At first, she thought he was Nicky until she realized that this was the Dark-Hunter akri had met a while back.
Jamie Gallagher. A former gangster in one of them big cities. Chicago, if she remembered correctly.
But he wasn’t stationed here in New Orleans, so she couldn’t imagine what had brought him here now.
Back in the 1930s gangster days, the poor man had been betrayed and then shot dead on his way to the hospital while his wife was having their baby.
She still remembered how sad akri had been on that day when he went to meet Gallagher for the first time after he became a Dark-Hunter. He’d felt so terrible for him.
And so did she. No one should die before they gots to see their simi. Just as no simi should ever lose a parent.
It was obvious by the Dark-Hunter’s pained expression that the sight of all these babies upset him. No doubt he was thinking of the night he died.
Akri had his back to Gallagher and couldn’t see the bemused expression on his face.
The nice, wonderful doctor lady came up behind Gallagher and smiled at Simi while she sang. “Now there’s a sight you don’t see every day, huh? Two punked-out Goths throwing a Christmas party for sick children.”
Those words amused Simi. Dr. Wilson said that about them to everyone she saw. Simi wasn’t sure why, but she enjoyed the fact the doctor thought they were strange.
“You’ve no idea,” Gallagher said to the doctor.
She smiled. “I have to admit it took me some getting used to them when I started working here a few years ago. I thought the higher ups were joking when they first told me about the Goth Guardian Angel and his children’s fund.”
Gallagher arched a brow at the nickname. “So he comes here a lot?”
Yes, they did. It’d been something she and akri had done for as long as Simi could remember.
But not always this hospital. There were lots of them that they visited.
The doctor nodded. “Every few months or so. He always brings gifts for the children and staff and then plays with the kids for a while.”
Gallagher appeared stunned by something that was second nature for akri. “Really?”
“Oh yeah. We figure he must be some rich kid with a need to do some good. The darnedest thing is whenever he comes, the kids become perfectly calm and serene. Their blood pressure goes down, and we never have to give them any painkillers while he’s here. After he leaves, they sleep comfortably for hours. And best of all, the cancer patients go into remission. I don’t know what it is about that young man, but he really makes a difference in their lives.”
That’s because the doctor didn’t know akri was a god who cared about others.
And so did she.
The minute akri realized he was being watched by one of his Dark-Hunters, the light went out of his precious eyes. The humor faded and akri stiffened noticeably into that grim, take-no-prisoners leader that he always appeared as to his Dark-Hunter soldiers.
Still, he continued to play the guitar so that Simi could finish her song.
But once she was done, akri handed his guitar off to one of the older children on the floor and excused himself.
He stood up and left the room with a loose long-limbed, predatorial gait that made everyone around him so nervous. Akri’s face was unreadable as he crossed his arms over his chest and approached Gallagher.
Simi stayed inside the room and showed the boy akri had given the guitar to how to play a couple of basic chords. While she was doing that, the cutest little toddler boy came over and squatted on her lap.
“Hello, little simi.”
He smiled up at her. “Jingle bells?”
She laughed at the sweet cherub who kept saying that. So she began to sing it for him.
Simi didn’t know why, but she really loved this baby. He was always so very sweet and cuddly.
Once akri was in the hallway and while she played with the baby, Gallagher let out a snide laugh. “St. Ash, who knew?”
