Dad trying to protect me, I wasn’t a kid anymore. “Not to sound ungrateful for the support, but I didn’t ask for help. I took care of myself just fine.”
“I know you did, but when Gabriel said you called, I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
The way Dad brushed off his concern made me suspicious. He hadn’t seemed worried about my safety, and he agreed—tacitly at least—that I hadn’t asked for help. “And because he wants you to talk me into not leaving.”
“No. Gabe didn’t want me to come at all, but I felt partly responsible for what happened. I shouldn’t have encouraged you to accept the mission.”
I smirked because he acted like I’d been given a choice. “You’re not responsible for anything. Michael didn’t ask, he told me. But thanks for coming, Dad. I appreciate you making sure I’m all right.”
“Always, Zeke. Always.” His gaze softened as he took me in. “This doesn’t excuse Orion’s behavior, but there are reasons why he can be so intense.”
Dad paused as the waitress brought my food. She asked if he wanted anything, and he ordered a turkey club on whole wheat, with fruit instead of fries. I snorted once she left. “Live a little, Dad. You don’t need to count calories.”
“Order what you like, and let me do the same.” He nicked one of my fries and bit it in half. “I happen to like fruit more than greasy and salty.”
He looked at his fingers and then wiped them on the spare napkin on his side of the table.
“You know Orion’s life has been bookended by hard times.
His father died fighting in the Crusades before Orion got his powers.
His mother ignored Ori for over a century afterward because he reminded her too much of his father. ”
I tried to picture Mom avoiding me for a hundred years and failed. The idea was too painful. Dad nodded sadly.
“It gets worse. When his mother finally recovered, she remarried. She wanted nothing to do with fighting because of what it had cost her. She asked her son to give up being a soldier, and when he refused, she’s only had sporadic contact with him since.
Your mother and I included him in our family, but it’s not quite the same.
Especially since his mother is still alive. ”
There was a lot more there to unpack, but this wasn’t the time, and Dad wasn’t the one to tell me Ori’s story. “Wow. That explains a lot.”
“There’s more.” Dad sounded like he carried the world on his shoulders. “Did Gabriel tell you anything about Lael, Orion’s former partner?”
I shook my head as I grabbed a fry. “Nope. And despite my best efforts I couldn’t find a lot about him.”
“I never liked Lael, mostly because I didn’t trust his father, Lucien.
Lucien was always more concerned with his own power than the good of our people.
I tried to keep my personal feelings hidden from Orion because he loved Lael deeply.
It was also the happiest I’d ever seen him. Your mother worried, too.”
“Unfortunately, Ori is perceptive. He figured out how we felt, and it put a distance between us.”
Dad’s eyes looked pained, and a muscle ticked in his jaw.
“About a century ago, Lael changed drastically. In hindsight, it had started centuries earlier, but Ori seemed happy and never complained. Lael nearly died in the First World War. After he healed, he grew cold, distant, and disdainful of Ori’s love.
One day, Lael left with no warning. There was a brief note saying they were over and warned Ori against looking for him.
It shattered Ori’s heart into so many pieces, no one could figure out how to help put it back together.
Since the breakup, Ori’s been a virtual recluse. ”
I glanced at my forgotten sandwich growing cold on my plate. He might have been a jerk to me, but no one deserved that much heartache. “That’s heavy.”
“I’m not telling you all this to make you feel obligated,” Dad said. “You have every right to walk away, and I won’t let anyone, not even Michael, force you to stay if you’re uncomfortable.”
This new context on Orion would have been really helpful before today. It didn’t excuse his behavior, but it made it more understandable. My anger drained away, replaced by a sudden, surprising swell of compassion.
“Just think about giving him one more chance,” Dad said, watching my face.
“You’re the best person for this mission, Zeke.
Your deductive skills, your intuition, your heart, and your training are exactly what’s called for.
And there isn’t anyone better than Orion to keep you safe, if you can find a way to get past his rough edges. ”
Rough edges? They were more like chainsaw teeth.
Chewing on another fry, I tried to remove emotions from my deliberation.
Orion had majorly overstepped. Scared me, too, if I was being honest. On the other hand, walking away would only reinforce Orion’s isolation and distrust. If the Drevlin threat was as serious as Michael claimed, I couldn’t abandon this mission with a clear conscience.
Dad watched me, but like always, didn’t push me into making the decision he wanted.
He had the patience of a being who’d live for millennia.
But he wouldn’t have come unless he wanted me to try again.
This time, however, he wanted me to have full information and be able to ask him anything before I made my choice. Something Michael had denied me.
“I’ll stick with the assignment and give him another shot, but no more caveman, chest-pounding, ‘me in charge, you listen,’ crap.”
My theatrics made Dad laugh. “I’ll make sure Gabriel tells him exactly that.
” His amusement changed into something more paternal and full of pride.
“You’re a good man, son, and I love you so much.
I believe in my heart you are doing the right thing, but if you ever have doubts, call me and I’ll take you home in a heartbeat. ”
I didn’t need a psych degree to realize this was why Michael wouldn’t let Dad protect me. He’d be too protective and that might jeopardize the mission. And if Dad couldn’t do it himself, he trusted Orion with my life. That was a pretty strong endorsement.
“Yeah, yeah, enough of that. You’re still paying for lunch, old man.”
Dad barked out a laugh, the sound turning heads all over the restaurant. “It’s cute you think four millennia make me old. I’m just hitting my prime.”
His food arrived and we shared an extremely rare father/son lunch.
I laughed at his animated stories, and he smiled like a proud dad when I talked about my successful cases.
The day certainly started off crazy, but if that was what it took to spend a few hours with my father, I’d take the crazy any time I could.
Hopefully Gabriel’s talk with Orion went half this well. If it did, we’d be fine working together. If not, well, I always did love a challenge.