Page 26 of White Raven (Nevermore Duet #2)

A puff of smoke rose when Sarah laughed through it, passing the cigarette back. “Yeah, well…my back was bloody, and I had nothing else to grab onto. And where else did you expect my head to go in a position like that? You were about to snap my neck,” she snickered.

“You screamed just fine,” he argued.

“And you were a far cry from the quiet, shy type if I recall correctly. Especially when I broke skin on your di—”

“Fuck,” he growled, thinking about it. Something about that combination of pain and pleasure made his cock twitch. Sarah laughed it off, and somewhere near the bed, one of their phones started buzzing.

“Don’t answer it,” Sarah begged, offering him the cigarette.

“I’m off duty.” The buzzing stopped, just to start right back up again. This time from a different spot in the apartment. “I think that’s you.”

“Whoever it is can suck it.”

Athan ground his teeth. “Sarah, I’m really gonna need you to watch your choice of words, or there’s a decent chance—”

She rolled over, cutting off his threat with her mouth and flipping her messy hair over her shoulder as she climbed back on top of him.

The cigarette was snatched from his fingers, and he almost couldn’t believe what he was seeing when she broke away, raising herself and putting it out on her bare, bloody…

tattooed …it hissed against her skin and she bit down on her lip, tossing the butt aside.

He met her halfway, taking the back of her neck and situating himself to bury his cock back inside that body before—

That urgent buzzing started back. For fuck’s sake.

They paused a breath away from each other’s mouths and Sarah growled in frustration.

“What the fuck!” He didn’t have time to argue when she leapt off of him and stormed over to find the source of the relentless interruption.

“What?! What can I do for you? What do you need?” Her palm slapped her naked thigh, and he grinned over at her, watching the irritated curve of her naked back where it met a hip that jutted out and left a delicious lift to that ass that was just the right amount of—every naughty thought eddied out of his mind as she looked over her shoulder with a pale face full of astonishment.

“You fucking bitch…” Sarah whispered, snapping her face to the window and hurrying over to it, without a stitch of naked shame.

Athan sprang up, rushing to her side and coiling an arm around her waist to pull her away from the window. No doubt then, who was on the other end of that phone.

“You fucking bitch…”

Yeah, that was about what she expected. She hated that she wasn’t still standing outside that apartment to see the look on both their faces when they inevitably went to the window trying to spot her.

If she thought they were unhinged the last time she watched them feast off each other, tonight was a far more delicious show.

“Now, now…no need for name calling. Especially when I’m the only thing standing between you and your answers, St. James.” Her heels crunched through melting snow that was beginning to refreeze on the sidewalk and she drew a long pull on her cigarette.

“If that’s true then why are you hiding like a coward? Better question…why is he?”

Her lips flattened and her brows raised, unable to disagree with her logic as she continued down the street. “I’m only following my orders. And I can’t speak for him. Though, I’m really impressed with how quickly you and your detective ended my stay in lovely Boston.”

“Why show yourself when you knew I wasn’t able to process a coherent thought, but refuse when I can actually speak to you? And where is my fucking bird? I want him back. Now.”

“He was never yours to begin with, Sarah. I told your mate he’d go back where he belongs. You’ll be happy to know that he does seem to reciprocate your feelings, though. He’s a brilliant creature. And I’m sure leaving you wasn’t easy for him.”

“So, we were right? John Allan. He sent Poe to Athan,” Sarah rectified, softly. Hearing the betrayal of a father this girl didn’t even know was difficult for her not to understand. “And you…you’re working for him.”

Ryan’s mouth gathered to the side, and she scratched her hairline before taking another hit of her cigarette.

“Both of those assumptions are correct. I can’t give you more than that, so don’t bother asking.

Look, this isn’t personal on my end, okay?

I do work for John, but it’s more than that.

I haven’t been given permission to tell you everything.

That’s his job. And his place. My only part in this was to keep eyes on you, deliver his messages, and stay close until the two of you got closer to the truth.

Athan Kane may not have always been a detective, but he does a damn good job.

As does his extremely attractive partner.

Please tell her it was a pleasure, by the way. ”

“If you so much as lay a finger on her, I’ll—”

“Would you chill out? Geez, every single one of you are so ridiculously violent and leery. As I said, I’m not here to hurt anyone, nor do I want to. I’m actually the opposite. I prefer to find pleasure in the company I keep. I may have posed as a detective, but I was never there to hurt her.”

“Then why were you there? If you were supposed to be watching me and Athan, which you’ve clearly done without invitation, then why were you trying to cozy up to Rhaena?”

“Rhaena Northwood isn’t just any detective, Sarah. That’s your mate’s partner. She’s also a wolf…or did you think I wouldn’t put that together?”

She could hear Athan’s uncomfortable cursing and a rustle of movement from the other end. “What are you?” he asked, clearly fed up with this conversation.

“Isn’t it obvious? I thought you had me figured out in the terminal.”

“So, you’re a vampire?”

“Very good, detective,” Ryan smiled, rolling her eyes.

“But you’re a day walker,” Sarah added.

“Never heard it put quite that way, but yes. Technically, the term for what we are is called a ‘dhampir’ . But that used to only apply to vampires that were born this way. I guess that extends to someone like Athan and the rest of the coven now, doesn’t it?”

“Is he gonna come after them? None of them want a blood war. They just got their freedom. They’re not seeking to cower under another leader’s rule.” Sarah’s voice sounded pleading, and she understood why. But the only answer she could offer was simple.

“What he chooses to do is beyond my power, Sarah. And I couldn’t tell you, even if I knew. Which I don’t. All your answers wait for you. If you want to ask him yourself, then finish working your case, friend. My job is done. I’ve got a plane to catch.”

“Catch to where?!” Sarah demanded.

Ryan smiled, lifting an arm to hail a cab. “We’ll see each other again. I look forward to it. Until then, you should find a good contractor for that mess you both made tonight.”

“Wait!”

Ryan pressed the little red phone on her screen and the call dropped.

She had to admit, she felt pity for them both.

While they were fun to watch, deep down, she knew how she’d feel if the roles were reversed, and not one part of her enjoyed being on this end of the job.

As she scooted into the back seat, she tossed her cigarette into the wet street, feeling heavier than she wanted to allow herself.

It was never her place to question her master, but this particular situation…

Sarah being his daughter…the entire coven could hang in the balance with whatever he allowed to happen, and if his heart got in the way…

“Boston Logan, please. East side,” she told the driver, handing money over the seat.

“Any baggage?” he asked, pulling back onto the street.

Ryan scoffed, smiling as she rolled her eyes. “You have no idea.”

His shift had finally ended, and he had just sat down on his couch at his apartment, opening a beer when the phone buzzed on the coffee table.

“Yo!” he answered blearily, taking a long swig of the beer.

“Hey, I’m sorry to bother you, but I need you to tap into the security feed at the airport. Are you at the precinct?” Athan asked.

“No, dude. I’m at home. I do have my laptop though, and I’m sure you only called because I’m the most awesome—wait…

why are you calling me? ” Panic rushed in, and he immediately thought of Rhaena.

He couldn’t be Athan’s first name on his list of people to call for assistance.

Surely, he would have called his own partner first. The only time Rhaena ever called him for help is when she was doing it behind Kane’s back, or—

“Rhaena’s asleep. If I could wake her up, I sure as hell don’t want to. You probably know better than I do how well that would work out for anyone.”

“Jesus, man…don’t do that. I thought something was wrong,” Jenkins huffed, pressing the beer bottle to his chest and blowing out a breath of relief as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.

He opened his laptop and waited for it to boot up.

“Who, or what, am I looking for on this security feed? And don’t get too excited.

I’m brilliant, but the airport might be a bitch to comb through. ”

“Ryan Sykes.”

That gave him pause. After the conversation at Sarah’s apartment, of course he knew why that would be the person to look for, but…something had clearly developed since then.

“She’s running,” Jenkins validated, signing into the system.

“Yep. She called. Told us she had a plane to catch. I need to make sure we’re right before we set off on a scavenger hunt. If you can find her, is there any way to know what flight she hops on?”

“Of course I can, I’m a fucking genius.”

“I owe you one, Brando.”

“I accept cash, chocolate, and expensive gaming chairs,” Jenkins smiled, scooting a notepad toward him while shaking ink into his pen.

“Noted. Call me when you get something.”

Call ended.