Promises

by Aleatha Romig

  “I want to know what Reid knows, when he knows it,” Araneae said after handing me the lockbox as we settled into the back seat of one of my reinforced SUVs.

  After the near miss the other day by the drive-by SUV and what we may have possibly discovered, there were no precautions I wouldn’t take. With Patrick in the shotgun position and Garrett driving, we were on our way to the apartment where Reid was waiting—practically biting at the bit to get his hands on the contents of the lockbox.

  I reached for Araneae’s hand. “Do you want to know?”

  Araneae’s bottom lip disappeared for a moment as I watched her thoughts swirl through her soft brown eyes. “I do and I don’t.”

  My head shook as Garrett navigated the Chicago streets, our vehicle stilled sporadically by stoplights and traffic while Patrick continually kept an eagle eye on our surroundings. It was early afternoon in the Windy City, and as usual, downtown traffic was at its normal gridlock. Taking a breath, I peered up at the buildings, some of their top floors lost in the low bank of clouds that had recently settled over the city.

  Since our return, the sky had filled with heavy gray clouds, the signaling of a cold front coming our way. On the calendar, summer still had a few more weeks, yet many considered the Labor Day holiday the unofficial end. Pools throughout the city closed. Schools throughout the country reopened, reducing the number of families visiting over their children’s summer breaks.

  I found it ironic that the same deadline had been given to us. The clock was ticking with a lot riding on the contents of this box. All of that, combined with the gloomy skies, had us all on edge. The tension within the car was growing thicker by the moment.

  Taking a look to my side, Araneae was staring out her window. Her gaze clouded as if she weren’t seeing the skyscrapers and overcast conditions. If I could guess, her mind was still back in Cambridge—the church where her parents had married and the graveyard where she was supposedly buried.

  It was no secret that I wanted us to leave the church and wasn’t pleased about her decision to talk to the new minister. With each step toward the church and while in that office, my thoughts were on how to best inform Araneae that I disapproved—admittedly, most of my explanations included reddening her sexy round ass. And then...

  I almost couldn’t believe my ears when Pastor Fellows mentioned something handed down since Watkins or possibly before.

  Now, watching Araneae with that faraway gaze, I wanted to reassure her that we’d find our way through this, that she was safe, and maybe even that one day we’d prove to the world that she was the real Araneae McCrie.

  Of course, I noticed how she’d introduced herself as Kennedy Hawkins.

  I reached over and secured her hand. “You do and you don’t want to know,” I said, repeating what she had just told me.

  Her head bobbed as if her emotions were beginning to overpower our discovery.

  “I’ve told you what I think this contains,” I said honestly. I squeezed her hand. “I’ve been honest with you. I knew it would be too much information all at once, so it’s taken time. Still, you know more than I wish you did. Not because my family was involved, but because I would do anything if you could live your entire life and never know that this ugliness exists.”

  Patrick spoke, redirecting our attention. “Sparrow. Araneae.”

  Both of our gazes moved to the front seat.

  “I spoke with Jana,” Patrick said, “before we disembarked the plane. She just sent me a new text message. The Chicago Sinful Threads office is locked and secure. She’s on her way home and available to do whatever she can do for you from there.”

  “Is she safe?” Araneae asked.

  I nodded Patrick’s direction, silently telling him to send a team of Sparrows to her neighborhood and watch over her. At this point, I wasn’t sure of anything.

  “We’ll send extra eyes to watch over her,” Patrick replied.

  “And her son and her husband,” Araneae added.

  With one finger of my free hand, I turned Araneae’s beautiful face back toward me, running the pad of my finger over her cheek. I leaned closer, inhaling the sweet scent of her lotions and perfumes. “This...this...” I began, “is what I didn’t want. I don’t want you worrying about your safety and that of your friends.”

  “I’m not worried about mine.”

  I loved her confidence.

  “Sometimes, I wish I could keep you in Ontario or on a yacht, keep you away from the darkness.”

  “See,” she replied with a smile, “I think you see the world differently than I see it.”

  I hoped I did.

  “You see it in one way,” she went on, “but really, Sterling, it’s multidimensional. There is bad. There is evil. More than likely, in that box we’ll find evidence of that. You’ve lived with this knowledge most of your life. You’ve given me a glimpse of it because I need to realize that it exists...” Her lips turned upward. “...for my safety.”

  “You’re finally catching on.”

  “However,” she continued, “what you seem to not see is that the world you describe is a subset of a bigger, much more beautiful place. When I look at you, I don’t see only darkness. I see a man who is doing his best to teach me about the world I was born into while at the same time shielding me from its ugliness. And I love you for that. So...going back to the box...” Her shoulders straightened. “...I want to know what it contains. I want a promise from you that the three of you will tell me everything—not necessarily in detail—but don’t shield me for my safety, my naiveté, or anything else. If you can make me that promise, I don’t need to be there when it’s discovered.”

  It amazed me that she could see me the way she did, that she could see me as more than a man who made decisions that affected others’ lives, who used his money and influence to seek more, and who would kill for her.

  “I want to shield you.”

  “I know,” she replied.

  “I promise you’ll learn everything.”

  “And you’ll be with me when I do?”

  “Yes.”

  The car turned, passing the risen gate before descending into the tunnels of our garage. As it did, I let out a long breath, thankful to be within our safety structure. “We’re all here,” I said.

  Patrick turned back my way. “Not Lorna.”

  It was a punch to my gut. “What? Where is she? We’re on lockdown.”

  “She went shopping this morning before it was declared. Reid called and told her. She said she’d be home but hasn’t returned. He’s been trying to reach her for the last ninety minutes.”

  “Send Sparrows,” I said. “What about the tracker on her phone?”

  “Sparrows have already been sent. The tracker indicates that she’s at the South Loop Market.”

  “Did she have a driver?” I asked, my mind racked with scenarios.

  “No, she took one of the cars from the garage.”

  “Track that too.”

  “Reid’s on it.”

  As Garrett pulled up to the elevator within the garage, Patrick, Araneae, and I got out of the car. I leaned toward Garrett’s window. “Go to one, and we’ll let you know what’s next.”

  “Wait,” Patrick said, staring at his phone.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “They found the car she drove. All four tires have been slashed. When they found it, a tow truck was already there.”

  “Fuck,” I growled.

  Patrick continued to swipe his screen. “Lorna just pinged the backup tracker.” He looked up at me. “The market isn’t far from here. I’m sure that Reid wants to go out looking for her, but I think it would be better if Garrett and I go.”

  Araneae’s eyes were glassy as her now-trembling hand held tightly to my arm.

  “Fuck,” I said with a tilt of my head, “if it were her...”

  “It’s not,” Patrick reassured. “Lorna understands. She hasn’t called Reid back for a reason. Instead, she’s used the
tracker in her purse to ping back. We’ll find her. She’s avoiding someone or someones. Sparrow, we’ll get her. Go to Reid. Tell him we won’t be back without her.”

  I inhaled, wanting to be the one to go with Patrick while also knowing that my presence would only complicate matters more. With a quick nod, I said, “Go. Bring her back and if you find who’s after her...” I didn’t need to finish the sentence.

  Patrick nodded as he opened the door and got back in the car with Garrett.

  Laying my hand over Araneae’s, I did my best to comfort her, to erase a bit of the worry from her expression. “Distraction. That’s what this is. McFadden tried to find this information for ten years. He put us under a deadline. Now he’s trying to distract us so he can carry out his threat.”

  “What did you mean about the tracker in her purse?” she asked.

  I inhaled, touching the sensor next to the elevator as the screen lit up.

  “Do I have a tracker with me besides the one on my phone?” she asked.

  I couldn’t lie to her. “They’re sewn into all your purses and handbags as well as your satchel.”

  “Lorna knew about it and was able to use it to call for help?”

  I nodded as the doors to the elevator opened. We both stepped inside.

  “Sterling, once she’s safe, I want to know all of this. I get that you don’t want to worry me, but what if I needed to contact you or Reid and couldn’t use my phone? If you’ve given me a means, I should know it.”

  I was determined that wouldn’t happen. Araneae McCrie was not going out and about by herself. She wouldn’t need to ping Patrick or me. One of us would be present. Instead of saying all of that, I asked, “You’re not upset the additional trackers exist?”

  The elevator was moving upward to P.

  “I suppose I should be upset. Fuck, I don’t know what I should think anymore. I know that keeping us all safe is your priority. I guess that I want to be safe too. I want everyone safe. If that means learning your and Reid’s spy shit, then I want to know how to use it.”

  The elevator doors opened on P to our quiet apartment. According to the security app on my phone, the elevator hadn’t been used to this floor since Lorna left, sometime after we had this morning. If I didn’t have that confirmation, I wouldn’t be able to kiss Araneae and step back into the elevator.

  “Wait,” she said. “You’re leaving me here on lockdown by myself?”

  “I need to take this to Reid.” I lifted the box I’d been holding.

  “Sterling?”

  I held the doors open with my free hand. “Sunshine, I never said that any of this was easy, but you’re strong. You can do it. Call Jana. Don’t tell her anything about the evidence. Talk to her about whatever you would at the office. You’re welcome to use our office here in the apartment.” I’d never called it ours before, but I liked the way it sounded. I liked sharing everything I had with Araneae. “Your laptop is still upstairs. I’ll be back when I’m able. If you need me, call, and as soon as I learn anything about Lorna, you will too.”

  Her breasts moved higher as her lips formed a straight line. Finally, she nodded. “Go, make this all end.”

  A sad smile floated across my face. “This with McFadden will end, but the life, it goes on forever.” The doors started to close when Araneae’s hand came between them, causing them to bounce open again. “What?”

  “I wanted to tell you that I love you and to please stay safe.” She stepped back and smiled as the doors once again closed before I could tell her the same.

  Damn she was amazing.

  Pulling my phone from my pocket as the elevator descended to two, I typed out a quick text message:

  * * *

  “YOU AMAZE ME. I LOVE YOU TOO.”

  Araneae

  Sterling’s text message made me smile as I made my way through the empty apartment. Once in our room, I was momentarily mesmerized by the sight outside the tall windows. Over the last month, I’d seen bright blue skies, sprinklings of clouds, and astounding sunsets ablaze in shades of reds, purples, and oranges. This sight was different, in an eerie sort of way. I stepped closer to the glass.

  Beyond the panes there was nothing.

  Nothing was a poor choice of word.

  I moved closer, placing my palms upon the cool glass. Leaning forward, I peered out and then down. The view beyond the window was filled with a swirl of white and gray, a suspended mist—not falling like rain or rising like steam. Except for the churning, the moisture was stagnant, surrounding our building in a new cloak of invisibility.

  Taking a step back, I stood taller. Refusing to allow my thoughts to turn negative, I chose to view the cloud cover as the thought that had just floated across my mind. Perhaps instead of gloom, it was part of Sterling’s infrared protection.

  That was how I would see it.

  As the afternoon progressed, I tried to do as Sterling suggested and keep my mind on Sinful Threads. There was another issue with not only the warehouse here in Chicago but one in Atlanta too. The analytical side of me wanted to sit down and run the numbers, yet my mind was again on one of my friends, one who could be in danger because of me. Instead of going to Sterling’s office or staying in our bedroom, I set my laptop up on the kitchen breakfast bar and made myself a sandwich.

  At nearly four thirty, my phone finally rang with the name I’d been wanting. STERLING was on the screen.

  “Hello?” I answered.

  “Patrick has Lorna; they’re on their way home.”

  I let out a long breath as I leaned back against the barstool. “Is she all right?”

  He chuckled. “She’s good, considering. She managed to corral the two people she thought were following her. They had no idea who they were dealing with. As they followed her into where she knew they’d be cornered, she sent messages via her purse to Patrick. Now, she’s on her way home and let’s just say that the two suspects are being taken in for questioning.”

  “The police?” I asked, immediately knowing that wasn’t the case.

  “Sure, sunshine. Something like that.”

  “I don’t care as long as Lorna is safe.”

  Was that true?

  Had I gotten so accustomed to this life, the darker side of Sparrow, that I could accept it?

  Pushing my question away, I asked, “Has Reid had a chance to even think about the box?”

  “Some. Now he’ll be able to devote more time to it.”

  “Thank you, Sterling, for letting me know about Lorna.”

  “I promised.”

  My smile grew bigger. “Yes, you did.”

  Disconnecting our call, I took a new look around the kitchen. The clouds and haze were beginning to lose their density. Though the view was mostly white, it seemed brighter. Perhaps the illumination had not really changed; the brightness was brought on by the knowledge that Lorna was safe.

  The reason wasn’t as important as the fact that I felt lighter.

  The world was brighter.

  Since I doubted that calling for food delivery was an option, with my new sense of safety, I decided it was my chance to cook for everyone. After what had happened to Lorna, it should be her turn to take a long bath and relax. Before I began my search of the pantry, freezers, and refrigerator, I sent a message to Jana, Winnie, and Louisa saying I was logging out for the night and would be back in the morning.

  With soft music playing, I poured myself a glass of wine and began my search for ingredients. As the sweet liquid covered my taste buds, I had a realization.

  I was once again under lockdown in this gilded cage, and yet at the moment, I didn’t care.

  What had happened to me over the last few weeks, the last month?

  I wasn’t certain I knew.

  If before I’d met Sterling Sparrow, someone would have told me that I’d be listening to music, drinking wine, washing potatoes, chopping and sautéing vegetables, and preparing salmon for five while contentedly locked in a penthouse apartment in Chicago,
I would have told them that they were certifiably crazy.

  Yet here I was.

  Maybe I was the one who was officially crazy.

  As I placed red potatoes in the oven, the slide of the pocket door from down the hall caught my attention. Wiping my hands on my jeans—I’d forgone the cute apron—I hurried toward the elevator. When I reached the hallway, Sterling was stepping from the elevator.

  “Where’s Lorna?” I asked, disappointment palpable in my voice.

  He reached for my shoulders. “She’s down at her place.”

  My expression fell. “I-I thought I’d see her.”

  He pulled me closer. “She did great today. That doesn’t mean she wasn’t shaken up. Reid’s with her.”

  I nodded, looking up to his gaze. “I made dinner for everyone. May I...or Patrick take some to them?”

  Leaning down, he kissed my forehead. “That was nice. Yes, I’ll let them know it’s coming.”

  As his hands fell to my waist, I looked up. “What’s wrong? What aren’t you telling me?”

  “About Lorna, nothing much. She’s shaken up. She held it together well, but once she was with Patrick and safe, she broke down. That’s not like her. She’s been through enough that she isn’t easily rattled. I would ask Reid to concentrate on the CDs and floppy disks, but right now...” His words trailed away.

  “No, you’re right. He should be with Lorna. Did he find anything earlier?”

  “They’re encrypted.”

  “Will that stop him?”

  “No, it won’t stop him. It’s slowed him down, as well as has the situation with Lorna.”

  I sighed, falling against Sterling’s chest as his strong arms surrounded me, bringing me the comfort of his spicy scent along with the thundering of his heart under my ear.

  I looked up at his clenched jaw. “Today is Wednesday and it’s almost over. That gives us five days.”

  “Reid will crack them before then.”

  I liked Sterling’s confidence. “I still need to put the salmon in the oven. Are you staying with me or going back downstairs?”

  “Patrick and I are good at what Reid does, but there’s a chance that if we mess with the CDs, we could screw up the data.” His large hands caressed my back as he spoke. “I have a phone call I need to make, but if you’ll give me a minute in my office—our office...” He corrected. “...alone, I’d rather stay up here with you.”