Fade to Red

Beckham and Howie glared at Dion and the older man had the decency to look remorseful.

“I think this is all Coco,” Beckham said. “Sparrow, look at me. I know this looks bad, but just think about it. Neither of them would do this to us. Well, I don’t have any claims on Roxie, but she wouldn’t do this to you,” he clarified.

Sparrow’s eyes glistened with tears. “You’re right. She wouldn’t. He wouldn’t. I trust them.” And then softer: “I do.” She shifted Journey onto the other hip. “I don’t know how he’d have time to have an affair…” She tried to smile.

“We can’t let this distract us from finding them.” He looked at Dion. “You’ve already run a track on Ian’s phone?”

“Yes. I’ll run another, though, see if anything new turns up.”

Dion made a few phone calls, and Sparrow walked in front of the window, back and forth, until Journey fell asleep. She sat on the couch and looked exhausted herself. When her phone went off, she jumped and nearly dropped the phone while trying to answer it.

“Baby?”

Beckham could hear Ian’s voice through the phone. He raised his head to the ceiling and took a deep breath. Thank God.

“Ian?” she cried.

Dion stopped talking and everyone stared at Sparrow.

“Okay. Okay, we will. I’m with him right now.” She glanced at Beckham and stood up. “They’re together,” she told Beck. “Mission Hospital. We need to go now.”

Dion nodded and got on his cell, while they all walked out of Dion’s office.

Sparrow sniffled. “Are you okay? Is she?”

The tears kept falling down her cheeks. Beckham was divided between making sure she was okay and snatching the phone out of her hands to hear what Ian was saying.

Sparrow was quiet, listening. Then she put her hand on Beckham’s arm, her eyes wide. “Roxie’s unconscious—she was beaten pretty badly,” she said.

“What?” Beckham paused mid-step then rushed forward when Sparrow gripped his arm.

Howie held up the keys and Beckham nodded.

Sparrow shook her head and choked up. “I can’t believe it.” She paused. “We’re on our way. We’ll get there as soon as we can.” She could barely get the words out. “I know, babe. I’m not go

She hung up and Beckham stared at her.

“He hung up? I need to talk to him,” he said.

“I know, I’m sorry—the police got there,” she said.

Will stepped up. “I’ll take Sparrow and Journey,” he said.

Beckham nodded. “Did he say anything else about Roxie?”

She shook her head and wiped her face. “Just that he’s worried about her.” She opened her car door and squared her shoulders. “She’ll be okay, Beckham. We have to hurry so she knows we’re there with her and that she’s safe.”

Both cars drove at breakneck speed to get to the hospital across town. Howie and Dion flanked either side of Beckham as they rushed to the ER.

“Can you tell me which room Roxie Taylor is in?” Beckham asked the receptionist. “Miss, please?”

Her shiny blue nails clicked on the keyboard as she finished typing whatever she was working on. Finally, she looked up at him in a

“Roxie Taylor?” he repeated.

“I’m a big fan of yours,” she said. “Like, the biggest.” She scrolled down the screen. “She’s been moved to ICU.” She pressed a button on her phone. “Can you cover the desk? I’m taking a break.” She looked at Beckham. “I can take you to her room,” she said softly. She didn’t look at the people in line behind him.

Several made a commotion about her walking away, but she didn’t respond. When the whole group moved with Beckham, she turned and frowned at Sparrow and the baby. “Only one person at a time.”

Beckham sighed. “She’s here to see her husband. We’re not sure if he was admitted. If not, he’s probably with Roxie. Ian Sterling?”

“If Ian Sterling is here, I’ma throw a hissy that I didn’t hear about it.” She looked at the hulking men staring her down and took a deep breath. A code alert went over the sound system and seemed to jar her into moving. With a flick of her hand, she motioned them back and they walked through the double doors. When they reached Roxie’s door, it was open and the room was full of doctors and nurses. The receptionist looked alarmed and backed up.

“You’ll have to stay out here for now,” she said. “I’ll take you to an empty room, so you can be close.”

“What’s going on?” Beckham asked. “Please.” He was stu

Leo.

Beep—beep

Beckham.

Beep—beep—beep—beep—beep

Beckham was pulled away and taken to a nearby chair. Sparrow clutched his hand and they watched as activity continued to be hectic around Roxie. An officer stood nearby and Dion began talking with him. Howie and Will stood like a barricade close to Beckham, Sparrow, and Journey. A nurse stopped when she saw them.

“Are you Sparrow?” she asked.

Sparrow nodded and the nurse smiled.

“Your husband has been describing you in great detail to anyone who would listen.” She looked Sparrow over. “He was right on the money.” She leaned in closer and whispered. “He’s a little happy on some meds right now. I can take you to see him whenever you’re ready.”

“Thank you!” Sparrow glanced at Beckham. “Can you tell us about Roxie Taylor?” she asked.

“Yes, I’ll see what I can find out,” she said.

Beckham put his hand on Sparrow’s back. “Go be with him. I’ll text you when I hear something.”

Sparrow gave him a quick hug. “I’ll be close—I’ll check on Ian and come back.”

The sound from Roxie’s room seemed to shift, a flurry of white lab coats and green scrubs exiting the room. Beckham stood up and moved closer. He stopped one of the nurses walking out.

“Is she okay?”

She seemed startled but nodded as she pressed the antibacterial foam hanging on the wall into her hand.

“And you are?” she asked.

“Her boyfriend.” I hope.

She nodded. “The gentleman who brought her in said you’d be coming. She’s stable. I’ll have the doctor who’s in with her now come talk to you as soon as he can.”

“Thank you.”

It was some time before the doctor came out. Roxie’s parents arrived in the meantime and they sat together, trying to piece together what little they knew of the kidnapping and what she’d been through with Coco. The doctor introduced himself and launched into his update.

“Roxie is stable. Because of a broken rib, she had a tension pneumothorax, which caused her to code. A chest tube relieved the pressure and she’s breathing a lot better now. I’d still like to see her saturation levels come up. After speaking with Dr. Herring at Cedar Sinai and also Mr. Sterling, we know her lungs were under duress before the kidnapping. What her body endured after that…” He shook his head. “She is a fighter. We’ll keep a close eye on her. She seems to be responding well to the oxygen now. We’ve given her something to help with the pain, so hopefully she can rest well tonight. You should get some rest too.”

They all had questions and he answered them patiently, but really the bottom line was that they’d have to wait and see…

They were allowed to sit with her and when Beckham got his chance to hold her hand, he whispered into her ear.

“Hey, Rox. I’m here, and I’m not leaving you for even a second. Doc says you’re a fighter and I have never been happier hearing those words about you. I love my kitten with claws.” He leaned in closer. “Do you hear me? I love you, Roxie.” His voice caught in his chest and he sagged into the chair by her bed, still clutching her hand. Her parents were sitting on her other side.

He looked down at the hand he was holding and his heart plummeted. What the hell had happened to her? The hand that had been hurt in the fire looked infected and the one he was holding looked raw and exposed.