Page 117 of Black Bird

“Fuck off, Wren!” Rhaena called from the kitchen, stuffing a piece of paper into her pocket and dismantling her phone. Wren set the pet carrier down and took hers apart as well, all of the phones finding their way into an empty drawer next to the sink. “Let’s roll,” Rhaena spat, looking over at Poe as he screeched from the living room floor. “Oh, hell no. Are you kidding?”

“Who do you think is going to stay back and feed them? We can’t leave them here to starve,Fleabag,” Athan crooned. Sarah and Wren walked to the elevator, no longer able to stifle their giggling.

Rhaena held up a finger. “That’s strike one, Athan Kane. Strike one.” He smirked, fetching the cage and shouldering his bag before following her out the door and locking it up behind him. “Why doesn’t this asshole have some nickname?” Rhaena griped, pointing over her shoulder at him with her thumb as she stalked toward the elevator.

“I do. It’s worse than yours.” Athan chimed in, following behind her.

“Count Crapula.” Wren laughed. He had to admit … seeing Sarah smile after all of this was warming. He had some hope, then.

Rhaena laughed and looked at Sarah. “What about you? You got a name for him, too?” Sarah’s mouth gathered to the side, and she narrowed her eyes at him as the elevator dinged and began to open. They all stepped in and anxiously awaited her response.

“Hmm …” Sarah hummed, staring at their blurry reflections. “Blood Daddy.”

Wren and Rhaena completely lost their composure and doubled over in laughter. Athan chuckled through his nose and shook his head. “Ah-ah-ah …” he responded, giving his best impression of the Count from The Muppets. Even Sarah busted out laughing with that one, all three of them bent over and howling as the elevator came to a stop.

“I can’t fucking breathe,” Wren panted, holding her stomach while Rhaena braced herself on her shoulder. Sarah continued laughing on her way out of the elevator and he followed behind her waiting for the hens to make their exit.

Sarah glanced over her shoulder as they crossed the walkway to the parking deck. “I didn’t know you had it in you,” she smiled.

“I’m not completely without my charms.”

She slowed and allowed him to catch up to her. Rhaena and Wren kept a short distance behind them. “Mind if I ride with you? I’ve got something I need to talk to you about.”

Athan looked over, smirking at her. “I don’t mind at all. But I don’t think we’ll be able to hear each other. And it’ll be a cold ride.”

“You’re not taking the car?”

“No, they might track it. Rhaena’s truck is her personal vehicle. Mine isn’t.” They didn’t say anything else the whole walk to the truck. She looked pretty deep in thought. After they’d packed everything into the back of the SUV, Wren took it upon herself to claim the front seat. Athan walked over, uncovered his bike, and watched Sarah plunder through her bag, changing out of the hoodie and pulling her leather jacket around her. He straddled the motorcycle and gave her a moment to decide if she was really up for it.

“Are you not riding with us?” Rhaena asked, making sure both the cage and Denver’s carrier were strapped into the back seat. Wren turned around to look at Sarah, who glanced at him while he waited.

“Umm … no. I’ll see you there.” Sarah shut the door and met his eyes as she walked toward him. Wren smirked while she watched. Athan slid his helmet over his head and handed Sarah the spare, fastening the strap beneath her chin and keeping still while she climbed on behind him. He handed her a pair of leather gloves, and pulled his on as well, starting the bike and nearly losing his breath when her arms finally slid around his waist.

He followed behind Rhaena and kept close until they were finally out of Boston. Sarah had maintained a light hold on him until they were about halfway to Walden Pond. The sun was beginning to set and their surroundings more scenic before he finally felt her tighten around him. Her head rested against his back, and she pressed in close. He rounded a curve and couldn’t help but reach a hand beside him and rest it on her leg. She made no move to stop him. It made him wonder what she needed to talk about. If it was something specific, or the talk they would inevitably have to have … especially being holed up in this cabin for an undetermined amount of time. Athan decided he’d take whatever she was comfortable giving and drove a little slower behind Rhaena so it wouldn’t have to be over too soon.

CHAPTER 19

MELTING GLACIERS

It was fine, Sarah told herself. They hadn’t talked yet. Not really. But there was no use hiding the fact that she missed everything about this man. Holding him a little too close wasn’t some huge leap forward … at least that’s what she planned to force herself to believe. She at least waited a while before pulling tighter around him. But when they rounded that curve, and he placed that hand on her leg—she could feel the muscles in his back tense up against her as her thighs involuntarily squeezed. It wasn’t anything sexual at all … just the feeling of being touched like you were wanted—needed.

Sarah pressed her cheek against the leather on his back and looked forward at the sunset outside Boston, where the trees were thickening, and fewer buildings were scattering the land. She hardly felt the cold anymore, and for the first time in a while, even before her attack, she felt peaceful. The howling of wind and the loud rumble of Athan’s bike drowned out every other sound and Sarah closed her eyes, leaning into his warmth. It would have to be tonight. This tense conversation that would undoubtedly change everything but give her all the answers she knew she deserved … they couldn’t spend days locked up together in this cabin without breaking this thick ice first.

She pushed the thought away for the remainder of the ride and tried to enjoy what little amount of silence and mutual understanding they had left until the uneven pavement of the untended roads to the cabin forced her to lean up, and his hand to leave her. They followed closer behind Rhaena’s truck, making several turns until they finally made a left and started down a long dirt driveway that was heavily lined with trees. With what was left of the blotted evening sunlight, the bright yellows and dark reds of the woods nearly glowed around them, and Sarah almost cried at how beautiful it was—how it reminded her of Seattle around this time of year where she lived with her mother outside the city. It felt like coming home. For a split second, she wondered how her mother would feel about Athan, had she still been alive and waiting on the front porch while Sarah brought him home to introduce them.

The truck slowed to a stop, and he gave them a wide berth, pulling around the side of it and stopping in front of a quaint cabin with a covered front porch. It seemed as if Rhaena had made a point to keep the place up. There was even an old swing hanging from a massive oak tree in the small side yard. It had a tin roof that looked like it used to be painted red but was now worn with age and more of a rusty color instead. Sarah looked forward to hearing rain fall against it and silently prayed for some as Athan lowered the stand and offered a hand to help her off the bike.

“Dude, you’ve been holding out on us! I love this already,” Wren clucked, slamming the truck door shut and circling around the hood as she took in all the scenery. Rhaena smiled and opened the back hatch.

“It’s really not as glam as you probably think, Wren. This place is old. Not to mention, I’ve done my fair share of tearing shit up when I turn into aFleabag.” She cut Wren a glare, but smirked playfully as she pulled one of the bags out of the back of the truck.

“Was this yours?” Sarah asked, pointing back toward the swing with her thumb.

“Yeah. My uncle hung it when I was little. I dunno if I’d sit on it, though. That’s old too, and the last time my rump was on it, I was about seventy pounds.”

Athan didn’t say a word as he pulled his helmet off and helped carry all the bags to the porch like they weighed absolutely nothing. Rhaena had humphed at him when he snatched hers too. Wren reached into the back seat, unbuckling the animals and pulling Denver’s carrier out first. Sarah grabbed Poe while Rhaena unlocked the front door and shoved Athan through it. They followed them inside and if Rhaena had been ashamed of this place, Sarah couldn’t figure out why. Lamps flickered on with the flip of a single switch by the door and revealed a small space so cozy that it made her sleepy just stepping inside. The front door opened into a small living space with a stone fireplace tucked in the far-left corner, a threadbare couch against the wall by the door, and a round braided rug that took up the space along the dark wooden floor. Directly across the cabin was a small open kitchen with a tiny round table that had two wooden chairs. To their right was a single bedroom, which Rhaena and Athan went into to drop the bags off.

Sarah followed Wren into the room and they both paused when they looked at the size of the bed. “Are we all sharing a bed?” Wren asked, scratching her head.

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