Page 186 of Saving Sparrow
Still, I hesitated when he continued to stare. Was this typical Sparrow behavior, or was he experiencing a loss of control? A system disorganization? Would providing the details ofthatnight send him over the edge?
“Go on,” he said as though sensing my internal debate. His tone was cold, yet warm in its familiarity. I breathed through the fluttering in my stomach, preparing to relive the worst night of my life.
“We’d had our commitment ceremony earlier that day. Just the three of us.” I spun my replacement wedding band with my thumb. I’d slipped it onto my finger upstairs.
“We were on our way to the airport. Quentin had a photoshoot and a charity event to attend. We were supposed to take the wedding gifts we’d gotten each other with us, but we were running late and forgot them in the foyer. We’d also been in too much of a rush to notice the car parked at the end of the street.” In that neighborhood, it should’ve stuck out like a sore thumb.
“Elliott wanted to go back for the gifts. He seemed excited about the one he’d gotten me.” I glanced toward the entryway, remembering my mother’s restored jewelry box. I’d need to get it from Joshua’s room, if Sparrow allowed me to.
“It was hard to deny him anything, but on that day it was impossible. We were just too happy.”
Sparrow didn’t so much as blink.
“We turned back, waiting in the car while Elliott ran inside. He was only going into the foyer. It shouldn’t have taken him long. Quentin beeped the horn after a few minutes, but Elliott didn’t come out. I think we both sensed something was wrong at the same time.” I could still hear Quentin’s worried voice in my head.
“Did you activate the alarm?”
“Yeah,”I’d said, both of us looking into the back seat where Elliott had left his phone.
“Elliott’s battery was dead, as usual. He couldn’t have deactivated the alarm before rushing inside. It should have gone off the moment he walked through the door, but it didn’t.” I looked around helplessly. “I didn’t activate it. I was supposed to activate the alarm.” The cameras were down, but had I turned on the alarm, we would’ve received an alert the moment the two men entered.
“Elliott was already being held at gunpoint by the time we hurried through the front door, blood seeping down the side of his face.” I wasn’t close enough to see the resulting scar along Sparrow’s hairline, but knowing it was there increased the ache in my heart. “There was so much blood,” I whispered. “You think you know fear until the people you love are in danger. The sound of Quentin’s horn must have alerted the guy upstairs. He was clearing the bottom landing, gun trained on us.” I cleared my throat, wondering if Sparrow knew how much I needed a hug or words of compassion, wondering if he cared.
“Elliott tried to run to us, but the guy holding him yanked him back by his hair, pressing the barrel of his gun against Elliott’s temple. The gun trembled in his hand. Beside them, a ski mask lay on the floor. Elliott must have struggled, managing to pull it off him. The guy was practically a kid.” A scared kid, which made him even more dangerous.
“The second gunman yelled for Quentin and me to get on our knees. He held a black trash bag clearly stuffed with whatever items he’d stolen from upstairs. He pointed his gun toward Elliott, too, when we didn’t immediately obey his order.”
“On your fucking knees or he gets a bullet to the head!”
“Quentin wasn’t the type of man to kneel and beg for anyone besides me and Elliott, but he fell to his knees and pleaded for our lives.”
“Please let us go. We’ll give you whatever you want. We’ll leave like we never even saw you here.”
“I knew it wouldn’t work. We’d already seen one of their faces, but you’ll say anything when you’re desperate enough. The guy holding the bag took our wedding bands, then pointed the gun at me, ordering me to follow him upstairs.”
“You, come with me.”
“Quentin stood, trying to intervene.”
“Don’t you fucking move!”
“He turned the gun on Quentin. I could see it in his eyes. He would shoot Quentin if he had to. I begged Quentin to cooperate.”
“Quentin, please. It’s okay. I-I’ll be okay.”
“The kid holding Elliott had an arm banded around his neck now. Elliott could barely breathe. He was so scared.”
“Let him go,”Quentin had growled, his protective instincts overriding caution.
“Elliott was choking, and Quentin was going to make a move. The kid was so paranoid, he didn’t even realize he was strangling Elliott.”
“I said, let him go!”
“He loosened his hold but kept the gun at Elliott’s temple. Elliott coughed, and the other guy grew more impatient.”
“You, now! Let’s go!”
“I-I pushed to my feet, begging Quentin with my stare not to do anything stupid. He stepped forward anyway, and the guy with the bag cocked his gun. Quentin halted, and the guy gestured for him to get back on his knees. He told the kid to shoot Quentin in the kneecap if he got back up.” I perched on the arm of the couch, feeling unsteady, my voice a thin rasp. Sparrow continued to listen but didn’t react.
