Page 99 of Parker
High heels click off the floor as someone who I assume is my mother paces the room.
“Sit down, Mum,” Nicky’s voice says. I love this recent change in how she addresses my mother. It shows how close they’ve become. “The doctor said he’ll come ‘round. We must be patient.” The clicking continues. No one else speaks.
I try to open my eyes, but they feel heavy. The small task requires a huge effort. Squeezing them tightly shut, I push down and then try to open them wide until I’m staring up at a blank ceiling.
“Nicky,” I whisper, hoping a sound of some sort will come out.
“Doctor! He’s awake,” she calls, her voice rising.
Within moments, her dark eyes and brown curls come into view. Slowly, I turn my head toward her?she has my son cradled in her arms.
“Hey, darling,” she whispers. “How are you feeling?”
“What happened? Where am I?” I ask while moving my head tentatively from side to side. Encouraged, I try to move each body part, working down my body to ensure I’m not missing any.A tall man with olive skin and blue eyes arrives, wearing a long white coat.
“Good morning, Mr. Parker,” he says with a smile. “It’s good to have you with us. Let’s check you over, then your family can fill you in on the details.”
***
After a thorough inspection, I’m sitting up in bed, supported by pillows and high on pain medication. Nicky sits on a chair beside me, my hand clasped in hers.
Evan is in the arms of his grandmother, who is walking around the room, telling him stories. Boyd sits to my other side with a face-splitting grin and a huge gash across his forehead.
“We got the bastard,” he says merrily. “Drayton’s in the river.”
The door to my room bursts open, and Sophie comes running in.
“Oh, thank fuck you’re not dead,” she yells, hurtling toward the bed. She stops and stares down at me, a huge smile spreading across her face. “Thank you for saving us. I’ll never say a bad word about you again.”
I raise my eyebrow. “You say bad things about me?”
“Well, you are a bad man,” she says with a shrug, and I laugh.
“Careful, Soph,” Nicky hisses. “He only woke up an hour ago.”
Sophie sticks out her tongue, and Nicky swipes at her shoulder. They both giggle, then Sophie retreats to Imelda and joins in with Evan’s storytelling.
“You’re going to have to tell me what happened,” I say, my attention returning to Boyd and Nicky.
“After the shit show with the car,” Boyd says.
“Oh, that was bloody awful,” Sophie chimes in. Nicky glowers at her for interrupting.
“As I was saying,” Boyd says. “After the car, Nicky managed to get loose and sound the alarm that it was a setup. Drayton’s men were hiding in the surrounding buildings, lying in wait. The idea was that when our eyes were all trained on the car, they would attack from behind.” He runs his hand over his head. “Our men turned in time to shoot. Someone got you in the neck as Nicky shouted.”
“How many men did we lose?” I ask him.
“Four. But we got Drayton and another ten. They are all languishing at the bottom of the Clyde. The rest scattered and have gone into hiding, but from what I can tell, we got the ringleaders.”
“And Ebony?” The reality that my oldest friend double-crossed me cuts deep. After years of working together and supporting her, it hurts to the bone that she would be part of a plot against our family.
“She’s at Parker Fashion,” he says. “Until you decide what to do with her. I have a psychiatrist visiting tomorrow to assess the damage. My suggestion would be to submit her to a secure private unit for the time being. She’ll have information. With Drayton dead, she has nowhere to run to.”
“Do we know why?” He shrugs. “After everything…” My voice trails off.
“My best guess is good old-fashioned jealousy. We went to her apartment, and the place is a shrine to you and all things Parker Fashion. Pictures, newspaper cuttings, and unsent love letters. Her diary is full of crazy ideas.” He hands me a small pink notebook. “Read it when you feel up to it.”
Changing the subject, I prompt, “Did we lose any family men? Is there anyone needing to be looked after?”
