Page 20 of A Ballad of Blackbirds and Betrayal

He pressed his forehead against the cool glass, watching taillights blur into crimson streaks below.In the solitude of the suite that suddenly felt more like a cell than sanctuary, Atticus confronted the cost of having survived when those he loved did not—and the possibility that he might never be free to live again.

His phone buzzed, dragging him back to the present.Eden’s text was brief:Movement at BioGenix facility.Second unmarked delivery tonight.Same protocols.

Atticus straightened, the commander reasserting control.He replied—Surveillance only.No engagement.—before moving to his computer.

As he pulled up the surveillance feeds, his mind shifted from personal turmoil to tactical assessment.Mitchell was accelerating his timeline, which meant their window was closing fast.Whatever he’d set in motion with Sabrina would have to wait.The mission came first; it always had.

Yet even as he focused on the grainy footage of unmarked vans entering the BioGenix compound, her taste lingered—a distraction he couldn’t afford and a temptation he wasn’t strong enough to resist.

Across the complex, in her temporary quarters, Sabrina studied the same BioGenix feed on her tablet, sent by Jade with a cryptic message:Something’s happening.Be ready.

Her lips still tingled from Atticus’s kiss, but her mind had compartmentalized the encounter under “complications” rather than “priorities.”She had a job to do—people to save, a weapon to neutralize.Everything else was background noise.

As she prepared protocols for treating bioweapon exposure, she wondered if her clinical detachment was truly strength—or just another wall between her and life’s possibilities.

The clock showed 2:17 a.m.In less than twelve hours, she would meet Dr.Cho, potentially risking exposure to a deadly bioweapon.If she survived, there would be time to consider what had transpired between her and Atticus Cameron.

If not…at least she’d die knowing what it felt like to be truly alive, if only for a few stolen moments.

* * *

Atticus hadn’t intended to kiss her.He’d been deliberately maintaining professional distance despite the current that arced between them.But watching her work, seeing the fierce intelligence and determination that matched his own, something had snapped.

For those brief moments with her in his arms, the burden he’d carried for eight years had lifted.The constant vigilance, the single-minded focus on Mitchell, the grief that had become part of him—all receded, replaced by something he’d thought himself incapable of feeling again.

Desire.Connection.Possibility.

And that was precisely why he’d pulled away.The mission had to come first.Mitchell had to face justice for Jane’s murder.He couldn’t afford distractions, no matter how tempting.

Yet as he returned to his computer, forcing his attention back to the financial records, Atticus knew one truth with absolute certainty: Whatever was developing between him and Sabrina Wells wouldn’t be easily dismissed.

And part of him, the part he’d believed died with Jane eight years ago, didn’t want to try.

ChapterSeven

The Crimson Café occupied the ground floor of a renovated textile mill in Dallas’s trendy Design District, its brick walls and industrial beams a testament to the building’s history.Morning light streamed through floor-to-ceiling windows, casting golden patterns across polished wood floors while patrons chatted over artisanal coffee and pastries.The scent of freshly ground beans mingled with the sweetness of baked goods, creating an atmosphere both sophisticated and welcoming.

Sabrina had arrived early, selecting a corner table that afforded a clear view of both entrances while positioning herself with her back to the wall—a habit from her Navy days that had saved her life more than once.She’d chosen her outfit with care: tailored black pants and a silk blouse in deep teal that brought out the amber in her eyes without attracting undue attention.Professional enough to meet a colleague, casual enough not to look out of place in the fashionable café.

“Frost’s in position at the corner table,” Atticus’s voice murmured through the nearly invisible earpiece nestled against her skin.“I’ve got eyes on the south entrance from across the street.No sign of Cho yet.”

She acknowledged with the barest nod, lifting her coffee cup to mask the movement.The weight of the Glock at her ankle was both reassuring and foreign—she’d spent years saving lives, not preparing to defend her own.But after the events at Mitchell’s estate, there was no denying the reality of the danger they faced.

Jade sat at a nearby table, pretending to read a dog-eared paperback while maintaining perfect awareness of the room.She’d positioned herself close enough to reach Sabrina within seconds if needed, yet far enough away not to draw connection between them.Her casual attire—jeans and an oversized sweater—concealed both her lethal capabilities and at least three weapons Sabrina had counted.

“Someone matching Cho’s description approaching from the north,” Atticus reported, his deep voice bringing unexpected warmth despite the clinical recitation of his words.“Alone, carrying a travel mug and file folder.Walking with purpose but checking her surroundings continuously.”

Sabrina scanned the entrance, spotting Dr.Elaine Cho immediately.The woman’s dark eyes darted around the café with the wary assessment of prey sensing predators nearby.Her austere charcoal pantsuit hung slightly looser than at Mitchell’s gala, evidence of meals missed to stress and fear.The BioGenix security badge still clipped to her waist confirmed she’d come directly from the laboratory, risking everything to be here.

Their eyes met across the room, and Sabrina raised her hand in a subtle signal.Relief visibly washed over Cho’s features, followed immediately by renewed wariness as she approached with the measured steps of someone crossing a minefield.

“Dr.Wells,” she said, her voice pitched low and controlled despite the tension radiating from her.“Thank you for agreeing to meet.”

“Dr.Cho.”Sabrina gestured to the empty chair across from her, positioning Cho with her back to the room—a subtle power play that didn’t go unnoticed by the researcher.“Please, sit.”

Cho’s gaze swept the café again, lingering on exits and patrons she deemed suspicious.“I see you’re alone.Smart move.Less conspicuous.”

“You mentioned it was urgent,” Sabrina replied, taking a measured sip of her coffee.She didn’t mention that Atticus and Jade were watching their every move, or that Dynamis operatives posing as baristas and customers had secured the entire establishment before she’d arrived.“I thought discretion was appropriate.”

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