Page 103 of White Raven
“I didn’t go looking for trouble! That cunt came to Boston, left a dead bird on my doorstep, and snaked her way into the fucking precinct, posing as a cop! She came here for me. And if she’s the one that took him from me, you’ll be damned sure, I’ll fucking find her and rip her throat out!”
“I understand your need to stand by your man, St. James. It’s admirable, and he’s pretty, but I can’t let you do that.”
“Then you better listen when I tell you, that if she’s involved, and you decide to stand in my way…I’m a hell of a lot stronger than the last time you were in Boston, Agent Foster. I won’t think twice about rolling your fucking head.”
Foster smiled to herself. “You’re not gonna let this go, are you? Have you ever considered that you may not like what you find at the bottom of the rabbit hole?”
“If he’s in danger, I’m not inclined to give a fuck.”
“So you say,” Foster sighed, palming her forehead. “I really can’t afford to leave this post and fly out to Boston to save your ass—again.”
“I’m not the one that’ll need saving. And I didn’t ask you to toss in your two cents.”
“And if I help?”
Sarah got quiet for a long moment.“Then you better take a red-eye, and refrain from being a judgy bitch when you get here. I’m not in the mood for ‘I told you so’.”
“What the hell did you do, Sarah?”
She hesitated before hanging up in her face, and Foster cursed under her breath as she shoved her phone into her pocket.
“What are you thinking?” Jonas asked, standing by the door to the roof access.
“Looks like I’ll be chasing the lead by myself. Call the boss. I need the first flight out to Boston.” She stormed past Amy, who watched her carefully as she headed for the door.
“What about us?” Amy asked.
“If I’m wrong, then fucking find out where she’s hiding in Seattle.”
“Either you can go, or I can. But I’ll level with you, Wren…my patience is thin. Rhaena isn’t getting any better. I’m not gonna sit by and watch her rot. If your friend skirts around the truth, she’s gonna have a bad fucking day.” Wren tensed as Brandon perched on the arm of Rhaena’s couch, crossing his arms as Sarah meticulously added things to the whiteboard.
“I can go,” Sarah offered, marker in hand.
“No,” Wren snapped, stepping forward. “Leigh ismyidiot friend. While I can’t say much for her taste in romantic partners, it doesn’t mean that she voluntarily dragged herself into the middle of this. The only thing she’s guilty of is unknowingly sleeping with the enemy.”
“What do you think Foster meant by ‘she’s more than that’?” Brandon directed his question at Sarah, who kept her back turned toward him as she drew lines on the web.
“I dunno, but she seems to think there’s something we’re obviously missing.” She paused and turned toward Foley, who was unusually quiet as he watched Sarah at the board. “Whydidn’t you say anything? Foster said she warned you to back off. What are you not saying?”
He sighed heavily and wore an expression of tremendous guilt. “If Sykes was responsible for Athan’s disappearance, then I guess it’s time to play my part in the blame game. Northwood tried to tell me she felt off about her, and I practically told hernotto follow her instincts. All because I was being selfish and wanted answers about the wolves.”
“That doesn’t explain why you kept information like that away from Kane and Sarah,” Jenkins shot, eyeing Rhaena’s bedroom door from his spot on the couch.
“I didn’t hear Foster say anything that screamed danger. She was just being her usual, cocky self. It seemed like she was more worried about a promotion than anything else, and so I didn’t give it another thought. It wasn’t because I was trying to hide anything.”
“Before I go and pry into Leigh’s personal life, what are we thinking Sykes is capable of…other than kidnapping a fuckingvampire,” Wren rolled her eyes.
“John said on the phone that if I sorted all this out, I wouldn’t be the only one that got the answers I’m looking for. He said‘the wolves’. Now, we know that based on the shit in the reports from whatever Lindsey Trainor was doing behind Foley’s back, that she was working with Dahlia, and testing vampire blood on wolves. John was careful to say that he obviouslyknew thatand seemed protective. I’m not trying to give this bastard the benefit of thinking that I’m on his side. He’s taken Athan from me. But aside from his fucked up tactics, it makes me believe he’s tied into it. He took Dahlia’s crown. He adopted her coven. It only makes sense that if Dahlia had her claws in something, he’d be the one trying to pry the claws out and reverse whatever she was doing.”
“But that doesn’t tell us anything about Sykes,” Wren argued. Foley nodded.
“Unless Sykes is part of whatever this is. What if that was the reason that she came here? Not only to scope me out on my father’s behalf, but to get close toRhaena?” Sarah offered.
Wren bristled, and Brandon stood from the couch. “You think she was gonna try and make her into a lab rat?”
“No idea. All I do know is that it’s obvious, she’s got some twisted motive for everything she does. The only thing that doesn’t add upisLeigh.”
“You don’t think she was a part of this?” Wren asked, a tad hopeful.
