A second knock upon the apartment door drew me closer. I recalled what Patrick had said the day before; there weren’t many options for visitors. Nevertheless, years of living in the Ivanov bratva made me leery. There were few people who were supposed to have access to the apartment I later moved into after the suite near the nursery and a brief time in Andros’s personal suite. Of course, that didn’t mean that others didn’t find their way to me.
Bracing myself for whoever was on the other side of the door, I reached for the handle and turned, pulling it inward.
The smiling face and blue eyes beneath a crown of chestnut-brown hair met my gaze. In her hand was a tray with covered dishes. “Hi,” Laurel said, “Ruby said you weren’t eating dinner and well, just between you and me, that doesn’t work with Lorna. She looks all petite and sweet and stuff, but that red hair is there for a reason.”
A grin came to my lips. “I didn’t mean to offend her.”
Laurel tipped her head toward the doorway. “Do you mind if I bring this in?”
“Oh.” I took a step back and opened the door wider. “Please, come on in.”
Dressed in similar casual attire as I—jeans and a sweater—and about my height, Laurel Pierce entered with the tray in hand. As she placed it on the breakfast bar in the kitchen, she looked around. “You know, I haven’t been in Patrick’s place before.”
“You haven’t?”
Laurel shrugged. “All of our apartments have the same floor plan. Yet when you’re inside, it’s funny how different they all are.”
“I’ve only seen this one.” I looked around the kitchen, dining area, and living room. Even though he’d told me that Lorna helped him decorate, the masculine colors and minimalist style worked for him. “It seems like Patrick.”
Laurel nodded. “It does.” Her gaze met mine. “Hey, you didn’t really offend Lorna. I’m just letting you know that she’s all about taking care of everyone. It’s her self-appointed role.”
“That’s what Patrick said.”
“So I hope you will reconsider eating.”
There were two covered dishes upon the tray. “Is one for Patrick?”
“No.” She waved her hand dismissively. “The men always figure out a way to eat. Heck, they might have dinner on the plane. The second dish is because I was hoping I could invite myself to eat with you.”
Plane?
Where had they gone?
Her comment earlier came to mind, pushing away my questions. Shaking my head, I pointed to the stools at the breakfast bar. “I’m sorry, Laurel, I’m not thinking exactly straight. Yes, please, have a seat.”
After we had our plates and place settings in front of us and I’d found two bottles of water in the refrigerator, we lifted the covers over each plate. As the delicious aroma wafted into the air and registered, my stomach gurgled. Before each of us there appeared to be vegetable lasagna, salad with vinaigrette dressing, and a slice of garlic bread.
“I hadn’t realized I was hungry,” I said with a grin. “Ruby is eating upstairs, right?”
“Yes. She offered to bring you a plate, but I told her I wanted to do it.”
Why was she being nice?
“Is Mason…” I was beginning to pair the ladies with the men. “…still gone with Patrick and Mr. Sparrow?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “He didn’t go with them. He’s upstairs with the others.”
“He didn’t? I don’t really know what they do, but wouldn’t it be safer with Mason along?”
Laurel grinned. “I’m going to say yes because Mason is...well…Mason, but if Sterling and Patrick think they could do whatever they’re doing alone, I wouldn’t doubt them.”
Andros rarely traveled alone and usually with at least one or two of his most trusted men.
“We often have dinner alone in our apartment,” Laurel went on, “but with Ruby here, I think everyone is trying their best to make her feel welcome.”
I let out a sigh. “Thank you. Is that why you’re here?”
“First, don’t thank any of us. You have no idea what a jolt Ruby has been to our status quo.” Laurel waved. “A good jolt. I have a niece I see only occasionally, and I’d forgotten how fun it is to have someone younger around. I’m sure you agree.”
I nodded as I swallowed a bite of the salad.
“And as for welcoming, maybe,” she said with a wink. “Before you and Ruby, I was the latest addition to this place. It wasn’t that long ago. I know that they…” She tilted her chin to the floor above. “…can be a bit overwhelming.”
“I really can’t believe we’re here.” Another gaze around the apartment revealed that beyond the tall windows, night had fallen. It was my second night here and Ruby’s third. “Or that here exists.”
“It does and it doesn’t.”
“What do you mean?”
“Araneae jokes that the top floors of this building are invisible to the rest of the world. At first I laughed, but the longer I’ve been here, the more I think she’s on to something.”
My nose scrunched. “That’s not really possible.”
“Oh, I know. I know the science behind the properties of matter and know true invisibility isn’t possible. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. Mason explained it as people seeing what they want to see. I’ve come to believe that the world can see the top of this building. What they can’t see is what we see when we look at it.”
“I’m not sure I’m following,” I admitted.
“The invisibility comes in the way it fits into the skyline. This building looks like other buildings. The only way to pick it out is to compare heights. But when I see the building from a distance, I don’t just see another building. I see my home, a place I never imagined living or wanting to be but where I feel the absolute safest and most loved. I don’t mean only by Mason. I mean by my sister- and brother-in-law and the Sparrows and even Patrick.”
“Wait,” I said, deciphering her statement by the process of elimination. “Are you saying Reid and Lorna are your brother- and sister-in-law?”
“Would you believe Reid and Mason are siblings?”
Well, Reid was black and Mason—didn’t seem to be, but under all those tattoos, anything was possible.
“Um,” I shrugged. “I’m shocked.”
Laurel laughed. “I’m teasing you. Lorna and Mason are siblings. That’s how Lorna has been around these men for so long. Mason brought her here a long time ago when things were dangerous. Even though he brought her here, you could say that her staying had more to do with Reid. I can’t imagine putting up with all four of them without another female around. No wonder she’s tough as nails and sweet at the same time.”
“So I shouldn’t be worried about upsetting her?”
“No, we’re all pretty easygoing, but she will hound you about eating.”
I nodded. “Thanks for the warning.”
After another bite of her dinner, Laurel asked, “Do you know much about us? About me?”
“I’m trying to learn and keep things straight, but there’s a lot happening,” I admitted as I tried to recall what I’d been told. “Patrick said you’re very smart.”
“That’s subjective. Everyone has their strengths. Mine is science.”
My eyes opened wider. “I don’t know much about that. I was drawn to history when I was younger.”
“That’s what makes this place so welcoming and eclectic. We all have our own interests and at the same time are interested in one another.”
I sat taller as I looked down at my plate. I wasn’t good at this, being friends with women. The only real relationship I could recall was with Cindy and that didn’t last long. The one-on-one conversation made me nervous. I didn’t know what to say or do. I definitely wasn’t a science prodigy, and my story wasn’t pretty.
Laurel reached out, placing her hand near my plate. Her wedding ring glistened under the overhead lights. I pulled my hands to my lap. Not only didn’t I have a good story, I’d
been married for seventeen years without a ring.
“Madeline, you can trust me.”
Trust.
Under my lashes, my gaze met hers.
“I know about you and Sterling.”
I didn’t respond.
“The men all know as well,” she said. “Right now, Lorna and Araneae are the only ones in the dark, but God help us if that lasts too long.”
I swallowed the lump growing in my throat. “I-I didn’t even know, not until two nights ago, and I don’t think it’s my place to share.”
“I agree,” she said. “I promised Reid I’d stay quiet and since then, I’ve also promised Mason. I guess, I wanted you to know that it wasn’t only the men who knew.”
“I have no idea what it even means. I believe others wanted to use it against Mr. Sparrow.” My head shook as I let out a long breath and looked at Laurel. “Have you ever been so overwhelmed with everything that it’s hard to prioritize what you should even be thinking about?”
“I have.”
“It’s like my whole life has led to this…” I gestured around the apartment. “…to being with Patrick. I gave up on that dream a long time ago. Ruby has been my whole life, but she’s getting older. I imagined disappearing once she was grown and safe, but now I’m afraid we’ll never be safe.”
“That’s what I was saying about here,” Laurel said. “Without getting into a lot of it, I did and am doing some research that a certain entity doesn’t want done. I could live every day in fear or I could believe Mason, Araneae, and the others that by being here, I’m under this invisible Sparrow umbrella that keeps me and the ones I love safe.”
“That’s good for here, but what about Ruby?” I asked. “She wants and deserves a life with the freedom to be outside of this building.”
“My answer would be to trust our men. It’s the one lesson Lorna has taught us all, Araneae, me, and now you. She says the men will disappear. We will be placed on lockdown, and they will fight their battles. When it’s over and clear, we’ll be able to come and go, with protection. It’s a weird thing, but I think Araneae explained it best. She said it took her time, but finally she realized that defying the men’s wishes not only put her in danger, but it also put them in danger because there is no limit to what they will do to protect us. Once I understood her wisdom, I knew that I’d comply if for no other reason than to keep Mason safe.”
I took a deep breath and leaned back against the stool’s back. “I don’t want Patrick doing anything for me that would put him in danger.” It was a simple statement but not one I could apply to my life with Andros. For some reason, I never felt Andros would risk himself for me or anyone else. With him, my sense of compliance was self-benefiting. I complied to avoid Andros’s wrath, not because I cared about him.
“As for our secret,” Laurel said, “I hope Sterling decides to share soon.”
“And what difference will it make?”
“Maybe none. Maybe everything. All of us here are a family regardless of the blood in our veins. I just know that when Araneae learns Ruby is her niece…” Laurel’s smile grew as her blue eyes glistened. “…she is going to be beyond happy.”
“Ruby has no idea,” I said. “I mean she just learned who her father is.”
“I understand.”
“I’m not confident that Mr. Sparrow has come to terms with the revelation.”
“Give him time,” Laurel said. “He’s the toughest nut around here to crack, but his shell isn’t as hard as he lets on. Take him and Mason. From what I’ve been told, when they first met they hated one another.”
“Really?”
“That’s what they say. And look at them now. All of these men would lay down their own life for one of the others. It’s a strange dynamic. They all have their own leadership qualities and abilities, yet they’re confident enough in themselves and their role in this hierarchy to support Sterling at the top. He’s tougher to crack because he assumes responsibility for everyone who matters. He just found out that you and Ruby matter, not only to Patrick, but he has to come to terms with the fact that you matter to him.”
“I’m not sure we—”
“You do,” Laurel interrupted.
Both of our plates were empty as were our bottles of water. “There’s coffee,” I offered. “Patrick said we need to shop so we have food.”
“He said that?” She giggled. “He means you need to give Lorna a list.”
“I hate to be a burden.”
“Self-appointed, remember? It’s what we all are. You’ll figure out your spot in that.”
I wasn’t certain there was a spot for me. What had I ever done to contribute to…well, anything other than what I was told to do and Ruby? “Would you like a cup? Maybe you could tell me about your research.”
Laurel nodded
A few minutes later we were seated out on the sofa. Beyond the windows, fluffy large snowflakes were falling, glistening in the darkness.
“The goal of my research is to repress traumatic memories while allowing people to function in their everyday lives.”
Wow. That wasn’t what I was expecting. “And you’re doing that, working on it…where?”
“Araneae began the Sparrow Institute a few years ago. It’s just getting up and running, but she has done a great job of delegating to very qualified people. The main vision of the institute is to help victims of trafficking and exploitation.”
I nearly spit my coffee out as I gasped. “What?”
“It’s not something the men talk about, but in a nutshell, years ago, this city was run by two factions, the Sparrows and the McFaddens…”
With trembling hands, I placed my cup of coffee on the table.
Laurel was still speaking though her voice sounded farther and farther away.
“…before Sterling, the Sparrow side was overseen by his father. Both sides were prominent in the trafficking element in Chicago…” Laurel reached out to my knee. “Madeline, are you all right?”
The meal I’d just consumed churned in my gut as my circulation rushed to my feet. Within the fog that was settling, the door to the apartment opened.
I peered up to the handsome man in the doorway. His presence gave me focus. His suit accentuated his broad shoulders and trim waist. His tie was loosened enough to show off the cords in his thick neck, and his blue eyes were zeroed in on me.
“Madeline. Laurel.” He came my way and lowered himself to eye level. “You’re pale. Are you all right?”
Patrick
Madeline trembled beneath my touch.
“What happened?” I asked either of the ladies.
When Madeline didn’t answer, I turned to Laurel.
“I don’t know,” she said. “We were just talking about my research and the institute.”
Fuck.
“The institute?”
I hadn’t had the chance to mention to Madeline about the Sparrow connection or Araneae’s plight to right the wrongs of the past generation.
Taking Madeline’s hands in mine, I squeezed. “How about we continue this conversation later?”
Madeline nodded as moisture glistened in her green eyes.
I stood back up as did Laurel. It was then that I noticed the tray with two covered plates on the breakfast bar in the kitchen. Meeting her gaze, I smiled. “Thank you for bringing dinner.”
“Sorry,” she said with a grin, stepping past me and picking up the tray. “This was for Madeline and me. I can say something to Lorna if you’re hungry.”
“I’m good. Sparrow and I ate on the plane.”
“Okay, I’ll let Lorna know that unless…maybe you called ahead and told her?” Her eyebrows arched.
“You know us, Laurel.”
“So you didn’t think to mention it.”
“Right. Please tell Lorna we’re sorry.”
Laurel placed the coffee mug on the counter and lifted the tray. “Don’t worry, Patrick. Lorna knows you are.”
I opened the apa
rtment door and walked Laurel to the elevator. Once we were out of earshot of Madeline, I asked, “What happened?”
Her expression grew sullen. “I don’t know. We were talking and eating and then she offered me coffee and asked about my research. I wanted to give her some perspective and started talking about the institute and why Araneae started it. All of a sudden…” The elevator opened and Laurel stepped in. “…she became very pale. I think mostly she’s overwhelmed. I get it.” She kept the door open with her foot. “This place is a lot. I had hoped my visit would help.”
“I’m sure it did.”
Laurel smiled as the doors closed. When I turned around, Madeline was standing in the doorway to our apartment. Her dark hair was tethered at the nape of her neck in a messy bun and her sexy body was covered with jeans and a soft sweater. In three long strides I was in front of her, close enough to feel her warmth and inhale her sweet scent.
“I’m not usually this fragile,” she said, looking up at me.
Instinctively, I reached out, my hands moving under her sweater and my fingers splaying upon her supple skin of her lower back. Pulled against me, her neck craned upward and her breasts came to my chest. “I know you’re not fragile. You’re the exact opposite, Maddie girl. You have survived what others haven’t. You’re not fragile. What you are to me is precious. I want to wrap you in Bubble Wrap, protect and shield you from every horror, not because I’m afraid you’ll break, but because I fucking love you. I know you’re irreplaceable because for seventeen years I never once tried. There was no use.” I leaned down until our lips touched.
The kiss soft and sweet, my eyes closed as her arms came around my torso beneath my jacket.
Abruptly, Madeline stepped back. “You’re wearing a gun.” Her hand came to my chest. “Is that a vest?”
“Yes, it’s a Kevlar vest, but the holster is empty. All my guns are on 2.”
“Two?”
“The floor below. I’ve never had a child, even a teenager around. I thought it made sense to not have the guns in the apartment.”
Madeline let out a long breath. Reaching for my hand, she tugged me through the door. Once it was closed, she picked up the mug on the table and began to carry it into the kitchen. I was a step behind her. After placing both mugs in the sink, she turned. The moisture that had been teetering on her lids was now streaming down her face.
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