Page 9 of Falcon

“Wow, that’s impressive as hell, actually,” I say.

“She is the best partner I could have. Better than any human partner, really. She has my back.” Case bends down to her level and ruffles her head around her ears, and she eats the affection up.

“You said her name is Arya? Like from Game of Thrones?” I ask.

“Yep, that’s the one,” Nora answers. “Case thinks she’s a better character than Tyrion. Can you believe that?”

“I think you’re both wrong. The best character is clearly The Hound.”

“This is a never-ending battle, isn’t it?” Nora asks with a flail of her hands.

“No need for a battle, just admit I’m right.” I smirk.

“Not today,” she replies, referencing the show once again. Damn, I love my sister, and I’m so glad I get to be here with her for a while.

***

Nora finds me later in the room they’ve designated as mine for my stay, which as of now, is just for a few weeks.

“Getting all settled?” she asks, leaning against the doorjamb.

I stuff my duffle bag into the closet then turn to face her. “Yeah. I think so.”

“Good.”

“This is a nice place, Nor, really. I’m still not sure about the baggage that comes with it but…”

She interrupts me instantly, “Don’t start. You hardly even know Case, and I won’t let you pass judgment like that. You are the one who encouraged me to come back here to him, remember?” She walks in and plops down onto the bed.

“I know, but it’s my brotherly duty to give Officer Pretty Boy a little shit here and there, right? I’ve never seen you so hurt before, and with him being a cop, I just worry about your heart. That’s all.” I sit next to her.

“Don’t call him that. He’s a great man, Marco, and I really love him.” She is staring down at the rock on her ring finger.

“With a ring that size, who wouldn’t?”

She swats my arm and laughs. “You know that doesn’t matter to me. Not at all.”

“I know.” I kiss her head. “I’m happy for you. I really am, just don’t tell him that, okay? I want to scare him at least a little.”

“I’ll let you scare him if you tell me the real reason you came out here.”

“What do you mean?”

“Joe called me.”

I rise from the bed and slide my hand through my hair. “Here we go.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that you were hurt?”

“I’m not hurt.”

“Not right now, no, but you could be. Why are you so stubborn?”

“I don’t want to have this discussion, Nora. I heard what the doctor said. I’m a grown-ass man, who can decide when I retire, okay? I don’t need a million people giving me their opinions.”

“I’m your sister, but I’m also a nurse, so I’ll give you my opinion whether you like it or not. You’re my brother, I love you, and I want to keep you around for another fifty years, okay? And if that means you stop fighting, you stop fighting. I have seen so much fucked-up shit, Marco: head injuries, broken necks, broken faces, internal injuries, brain trauma. I can’t…I can’t imagine losing you. I can’t, so if you need to stop, you need to stop.”

“I told them I was finishing out my already announced fights. After that, we’ll come back together as a team and talk.”

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