Page 190 of Black Bird

“You—added it?” Sarah asked, not able to help her smirk as she drew her brows at him.

“Rhaena can’t deal. I just had the thought, really … but I tasted it and …” he paused and smacked his lips, “it’s pretty fucking amazing, actually.”

Sarah took a careful sip. God, it was glorious. Like the taste of that blood was made to compliment the roast. Like it brought every flavor of those beans out and perfected it. “Oh, my damn.” She hummed into the mug, drinking two more heavy swallows. “That … is the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth.”

“I think I’m gonna be sick.” Rhaena gagged, turning her face away.

“I’m sorry, Rhaena … I—”

“Stop, no. You’re perfectly fine, I just—come over here, look at this.” Rhaena turned the laptop, and Sarah and Athan stepped over to look. It was a very long list of names. “I really have no idea how we’re gonna find this guy with nothing to go on but a name as common as John Allan.”

“Well,” Sarah started, “I don’t think we’d start here. Mom’s always lived in Seattle.”

“You make an excellent point,” Rhaena added, quirking her mouth to the side. “However … that list will probably triple in a city the size of frickin’ Seattle.”

“We don’t need to do this right now, anyway. What’s the latest on Wren?” Sarah asked, finishing off her coffee. Athan promptly took the mug and went to refill it.

Rhaena sighed deeply, turning the laptop back around. “A whole lot of nothing. Brandon has been busting ass at the precinct looking forclues. He’s actually at the coffee shop now, questioning everybody he can think of. Foster’s with him.” Her eyes rolled.

Athan came back with another mug, and Sarah nearly jerked it out of his hand. She caught the hint of a smile on his face. “Has anybody talked to Brent since we were at the apartment?” Sarah asked, drinking down half the mug.

“No. He’s been radio silent and practically invisible since he left.” Rhaena shut the laptop and scratched her head. “Should we call?”

Sarah thought back to the surprised look Athan had noticed on Brent’s face that day. He knew something. It was time to fess up. “I’ll call,” she said, turning her coffee back up, and turning to walk to Athan’s room.

Brent sat in the red, cracked leather booth where he’d found Wren the day that he’d hit that jock. The usual happenings of the bar continued on without her as if the place itself didn’t blink an eye at her absence. He wiped his greasy hand on a wet napkin and scrolled through the most recent articles about his father. He was desperately searching. For what, though … he wasn’t entirely sure. A reason for him not to believe his father would be capable of something like this? Or was it the proof he needed to confirm that he was, and that Wren was probably at that mansion, or somewhere worse, going through God only knew what. He chewed on his soggy buffalo wings, filtering through bullshit article after bullshit article. His phone started buzzing on the table. It took monumental effort not to slide the ignore button.

“Yes?” he answered, gritting his teeth.

“Morning to you, too,”Sarah drawled.

“It’s three in the afternoon, Sarah.”

“Hm … so it is. Where are you?”

“Eating a late lunch. What do you need?”

“I get the feeling you’re not thrilled to hear from me, Brent.”

“Look, I’m not in the mood, and I’m kinda busy. Is there a reason you’re calling?” He could hear her softly snicker on the other end.

“Amazing. You wait until we’re over to start being the hard one. I’ve been a bad influence on you, Stratford.”

Brent couldn’t help but smirk. “Sorry … I’m just stressed out.”

“Well, I’m sure it hasn’t helped that I’ve been quite the bitch lately. I’m not gonna beat a dead horse, so I’ll just cut to the dirty shit, okay?”

“By dirty, I’m sure you don’t mean the good kind.”

“You’re perceptive.”

“What’s up?”

“Look, it’s obvious that you know something. I might have been clueless when we were together, but I’m far from clueless now. Do you know if your dad has anything to do with Wren’s kidnapping?”

Brent felt his stomach churn. “You say that like you thinkIhad something to do with it.”

“I would ask if you did, but I don’t believe that. Then again, I didn’t think you could burn me the way you did, either.”

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