Page 156 of White Raven
“Fuck, yeah…” she choked through ragged breaths. A broken smile crept across her mouth, and she nodded a little more forcefully, meeting his proud gaze. “I couldn’t have asked for better in my corner, Brandon Jenkins.”
“Always, baby…always.”
Rhaena’s apartment felt…cold. Like the dark he used to live in before Sarah came into his life. Empty, and dead…unforgiving and haunted. Sarah was a bit reluctant to let him out of her sight since they’d returned to Boston, but she allowed him some time to be here alone with his guilt. With this gnawing hole in his spirit at the loss of a man that should have been allowed to live the rest of his life in peace. It was because of what they all were that had put him in a grave too soon. The thought of his captain in a refrigerator made his skin crawl. Athan stood silent in the doorway of Rhaena’s kitchen, taking in every bullet hole in the walls…the remnants of dark blood staining the floor. Gaping claw marks…
One slightly brighter blood stain in the carpet.
“This is all my fault,” Athan whispered, pinching the bridge of his nose and squeezing his eyes shut. “Forgive me, sir. You didn’t deserve to go out this way.”
“Only a good man would try to shoulder the responsibility for something that was out of his control.” Athan glanced up, turning around to see Rachel Foster leaning against the wall by the front door, arms crossed and offering a sympathetic smile. “He didn’t realize he was that man, too. This isn’t your fault, Kane.”
“I didn’t come here for your pity.”
She pushed off the wall and her heels crunched over the dried blood in the carpet. “Yeah, well…I didn’t come to pity you. That’s not really my strength. Most people consider me a soulless bitch. Or…I’ve heard the term ‘twat’ is a pretty popular alternative.” She smirked over her shoulder at him, and then lowered her eyes down to where he knew Foley’s body had been. “Foley carried a weight for such a long time that he shouldn’t have. It must have been hard to learn all these years laterthat Lindsay Trainor had betrayed him like that. A woman he loved, no less. All those years that he blamed himself…seems so pointless now.” Foster turned to face him, narrowing her eyes pointedly at him. “Don’t make that same mistake, detective.”
Athan shifted, turning his focus away from her face, and trying to heed her warning. Maybe it was too soon. “I appreciate it. Rhaena said—said you were doing your part to cover it up?”
“Yeah,” she sighed heavily, retracing her steps and claiming her spot against the wall. “I approved his body this afternoon. He looks good. Neck looks like it never happened. The funeral home will make that even less noticeable. The reports have been fixed, and his cause of death reflects his dutiful response to gang violence. My team has been leading the press to believe what we tell them to believe. Your secrets are all safe, and his dignity upheld. Rest assured.”
“And Sykes?” he asked, trying not to let on how hard he clenched his teeth.
“Reports from some of my Seattle team say she’s alive, but I’m not sure about her family…or Northwood’s mother.”
“Who’s gonna be dealing with her? From what I understand, you’ve been tailing Ryan Sykes for a long time.”
Foster sighed again, this time a bit more sharp, and slowly shook her head. “I’m gonna take that responsibility too. Now you understand why we all feel a harsh little blow of that blame?”
Athan saw a flash of pain in her eyes, there one minute, and gone the next. “I understand.”
“I meant what I said months ago,” she scoffed. “You people really load me down with work, and you can kiss my ass for it…but this is what I do, Kane. I’ve dedicated my life to making sure the illusion stays an illusion. To try to uphold the balance, and ensure the other half stays in their blissfully ignorant bubble. Sometimes the cost is too much. But no matterhow much pain you guys shove up my ass…it’ll never make this job any less important to me. The cost will never outweigh the reward of being able to do this for the people. Foryouguys.”
“You really need to get laid, Foster.”
She snorted, and a grin stretched across her mouth as she rolled her eyes. “I’d ask if that was an invitation, but you get around, dude.”
Athan smirked, tossing his hair over his brow. “Not anymore. And you’re not really my type.” She chuckled through her nose and glanced back at Rhaena’s dark living room.
“My work is my significant other. Sad as that sounds, I’m happy with that. Plus…you know,” she shrugged. “Late nights and long stretches with a few horny teammates…it’s not always so…dry…in that department.”
Athan’s turn to snicker. “Thank you…for everything. And for being there for my partner when I couldn’t be. I’m in your debt.”
“No, you’re not. Before Foley got that phone call, I watched him clean rib bones with his teeth.” A sad smile. “Northwood was on his mind before the phone even started ringing. It’s strange to even think about how fate can rear its head. I had just finished asking him…if he loved her.”
His chest felt tight, and achy. “Do I want to know his answer?”
“He said she was like a daughter to him. I don’t think there’s a single thing he wouldn’t have done for either of you. But especially Rhaena Northwood. He was very proud of his men. You’re not in any debt to me, Kane. I was honored to wear a badge and serve next to Malcolm Foley. Even if we weren’t in the same line of work.” They held each other’s stare for a long silent moment, and then she started for the door. “See you at the service, detective.”
“Foster?” Athan called, causing her to glance over her shoulder in the doorway. “Did I interrupt whatever you came here to do?”
She smiled softly and dipped her chin at him.
“I did exactly what I came here to do.”
CHAPTER 31
GRIEF
“Knock it off, Pigeon…” Sarah smiled, swatting at the nosy menace sputtering on her shoulder as she sipped O-negative from a wine glass, and tossed salad in a giant bowl on the counter. “You don’t even like leafy greens. What the hell is wrong with you?”
