Afterlife

by Dannika Dark

  “Spooky, wake your ass up!” Shepherd slapped his cheek a few times. “You in there?”

  Suddenly Wyatt’s Have a Nice Afterlife T-shirt wasn’t so funny.

  Shepherd kept holding the handkerchief against Wyatt’s head to stanch the bleeding. “You gotta wake up, man. Don’t do this to me.”

  I could see Viktor pressing on a tough decision. I couldn’t get the sound out of my head of Wyatt hitting the asphalt. Staring at his lifeless body, I charged my light and cupped his crotch.

  Wyatt gasped, and his eyes went wide.

  Next best thing to CPR paddles.

  Niko wasted no time before cradling Wyatt’s head. Concentrated light culminated at his fingertips. When it flashed, I shut my eyes from the blinding flare and heard the crack of a whip. Watching Niko heal never got old. After repairing Wyatt’s head, Niko went for his chest. This time, Wyatt cursed under his breath.

  We all breathed a collective sigh.

  Wyatt cupped his crotch. “Why do my balls hurt?” When he scooted to a sitting position, the bloody rag fell onto his lap.

  Shepherd squeezed Wyatt’s shoulder. “What’s your name?”

  “Wyatt Blessing.”

  “Do you know who I am?”

  “A dickhead.” He looked down at the bloody handkerchief in his lap. “Did you save me with your snot rag?”

  Shepherd stood. “Yeah, he’ll be fine.”

  Viktor eased up next to Shepherd. “My wolf searched the building. Christian is removing the last of the bodies. Burn it down.”

  I jumped to my feet. “What are you going to light?”

  Viktor took the girl’s hand. “That is Shepherd’s job.”

  “I brought gasoline canisters in the second van, but it looks like they’ve got a gas line.” Shepherd took a box of matches out of his pocket and rattled them, a sinister smile on his face. “Let’s get this party started.”

  Chapter 19

  As soon as we got home, I showered and changed into my sweatpants. Though I’d promised myself I wouldn’t drink on this assignment, the dark blood drove me to it. Prior to leaving the burning warehouse, I’d vomited as much of it out as I could, but it had already seeped its way inside me, slithering through my veins like a venomous snake.

  “Slide over.” Christian set an empty glass on the booth table and stole the spot next to me.

  While he poured himself a drink, I stared through the open archway into the gathering room. Despite the late hour, some of the children were awake and talking. Blue was brushing one girl’s hair, and Gem was reading an old Russian fable to the little ones. None complained that she didn’t translate it to English. She was an animated storyteller, capturing their imaginations. Given the circumstances, Viktor thought it best to keep the men out of the room so the kids felt safe. He chose an isolated hall with only one way in and out, and Kira and Switch were busy setting up their rooms.

  “How’s Wyatt?” I asked sleepily.

  Christian traced his finger around the rim of his glass. “Knocked out from what Shepherd said. That’s one lucky bastard.”

  “No kidding. He almost landed straight on his head; it’s a wonder he didn’t snap his neck.”

  “A broken neck isn’t a sure thing.”

  “I’m not going to ask how you know that. Wyatt must have spooked the girl. She took a step backward, and off they went.”

  Christian chuckled darkly. “He has that effect on women.”

  After finishing my tequila, I folded my arms on the table and put my head down. I heard someone sit on the bench across from us.

  “It is good to hear the sound of children in this house,” Viktor remarked. “It has been many years since these rooms were full.”

  Christian gently stroked my back, and it felt so damn good. “How long do you wager we’ll keep them?”

  “We cannot risk them escaping or running about the house and finding weapons. Kira and Gem will watch them at all times, and that is an immense task.”

  Christian shifted in his seat. “Drop them off at the orphanage.”

  “Nyet. We have fifteen little ones who require special care. Shepherd will give each a health checkup in the morning, but only with Kira by his side. Just thinking about what they have been through—” He slammed his fist against the table, and I jerked up, my head pounding. When he noticed the silence in the adjacent room, he waved his hand at them with an apologetic look. “Any progress on your assignment?”

  I rubbed my eyes. “I don’t have enough facts. Maybe these deaths weren’t connected after all. Who knows? Maybe all we were supposed to do was rescue those kids.” I swung my gaze toward the gathering room. “And you know what? That’s good enough for me.”

  “Says the Shadow,” Christian quipped.

  I steered my attention to my Vampire. “What did you do to that guy when you closed the door?”

  Christian slowly arched an eyebrow.

  “That’s what I thought. It feels good to put the bad guys behind bars, but in this case, nothing beats the death penalty. If I never figure out the mystery behind my case, at least we saved those kids. I just hope we can find them a decent home.”

  “Aye.”

  A little boy appeared at the table and stared up at Christian. He had ruddy cheeks and wide brown eyes. “Are you a real Vampire?”

  I chuckled softly.

  Christian—arms folded on the table—dipped his chin. “I am.”

  “Can I see your fangs?”

  Christian flashed them before I could object.

  The boy scampered back into the gathering room. “I told you so!”

  Christian lifted his glass. “The wee ones aren’t afraid of us like they used to be. There was a time when the sight of my fangs would make people shrink back in terror.”

  “You sound disappointed,” I said.

  “Little ones should be scared of monsters. They shouldn’t ignore those primal instincts.”

  Viktor stroked his silver beard and cast a somber gaze into the adjacent room. “They have seen monsters—real ones.”

  Switch swaggered in. His messy brown hair fell to his grey shirt, which looked like it had shrunk two sizes in the wash. “Everything’s set up. A few of them will have to share beds. I can sit at the end of the hall and make sure nobody wanders.”

  “That might frighten them to see a strange man outside their door,” Viktor said, rising to his feet.

  Switch furrowed his brow. “What if I shift? My wolf won’t harm children, and I think they’ll be okay with that. I’ll make sure he knows to keep them in the hall.”

  Viktor rubbed his bloodshot eyes. “That is acceptable. But everyone is exhausted, and you won’t have a backup.”

  I raised my hand. “If he needs a break, I’ll take over.”

  Christian gave me a loaded glance. “I didn’t think you were feeling well.”

  Dancing around that topic, I said, “I’m not, but that doesn’t mean I can’t stay awake. It’s not like my core energy is depleted.”

  Viktor clapped his hands. “Come, little ones! It is time to sleep.”

  Gem closed her book and woke some of the children. Blue lifted a toddler on one hip and a young girl on the other. Most of the kids had their eyes closed and were doing the zombie walk as they followed Gem through the dining room.

  Viktor gestured for Christian to join him. “I need your help moving large furniture from upstairs. I would like each child to have their own bed for as long as they are here. I cannot do this alone.”

  Christian eased out of his seat and sighed. “Perhaps you should go to bed and let me handle all the hard labor. I need something to keep my hands busy.”

  “Place them in the empty rooms. Kira will put fresh linens on them tomorrow morning.”

  When Christian passed by Switch, the two men locked eyes. While they were finally getting along better, I had a feeling that Christian still didn’t trust that Switch wouldn’t change his mind about me, and I suppose Switch might have felt the sam
e about Christian.

  I scooted out of the booth to head upstairs. “Is your wolf up for this, or are we going to find him sleeping on the job?”

  Switch fell into step beside me. “My wolf and I have a symbiotic relationship. As long as he does what I say, he gets to come out whenever he wants. Well, almost whenever.”

  “What do you get out of it?”

  He gripped the stone railing as we ascended the stairs. “Nice dreams. That Chitah out there is messing with my schedule though. I don’t like him on the property.”

  “Neither does Blue, but Viktor’s taking a hard pass on getting in the middle of it.”

  “I can see his attraction to her. Blue’s a badass.”

  We reached the second floor and strolled around to the other ascending staircase.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Tired.”

  “I know I can’t ask why, but I’m pretty good at putting together puzzles. You got fifteen pieces downstairs.”

  “Yeah, we just need to find them a home.”

  “What’s their animal?”

  “I don’t really know. I’m guessing they’re wolves.”

  Switch flipped his hair back when we reached the top of the stairs. “Not many packs have that kind of room or the money. I wish I could help, but you’ll have to split them up.”

  I wasn’t certain if that was a good idea, but I didn’t mention it to Switch. The kids might be related, and in any case, they’d grown up together. It didn’t seem right breaking them up.

  “We’ll see,” I finally said. Pausing at a hallway entrance, I gave him a skeptical look. “Are you following me?”

  “I figure your boyfriend needs help hauling that shit down.”

  My lips twitched. Christian hated being referred to as a boyfriend, but he wasn’t exactly my husband or mate. “I think he can manage. He’s got superstrength, you know.”

  “Maybe so, but if he doesn’t know how to pivot, he’s going to bust up those beds trying to get them through the doorways.”

  I tightened the drawstring on my grey sweatpants. “Be nice to him. We’ve had a long night, and—”

  “I got it.” Switch unexpectedly wrapped his arms around me. “I’m glad you’re okay. I worry about you sometimes.”

  Tired, I leaned into him and accepted the hug. It felt nice to have a friend who cared about me.

  “Christian’s going to a sex club,” he whispered in my ear.

  Taken aback, I let go and gave him a quizzical stare. “What?”

  “He also goes somewhere else, but I don’t know where,” Switch added, his voice barely above a whisper.

  Knowing Christian was upstairs, I did the same. “Are you following him?”

  “You can’t follow a Vampire. I was in the city one night and spotted him. Decided to see where he was going.”

  I let those facts resonate for a minute. “Was it the White Owl?”

  His heavy brows furrowed. “How did you know?”

  “It’s not what you think. Stop following him. I mean it.”

  I ventured upstairs, leaving Switch behind. He was probably anticipating a big fight, but I knew exactly what this was about.

  Following the sound of wood scraping against a wall, I headed down a dark hallway and stopped by a door. “Christian, I need to ask you something.”

  Holding a large bed frame over his head, he gave me an exasperated look. “Can it wait? I’m a wee bit occupied.”

  I folded my arms.

  “For feck’s sake.” He set the bed down and glided to the door. “I don’t care for that look you’re giving me.”

  “You mind telling me why you’re hanging around the White Owl? I closed that case, remember?”

  “How—” He slanted his eyes to the side, probably trying to recall where he’d made a mistake.

  “It doesn’t matter how I found out. Honesty, remember?”

  “Someone spiked your drink that night, and I’ll not forgive a deliberate act that put your safety in danger.”

  I leaned against the doorjamb. “So why aren’t you trying to find out who buried me? Isn’t that more important than someone who slipped Sensor magic into my bottle when I wasn’t looking?”

  He reached up and gripped the doorframe. “One thing at a time.”

  “And what did you plan on doing once you found this person?”

  “Having a wee bit of fun. Is that a crime?”

  I hooked my fingers in his pants and gave them a tug. “I know your version of romance is a head on a platter, but let it go. If you want to find someone, find the person who buried me. Do I have your word you’ll drop it?”

  “You can have much more than that if you keep tugging on me.”

  I stood on my tiptoes and gave him a chaste kiss. “I’ll hold you to it.”

  “I wouldn’t expect otherwise.”

  “Switch is on his way up to help.”

  Christian snorted. “And what does the Shifter think he can help with that I haven’t got under control?”

  I poked him in the belly button before striding off. “How to pivot.”

  When I reached a window that opened onto the roof, I climbed out and found a nice spot that overlooked the property. I couldn’t see anything except Matteo’s campfire, but the stars were courting me with their lustrous glow. Reclining on my back, I admired the view.

  A white owl swooped over me, and I almost had a heart attack. When I sat up and twisted around, I saw Houdini was standing behind a chimney stack.

  “You wouldn’t happen to have a pair of pants up here, would you?” he asked, folding his arms over the brick.

  I stood and gave him a baleful look. “What are you doing here?”

  “One of these days, Butterfly, you’ll be happy to see me.”

  “Maybe I don’t care to see that much of you.”

  He remained behind the chimney stack, clearly naked but hidden from the chest down. His white hair soaked in the starlight and the rising moon. Houdini didn’t have in his black ear studs since jewelry never transferred with a Shifter. Some Shifters could probably use liquid fire to make the holes permanent, but I didn’t see any large holes on his ears, and I also didn’t presume that Houdini spent much time in animal form. He seemed more in touch with his Vampire side than anything.

  “It’s so hard to find you alone these days,” he said absently. “I came by to warn you.”

  I widened my stance. “Is that a threat?”

  “Poe has been skulking about my club, and I don’t like it. He’s tried to get in twice, and I have reason to believe he charmed two of my workers. If you’re conspiring against me, you won’t succeed. I’ll see to that.”

  “Like you saw to my burial?”

  His eyes narrowed slightly. “Do you really believe I’d do that?”

  “I wouldn’t put anything past you, Chaos. The last thing I remember is leaving your club. Next thing I know, I’m clawing at the lid of a coffin. Have you ever been buried? It’s the worst nightmare you can imagine. Convince me you didn’t do it, because you once tried selling me on the black market.”

  Houdini leaned away from the chimney stack. “Casting you into the unknown is one thing, but killing you is another. I have a special affection for you, Raven. You’re my youngling, and I desire to see what you’re capable of in this world. If you think I would waste my time burying such potential, then you don’t know me at all.”

  I turned away and approached the edge of the roof. If it wasn’t him, then who? This mystery would forever plague my thoughts. It was likely one of the Vamps I’d attempted to kill in my past life, before Keystone. But it was the not knowing that I couldn’t live with.

  “You don’t have to worry about Christian,” I said calmly, still feeling sick from the dark blood. “He won’t be coming around anymore.” I turned on my heel to face my maker. “But he wants to know who spiked my drink that night. If he finds out the truth, he’ll come after you, and I won’t be able to stop him.”

&n
bsp; “Then the game is afoot.”

  “This isn’t a game.”

  Houdini flashed a smile. “Everything is a game. Why would you caution me if you didn’t feel something for me? Loyalty perhaps? It’s in your blood, Raven. As much as you want to hate me, I’m your maker. I gave you my blood, and your instinct will always be to protect me. The real question is: Who would you choose in a death match? Your lover or your maker? What a conundrum.” His expression relaxed. “Come on, Raven. Not everything has to be black or white. Live in the grey.”

  “The world is your puppet—you’ve made that abundantly clear. You don’t care about anything or anyone, so why should anyone care about you?”

  Houdini rounded the chimney stack and unabashedly strode toward me. Even in darkness, his hazel eyes were mesmerizing, and though not muscular, his body conformed to an ideal masculine shape. An inch away, he gazed down at me, his regal but ancient features sending a chill down my spine. “Your team is basking in the praise after exposing that fighting ring. I would imagine you were paid a hefty sum.”

  “We deserved it.”

  Houdini leaned in tight with an impassive look. “Who do you think gave you the blueprints to the auction house?”

  My blood ran cold.

  “If your team had bothered to look up my username, they might have noticed that the numbers spelled out chaos. If I didn’t care about anything or anyone, I would merely be a spectator in this world. I would offer nothing. Not my blood, not my company, and certainly not my blueprints. Be careful with those assumptions, Butterfly.”

  Houdini spread his arms and melted away into a beautiful white owl. With a few flaps of his wings, he soared over my head and into the black night.

  Chapter 20

  I didn’t see Christian that evening. He stayed busy moving furniture downstairs, and I was busy lying in bed, mulling over what Houdini had said. Thankfully, Switch didn’t need any help guarding the kids. The blood I’d consumed hadn’t left my body, and I still felt sick. Why it didn’t bother Christian was beyond me, but I suspect he never took nearly as much as I did. Around noon, I headed down to the gym in my black shorts and a sleeveless shirt. Niko practiced swordplay while I hit the weights.