“What does that mean for long term?”
“It means we’ll monitor him. Irregular heartbeats are not uncommon. Most people have no problem and many go undetected. Some require medication, others surgery. Right now, Reid is healthy and a very lucky man. We’ll keep an eye on things. Let me know if” —she looked at me— “you notice being more tired or any other unusual symptoms.”
“What about now?” Lorna asked.
“Now, your husband is beside you. That’s all that matters.”
I saw the tears as Lorna stood and embraced Renita. “Thank you.”
“I’ll call tomorrow.”
Lorna nodded as she walked her to the door. As she began to open it, she said, “Oh, I can’t get you to the garage.”
“I can.”
My neck stiffened at the voice. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to talk to him or see him. It was that in the nine plus years we’ve lived here, Sparrow rarely made visits to this floor. I think it was more symbolic than anything. This glass castle in the sky was his dream. When he brought Mason, Patrick, and me here for the first time, the construction of these floors was mostly complete. He asked for suggestions or, in Sparrow style, opened the door for our suggestions. I’m not sure he asks. Sparrow made a point that this floor was meant to be ours. Even with the power he wields, he hasn’t deviated from that promise. Though I waited, Sparrow didn’t appear. Instead, he was out in the common area.
Lorna looked in on me. “Will you be all right for a minute?”
“What does he want?” I asked as I tried unsuccessfully to sit up.
She feigned a smile. “I’ll find out. Reid, listen to Dr. Dixon and rest. I’ll be right back.”
With that, the door closed, leaving me stranded with a million conversations going through my mind. The foremost one was the circumstance of my injury. I still wasn’t sure how to tell Lorna about Gordon Maples. Nevertheless, I sure as hell didn’t want it coming from Sparrow.
Lorna
Sparrow nodded to Renita as he turned, escorting her to the elevator. He moved with all the power of his position—a king secure in his realm, and yet as he and the doctor spoke, I sensed there was more. The responsibility Sparrow had willingly accepted weighed heavily upon his broad shoulders. After thanking the doctor for her help, he stepped into the elevator, hit G for the parking garage, and stepped back out before the doors closed.
His dark stare met mine. The air around us crackled with an uneasy combination of tension and anticipation as I continued eye contact, wondering what he would say. It wasn’t that I was intimidated any longer by the man who ran the underground of Chicago. Through the years, our friendship had come too far. However, it rarely included the two of us alone. We joked and laughed while within our larger group. We spoke directly about matters of insignificance. This encounter was different. It was out of character—a noteworthy disparity when facing a man who was always in character.
Sparrow ran his large palm down his face. The movement highlighted the exhaustion showing in the lines near his dark eyes. His suit coat was gone as was his tie. His Adam’s apple bobbed above his shirt, now unbuttoned at the collar.
“Lorna, I...” Sparrow began before stopping and starting again. “You should know...”
The uncertainty emanating from one of the most certain and confident men I knew left me unsettled. Shifting my feet, I yearned to help in some small way. “Would you like to see Reid?” I asked, gesturing toward our apartment door. “You’re welcome to come inside.”
“No. I saw him. I thought I should see you.”
I wrapped my arms around my midsection. “Okay. Why?”
Sparrow’s wide chest inflated and deflated. “I didn’t make an effort—well, I did. I made an effort not to see you when...before.” He shook his head. “I was blinded by what I considered my failure to keep one of my men safe. I either didn’t think about how the loss of Mason affected anyone but me, or if I’m honest, I didn’t care.” Turning a bit, he lifted his hand to behind his neck, his bicep flexing in his rolled-up sleeve. “This time...I thought maybe...this time I should tell you what I didn’t say then.”
Heaviness filled my chest with too many emotions. Hugging myself tighter, I said, “Then was a lifetime ago. This outcome is different.”
“Today could have been another lifetime, and I want you to know something.”
The small hairs on the back of my neck bristled as we stood amongst the stupid furniture that no one ever used. “Okay.”
“You were brought here by Mason. You stayed here because of Reid. That was then...before. And I will fucking kill either of them if they put us through this again—today was bad enough—but if that day ever comes, I want you to know your future is in your own hands. Finances should never be a concern, but if you want to stay here, in your home, here with your family, that decision is not contingent upon either your brother or your husband. This is your home, Lorna. There are no qualifiers on that statement. You may opt to take the first fucking plane out of here and that’s your prerogative.” He took a deep breath. “The possibility of that decision came to me today, and I decided it was important that you never need wonder where you fit in all of this.”
With each blink, another tear joined those now flowing down my cheeks. “I don’t want to consider that day.”
“No one does. Even so, today when I first got word that Reid was down, my second thought was you, followed by what an ass I’d been when it was Mason.”
I shook my head. “Like we’ve said, that was a long time ago.”
The tips of his lips moved upward. “Even so, I’ve been told I’m still capable of displaying that characteristic today.”
My cheeks rose. “No comment from me.” I looked toward our apartment door. “Are you sure you don’t want to come in?”
“I’m sure. I’ll let you two have some time alone.”
“Thank you.” My gratitude was genuine, not only for the invitation and admission of my place within this Sparrow world, but more so for the effort Sterling Sparrow had just made. In the reality of our pecking order, the king of the jungle didn’t owe me anything, and yet he’d made an effort, given me his word, and solidified my position with his promise.
Sparrow nodded.
Turning, I took a step toward the apartment as Sparrow pushed the button beside the elevator. Quickly, I turned back. “What was your first thought?”
“What?”
“You said when you got word that Reid had been shot, your second thought was about me and how things went when Mason...What was your first thought?”
“That I’d fucking burn Englewood to the ground because payback is a bitch.”
“Englewood?”
“Yes.”
The mention of the neighborhood made my stomach twist. “Why Englewood?”
“That was where it happened.”
“Oh, I guess I didn’t know that. Why was Reid in Englewood?”
Why wasn’t he on 2 where he usually stayed?
Sparrow reached for the elevator door, holding it open and keeping the elevator in place. “That’s a discussion that needs to be between you and your husband.” He stepped inside. “Tell him he better not enter 2 until Renita gives him clearance or else.”