“Okay. I’ll do whatever I need to do.” Her beautiful emerald stare came back to me. “What happened?”
I reached for her hand, slowly entwining our fingers as hers still trembled. “I’m here with you. That’s what happened.”
She looked at Renita. As she did, I nodded. Maybe it was the coward’s way out. Maybe it was that I never wanted to cause my wife pain or sorrow. No matter, I didn’t want to be the one who said the words.
“Lorna, Reid was shot today.”
“What?” Her entire body startled with the news.
“I’m here.”
“How? Where?”
Renita came closer and sat in a nearby chair. “He was wearing a vest which no doubt saved his life. One shot hit his arm, grazed it. That’s why he needs the antibiotics. The other shot hit him in the chest...”
Lorna continued to nod as Renita went through what had happened as well as the effects the shooting had on my body, including my heart. “...we’ll need to continually check his heart for arrhythmia. The damage that occurred could result in an array of arrhythmias from slow to fast or irregular.”
“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