Deathtrap (Crossbreed #3)(103)
“Should I be concerned that a grown man is snooping through a child’s underwear drawer?” Patrick asked, closing the door behind him.
Shepherd flattened his hands on the dresser and gave Patrick a baleful look over his shoulder.
Mr. Bane leaned against the door, hands in the pockets of his black trousers. “I never thought you’d put the pieces together. I knew this day might come. That’s why I made the boy wear the mask in public, but I suppose there’s no need for discretion anymore.”
Shepherd was thunderstruck, caught in a whirlwind between a dream and a nightmare.
Patrick took a deep breath and made a melodic sound as he released it. “Cristo promised me you were dead, but he also botched the job and scarred the boy’s face. I decided to look into it myself and discovered a victim was transported to the hospital, but I couldn’t get myself involved to investigate, let alone finish the job. After all, I had a new baby to care for. Shortly after, you disappeared off the face of the earth. I see you changed your name. Even with the scars, I didn’t begin to suspect you were that man until you mentioned the story and dated it five years ago.”
“Why the hell didn’t you confront me?” Shepherd bit out, turning to face him.
“I’m a man who believes in opportunity. You caught your own son and didn’t know him by touch. I could have rescinded my offer or even killed you, but when you asked for Cristo’s address, it hit me that I could kill two birds with one stone. Cristo is an elusive man, and I’ve wanted to kill him for years. The only thing that held me back was having his death trace back to me. See, I don’t get my hands dirty if I don’t have to, and I don’t trust anyone enough to do the deed. It was only a matter of time before Cristo would grow desperate for money and threaten me with blackmail. So you see, our favor trade guaranteed my security. You were the perfect weapon.”
Shepherd scanned the empty room. “What was it all for? Your sadistic need to torture a child?”
Patrick laughed haughtily. “Don’t be ridiculous. He’s fed, adequately dressed, socialized, and educated.”
“And deprived.”
The Mage cocked his head to the side. “Depriving the boy of sensory things sharpens his skills as a Sensor. The less he has to distract himself with, the more attuned he becomes to the world around him. I remove objects that provide pleasure or pain in order to simplify his life.”
Shepherd held back his rage, because beneath the surface was immense sorrow, and he’d be damned if he’d give Patrick the satisfaction of one tear. He flicked his gaze at the door and clenched his teeth. Patrick looked like one of the later actors in the James Bond movies, but beneath the fa?ade, he was in fact the villain.
Patrick gave him a tight-lipped grin. “It’s soundproof. Sometimes when I have to talk to the boy, I don’t want the servants eavesdropping.”
“You keep calling him the boy.”
“He hasn’t earned the right to a name yet. A name gives him identity and individuality. This is how you train them.”
Shepherd turned his back on Patrick and slammed his eyes shut. It was everything he could do not to unleash hell on the man, but he needed answers. “Why? Why would you steal a child when you could have adopted one? I mean, what the fuck are these charity auctions for?” He spun around and stared daggers at him.
“Do you think I’d want just any child?” Patrick clasped his hands behind his back and strode toward the center of the room. “Maggie and I had a special relationship. Who do you think got her a job at the hospital in the first place?”
Shepherd felt all the blood drain from his head. “What are you talking about?”
“Maggie was a unique girl with specific abilities. Not many Relics specialize in human genetics and pathogens. Unfortunately, she wasn’t… cooperative. You can charm a person for information, but you can’t make them loyal. Eventually it was brought to my attention that she was with child. Imagine my surprise, especially since she wasn’t married. Poor Maggie. She couldn’t hide her secret any longer from the higher authority, and they frown upon such things.” Patrick turned on his heel and paced. “I had a private conversation, assuring I would secure her job on the condition she tell me the truth about the pregnancy. I can’t exactly protect someone if I don’t know what I’m protecting.”
Shepherd didn’t remember Maggie ever mentioning Patrick. “Why would she confide in you if she didn’t want to work for you?”
“You’re a smart fella. Can’t figure it out yourself? She had no recollection of our previous interactions and my unique offer; I had a Vampire scrub her memory of our conversations. Maggie only knew me as the kind man offering to step in and secure her job at the hospital,” he said absently.
“Why would you want a Relic’s baby?”
Patrick turned a sharp eye at him. “I have my reasons. When she revealed the baby’s father was a Sensor, I was dismayed. That would mean the gifts would be canceled out. What an absolute waste. Then she went on to say how much she needed the job to raise a baby. I suggested adoption, and she confided in me that the unborn baby would have both gifts. I was flabbergasted. Not only that, but the child would have the lifespan of a Sensor. What a rarity, and only a Relic could know such a secret. What goes on inside their bodies is a mystery among mysteries. But she knew with absolute certainty, and that made the child even more valuable to me. Just imagine having a Sensor in my possession.”