by Dannika Dark
I approached Christian. “Now what?”
He reached underneath my jacket and pulled out my hood. “We have a name. If Viktor wins the bid, we have a witness that links him to previous crimes. If Viktor loses the bid, we’ll have a lot of work to do.”
“So we have a name and we have to sit on it.”
“Smart as a whip.” He secured the hood over my head and tucked my hair inside. “You should wear a warmer coat.”
“It blew up in the fire, remember? Anyhow, a few flurries don’t bother me so much.”
“Liar.”
I chuckled and matched his stride as we headed back to the door. “When I lived on the streets, I got used to the cold. Now I’m spoiled because of a warm bed and a hot meal every day.”
“I’ll have to rectify that. Remind me to put your bed on the roof when we get home.”
“And what would you do if I froze?”
“Bury you in Greenland. Worry not, lass. I promise to come get you before archaeologists in the future discover your body in a cryogenic state.”
“You’ll still owe me a beer.”
Chapter 17
Amber sat listlessly at a table near the front hall, watching people dancing and having a good time. She’d been in a haze since Christian wiped her memory, and thirty minutes later, she finally snapped out of her stupor and checked her phone.
“How’s the um… bargain hunting going?” I asked Claude, trying to be discreet about the black market trading.
He scooted down in his seat, still reading a text message from Gem. “It’s intense. Sometimes these things can go on for days.”
I gave Christian a lethal glare. “I’m not sitting in here for days.”
Impervious to my harsh tone, he crunched on his candy. “Would you rather we go bowling? I’m afraid there aren’t many options. Here we have food, drink, comfortable seats, and lovely breasts,” he said, admiring the buxom waitress who approached our table, her shirt thin and tight.
Leaning against the booth, she flashed a smile that was signed, sealed, and delivered to Claude. “I do love me a tall drink of water. Can I get you something to nibble on?”
I smiled, unable to help myself. “He’s starving. Do you have any steak and fries?”
Claude lowered his head ashamedly. After devouring half the menu at Ruby’s, his tank was full and the look of regret in his eyes never more evident.
Apparently not wanting to insult the waitress, he slid a predatory gaze up to her and purred, “I’m in need of nothing at the moment, female. I’m just fine.”
“Yes. Yes, you are,” she agreed. “I’ll bring a pitcher of water and a few glasses.”
She sauntered off, and Claude admired her, but not in a lecherous way. Claude looked at women differently than most men, as if he admired their power and spirit more than their assets.
If what Claude said about auctions was right, we might wind up sitting around for a long time. Club owners didn’t care how long patrons stayed. Hours, days… just so long as they kept ordering off the menu. Vampires don’t require sleep, and not everyone needs a job. Old money offers the luxury of a sedentary lifestyle.
Regardless, I wasn’t comfortable with the idea of staying in a place like this for longer than needed. The thought lingered in the back of my mind that one of those Vamps I’d staked years earlier might show up and recognize me.
I put my hands on the seat, and my pinky brushed against Christian’s. When he hooked his finger over mine, I snapped my arm away.
Was he just trying to rile me up to see if I was attracted to him?
If so, he was right.
I’d grown up fascinated by clean-cut men because I perceived that as signifying a better life. Those were men of money or ambition—people who didn’t aspire to live in a trailer home. To be attracted to a Vampire who didn’t shave, wore shirts with holes, and owned a shack in the woods made no sense. But something about Christian’s brooding personality and dry humor appealed to me.
I squirmed in my seat when he gave me a roguish grin.
He also had smoldering eyes, and sometimes he licked his lips and did this thing where he gently scraped his teeth over his bottom lip as if he were in the midst of a sexual fantasy. The more feelings I developed for him, the more skeptical I became. Did his blood have residual influence over me? If so, then did mine have any power over him? Was part of him still inside me? It sometimes felt like none of the men I’d drunk from had left my body, so maybe having a little of Christian wasn’t such a bad thing.
And then there was the revelation of him being the hero of my past. I hadn’t been able to shake that out of my head all day. Neither of us had brought it up since, but the scene kept replaying in my mind like an old movie stuck on a loop. When he folded his arms on the table, I stared at them, imagining what his burned body had looked like after the fire and the pain he must have endured while healing.
All for me.
I might have won a silly bet for a favor, but in reality, I was the one who owed Christian.
“Something vexes you,” he said quietly. “Your heart rate is accelerating.”
“Stop doing that. You can’t read into everything.”
He propped his elbows on the table, his fingers laced together in a prayerlike gesture. He had his thumbs straight out and chin resting on them. When I caught the direction of his gaze, I realized he was staring at my necklace.
I reached inside my leather jacket and zipped my hoodie all the way to my neck.
The waitress finally appeared with a pitcher of ice water and three glasses. While she poured, Claude put his phone away. After she left, we each took a long sip and stared aimlessly around the bar. When I peered over at Christian again, his fangs were visible.
The expression on his face was so comical that I pushed my finger against a fang to snap him out of his trance. “If you’re hungry, we can stop by the blood bank,” I teased.
“Shhh.”
Then I noticed the angle of his head and realized he was listening in on a conversation. Claude and I exchanged a glance but remained silent.
Christian turned slowly, like a predator, and glared over his shoulder. “She’s going to meet up with him. I just overheard their phone call. He said he needs her to watch the baby for two hours while he finishes up a business deal.”
The adrenaline in my blood spiked.
Claude stood up and swiped the keys to the van. “I’ll drive.”
We discreetly followed Amber out the door, staying a good ten paces behind her. She wouldn’t recognize us, so it wasn’t likely she was going to speed off. We took our time getting into the van and watched her cross the parking lot and unlock the door to a silver car.
Since Christian had claimed the passenger seat, I was forced to sit in the back. Claude’s red car would stand out like a sore thumb trailing behind her. Aside from that, it was always better to stick together on a job.
“We have a lead,” Claude said into his phone. “Right into the lion’s den. Let me talk to Viktor.”
I gripped the bench when Claude backed over something and then hit the gas.
“Viktor, I wanted to let you know we’ve got a strong lead. She’s taking us to the Mage.”
“Cristo. That’s his name,” Christian added.
Claude looked at him, phone still to his ear. “His name is Cristo. We might be able to take him by surprise. He’s handing over the baby to the woman, so we’re going to sit tight. I’m not putting the child in danger. … I agree. … Okay, I’ll let them know.” When he hung up the phone, he relayed the message. “Viktor doesn’t want us going after Cristo. We follow the woman, sit tight, and wait until she has the baby. When Cristo or his man is gone, we move in. Viktor thinks Cristo will keep the auction going even if we steal the child. At least then we won’t have to worry about the baby getting hurt and we can focus on hunting him down.”
“I’m on board with that plan,” Christian agreed. “Fall back another car length. She won’t re
cognize me, but I don’t want her getting spooked because of a black van on her bumper.”
The streets weren’t busy, so Claude slowed down. Snow between Amber’s car and ours obscured visibility. The treacherous roads made it easy to keep up with her since she was driving carefully.
Christian turned in his seat and gave me a pensive stare. “It looks like we’re heading back to the Bricks.”
I concealed my light so Cristo couldn’t detect me. As much as I wanted to drain the bastard, this was a better plan. Save the baby first, and then set a trap. Otherwise, we could put the baby’s life in danger by gunning after Cristo.
Christian turned on the radio and said something to Claude. While there weren’t windows I could see out of, I had a feeling we’d reached the Bricks since Christian was trying to cloak his conversation with obnoxious music.
“Slow down,” he said to Claude. “Park right here.”
I made sure the laces on my black boots were tight in case we had to get out and run. What the heck are we going to do with a baby? Our van wasn’t exactly equipped with child seats.
“Here he comes,” Claude said.
The suspense was killing me. I wanted to peer between them, but Christian turned off the radio and began texting someone. He was probably trying to listen to their conversation, but I wasn’t certain he could hear anything at this distance unless they were talking loudly.
The engine rumbled, and the van began moving again.
“She’s turning,” Christian said. “She’ll probably make a left up ahead. That road leads out.”
I peered around Christian’s seat and watched the car in front of us make a right turn.
“Where the feck is she going?” Christian asked, not expecting an answer.
A cold feeling of dread washed over me when we turned down another empty street. “Something’s not right,” I said. “Claude, turn around.”
“She’s got the baby,” he growled. “I’m not letting her go.”
My heart raced at a wicked beat.
Christian suddenly grabbed the wheel. “She’s right. Stop the van!”
Claude hit the brakes, and we watched Amber’s taillights flash as her car came to a stop. I looked ahead of her and realized we’d reached a dead end.
“Turn around!” I shouted. “Quick!”
Instead, Claude put the van in park and got out.
I rushed between the seats to look. “What the hell’s he doing?”
Claude ran Chitah speed toward the car and pried open the door. He reached in, and when he stood up, he was holding a doll in his hand.
His gaze drifted upward to the buildings above the van, and in a flash, he disappeared.
Gunfire erupted.
Christian dove into the back and threw himself on top of me. Each bullet pierced through the metal wall and roof with a sharp explosion. He cradled my head with both arms while gunfire rained upon us like a hailstorm. A bullet ripped through my calf, and another grazed my arm. I quickly pulled my limbs in tight so that Christian became my shield, but his body provided no relief from the unmitigated pain where the bullets had struck.
Just as suddenly as it began, the attack ceased. My ears were ringing, making it impossible to focus. When Christian raised his head, the strained look on his face told the story. I’d seen that same look before when he’d taken too many bullets.
I threw my bleeding arm in front of his mouth. “Hurry up and drink!”
Without argument, he punched his fangs out and bit into my arm. Christian drew blood until I heard bullets popping out of his body and hitting the floor. Once he’d taken enough to heal, he licked my wound and sat up with a look of murder in his eyes.
“Ready yourself,” he said, shaking out of his coat. “They’re coming to kill us.”
“They? How many are there?”
Christian’s eyes scanned my body, and it didn’t take long for him to notice the gunshot wound on my leg. He crouched over me and shoved his wrist into my mouth. “Bite!”
I shook my head, stunned by the offering.
“Listen to me, and listen good,” he began, still holding his wrist against my mouth. “You won’t be able to run far with that leg gushing blood. But we both know you have temporary strength when you drink my blood, and you’re going to need all the strength you can get. Take my vein, Raven. Heal yourself.”
Regardless of what my mind told me, my Vampire instinct knew exactly what it wanted. I resisted at first, afraid of that savage side of me that felt disconnected from my humanity. But when Christian’s decadent blood filled my mouth, my taste buds awakened, invigorated by his adrenaline and thirst to kill. The emotions ripened as they mixed with my own blood. Which were his emotions, and which were mine? Was I the one who wanted to kill mercilessly, tasting the blood of my victims? He retracted his arm before I could get a second swallow, but one was all I needed to heal.
Christian and I faced the back of the van.
When the door burst open, my instincts kicked in.
Fight or die.
Chapter 18
Shepherd paced the halls of the expansive mansion that was closing in on him like solitary confinement. He’d obeyed Viktor’s orders to stay behind while Christian, Claude, and Raven were on the front lines. Viktor was probably afraid Shepherd would do something unpredictable.
Maybe he was right.
Shepherd paused at the end of a hall and gazed up at the keystone on the archway of the first floor. It was bad enough he was on lockdown, but on top of that, Niko had been shadowing him around the mansion. He was stealthy, always lurking just around the corner, but he wasn’t smooth enough to get past Shepherd. Niko could shield his energy and silence his footsteps all he wanted, but his emotional imprints were everywhere.
The heavy tread of Shepherd’s boots bounced off the walls as he headed toward the back of the mansion and up the stairs. His partner was busy trying to close a deal on a baby auction. Shepherd had nothing to occupy his time. He’d already polished his weapons before heading into the training room, but hours had passed since then.
He was restless.
Agitated.
All he could think about was that man’s face. Shepherd might not have recognized him had it not been for those piercing eyes—the last thing Maggie ever saw. Maybe that was what burned him the most. It hadn’t been Shepherd’s eyes she saw while she took her last breath. He hadn’t gotten to hold her hand and tell her it would be okay, even if the words were lies to ease her suffering. He’d spent years thinking about what he could have given Maggie in her final moments. Words of comfort she never received, a tender kiss, the touch of his hand. And most of all, his ability to erase the pain. Sensors could make a man forget they were dying. He could have eased her suffering if only he’d been close enough to touch her. And maybe with a miracle, he could have healed her. Just maybe.
Shepherd reached in the front pocket of his loose jeans and pulled out a box of smokes. He stopped at the corner of the stairs by a statue and struck a match against its face, lighting the end of his cigarette and drawing in that wonderful first taste. Sensors didn’t have to worry about bullshit diseases like lung cancer or emphysema, so a man could truly enjoy his vices with no guilt. Smoking wasn’t something he’d done much around Maggie; she didn’t like the taste on his breath or the smell on his clothes. But Shepherd indulged in smoking because it brought him comfort and pleasure the way a familiar blanket might to anyone else. A good cigarette was the one thing he could count on in stressful times. It topped off a great meal or complemented a strong drink.
It also calmed him the fuck down in moments like these.
He passed one tall window after the next until he reached one of the central halls, which was where Wyatt’s game room was located. Instead of going in, he leaned against the wall by the open door and listened to the conversations overlapping inside.
Blue’s voice sounded surprised. “What do you mean it’s over?”
“Just what I said,” Wy
att replied. “It’s gone… as in poof.”
“Gone. I do not understand gone. Did we lose the bid?” Viktor asked.
“It didn’t close,” Wyatt said, frustration edging his voice. “The auctions always end with either a winner or the seller closing the curtain if the price doesn’t meet their requirements. But it’s just gone, like he took it down. I hit refresh, and I’m trying to see if maybe it’s a server issue. Just give me a minute.”
It sounded as if Viktor was pacing back and forth. Wyatt would be sitting, and Blue’s boot heels made a distinctive click against the floor. Shepherd tucked his left hand in his pocket and stared at a crack in the wall.
Someone’s phone vibrated. “What’s happening?” Viktor asked. After a minute of choppy conversation, he breathed out a heavy sigh. “Claude has a lead on our Mage.”
Shepherd looked toward the doorway.
“Is that why he canceled the auction?” Wyatt asked.
“Nyet. The Mage is not aware they’re tracking him down. They’re following a woman, and they plan to rescue the infant. This is good if we can separate him from the child. Keep searching for bids; perhaps he wanted higher offers or was testing the waters to see how many fish would bite.”
“Who’s the woman?” Blue asked.
“Claude did not say. But we have a name for our Mage. Cristo.”
Shepherd stepped closer.
“Last name?” Wyatt pressed.
“That is all I have.”
And that was all Shepherd needed. As he pivoted on his heel to head to a quiet room, he ran into Niko.
“Going somewhere?” Niko asked, tilting his head to one side.
“You’re one nosy Chinaman.”
Niko smiled impatiently. “I’m not Chinese, and you’re trying to instigate something so I’ll leave you alone. Viktor gave us orders to remain here until summoned.”
Niko knew him all too well. Shepherd never made derogatory remarks about his team, but he needed Niko to back off so he could make a call. He also needed to stay calm since Niko could read his energy, so he took a long drag off his cigarette, smoke tingling on his tongue as he drew in a deep breath.