Page 159 of Black Bird

“With respect, sir …” Jenkins cut in, “I feel like she’s bluffing, and doesn’t have a damn thing. She cornered me outside a coffee truck days ago trying to get me to talk, too. I had been trying to call you.”

“I warned you about her, Jenkins.” Foley’s face was hard, and unforgiving. “I told you she’d do it. I’m interested in what Kane has to say for himself. And what’s she playing at with St. James’ mother?”

Rhaena swallowed and stared at the floor. “Sarah moved here to find out what killed her mother years ago.” All eyes went straight to Kane and Brent as they reluctantly stepped into the room.

“Lock that.” Foley pointed towards the door. Kane did as he was told and nervously shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket. “Nobody speaks unless spoken to. Detective …” He shot Athan a pointed look. “I’m starting with you. You had better start explaining yourself. How did Foster come to the idea that she knows who this killer is before the two of you could figure it out? And why does she think our vic already knows it?”

Athan glanced at her, and the heart attack she nearly had at the apologetic look in his eyes almost had her stumbling back. That mind trick he and Sarah had would be incredibly useful right now. He sighed hard and straightened his spine before looking back at their captain. “Because she does, sir.”

Foley’s mouth pressed into a thin line of utter disappointment. “I see. So, you’ve known this entire time?”

“I have,” Athan breathed.

“You’ve got two seconds to tell me the truth, detective.”

Athan’s head turned toward the window and he looked hard at Sarah who was in deep conversation with Foster. Rhaena watched Sarah’s mouth drop open like someone had hit her with something so heavy, she couldn’t even come up with the words. Everything about this situation sucked. He didn’t look at the captain as he answered, “I did it.”

Foley’s face drooped in shock, Brent’s expression mirroring his. “I beg your pardon?”

Athan turned his face back to him and tightened his jaw. “I attacked her outside the club that night.”

Foley stared at him in disbelief. “You’re kidding me …why? Why would you do something like this? You told me that you loved that girl, Kane.”

“I do, sir. More than anything. It’s not what you think.”

“You’re one of them …” Brent whispered, realizing what he was saying. “You—” Athan turned his head just in time to see Brent lunge forward, grabbing him by the collar with both hands and slamming him into the glass. Sarah and Foster startled on the other side, and both immediately jumped from their chairs, but made no move toward the door. “You son-of-a-bitch! You did this to her!”

“Stratford!” Foley went for them the same time Rhaena did, trying to pull them apart. Athan didn’t even put up a fight. He was taking what he thought he deserved. Brent fought against them, landing a solid punch to Kane’s mouth before they dragged him backward, separating the two.

“How?!” Brent screamed. “How could she hate me for what I did to her, butloveyou for fucking killing her?!” Rhaena couldn’t say a word as she held Brent back, Jenkins stepping in to help restrain him.

“Get it together!” Foley growled, keeping a palm against Kane’s chest, and his other on Brent’s. “Get it together, or I’ll cuff you both.” He looked back at Athan, who licked the blood from his busted lip. “What does he mean,‘one of them’?”

“Sir, I think you know exactly what he means,” Athan’s voice was low and defeated. “Do you want me to say it out loud?”

Rhaena wasn’t sure she was breathing. Brent stilled in her hold, trembling with rage. Jenkins kept quiet, anticipating how her involvement would come up, no doubt. “That club is full of fuckingvampires. That’s what the fuck I mean. He’s a fuckingvampire, and he killed my fiancé and left her in a fucking alley … right before he came back and pretended to be her savior and take her from me!” Brent snarled.

Foley was still as death as he stared at Athan. “So … that’s what was wrong with you the day I gave you that lead. When I asked you to go question her. You didn’t know …”

Athan slowly shook his head and looked down at the floor in shame. “I thought she was dead, sir.”

“And you were just gonna play this off … playme.” Foley turned his attention to Rhaena, and she cowered under his stare. “Andyou… I thought you were different, Gloves. You were gonna help him cover it?”

“She didn’t know. I didn’t tell her, and I wasn’t going to. She’s good at her job. She figured me out, and she just wanted to help me,”Athan spoke up in her defense. Rhaena felt her eyes sting with tears, the growing lump in her throat almost unbearable.

“If it’s true … what you say … how are you able to—you walk in light like it doesn’t bother you.” Foley’s brows drew together, creasing the lines in his forehead.

“They’re after her because of her blood, sir. That’s what they’re in there talking about. That’s the reason she’s alive … and it’s the reason I’m different. She changed me. In every possible way, she’s changed me. I just want to stop them from getting to her.”

“You don’t deserve anything,” Brent spat, clenching his teeth. “You deserve her less than I do.”

“She’s not safer with you, Brent,” Rhaena finally spoke. “Your father still wants her for the same thing. Athan didn’t choose to do what he did to her. But you did. Sarah understands that. She loves him.”

“I could care less who loves who,” Foley snapped, earning their attention. “Our job … is to protect the people. Our job is to find the pieces of shit that wanna do harm, and now you’re telling me I’ve got one detective that’s dropped a body of his own, another that helped him conceal murder, and a senator’s son—who happens to be a lawyer—that’s landed himself right smack in the middle of a case … where his father is apparently more hungry for that girl’s blood than a mob ofvampiresin a club? Do you know how insane this sounds?” Foley slid both palms over his bald head. “This gets out and we’ll be the laughingstock of the fucking nation.” He looked back at Kane, who crossed his arms and stared at the floor. “How many more murders have you covered up that were yours, detective?”

Rhaena swallowed around the swelling knot in her throat, tightening her fists at her sides. Athan didn’t look up from the floor. “Twelve, sir. Since I started at the precinct.”

“Jesus …” Foley whispered under his breath. “Give me your badge … and your gun.”

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