I didn’t say that. “Yes, she could. I don’t fucking know if I trust Madeline now. I did a long time ago and I want to.”
“I trust no one until they prove to be trustworthy.”
“Sparrow, there was a time, she was. Up until Thursday night, I thought she was dead.”
Sparrow lifted his hand. “One catastrophe at a time. We’ll talk about that one later.”
I wanted to argue, to tell Sparrow I’d get in a car and drive to the airport where Ivanov’s plane was preparing to leave. Madeline may know which airport. However, that knowledge alone gave credence to his concern. I tilted my head toward the man on the floor. “What happened?”
Garrett, a trusted member of the Sparrows, joined the conversation. “Traitor.”
I looked again, recalling the younger man from a few assignments and meetings. “Mattis, right?”
“Right,” Garrett replied. “He’s not talking, not yet, but he will. Thankfully, Mr. Pierce saw him draw his gun. Instead of asking questions, Mr. Pierce fired, hitting Mattis’s hand and causing him to drop the gun. The timing was impeccable. It all happened before Mattis could shoot.”
“His target?” I asked, knowing the answer yet needing the confirmation.
“Me,” Sparrow said.
Fuck.
I should have been here at his side. “Sparrow,” I began, “I should have been here. I tried to tell you...”
“Later,” he said definitively, cutting me off again. “Go downstairs and check on Beckman.”
Garrett spoke, “Sir, I sent a capo.”
Sparrow and I turned.
“Do you have confirmation of his safety?” I asked.
“I have confirmation of his demise,” Garrett replied. “From the sound of it, it was probably poison. There’s a note. In it, Beckman confessed to Ms. Standish’s murder and stealing the money from the safe. The note said he couldn’t take the guilt. Yada, yada.”
“You don’t believe it?” I asked.
“I don’t,” Sparrow said. “I didn’t know about this charade, but we know who killed Ms. Standish. It was your...” He inhaled, not saying the word wife. “...Ms. Miller’s associate, Leonardo.”
“Any news on Leonardo’s whereabouts?”
“I’d put my money on a shallow grave,” Garrett said.
My gut bubbled with the knowledge that we’d lost both Veronica Standish and Ethan Beckman in the course of twenty-four hours. They were supposed to be on our side. Leonardo was one of Ivanov’s.
If Ivanov could order the death of an associate who had done his dirty work, what else was he capable of?
What would he do to Madeline if she returned?
What would he do to Ruby if she didn’t?
“The capo who was guarding Beckman is being questioned,” Garrett continued. “He seemed shaken by the discovery. This fucking place needs cameras. I’ve got men working to piece together a timeline. I want to know who brought Beckman food or water—well, everything.”
“The safe.” Sparrow said. “My money is in the safe.” He looked at me. “The two of us are headed down now to confirm that it’s still there.”
$11,800,000.
I nodded, knowing I wanted to stay with Madeline, while at the same time recognizing my place was beside Sparrow. As we were about to leave, Madeline came into view, being tugged from the poker room. A Sparrow capo held onto her arm. When she came closer, her green stare came my way.
My descent stilled as I turned back and moved toward the capo. “Get your hands off of her.”
“Mr. Kelly,” the capo seemed to falter, “you said to clear the room. Mr. Sparrow gave the orders involving Ms. Miller.”
What?
I spun toward Sparrow. “No one is touching her.”
Sparrow’s dark gaze met mine as he lowered his voice. “As I pointed out, she’s part of the Ivanov bratva.” His features hardened. “He’s declared war. I told you to deal with her. Now we are.”
My head shook. “I will. Things are—”
Sparrow stepped closer, blocking my view of Madeline as his volume lowered. “Look at me.”
I fought the urge to look at Madeline and met Sparrow’s dark stare.
“Listen closely,” he said through clenched teeth. “We are at war. For all intents and purposes, she’s as guilty as Mattis. Think about it, Patrick. For whatever history the two of you share, I would bet the entire twelve million we placed in the safe that it wasn’t a coincidence she was here. Ivanov sent her here as your distraction. Yours personally.”
I listened to his words.
“That means,” Sparrow continued, “he’s done his research. He knows what you’re capable of and also calculated your greatest vulnerability.”
If I were outside this conversation, I could agree with him. I wasn’t outside of it. I was in the fucking middle, with fire raging all around me. I wanted to tell him he was wrong, but I couldn’t form the words.
“I believe you came to Chicago to fuck with me.”
It was what I’d said to Madeline Thursday night.
“Trust your gut.”
It was Mason’s advice.
My head shook. “I don’t know what to believe.”
“Believe this,” Sparrow said, “she distracted you.”
I nodded. “I tried to—”
“She’s being taken for questioning.”
My mind was a blur. My stomach churned with bile as I imagined our questioning techniques. “Where?”
“I need to know you’re with me,” Sparrow said.
“I am. I’m with you.” I stood taller. “No one else questions her. It will be me.”
“Currently, you’re going downstairs with me to check the safe. This isn’t a debate.”
I stood dumbfounded as all eyes were on us. I lowered my voice. “We’ll open the safe. Don’t take her off premises. Not until...” I didn’t finish the sentence. The decision would be his. The intensity of his stare told me that. All I could hope was that he’d see my point of view. “Sparrow, she’s my wife.”
“I need a fuck ton more answers,” he said.
“You aren’t the only one,” I replied.
I turned back to the capo. “Lay one hand on her and I’ll kill you right here.”
His hands came up toward his chest, palms out. “Mr. Kelly...”
Sparrow stepped forward, speaking toward Madeline and the capo. “Ms. Miller, cooperate and no one will be hurt, not yet.”
Madeline nodded. “Please, I need your help.”
Sparrow spoke to the capo, “Confiscate her phone and handbag. Take her downstairs to the offices. Put her in Ms. Standish’s office after you disconnect the phone and computer. Stand guard and for fuck’s sake, no one brings her food or drink.”
Madeline’s eyes pleaded my direction. “Patrick, stop Andros from leaving the city. Once he’s back in Detroit, he’s unstoppable.”
“Sounds like a setup,” Mason said, stepping forward. He hadn’t heard our earlier conversation as he had been dealing with Mattis. That traitor was now in the hands of other Sparrows.