Page 69 of White Raven
“Everything alright? Whatever it is, we’ve been out of town for almost three weeks.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not calling to accuse you of anything or drag you into another bloody predicament.”It was clearthe detective knew exactly what had transpired back at EverLife between him and Athan Kane…and his former employee that was no longer human. Nick swallowed, raising himself and brushing the sand uselessly from his chest.
“What can I do for you, detective?”
“I’m working on a case that was open sixteen years ago. I found some paperwork from a late colleague’s investigation, and I was hoping you could help shed some light on some things?”
“I’m not understanding, I’m sorry. What does this have to do with me?”
“The documents I’ve uncovered are from EverLife.”
“I wasn’t part of EverLife sixteen years ago, I’m not sure how I could—”
“I understand that, Mr. Specter. But you’re the CEO. You’re a gifted scientist, and you may be able to help me make sense of whatever is on these documents. I need to know what they were doing. And please, don’t try to assume I was blind to all your backwards shit with Dahlia Van Hausen and Conrad Stratford. We’ve already protected you from that backlash for your help with Sarah St. James. I’m only asking for your expertise.”
Something tight and nervous flipped his stomach and knotted itself into a ball of anxiety. “Are you implying you’ll blackmail me if I don’t help you, detective?”
“I’m not a dirty cop, Specter. But I am a detective. I chase the clues, and I bring in the bad guy. You’re not a bad guy. You got mixed up with them, and I’m willing to help it stay that way. I’m just asking for some clarity so that I can solve a cold case. Can I count on you?”
“The bad guys are dead. Are you gonna be a reason that more bad guys come after me for my lack of keeping myself out of trouble? I’ve got a family, detective. I’ve already put themthrough enough. I almost lost my house, I’ve been blackmailed by a senator, used as a pawn by an undead witch, and nearly offed by your very short-fused partner and his girlfriend. I’d rather be buried under my kid’s sandcastle than under whatever darkness seems to bury Boston.”
The detective clicked her tongue, sighing as if she understood. The edge in her voice suggested she was just as tired of all of it as he was.“I don’t blame you, Nick. I’m not asking you to leave your hideaway, either. If you could go through the scans I’m sending you and make time to call me, I’ll let you get back to your life. I need your help. Please…”
Nick rubbed the sand between his fingers and sighed through his nose as he stared at his wife and kid chasing each other through the crystal-clear tide. “Alright. Send them over. I’ll have a look and give you a call tomorrow.”
“Thank you. We’ll be in touch. Enjoy Aruba.”
His mouth dropped open, and he glanced around him, stunned. “Wait…how did you know—”
Call ended.
CHAPTER 14
ACHILLES HEEL
When most women are in a mood—or on their cycle…chocolate and ice cream usually do the trick. Or at least pose as a nice buffer for all the inhumane shit women go through that men will never understand. But most women aren’t werewolves that are perpetually bitchy to begin with, andmostwomen have never had to worry about not only one cycle…but two. It was the second lunar cycle since Rhaena’s abrupt smack against the brick wall to her last transition, and that sleeping beast that still dwelled within her stretched and yawned. She could feel it. And she needed solace for those twitching nerves that wouldn’t raise suspicion, nor have the ones closest to her—that knew that beast existed—worry over what Sarah’s extraordinary blood may or may not have done to her.
It certainly didn’t help that finding some very unsettling information in whatever Lindsay Trainor had involved herself in, added to the piling worry Rhaena found herself wallowing in. There was only one solution to that.
Street food.
Au jus dripped from the thin-sliced prime rib in the buttered, and lightly toasted hoagie roll that she sank her maw into, sitting cross-legged on her couch and winding a greasy french fry in behind it. For the life of her, Rhaena couldn’t recall a time she’d ever been quite this ravenous, and even after devouring half this sandwich, she still felt hungry. Her keen hearing made out the jingling of keys from the other side of her door, and she jerked her face towards it, chewing her wad of possibly fake meat. A soft knock followed shortly behind it.
“It’s open,” she said over her mouthful. The door creaked open, and she spotted Wren’s red hair before her face peeked around the side. “Ha…just where the hell haveyoubeen, Vintorri?”
“Okay, can we not? At least not yet? I came to check on you. You seemed a little…off. You know…last time we danced.” She tossed her bag and her keys on Rhaena’s kitchen table and made towards the living room, plopping down in the armchair across from the couch. Rhaena didn’t pretend not to notice her slightly wince.
“Are you okay?” she asked, taking another gaping bite of her sandwich, a smirk gathering on the side of her mouth.
“Out of practice,” Wren grinned, fidgeting with her chin as she looked the other way.
“Hot. We’re starting with you. Only because you’re making it painfully obvious. So?” Rhaena bit off another hunk, shoving a fry in her mouth simultaneously. “Was he as bad in bed as you’d hoped?” It was hard to stifle the chuckle through her food. Wren shook her head in bashfulness.
“Jesus…okay. No. I was pleasantly disappointed. Happy?” she snorted.
“I’m not usually one for details, but…today is an off day for me. I’ll take all the tea now, please.” She crammed two more fries between her teeth and gestured with a greasy hand for Wren to spill.
“To wash down your lack of self-control? What iswrongwith you? You’re eating that shit like somebody’s gonna come snatch it from you. You got a worm or something?”
