Page 105 of Black Bird

He met her eyes and clenched his jaw. “Yes,” he whispered.

“Did you tell her that?”

“I didn’t see the point. She doesn’t want me near her. I can love her from a distance. Be there if she needs protection. Aside from that, I feel like I owe it to her to respect what she wants.”

Wren looked away, crossing her arms and shaking her head. “You’re such a fool.”

“What the hell would you have me do?!” he barked.

She stood from her chair and approached him until they were inches apart. “Tell her the damn truth, Kane!” She rolled her eyes. “Tell her! Or would you rather her find something like that out the way that she did before? Why is this so damn hard for you to understand? "

“I understand it just fine … I—” He paused, turning his face down to the floor.

“You what.”

“I’ve never … said that to anyone before. Not like this. I don’t know how.”

She understood. As old as he was, she couldn’t imagine how difficult something this foreign had to be. She backed herself up against the other side of the doorway and rested on it, arms still crossed. “I get it.” Wren sighed. “I’ve felt things and kept it to myself. Still do, if you wanna know the truth. I know that probably makes me the biggest hypocrite buttrust me when I say that—that it only eats away at you the longer you keep it inside. And it’s unforgiving. A lot more unforgiving than the person would be that was lucky enough to hear it from you, Kane … you deserve it too, you know.”

He raised his face back to her. “Do I, though?”

“Yes.” She reached out and clapped his shoulder. “Yes, you do.” All she had to offer was a slight smile and a nod of understanding before seeing herself out. He let her go. Once she knew that Sarah was safe, she felt comfortable curling up on the couch with Denver and letting her nerves settle for the night. She decided that if Sarah wanted to talk about anything, she’d answer her when she was ready. Wren snuggled into the purring warmth and let herself drift off to sleep.

His hands were still gripping the steering wheel as he sat outside the large structure that he used to call his home. He knew his father had made it home a couple of hours ago to cower in his office after his humiliation at the benefit. Brent didn’t know what he’d say to him. Didn’t really even know why he came, if he was being completely honest. He finally decided to get out of the car and walk inside. The house was empty and quiet. Dark. Ominous. For some reason he had the most nervous feeling in his gut, especially when he placed a hand on the door handle to the study that was only revealing itself occupied by the dim glow beneath the door. He opened it to find his father sitting next to a crackling fire in his leather chair, a gun pointed at him as soon as he entered.

“If I was gonna kill you, Dad … I’d have done it in front of the world,” Brent said with little recoil as Conrad lowered his weapon. He closed the door softly and pocketed his hands.

“Seems like even you know somehow that I might not make it out of this intact … or alive. I do have to admit, though … it surprised me to see you down there as one of the people that would be part of that,” Conrad said defeatedly, sipping from his scotch.

“What surprised you more? The fact that she was with me? Or the fact that I actually do have some balls … however small.” His father chuckled through his nose and stared at the fireplace.

“What do you want, Brent?”

“I wanna know what she has on you.”

Conrad turned his face toward him. “You helped her with this big show, and you don’t know the answer to that question?”

“After she learned the truth about my part in deceiving her, she had no reason to give me any information. She asked me to get her into the benefit and I did.”

“I see.” He turned back to the fire. “And what do you plan to do when I tell you? Help her to bring me down?”

“Ihaven’t really had much choice in getting dragged into this shit. Regardless of whatever I decide to do, I think you at least owe me an explanation.”

“I’m curious to see exactly what you make of it now. How you’ll react. I’ll say this, Brent … ignorance sometimes really is bliss. Last chance to remain as such.”

Brent pondered on that for a moment. “I’ll take my chances.”

Conrad looked back at the fireplace and brought his glass to his mouth. “Behind my desk there’s a small refrigerator. Open it. It’s in there.”

A refrigerator? He half expected a stolen artifact from a museum, or a stack of files filled with dirt on someone really important. Brent’s feet felt heavier with every step he took toward the desk. It could be a trap, he supposed. He could open that door and be shot in the face. He hesitated when his hand hovered in front of the small handle. Deciding that he didn’t want to be left in the dark anymore, he pulled it open. His face tingled with the surprise of finding a single blood bag inside … with Sarah’s name on it. The chill of the bag in his hand was nothing compared to the one that crawled down his spine like a small spider closing in on its helpless prey. Brent turned himself to face Conrad who didn’t deign to look at him.

“Blood? That’s what this whole thing has been about? Herblood?” Brent asked, utterly confused, and now almost regretting that he didn’t choose ignorance.

“That’s not just any blood that you have in your hand, son. Her blood, I believe, can cure just about anything. You’re holding something right now that is more valuable than a bag of diamonds.”

Brent’s breath hitched. “Mom … you were gonna use this on Mom.”

Conrad stood, setting his glass down on the small round table next to his chair and turning his back to rest against the mantle while he looked at his son. “I was going to use it on her, yes. I was going to use it on that little girl that has a cancer identical to your mother’s. I was going to earn the respect and loyalty, not just of our country … but this entire world. And in one fucking evening … you let her ruin everything.” He slowly shook his head, sliding his hands into his pockets. “We could have been the most powerful people in the world, Brent.”

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