Page 76 of White Raven (Nevermore Duet #2)

Brandon smiled sweetly, leaning up to kiss her. “Enjoy every second of it.”

One kiss turned to more. More into steam.

Steam into fire. Before either of them could stop themselves, he had her growling for more of him, and she’d found herself on top of his heated body.

Her phone started ringing in the living room, and Rhaena ignored it, angling the tip of his cock at her entrance.

“Rhaena…” he groaned, watching himself disappear into her body. “ Fuck …Rhaena, we should—we should answer that.”

“I could care less right now, Brandon.” She stretched up and down his length, pulling sharp breaths and deep moans from his throat. “Look at it. Look at us .”

His cock was drenched, sliding in and out of her, and shining from the dim lamp light at the bedside table. The sound was delicious. She’d kill for his view of it from the bottom. The phone was silent for a moment, then started to ring again.

“Baby,” he moaned through his teeth. “It could be important. Could be about Kane.”

Athan…for once, he hadn’t been on her mind in some way or another.

Her mood died almost instantly. Rhaena slowed, and he gave her a miserable smile, smoothing his palms down her thighs in apology. “You’re right.”

As much as she wanted to ride him senseless, she eased off of him and walked naked into the living room. Her body went stiff as she looked at the name on the screen.

“Athan?!”

“Rhaena! Oh, my God…you’re okay.”

“Sarah…damn, I forgot. Yeah, I’m—I’m alright.”

“It’s good to hear your voice. I’m…really sorry. I was just—”

“I know. You don’t have to do that. I’m grateful. I know you were just trying to help me. We can get to that later. You haven’t…found him yet, have you?”

“That’s why I called. I’ve been keeping up with Wren, but she’s not answering.”

Rhaena melted into Brandon’s arms as they wound around her from behind. “Wren’s with Brent. They had some legal shit to take care of regarding Nell.”

“Oh…well…relay the message. I’m on my way to Baltimore.”

“Baltimore?” Rhaena asked, turning to look at Brandon, who scrunched his brows. “I thought you were in Virginia?”

“I was. Well…I am. We’re on 301 heading north. It’s a three-hour drive.”

“We?”

“Tony found me. He had news…about John Allan. We figured out where Athan is. Rhaena, I—Sykes didn’t kill Nell.”

“I know…but…how do you? And what do you mean Tony found you? I thought he was overseas?”

“It’s a long story. One you’re not gonna believe. But Sykes was in Richmond too. Rhaena, I think she needs our help. And I’m gonna have to convince Athan not to kill her once we dig him out.”

“ Dig him out?! What the fuck, Sarah? She buried him?!”

Rhaena’s adrenaline rushed, and she felt her claws slowly sliding through her fingertips, scraping the phone. Brandon shook with rage, but gently kissed along her shoulder, easing her nerves, and putting the beast back in the cage.

“Sykes pretty much indicated he was buried in Poe’s empty grave. That’s where I’m headed. I’m gonna get him out. But…when I do…”

“John Allan…”

“Only he’s not John Allan. He’s someone else entirely. And he’s waiting at Poe’s house in Baltimore. I’m sure of it.”

Her detective mind kicked in, and apparently so did Brandon’s. They both looked at each other in shock. Rhaena almost dropped her phone.

“You said Poe’s empty grave…you’re saying…”

“That he was never in it. Poe is alive. And he took Athan to smoke me out. I’m about to come face to face with someone I adore, and now also hate.”

“Holy fucking shit,” Brandon whispered.

“Edgar Allan Poe is your father ,” Rhaena added, her whole body tensing in shock. “Sarah, this is…crazy. You can’t face him alone. John Allan already seemed bat shit crazy, but we both know, Edgar Allan Poe is—”

“Insane. Yes.”

“We’ve gotta get to you. We’ll get on the next available flight, and—”

“Rhaena, wait…Sykes. Sykes might come back to Boston. For Leigh. She seems scared. Sloppy. I think she’s trying to get out from under him. If I’m right, then somebody’s gotta help her.”

“I don’t have any interest in helping that crazy bitch. She made her bed.”

“What if she didn’t? What if he made it for her? And forced her to lay in it?”

“Then she shouldn’t have gotten mixed up with a psychopath. Why should we feel bad for her?”

“Because it was never her choice— Jesus, Mary and Joseph …” Foster cut in, covering her eyes. Rhaena gaped behind her at the audacity of this bitch letting herself into her apartment—her captain right behind her. Before Rhaena could warn Sarah, she’d hung up.

“By all means, come the fuck in!” Rhaena growled, tossing the phone on the couch, and grabbing a blanket to cover themselves up. Brandon helped wrap the blanket around them, and they stood face-to-face with a very remorseful-looking Malcolm Foley.

“I—I’m sorry, Gloves. We didn’t know—”

“No, you didn’t . I thought you were going home to sleep it off!”

“And I thought you hadn’t heard anything from St. James!”

Rhaena stepped forward, being held back by the confines of the blanket. “I hadn’t! She just called from Athan’s phone! If any of you had put half the effort into finding him as you did twiddling your fucking thumbs, we’d have him back by now. Thank God she ran off.”

“Look, enough with the pissing contest,” Foster spat, slicing a hand through the air. “Stop getting your hairballs in a twist. This is way bigger than Athan Kane.”

“No shit ,” Brandon ground out.

“Get some clothes on, we really need to talk. I’ve been waiting way too long to sit down with you, Northwood. But for once, I’m glad St. James is in my corner when it comes to Ryan Sykes. Don’t worry about them. Not yet. It really is Ryan we need to be focused on.”

“And why the fuck is that?” Rhaena growled.

“She’s your cousin, Gloves.”

“Should I come to you, sir?” Ryan asked, taking a drag from her cigarette as she stood at the bus station outside Richmond.

Sarah and the redhead had already rented a car and were well on their way to Baltimore now.

Ryan called to the raven, but he refused to comply and followed after the woman he seemingly decided for himself to pledge allegiance to.

“No. You’ve done as you were asked. If she’s coming for me, then you may not be safe anymore. You’re…free.”

Free…it sounded so good, but so prickly.

“And my father? My family?”

He was silent for a moment. “If you’ve thought me a fool and undermined me…there will be grave consequences. I’m choosing to believe you’re not that foolish. As soon as she steps into this room, the clock on your father’s sentence runs out. Not a moment before.”

Ryan nearly choked. “Thank you, master.”

“Ryan…”

“Yes, sir?”

“I have eyes on every single one of them. One word from me, and they perish. If you deceive me…you damn them all.” Her spine curled under the weight of the chill that slowly crept down it. But he continued, “And you damn the little side interest you assumed I didn’t know about in Boston.”

Leigh…no.

“Please…” she choked, dropping her cigarette. “She’s innocent in all this.”

“Did I not warn you to keep your promiscuity to a minimum? You should have learned by now not to collect any collateral. Her innocence no longer matters. The fact that you’re begging for her life leads me to believe that you’ve done the opposite of what I asked of you. How disappointing.”

“I’ve never betrayed you. You never told me I couldn’t indulge myself.”

“That’s an interesting choice of words, Ryan. The clock is ticking. Bide your time wisely.”

He hung up, and Ryan slowly lowered the phone from her face, staring blankly forward, and then at the bus routes. She was a very long way from Boston. Taxis lined the terminal outside the bus station, and she rushed toward one, flagging it down.

“Airport, please. Step on it.”