I nodded. “I guess that’s a good assessment. We are who we are.”
“Oleg was big, like really tall. In a way, Laurel’s husband reminds me a bit of him. They put off that vibe. You know?”
Hearing Mason referred to as Laurel’s husband returned the smile to my face.
“And yet,” she went on, “just because he looked intimidating, I always felt safe around him. Maybe even more so than with Andros.” She shook her head. “Never mind. The thing is, if I ran into the four of you in a hallway where we live, I might reach for Oleg and take comfort in his presence. Here, other than Mr. Sparrow who seems grumpy—which is crazy because Araneae is so nice—anyway, you are all, well, I feel more like you’re all Olegs. I know that sounds stupid.”
“I think it was a compliment.”
“And you listen.” She spun toward me. “Right now, you’re listening to what I’m saying. Most men don’t listen. They talk and hear answers, but most of the men I’m used to would never sit here with me and talk.”
“Ruby, you’re safe here. Araneae, Laurel, and Lorna will be here all day. Usually Reid is near. I promise when I return it will be with your mom. I hope it’s today. If it isn’t, don’t give up. I won’t let you down.”
“Maddie?”
The smile on my lips grew, raising my cheeks. “Yes, you see your mother was fifteen when we met, and she introduced herself as Maddie.”
“It’s a fun name. I like it.”
I stood. “Trust me?”
Ruby nodded. “I think so.”
“I wanted your mom to be here when you learned the truth about me. I hoped she could help you accept it.”
“It doesn’t matter what I accept.”
“It does.”
“Not in the science,” she said. “You said there was a paternity test. You’re my father.”
“I am.”
She shrugged. “See, my acceptance doesn’t change that.”
“I hope one day you will—accept.”
“I think it was good that Mom wasn’t here. I want to be upset too, but I get your point. Being mad at her for keeping this secret won’t change the past.”
“But it could the future,” I said, standing. “Let’s not do that.”
“Patrick?”
“Yes?”
“I’m not ready to call you Dad or any derivation of that title.”
Again I smiled. “You do what feels right. Patrick or ‘hey, you’ works well.”
“Hey, you,” she said with a grin. “Thanks for what you did to Mr. Hillman. Thanks for saving me.”
“I’m a little late to the job, but I accept it wholeheartedly.” I peered toward the elevator and back to Ruby. “I need to go. I’ll try to keep in touch. Just know I’m doing my best.”
“I’m glad you and Mom found each other again.”
“Me too.”
One thing that struck me throughout our conversation was Ruby’s aversion to speaking about Ivanov and life in Detroit. Perhaps she truly had spent most of her time at the academy in Ann Arbor.
Another thing she questioned was my living arrangements.
It was simple, I told her. Mr. Sparrow, Mason, Reid, and I met after I’d lost touch with her mom. The four of us became friends, and now we worked together and lived as neighbors. I hadn’t given our situation a lot of thought, but now I wondered how it differed from where she and Madeline lived in Detroit.
Scanning my handprint outside the pocket door that covered the elevator in the penthouse, I made the choice to think about Ruby later. I had time to learn more and for her to learn more about me. Right now, I had to concentrate on Madeline.
Was the necklace broadcasting?
Had she sent any messages via the secret email?
What was happening?
With my mind on Maddie, the elevator doors opened to our apartments and to my surprise, the door to Reid and Lorna’s apartment opened and Reid stepped out. Our eyes met.
“Do you have a plane ready?” I asked.
“Plane is ready. Tell me your plan.”
My neck stiffened as I felt the cords come to life; the tension that being with Ruby had lessened was back. “My plan is that I’m going to do what Sparrow said. I’m going to go get Madeline and bring her here.”
“Just like that?”
“She’s at Marion Elliott’s ranch. She isn’t bunkered down in the Ivanov bratva.”
Reid nodded. “First, before you go, come downstairs to 2 with me.”
I’d already spent more time up with Ruby than I’d planned. The flight to Dallas was a two-and-a-half-hour flight, and that didn’t include ground transportation. “Fine. I need to grab something from the apartment.” Less than a minute later, I was back. “Let’s go to 2. Tell me who’s going with me.”
“Marianne will pilot.”
We were now standing before the elevator. “Marianne? I thought Sparrow had a meeting out of town today with some bigwig in New York. She should pilot him.” I was having difficulty keeping up on everyone’s schedule.
“He postponed it,” Reid replied.
I scoffed. “I’m sure Stephanie is thrilled.” Stephanie was Sparrow’s personal assistant at Sparrow Enterprises, the headquarters for the Sparrow real estate conglomerate.
“Stephanie has been putting up with him longer than Araneae has,” Reid said. “She’s used to him. She’ll make some great excuse that will probably have the CEO jumping on his plane to meet Sparrow in Chicago.”
Reid was right. Though Stephanie had never been expressly told about the Sparrow outfit, she was Sparrow’s eyes and ears in the corporate world and knew he had a busy life away from Michigan Avenue. They’d come to an understanding years ago.
“Any capos?” I asked.
“Come downstairs. I have some information and aerial views of the ranch that will affect your plan, if you ever tell me what it is.”
Did I have a plan?
How fucking hard would it be to enter a ranch, demand to see Madeline, and remove her from the premises?
As Reid and I entered 2, multiple large screens shone high above, filled with different views of Elliott’s ranch.
“I came down after breakfast and pulled up some surveillance from the last few days. It all looks rather benign,” Reid said, “but since getting to know Mason’s ranch, I’ve started looking at less obvious signs. Elliott doesn’t have armed guards around his property, and there’s a lot of traffic from ranch hands as well as those working the wells. But check out this time-lapsed video.”
Leaning against the edge of one of the desks, I crossed my arms over my chest and watched. With the increased speed it was obvious there was a bubble of sorts over the main house and surrounding buildings.
“Watch the horses,” I said, zeroed in on their apparent aversion to the corral closest to the house.
“They’re actually what clued me in,” Reid said. “There’s nothing visible, yet they all slow when they get close, turn, and go the other way.”
“There’s traffic on the road to the house.”
“Yes, but watch.” He hit some buttons. A view of a long black car leaving the main house came into view. “This is Ivanov leaving early this morning.”