Page 110 of White Raven (Nevermore Duet #2)

“Rhaena!” he yelped, swallowing. “I thought you said…”

“I wasn’t. But I am this time. For real. I found out the other night. Brandon doesn’t know yet…I wanna take him back to the doctor with me. You should have seen him up there. Funniest shit I’ve ever witnessed. You men are absolutely retarded when it comes to basic female anatomy.”

He relaxed his arms and leaned on one of them as he stared at her. “So, this is…”

“Not yours,” she laughed.

“Rhaena I just fucking hit you at full strength. What the fuck, man?”

She sat up and leaned back on her hands. “ That was your full strength? Jesus, Kane…you really do fucking suck.”

“Tell me you’re not saying this so we’ll stay in Boston,” he argued, cocking his head to the side.

She softly shook her head. “No…I’m not. But I wanted to tell you in person.

Not from across an ocean.” She criss-crossed her legs and they faced each other as Athan adjusted himself.

“Look…I may be having my little bitch fit, dealing with all this…but you know all I’ve ever wanted for you was your happiness.

Know I mean it when I say that, Athan. You and Sarah deserve this. Wren does. Brent does.”

“You do,” he added softly. She nodded.

“Yeah…we do. I may not like the change, but this needs to happen. I know that. I’m just—” Her face drew up, and she choked on a sob. “ Fuck , I’m gonna miss you.”

“Come here,” he said, holding his inked arm out as she collapsed into him.

His skin was damp with sweat, and she breathed in his scent—even though right now, he desperately needed a shower.

Athan held her close, and slowly rocked her while she let it all out.

“I’m gonna miss you too. If I find out you share the secret of Boston’s best meatball subs with anyone, I’ll get on the first flight back here. ”

Rhaena huffed out a snotty laugh, thinking about that tiny apartment next door to her own.

About every time they’d sat at that table.

About every bloody finger she drew back when his damn pigeon did his best to shoo her out.

Through all the good memories, there were the bad ones too.

The way he’d seemed so broken after he’d attacked Sarah in the alley.

The way he felt so undeserving of being able to stand in the sun when she’d crossed that parking lot that day…

so many years this man had waited for this moment. Who was she to try and hold him back?

“Go, Athan…” she whispered, raising her head. “Go live.” His eyes were glassy, and his bottom lip pressed firm against his top. She bit the strap on her glove, and jerked it, relieving her hands from them as she palmed the side of his face. “I can’t see you off. I’m too hormonal for this shit.”

“Rhaena…”

“No. I’m serious. When you walk outta that door, I don’t wanna hear another damn word from you until you’ve ended up where your heart calls home.

Somewhere you’re not outrunning demons, and that new smile that gives me the creeps stays plastered to your face.

” His jaw tightened, and he swallowed hard.

Rhaena leaned into his face. “That’s an order, detective. ”

Athan slightly nodded, and blinked rapidly, leaning up to press a kiss to her forehead. “10-4, Cap.” She pulled him back to her for a tight hug, and then pushed him away.

“Go. Hurry up, before I puke. You smell like shit.”

Athan held her stare for a moment longer, and then snickered as he stood and stepped off the mat.

Rhaena watched him until he paused by the door and looked back over his shoulder.

“You’re gonna make a kick-ass mom, Rhaena Northwood.

” Tears drained from her eyes as they smiled at each other one last time, and then he slowly turned and walked out the door.

As soon as it slammed shut, her chest sputtered, and Rhaena palmed her flat belly, Athan’s silver ring glinting on her forefinger, as sobs tore out of her throat.

He’d showered off and changed, and Sarah and Wren were chatting each other up at his desk as Athan approached. Wren narrowed her eyes at him.

“You been crying over that ass-whoopin’ Rhae-Rhae handed you?” she smirked.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Red.”

“Where is she? She’s not getting out of this unscathed,” Wren said, looking down the hallway.

Athan didn’t want to out her secret, but he glanced down the hallway, and then at Rhaena’s new office where Jenkins was still bent over all the wrong pieces to the bookshelf that was starting to look like more of a nightmare.

“She’s not coming out…take it easy on her, would you?”

Sarah lowered her brows as she perched on his desk. Wren dropped her hands to her sides. “Oh, hell nah…she in the locker room?” He nodded, and Wren took off down the hallway.

“What’s wrong?” Sarah asked, sliding off the desk. “Other than the obvious.”

He glanced up, locking eyes with his mate, and softly smiled.

Rhaena’s pregnant.

No way would he keep that kind of secret from Sarah again…not after last time. Sarah flinched at first, but then it seemed to register what he was actually meaning. No scare tactics this time. Just genuine good news.

Holy shit…and Brandon?

Athan shook his head as he looked back over to Foley’s old office door. Sarah’s smile grew, and she hunched in on herself like it was the most adorable thing she’d ever heard.

“Having second thoughts?” she asked.

He stepped around the corner of the desk, and dumped all the half-empty pens, and highlighters into the small trash can. “Nah…non-refundable tickets.”

“What are you doing?” Sarah looked menacingly at the trash can as he tossed it back under the desk.

“All my personal shit fit into one evidence box a month ago. I’m not taking a bunch of pens with me.

” He stared at his empty desk, lingering on the black monitor, and the clean coffee mug next to the keyboard.

“Over a decade sitting at this desk, and all it took was one box…and one really damaged goth chick in a hospital gown.”

Sarah huffed a laugh and tugged him to her by the front of his jacket. “Still no second thoughts?”

Athan smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Non-refundable vic.”

“You’re so fucking stupid,” she laughed, pressing her mouth against his. “She gonna be okay?”

“She gave me my first order. Cap’s kicking me out.”

Sarah pulled back, and picked up his mug, placing it in his hand. Boston Police Department. “I see. Should we go, then?”

Athan swallowed and stared down at his chair.

“One more thing we have to do first.”

A masterpiece. Almost two hours he’d been working on this thing, and Brandon proudly pulled the bookshelf upright, and started to try and move it to the newly-vacant spot against the wall across from Rhaena’s desk.

Screeching sounded from his right, and he turned to see Kane and Sarah scooting a chair into the office.

“Hey,” Kane smirked. “Help me with this real quick.”

“Dude, she’s gonna fucking murder you.”

He only smiled like the Devil, and Brandon chuckled under his breath as he darted for Rhaena’s chair and moved it from behind her desk.

Kane quickly replaced it, and Sarah took Foley’s old chair and started rolling it to its new home.

Athan plopped down into it, wiggling around for good measure, and the awful creak scraped at Brandon’s teeth.

“Perfect,” Kane grinned.

“I hope I’m thirty miles from here when she gets back.”

Athan stood, and carefully slid the chair in as he shoved his hands into his pockets. “Great deal less than the miles I’m about to put in,” he sighed.

“Still shaking in your boots over this plane ride?”

“Christ…I don’t even wanna think about it. At this point, I’ll take the coffin.”

Brandon smiled and couldn’t place the look on his colleague’s face as Kane stared proudly at him. “You good, man?”

He was quiet for a second, and Sarah poked her head back into the door. “Yeah, I’m perfect. Hold down the fort, alright?”

“I’ve got this,” Brandon smirked. Sarah stepped to his side, and reached over, hugging him and patting his back.

Kane extended his hand. It didn’t seem right…

letting him leave this way. Brandon gripped it, and pulled him in, slapping the leather on Athan’s back before pulling away.

“Take care of yourself, brother. Our captain’s safe. ”

Their tender bro-moment came crashing down with a loud bang, and Sarah nearly jumped out of her immortal skin next to them as they all turned towards the back wall. No…it wasn’t the moment. It was the fucking bookshelf.

“Oh, my God…” Sarah laughed, covering her mouth as the entire precinct went silent and stared into the office. She doubled over in giggles, and Athan rubbed the back of his neck.

“That um…that wasn’t supposed to happen. The fucking thing is missing a piece.”

“Uh huh…” Athan chuckled, clapping him on the shoulder. “That’s our cue. Let’s go.” Brandon stared, eyes wide, at the rubble that should have been…a damn masterpiece…as Sarah and Athan made their way to the elevator.

“Kane!” he called, leaning halfway out the office door. “Dude! Come on, man…you just gonna leave me here with this?”

The detective grinned as the doors closed, and he tossed up two fingers while Sarah continued to cackle beside him.

It was late. Wren had made the decision to leave early, and drive through the night after parting ways with Rhaena at the precinct, and he didn’t have the heart to argue with her about it.

A dim light was on in Sarah’s apartment as Brent parked Wren’s car in front of the art gallery.

It’d likely be the last time he’d ever see the inside of this little apartment that he used to feel so reluctant to be in.

Now it seemed harder to say goodbye to it than when he walked out of his penthouse for the last time.

“I’m staying in the car,” Wren sniffled, wiping her nose on her blanket she’d draped over her legs. “Me and Sarah left shit the way we wanted to earlier tonight. I’m not leaving Denver out here by himself.”

“Okay,” he smirked, leaning over to press a kiss to her head. “I’ll be back.”

He didn’t announce himself as he trudged up the narrow steps to Sarah’s door. He swallowed as he raised his hand to knock on it, freezing when Athan swung it open, and pointed a gun at him.

“Shit…Stratford. You learn nothing.”

Brent tried to reel in his small heart attack as Athan lowered his pistol and turned to let him in.

Sarah clutched that old blanket up to her chest from a small pallet on the floor of their empty apartment.

She was naked as hell. Nothing he hadn’t seen every inch of before, no… but…she wasn’t his anymore.

“Brent?!” she squealed, reaching for her t-shirt. “What the hell are you doing here?”

He covered his eyes, and Athan closed the door behind him as Sarah shuffled, getting dressed. “Yeah, sorry…I—I should have called first.”

“Everything okay?” Athan asked.

He continued to shield his eyes and nodded.

“Yeah, we’re good…just…Wren wants to leave tonight.

I didn’t wanna start the trek out west until I came to say goodbye.

” Brent fixed his eyes on the familiar luggage by the door.

Sarah’s tattooed legs came into view beneath his hand, and she moved it away from his face.

She stood next to Athan in an old band shirt, and some really short nightshorts, and they both seemed so…

completely normal . Effortless. Nobody would ever guess what they were behind the glamour of that huge secret, and it really set in at that moment just how wrong they’d been for each other.

He was so happy for her. And so sorry for everything he’d done.

It was like Athan Kane could hear his every thought as his striking eyes softened at him, and Sarah brought her arms around Brent’s neck.

He blew out a deep breath and closed his eyes as he squeezed around her.

“This is still joint custody, Brent…” Sarah choked out over his shoulder. “You’re to bring my big, ginger smokestack back here. Every other weekend and bank holidays.” Brent laughed into her long black hair.

“I’ll take care of her, Sarah. I promise.”

“You better. Or I’ll drive the bus myself.”

Athan chuckled at that one, and Brent couldn’t help but join him. Sarah pulled back and looked him over. He dressed for comfort for this ride. Gray sweatpants, and a new hoodie Wren had bought him with blown out piano keys. His new favorite.

“Gray sweatpants, Stratford? Really?” Athan said sarcastically.

“Trying to show off what I’m definitely not missing?” Sarah laughed.

Brent rolled his eyes and stuck his hands in his hoodie pocket. “Third degree burn, guys. Thanks.”

Athan smiled at the floor, and when he looked back up through strands of his hair, he extended a tattooed hand towards Brent.

“For what it’s worth, Brent…I’m sorry. About everything.

You’re a decent guy. And you’re nothing like that piece of shit you called father.

” Brent took his hand, gripping firmly, and shook it as he nodded softly, tightening his jaw.

“Thank you, Kane. I wish you guys nothing but the best. I really mean it.” Their hands dropped, and he met eyes with Sarah, who stood clutching her arms around herself, and fighting back tears.

“I may not have ever loved you like you deserved …but I’ll always love you.

I hope you two find everything you’ve been looking for out there. Be good to each other, okay?”

“As long as you promise to love her the right way…it was worth everything.” Sarah leaned into Athan and smiled sweetly as a tear shot down her cheek. “You’re gonna do amazing things with that girl next to you, Brent. Life’s one hell of a ride when she’s in the driver’s seat.”

“Just remember that you said all that if you ever find my body in an abandoned little yellow car,” Brent laughed, turning towards the door.

“Take care, seven seconds …” Athan grinned.

Brent offered one last smile, closing the door behind him.

He let his emotion get the best of him as he made his way down the treacherous steps, nearly tripping on the last one as he stepped out onto the curb.

Wren smiled at him from the car, and he stared at the little firecracker in the passenger seat for a long moment before he blew the biggest sigh of relief and joined her.

He held her hand the entire way through the city, refusing to look at Boston in the rear-view mirror as their tail lights became a blur on I-93.