Page 81 of Black Bird

“You gonna whack them with your spatula?” He chuckled through his nose. She giggled and slapped the back of his shoulder. “I don’t need protecting. That’smyjob.” They quieted, growing more and more still. “You’re the only gold mine in this room, Sarah.” The way she clutched him to her let him know that she knew he didn’t mean the strange blood she had running through her veins.

They didn’t move. Poe remained quiet, resting on his perch by the sliding glass door. He was somewhere between sleep and awake and wasn’t sure if he had imagined it when he heard her whisper something he’d only prayed he’d hear her say. Not wanting to risk being drunk on that kiss that he could still taste on his mouth, he said nothing … and when sleep found him tonight, it was the most peaceful he’d ever felt.

CHAPTER 12

BROKEN

When morning broke over Boston, Sarah was still in the comfort of his arms. It hadn’t been a dream, then. It was all real … had actually happened. She’d claimed that mouth … those lips. He’d finally let her. She wouldn’t let herself feel guilty for overstepping that line that he had treaded so carefully. He needed it as much as she had. Needed her as much as she’d needed him. She’d almost forgotten what she’d said to him last night, and wondered if he had even heard her, or if she’d been a complete fool for saying it if he didn’t feel the same way. She swore he’d tightened his hold on her, just slightly, when she breathed those three words against his hair. She wasn’t going to ask about it. She had already gone farther than either of them could come back from now.

It was difficult not to imagine what kind of shit he must have gotten himself into to write something as heartbreaking as what she’d read in that book last night. She had so many questions. Sarah drew back, taking in his face as he slept. That book looked so old. The pages were yellowed, and the handwriting was impeccable. Like it had been written with an old dip pen. Maybe it had just been stored carelessly and had gotten damaged. There weren’t any dates on any of those pages. It was obvious he didn’t want to talk about it, but he did tell her to read the damned thing. His intention was confusing, but there was nothing confusing about the way he’d kissed her back. The way he had been so careful with her while they worshiped each other’s mouths on this bed … for hours.

It wasn’t a secret that Sarah was a little crazy in the bedroom. She’d often scared the shit out of Brent, and a few others that she’d had relationships with in the past. Ran off two or three of them, in fact. But last night … that had been something entirely different. Maybe it was different for Athan too, if Rhaena had warned her to sink her teeth into a bit if they wound up going at it the night she’d initiated that romp on the couch. This wasn’t her style, but she couldn’t deny how beautiful this man was that laid next to her … and what he did to that pounding flesh in her chest. Sarah reached for her phone, sliding her thumb across the screen and snapping a photo of him. She smiled to herself as she tapped the edit button and set it as his contact picture. His eyes peeled open.

“What are you doing …” Athan’s voice was a low groan with sleep as he glared at her.

“I never bought a wig. This will do.” She grinned. His hand shot for the phone, and she jerked it away, letting go and biting her lip as it flew behind her through the bedroom doorway and into the hall. “Oh … drat.” She shrugged, her smug smirk still on her face. He moved his body over hers, pinning her to the bed, strands of his hair falling into his fierce blue eyes. God, he was stunning.

“I’m deleting that.” He purred, making to leave the bed.

“Oh, I don’t think so. That’s mine, now. You have one. It’s only fair.” She raised her knees on either side of him and he stilled. They stared for a moment. “Athan …”

“Mmm?” He groaned, his breathing starting to build and his throat bobbing.

“I—I’m sorry … that I … if I crossed—” He cut her off, lowering his mouth to hers. Sarah arched her back from the bed, taking his face into her hands again. His hips pressed into hers and she pressed back, sliding her heel over the back of his leg. This kiss was deeper … way more intense … fucking smoldering. Sarah slid her hands down his sides, grabbing for the hem of his shirt. Athan growled into her mouth.

A sound knock at the front door had them frozen, and Sarah could only laugh at the look on his face as he hovered over her. “Fuck …” He bit down on his bottom lip.

“I guess we should have expected nothing less.” She giggled.

“Yeah, well at least you don’t havethat.” Athan looked down between them at the bulge in his pants. Sarah followed his gaze and dropped her head back to the bed howling in laughter. He adjusted himself, leaning down and pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Stay,” he ordered, slipping off the bed and tossing her phone to her as he bent down to grab it from the hallway. Three more knocks. Athan cursed under his breath.

Sarah sprang up from the bed, sneaking into the bathroom while he answered the door and shuffling her hair in the mirror. Thunder rolled outside and Poe finally woke, shaking out of sleep and squawking. “Just a little thunder.” She smiled, stepping just outside the bathroom door as a slight buzz of her head stopped her in her tracks. She felt dizzy, pinching between her brows, and steadying herself on the door jamb. Poe screeched again, louder this time and loud whispers started flooding her mind. The bird started heaving himself up and down on his legs, his silken black wings fluttering as the whispers raged and began to circulate to her left … at the dresser. It had happened before. When she and Wren were in here. She had let it go, then. She should let it go now. These were his personal things …

Sarah couldn’t stop herself. She stepped closer to the drawer, the whisperings of inaudible nonsense growing wilder as her hands reached for the knobs. She pulled the drawer open, and Poe made mimicking noises behind her as if he heard what she was hearing. It was a mess of all kinds of shit. A sixpence, a few rings, random jewelry, an old photo that looked like he’d gotten it from some antique shop … God, was it printed on a piece of tin? In the corner was a small round stone box. She lifted the lid—the whispering stopped completely.

No …

Sarah felt her heart pound and sink at the same time. Felt an ache so deep she thought if she looked down, a gaping hole would be there. Shereached into the box and raised her mother’s necklace out of it. Thunder cracked again and she flinched. She wasn’t sure she was still breathing. She slowly turned her head toward the open doorway. She could hear Athan talking to someone whose voice she didn’t recognize. The front door shut and there were more sounds from the kitchen. She could only stand there, stunned. Her mouth wouldn’t close. She slowly … so slowly … walked toward the door and out into the hallway. Athan was unboxing something at the kitchen table, his back turned toward her as she silently crept forward. She said nothing … she couldn’t find the words.

He finally turned, smiling at her as he unwrapped a glass coffee pot. “I forgot this was coming today.” Her heart broke. This liar.This beautiful fucking liar.She stared at the pot in his hand … the sleek blue coffee maker on the table behind him. Athan stared at her, his expression falling as he took in her own. “Are you—”

Sarah let the stone of the pendant drop from her hand, dangling at the end of the thin silver chain. The coffee pot dropped from his hand, shattering on the kitchen floor. Her mouth was bone dry and her voice a hoarse whisper. “Tell me …” she choked. “Tell me this wasn’t the reason why you couldn’t be with me.” Her eyes filled with tears.

Athan’s throat bobbed, and he dropped his eyes to the floor. “Sarah …”

“Look at me!” She cried. His face slowly raised back to her. “How did you get this?” Her lip quivered, and her limbs shook with hurt and rage. She stepped closer.

“It’s—”

“Don’t you dare fucking lie to me, Athan Kane. Don’t say it’sevidence.That might have worked with the shit I found in your fridge, but it won’t work right now. You don’t keep evidence in ajunk drawer!” She took another step toward the kitchen. “Tell me how you got it.”

“I took it from you …” He swallowed. She could swear his eyes were glassy. Sarah felt a growl rumble in her throat. It was predatory and wicked. She barely recognized it as a sound she could make. “I didn’t know.”

“What do you mean,you didn’t know?Took itwhen?I was wearing this when—”

“When you were attacked.” He nodded slowly and dared an inch forward. Sarah conceded a step and he stopped. He was struggling. She didn’t give a shit. “It was me,” he breathed raggedly. “I did this to you.” His jaw feathered and he blinked once … twice. Sarah huffed a laugh, shaking her head and backing up another step.

“There’s no way. There’s no way it was you. You’ve been figuring out this case ever since—”

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