by Dannika Dark
“There,” he said, looking down at my healed hand. “You’ve always had good instincts, but there’s no point injuring yourself if it won’t lead to victory. Even without the bracelet, I could pin you.” He stripped out of his tank top and bent down, wiping up the small pool of blood on the floor. “You’re more interesting when you’re alive. Remember that.”
After a final look around, he swaggered out of the room. “You can move now,” he said, closing the door behind him.
My entire body came unglued, and I stumbled forward like a child using its legs for the first time. No wonder I’d always hated the idea of Vampire magic. All the times he’d charmed and controlled me were buried in my subconscious even if I couldn’t remember them.
I turned around and glared at him through the glass divider. “If you’re so fascinated by me, then why did you leave me?”
“Truthfully?” He approached the glass. “I don’t get attached to humans. Once I turn them, they go right into the hands of their new master. I do it right before the exchange so I don’t have to deal with… sentiment.”
I sat down in the wobbly chair, my eyes staring vacantly at his laptop. Houdini hadn’t cared about me enough to search. “But you promised I was going to be a companion—a friend.”
He tossed his bloody tank top into a wastebasket. After wiping down his chest with a towel, he turned the stereo on low and returned to the desk. The singer on the stereo crooned “Your Heart Is As Black As Night,” filling the empty space in my soul. Houdini didn’t have any visible ink on his body.
Following a long sip from his thermos, he calmly seated himself. “Remember our conversation about choices? Sometimes they don’t always go as planned. You vanished that night, Raven. I went to the morgue, but you were gone. What was I to do?”
I laughed mirthlessly. “I didn’t vanish. I was taken.”
“By your Creator, I presume. After I made you, it occurred to me how dangerous it was for you to know your maker, so I scrubbed your memory of my face and our conversations. Faking your death in the human world was necessary, but abandoning you had never been my intention. Don’t you see how wonderful chaos can be? Had you stayed with me, you wouldn’t be half as interesting. You’d be just another Vampire with a sad heart.”
Disheartened, I folded my arms on the table. The truth was far worse than living in blissful ignorance. Even worse was knowing he planned to erase it all again, and yet part of me wondered if that wasn’t for the best.
He pecked a few keys on the laptop. “Someday you’ll look back and appreciate the gift I’ve given you.”
“I’d rather not be psychoanalyzed by a psycho.”
“How much does your partner love you?”
My stomach did a flip-flop, and I quickly averted my eyes after I glanced up and saw him staring right at me.
“That’s a curious pairing,” he remarked. “At first I thought it was just a working relationship, but the necklace suggests otherwise. Do you ever wonder how much you’re worth to him? Let’s find out.”
I sat back. Houdini wasn’t going to scrub my memory and send me home. No, he was going to put me on auction and make Keystone pay. How high was Viktor willing to bid for a scavenger like me who’d only been part of the team a short time? Probably not much.
“I think it’s romantic,” he continued. “Don’t you want to see how much he loves you in dollar signs?”
“Not really, Vamp.”
“The word doesn’t offend me.” Houdini leaned closer to the computer screen and frowned. “That’s interesting,” he murmured. “There’s a second bidder.”
“You can’t just auction me off like cattle. They’ll find you.”
“No one finds me.”
I leaned back on the chair legs. “With that hair, half of Cognito could find you.”
When he smiled, deep lines etched in his face. “I’m the great Houdini. I can get out of any tight squeeze. Is there anything distinct about my face? No, it’s average and forgettable. I’ve changed my hair and style a number of times, and no one ever remembers me.”
“All this work to live in a shithole in the Bricks.”
“The smaller space makes it easier to keep an eye on you.” He scratched the side of his face. “Admit it. When you came to the Bricks, you could see yourself living here. It has a certain… je ne sais quoi.”
“I’ll give you the key.”
“I’ll get it. Eventually.”
I noticed the way my reflection in the glass overlapped his. “You wrote those letters to Viktor. You said: I want what’s mine. So now you don’t want it?”
He rested his arms on the table. “Yes, I want the key. But the key isn’t mine. I wasn’t asking for the key.”
“You talk in riddles. If Viktor turns that key over to the higher authority, you’ll be going away for a long time.”
“The key is safely hidden inside the box, and only you know what it means. Anyhow, you don’t even know what the key opens, so it’s useless to you. The higher authority has more pressing matters than researching a key.”
“So then it’s money.” I glanced down at my necklace. Was I willing to part with something so precious?
After a few keystrokes, he sipped his drink again. “Let’s just hope your partner outbids the other guy. He’s already countered his offer twice in the past ten minutes. They have twenty-four hours to war before the auction closes. In the final hours, increments can only increase by no less than ten large, so no bumping it up a penny.” Houdini laughed, but not maniacally. It almost annoyed me how affable he was. “I should tell you about what happened during my first auction.”
“I feel sick.”
He looked up, eyes brimming with concern. “Would you like more tea to settle your stomach?”
“Why would you do this to me again? What if the other guy wins?”
He joined the fingertips of each hand so they looked like a mirror image. “Aren’t you curious to see what could happen? You never know, Raven. This could change your life in ways you never imagined.”
“I could be tortured again.”
He lowered his arms. “Again?”
I scooted my chair back. “You should have tried harder to find me. And who the hell sends their youngling off to a morgue? Do you really think some Creator put his spark in me and taught me all the mysteries of life? If you hadn’t done this to me, I’d be on a couch somewhere, watching reruns of Seinfeld. I’d have a real job and a normal life.”
“You chose to be a Vampire,” he said matter-of-factly. “And now you’re saving lives. Isn’t that more worthy than working in retail?” He took another bite of his beignet and licked his fingers. “I don’t know what happened to you, but it changed you for the better. You became fearless and full of everything I admire.”
“The things he did to me would make anyone a killer.”
Houdini winced as if the truth actually spiked him in the heart. “I would never wish you harm.”
“You’re selling me at auction,” I said through clenched teeth.
His eyes twinkled. “You’re a different woman now. Not the weak girl I first made. No matter how this turns out, it’ll change you. Change fascinates me.”
“Am I just your experiment? Because one day this experiment is going to put a stake in your heart and set you on fire.”
He leaned back in his chair and put his foot on the table, showing me the soles of his feet. “Now that’s not very nice, killing your father.”
“You’re not my father.”
“Who’s your daddy?” He rocked with laughter. “Come on, Raven. You’re fighting it. Deep down, you like me. We’ve always gotten along. That’s why I chose you to begin with. I’ve never chosen anyone for myself.”
I stood up. “Says the man who’s auctioning me away.”
“I’m sure your Vampy boyfriend will rise to the challenge. I specified that the funds come from him alone. I’ll know if anyone else contributed to the bidding.” Houdini plugged up on
e of the airholes with his big toe and watched me get up from the table.
I entered the bathroom and pinned the fabric to cover the doorway. I needed privacy, because I was about to completely lose it. I slid to the floor, my back pressed against the cold edge of the bathtub. I wanted to sob and rage, but that was what animals caught in a trap did.
Houdini was my enemy, but something prevented me from hating him completely. Was it his blood coursing inside me?
On each encounter, we’d had pleasant conversations. Even before he turned me, I’d liked the guy. Trusted him. Considered him one of the most honest people I’d met. His misguided beliefs created a source of constant entertainment for an apathetic man who viewed the world as a social experiment.
I didn’t sense that he meant me harm in a direct way, but his obsession with chaos unnerved me. He felt no responsibility or remorse for his actions and didn’t see them as wrong.
Even worse was how I was beginning to believe he might have a point. What kind of companion would I have been for a Vampire who kidnaps humans to sell for money? I might have wound up believing in the cause and behaving like a brainwashed cult member. My cruel beginnings had shaped me into a renegade who killed worthless criminals—men who did despicable things—just like my maker. Instead of becoming someone’s pet to keep them company and do their bidding, I found a purpose.
As I sat there staring at the plastic cabinets, the idea of fate rooted in my thoughts. Had he not turned me at all, where would I be now? Would I have made amends with my father and found a job that made me happy? Maybe not. At least with Keystone, I had the potential to do so much more.
Except now as I faced enslavement, I might never know.
Chapter 15
Christian sat on the edge of Raven’s bed. The soft scarlet bedspread beneath his hands still carried her scent, and everything on her desk was perfectly arranged as if awaiting her return. It was nearly noon. Wyatt and Viktor took over upping the bids to make sure the auction didn’t close for lack of counteroffers. They’d already been at it for twelve hours. Christian had to get away and collect his thoughts. The moment the auction began, this guy had them by the balls. Based on the description, they knew for certain he had Raven. Then came the peculiar request in a private message that the seller would only accept money from Christian’s account. Without knowing who he was, they couldn’t chance circumventing the rules. This shitebag was going to milk Christian for every penny.
And he’d give it.
Christian received a warning that the seller would know if he pooled money from other sources, and that struck him as odd. Why wouldn’t he want more?
Because somehow this was personal.
Christian recalled as much detail as he could about the man with bleached hair. He didn’t have any distinct scars or markings, and Christian didn’t recall seeing him before. Yet the familiar way his hazel eyes had connected with Raven made him wonder if those two were in cahoots. After all, Raven was the one who’d insisted on investigating this particular case and volunteering as bait. How much did any of them know about her past, other than what she had told them? What if they were a team, like Bonnie and Clyde? Maybe this whole thing was an elaborate scam.
But if that were the case, it didn’t explain why he was limiting funds to only Christian’s account. Surely they’d want every penny, so that remote possibility was immediately crossed out. He didn’t want to think the worst of Raven, but it wouldn’t be the first time someone he trusted had deceived him.
Now with a second bidder in the picture, Christian didn’t know what he was up against.
The longer he sat in her empty bedroom, the more incensed he became. The idea of someone touching her—hurting her—was more than he could stomach. He should have kept their relationship professional. In a job like this, there was always the chance that something could go wrong. Now the fates were mocking him for his selfish need to feel loved.
Christian laced his fingers together. His first mistake was underestimating their target. They hadn’t anticipated their Vampire would bother with wearing contacts. In a Breed club? Sure. But around humans he’d want to stand out and look the part. In any case, this guy didn’t have the telltale complexion.
Christian and Raven had been careful not to blow their cover. The few times they were near each other, they acted like strangers. Both used aliases. So how did this guy know Christian’s name? Either he’d charmed Raven for information, or he’d tortured it out of her—neither option was acceptable. He clenched his fists at the thought of someone tinkering around in her head. Though he’d done it himself, she’d expressed how important it was for her to keep her memories intact.
“Where are you?” he whispered. Fear gripped him tight. If he didn’t have enough money to win the auction, she could be sold as a bloodslave.
Christian leaned forward and rubbed his face. His feelings for Raven were testing him in ways he’d never thought possible. Would he continue working for Keystone without her, or would he search the ends of the earth for a woman he barely knew?
Years ago, a fire had threatened to swallow up that little girl. But Christian had saved her, and now he felt a duty to protect her. Christian stood up and flipped open the lid to her jewelry box. The dancer inside twirled in a circle to the tune of Für Elise. Because he hadn’t scrubbed Crush’s memory, he had an obligation to tell him that something had happened to his daughter.
Eventually.
He closed the jewelry box and stalked out of the room. Christian was going to do whatever it took to avoid that conversation with Crush. Not telling Raven that he hadn’t erased her father’s memory was a necessary evil. Letting go of her father was hard, but Raven knew why it mattered. Part of it allowed her to move forward with her new life, but it also shielded her from the pain of losing him to her enemies. Aside from all that, he’d given Crush his word to keep it a secret.
As soon as Christian entered Wyatt’s office, all eyes fell on him.
“Here,” Wyatt said, rolling his chair to the side. “You take over. I can’t focus when my stomach is running on cheese and crackers. Whoever stole my key needs to give it back. Sugar is the sustenance of life, and if I don’t get my sustenance—”
“Button it up, or I’ll put you in that damn machine,” Shepherd growled from his spot on the sofa. His hands were folded across his stomach, a cigarette wedged between two fingers.
“You’re nothing but a supercilious man.”
“Super what?”
“It’s my word for the day.”
Shepherd took a drag from his cigarette. “It’ll be your last if you don’t get the hell out of here.”
Gem curled her knees to her chest, her hair in a messy ponytail. Christian noted how young she looked when she didn’t have on makeup. She rested her head against Claude’s arm, which was draped over the back of the couch. Though Claude’s eyes were closed, Christian had a feeling he wasn’t asleep.
“No progress,” Viktor said, rubbing his eyes. “Are you positive you’ve never seen him before?”
Christian pulled out a chair and sat down. “Anything’s possible, but I see so many shitebags at the club that I don’t make it a habit to put them all to memory.”
Niko crossed the room. “Were you able to trace his location?”
Wyatt frowned. “I tried. No dice.”
Viktor tugged the whiskers of his silver beard. “Do you have enough money to see this to the end?” he asked Christian. “I don’t understand why we can’t add cash to your account.”
“Because he’ll know,” Christian said. “Somehow… he’ll know. We can’t take that chance with her life. And who the feck is that other prick bidding?”
Wyatt raked his fingers through his unkempt hair and yawned. “Anonymous asshole?”
“Sounds about right,” Shepherd said, flicking ashes into an ashtray on the floor.
When the computer chimed, Wyatt rolled into action. After a few keystrokes, he watched the screen and then sig
hed. “Just another bid.”
A second ping sounded.
“Fucker,” Shepherd grumbled.
Wyatt rolled away from his desk. “I set an alarm on the computer that goes off fifteen minutes before the end of the hour so I can get ready to bid. Christian doesn’t have money to waste, and this guy counters our offer as soon as he can.”
Christian had given Wyatt access to his account so he could monitor the funds and bid accordingly. A lot of auctions upped minimum bids toward the end, so it was in Christian’s best interest to bid low until the final hours.
Wyatt tossed him a squishy blue ball. “It’s a stress reliever. Squeeze on that instead of my good pens.”
Viktor bent forward, head in his hands. He wasn’t a man who lost control of his emotions, but his accelerating heartbeat told another story.
Wyatt poked his finger into his sock and scratched his foot. “Do you think he’ll be the one delivering her if we win the auction?”
“If so, he’ll die sooner,” Christian said matter-of-factly.
Blue shifted around in the beanbag chair, scraping the heels of her tall brown boots on the floor as she tried to sit up. “How much are you willing to pay?”
“Every penny,” Christian replied.
Silence engulfed the room. Christian and Raven had loathed each other from the start, and as far as the team was concerned, they’d only buried the hatchet for the sake of working together. Christian’s declaration to spend his entire immortal savings was greeted with skeptical looks and wide eyes.
“Are you sure that’s in your best interest?” she pressed. “You may never get that money back, Christian. Is that your entire life savings, or do you have anything stashed away?”
Viktor raised his head. “Do you have liquid cash?”
“Assets,” Gem corrected.
“Da. Assets. Gold, silver—any valuables hidden in another location?”
