Page 69 of Black Bird

“You’re not obligated to give me anything, Sarah …” He breathed raggedly, thumbing her chin and gazing at her open mouth. She moved closer, sliding both arms around his neck.

“Then tell me why I wanna give youeverything, detective.”

He went rigid, his expression dropping into something painful. There was a long silence and his thumb slid across her bottom lip. “If I told you that …” He sighed. “I’d never see you again.”

Sarah eased back, drawing her brows together. She couldn’t explain the way her heart sank when he’d said it. “Why, Athan? Why can’t you tell me?”

He clenched his jaw and sighed again, closing his eyes and pinching her chin before easing her off of him and raising from the couch. She sat there, confused and rejected, and … a little pissed. Sarah stared at his back while he pulled his pants up and fastened them. “I’m sorry …” he said soft enough that she could swear there was some heavy emotion leaking through it. He bent over, picking up the shirt she’d worn from the floor and turned to hand it to her.

“Maybe I should go home,” Sarah said, trying not to let her temper flare and taking the shirt from him. She pulled it over her head and straightened it over her body, suddenly feeling way too exposed. Athanstepped over to the window and braced an arm against it, peering out over the city.

“I understand,” he whispered. It only made her more upset.

“What happened yesterday? Can you at least tell methat?” She slapped her palms against her thighs.

He was quiet for a moment, and she grew impatient, slipping off the couch and starting for his room. “Stratford squealed,” he finally said, stopping her in her tracks. Sarah turned to face him.

“What?”

“Your ex … he admitted everything you thought was true.”’ Athan turned and faced her, leaning back against the glass and crossing his arms. “The senator put him up to dating you.” A chill went down her spine and her mouth parted. It wasn’t like she hadn’t had that feeling already, but to have it confirmed …

“And the engagement?” Sarah asked, wringing her fingers.

“Conrad gave him the ring. Brent said he’d told him it didn’t feel right, but he made him ask you anyway. I’m—” He paused, meeting her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Sarah chewed on her lip, nodding and dropping her eyes to the carpet. “Anything else?” she asked.

“I’ve got a full statement if you wanna read over it. He did mention that when he gave the ring back to him, he’d said everything he was doing was for his mother.”

Sarah’s face jerked forward. “Brent’s mother?” Athan nodded. She scoffed and shook her head, smiling and turning around to pace toward the kitchen.

“What’s wrong?”

Sarah stopped, rolling her eyes, and then closing them while she raised her face to the ceiling and pressed her palms to her hips. “It all makes sense.”

“What does?”

Sarah didn’t turn back to look at him when she answered, “Brent’s mother has stage four cancer. Conrad wants me to fix her.”

Athan quieted. “Fix her?”

She finally turned around, and they stared at each other for a moment. “Athan, I told Rhaena last night … I tested my blood at the lab. Ran a few things … saw a few things.” He stood still. “I can go into detail if you want, but … what it all boils down to, is that I’m almost certain that the government has been concocting some kind of vaccine with my mom’s disease. I think they injected me with it. They’ve made my blood into liquid gold. I think if Conrad wants me that bad, he knows about it. He thinks it’ll cure her.”

He looked as if a million things were going on in that beautiful, stupid head. She hated how badly she still wanted him. “Fuck me …” he said, turning back to the window and slamming a fist against the wall.

Sarah rolled her eyes. “Well, I tried to … but …” She shrugged.

Athan turned sharp, picking his gun up off the floor, and slipping it into his holster before opening Poe’s cage and grabbing his jacket fromthe top. “I’ve gotta go somewhere. I’ll be back in a couple hours,” he said, shrugging on his jacket.

“Where are you going?” Sarah hissed, more confused than ever. He moved closer to her and looked at her as if he’d tear someone apart. “Lemme guess … you can’t tell me?”

“If you don’t wanna stay, Sarah, I can understand that. But … if you leave, I’d feel better if you hung out with Rhaena until she can get you protection. Either way, that’s not up for debate. You’ll have to be watched.”

“Okay,” Sarah breathed, not able to look at those blue eyes anymore. He stilled for a moment, seeming hesitant to leave. She looked back up.

“I am sorry …” He frowned.

“I wish everybody would stop telling me that shit. I just want my life back. I’d appreciate some kind of clarity in that life, if it isn’t too much to ask.” He swallowed and raised a finger to brush against her cheek. She couldn’t help herself and turned her face into his touch.

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