Page 7 of White Raven (Nevermore Duet #2)

“Likewise,” Sarah smiled, taking it. She moved, coming around the table and Athan slid a hand around her waist. “Here. Take my spot. I’ll sit with Brood.” Decclan chuckled and slid into the seat, Tony stepping up to greet them. “Hey, Tony.” Her smile was warm…almost a little flirtatious.

“Miss Sarah,” Tony smiled, tipping his floppy cap and sliding into the seat next to Decclan. Athan shot her a look, and she responded with one of her own, narrowing her eyes with a devious smile.

Jealous.

Oh, she’d get it later. He’d make sure of that. His fingers pressed suggestively into her hip and she turned into him, a hint of fangs biting down into her bottom lip. Damn it, she’d be his fucking ruin.

I’m gonna relish the sound my palm makes when I thoroughly spank this ass, later.

He moved said palm down, slyly taking a handful of her rear and squeezing it. Devin turned a chair and set it at the end of the table next to where they were standing, lowering himself into it.

“I dunno if Athan told ‘ya doll, but…you start something in front of me, I have a tendency to help finish it.” His excited grin was ridiculous, and he wagged his brows. A toothpick stuck out of the corner of his mouth, and he chewed it happily.

“For God’s sake, Dev…” Decclan spat.

The waitress cleared her throat. “Can I get you gentlemen anything?”

Tony spoke for all of them. “Scotch, please. Three doubles.” She nodded sweetly, and turned away, rushing off while Athan let Sarah into the seat first, and slid in beside her. The table was quiet, and they all stared at each other for an awkward moment before Decclan broke the silence.

“I can see why you chose this place. I bet you came here a lot.”

Athan smirked. “Remind you of somewhere?”

Devin piped up. “Hattie’s. Damn, that lady smelled good. Mean as shit, but sweet as sin in the sack. I don’t think there was anything she wouldn’t let ‘ya do to her.”

“Do you think of anything else, Dev?” Tony asked, shaking his head.

“Not really,” Devin grinned, chewing the hell out of that toothpick.

“First honest thing you’ve said in a century,” Decclan rolled his eyes.

“I’m hurt.” Devin pressed a hand to his chest.

“Here ya go, guys.” The waitress passed out whiskey and laid down a steaming bowl of the same stew Sarah ordered last time, as well as a plate with a massive hunk of Porter cake with bourbon drip sauce. Their guest’s eyes went wide as the waitress left the table.

Sarah stirred her stew around with a spoon and when she looked up to see them staring in awe, she drew her brows together. “Shit, I’m sorry. She took our order right before you came in. Want us to get you a menu?”

Tony looked like he was about to weep. It took about half a second more of dumbfounded silence before Athan finally figured out what was going on.

“You didn’t know, did you?” Athan asked, looking between them all.

“Know what?” Sarah asked, innocently.

Athan forked his cake, lifting it to his mouth, and then chewing it.

God…it was…warm. Incredibly sweet. Flavorful.

He almost kicked himself for not ordering it last time.

It was a monumental effort not to get as emotional as the three of his oldest comrades looked right now.

Decclan raised up a hand and started snapping his fingers, wide-eyed.

“E-excuse me! Ma’am? Can we…can we get menus please?” His voice broke slightly, and Athan could swear he heard a sniffle come from Devin. Decclan leaned over the table. “Have we been able to eat this entire time?”

“Do we not need blood anymore?” Tony asked, lip quivering.

Sarah looked wholly moved. Those hazel irises sparkled in the pub light as she looked up at him. She hadn’t even touched her stew yet. He reached down and grabbed the hand she rested in her lap. “You can survive on either, mates.” Athan smiled at them.

None of them hesitated in ordering half the menu.

When the food came, there were tears—especially after the first few bites of…

well…everything. More whiskey was ordered, and damn near two hours passed before anyone realized that the reason Athan had asked them here hadn’t even been given a second thought.

Brent hadn’t called, thankfully, and it seemed there was still plenty of time to get the answers they came for.

Athan and Sarah both slipped cigarettes into their mouths, and he reached over to light hers before lighting his own.

“I still can’t believe you of all people are settling down, Athan Kane.” Decclan sipped his whiskey. “Are you planning to stay in Boston?”

Athan pulled an arm around the back of Sarah’s shoulders, and she leaned into him.

Again, the normalcy of this new life felt so much easier than he thought it should.

If anyone had told him years ago that he’d be sitting around a table with these men, clutching a woman he planned to marry, and eating Porter cake while he chased it with whiskey… he’d have told them they were insane.

Insane.

Wasn’t that the best part of all of this? But with the light of that insanity, also came the dark. Which was why they were here. Athan tapped the end of his cigarette on the rim of the cup they’d been disposing the butts in. “Probably not. But we won’t be leaving quite as quickly as you lot.”

“Why in the fuck not?” Devin asked, forking cabbage into his mouth. “I can’t wait to get rained on.”

“Well, that’s one of the reasons we asked you here,” Athan said, taking another hit as Sarah stiffened at his side. She had gotten a bit quiet. “We’ve got some leads to follow up on before we travel anywhere.”

Tony drew his brows together. “I would have figured that you’d be done with the detective stuff now that the coven went their separate ways.”

“Did they go their separate ways, though?” Sarah asked. “Is there any possibility that Black Bird wasn’t just in Boston?”

Athan swore Decclan turned two shades paler. “Why would you think that?” he asked.

“When we executed Dahlia…do any of you remember hearing her say something to me? Right before she went up in flames?” Sarah sat straighter.

Tony nodded. “She told you about John.”

Both Decclan and Devin turned their faces towards the old bartender. It was Decclan that spoke first. “John? I always thought that was just bullshit.”

“Who is he, Tony?” Sarah asked.

Tony cleared his throat and lit a cigarette of his own.

The entire table went silent. “I wish I could tell you it was bullshit, but that was definitely something I’ll never forget.

A really long time ago, the coven ended up in Scotland.

Early 1800’s I think it was. I was tending bar, like usual.

But there was this one night. This kid—just a curious little shit.

He snuck in and I saw him watching. He didn’t think I’d noticed him, but I kept eyes on him for a little bit.

He seemed interested in all the happenings in the pub we were at.

I thought he’d try to sneak a dram or two.

He never did. Dahlia was on the hunt that night.

She had an eager one and ended up taking him to her room in the back. Well…he followed her.”

“The John we’re interested in wouldn’t be a little kid,” Athan interjected, earning curious looks from both Decclan and Devin. “You’re not about to tell us she turned a little boy, are you?”

“She didn’t,” Tony amended. “But, just so we’re on the same page…who would he be to the two of you?”

Sarah leaned forward. “John Allan is my father. Supposedly.”

Tony swallowed. “Has he made contact with you?”

“Yes,” Athan offered, putting his cigarette out. “He left a dead black bird in a gift box on Sarah’s doorstep Christmas morning.”

Decclan cursed under his breath. “If that’s true and he’s in Boston, I’m catching a plane tomorrow.”

“I thought you said it was bullshit?” Athan glared. “I’ve never heard anybody mention anything about a John Allan. Ever.”

“Yeah, well…I assumed because I’ve never seen the bloke, that it was just some story Dahlia used to keep us in line. I chalked it up to a myth over a hundred years ago.”

“What did she say about him?” Sarah asked.

Devin answered that time. “From what I’ve come to understand, John Allan was the man who sold us out to foreigners when we first came to the states.

Dahlia’s story is that he took the threat she intended for other vampire covens here and made himself a king among them.

But how could somebody not consider it a tall tale if nothing ever came of it? ”

“Our ship almost burned that night,” Athan added, looking at Decclan. “You’re telling me that was his doing in the port?”

“I dunno,” Decclan answered.

“Yes.” Tony’s face was hard, his jaw tight. “His intention was probably to make sure she never set foot on American soil. He’d already made a name for himself among vampires here.”

“What happened that night in Scotland?” Sarah asked, situating herself in the seat.

“Well…like I said,” Tony started. “The kid followed Dahlia and had seen too much by the time I got to him. He saw her bleed a guy from a crack in the door, and I tried to scare him. I got rough with the kid and threw him out. I thought he’d spook enough to heed the warning.

He kept trying to tell me that there was a man in there that needed help.

I told him to forget what he saw and to never come back.

He ended up running off, but Dahlia found me and asked about him.

My understanding is that she caught up with the kid and was planning to kill him to keep him quiet, but as he wasn’t a permanent resident, she felt it would be better suited for him to send a message overseas.

She told him to relay that message to other covens in the Americas that she was the queen, and when the Black Bird coven came, they’d bow to her. ”

“But they didn’t?” Sarah urged.