Nevermore: Crossbreed series book 6

by Dannika Dark

  A shotgun blasted from the porch, and one of the men flew back and hit the ground.

  “Get back inside!” I screamed at my father.

  The injured man shifted into a lion. He must have been as tall as my shoulders, a long reddish mane encircling his head.

  When the bat hit Switch a second time, he shifted into a wolf.

  Another shotgun blast fired, but nobody went down. I wasn’t sure who Crush was aiming at, the man with the bat or the lion.

  The guy Switch had pummeled rose to his feet, and when he sprinted for the porch steps, I crawled madly after him and seized his ankle. Just before he stepped out of my grasp, I blasted him with energy, and he fell like a stone.

  The lion charged at Switch’s wolf, who bravely darted around him and nipped at his hind legs. Switch was nimble, but could he take out a lion? We were in trouble. Big trouble.

  I crawled on my forearms toward the Shifter I’d blasted so I could knock him out a second time. But when I grabbed his shoe, he kicked me in the face and scrambled out of reach.

  The shotgun fired a third time, but blinded by dirt in my eyes, I couldn’t see what was happening. Only the sound of a roaring lion, the barking of a wolf, the cursing of my father, the blast of his gun, and footsteps on the porch.

  And then… I heard something else.

  CHAPTER 36

  “How much longer?” Christian asked from the back of the van.

  Shepherd jerked the wheel, and the tires peeled as they turned the corner. “Two minutes.”

  “Can’t you drive any faster?”

  Wyatt gripped his bench. “If he drives any faster, I’ll look like a pinball bouncing around in here.”

  Christian stayed close to the rear doors. If this had gone down at night, he could have shadow walked to get to Raven. Unbeknownst to Raven, Blue had flown out to Crush’s trailer to keep an eye on things shortly after Raven had left Keystone. She’d taken a small satchel with her phone to call Viktor in case there was trouble. None of them expected any, as Raven seemed to have the matter under control, but Viktor decided at the last minute to send Blue out as a precaution.

  Christian would have gone, but he figured Raven wanted to spend time alone with her father. Aside from that, he had to quickly close the transaction so she could pay off the loan shark. So after making a withdrawal from his private banker, he drove back to the country club to pay the organizers the full amount. Lenore was there, eager to get her talons on not only her cut but him as well.

  He couldn’t allow that to happen. Not ever again.

  When Christian returned home, he’d noticed the van parked out front. Concerned something had happened, he sought out Viktor but instead found the team in the dining room. Claude and Gem were playing checkers while everyone else snacked on cheese trays and fruit that Kira had prepared. Viktor filled him in on Blue’s whereabouts and said they would go back to their normal activities once they got word the transaction was complete.

  It wasn’t long before Blue put out an emergency call.

  Apparently five suspicious men had showed up at Crush’s trailer while Raven was gone. Blue didn’t have her weapon, let alone clothes. The men weren’t doing anything but sitting out front, but she had a bad feeling about it and called everyone in.

  After piling into the van, they’d taken off so fast that Wyatt didn’t even have time to put on shoes. All of them went, including Gem. The distance wasn’t incredibly long, but Shepherd cut the time in half by violating every traffic signal and speed limit.

  Niko removed his thin black coat, a katana hanging from each hip.

  It warmed the cockles of Christian’s black heart to see how they looked out for one another. Viktor believed that everyone should stay out of each other’s personal affairs. They were all entitled to privacy. And though Raven’s privacy had been invaded by Blue’s spying, it showed how much everyone cared about her. She wasn’t just another face on the team or someone they’d hired to do the dirty work.

  Christian thought about the time he was buried in a crypt and Raven had gone out of her way to find him. Despite her being a loner, she had always stuck her neck out for people.

  “I’d flash there,” Gem said, “but I don’t know where he lives.”

  Wyatt chortled. “Then what would you do? Blow everyone up with your balls of doom?”

  Christian gave him a cross look. “The only balls of doom in this van are yours. Pipe down, Spooky. As if we don’t have enough to think about, I have to be subjected to your prattling on about balls.”

  “We’re here,” Viktor announced from the passenger seat. “Everyone out!”

  Christian flung open the back doors.

  “Holy shit,” Shepherd exclaimed from the front seat. “Lions!”

  Wyatt stumbled backward and fell on his ass while the others climbed over him to jump out the back. “Son of a ghost! How many?”

  Christian quickly surveyed the scene until he spotted Raven. She was crumpled on the ground and wiping her eyes. A man charged up the porch steps after Crush, who swung his shotgun toward him. But the man knocked it out of his hands as it fired. A wolf—which must have been Switch—snarled and snapped at a massive lion. A third man was on the scene.

  Christian had no doubt this was a pride, and the other men would probably shift once they realized who they were up against. Claude had intended to flip his switch if needed, but despite his ferocity when primal, he didn’t have the strength to take out an animal that large and deadly. Unfortunately, Chitah venom only worked on a Mage.

  A man swung a bat at Shepherd and missed. Viktor shifted, and his wolf joined the melee.

  Christian ran past Shepherd toward the trailer. Crush was in trouble, struggling to hold on to his shotgun as the younger and much stronger man attempted to wrest it from his hands.

  “You little shite!” Christian yanked the bastard off Crush and dragged him down the steps.

  He looked over his shoulder when the weight of the shitebag seemingly vanished. With nothing but a shirt in his hand, Christian braced himself as the lion soared through the air and landed on top of him. The force of it knocked Christian onto his back, and he swung his head to the side just in time to avoid ending up in the mouth of the beast.

  Large canines ripped through his shoulder, and he knocked the lion off before it ripped through his neck. The beast staggered to its feet until it was standing only inches away from Raven.

  Gem hopped in front of it, snagging his attention as she did a twirl and flashed toward the mailbox. The lion gave chase, succumbing to the instinct of predator and prey.

  The other lion swiped his paw at Viktor and roared.

  Christian jogged toward the man Shepherd was tussling with, but by the time he got there, Claude had stabbed the man in the back with a knife. Before their adversary had a chance to shift, Christian threw a punch that knocked him out cold.

  Blue’s falcon swooped at the lion, diverting his attention away from the two wolves.

  “Get outta the way!” Crush yelled, aiming his shotgun.

  The wolves were in fight mode, so they weren’t going anywhere. They continued circling and attacking the animal, becoming just a tangle of fur and flesh.

  Niko slowly walked toward Gem, his swords drawn. The animal was so distracted by Gem flashing about erratically that it didn’t notice the Mage coming up behind him.

  Christian went to Raven and dropped to his knees. “Where are you injured?”

  “My father,” she managed, struggling to wipe dirt from her teary eyes. Judging by the shoeprint on her face, someone had kicked her. The second she moved her leg, she unleashed a feral scream.

  “Lie still,” he commanded.

  Christian gently rolled her onto her back, but one leg she refused to move. Beneath the leather pants, her knee had swollen up.

  As he bit into his wrist, a crushing weight came down on him from behind, pinning him against Raven. Darkness enveloped them, as did the stench of an animal. Hearing Raven st
ruggle for breath ignited a fire in Christian, and he fought the lion off with his elbows before pivoting around just enough to thrust the beast into the air.

  The wolves went wild when the lion fell onto his back. Claude pinned the animal’s head to the ground, attempting to keep him down long enough for the wolves to attack.

  Niko swaggered toward the van, his swords dripping with fresh blood.

  When Christian looked back down, Raven had passed out.

  Crush appeared by his side. “Don’t just sit there, fix her!”

  Despite his own injuries that were already healing, Christian did the only thing that came naturally: he fed her his blood. The healing gift of ancient Vampire blood was a thing of mystery. Each new youngling carried the magic of not only his maker but all the makers before him. Crush lifted Raven’s head so she wouldn’t choke.

  Raven coughed, and blood spattered from her mouth. Christian fed her more until the swelling completely went away in her leg.

  When she finished, her eyes went wild as she stood up, her lips red and fangs out. “I’ll kill them all!”

  THE LAST THING I remembered was the breath escaping my lungs when a crushing weight suffocated me. Everything went black. The next thing I knew, the sweet elixir of Christian’s blood stole away my pain. I had no awareness of what was happening around me. The only thing I knew for certain was that my father was in danger.

  I stood up, a familiar and vengeful power coursing through my veins. “I’ll kill them all!”

  My surroundings disoriented me. Instead of General’s brothers, I saw Keystone’s van and two wolves attacking a lion. Where had everyone come from? Was I dreaming?

  The lion shook his head and knocked Claude off. When he flipped onto his feet, the wolves tumbled like falling dominoes. Blood stained the animal’s yellow coat where the wolves had managed to break the skin, but he wasn’t giving up without a fight.

  I stalked toward him, ancient heat flooding my veins and filling me with rage. When he pounced at me, I wrapped my arms around his neck and blasted him with more energy than I’d thought possible. I squeezed my eyes shut as we hit the ground, struggling to move my head as far away from his jaws as possible. Then I harnessed my temporary Vampire strength to strangle the breath out of him. Once his heart slowed and he quit struggling, I rolled him off me. Wolves gnashed at the lion until he finally went limp.

  Claude hooked his arms beneath mine and dragged me out of the melee. I clung to him as he helped me stand. He had a feral look about him, black rims pulsing around his golden irises.

  A barefooted Wyatt bustled up to us. “Someone pull Viktor away!”

  Oh shit. Switch and Viktor were strangers, and their wolves might turn on each other once they realized the lion wasn’t getting up again.

  Shepherd grabbed Viktor by the scruff, but the wolf snapped at him. The second that Switch began barking aggressively at Viktor, I rushed to Switch’s wolf and dropped to my knees before wrapping my arms around him in a tight hug.

  “Calm down, Switch. It’s me. We’re all friends, even that wolf you’re trying to attack.”

  He kept barking, and I knew I was taking a huge risk since I’d never officially met his wolf. Growing up, I’d always been good with dogs, even though they were actually wolves, unbeknownst to me. Switch was a good man, and I had faith his wolf would never harm me.

  “I need you to trust me,” I went on. “Can you hear me in there? Come on. Viktor’s a good guy. Please shift back. Do it for me.”

  He wasn’t shifting, but at least he’d stopped barking as if he wanted to tear Viktor’s head off. I could have tried this on Viktor, because at least I’d formally met his wolf. But Switch and I went way back, and in my heart, I knew his animal would comply.

  Wyatt picked up the baseball bat and twirled it. He stared at thin air next to him and said, “You should have thought of that before you decided to maul one of us.” He swung the bat at nothing. “Just try it. I’m not scared of a freshy. Don’t you have a light to go to? Do you know what happens to specters who miss the afterlife train? They spend eternity wandering the aisles at Walmart.”

  I whispered in Switch’s ear, my voice calm. “Shift for me. Please, Switch. The fight’s over. Shift.”

  Whether he understood the words or not, his wolf understood the intent. Switch transformed from animal to man, and there I sat with a naked man in my arms.

  Wyatt exploded with laughter and looked between Christian and me before throwing up his hands and sauntering off. “That’s a therapy session I ain’t got time for.”

  I stood up and looked at Christian in disbelief. “How did you all know we were in trouble? How did you get here so fast?”

  He took me in his arms and clutched me to him, one hand tenderly cradling the back of my head. His bloodstained shirt was torn around the shoulder, but his skin beneath had healed from whatever injuries he’d sustained. When I looked over his shoulder and saw Crush, I let go and dashed into my father’s arms. Was he repulsed by the violent display of his daughter drinking blood and fighting?

  Crush held me tight, and that was the only answer I needed.

  “I want you to meet my second family.” I stepped back, one arm around him. “This is Keystone. Keystone, this is Crush, my father.”

  CHAPTER 37

  Viktor called the cleaners to dispose of the two deceased lions. Much to my dismay, the man Christian had punched was still alive. I suggested sending him back to General as a message, but Viktor thought a better message would be convicting him for attacking a human. That would put a spotlight on General’s operation and keep him from retaliating. We had enough witnesses to testify that they had not only beaten my father but also planned to murder him along with everyone else.

  While the cleaners were doing their thing, Crush rustled up some clothes for Blue and invited us to his favorite barbecue smokehouse for lunch.

  On me.

  We all looked like a mess, Christian’s shirt in bloody tatters and bloodstains in Claude’s blond curls. But Crush assured us it was a Breed establishment, so it wasn’t anything they hadn’t seen before.

  The remaining three million from the auction had landed in my account, but because Keystone used one primary banker, I planned to transfer it to Christian’s account. That was his hard-earned money, and buying back my father’s life was more than enough.

  Switch volunteered to stay behind with the cleaners to make sure they stayed out of the trailer and did their job. I thanked him profusely for protecting my family and promised we’d bring him leftovers. He mentioned something about his Shifter craving being green beans, so I added that to my list.

  The barbecue joint had long tables, and instead of chairs there were round stools. According to Crush, it was Shifter owned and operated. The pitmaster came over to welcome us to his establishment, his red apron stained and the smell of smoked meat wafting off his skin. After introductions, the food kept coming.

  “This is what heaven’s like,” Wyatt declared, barbecue slathered across his mouth and chin. He gnawed into another rib, and I’d lost track of how many helpings of fries he’d eaten.

  I looked across the table at Christian and smiled. “Are you sure you’re not hungry?”

  He sipped his ice water and gave me a frosty glare. “If I wanted charred flesh, I would have thrown the lions in a pit.”

  “Pass me the salt,” Crush said from my left.

  Viktor, who sat on my immediate right, handed him the shaker.

  Which I confiscated. “No more salt. Not until you make a doctor’s appointment for your physical.”

  “Salt is a preservative.” He snatched the shaker from my hand. “That’s how they keep meat fresh.”

  “Your meat needs more salt,” Christian remarked. “Better roll him around in a salt rub later if you want him to last another year on that diet.”

  Across the table, Claude slumped on his stool. “I think I need a Relic.”

  Blue snickered. “Serves you right. I
warned you not to eat all that macaroni.”

  Claude groggily closed his eyes before resting his head in his hand.

  The music played an old country song that nobody paid much attention to because of all the chatter. It felt amazing to have two sides of my life finally intersect in a meaningful way. My past and my present had finally merged. Crush would now be able to put a name to a face, and Keystone would finally understand why family would always be my priority. And my family included them, whether they realized it or not.

  I finished my orange soda and then checked my phone messages.

  “That’s the third time you’ve looked at your phone,” Crush said, his tone laced with judgment. “Got a secret boyfriend?” He winked at Christian, who gave him a dirty look in return.

  “I authorized a payment to Wizard for all his help. The last two messages were from the banker. This one was from Wizard saying thanks.”

  Crush wiped his mouth and facial hair with a napkin and then put his arm around me. “I’m real proud of you. And even though you’re being bossy and paying for the meal, I want to buy a round of drinks. Indulge the old man.”

  Shepherd and Wyatt clapped in appreciation.

  “I don’t drink,” Gem chirped from her seat next to Crush.

  He put his other arm around the dainty Mage and gave her a friendly little squeeze. “That’s why I sat you next to me, darlin’. Clean and sober is where it’s at.”

  Gem leaned back and mouthed, “I like him.”

  Who wouldn’t? Crush was an original, and there would never be another like him.

  I patted him on the back and then tugged his thin ponytail. “I need to get you home. These guys will be here another two hours eating.”