by Dannika Dark
Crush returned and put an orange soda in front of him. When he sat down, he popped the lid off his own bottle and took a long drink. Christian could hear the fizz bubbling in Crush’s throat with every gulp, so he focused on tuning out all the little sounds that were becoming an unwanted distraction.
“Raven doesn’t know I know,” Crush began, setting the bottle on the table.
“If you knew about Vampires all along, why didn’t you tell her?”
“She looked torn, and I didn’t want anything holding her back from moving on if that’s what she needs. There would have been more explaining to do, and one quick visit isn’t enough to fill in all the gaps.”
“The gaps being that she finds out you’re a liar.”
“I’m her old man, and a father will do anything to keep his kid from hurting. But you wouldn’t know anything about that.”
“You’re right.” Christian flicked his thumb, and the lid popped off his soda and flew across the room. “How much do you know?”
Crush scratched his jaw. “Enough to know that her eyes should be coal black. Enough to know that her skin doesn’t look like a Vampire’s even though she has fangs.”
Christian took a swig and grimaced at the sharp bite of the carbonated drink. He might as well learn what he could about Crush since he was going to scrub it all away anyhow. “Raven’s… special.”
“Of course she’s special. She’s got her mama’s blood running in her veins.”
“What I mean is, she’s not entirely Vampire.”
Crush rested his right arm on the table and leaned forward. “Now you’ve got my attention.”
“She’s half Mage.”
“You’re shittin’ me.”
Christian stared directly at Crush, who was avoiding eye contact.
How intriguing.
He could easily imagine this guy wearing one of those black skullcaps that tie in the back, sitting on his Harley and spitting against the wind. The last guy he would have expected to know about the Breed world. His goatee and hair was mostly salt with a little pepper, and though his blue eyes weren’t as light as Raven’s, there was something familiar about them he couldn’t put his finger on that reminded him of Raven. She hadn’t inherited his big nose or rough skin, but she’d certainly acquired his straightforward personality and tough demeanor.
“How exactly did my daughter wind up a mutant?”
“I believe crossbreed is the word you’re looking for.” Christian waved his hand when Crush rinsed him with a cold stare. “I wasn’t there. What happened to her is like hitting the genetic jackpot.”
“And you’re protecting her?”
Christian gave a throaty chuckle. “She does a fine job protecting herself.”
“As a… bounty hunter,” Crush said, making an educated guess.
“Not exactly. Think of it as bounty hunting on a larger scale without all the rules.”
“She looks sick.”
“That’s only temporary. Raven helped bring down a murderer last night, and she saved a baby’s life. She’s all tuckered out.”
Crush’s chest swelled with pride, and he leaned back in his chair. “Then she’s doing something that matters. I always knew she was better than just selling dresses at some fancy department store or being somebody’s old lady.”
Christian cocked his eyebrow. “So you’re proud your baby girl’s a killer?”
“Did you know that female lions do most of the hunting in a pride? Your first mistake is assuming that women are the weaker sex.” Crush took a long drink until his bottle emptied. “You think your bluntness will shock me, but you’re just a peckerhead in a Matrix coat. Did you ever see that movie? No, of course you haven’t. That’s why guys like you are still asleep. Even though half my buddies are Breed, I kept Raven away from the truth. They knew my rules and respected them. She didn’t lead a conventional life, but I figured the last thing she’d want to know was that we were friends with Shifters, Relics, and a few others. I wanted her to have a normal life, because you and I know just how dark this world can be. Little did I know that when given the choice, she’d pick the red pill. I should have known. After all, she has my blood running through her.”
Christian pretended to know what he was talking about and made a mental note to watch The Matrix. He studied Crush’s tattoos. A skeleton riding a bike with flames behind him, and a dagger on his forearm with the name Cookie written across a banner in front.
“You like ’em?” Crush asked, turning his arms to show them off. Then he pulled his shirt up and revealed another one across his chest. The heart tattoo had flames on one side and a coy bluebird on the other. The banner across it had the name Bonnie. It was well done, shaded and given dimension. Crush stroked his finger over it. “It used to just be the bluebird. That was for Raven’s mother.”
“But you weren’t married,” Christian pointed out, remembering Raven’s version of the story.
Crush laughed and pulled down his tight shirt, some of his belly sticking out. “A piece of jewelry doesn’t prove your devotion. You can take off a ring, slip it into your pocket, and pretend it never happened. But this,” he said, pointing at the tattoo. “This is my heart on my sleeve. Forever. I got the bird first because I called her Bonnie Bluebird. I got the rest after she died.”
Christian put his hands in his lap and laced his fingers together. “I’m surprised Raven isn’t covered in tattoos.”
Crush tugged on his earlobe. “That was never her thing. But I have a pink unicorn on my ankle thanks to that girl. I passed out drunk, so she decided to teach me a lesson by having my buddy give me something extra,” he said with a chuckle. “She has a sense of humor few men can appreciate.”
“I know a little something about that.”
“She also gives people what they deserve.”
“I’m guessing that’s why she never married.”
Crush shook his head. “None of the bozos she dated were serious enough. They were also too clean-cut. One thing I know about that girl is Raven’ll never give her whole heart to a man who doesn’t ink himself for her. She grew up around that kind of devotion, so it’s all she knows. You got any ink?”
“None that I’d like to share.”
Crush squared his eyes on Christian and glowered. “Let’s cut the bullshit. What kind of relationship do you have with my daughter?”
Christian felt himself blink more times than he should have. “We’re partners.”
“Uh-huh. I can tell you’re not fucking her, but you’ve got some feelings for her, don’t you?”
Awkward wasn’t even the word. Christian peered out the window behind him and changed the subject. “You should get yourself a decent home with all that money you’re hoarding.”
“The first time I met Raven’s mother, she slapped me in the face,” Crush said, not letting Christian steer the conversation. “I deserved it for calling her a tramp when she didn’t talk to me. I liked her, and men do dumb shit when they like a woman. I made it up to her later by treating her like a lady and taking her out. We used to live together, but when I knocked her up, she got serious about our relationship and wanted me to change my ways. You see, I had a demon called alcohol on my back. I loved alcohol more than Bonnie, and I wasn’t willing to give it up. She threw me out, but we still loved each other. I took care of her financially and was a father to my kid. Bonnie never stopped me from being a part of Raven’s life. But the booze… Sometimes we try to fool ourselves that we can be a better man when, deep down, we know we’re not. Even after she died, I couldn’t give up the booze. When I almost lost Raven because of it, I cleaned up my act.”
“I don’t think this is something I need to hear. Raven and I live in the present.”
Crush’s knee bounced up and down. “Your present just shit all over my life, so don’t tell me the past doesn’t matter. Don’t think I didn’t notice the way you were looking at her. She’s a good girl, and good girls have no business with men like us. We’re
the hurricane that ruins their lives because we love something more. Maybe your demon is your own ego, or maybe it’s something else. Love is easy. Commitment is a bitch. Commitment requires you to make sacrifices. So do me a favor and don’t play with her heart. She’s been through enough trauma in her life. She deserves a real man who isn’t afraid to show his cards and be the love of her life.”
Christian could feel the blood heating his face. He didn’t like anyone holding a mirror up to him; he didn’t like being transparent. But after meeting this brassy, uncouth man, it gave him a better understanding of Raven.
Crush sighed, his voice calmer. “You’re her partner. Watch over and protect her since I’m not there to do it. She’s always been tough with a mind of her own, but sometimes she doesn’t know right from wrong. That’s my fault. I didn’t do a good enough job raising her like her mama would have. I fucked up—made mistakes. Getting clean wasn’t good enough.”
“Aye, I’ll look after her.” Christian’s attention drifted when he heard Für Elise playing on Raven’s music box outside.
He suddenly jumped when Crush stabbed between Christian’s legs with a knife, sinking the blade into the chair. He’d been so distracted by the music that he hadn’t heard the human pull the switchblade from his back pocket.
“One more thing,” Crush said. “Now that I’ve got your undivided attention.”
Christian’s expression tightened, but he didn’t remove the knife from the chair.
“I know why you tagged along,” Crush continued. “But see, I already know about your world. You don’t have to scrub my memory to keep your secret. I know how this favor thing works and how you immortals value it more than gold. Let me keep this memory of my daughter, and I’ll owe you one.”
Christian narrowed his eyes. “What could I possibly want from you?”
Crush sat back and folded his arms. “I’m sure something will come to mind. I’ve lived in your world for years. Why not get something out of it?”
“And what if I’m doing this as a favor to your daughter?”
“Then you’ll have to figure out a way to repay her that favor without her knowing. Next time she needs something, you do it. No questions asked. Then whatever conscience you have is clean.”
“And what if she asks me to do her laundry for eternity?”
Crush stood up and emptied his pockets, pulling the lining out. “I’m all out of fucks to give.”
Christian freed the knife and set it on the table. It was a tempting offer. Scrubbing Crush’s memory seemed superfluous, especially given the fact that he didn’t just know about their world but was immersed in it. There was also a risk that if Christian left any holes, Crush’s friends might sense something was off. It could backfire on him in a big way. Scrubbing his memory would be the easiest way to even his debt with Raven, but making a deal with Crush meant another favor in his pocket. He’d be a fool to turn down a favor owed, even from a human.
Christian rose to his feet and inclined his head. “I’ll tell her it’s done, but on one condition.”
Crush slid his jaw to the side. “What’s that?”
“You’re mortal and probably one cheeseburger away from a coronary. The favor carries over after death to one of your friends. A Sensor can validate I’m telling the truth.”
“Men like me don’t die easily.”
“You’re human. You all die easily.”
“My buddies won’t trust a Vamp.”
“Then my friend will hunt down your ghost and make you pay up from the afterworld.”
Crush grimaced. “You know a Gravewalker?”
“Do we have a deal, or do we need to sit down and get to business?”
It took a minute, but Crush capitulated. “You can see my buddy Red. Just tell him he still owes me a favor for that piece-of-shit car. He’ll know exactly what you’re talking about, but I have a feeling you’ll come asking long before the Reaper shows up at my door. Shake on it.” Crush held out his hand.
Christian stared at it.
“Don’t be such a pussy. I know you guys prefer to bow and shit, but I’m a man of honor, and we shake on things.”
Christian held out his hand, and even though Crush was just a mortal, his grip was iron. “Then you and I have a deal.”
Chapter 26
“How do you feel?” Gem watched me with keen interest as she rolled along on her skates.
“More like myself. I think my light’s almost pure again,” I said, rubbing my heavy-lidded eyes. It was already evening, another day lost. After coming home late from visiting my father the night before, I stayed in my room all day. I’d spent most of the time thinking about our conversation, but my body still needed to catch up on sleep.
She gave me an elfin grin. “I should hope so. You slept the entire day. Alas, you missed out on Christian’s oatmeal extravaganza this morning. I finally know what wet sawdust tastes like. He also volunteered to make lunch, but everyone chipped in for Chinese delivery instead. Viktor’s probably going to extend your cooking rotation since you haven’t done much of it.”
I slowed my gait and stared down at my white socks. “Dark light takes a lot out of me. I don’t think you would have wanted me in the kitchen.”
“Where did you and Christian go last night?”
“He wanted to talk to a guy about fixing his car. I slept most of the time. How’s Claude?”
“Purrrfect.” She giggled and skated ahead of me, her long black duster decorated with white butterflies flapping behind her. “He can’t go to the party tonight since he’s still recovering. Viktor ordered him to stay in bed, and he didn’t put up a fight. So he must be in pain.”
I snorted. “Or he doesn’t care for going to fancy balls.”
Gem twirled in a circle and then stopped. “Everyone likes balls.”
I buried a laugh. “Why so glum?”
“I won’t have my buddy to keep me company.” Her violet lips turned down. “He always saves me from the awkward socialites who engage in dull conversations about how wretched modern-day living is compared to the Middle Ages when they had public beheadings and ate with their hands.”
My gaze dragged up to the arched ceiling, and I marveled at the way the candlelight danced across every crevice of stone. Even though visiting my father and saying good-bye was the hardest thing I’d ever done, it had finally given me peace. The same kind of peace you feel when you get a funeral over with and you don’t have that heavy weight on your shoulders of the final good-bye. My fangs had come as a shock to him, but why hadn’t he asked more about it? Maybe it was too much to take in. I couldn’t blame him. I mean, he thought he’d buried me, and there I was, drinking cocoa in his kitchen. He probably figured I’d joined a cult.
It didn’t matter anymore. Christian had scrubbed his memory of the visit.
When we entered Wyatt’s computer room, I saw the back of Christian’s head. His arms were draped over the sides of a beanbag chair, and The Matrix was playing on the television. I frowned. Christian wasn’t the kind of guy who sat around watching TV, let alone by himself.
I plopped down in Wyatt’s leather chair and flicked a wrapper away from the keyboard.
Gem turned in a circle and then gripped the doorframe. “Well, I’m going to go downstairs and swim before it gets too late. Night, all!”
I switched on the desktop computer that Wyatt allowed the team to use. “Is Viktor repairing the van?”
“Aye. What are you doing in here?”
I typed in a few search words. “Some of those files I was looking at before this Cristo case came along have me curious.”
“The Vampire trading? Let it go, Raven.”
While Christian watched Morpheus offer Neo a choice between the blue or red pill, I tumbled down my own rabbit hole on the Internet. Now that Cristo’s case was closed, I knew we would probably have downtime until our next assignment.
First, I typed in “people obsessed with Vampires.” I read a few articles about the o
bsession with immortality, blood, and feeling chosen. I tried a few other search terms and scrolled through several pages until I found a comprehensive website about Vampires. The site contained a long list of categories. Vampire culture, history, clothing, folklore, social groups, photographs, facts, and media. The links with the facts had it mostly wrong. I supposed because the light hurt their eyes, people thought that Vampires couldn’t come out in the daylight. Stakes paralyzed them, so one could easily assume it killed them. I wasn’t sure where the whole myth with holy water and silver came in—probably from the church.
Thirty minutes later, I wound up on a message board. I had to create a name and password to log on, so I chose CookieMonster. Once in, I perused.
“Whoa. What a bunch of weirdos,” I murmured. There was actually a board for people who bragged about drinking from their pets. When I saw a picture of someone licking a rat, I quickly scrolled down.
These humans either claimed to be Vampires or wanted to be a creature of the night. One section looked more like the personals where people were requesting to be slaves. A post with three hundred replies grabbed my attention. The message was an alleged Vampire asking for someone who wanted to be his chosen one. I scrolled down, looking at one reply after the next from people desperate to be selected.
“Christian, remember those files I was looking at? The black marketeer who’s selling women?”
Christian held up his hand. “Bloody hell, he’s in a pod! Have you seen this? If someone told me that was the real world, I’d shove my finger down my throat and vomit the drugs.”
“It wasn’t a real pill,” I said. “He just opened his mind to the possibility.”
Christian wasn’t listening to me anymore.
I looked at the original post, in which the author had misspelled discreet, and jotted down the poster’s name on a piece of paper. It was probably a coincidence; half the Internet couldn’t spell. I printed out the page and folded it in half, deciding to include it in the file. Before closing the browser window, I left a message of my own. Most of them were long and looked like a résumé, while others were desperate pleas to be chosen. What were these guys looking for?