Deathtrap (Crossbreed #3)(104)
“Someone to do your dirty work,” Shepherd growled. “Why not wait until the baby was born? Why would you—” He choked on his own words.
“Yes, the whole thing was a messy affair. Cristo assured me it was better this way. Clearly the father was a Sensor, and without knowing who the man was, Cristo advised it was too dangerous to wait. The child could have distinct features that would identify him, or the father might hold him and always know him by touch. Maggie was of no use to me once I had the child. He’ll grow up with the same knowledge as his mother, and under my control.”
“What’s to stop me from outing you right here, right now, in front of everyone?”
Patrick gave him a sardonic smile. “Because, dear boy, no one will believe you. I’m telling you the facts so you’ll know what’s at stake. You have no evidence, and slander against a member of the higher authority without concrete evidence is treason, punishable by death. They won’t open an investigation on accusation alone. You know that as well as I do.” He took a step forward, his eyes glacial. “Do you want me to bring down your entire organization? I can place every single one of your friends in Breed jail and throw away the key. Even if you could get him back, without Keystone, what kind of life could you give a child if you’re living hand to mouth on the streets? You don’t want to mess with me. I will tear your life apart.”
Shepherd retrieved a blade from inside his jacket and stared at Patrick wordlessly.
Patrick’s eyes drifted down to the dagger. “We both know you won’t do anything. Your son will end up in an orphanage, if he’s lucky. It’s your word against mine.”
“I’ll come for him.”
Patrick’s lip curled. “Will you? I have something of yours that’s very… fragile. Accidents happen. If you even think about organizing a mission to steal him away, I won’t hunt you down. No. I’ll hire the most ruthless hitman in the Breed world to hunt down that boy and kill him… right in front of you.”
“You’re using my son to do your dirty work!” Shepherd roared. “You have no right.”
“There’s nothing wrong with a life of servitude,” Patrick said flatly. “The people in power may hire you, but if your operation was exposed for what it really is, do you think they would protect you? What can you give him that I cannot? A toy? And what will that teach him? It’s certainly not love—something we both know you’re incapable of. Love doesn’t make a boy into a man. You’ve crossed a line somewhere and have no business raising a child. Your only stake in this is possession. The boy helps me with my position. His job allows me to know who is being truthful and who is not. I have you to thank for those gifts.”
“You can’t do this,” Shepherd said with less conviction, gripping the handle of his blade so tightly that his joints began to ache. “I’ll kill you.”
“I have eyes and ears everywhere. I’m not someone you wish to trifle with. The Vampires underground are very helpful for the right price, and they informed me that Cristo died by your hand. I’ve placed that little incident in your record. And yes, you have a record. Everyone in Keystone does. I like to collect things. Just imagine what my colleagues would make of a man who killed an official, especially after reviewing your history of violence. You’ll do your son more harm than good, and you can’t protect him if your head is away from your shoulders.”
Shepherd moved fast. He slammed Patrick against the door, pressing the sharp blade to his neck. A rivulet of blood dribbled down his gullet. “You don’t have a damn thing to take me down. Maybe you’ve got yourself a nice little file, but it’s not enough to put me away, or else I’d already be behind bars. But know this: every move you make, I’ll be watching. You make one felonious move, and we’ll be on your ass, because that’s what we do. Remember who I am. I work for Keystone, and that means I don’t play nice. No one is untouchable. One way or another, I’m going to get my kid back. But not before I put a knife through your black heart and cut off your head, you dirty fucking Mage. Cristo begged for his life, but you’re going to beg me to end it.”
Patrick’s lips pressed into a mulish line. He leaned against the blade, pushing Shepherd back until there was distance between them. After taking a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbing his neck, he gave Shepherd one final look before leaving. “Now that I know who you are, I know who to teach your son to hate.”
Chapter 28
The charity ball carried on until the wee hours of the morning, and by the time we dragged ourselves home, dawn was approaching, and most everyone went straight to bed. Shepherd headed down to the training room without skipping a beat, and I decided to bake canned biscuits—just in case someone wandered down for breakfast.
No one had.
To keep myself busy, I threw a ton of pasta into a boiling pot of water and spent a long time chopping up peppers, onions, tomatoes, and pepperoni to make a pasta salad. It was one of the few meals I knew how to make and the kind of thing that would keep in the fridge until everyone was ready for lunch.
Afterward, I went upstairs and showered. While changing, I wound up my jewelry box and opened the lid to play the music. Instead of placing my necklace inside, I kept it on and tucked it beneath my shirt. Something was weighing heavily on my mind, and since it was a beautiful day, I decided to leave later, but before dark.