Page 3 of Saving Sparrow
“C-can I come in?”
He moved aside after taking his time assessing me. I stepped into the foyer, watching as he bolted the door. A swivel clip with a retractable cord hung at his waist. He tugged on the ring of keys attached, sliding one into an impressive double-cylinder lock. My heart jolted when he peered over his shoulder at me before turning the key slowly. The message was clear. I didn’t get out until he let me out.
“Your, um, phone. Can I use your phone?”
“Landlines are down.”
“Oh.” I swallowed hard. “Is it okay if I wait around for things to get up and running again?”
“It could take a while.” There was something reptilian in the way he observed me. I felt like prey. Like I was the one who’d fallen right into his trap, instead of the other way around.
“I don’t really have a better alternative.” A rust-colored water stain covered a portion of the ceiling above us. Discolored wallpaper peeled along the corners—a drab damask pattern made popular in the Middle Ages.
“Do you mind if I sit?” I pointed to the living room off the foyer with its Victorian furnishings. A fire raged inside the hearth.
“Empty everything from your bag and pockets,” he ordered, as if he hadn’t heard my request. I removed my gloves and backpack, setting them on the foyer table before pulling out my laptop, chargers, and other miscellaneous items.
I emptied my pockets, then zipped out of the heavy parka before laying it across the table as well. I tugged out the lining of my pants pockets next. “Nothing but lint.”
“You can wait for me there.” His gaze flicked to the living room, then back to me.
“Where are you going?”
“To get your room ready. I think it’s clear you won’t be going anywhere tonight.”
“Okay. I really appreciate this. Hopefully, the cell towers will be functioning again by morning.” Even if they were, it would do little for the snow swiftly accumulating outside. No one in their right mind would attempt a rescue mission up here.
“Leave them,” he said when I reached for my things. “I’ll make sure they make it to your room.”
Somehow, I didn’t believe that, but I nodded anyway. I watched as he shoved everything into my backpack, then climbed the huge staircase ahead.
Releasing my first real breath since entering the house, I removed my wet boots, then went into the living room to warm my hands by the fire. The disappointment at him not recognizing me settled in, and I blinked the tears away. I thought our love would bring him back to me the moment he laid eyes on me, but it didn’t. What was I supposed to do now?
My gaze snagged on the telephone wire stapled along the room’s baseboard. I followed its path to the windows where the wire had been cut near the wall jack.
“Landlines are down,”he’d said.
The slight fluttering of the curtain caught my attention. I pulled the panel aside, real panic setting in. The windows were barred from the inside.
“Your room is ready.”
I whirled around, hand flying to my chest. He stood less than a few feet away from me. The firelight provided better illumination than the foyer, better highlighting the dark circles beneath his eyes.
“You look tired.” I said it without thinking. Did he still get cranky when tired? Maybe that was to blame for his dark mood. “Sorry,” I said when his stare hardened further.
My fingers twitched with the urge to touch the thin line of scar tissue along his hairline. I wanted to press my lips against it in apology for not being strong enough to save him.
He turned on his heels, clearly expecting me to follow.
Trailing him down the second-floor hall, I noted how he walked with military precision. Not even the keys at his waist jingled.
Antique wall sconces barely lit our way; a few of them flickered, one going out completely.
We passed many closed doors. The locks on them were warded, which explained the singular skeleton key on his key ring. He gestured for me to enter the open door at the end of the hall. I stepped inside, ignoring the alarm bells going off in my head.
The opulent bedroom had been recently cleaned. The smell of disinfectant hung in the air. Odd, seeing as how I showed up unexpectedly, and he hadn’t left me alone long enough to clean a room of this size.
“Were you expecting company?” I asked.
