Ravenheart (Crossbreed Series Book 2)

by Dannika Dark

  My shoulders sagged. “This is a disaster.”

  “No, surviving the San Francisco earthquake in 1906 was a disaster. This is just a fecking inconvenience.” His phone suddenly vibrated, and he pulled it from his back pocket. “Viktor’s asking me to come home.”

  “Are you?”

  “Regulators might be waiting with a warrant for my arrest. Viktor does what’s best for Keystone. You should know that more than anyone. I don’t have anyone I can trust.”

  I hopped off the table and stepped over the blanket. When I reached him, I laid my hand flat on his chest. “Yes, you do. Maybe we’re not bosom buddies, but I don’t want these women turning up dead any more than you do. If I allowed them to lock you up, no one would be working on this case. I don’t want someone to lose their life in order to prove your innocence.”

  He brushed his knuckles across my cheek with a tender stroke. “Ah. So the Shadow has a heart after all.”

  I found myself wanting to lean into him, but I stepped back instead. “I don’t know how you’re going to keep your phone charged in this shack, but turn it on. If I need to send you a message or call, I’ll probably do it from Wyatt’s phone. What do you plan on doing in the meantime?”

  He put his hands in his pants pockets and leaned against the wall. “I’ll go back to the Red Door and look for security cameras in the area. It’s the Breed side of town, so chances are slim to none. I’ll charm a few of the regulars in there and see if they noticed Marlene with anyone.”

  “Besides you.” I poked my finger through a hole in his sweater. “The last thing you need is a witness who can testify against you. Be careful. Detective Glass might have the same idea in mind. If he sees you in there, he’s probably going to arrest you.”

  People only went to Breed jail when there was sufficient evidence to convict, and nobody wanted to end up there. I’d heard horror stories in the bars about how many decades people spent in jail. No television, no courtyard, no books, no parole—nothing like human prisons.

  “Just know this,” I began. “If this is some kind of trick you’re pulling to throw everyone off, or if you’re lying to me, I’m going to execute you myself. My gut tells me it’s not you, but maybe that’s because I don’t want to believe that my partner could be guilty of something like this.”

  “Even though I’m a Vampire,” he added.

  “That too.”

  He strode forward, arms folded. “You know, I’m beginning to think I should change the conditions of our wager. I don’t care if you bring up the women I bed, but maybe I’d like to stop hearing you rabbit on about Vampires. It’s especially insulting coming from a halfling such as yourself.”

  “I’m not a halfling. I’m a crossbreed.”

  He waved a hand. “Semantics. Unless you want to have a sleepover, I’ll drive you back to the city. You’re going to have to call a cab or walk from there; I’m not taking you all the way up to the gates.” Christian swaggered toward the door, keeping his back to me. “How did the rest of your date go?”

  Deciding not to mention the part where I got cold feet about kissing Glass, I replied, “Good. He wants to see me again.”

  “And you?”

  I picked up the blanket and placed it on the table. “I’m not going to lie—it’s a little weird dating a Chitah. Not for the reasons you like to throw out there, but I don’t know anything about his culture or instincts. I think he was sniffing my emotions more than he was the lamb chops.”

  Christian came up behind me and put his mouth close to my ear. “If he asks you about me, he’ll know if you’re lying.”

  “I thought about that.”

  “If he starts to bring up the case, tell him he has to speak with Viktor. Maybe you should avoid dating until this whole thing blows over.”

  I turned my head slightly so that my mouth was near his cheek. “You’d just like that, wouldn’t you?”

  “I’m the one who has to abstain for a week. I don’t think you have any room to complain. I have to admit, you didn’t strike me as the type who went for lamb chops.”

  I chuckled. “That was his idea.”

  “He doesn’t know you very well. I would have whisked you away to the roof of the tallest building.”

  “And shoved me off?”

  “Depends on how well the date went.”

  “Then I’m putting in a formal request for wooden chopsticks instead of silverware.”

  When he moved his head, his whiskers tickled my cheek. “You would stake me with a chopstick?”

  “Depends on how well the date went.”

  “Touché.” He suddenly leaned across my back until I was down on my forearms.

  I was startled by the gesture until he blew out the candle and stepped away.

  “If you stay in that position any longer, I just might lose our bet,” he said wolfishly.

  I wiggled my bottom in jest and then stood up to follow him outside.

  Sure, I could have turned Christian in to get him out of my hair, but his arrest would lead to more repercussions than just losing a member of Keystone. If they convicted one of us for a heinous crime such as this, it could be the end of our organization, and I’d be back out on the streets again.

  Scavenging. Possibly murdering. After all, how difficult would it be to fall back into my old habits? I was determined to do whatever it took to make sure that didn’t happen.

  Even if it meant trusting a Vampire.

  Chapter 19

  After Christian dropped me off at Ruby’s diner, I called a cab and arrived home a short time later. Viktor greeted me at the door and asked me to join him in the gathering room. Even on cloudy days, the stained glass windows were a touch of magic. A warm fire was burning, and I took a seat on the leather sofa while he strolled to the liquor cabinet on the far right side of the room and poured himself a glass of vodka. The arched walls behind me that separated the gathering room from the dining room offered no privacy, so I knew that whatever we were about to discuss wasn’t confidential.

  “Viktor, I need a phone,” I said bluntly. “If there’s a crime and I’m away from the house, you won’t be able to reach me. And I can’t tether myself to others just because I don’t have a phone.”

  He paced across the room in a brown button-up sweater jacket and chinos. Viktor dressed how I imagined Europeans did who sat in pubs and reminisced about the good old days in the eighteen hundreds.

  “I’ve arranged for you to receive one this evening,” he said, sitting in the leather chair to my left. “It takes time for them to issue one so we’re not on anyone’s radar in the human world.”

  “And a car?”

  He chuckled, slipping into a thick Russian accent. “You are pushing, my dear. That is something you must buy yourself. I am not your… how do you say? Sugar daddy.”

  I laughed and shifted in my chair. “I don’t know, Viktor. These are some sweet digs you set me up with.”

  He grunted and took a slow sip of his drink. “And what is your opinion of the latest murder?”

  The mood turned serious. “I don’t think Christian did it. You’ve known him longer, so maybe you know him better than I do, but the scene was all wrong.”

  “Never underestimate what a man is capable of doing. We planned the raid on Delgado’s house, and everyone played a role. That is the Christian you think you know, but you have never seen him in action when no one is orchestrating his decisions.”

  But I had. Back in Washington, Christian was operating under his own command. Every decision he made was to conceal his actions from not only the law but also Viktor. I’d never seen anyone so methodical. He worked fast and focused on every last detail. Not once did I see him drink from those men, which would have shown indications of bloodlust. He left behind no evidence, so it didn’t make sense that Christian would have left his scarf wrapped around Marlene’s neck, even if he had carelessly tossed the candy wrapper on the ground. Not unless he wanted to implicate himself, and if that was the ca
se, he wouldn’t be on the run. Then again, maybe he was a lunatic and enjoyed the chase.

  “You have a lot of books in here, Viktor. Surely there’s a copy of a Sherlock Holmes book. He said something about circumstantial evidence being a tricky thing. It could all be pointing in one direction, but if you shift your point of view, it might point somewhere else. Something like that.”

  “I didn’t know you enjoyed the classics.”

  “My father owned three books. That was one of them.” After a long pause, I decided to ask the only question I wanted an answer to. “What are you going to do?”

  Viktor set his glass on the side table, his steely eyes pensive. “What more can I do than continue the investigation? I do not wish to hand over one of my men, even with the evidence presented. Even though this is out of character for Christian, I cannot deny the evidence.” Viktor scooted down in his chair, elbows propped on the armrests and fingers steepled. “Christian is not here to defend himself or give his side of the story. The evidence is damning, but I do not see motive. True enemies will never come for you; they will spend a lifetime planning your ruin and savor the moment when they have broken you. If Christian has an enemy who is trying to frame him, then they will not stop until he’s arrested. I will protect him for as long as I can, but if the higher authority issues a warrant, I will have no choice.”

  I could sense his frustration. The lines in his forehead were deeper, his voice softer and mood somber.

  Blue came in and knelt at his side. “You should eat something. It’s past noon, and you haven’t eaten since yesterday. You can’t just sit with us at the table and not eat at a time like this. We need your strength.”

  The ice clinked in his glass as he waved his hand. “I have no appetite.”

  “It’s not good to starve your animal.”

  Viktor rested his left hand on top of her head and then brushed his finger around her feather earring. “You are so good to me. Da, I will eat.”

  “I’ll make you eggs,” she said, standing up.

  Viktor chuckled. “Anything but your stew.”

  Blue went into the other room and yelled, “You’re lucky we’re all out of meat!”

  Viktor smiled and lifted his glass. “She once added hot dogs to the potatoes and carrots.”

  I wrinkled my nose, casting my glance toward the fire as it snapped. Where was Christian tonight? In that depressing cement home in the woods? On the streets? A loyalty was forming between us that I hadn’t anticipated, but one I’d seen between each team member, including Wyatt and Shepherd, who would have otherwise killed each other. Viktor was a smart man for creating partnerships.

  Or evil.

  Now faced with losing my partner, I was surprised to discover I didn’t like it. Not at all.

  “Maybe I can talk to Glass,” I suggested. “If you can’t sway him to consider holding off the arrest, maybe I can. We need more time.”

  “Glass told me about your evening. That complicates matters.”

  I crossed my legs. “Or uncomplicates them. If I have a little more influence because of my personal relationship with Glass, then maybe it’ll work to our benefit.”

  A shriek from the other room startled me.

  Gem flashed into the room and zipped right past us, stopping in front of the bookshelf before flashing over and standing between us. She held a gold card with embossed lettering in her hand.

  Viktor set his glass on the small table beside him. “What have I told you about opening the mail?”

  “This isn’t mail,” she said, flourishing the card. “It’s an invitation!”

  “Nyet. We do not have time for such frivolities.”

  “Yes, we do,” she protested. Gem mashed together her pink lips, which matched her short skirt. Her long crystal pendant was almost invisible against her white sweater. Gem was the garden this house didn’t have, and I was always curious to see what she’d be wearing next.

  “Invitation to where?” I asked.

  Her violet eyes widened. “A masked ball!” When she noticed my impassive look, she jutted her hip and continued. “Masked balls are a long-standing tradition in the Breed world, especially among the ancients. Sometimes they’re costume themed, but guests go all out with their attire. It gives everyone an opportunity to break out their vintage clothing that’s been stuffed in the closet for years, so you’ll see people wearing everything from breeches to Elizabethan dresses.”

  “Important people?”

  “Yes, and apparently since we’re on the list, someone considers us important. Alas”—she fanned herself as she collapsed on the sofa beside me—“Viktor wants to be a grump.”

  I risked a glance at Viktor. “It’s not a bad idea. I know you have connections, but I think all of us need to make strong alliances with important people. It can only help us in the long run—especially when we have situations like this.”

  “Point to Raven,” Gem quipped.

  He gave her the side-eye. “You are an instigator.”

  She spread her fingers dramatically over her heart. “Moi?”

  “You keep an eye on this one, Raven. She’s going to get you in trouble,” he said with an amused twinkle in his eye.

  “Who’s throwing the party?” I asked.

  She flipped the card over. “Patrick Bane.”

  My brows arched. “Darius’s Creator? That’s a little awkward. I thought we’d be on his hit list or something for the embarrassment we caused after turning his progeny over to the police.”

  Viktor stroked his beard. “Do not be so quick to judge. He no longer has to worry about what Darius is doing behind his back to sully his name. Patrick is not a man to be trifled with, and we have saved him from more years of embarrassment. Perhaps he realizes this and wants to make amends. He has a position with the higher authority; we could use friends like him.”

  “Here’s your eggs,” Blue said, circling his chair and handing him a plate.

  We had a rule about eating at the table, but it was mostly to keep us all together as a group. Since three of us were already in there and Viktor was the leader, it wasn’t worth bringing up.

  “What would I do without my Blue?” He graciously took her offering and began to eat.

  Blue had a proud look on her face as she neared the hearth with her hands outstretched to embrace its warmth. The edges of her long, silky hair caught the light, but everything about Blue was dark, from her tank top to her cargo pants. The tomahawk hung from a sheath affixed to her belt. Blue was pretty badass, even by my standards, but more aloof than the rest of the crew.

  Gem laced her fingers together, her voice calm. “So what’s the ruling on the party?”

  Viktor stabbed several chunks of scrambled eggs and swirled them in what looked like hot sauce. “We go.”

  Gem sprang to her feet. “I’m going as a sorceress!” A ball of light formed in her hand, and she whirled in a circle, showering sparks all around her.

  Viktor choked on his eggs. “Not in the house!” Then he spouted off in Russian.

  The light dissipated. “I have it under control,” she said with a worried glance.

  Viktor was sweating bullets. “You know how that makes me uncomfortable.”

  Gem sulked and left the room, but I could tell by her shifting expression that her thoughts were already switching to the ball.

  “What was that about?” I asked.

  A small piece of egg stuck to his beard as he finished his meal. “Gem’s unique gift as a Mage is also a destructive one. Sometimes she does not respect the power and wields it like a toy.”

  That made me curious, but we didn’t discuss other people’s gifts or personal business when they weren’t present. Gossip created mistrust. If you wanted someone to know about you, then you invited them into the fold.

  Blue collected his plate and pinched the egg off his beard. His cheeks pinkened as he groomed it and turned his gaze to the fire.

  “What about Christian?”

  Viktor lif
ted his glass. “I never want any of you to think you don’t have a safe haven here. I’ll send him another message, but I suspect he will ignore my request. When you speak to him, assure him that he has my protection. I am not luring him home to have him arrested. No one searches or enters Keystone without a warrant, and Regulators will require more substantial proof than a candy wrapper.”

  “I thought that was enough?”

  “It’s enough to point a finger. In addition to motive, the higher authority has always required substantial evidence to convict.”

  I worried my lip. “I don’t know, Viktor. Christian’s scarf on her neck, a ton of witnesses at the club, the bite marks, the fact that Glass and I saw them together—that’s a lot of evidence.”

  He rubbed his face. “I’m grateful I’m not a human—I’d have an ulcer.”

  Chapter 20

  The candle on the bedside table flickered when I turned a page in Penny’s diary. I was curled up in bed with a warm blanket over my feet, reading by candlelight.

  Over the course of the past two hours, I’d become immersed in her life, her thoughts, and her dreams. It gave me a glimpse of my own future as an immortal—the struggles I might one day begin to experience with loss, regret, time, and change. The difference between us was that my life had a purpose. Penny seemed to be adrift in the immortal world after she lost Lachlan. He was her world—the reason she wanted to live forever. Not to conquer nations, not to amass a fortune, but to love a man. And when the love disappeared, she was left to fend for herself, discovering just how cruel and unforgiving the Breed world could be.

  She’d made money through human investments, and it required a lot of coordination with experts in the Breed world who made sure the money would stay with her through the centuries without anyone discovering her identity.

  So many of her thoughts were mine. I turned another page, reading about the remorse she felt after hunting down and murdering the man who’d killed Lachlan. She had acquired a stunner to render him paralyzed, left him in his home, and set it ablaze. I thought it was sweet revenge, as did she, but over time, the murder had consumed her. She wondered what kind of monster she’d become to commit an act so brutal. Penny struggled with her inner demons for a long time, and it made me reflect on my own choices. The men I’d killed were all guilty, and yet I didn’t feel a sliver of remorse. Was I missing a crucial piece of my humanity that I could kill so easily without regret?