Page 89 of Black Bird

“Wren let Brent hold it on the way home. She’s pretty sure that he told her.”

“So that means they’re talking again? Why the hell would she talk to him about anything?” Athan could feel his temper rising.

“I can think of two reasons, and you won’t like either one of them.” Rhaena shrugged.

He dragged on his cigarette. “Tell me.”

Rhaena sighed deeply and ran a hand through her hair. “Well … for one, she could be reaching out because she’s pissed and wants to get a rise out of you … or to satisfy some … needs.” This wasn’t helping his temper at all. He gripped the edge of the counter until his knuckles turned white. Just the thought of that bastard touching her made him want to rage.

“And the other?” he seethed.

“The other … is that she’s trying to get him back. Revenge. She may be trying to pull some tricks to get to Conrad Stratford. Eye for an eye.”

“Shit,” Athan said, pushing off the counter and pacing into the living room with a hand on his forehead.

“Look, fortunately for you I would assume it’s the latter. Although, with how reckless she’s been lately, and she’s told both of us how difficult it is to control it … I wouldn’t put it past her to do just about anything at this point.” Rhaena’s phone started ringing. Athan watched her through the breakfast nook. “Northwood … yeah, where at?” Her eyes met his. “How long has she been there?”

“What is it?” he asked, not able to control himself anymore. He walked back into the kitchen.

“Stay with her. Call me if it gets worse. I’m gonna head that way.” Rhaena hung up the phone and dropped it to the table.

“Is it her?”

She nodded. “Blakely said she went to some strip club uptown. She’s been there for a couple hours, and she’s slammed. She’s starting to show her ass and the club owner is getting irritated.”

Athan tossed his cigarette down the drain and didn’t bother running the water. He stalked to his bedroom and grabbed his gun and his badge. Rhaena followed him. “I’m going.”

“No, you can’t. Cap wants you off duty for a few days. Let me handle it.”

“She’s gonna get hurt or arrested.”

“All the more reason for it to be me rather than you, Kane.Stay here.Don’t do anything fucking stupid.” She grabbed his forearm. “For once, could you just trust me?”

It took all he had in him. He nodded and hung his head, letting her go. When she walked out the door, he sat down on the edge of his bed. All he could think about was how much he’d hurt her. The way her eyes shone with tears that were his fault. That brilliant life that he’d taken from her and the gift she’d unknowingly given him that he still didn’t deserve. He didn’t deserve her, either. Images of that body flashed in his mind … the crime scene littered with gore and the message on the wall. The way they had cut “HA-HA-HA” into that girl’s abdomen beneath her shirt. He hadn’t even known that detail until the photos came back from the medical examiner’s office. To think that it could have been her … or would be if he didn’t step up to protect her, even if she did hate him. Off-duty or not, he couldn’t sit here and do nothing. He dug out his phone.

“I figured one of you would be calling me.”

“You can’t keep a low profile to save your fucking life, can you?”

“If you just called to rip me a new asshole, I’m really not in the mood.”

“I called because I want answers.”

“About?”

“What did she call you about? And Stratford, if you so much as think about trying to test my patience right now, I’ll show you real quick just how little that immunity paperwork means to me.”

Brent was quiet for a moment.“She wants me to get her into the benefit for the children’s hospital that my father is holding Friday night. I debated whether or not calling you or Northwood would be a good idea, but lately I seem to be screwing shit up further, so I didn’t.”

“What’s her plan?”

“Not sure. I asked if she was gonna kill him … she said not physically. She wants to have a chat. I think she’s got something on him, but I dunno what. If she plans on exposing him, I can’t say I’d be too upset about it. I’d like to help.”

Athan clenched his teeth. “When’s the last time you spoke to her?”

“Yesterday, around noon.”

“If she calls you, I wanna know. Or call Northwood. We may need you but expect that shit as a last resort. You’ll forgive me if I don’t have a lot of trust in you, Brent.”

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