Aphrodite's Secret (30 page)

Jason grinned. “Right.” For years, Lane had been working her tail off trying to make a home for their son. Jason had only managed to entertain the child for twenty minutes. One tick in the Jason column; eight billion ticks for Lane.

He scowled, another thought occurring to him. “Did you tell Mr. Aaron?”

Davy shook his head, his eyes wide.

“Why not?” Jason asked, more thrilled than he cared to admit.

“I dunno. Elmer said most mortal boys can’t make things like animal translators. I figured he’d think I was weird.”

“You told me,” Jason said.

“You already knew,” Davy explained reasonably. “Besides, you’re weird, too.”

True enough.

“Can you invent stuff, too?” Davy asked.

Jason shook his head. “I can barely work my coffeemaker, much less make one from scratch.”

“Oh.” Davy looked slightly disappointed, and Jason wondered if he was already losing points on the daddy-front. Then the boy said, “I can’t see through walls like Aunt Zoë can. Not without my glasses.”

Jason nodded, slowly realizing what was going on in his son’s little head. “We all have different powers,” he said. He tapped Davy on the noggin. “Most of yours are up here.”

“That’s boring,” Davy complained. “I want to be able to shoot fire like Mr. Mordi.”

Jason grimaced. “Let’s go easy on the emulating Mr. Mordi thing, okay?”

“I didn’t used to be able to make things. And then it got easier.”

Jason blinked, not really sure about his son’s segue, but willing to follow the boy’s lead. “That’s because you’re getting older. When you turn seven, you’ll be even better.”

“Will I be able to whack someone?” Davy asked. He got up and karate-chopped the railing. “Aunt Zoë‘s good at whacking.”

“You sure will,” Jason said. “Most Protectors are super strong. Halflings, too. And you’ll likely be able to levitate stuff.”

“Really?” Davy put his glasses carefully on the ground, then stared at them, his brow furrowed, his eyes squinting, and his lips pooched out. He made a little snorting noise.

“Uh, Davy?”

“I’m trying to levitate them. But nothing’s happening.”

Jason laughed. “We’ll work on that. You’ll be surprised. Friday you’ll start getting your powers more and more. And your mom and I talked about it— I’m going to hang around. Teach you how to use those powers.” He cocked his head, trying to read Davy’s face for a reaction.

“Can I have an Eggo?”

Jason sighed. So much for a burst of excitement from the boy that he would be a permanent fixture.

“Please?” Davy begged.

Jason looked through the door. Zoë was still asleep on the sofa, and Taylor was sacked out on the floor just below her. “Everyone’s still asleep,” he said.

“And the sun’s barely even up. Can’t you wait just a little while longer?”

Davy shrugged. “I guess.. .. Can you whack?”

“Oh, yeah,” Jason said. “I’m great at whacking.”

The boy was silent for a moment.

“You weren’t really in space, were you?”

Jason took a deep breath, not sure what to say. In the end, he decided on the truth. “Nope.”

“Oh.” Davy filled his cheeks with air and then popped them. “What can
you
do? What are your powers?”

“Other than whacking?” Jason asked, relieved when the boy laughed. “I mostly hang out in the water.”

“Really? Why?”

“Remember the dolphin at Sea World?”

Davy nodded.

“That was me.”

Davy’s eyes widened. “Cool.”

Jason’s chest swelled a little. His son thought he was cool.

“What else can you do?”

Jason tapped his jaw, thinking. “Well, I had a conversation with Dorothy, and I can hold my breath underwater for a really, really long time.” Actually, he didn’t hold his breath at all, but explaining the transfer of oxygen from the water through his skin to his bloodstream seemed a little much for a six-year-old. Then again, this
was
Davy.

“Is Dorothy nice?”

“The best,” Jason said.

The boy hugged his knees to his chest. “I’m glad she’s here,” he said. “And Elmer, too. I can talk to Elmer, but I haven’t made a translator yet for Dorothy.” He shrugged. “I’m gonna, though.” He played with the Velcro strap on his sandal for a while before looking back up at his father. “Why does Hieronymous want me?”

Jason sighed, then glanced up at the bedroom above. Too bad he didn’t have the glasses anymore. He’d like to know if Lane was awake. This was one of those parenting moments he wasn’t entirely sure he was ready for.

Unfortunately for him, no one seemed to be stirring in the house.

“Mr. Jason?” Davy prompted. “How come?”

“He wants what’s in here,” Jason explained, tapping Davy’s head with the tip of his finger. “He wants your smarts.”

“Can he get them?” Davy asked, real awe in his voice.

“I guess so,” Jason admitted. “Do you think you could? Invent something like that, I mean.”

“A smarts-stealer?” Davy’s face puckered up in concentration. “Yeah. Maybe. I guess so.” He shook his head. “But I wouldn’t. That’s a bad thing.”

“Yup.”

“So, are we going to live here with you forever?”

Jason’s breath hitched. He certainly hoped so. But not for the reason Davy meant. “Just until Friday,” he said. “After your birthday, you can go back home.”

“That’s good,” Davy said. “I like my stuff.” He got up and walked to the edge of the patio, looking down at the water lapping against the side of the boat. “But I like the ocean, too.”

Jason moved to stand behind him, thrilled to find a bit of common ground other than Lane. “Why don’t we take a quick swim?”

Davy shook his head, stepping back from the rail. “I don’t know how.”

That surprised Jason even more than the X-ray glasses.
His
son, unable to swim? “Haven’t you ever had lessons?”

Davy shook his head. “Mommy wants me to, but she can’t afford them. And she doesn’t swim very good, so she didn’t want to teach me. Uncle Taylor said he’d teach me this summer.”

Jason clenched his fists. If he’d been there, Davy would be swimming like a fish. A knot of anger rose in Jason’s gut.
Damn Hieronymous
.

He took a deep breath, determined to enjoy this moment with his child. “Why don’t I teach you now?” he asked.

Davy licked his lips but didn’t jump at the offer.

“Or, better yet, why don’t we just play a little?”

At that, Davy’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Sure.” His houseboat was moored at the end of the dock, which meant there was a small, enclosed swimming area that Jason often hung out in. When he was feeling adventurous, he’d dive down and swim under the boat docked next to him—a huge yacht owned by some celebrity who used it about once a year. Now, with Davy, he’d just do a couple of quick circles around the enclosure—just to whet the kid’s appetite.

He stood up, eager to have some activity with his son that belonged solely to them. “What do you say? Shall we give it a shot?”

Davy’s head bobbed, stopping abruptly to scowl up at Jason. “But I don’t have a bathing suit.”

“Right. Hmmm.” He peered at the boy. “What are you wearing under those shorts?”

“Underwear.”

“That’ll work,” Jason said.

“Wear my underwear?” Davy’s voice rose a few octaves.

“Sure. Why not? I’ll wear mine, too.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely,” Jason said. And to prove the point, he stripped off his T-shirt and shorts and stood there in his navy blue Hanes briefs. A little father-son bonding in the morning.

Davy giggled, then did the same. Soon he was standing in nothing but a pair of Scooby-Doo skivvies.

“This is gonna be cool,” he said. And then he marched over, held out his hand, and waited for Jason to take it.

A lump rose in Jason’s throat and he sighed. Baby steps, maybe. But they were stepping in the right direction.

“I’m sorry about the weird arrangements,” Lane said as Zoë led Aaron onto Jason’s balcony. It truly was awkward, but when he’d called on her cell phone, she’d had to explain where she was staving. “But I really want to stick close to Davy.”

“Where is he?” Aaron asked.

“With Jason,” Zoë answered. “When I woke up, they were having an earnest conversation on the back patio.”

Lane nodded, pleased that father and son were getting along. For a second she considered having Davy join her and Aaron, but then she decided against it. He’d had precious little time to simply hang out with Jason one-on-one; she didn’t want to interrupt them now when they were having a good time.

“I think they’re playing in the water now,” Zoë added.

“The water?”

“Yup,” Zoë said. She pointed over the balcony. “See?”

Sure enough, Davy was hanging on to Jason’s back as his father splashed and spun in the water. The little boy kicked and squealed and seemed to be having a great time. Goodness knew he deserved a great time after all he’d been through recently, but...

Lane nibbled on her lower lip. “Do you think it’s safe?”

Zoë raised an eyebrow. “What, the water? He’s with
Jason
.”

Good point
. If anyone could keep Davy safe in the water, it was Jason.

Zoë licked her lips, bit her tongue.

“What?” Lane asked, immediately concerned.

“Nothing,” Zoë said in a rush. “Really. I was just thinking about, uh ... stuff. There’s something I’ve been trying to tell Taylor and we keep getting interrupted.” She glanced at her watch. “I think I’ll go see if he’s up yet.” And she did.

After Zoë was gone, Aaron moved up beside Lane and put a hand on her shoulder. “So, what’s going on?” he asked. “Can I help?”

Lane shook her head. “It’s nothing. Really.”

“If it’s nothing, then why are you and your entire family staying on this fellow’s boat? And if it’s nothing, why aren’t you in school? What happened to the hundreds of pages you had to read? The Law Review article to write? Finals to study for?”

“You have a trial,” she said, dodging his question. “And here you are.”

He stroked her cheek. “I’m taking a break to see you.”

She rolled her shoulder. “Maybe I’m taking a break, too.”

“Lane ...” He trailed off, a hint of reproach in his voice.

“It, uh, wasn’t really a birthday party,” she said. She picked up a muffin and started peeling away its paper.

Aaron’s eyes narrowed. “What wasn’t?” he asked.

“Why we made you leave yesterday,” she explained. “What Deena said. It wasn’t really a family thing.”

“Okay,” Aaron said, slowly and patiently. “Then, what is going on?”

“Well,” Lane said, “it was a family thing, just not
that kind
of family thing.” She edged to the balcony, peering down at Davy and Jason. Her son leaned his head back and waved at her. “Look at me, Mommy! I’m swimming!”

Jason caught the boy under the tummy and swooshed him around in the water, while Davy kicked and splashed and laughed.

“He’s okay?” she called down.

Jason laughed. “He’s doing great. Aren’t you, sport?”

In response, Davy bobbed his head underwater, then came up shaking it, sending water flying like a big, wet dog. Lane laughed, too. “Okay, but—”

“But what? He’s fine.”

She opened her mouth to argue, then decided against it and just nodded.

“Lane!” Aaron’s stern voice drew her back. “What’s going on?”

“Oh. Right. Yeah. Well, it’s a whole big child-custody thing,” she said, blurting out the first thing that came to mind. “Jason’s father wants custody of Davy.” She took another quick glance at Davy before shifting back to Aaron. “Grandpa is a little nuts.”

“Well, then I
can
help,” Aaron said. “The firm has a brilliant family law section. Let me hook you up with someone.” He moved to the railing and glanced over. “Hey, kiddo,” he called. “You look pretty wet.”

“Hey, Aaron!” Davy squealed, laughing and splashing some more.

“Hey, yourself,” Aaron responded. He squeezed Lane’s hand. “So, what do you say? Want me to make some calls?”

“Look at me!” Davy’s voice drifted up to the balcony. “I’m a dolphin!”

Somehow, Jason had gotten hold of a ball, and now he held it just above Davy’s head. The boy bopped it with his nose, then splashed back under the water.

“You look great, sweetie,” Lane called.

The surface of the water became choppy, and Lane looked back, expecting to see the boat’s flag flapping in a kicked-up breeze. Instead, it hung limp.

Odd.

“What’s that?” Aaron asked, pointing down.

“I don’t see anyth—” And then she did. It was just a quick flash of something white and fleshy under the surface of the water. “Jason!” she yelled. “Look out!”

But it was too late. A giant. . . something . . . burst from the water, one huge tentacle slapping down, taking Davy and Jason under the water with it.

Lane screamed, the world turning black and white like a negative as she clutched the railing and tried to keep from fainting.

Aaron swore, his voice cutting through the fear clouding Lane’s mind. Then, “Davy!” he called. In one fluid movement, the lawyer was up on the railing, his shoes left behind on the balcony.

Lane reached for him, but her fingers only brushed the cloth of his khakis. He was gone. Over the edge and into the ocean. One more person she cared for diving right into Hieronymous’s clutches.

The Henchman’s tentacle smashed over Jason, coming from behind and sucking him and Davy beneath the murky waves. Davy yelped as they went down, then immediately tried to claw his way back to the surface.

But, right at that moment, the surface wasn’t the safe place to be. The Henchman—a slimy squidlike creature that lumbered on land but moved with the grace of a jellyfish in the sea—was likely still up there, floundering about, trying to figure out where the man and his boy had disappeared to.

With a tug on his ankles, Jason pulled his son back down. Davy struggled, but Jason kicked them under the houseboat, then gripped Davy’s shoulders and looked in his son’s eyes. The contact seemed to calm the boy, and Jason’s heart beat a little slower.

He was already kicking himself for not expecting the attack. Now all he wanted to do was get Davy back to the safety of his boat’s deck—then he’d beat the crap out of one particular Henchman.