He lifted the fireplace poker out of the tool rack and jabbed the log in the hearth until the flames were roaring even higher. “They were killing her. I tried to get in the room, but a man guarding the door knocked me down and took out a knife. I didn’t feel anything when he began stabbing me. I kept trying to get to Maggie. The next thing I knew, I was lying on the floor in the hallway. My attacker was a Mage, and he’d blasted me with enough energy to put down a horse. I could barely move, but I could still see her on the bed. I held up my arms to block the knife attack, but—” Shepherd’s voice cracked. “I watched the second man murder my woman.”
When I heard a quiet gasp, I realized he was crying.
“That green-eyed bastard you tracked down is the one who killed her. That maniac destroyed the only thing in this world that mattered to me, and he savored it. That fucking animal put on a show.”
Shepherd’s face reddened, the lines deepening in his forehead as he mentally relived what must have been the most horrific experience of his life.
Gem’s eyes glittered with tears, and she shielded her face with one hand.
“That’s not the worst of it,” he continued.
Viktor strode to the window and put his hands in his pockets.
The iron poker made a loud clang when Shepherd tossed it to the floor. “She was nine months pregnant.”
A thunderstruck silence followed.
Stone-faced, Shepherd stood as tears slipped from his eyes like raindrops down a window. “I was bleeding out, unable to move. After he stabbed her through the heart, he… cut her open. Then I realized he wasn’t just killing her; he was killing our baby.” Shepherd sat down on the hearth, knees bent as he stroked the Celtic tattoo on the back of his neck. “They left me for dead. I woke up in a hospital, but not the same one I worked at. It took the higher authority three days before they realized I was missing. They transferred me to a clinic where two Relics healed me.”
I looked down at his scarred fingers, hands, and arms. The ones on the back of his left hand were worse than the right, but most of them were defensive wounds—from blocking the dagger that had left scars on his chest and back. Jesus. I figured he picked them up over the years doing criminal work; I couldn’t have imagined that they were all from one attack.
“Did the baby survive?” Gem asked through sniffles.
“Nothing could have survived that.” He wiped his face wearily. “They buried Maggie before the Relics released me from their care. The higher authority discharged me, said I was neurotic and incapable of performing my duties. They didn’t like my involvement in the case, and when they didn’t have enough information to go on, they dropped it… just like that,” he said, snapping his fingers. “She wasn’t important enough in their eyes to waste time on. I spent years on the streets looking for that man. Viktor saved my life. If he hadn’t come along, I’d probably be dead or living in the Bricks.” His eyes shifted to Viktor, who remained facing the window. “I want him dead. He deserves nothing less than what he inflicted on my woman and child. I gotta be fucking honest about it—if we can’t catch him, I don’t know if I can work here anymore. He’s become my white whale, and there’s nothing else right now that matters. I don’t have his name or anything else that will help you find him. What I do have is fifty-three scars. The Relics said it was a miracle I survived, but it feels more like a curse. I’m here for a reason… and now I know what that reason is.”
Viktor turned to face him. “We cannot kill for revenge. Until we find out this man’s name and whether or not he’s a declared outlaw, we cannot murder him in cold blood.”
Shepherd rose to his feet. “Speak for yourself.”
Chapter 16
Viktor wasn’t sure how long the auction would last. To prepare, he sent three of us into the city. That way if the auction closed early and there was a drop-off location, we would be first on the scene. The lucky candidates were Christian, Claude, and yours truly. Christian and I received new phones, and Viktor instructed us to stay in close contact.
Claude followed us to Ruby’s Diner so we could establish a base camp. I’d spent so many years going there that I knew the staff’s schedules better than they did. Betty was ending her shift soon, but she made a point to check on us even though we had another waitress. The lunch crowd had already dispersed, and we lounged in my favorite booth while Claude amused the staff with his bottomless pit of a stomach.
I finished the last bite of grilled cheese and licked my fingers. “Shepherd’s a liability.”
“She’s right,” Christian said. “I’d be willing to wager that Shepherd’s sharpening all the knives in his drawers. Better we find this Mage before he does.”
“What does it matter who kills him?” Claude asked with a mouthful of fries.
“The higher authority assigned us the case, you dolt,” Christian reminded him. “They’re invested, and they’re not going to pay unless we provide enough evidence and facts to support a murder. Unless they say they want him dead or alive, Viktor has to follow protocol.”
I pushed my plate forward. “What protocol?”
“The one that forbids us from dismembering suspects. If our lives are at stake or all hell breaks loose during a raid, they’re more likely to turn a blind eye. But if Shepherd picks him up, drives him out to a cornfield, and feeds him to the crows, that might not work in our favor. Especially if the Mage turns out to be someone important or is proven innocent.”
I played with the straw in my glass. “Shepherd’s going to murder him. I know all about that kind of hate.”
Claude finally sat back and heaved a sigh.
I chuckled softly. “You’re going to ruin your figure with that appetite.”
He patted his stomach. “Someone should have told me about this place before now. I haven’t had a milkshake that delicious in decades.”
I studied him for a moment. “Exactly how old are you?”
He winked. “Centuries.”
Claude was a good five or six inches taller than Christian, towering over most men like a giant. I’d seen Chitahs over seven feet before. They usually stood out when mingling with people of normal height, which was pretty much anyone outside of their Breed. One brunette had walked to the bathroom twice just to get his attention, and Claude gave it to her. He was suave and flirty without being obvious or egotistical. The magic was in his smile and the way he’d lean back and use his body language to convey interest.
Claude Valentine was so handsome that he didn’t need to flirt. He could put french fries up his nose and still attract women with his sexy hair and kissable lips. He possessed the perfect male form with a V-shaped torso and strong collarbones. Not muscular like Shepherd, but I’d seen him climb the rope in our training room with Gem on his back.
Personality-wise, Claude was too sweet for my taste. I’m not sure what that said about me, but I didn’t feel chemistry when I looked at him—not the way other women did.
I slid my leather jacket over my lap and searched the pocket.
“Put your money away. I’ll take care of this,” Christian offered, setting his wallet on the table.
I pulled my hood over my head and tugged on the drawstrings. “Do you think they’ll really bring the baby?”
Christian studied the label on the ketchup bottle. “Assuming we win the auction, there’s a chance.”
“Depends on how much money he wants,” Claude pointed out. “Sometimes they set up a few fake transactions to collect money and then sell the baby later. That way they get more.”
“That’s risky,” I said. “Someone could show up and kill him.”
Christian set the bottle down. “Something tells me the Vampire back at his apartment was his lackey and delivered the goods. With him out of the picture, I’d be surprised if the Mage has a second right-hand man he would trust with such a task.”
I put on my fingerless gloves before sliding my arms through my jacket and zipping it up. “If he’s got the baby, where do you think it is?”
Christian scratched his cheek. “If he’s a professional, then he’s smart enough to keep incriminating evidence as far away as he can manage. He didn’t set up the bomb as a weapon; he wanted to destroy anything in that apartment that linked him to a crime.”
“Can I get you another milkshake before I end my shift?” Betty asked, offering Claude a warm smile. She’d liked him right from the start and even gave me a playful wink. I wondered what she thought of my parading all these men around her since joining Keystone.
“Three is my limit,” Claude replied.
“Next time try the banana shake.”
He tilted his head to the side and looked at her name tag. “Only if you make it, Betty.”
She laughed. “You betcha. Are you ready for the bill?”
I nodded, and she collected our plates.
“Nice lady,” Claude said, watching her return to the kitchen. “Humans are so eager to make people happy. You don’t see many older females waitressing where we live.”
“I don’t see many older women period,” I said.