Chapter 21
CHAPTER 21
Joan held Sadie’s hand securely as they exited the elevator onto the seventh floor. Home at last.
She’d barely let go in the past few hours. Or at least hadn’t wanted to while Sadie gave her statement to the police at the hospital and had a quick exam to make sure she was okay. After changing into her street clothes, Joan had been there as a “supportive friend.”
It was kind of funny and a bit terrifying to have been so close to the cops as Sadie made it known Spark, Ice and Breeze had been integral in capturing the very bad guys. She’d explained that she didn’t know why Trick had taken her. Wrong place, wrong time.
Sadie caught her staring and squeezed Joan’s hand. “I’m fine. Just a little sore.”
“I hate that you got hurt,” Joan murmured.
“I’ll feel better after I wash up and put on comfy clothes.”
They paused outside Sadie’s door. Amit had come by the hospital to check in and give Sadie her keys and phone, as well as some food. He’d told her to take the next few days off. He’d also told Joan to take care of her, which had been unexpected but very welcome. He reminded her a lot of Perry with his gruff way of showing he cared.
“Can you come in with me?” Sadie said. “I don’t want to be alone.”
“Of course. You shouldn’t be by yourself. You went through a pretty traumatic event.”
“I guess one good thing is that I was under mind control most of the time, so I don’t remember much. It’s more like a dream I had, in bits and pieces.”
Joan nodded. Sadie had said as much in her statement.
Sadie hesitated, key poised at the lock. Then she turned to Joan. “Can I stay at your place tonight? I’d feel safer if I was with you. And you have all those alarms and stuff.”
“Absolutely. Stay as long as you want. I’ll have the arnica gel at the ready.”
Sadie swayed a little. Joan scooped her into a tight hug. She honestly couldn’t believe Sadie felt safe with her after seeing her in all her flame-throwing glory. But Sadie didn’t seem bothered. She knew the good, the bad and the fiery and still wanted to be with Joan.
She was everything .
“Okay,” Sadie said, and drew back. “Let me get a few things and we’ll hunker down.”
She gathered her bathroom essentials before rummaging around her bedroom. She emerged with her hair down, in a faded City School of Design T-shirt and short, girly flannel boxers.
“You’re getting full-on Comfy Sadie,” she laughed.
“Comfy Sadie is cute,” Joan said. Comfy Sadie also didn’t appear to be wearing a bra.
She handed Joan her cosmetics travel bag, then grabbed her phone and keys off the kitchen counter. “I’ll call my parents tomorrow. I don’t have the energy to tell the story again tonight.”
Thank god Sadie’s parents were out so they wouldn’t tune in to the nightly news. She’d asked not to be identified by the press, which would hopefully delay their inevitable freakout.
Guilt twinged Joan’s chest. If it hadn’t been for her, Sadie would have never been in harm’s way. What if being together meant more danger ahead?
Sadie gave her a small smile. The twinge grew in warmth and pressure.
What if being together was the best way to protect her?
They headed over to Joan’s apartment. She disarmed the alarm when they entered, then swiftly reactivated it. “Let me do a quick sweep,” she said.
“Only if you want to,” Sadie said.
“I very much want to.”
Joan checked the sliding glass doors, all the windows, every room, looking and listening for anything suspicious. Everything was as she’d left it that morning, including the empty Chinese food containers and beer bottles sitting on the kitchen island from the weekend.
Sadie leaned against it. “This looks like the set for a sad heartbreak montage in a rom-com.”
“That’s basically what it was.”
She stretched forward to give Joan a soft kiss. “Not tonight.”
“Not tonight,” Joan repeated, mostly so she didn’t blurt out Hopefully never again.
“Can I ask you something?” Sadie said.
“Anything.”
She looked in the direction of the living room. “Is all of that stolen? The paintings and expensive trinkets?”
Taking in a steadying breath, Joan said, “Some of it. A few things were gifts. I bought some things.”
“I don’t like the idea of the artists not getting paid.”
“I don’t, either. Everything was originally bought and paid for. I wouldn’t take anything from an artist. That’s shitty.”
“You should give the creators some money for their troubles,” Sadie said. “If they’re still alive. It can’t feel good to know your work got stolen.”
“You’re right. I should. I mean, I appreciate and enjoy it all.”
“That would be a nice gesture.”
The way Sadie looked at her— I like you, but do better —anyone would agree to whatever she wanted. “Okay. I’ll do that,” Joan said.
“Good.” Sadie released a huge yawn. “Whew. I’m exhausted.”
“Me, too. Generating as much fire as I did takes a lot out of me.”
“I can only imagine.” Toying with a button on Joan’s chambray-blue shirt, Sadie said, “How are you feeling about everything that went down? You had some old friends arrested. That couldn’t have been easy.”
“I don’t care,” Joan said. “They hurt you. They deserve everything they get. I’m more concerned about you.”
“I keep telling you I’m okay.”
They stared at each other, silently acknowledging neither was being all that forthcoming.
“We need to be more honest about how we’re feeling,” Sadie said.
Joan hesitated for a long beat. She wasn’t used to feelings talks. “I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. It probably will in a day or two.”
“I’ll be here for you when it does.”
“Thank you. I’ll have to process it with Mark. We’ve gone through everything together. I can’t process things without him.”
Sadie nodded.
“But I want you there,” Joan quickly added. “I didn’t mean for it to sound like?—”
“It didn’t, but thanks for clarifying.” Sadie stared down at her baggy T-shirt. “I haven’t processed what happened, either. It might be hard going back to work.”
“I’ll drive you to and from the café. Every day. I’ll hang out there and work on plans for the food truck if you need me to.”
She glanced up and smiled at Joan. “My sweet Joanie Maloney.”
Joan yawned, fatigue settling around her like a thick fog. Sadie yawned too, and they both laughed.
“Why don’t you get comfy and we’ll relax?” Sadie tugged on Joan’s shirt. “We can talk more after a good night’s snuggle.”
Snuggling sounded like the very best soothing balm. Joan pressed a kiss to Sadie’s temple. Sadie studied her face.
“What?” Joan said.
“You look worried. What’s wrong?”
She met Sadie’s beautiful brown eyes. “I was scared this might never happen again. That we wouldn’t…”
“Don’t worry.” Sadie kissed her cheek. “We will.”
“Thank you for giving me a second chance.”
“Don’t blow it.”
“I won’t.”
They shared a grin. It was such a relief to not have to hide anymore.
Joan started for her bedroom. She paused, spying the keypad on her office door. Sadie needed to know everything. Had to be let into the world she was now a part of.
“I want to show you something,” Joan said.
She typed in the code and opened the door. Flipped on the overhead light she rarely used, preferring the room be kept dimly lit.
Sadie stepped cautiously inside. It didn’t look intimidating—just a table with two large computer monitors and a locked metal trunk in the corner. Joan went to the closet to reveal her large safe and pile of extra Spark gear. Gloves, boots, an unused wig that was even more annoying than her current one.
“That’s the First National Bank of Malone,” she said, gesturing to the safe. “Sorry, that’s a terrible joke Mark started years ago. I know it’s not funny.”
Sadie averted her gaze. “Don’t open it. I don’t want to see what’s in there.”
She gingerly picked up the wig. She eyed it, then plopped it on her head. Her curled red bangs poked out from the front. Smirking, she snagged one glove, then another, then put them on. She held up her fists and did a karate kick.
“I’m a badass Supervillain,” she growled, kicking her other leg.
“You’re too sweet to be a Villain.”
“That’s my superpower. I disarm people with my kindness.” She punched the air a few times. Right now, her bouncy untethered breasts were an extremely disarming superpower.
Sadie noticed the wear and tear on the gloves. She held the palms up and appraised them. “Does it hurt when you create fire?” she asked quietly.
“No, it never does.”
“Can your Spark suit really absorb most hits?”
“Mostly.”
Her lips curved into a smile. “How does it feel to fly?”
“Pretty cool. I can take you sometime.”
“Maybe.”
It was surreal talking about this. Seeing Sadie in Spark accessories. Even Greta never put them on.
“What was Race talking about?” Sadie said. “What deal did you make with the Supers?”
“If we helped them, me and Mark and Perry can get out of the life. As long as we don’t do anything to give them cause for concern, they’ll leave us be.”
“You really were serious about wanting to do that.”
“Every word.”
After a few moments, Sadie said, “How was it working with the Supers? That had to be weird.”
“It was weird. But good? I don’t know. There’s a lot of bad blood there.”
“They were willing to work with you. And you were willing to put aside your differences…”
“For you,” Joan murmured.
“Really?” Sadie’s eyes shone with the appreciation Joan thought she’d never see again.
“We all wanted to stop Trick. But I was there for you.”
Sadie beamed a glorious smile. “My hero.”
Joan had been called many things in her life. Hero had never been one of them.
Her heart pulsed with warmth and…pride? Was this what virtuous pride felt like?
Pulling the wig off, Sadie said, “It feels kinda wrong wearing this.”
She tossed it and the gloves back into the closet. Joan closed the door. That was enough for an already very long day.
“All right.” Sadie waved at the open doorway. “Go get changed, hot stuff.”
“Oh, so it’s gonna be Spark jokes from now on?” Joan teased.
“I think I’ve earned the right to all the jokes.”
“You can do whatever you want to me, Sadie Eagan.”
Sadie pinched her ass on the way by. “I absolutely will, Joan Malone.”