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Grey: I haven’t had a chance. Diesel needs this done before the start of the business day tomorrow. I’m on it as soon as I’m done.
Corvus: This needs to take priority. I’m about three seconds from tying her up and forcing her to tell me herself.
Grey: Because that will get you all the brownie points…
Corvus: Fuck off. You know something isn’t right about that shit. Becca said herself that she didn’t send Ava Jade the messages. We made a deal. I play nice so long as you get us those messages so that we can see what the fuck is up for ourselves.
Grey: I know. Don’t worry man, I’ll get it done.
I clicked off the phone with a sigh and caught Ava Jade sneaking glances at me from the corner of her eye, curious about the rapid-fire text conversation I just had, but not curious enough to ask. Not enough to want to appear like she cared.
I wasn’t sure how long we sat like that, quietly watching Marvel movies until my eyes burned like the fire of a thousand suns and the muscles around my right eye began to twitch. Until my Sparrow slumped over on the couch, curling herself up in a tight ball on the two cushions between me and the other end of the couch, doing her absolute best not to touch me.
It wasn’t much longer until she fell asleep, though her face never completely softened. A tightness lingered around her eyes even though her breathing evened out and her mouth softened. Free of any of the sharp edges I was used to seeing.
Instinctively, I reached down to lightly brush a lock of hair from her cheek and she stirred, making a small sound of malcontent as she tried to stretch out her legs and was stopped by the arm of the sofa.
Without consciously thinking about it, I guided her to my lap, softly lifting her head as she did all the work of moving herself up with her feet braced and stretching against the armrest.
Her eyes fluttered open for a second and I held my breath, removing my hands from her shoulders, but she didn’t fully wake, only enough to snuggle down, sighing as she fell back asleep.
Her hand brushed against my cock, and if she didn’t stop nuzzling it, she was going to get a really rude awakening when it fully hardened. I gritted my teeth, multiplying math equations in my head until she settled and I could breathe again.
Extra carefully this time, I brushed her hair back, studying the curve of her face. She shivered at my touch. I tugged the throw blanket down from the top of the backrest and draped it over her, laying an arm over her shoulder to hold her there.
That tightness around her eyes loosened as she fell into a deeper state of sleep, her breaths coming slower. Her perfect lips parting just slightly. She really was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen. I may not have thought so at first, but now...I couldn’t imagine anyone I’d ever want more than I wanted her.
My chest tightened, and I ground my teeth against the ache. I already had too many people to keep alive, and I’d shatter if any of them were taken from me. I couldn’t lose anyone else I cared about. I couldn’t affordto careabout anyone else.
I relaxed as the realization set in and a hopeless sort of wonder took hold.
It didn’t matter.
It was too late.
She was already my Sparrow.
And I was already her Crow.
I shifted in bed,my neck stiff and legs hopelessly tangled in blankets.
No. Not bed.
The leather creaked audibly beneath me. The denim under my cheek shifted as I stiffened.
I closed my eyes tightly, heat crawling into my cheeks as I very carefully lifted my head, turning just enough to see if my suspicions were correct.
Blinking to clear the sleep from my eyes, I peered up at him, ready with a snide comment to pounce from my lips about how he was the absolute worst pillow in the world.
But...I barely recognized him.
I sat up straighter, pushing the dark hair from my face.
Corvus was asleep. His body slouched low on the sofa, and his head was tipped back against the headrest, turned slightly to one side. His dirty blond hair sat in a mussed halo on his head, tipped forward to shadow one eye. Without his trademark sneer, he looked so different. He still had wicked cheekbones and a jawline sharper than a razor’s edge, but now it didn’t look ominous or threatening.
He looked like a Saint.
Or maybe an angel. He was only missing the wings.
