“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.”