Shit.
What time was it?
“Mom, are you all right?”
“I’m sorry, Ruby, were you sleeping?”
“Yeah, but what is it?” There was a pause. “It’s not Patrick, is it?”
“No, honey. We’re all good, Sterling, Mason, Patrick, and me. We’re fine.”
“You scared me,” she said. “You don’t usually call.”
“Oh, hey, I won.” The excitement was missing from my tone.
“You did?” Ruby’s tone lightened. “That’s great. Why don’t you sound happier?”
“Honey, I called because something happened tonight.”
“What?”
“There was this man I met before. You may have seen his name in the poker circuit, Marion Elliott.”
“Yeah, and Mr. Hillman mentioned him the day he…” Her words trailed away.
I nodded. “Yes, Mr. Hillman and Andros both knew him. Andros never knew about Patrick. It seemed recently that Mr. Elliott was interested in us, you and me, and Andros made a deal.”
“With people? Mom, he can’t do that.”
I scoffed. “You’re right, it shouldn’t be done. None of it worked because Patrick found us. Anyway, there were some bad things about Mr. Elliott that I believe even Andros didn’t know.”
“How bad?”
“Very, and Andros learned about them tonight. It is apparently on many news outlets. I guess I wanted you to hear it from me. Andros took care of Mr. Elliott so he wouldn’t be a threat to us.” I couldn’t tell her the full truth. I worked her entire life to keep her unaware of monsters. I wasn’t going to change now.
“Took care of? Like Patrick took care of Mr. Hillman?”
“Yes, the same way. The problem was that Andros did it in front of many people and also armed guards.”
“Armed…?” Ruby sucked in a breath. “Andros is dead too?”
“He is.” Unexpectedly, tears came to my eyes. “We’re safe now. When we get back to Chicago, we can talk about your school.”
“Andros died saving us?”
That wasn’t completely accurate. “Ruby, he chose to eliminate Mr. Elliott for you. Andros was many things, both bad and good, but you were the one good thing he couldn’t turn bad. You were a light that I don’t think he realized….” I sucked in a ragged breath as fresh tears streamed down my cheeks. “…realized he loved until we were gone.”
“You loved him?”
I knew she couldn’t see me, yet I shook my head. “Not the way two people are supposed to love one another, not like—”
“Patrick?”
“Yes, but it’s okay if you loved him.”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I think I do—did.”
My lips curled upward. “That’s a good way to remember him.”
“When are you coming home?”
Home.
The word made me smile.
“I hope in the morning.”
As I spoke, the door to the bedroom opened and Patrick’s handsome face appeared. “Ruby, I’ll see you soon. I love you.”
“I love you too, Mom.”
Sighing, I hung up the phone and laid it on the bed. “I wanted her to hear it from me.”
Patrick nodded. “I am so fucking sick of being the bearer of bad news.”
“What?” I stood. “Is it Sterling or Mason?”
“No, they’re here. Come on out.”
Standing, I slowly moved toward the door, the sense of doom growing with each step. Beyond the doorway were all three men, their expressions solemn as they all looked my direction. “What more is happening?”
“It didn’t happen,” Sterling said. “And only the managers at Boston Club know or saw, but fuck, if Elliott wasn’t dead, I’d take the sick asshole out myself.”
My stomach twisted as Sterling handed a sheet of paper my direction.
“You were right,” Patrick said, “about Elliott choosing this tournament for an alternative reason.”
With trembling hands, I reached for the page. The top was blank, I turned it over.
It was a draft of a flyer advertising the entertainment following tonight’s tournament.
MADELINE ELLIOTT AS YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN HER.
The photo was of another woman with long dark hair, facing away. Behind her nude form, her wrists were bound with a red ribbon.
“This wasn’t circulated?” I asked.
Sterling shook his head. “I was only told because of what happened tonight. Apparently, after Elliott’s news conference about your mental instability, Boston Club decided to nix Elliott’s offer for his wife’s exhibition. They were concerned you weren’t competent to legally comply.”
My head shook. “Well, look at Boston Club, one of the oldest gentlemen’s clubs in our nation, having a more ethical standard than a former senator.”
“The climate is changing,” Patrick said. “Madeline Kelly, they’re gone. You’re safe.”
“I am, but what about so many others?”
Sterling shrugged. “That’s what the Sparrow Institute is about.”
I nodded. “Maybe one day I can face the world as I’m facing you three—with nothing but the truth.”
Patrick pulled me to his side. “One day…the future is open. Let’s go home.”
“Now? I figured we’d be staying overnight.”
“Fuck no,” Sterling said. “The sooner I tell Araneae the lockdown is over, the sooner she starts talking to me again.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. It’s my fault.”
Mason laughed. “Don’t be sorry, Madeline. You’ll pick up on it soon enough. Sparrow and his wife live for disagreements.”
“No, asshole,” Sterling said, “it’s the making-up part.”
I turned to Patrick. “Does that mean we’re going home?”
My husband reached for my hand. “Yes, Maddie girl, home.”
Madeline
Six months later
Patrick squeezed my hand. “You don’t have to do this.”
“It’s a little late to turn back now.”
His face tilted as concern shone in his eyes. “Araneae would understand.”
“I know,” I replied with a smile. “I will probably be a blubbering mess by the time I’m done, but I want to do this. There aren’t many in this room…” I looked out from behind the stage-left curtain to the room of chairs, filled mostly with survivors and friends and family who had somehow had the good luck of coming into contact with the Sparrow Institute. “…who I haven’t spoken to individually.
“Ruby was my biggest fear, and now she knows everything and is here too, sitting out there with Sterling, Araneae and her parents—all three of them, the others, and Mrs. Sparrow.” I smiled. “The woman hates me.”
“It’s okay. She hates all of us. She’s only here because Sparrow made her attend.”
“At least she’s civil to Ruby.”