I shook my head, stunned by the offering.
“Listen to me, and listen good,” he began, still holding his wrist against my mouth. “You won’t be able to run far with that leg gushing blood. But we both know you have temporary strength when you drink my blood, and you’re going to need all the strength you can get. Take my vein, Raven. Heal yourself.”
Regardless of what my mind told me, my Vampire instinct knew exactly what it wanted. I resisted at first, afraid of that savage side of me that felt disconnected from my humanity. But when Christian’s decadent blood filled my mouth, my taste buds awakened, invigorated by his adrenaline and thirst to kill. The emotions ripened as they mixed with my own blood. Which were his emotions, and which were mine? Was I the one who wanted to kill mercilessly, tasting the blood of my victims? He retracted his arm before I could get a second swallow, but one was all I needed to heal.
Christian and I faced the back of the van.
When the door burst open, my instincts kicked in.
Fight or die.
Chapter 18
Shepherd paced the halls of the expansive mansion that was closing in on him like solitary confinement. He’d obeyed Viktor’s orders to stay behind while Christian, Claude, and Raven were on the front lines. Viktor was probably afraid Shepherd would do something unpredictable.
Maybe he was right.
Shepherd paused at the end of a hall and gazed up at the keystone on the archway of the first floor. It was bad enough he was on lockdown, but on top of that, Niko had been shadowing him around the mansion. He was stealthy, always lurking just around the corner, but he wasn’t smooth enough to get past Shepherd. Niko could shield his energy and silence his footsteps all he wanted, but his emotional imprints were everywhere.
The heavy tread of Shepherd’s boots bounced off the walls as he headed toward the back of the mansion and up the stairs. His partner was busy trying to close a deal on a baby auction. Shepherd had nothing to occupy his time. He’d already polished his weapons before heading into the training room, but hours had passed since then.
He was restless.
Agitated.
All he could think about was that man’s face. Shepherd might not have recognized him had it not been for those piercing eyes—the last thing Maggie ever saw. Maybe that was what burned him the most. It hadn’t been Shepherd’s eyes she saw while she took her last breath. He hadn’t gotten to hold her hand and tell her it would be okay, even if the words were lies to ease her suffering. He’d spent years thinking about what he could have given Maggie in her final moments. Words of comfort she never received, a tender kiss, the touch of his hand. And most of all, his ability to erase the pain. Sensors could make a man forget they were dying. He could have eased her suffering if only he’d been close enough to touch her. And maybe with a miracle, he could have healed her. Just maybe.
Shepherd reached in the front pocket of his loose jeans and pulled out a box of smokes. He stopped at the corner of the stairs by a statue and struck a match against its face, lighting the end of his cigarette and drawing in that wonderful first taste. Sensors didn’t have to worry about bullshit diseases like lung cancer or emphysema, so a man could truly enjoy his vices with no guilt. Smoking wasn’t something he’d done much around Maggie; she didn’t like the taste on his breath or the smell on his clothes. But Shepherd indulged in smoking because it brought him comfort and pleasure the way a familiar blanket might to anyone else. A good cigarette was the one thing he could count on in stressful times. It topped off a great meal or complemented a strong drink.
It also calmed him the fuck down in moments like these.
He passed one tall window after the next until he reached one of the central halls, which was where Wyatt’s game room was located. Instead of going in, he leaned against the wall by the open door and listened to the conversations overlapping inside.
Blue’s voice sounded surprised. “What do you mean it’s over?”
“Just what I said,” Wyatt replied. “It’s gone… as in poof.”
“Gone. I do not understand gone. Did we lose the bid?” Viktor asked.
“It didn’t close,” Wyatt said, frustration edging his voice. “The auctions always end with either a winner or the seller closing the curtain if the price doesn’t meet their requirements. But it’s just gone, like he took it down. I hit refresh, and I’m trying to see if maybe it’s a server issue. Just give me a minute.”
It sounded as if Viktor was pacing back and forth. Wyatt would be sitting, and Blue’s boot heels made a distinctive click against the floor. Shepherd tucked his left hand in his pocket and stared at a crack in the wall.
Someone’s phone vibrated. “What’s happening?” Viktor asked. After a minute of choppy conversation, he breathed out a heavy sigh. “Claude has a lead on our Mage.”
Shepherd looked toward the doorway.
“Is that why he canceled the auction?” Wyatt asked.
“Nyet. The Mage is not aware they’re tracking him down. They’re following a woman, and they plan to rescue the infant. This is good if we can separate him from the child. Keep searching for bids; perhaps he wanted higher offers or was testing the waters to see how many fish would bite.”
“Who’s the woman?” Blue asked.
“Claude did not say. But we have a name for our Mage. Cristo.”
Shepherd stepped closer.
“Last name?” Wyatt pressed.
“That is all I have.”
And that was all Shepherd needed. As he pivoted on his heel to head to a quiet room, he ran into Niko.
“Going somewhere?” Niko asked, tilting his head to one side.
“You’re one nosy Chinaman.”
Niko smiled impatiently. “I’m not Chinese, and you’re trying to instigate something so I’ll leave you alone. Viktor gave us orders to remain here until summoned.”
Niko knew him all too well. Shepherd never made derogatory remarks about his team, but he needed Niko to back off so he could make a call. He also needed to stay calm since Niko could read his energy, so he took a long drag off his cigarette, smoke tingling on his tongue as he drew in a deep breath.
“If it’s all the same to you, I’d like some privacy. Sit in the hall if you want to play watchman, but I’m going into that study, and I’m going to shut the door and smoke my cigarette. Obviously nobody around here needs my help.”
Regret flickered in Niko’s blue eyes. “Your contributions are valued.”
“Viktor’s afraid I’ll flip. I get it. Look, we each have a tattoo that binds us like brothers, and brothers have each other’s backs. Think about that the next time you’re in a tight spot with Viktor and need someone to lean on.”
He clapped his hand on Niko’s shoulder and walked past him into an empty room. After closing the soundproof door, he struck a match and lit one of the lanterns on the wall. Because there were so many rooms in the mansion, most of them weren’t used. Some were bereft of furniture, and others were storage spaces for antiques that had come with the estate. With the cigarette between his lips, Shepherd swiped his finger across his phone and called Patrick.
“Give me just a moment,” Patrick answered, putting Shepherd on hold. After a minute, his voice came back on. “I’m sorry for that; I was in a meeting.”
Shepherd blew out a breath of smoke. “I have a name.”
“Grand.”
“It’s Cristo.”
There was a short pause. “C-r-i-s-t-o?”
“I didn’t win the spelling bee,” Shepherd retorted. “But here’s the deal: I want him. Give me whatever information you can, and we’ll be square. I need it fast, and I need it now.”
“If that’s what you desire. I have to make another call.”
“I’ll be here.”
Shepherd paced. He wanted to get a jump on this while Wyatt was still preoccupied with the auction fiasco.
After five minutes, his phone vibrated. “Yeah?”
“I’ll have what you need this evening. I’m sorry, but that’s the best I can do. I can only go as fast as the men who work for me. Will an address suffice?”
“So long as it isn’t an apartment on the corner of Morningstar. Dead end.”
No sense in visiting an apartment blown to pieces. Shepherd needed new information, and chances were this guy owned a second residence. Smart criminals didn’t box themselves in with only one car and one house. Cristo had been doing this long enough that by now he’d learned how to keep his hands clean.
Patrick’s voice took on a more pleasant cadence. “I can assure you that we’ll have this resolved by the evening. But I want to be clear that the information I give you will absolve me from any further debt owed, regardless of the outcome. Obtaining this information puts me in a precarious situation, so I hope you understand. Otherwise, I’m more than happy to pursue this individual at my own speed.”
“I’ll wait for your call.”
“Very well, Mr. Moon.”
Shepherd stubbed the butt of his cigarette in a marble ashtray. After putting out the lantern, he stepped into the hall and immediately noticed something was off. Hurried footfalls sounded from around the corner, and Niko was nowhere to be seen. Shepherd rounded the corner and caught sight of Blue’s long brown hair flapping behind her like a ribbon in the wind as she ran toward the stairs and disappeared. When he reached Wyatt’s room, he peered inside. The lights were on, a half-eaten MoonPie was on the keyboard, and the laptop displayed an auction room.