by Dannika Dark
The driver approached me, and he was built nothing like the other men. When he pulled the hood away from his head, the formidable man revealed a lion’s mane of dark blond hair. It was thick and long, and his short beard covered half his face. The man’s stride was peculiar, kind of languid and lumbering at the same time. And his inhales were heavier than his exhales, as if he was smelling me.
I folded my arms. “Thanks for bringing back his truck.”
“My truck.”
“And you are?”
“General.”
I glanced down at his attire. “I don’t see a uniform.”
“That’s because it’s my name, foolish woman.”
“I guess your parents’ dreams of having an officer in the family were dashed.”
“All my brothers have similar names. Colonel, Sergeant, Major—you get the picture.”
General had a broad chest like a man who pumped iron, and though he was tall, he wasn’t in Chitah territory. His brown eyes immediately ruled out that Breed.
My gaze darted around. The resemblance between the brothers was uncanny. Shaved heads, brown eyes, similar height, and the same dark blond stubble. The only one who stood out was General.
“You had your fun with him,” I said, caging my fury. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to collect his bikes.”
I inched forward. “Over my dead body.”
“If you insist.” He dipped his chin and walked backward, eyes on me.
Then his brothers moved in.
Shit. I didn’t have my daggers.
I sharpened my light and dropkicked the guy behind me. When I hit the ground, I reached for the other man’s ankles and sent a sharp current of energy into his body. I rolled over and hopped to my feet. The third brother swung his arm and I ducked, narrowly missing his closed fist. He wailed like a little girl when I clutched his thigh and blasted him. Sucking his blood wasn’t an option, not with three other guys to fight off.
I harnessed my energy and flashed around the fourth guy, kicking him behind his knee. He dropped like a sack of potatoes. “You like beating up an old man? How’s it feel?” I asked, giving him a swift kick to the back.
One brother charged up the stairs after Switch, who stood with his back to the door, protecting my father. He was watching the skirmish in wonderment as I knelt down and stole the knife hidden behind the Shifter’s pant leg.
I waved it at the others who were circling me. “Call them off, General.”
“Why should I do that? No one would take my business seriously if I suddenly had an affinity for mercy.”
“I’ll take over my father’s debt. You know he can’t pay it.”
A fistfight broke out behind me as Switch and the other man tumbled down the stairs into the grass, knocking over a trash can.
“You want me to transfer all his debt to you?” General asked incredulously.
The brother in front of me got up, his legs shaky. “Give me back my dagger.”
“In the neck or groin? Your pick.”
“If I shift, you’re dinner.”
“I can handle a scrappy little wolf.”
He grinned. “We’re not wolves.”
General strode toward me. “Step aside, boys.”
When he reached me, I pressed the tip of the knife to his gut.
“Do you have the money?” he asked.
“I can get it.”
General looked skyward. “Isn’t that what they always say?”
“I could gut you like a fish and take out your brothers.”
He lowered his head. “Doubtful. We’re lions. Cut me and I’ll shift. Odds are you won’t be able to turn around fast enough to escape my jaws, and if you think I’m unmerciful, you haven’t seen anything yet.” He leaned in sedately, a predatory look in his eyes. “I eat my enemies. All the way to the marrow.”
“Transfer the debt to my name.”
He reached out and captured a lock of my black hair, twirling it between his fingers.
Switch jogged up the steps to block the door.
“Take my necklace,” I said, holding the pendant. “It’s valuable.”
His gaze flicked down. “Do I look like a jeweler? I don’t have time to get trinkets appraised and sell them. I take cash.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Funny. That red truck doesn’t look like cash.”
General gave me an icy stare. “That’s for wasting my time. It’s not deducted from the amount owed. That’s how you let a person know you’re serious. You take away everything they’ve got until they figure out a way to pay off the debt. The next time I see you, there better be cash in your hand.”
“The full amount?”
He pursed his lips and mulled it over. “I’m a man who builds his fortune on interest. You can take all the time in the world to pay your debt, but there better be a fat deposit worth my time, or the next nose I’ll be breaking is yours.”
“Raven Black. Write that name in your little book and scratch out my father’s name permanently. If I’m not here the next time you come by, then ask around for me. I’m not that hard to track down. But leave Crush alone.”
“I don’t make promises I can’t keep. See you tomorrow.”
“Wait, tomorrow?”
General strode off, and his brothers followed suit. All but one.
“Give me my dagger,” his brother growled.
I twirled it in my hand and then threw it. The blade penetrated the dirt between his feet. He bent down to retrieve it, his eyes never tearing away from mine.
After they piled into the truck and steered onto the main road, Switch rushed to my side and gripped my shoulders. “Are you all right?” A smile touched his lips. “Damn, that was sexy as hell. I didn’t know you could fight like that.”
“Thanks for watching the door. I had a gut feeling they’d go after him.”
Just thinking about that man dragging Crush outside drove me to rage. I kicked the dirt and then hurried inside, walking around a broken step on the porch.
My phone had a message waiting from Viktor with Lenore’s number.
Just in time.
“MORE TEA?” Lenore reached for a vintage teapot and filled her dainty cup. Painted pink flowers adorned the white bone china. She lifted her teacup and saucer, her nail polish matching the flowers perfectly.
“No, thanks.”
She sipped her drink and then set it on the short table between us. “Isn’t this a marvelous room? I bought this property especially for the sunroom.”
“I thought Vampires hated light.”
“Age brings tolerance.”
Our wicker chairs blended in with the greenery and wood surrounding us. The sunroom was an extension of the house, arched beams supporting the glass ceiling overhead. Several massive ferns hung from hooks mounted to the walls between the windows. And the windows were floor to ceiling, bringing in so much light that the wood floors gleamed. The potted trees offered shade, the floor dappled with sunlight, and a flowering vine clung to a trellis behind me.
“I’m planting rosebushes all around the room outside,” she said, waving her dainty finger. “I admit I don’t know which plants do well here. You wouldn’t happen to know a good horticulturist, would you?”
I hooked my feet around my chair legs. “Afraid not.”
“You need to work on your connections. Networking is one of the most valuable tools a woman can have.” She bent forward and sipped more tea.
Lenore wasn’t dressed to the nines today, but she also wasn’t running around in jeans and a sweatshirt like me. Her off-white silk dress had a rose print, a style straight out of the twenties. All she needed was a cloche hat with a rose stitched on the front to finish off the ensemble. Men coveted beautiful creatures like her, and I was growing envious.
She caught me admiring her and smiled, her lips as red as the roses on her dress. “You should try wearing something elegant if you want people to respect you.”
I crossed my
legs, my knee poking out of my jeans. “Is that a suggestion or an insult?”
She sat back. “You can hardly find fault with the truth when your very appearance invites opinion. People make assumptions on many things. The way you dress, the way you speak, and how you spend your money. It doesn’t matter if it’s fair or if you can prove them wrong. You’ll spend your whole life fighting against the tide when you can be the siren in the sea. Just a little advice, one woman to another. I’ve dedicated so much of my time mentoring people and helping them get where they need to be.” Her eyebrows drew together. “Have I spoiled your mood?”
“No, you’re right about having more connections. I never needed people before, but now my life and job demand it.” I pulled my necklace out from beneath my long-sleeve shirt and felt a tug at my heart. “You were admiring my necklace at the party. Would you be interested in buying it?”
She blinked for a long moment. “Why would you ask?”
“I don’t need it anymore.”
Lenore crossed her legs and gazed at the stone. “Someone gave that to you. I wouldn’t dream of wearing a gift that a man gave to another woman. It would have no value to me.”
I felt like an idiot, because that was exactly what I’d been doing this whole time. Wearing a treasure that Christian had bought for someone else. I sank down in my chair. Part of me had been certain that Lenore would snatch up the opportunity to buy my necklace. She was a woman of wealth, and obviously she had a good eye for expensive accessories. “If you don’t want it, do you know someone who might? I could really use the cash.”
She craned her neck and fanned it with her hand as if we were in the balmy tropics. Something about the delicate gesture seemed aristocratic. “Tell you what. I’ll reach out to my connections and see if I can get you a spot in the next auction. It’s not easy to do it on such short notice, but for a friend, it shouldn’t be hard to swing.”
My hopes lifted. “Thanks, I appreciate that. Do you know how long it’ll take?”
“Maybe a week? It’ll be whenever they hold the next one.”
I bit my thumbnail and averted my gaze. General would be back tomorrow, so I had no room to wait.
“It’s the very best I can do,” she continued. “A gem like that will fetch a handsome price. Do you have the paperwork?”
“Paperwork?”
“Oh dear.”
That just added another level of fuckery to the situation. Not only did I have to wait, but now I needed papers? I was going to have to swallow my pride and borrow money.
“I’m guessing by the increased blood flow to your face that you’re in need of immediate finances. Don’t you have anything set aside?”
I shook my head. “I’ll have to ask Viktor.”
She tilted her head to the side and made a serpentine move as she stood up and approached a window. “A word of advice from an ancient? Never borrow money from your boss. That’s a no-no.”
“Why?”
She turned, twirling a leaf from a ficus tree between two fingers. “I’ve learned a lot from hindsight. The most important thing about respect is that you’ll never earn it on your knees.” She strolled past my chair toward her own. “And I mean that literally and figuratively. Never beg. It won’t be long before you make a mistake and Viktor cuts you loose. He’ll see you as irresponsible—a liability to his team.” She gracefully sat down. “This isn’t the human world you came from, young Mage. Why do you think favors have evolved as the most valuable form of currency in our world? It’s because immortals have learned the hard way why you can’t be generous to friends. People are manipulative no matter how much you care about them. To ask such a favor would be an insult.”
It was nice having an unbiased opinion. I didn’t really know her, and while I wasn’t the most trusting person, she’d given me nothing but honest feedback. Lenore validated what I already knew in my heart. Money is a divisive instrument that can sever relationships, and the one I had with Viktor was much too valuable for me to put in jeopardy. I rested my chin against my fist and gave it some thought. What about Lenore? She certainly had the money, and we didn’t have any kind of personal relationship. At the moment, I couldn’t think of anyone else on short notice. “Could I ask you for a loan? We don’t have any personal connections, and I’m good for it.”
“How much do you need?”
“Three hundred thousand.”
The leaf fell to the floor. “I’m not as rich as I seem. Most of my finances are tied up in this house and my other properties. I also have expenses elsewhere. Lavish parties come with hefty price tags.” She squinted when the sun made a brief appearance before hiding behind the clouds. “What if I gave you a fraction of that? In return, you’ll owe me a favor of my choosing.”
Favors were a powerful commodity if you were the one collecting them. Vampire or not, Lenore seemed like a sensible woman, and she was helping me get into the next auction. It didn’t matter whether she was doing this because she liked me or because she wanted to collect a favor. I had no time to be choosy, and a favor was something I could afford. Once I sold the necklace, I could easily pay her back the money. Maybe she’d accept that over a favor.
I didn’t want to haggle over the details or she might rescind her offer, so I stood up, feet flat on the floor. “Is one hundred thousand doable?”
“I can manage that.”
“And you’ll let me know as soon as you can about the auction?”
She smiled. “Of course!”
I was sweating bullets all of a sudden when I realized exactly how much money I was about to borrow from this woman. Fuck it. My father was worth it. “Should I wait here?”
“For what?”
“The money. I can wait in my car if you’d rather have your servant bring it to me.”
Lenore stood up. “I don’t have that kind of money lying around. I invest in land and property, which is why I can’t loan you the full amount. I have to make a call to my banker.”
“If you give me his address, I’ll pick it up myself and save you the trip.”
She clasped her hands in front of her. “For obvious reasons, I don’t give out the names and addresses of the people who handle my finances. I can deliver the money by tomorrow.”
My heart thudded in my chest. That was cutting it close. “What time? Early?”
She tucked a swath of blond hair behind her ear. “I’ll call you when I’m on my way to your place.”
My place. She didn’t know I was temporarily living with Crush. “You mean at the mansion?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be discreet. I’m sure Viktor won’t ask questions. He’ll be too pleased that I’m forming a friendship with one of his people.” She studied me so intensely that I averted my eyes. “You must be in a terrible mess, Raven.”
“Nothing I can’t handle.”
I didn’t like the way Lenore was looking at me like some kind of charity case—like someone who couldn’t get her shit together.
She hooked her arm in mine as we strolled toward the glass doors leading inside the house. “Tell me, Raven, just between us girls. Is your partner the one who gave you that necklace?”
“What makes you ask that?”
“I have the power of keen observation. If you’re not careful, Viktor will be just as observant. He told me about the platonic nature of your relationships being a key element to your success. Men are often blind to the truths that women see, but it won’t be long before he notices.”
I wanted to pull away, but Lenore had an iron grip on my arm. Reminding myself she was a Vampire, I kept my eyes straight ahead. “It’s complicated.”
“Never mix business with pleasure. Besides, you can’t trust a Vampire.”
“Aren’t you a Vampire?”
She laughed blithely as we turned a corner. “Now, that fine specimen of a man you brought to my party is a catch. Handsome, courageous, attentive but not possessive. Hold on to him.”
“Switch is just a friend.”
“That’s the best place to start with any relationship. When the love affair fizzles, which it always does, you can still retain the friendship. In fact, if you choose wisely, old lovers can be some of the most faithful friends you’ll ever have. I’ve lived a dreadfully long life, Raven, and it’s better to make more friends than foes. Sometimes that means swallowing your pride and not holding grudges. Just a little advice.” We ascended two steps, entering a grand ballroom. “If only I had it to do all over again, knowing what I know now. The first thing I would have done is send my family far away to live out their days in peace. Away from poverty, away from war, and away from me.”
I glanced up at her.
Her eyes shifted, but she didn’t turn her head. “I wasn’t always a Vampire. The second thing I would have done is grow a pair when it came to men.” She suddenly stopped. “Men steal hearts like pickpockets on a street corner.” Lenore took my heart necklace and tucked it inside my shirt. “Guard your heart, Raven. Don’t make it a fragile thing easily broken. Men are an indulgence. They’re fine wine. They’re good food. Enjoy your spoils, but don’t let them spoil you. Broken hearts and empty souls are the number one cause of death in immortals. If you think it’s hard now, just wait a thousand years.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond. Her words gave me all kinds of mixed feelings. It felt as if she could see my secrets, but she must have learned that through her own life experience. Niko was an ancient and also had a different view on the world than most people I knew, and a lot of it made sense. I was a tougher woman when I’d lived on the streets alone. Now that I had a ruptured relationship with Christian and all this drama surrounding my father, I felt my weakest.
But the truth didn’t stop my unrelenting determination to help my father.
It also didn’t stop the growing desire to fall into Christian’s arms and try for a second chance.
CHAPTER 15
Shepherd sat on one of the bottom steps of the stairwell and smoked his cigarette. He stared at the winged statue in the foyer, his thoughts as clouded as the air in front of him. A lot had been weighing on his mind lately. Stuff he didn’t feel comfortable sharing with others.
