by Dannika Dark
As much as I wanted to stroke him to climax, that ship had sailed.
Christian concealed himself back in his trousers and zipped them up.
When he didn’t make eye contact, I rolled onto my back and pulled him by the collar. Our lips lightly touched.
“You’re dressed,” I said.
He kissed the crook of my neck. “Is that a problem?”
I stared at his collar. “Only if that means it’s time to leave.”
His teeth nipped my shoulder before he rested his face on it. “Aye, Precious. It’s time.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and held on for a long while. It felt like a goodbye hug.
“We’ll find a way to make it work,” he whispered.
I let go and locked eyes with him. “I don’t know what I’ve said about us in the past, so maybe this isn’t something you want to hear. I’m scared as hell it’s all going to fall apart. I can’t explain why, but I feel something for you. Something deep. Not just because of last night. But I’m still committed to Keystone.” I rubbed my temple. “There’s so much going on in my head right now that it’s spinning.”
He pulled my wrist away and kissed my palm. “Then get off the carnival ride and take a walk. I can’t play the role of a doting lover. I’m a bastard, Raven. But a man knows when it’s time to step back.” He looked down at my neck, finger circling where I had a small mole. “Clear your head. Feelings without memories are like a Sensor giving you counterfeit emotions.”
I rubbed my forehead. “I sometimes remember things that don’t make sense. You’ve risked your life for me more than once. You brought me coffee in the morning. There are things you’ve done that are inconsistent given the context, so I believe you that my memories were taken. The worst part is, I keep wondering if maybe I asked him to do it. What if I did? What if I wanted to forget?”
Christian sat up and casually draped his arm over his knee. “The only way you’ll know the truth is to remember. You asked me once to erase our first kiss, and I did. When I gave the memory back, you hated me for it.”
I sat up. “How many first kisses have we had?”
He caressed my cheek. “Every kiss is our first.”
Chapter 34
It was a brisk morning with snow flurries. Wyatt had arranged for a private plane to fly us back to New Brunswick, and we’d spent the past hour at the airport while Viktor settled damages for the downed aircraft.
Blue still had on Joe’s ridiculously big trousers. He’d given her a pair of suspenders to hold them up, along with a fur coat. I was pretty certain if she asked, he would have given her his underwear.
Blue ordered breakfast while I browsed a souvenir rack along the wall. The owner didn’t sell things like key chains, mugs, and magnets. Instead, there were a number of small daggers, bows, alcohol, and maps. I skipped over all that and went for the snacks.
After loading them into the car, I headed back inside and hung out by the counters. “What’s the holdup?”
Viktor glanced at his watch. “I called my banker to route the money to their account. We’re just waiting for confirmation.”
I grimaced at the thought. “How much was it?”
“In American or Canadian dollars?”
“Never mind.”
The older man behind the counter hung up the phone and patted the counter to get Viktor’s attention. “You’re all set. I don’t want to see you around here again.”
The wind battered us as we walked to the car. Thank God that was all over. As much as I loved the hunt, not knowing the laws in Canada made me uneasy, and I didn’t think Keystone had much clout with the local authorities. Since Christian hadn’t mentioned anything about my killing spree to Viktor, I kept silent about it. It was only a matter of time before someone found the bodies, so the sooner we got out of Canada, the better.
A plane taxied from the runway to one of the hangars. Seconds after it came to a stop, the door opened and two wolves ran out. I had to laugh at how incredibly insane my life had become.
“Joe saw what you did by the outhouse,” Viktor said to Christian.
My heart ricocheted in my chest. I caught a look on Christian’s face I couldn’t peg. He matched Viktor’s pace and said nothing.
Viktor reached the sedan and took off his gloves. “It was kind of you to shovel all that snow away and widen his path. He still doesn’t like Vampires, but he appreciated the gesture.”
My jaw slackened, and I stared at Christian, who opened the passenger door and pulled his keys from beneath the seat.
He gave a crooked smile. “’Twas a pleasure. Nothing warms the cockles of my heart like rendering aid to an aging lunatic.”
Viktor looked between us. “I know you two don’t get along, but would it have been so hard to stay in the same room for one night?”
Christian folded his arms. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I simply wanted to repay the poor bastard by clearing a way for him to take a shite.”
“I am to believe that you two weren’t trying to kill each other?”
Christian rubbed his hand down his chest. “Perhaps Raven couldn’t handle being around all this sexual goodness, so I had to leave.”
I laughed and rocked on my heels. “Viktor’s right. You’re a big dick.”
Christian slid his gaze in my direction. “I’ve had a lot of time to think about our bet with all your moaning last night.”
I turned on my heel before anyone saw my smile. “Is that so?”
He walked past me toward the trunk. “You were the first to get information on the girl, and I’m a man of my word.” The trunk clicked open, but he rested his hand on top. “Let’s be clear we both agreed that Viktor will drive. I’ll not have you weaving through traffic like a bee on crack just to hear me rolling around in the trunk.”
Blue chuckled and got in the front seat of the car. Viktor circled around the front, catching the keys when Christian tossed them over.
I patted his arm. “You’re a good man, Christian.”
“Aye. And I hope you remember that when we cross the border.”
“No,” I said, lowering my voice. “I mean about Diesel and his men. You cleaned up my mess, didn’t you?”
He inclined his head. “You have my protection, even within Keystone. Don’t ask too much of me, Raven, because I just might do it.” When he lifted the trunk lid and peered inside, he gave me a baleful look. “Jaysus wept. You planned this all along, didn’t you?”
I glanced at the pillow, blanket, and porn magazine. “There’s a bag of corn nuts if you get hungry.”
“And what happens if border security checks the trunk?”
I laughed and shoved him in. “I’m okay with a cavity search if you are.”
“You’re a wicked woman, Raven Black.”
With the trunk lid giving us privacy, I stole a quick kiss. “But you like me that way, don’t you?”
He crawled inside, never stripping his eyes from mine. His gaze pooled with sexual invitation that beckoned me to get inside with him.
I slammed the lid and whispered, “I’m sorry I misjudged you.”
Once I ran around to the passenger side, I threw my coat in the back seat and sat behind Blue. “How was your night with Crazy Joe?”
She gave a throaty chuckle and took off her own jacket. “He was as quiet as a mouse.”
Viktor looked over his shoulder to back up, and a smile played on his lips. It seemed like Christian and I weren’t the only ones with a secret.
Once we reached the main road, Blue turned in her seat to look at me. “He insisted I sleep in his bed. I woke up when I heard him and Viktor arguing.”
“Never lie in a stranger’s bed,” Viktor said, wagging his finger at her.
I scooted to the center. “So what happened?”
Blue rolled her eyes. “He wouldn’t stop harping about how much more comfortable I’d be. I was tired, so I got in his bed, hoping that would shut him up. After a while, it got real
quiet. Until…”
I looked at Viktor when she left her story on a cliff-hanger.
Blue sighed. “He tried to join me in the middle of the night to cuddle. Thank the fates I had the good sense to wake up. I was so startled that I shifted into my falcon. Joe nearly shit himself, and the next thing I knew, he turned into a mouse.”
Christian’s laughter from the trunk was infectious, and we all joined in.
I wiped a tear from my lashes. “You didn’t eat him, did you?”
She wrinkled her nose. “He wasn’t much of a meal. I let him scurry away to hide under the stove all night. Serves him right for coming on to me like that. He’s lucky I didn’t have my tomahawk.”
“What is this?” Viktor muttered, the car slowing to a stop.
I peered through the front windshield at a large black SUV, two men standing behind it. Their red coats and black pants looked stark against the white backdrop, and their coattails flapped in the wind. At first I thought they were the Canadian Mounted Police until I saw the katanas on their hips. My heart lurched, and I quickly locked down my Mage energy in fear of it flaring and coming off as aggressive. Regulators worked for the higher authority and could be any Breed. These guys didn’t look like Chitahs or Vamps, and it only made sense that they’d send one Mage after another.
Viktor put the car in park and got out.
“I’ll come with you,” Blue said, following behind him.
“Raven, stay calm,” I heard Christian say from behind my seat.
Easy for him to say. My heart was in my throat as images of my arrest and beheading whirled in my mind. Diesel and his men hadn’t been on our list, and the fact that we’d hidden their bodies made it a crime. It also didn’t help that I’d gone to extreme measures to kill all three. Even street fights didn’t always result in death.
“What are they talking about?” I asked quietly.
Though muffled, I could hear Christian’s voice. “Sit still and don’t talk.”
When one of the men peered through the windshield to look at me, I yawned, trying to look disinterested. Viktor handed him travel ID and other documents while the second man scribbled away in his notepad. Blue borrowed Viktor’s phone that he’d left in the car during our trip and made a quick call. I tried to read her lips, but she turned toward the snowy field.
Viktor swung his arm in my direction, still talking, and then turned away.
“Play it cool, Raven,” I whispered. “Just breathe.”
Eventually, the men in red coats got back in their car. Blue handed Viktor the phone and then tucked her hands inside the fur coat Crazy Joe had given her.
“They found the bodies,” Christian said loudly. “Who do you think was behind that? I buried those bodies where no one would find them.”
Was Christian implying Houdini could have done it?
“It might have been a tracker,” I said. “Gem said there are lots of Chitahs up here.”
“I’ll just go back to reading my magazine,” he said irritably.
The very idea Houdini could have tracked and followed us made me look out the window at the snowy landscape. He would have loved seeing me lose control and give in to my violent nature. Was that the kind of Vampire he wanted his youngling to be? If so, then why dig up the bodies for someone to find and risk my getting caught?
Unless he hoped Christian would take the blame.
You’re just paranoid, I thought to myself.
Viktor and Blue got back in the car. As we passed the SUV, Viktor held up his hand and waved. After a long silence, he finally spoke. “I do not know what happened last night, but Regulators are searching for Christian.”
“You didn’t tell them he was in the trunk?” I asked.
He flashed a thorny look in the rearview mirror. “And how would that look? A neighbor discovers the bodies and calls in a report. Joe explains we stayed there for the night, and they notice all the snow cleared away by the outhouse. Christian is no longer with us.” His words trailed off into Russian.
Blue twisted around to finish. “With him in the trunk, it would look like we’re trying to hide something, so Viktor kept his mouth shut and said we parted ways. Better if they think Christian went rogue than if we all were involved in a series of murders.”
“I’ll sort it out when we get home,” Viktor grumbled.
I wrung my hands. “Viktor, it was me. I’m the one responsible.”
He shook his head. “Christian should have told me. I could have been prepared.”
I gripped Viktor’s coat. “I’m the killer, and if you’re going to reproach anyone, then I’m to blame.”
“You do not need to shoulder the blame for your partner.”
“Those men snuck up on me when I was alone. They were the Shifters back at the airport who flew that girl to Newfoundland. Look, I’m sorry. It got out of control. Christian isn’t to blame. We were already under a microscope with Temple’s capture, so he buried the bodies to protect you.”
Viktor rubbed his beard with a gloved hand and sighed. “We’ll discuss this later. If you say they attacked you, then as your leader, I support what measures you took to protect yourself. But you cannot keep secrets.”
I leaned back in my seat. “Really? Because this whole vigilante outfit you created is filled with nothing but secrets.”
“Secrets of the past and secrets of the present are different,” he pointed out. “I understand you did this to keep us out of trouble, but next time, fill me in.”
“So you wouldn’t have minded if I knocked on your door to let you know about the bloodbath outside? I’m sure Joe would have lost his mind.”
Blue laughed. “Joe’s as harmless as a mouse.”
Chapter 35
We made it to Keystone before sunset. The first thing I did was take a hot shower, but I was too restless to sit around in my bedroom. So I got dressed, put on my leather jacket, and took a walk.
After scaling the roof, I found a nice peak to straddle. The snow had melted off the roof and driveway, but it still covered the rolling hills behind the mansion. Sunlight filtered through a thin haze of clouds, creating a gold-and-orange tapestry that sparkled like jewels against the ice. The setting sun warmed my face, making me long for the hot days of summer.
“May I join you?”
I turned around and swung my eyes up at Niko. “Maybe you’re safer inside. It’s a long drop if you lose your footing.”
“Just tell me if there’s ice.”
I turned to my side, sitting on the peak with my knees drawn up. “It’s all clear. Watch your step and go slow.”
Niko sat down, straddling the roof as if he were a jockey in a horserace. “I bet it’s a nice view from up here,” he said, squinting toward the sunset.
“Can you see it?”
“Sun is made up of more energy than you can imagine, so it’s uncomfortable to look at.”
“I wish I could describe the colors, but I don’t think you’d understand.”
“Sometimes I feel the same way about what I see.”
I tugged one of the thin braids mixed in with his straight hair. “I missed you. Anything new to report?”
He turned around so we were facing the same direction. “We located Temple’s home. I handled all the calls to the local authorities in Greenland. That’s where the ship was heading for its final destination. Temple has a home out there where he collects younglings like some people collect horses. He trained them and got them past the bloodlust phase to get the highest price from some of his affluent contacts who live there and across the globe.”
“He deserves to die for keeping them prisoner.”
Niko kept his hands at his sides, gripping the shingles beneath him. “On the contrary, none of the fourteen women were being held against their will. Though that doesn’t mean they weren’t prisoners.”
“They might as well have been. Where were they supposed to escape to? It’s Greenland.”
“A clever man can make someone a pris
oner in their own mind. He needn’t use chains or walls to hold them. Loyalty crafted from fear will eventually turn on you, but manipulating someone’s mind to believe they have reason to trust you is what makes that person devout.”
“Sounds like a cult leader.”
“The characteristics are similar.” Niko rubbed his smooth chin and looked toward me. The wind kicked up some of his long hair, which blew across his face. “Your light is different.”
“What do you mean?”
“Not your emotions, but your natural light. I noticed pulses of ruby red and silver when you came through the door. Now that I see it again, it’s still the same. People’s light rarely changes unless something permanently changes you. I expected it after you returned from Fletcher’s captivity, but it was still the same. I suppose your having been through that torment before had something to do with it. Did anything significant happen on this trip?”
Only Christian, but was I really so different? It concerned me that Niko had picked up on something.
“I guess Viktor might have told you that I killed three men. We almost got arrested, so maybe that’s it.”
His eyes slanted up, secrets stirring behind their icy depths. “Perhaps. Something has made an indelible mark upon you, whether you realize it or not. I’m going to have to relearn you.”
The sun was gone in seconds, but the light remained.
“What’ll happen to all those women?” I asked.
“It’s not our job to know what happens to every person we arrest or save. It’s up to the authorities. If they can’t be rehabilitated, the authorities will have no choice but to put them down. It’s the humane thing to do. A rogue Vampire is too dangerous to let loose upon society. We can’t unmake what they are.”
“So they kill them? Why not erase their memories?”
