Page 154 of White Raven
“You don’t have to worry about that, Brent…” Sarah smiled softly, meeting eyes with Athan, who smiled back. Rhaena went still in Brandon’s lap.
“No…you’re—you’releaving?” she asked.
Sarah scooted her bowl on the coffee table, and stood, stepping to Athan’s side and sliding an arm behind him. “Athan was locked in a casket for almost a week. I couldn’t talk him into getting on a plane. It was a long drive, and we talked it over. It’s time for some changes. I came to Boston to land that job. I wanted to solve my mom’s murder. This place was never a choice for him, and it’s not home. There’s nothing left here but you guys. And we can always pack you in our luggage…stuff you in cargo.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Wren said. Rhaena had to admit, she was shocked that Sarah’s announcement didn’t set the redhead off. Wren slid off the counter and twined her fingers through Brent’s. “We ah…we decided to use the settlement money, and Nell’s gift and…” She looked over at Brent, who stared at her like she was his biggest trophy. “We’re going to Denver. Starting over. I’m going back home, too.”
“That’s awesome, you guys,” Brandon smiled. “Congratulations.”
Rhaena couldn’t close her mouth. Her heart felt like it was gonna crack—as if it already hadn’t become a pile of shards.Her eyes stung, and she slowly shook her head. “I—I just…what about the 12th?” Athan met her stare, and that nifty talent that he shared with Sarah…she swore she could almost hear what he was trying to say through those icy blue eyes, and that side smirk.
The 12th is in good hands.
“You’ll do great, Rhaena,” Sarah shined in approval. “You both will.”
“What about me?” Leigh asked. “Do I just linger here, and dwell on the mess I’ve made?”
“I plan on carrying Nell’s torch,” Wren piped up. “I’m gonna continue her work. I could um…use an assistant.” Her smile was as warm as the color of her hair. Leigh smiled, teary-eyed, and dipping her chin.
“So…this is it then…” Rhaena choked, looking between them all. “The misfits disband?”
Athan pushed off the window, and wrapped his arms around Sarah.
“Nah…we’re always gonna bepartners. All of us.” He looked around the room, and then focused on Rhaena, whose heart officially broke. “We’ll always have each other’s six.”
So much had changed over the last six months. Way too much drama to filter through in the course of less than a year. Some of those changes were awful. Some of them…Wren was still trying to understand. For example…the loathing she had for this man, whose name no longer left a bitter taste in her mouth…especially when she was going hoarse from screaming it. Wren didn’t feel a stitch of that loathing, and wondered now, if it had ever been there from the beginning. He’d been so apprehensiveabout going against his father’s plans to use her best friend, and it had cost him everything. But the more she thought about how he fought through his trauma to lay a heap of undead assholes at her feet…there was no denying the feelings she harbored for him now.
It only made things harder to deny while his hands gripped around the back of her thighs, holding them apart while his head laid between them, and he lapped up his dessert like a starving hound.
“God, your fucking mouth is worth a million in sex toys,” Wren moaned, gripping his sandy blonde hair in her fist. Brent hummed over a spot, rolling his tongue over it—enough to make her back bow off the bed.“Fuck!”
There wasn’t any holding back anymore. She was about to explode, and it was clear he wouldn’t stop or move until she did. Wren let the wave take her away and decided to blissfully exist in the other world she was thrown into for a few intense seconds. He drank every drop of her. Coming back down was a travesty. The ridiculous orgasms he continued to rattle her with were beyond rude to only last as long as they did. Brent broke her out of her sweat, sliding that skilled tongue in her mouth and letting her taste his triumph over her for the third time tonight.
Brent -3…Wren - 1
“You taste like you hate me more now than you did a half hour ago,” he smiled against her mouth, kissing her deeply.
“I do,” Wren laughed, flinching as his light stubble tickled her neck. “You made me warn you three times tonight. Notmyfault you’re a cheeser.” His head perked up and he hovered over her.
“I had to lighten the mood. Shit was too heavy in there tonight.”
Wren twisted her mouth to the side. “Guess I’ll let it slide this once. These past two days sucked balls. Don’t get me wrong,I’m so glad Sarah and Athan made it out safe. I’m glad they’re back at home, it’s just—they didn’t have to see it. They didn’t have to hear Rhaena scream like that. Istillhear it.”
Brent sighed. “Yeah…I still heardyou. I heard you scream over and over…the sound of the gun going off. Until I woke up and you were sitting there, looking like Sloth, with a wad of bright red bird’s nest on top of your head—reminding me I was alive.”
Wren slung her palm into the side of his head, tossing some of his hair over with the force. His smile let her know he was getting too comfortable with the heaviness of her hand. She’d have to up her game.
“Low blow, Stratford.”
He turned his head, kissing her palm. “We don’t know what they saw either. What they went through. It’s not a pissing contest, you know.”
“I know,” Wren whispered, staring up at the ceiling. “I’m—I’m glad they’re leaving. Sarah’s right. There’s nothing left for them here. They’ll be safe. Maybe she’ll find that happiness.”
Brent nodded softly, leaning in to run his lips along her jawline. “We’ll find ours too. Feels good to tell people. Kinda feels like…stepping out of one of your thrasher concerts, and into a church sanctuary.”
Wren huffed a laugh. “Brent, you’ve never been to a thrasher concert. I think you’d die.” She let out a snort, and then the more she thought about it, the funnier the mental image was of Brent Stratford being at a metal gig. Wren couldn’t stop her giggling.
“Jesus, is it that funny?” he asked, rolling to his side and propping his head on his hand.
