Introducing Thaddeus Black Ch. 08

"To hell with your work, I've got money. You'll never have to work or suffer anymore."

He pulled her face towards his and kissed her. "Maybe when you return, we'll talk more on that. For now, bond with your son."

Johnny returned with two chocolate and vanilla ice cream cones in his hand. He gave one to his mother and the other to Thad. Half a minute later they announced via the PA system the boarding of her flight. Constance hugged him with teary eyes and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you for everything, Thad," she sniffled on his shoulder. "I won't ever forget you. I'll call you always."

"I know you will," he said, hugging her back before eventually letting her go.

He shook hands with Johnny and told him to take care of his mom and always to be a good boy. Johnny replied that he would. He waved at them as they went with the onrushing crowd and they too waved back.

He returned to the parking lot, held onto his hat as a strong gust of wind threatened to blow it off him and went into his car, start it then drove off back towards the city.

He drove to his apartment. His front door was partly opened. He entered cautiously, cursed himself for always forgetting to take his gun with him. There was nobody in the living room. He closed the front door quietly then advanced towards the bedroom. A familiar figure lay there reading a book from his library collection. As he entered the room, the woman looked up from the book in her hand and smiled at him.

"Hiya, Thad," said Erica, closing the book in her hand. "I was wondering when you were going to show up." She came down from the bed and approached him, coming to wrap her arms around his neck. She was wearing a summer t-shirt and shorts. "I've been lonely upstairs and dying for when you'd return home."

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THADDEUS BLACK will return in "Devil Owns the Night".