Black bird a nevermore d.., p.15
Black Bird: A Nevermore Duet, page 15
Kane leaned over him, bracing both hands on the arms of his desk chair and sneering into his face, his tone deathly quiet. “Sarah St. James.”
“Man, come on! You’re not the first person to ask me about this girl! How am I supposed to keep up with who’s laying claim to her?” He could feel his bladder about to fail him as Kane’s growl rumbled a breath away.
“You can start by giving me all the names of whoever came asking about her before me.” He flicked his raven black hair over his brow. “Or I can rip your sorry ass throat out and tear this office apart until I figure it out for myself.”
“Do you know what they could do to me, Kane?”
“I’d say your priorities are a little fucked, Nick. You wanna gamble your life on whether or not I’m bluffing when I say I’ll keep draining and slowly torturing you until you give me what I’m asking for? Should I start describing all the ways? Or is your imagination just as fucking bad as your judgment?”
“S-Stratford. Conrad Stratford. I don’t know why he wants her. He’s orchestrated this whole thing, I swear.” Nick shook his palms, pleading for some space between them and Kane gave it, conceding a step and straightening.
“Orchestrated what?”
“Her getting the position at the main lab upstairs. It wasn’t even available until he—” Nick pressed his mouth into a thin line and shook his head, hating to even blow this cover. He might as well be a dead man in every way after this conversation. And if he didn’t do it, there might not be anything left of him or anybody that knew Kane was here. He couldn’t risk anyone else’s life. And what was the cost of someone as crooked and awful as Conrad Stratford if this coven he’d foolishly linked up with killed the old bastard?
“I’m waiting. And I’m not a patient man, Nick.”
“He paid me off to get her in here. Paid me more to try and get sealed government files for him.”
“Sealed files about her?”
Nick nodded, adjusting his collar. “About her and her mother. Medical records that aren’t available to anyone without government clearance. High end shit, that I told him I’m not authorized or equipped to get… but he insisted. I’ve had no luck. The only thing I was able to do was get her lab reports from the hospital after she was attacked by one of your people out by the club.” Nick saw a slight change in Kane’s posture when he mentioned the last part.
“So that was why you signed them out? To sell them to Stratford?”
Nick nodded again, shame filling every pore. He hung his head and sighed. “Look, I know it’s wrong, okay? I know this whole thing has gotten so fucked up that I can hardly do anything to mop it up now, but you both have got me by the balls here. Kane, I spent that money. I was about to lose my house. I’ve got a kid, man. Stealing files and giving a girl a job seemed harmless until I realized … it wasn’t. I don’t want anyone to get hurt, least of all some innocent kid.” When he looked back up, the detective appeared normal … human. Something that he said must have eased him at least a little.
“Stratford is smart, but he’s not smart enough to be doing this alone. Who is he working with?”
He wanted to hurl himself out the nearest window and spare himself a painful death. Choosing a quick splat on the pavement would be the easier option. Nick met his eyes—which were back to that pale blue. “How do you not know?”
“What do you mean?”
“Stratford is working with your coven leader. You might as well finish me off, cause if I don’t play their way, I’m as good as dead anyhow.” Nick could have sworn on everything he had that the entire room dropped ten degrees colder.
“You didn’t think to tell me this when I’ve been the one negotiating on her behalf for this blood?!”
“Forgive me, Kane! I try not to ask too many questions in regards to whatever dark business goes on between a bar full of immortals that live off human bodies! I ain’t trying to be one of those! And I wouldn’t be if it weren’t for you coming to me with this proposal for the blood supply in the first place.”
Nick watched Kane as he peeled both his hands through his hair and blew out a frustrated breath. He couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for the guy. Kane had never told him what his reason was for initiating this bargain for the blood, but he did know that it at least kept Boston safe from this coven. “Is she your girl?” He dared ask. Kane turned his face toward him. “The chemist … you said she was yours?”
He was silent for a moment and stared off toward the window. “Yeah, something like that.” A muscle feathered in his jaw.
“Look, man … if you can figure some way out of this shit, then I’ll help in whatever way I can. But I’m in too deep. I don’t know what to do.” Nick drew his brows when it appeared Kane had some sort of light bulb go off in his head. “What’s wrong?” He didn’t answer, instead striding off toward the door. “Kane!”
“I know who broke into your labs. I’ll be in touch,” he said, throwing the door open and hurrying past the trembling assistant as he disappeared around the corner.
CHAPTER 7
THE FIVE STAGES
The shop was busy today. Wren had already made a decent commission, and this was her fourth client. The last client, she’d decided, when she could barely feel her fingertips through her latex gloves as she wiped away ink with her towel. The guy in her chair was a chubby biker who talked too much and sweat like a pig that knew it was on the chopping block. The weekend was nearing and damn, she needed a break. So much has been going on since Sarah’s attack. It didn’t feel right to need some kind of vacation from all of it, when her best friend was the one that had been struggling through such a thing … but it also didn’t make it any less stressful.
Wren had offered to stay with Sarah through the weekend, but she’d refused. Since all this had happened, it had been harder and harder to read her friend. This had not only changed Sarah, but everyone around her. Boston was getting spooked, Sarah had decided for herself that it was time to give Brent the shoe, and Wren oftentimes didn’t know where she was left in the mix. She wanted to help, but there seemed to be little anyone could do when Sarah got into one of those weird moods. It could go either way; she either wanted to be left alone, wouldn’t say much, if anything at all … or she was downright violent. Aside from that, Wren was grateful for the Sarah she’d come to love so much when all the weird shit was at bay. It just seemed like that Sarah was showing herself less and less as the days went by.
“Vintorri …” Her shop manager called from her doorway. “Make it quick, we got shit to do.” Dominic’s pissy expression flashed warning as he turned and walked off, leaving Sarah’s hot detective standing in his place. Wren paused her work and leaned up from her client’s flabby arm.
“What’s up? Something wrong?” she asked, a panicked feeling roiling in her stomach.
“No, no … all good. Just came to ask you something, if that’s okay.” Kane leaned against the doorway and shoved his hands into his pockets. Wren almost prayed to God that something would flare up between Sarah and this guy. He couldn’t be more perfect for her if he tried. Especially now that Wren knew he was the one Sarah had studied so hard at the club that night.
“Do you mind, son? You want in this chair, you gotta wait your turn.” The biker whined, cocking his head toward her visitor. Kane just raised his badge, expressionless. “Oh … I’ll just—pretend I’m not here, then. Sorry.”
“First bright thing you’ve said this whole session, pal.” Wren rolled her eyes and started back up on his arm. The biker said nothing. “What’s on your mind, detective?”
“I was wondering if you could tell me how she’s been since the incident. Her mood swings, her healing … any strange behavior. I’m not sure if you’re aware, but all the victims in this case aren’t … you know …”
“Alive?” Wren glanced up, wiping more ink with the towel, and digging back into the biker’s arm with her tattoo gun. “Yeah, I’m aware. I’m not sure how much I can tell you that you don’t already know, but I’ll try.” Kane shifted on his feet.
“How was she last night?” he asked.
“She didn’t sleep much. Bitch boy showed up. He was pissed that she wasn’t answering any of his calls, and I walked up to the store to give them some time to fight it out. When I got back, she said she’d ended it. I half expected her to be upset, but …” Wren shrugged and wiped again. “She polished off another pot of coffee after that. She didn’t talk much about what all was said, but she stayed up until 3:00 this morning.”
“Doing what?”
“I dozed off. I woke up and looked at the clock and she was on the couch with a book and her laptop. Didn’t seem really out of the ordinary, but I asked her to come get some rest and I swore the bitch growled at me.” Wren chuckled. “She did come to bed though. It wasn’t restful sleep, she tossed and turned a lot … but it was sleep, at least. I left this morning, and she was already up taking a shower.”
“What time was that?”
Wren twitched her mouth and narrowed her eyes. “Maybe about 9:00?”
“Has she seemed sick? Throwing up, loss of appetite … any more fainting spells or anything?”
She paused again, rolling the stool back and stared at the detective for a moment. “She doesn’t seem sick … just … different. She’s changed. I’m not sure how to explain it. I’m struggling with it, to be honest. I don’t know this side of her, detective.” Wren wasn’t sure how much else she should say, but decided it was worth letting someone know about. “If I’m being honest, I’ve never seen something as fucked up as that thing was on her neck. When I was little, my aunt’s little mutt got ahold of my leg. That was a small dog, but she made quick work of tearing a hole in it. I might have been like nine or ten … and it took months to heal up.” She watched Kane’s face change, just the slightest bit. “I can tell it still hurts her a little, but when’s the last time you saw something that bad heal up that fast?”
Kane slid off the doorway and stared down at the floor. “I haven’t.” Wren wasn’t born yesterday. She knew he was fishing for something. She decided she would too.
“Are you asking me about all this for the case?” She paused and he looked up. “Or for you?” Kane glanced over to the biker who was doing his best not to look interested. Wren didn’t take her eyes off him, and when he looked back at her she saw her answer. “Look, I’m not stupid. I know you’ve got a job to do, and this is a delicate thing, okay? But when all this is over … just promise me you won’t hurt her. Sarah’s been through the ringer, dude. In all the years I’ve known her, the only two things she’s ever wanted was to figure out what happened to her mom, and to be invisible. It at least makes me feel a little better knowing there’s somebody else watching out for her. But if you hurt her …” Wren pointed the tattoo gun at him. “I’ll chop your dick off, cop.”
The biker cleared his throat and adjusted the seat of his jeans and Kane smiled at her. “I swore to protect, Miss Vintorri. That’s all I wanna do.” He laid a card on her counter by the doorway. “You can call or text that number if you need me, or if you can think of anything else. It doesn’t matter what time.” He smirked at her and put his hands back into his pockets as he slipped out the door. Wren watched him when he crossed the parlor, and something caught his attention at the glass counter. He stopped and asked Leigh, the pink-haired receptionist, how much it was. She couldn’t hear much else, but he pulled out his wallet and she wrapped up a small figurine, taking his card and checking him out. Wren half expected him to buy body jewelry. This was a surprise.
“I’ll be right back.” Wren muttered to her client, ignoring his grumbling as she sat down the gun and pulled her gloves off. Kane left before she could make it across the shop, and she watched him through the glass as he threw a leg over his motorcycle and pulled his helmet on. She stepped up to the counter and peered inside. “What’d he get?”
Leigh filed the receipt and glanced out the window as Kane pulled onto the street. “Just a raven figurine. The one that was sitting on the skull.”
Wren crossed her arms and leaned against the counter. “Interesting.”
He didn’t know why or how he ended up here at 6:00. He usually stayed as far away from this place as possible. Every fiber of him wanted to confront Dahlia and demand that she tell him the truth about what he’d learned from Nick Specter when he nearly had the prick pissing his pants at EverLife earlier today. Athan knew that walking into the tavern any earlier would raise suspicion as to how he was able to be out during the day, and he wasn’t here to have that conversation. As far as he knew, no one other than Rhaena was aware that he’d been the one that left Sarah out in the alley. Everything about what he’d done was so stupid. He was stupid. Especially when everything that was transpiring around this mistake was second to the fact that all he could think about was her. He’d never felt anything stronger in his immortal life. He supposed that was the real reason why he came.
A smooth, familiar voice rang out from behind the bar, and Athan smiled to himself as he lit a cigarette and slid a stool out. Tony emerged from the doorway just behind, a keg held out in front of him as he paused his singing. “Hey, man.” He couldn’t help but notice that his pale face turned another shade lighter beneath his cap.
“How’s life, Tony?” Athan asked, dragging on his cigarette. Tony set down the keg and nodded toward the empty room, his friendly smirk gracing his face.
“Quiet today.” He smiled, shaking Athan’s offered hand. “I don’t mean to come off rude, but what the hell are you doing here?” He snorted.
“I need a drink, friend. Having a day.”
“You sure this is the place you wanna be getting a drink?” Tony asked warily, pity flashing in his eyes. “I’d think you’d wanna be anywhere but here.”
“Anywhere but here doesn’t know what we are, Tony. As much as I hate this fucking place … it’s the only place I don’t have to hide it.”
Tony stilled and slowly nodded his head, grabbing a short glass and cleaning it with his towel. “I gotcha. That kinda day.” Athan took a long hit, smoke curling from his nose as he nodded back. “Let’s fix it.” Tony smiled, turning and pulling a bottle of whiskey from the top shelf and filling the glass up nearly to the brim. “You wanna talk about it?”
“Look, just know … I don’t like people,” Athan said, swallowing a mouthful of amber liquid.
“No shit, Kane.” Tony scoffed, pouring a shot for himself. “We all know that.”
“I don’t discuss personal business with anyone. So, if I confide in you … then I’m sure you understand there’s a slight chance you’re not one of those people I wanna decapitate. Right?” Tony laughed into his glass in response.
“It’s a dame.”
“It is …” Athan confirmed, pulling on his cigarette.
“The one from the club that night?” Something tugged in his middle, and he felt overwhelmed with the need to protect her. Tony must have sensed it and the bartender swallowed hard.
“What do you know? And how?” He could hear his own voice change. Lowered to a tone that promised a swift death.
“Whadd’ya mean? She came to the bar asking about you when you left that night. I assumed you were talking about her.”
“What?” Athan drew his brows and Tony nodded.
“She asked about you. Wanted to know if you were a regular. Is she the one that’s got you all worked up?” They both drank from their glass and Athan felt twice as shitty now. He softly nodded. “She was a sweet one. Not like the scavengers that come in here lookin’ for trouble.”
“Have you ever had somebody consume you like this? I mean, she’s off-limits. Truth be told, I want no part of a relationship. I’m enough to handle just on my own, but … fuck.”
“I sleep around.” Tony shrugged, chuckling. “I try not to get attached to anybody. There’s no point in it. Nobody in the coven really interests me, and being with a human is only gonna result in hurting them … you know … in more ways than one.”
“What about other members? I never paid much attention. Are any of them married?” Just saying the word seemed strange. He never saw himself marrying anyone. Never even really thought about it, nor was it something he ever wanted. He generally loved the solitude.
“No, not married … I mean, I know a couple of them are mated.”
Mated …
That got his attention. Athan lowered his brows. “What do you mean mated? That’s a thing?” They drank again.
“Yeah. It’s not what you’re thinking, though. There’s a difference between siring somebody and mating somebody. Marking obviously leaves the traces, and if you turn them … well, you know. They’re like us. But if you’re lucky enough, you find a mate. That person would be just as drawn to you as you are to them. It’s like some unbreakable bond that links up that nobody can feel or detect except the two of you. From what I’ve come to understand, it’s rare. But as much as we’ve moved around the world, man … it doesn’t seem unlikely that members in the coven have found their mates.”
“Can a human be a mate?”
“I think so. I mean if it’s a part of your being I don’t think it would matter if you were human or not, would it? I certainly see that being a possibility.” Tony finished his drink and started washing his glass. Athan slowly sipped on his, staring down into it and swirling the contents as he got lost in thought. This was insanity. There was no fucking way this was true … was it? “You alright, chap?”
Athan glanced up, meeting Tony’s eyes as he dried off the glass and nodded again. “Yeah, I’m good.” He finished off the whiskey and slid the cup across the bar. “Keep this between us, will ya?” He leaned over, patting Tony’s shoulder and the wise bartender tipped his cap. “Thanks, Tony.”
“You got it.” Athan slid down from the bar, puffing on the last of his cigarette and striding toward the door. “Kane …” Tony called. He looked back over his shoulder. “It’s good to see you. I needed the company too.” He winked, and Athan jerked his head in reply, throwing up a couple of fingers as he left.
