Page 104 of Sweet Sin

Wow.

“Eagle,” I say.

“That’s my name.” He holds out his hand. “I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure.”

“Savannah Gallo,” I say.

“Hands off, Eagle.” From Falcon.

“Easy, bro.” Eagle smiles. “I don’t touch what’s not mine.” Then he gets serious. “How is she?”

“In good spirits, for what it’s worth,” Falcon replies. “The doc thinks she just caught a virus, but we won’t know until the blood panels come back.”

“How long will that be?” Eagle asks.

Falcon shakes his head. “How the fuck should I know?”

“Easy, easy,” Eagle says again.

Falcon is looking at his youngest brother in a strange way—as if he can’t decide whether he wants to hug him or slice him up and throw him to a den of hungry lions.

I must be seeing it wrong.

If there’s one thing Falcon is all about, it’s family.

I clear my throat. “If you’ll all excuse me, I need to…go to the bathroom.”

Falcon touches my cheek. “Don’t be long.”

“Of course not.”

I have the information for Giancarlo and Mrs. Shaw from my earlier talk with the clerk.

I want to see Mrs. Shaw, make sure she’s okay. But how can she be okay? She’s a widow…and it’s all my fault. I’m probably the last person she wants to see.

I head to her room anyway, summoning all my courage. Her door is open, and I peek inside. She appears to be sleeping, and I don’t want to disturb her. A nurse walks by me to enter the room.

“Are you a friend?” she asks.

“Yes. Is she doing okay?”

“She’s doing just fine, but that’s all I can say unless you’re family. Would you like me to wake her?”

“No.” I shake my head. “I’m glad to know she’s doing well. I’ll come back another time to visit.”

I leave, relief sweeping through me. Relieved that Mrs. Shaw is fine, but also because I got a temporary reprieve from talking to her.

As much as the guilt is consuming me, though, I’d gladly have Mrs. Shaw yell at me into next week to avoid seeing Giancarlo.

But I must.

I find his room, and his door is closed. I knock.

“Yeah?”

Is it his voice? It’s crackly and raspy, and I don’t know him well enough to recognize his voice anyway.

I open the door, and he’s lying in bed. Oddly, there’s no bandage on his neck, but he looks pale.

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