meant. “I don’t want to lose you or Sam, but I need to know that isn’t my niece in that body bag.”
His niece.
“I can disarm it,” Marsha replied, the camera moving to her face and showing her determination.
“If it blows, I’d lose both you and Sam and the person inside if there is one.”
“I can do it, boss. Let me get a few tools from our car.”
“Sam, stand back,” Sparrow said, “and keep the video running.”
Lorna
“Hey,” Araneae said, standing in the doorway to her and Sparrow’s bedroom as I pulled the sheets from their bed.
“Having trouble concentrating?” I asked.
“Yes. All I can think about is Ruby and Madeline and the hell Patrick must be going through right now.” Araneae came in the room and opened the large drawer containing a fresh set of sheets. “I can help. These big beds are a pain in the ass alone.”
A grin came to my lips. “I prefer to be in a big bed with a big man.”
Her brown eyes met mine as her lips curled. “That wasn’t what I meant, but I agree.”
Together we went through the motions, stretching the bottom sheet, securing it in the corners, and fluffing the flat sheet as it landed like a parachute over the oversized mattress. As we finished the job, Araneae stepped onto the platform near one side and turning, sat on the edge of the freshly made bed.
I hadn’t given it a lot of thought, mostly because this bed had been in the penthouse master bedroom suite since I moved in, but as I looked at my friend wringing her hands as she lay back, it occurred to me how Araneae was taller than me and yet on this bed she appeared small. The bed wasn’t only a California king, it was also ridiculously high.
As a means to keep myself occupied, I asked, “Doesn’t it bug you how high this bed is?”
Araneae grinned as she sat back up. “Sterling is tall.”
It wasn’t really an explanation, but it made sense.
She let out a long breath. “I admit it. Besides being worried, I’m jealous.”
“You? You’re the queen.”
“Not much of a queen when I’m sequestered.”
“Since we’ve all been sequestered for nearly the last month, I’m going to guess that you’re jealous of the fact that Laurel is down in the man-only zone?” I was pretty certain that was her issue. God knew, the same thought had been rattling around in my head for the last few hours.
“Yes. It isn’t even that I want to be down there; I want to know what’s happening.”
“Have you called your husband?” I asked.
Araneae shook her head. “No. When there are things happening, I’m always afraid to be a bother.” She grinned. “Not because of him or his reaction. Sterling’s never said that. It’s that I know how I get when I’m involved in work. I know what it’s like to be interrupted.”
“You’re the one person who I’m certain Sparrow doesn’t mind interrupting him.”
“Still, if he’s on the phone or with someone...” She looked at her watch, the kind that did everything from emails and texts to steps and heart rate. “I keep checking for a text or something.”
Holding on to one of the four posts surrounding her bed, I sighed. “More than being jealous, I’m so damn scared.”
Her eyes met mine. “Me too. I don’t want Ruby to experience anything we did.”
I nodded. “That’s what I keep thinking about.” My fingers went to my cheek. “Does she know how to fight?”
Araneae shrugged. “Instinct.”
“Do you remember the name of her bodyguard when she was with the bratva?” I asked.
“Oleg or Oreg...something like that.”
“I bet he taught her.”
Stepping down from the bed, Araneae walked to the wall of windows and stared out at the city and lake. “Sterling should have insisted that Ruby have someone with her.” She spun toward me. “Garrett or Christian, a Sparrow who the men trust. Hell, there are female Sparrows too.”
Coming up beside her, I too looked out at the city below. “Patrick was with her.”
“Why would she walk away?”
Unable to answer, my lips came together as I shook my head.
When Araneae turned my way, her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I was so scared—when we were taken.” A tear trickled down her cheek. “I don’t want Ruby to be that scared.”
For a moment, we stood in silence until our phones both buzzed. “It’s Patrick,” Araneae said, looking at her watch.
I pulled my phone from my back pocket and read the text message aloud.