Deathtrap (Crossbreed #3)(19)
He coughed in surprise and straightened up. “And you have my gratitude for putting Darius away. I appreciate your candor, Miss Black. Please, have a seat.”
Patrick pulled out a chair near the head of the table on the left, and when I saw Shepherd veer to the right end, I grabbed the center chair and dragged it out.
Mr. Bane quickly took hold of it and pushed it in once I was seated. “I see you found the wine.”
I set my glass on the table and stared up at the painting while Patrick refilled Shepherd’s glass before sitting to my left.
Patrick’s eyes fixed on the candles. “I much prefer quaint gatherings, don’t you?”
When Shepherd didn’t say anything, I grabbed my glass. “Yep.”
He better not make me do all the talking. I gave Shepherd a sharp glare as I sipped my wine. He set his phone on the table next to his plate.
Mine was in the pocket of my coat, which the doorman had taken, so I wasn’t able to fake an emergency to weasel my way out of this dinner if things got awkward.
Disastrous.
As soon as the servant set the first course down, I smiled. What’s the rush?
“Hope you like the hors d’oeuvres. I didn’t think something like bruschetta would be enough to tide over a man like you,” he said to Shepherd.
I picked up one of the fancy mini sandwiches and tried to shove the entire thing into my mouth, but the bread was excessively big.
“How’s the kid?” Shepherd asked conversationally. He smashed his sandwich flat and ate it.
Meanwhile, my jaw was about to unhinge, so I tried the same technique.
“It was a traumatic experience. As you can imagine, he’s not as trusting of strangers.” Patrick cut into his sandwich with a knife. “I simply can’t raise a child with that kind of fear, so I’ve got my work cut out for me.”
I looked at the bite I’d taken out of my sandwich and noticed my burgundy lipstick smeared all over the bread. Shepherd had already scarfed down his third and final hors d’oeuvre.
“My sources tell me you’re working on a new case surrounding a murder,” Patrick began. He wiped his mouth with a linen napkin and proceeded to slice into a second sandwich. “Don’t look alarmed. I take personal interest in those cases, and it was a topic of discussion this morning at our meeting. Have you made any progress?”
Shepherd cleared his throat. “We’re not at liberty to discuss.”
“Of course.” Patrick sipped his wine and set it down. “I wouldn’t ask you to divulge confidential information, but I do want you to know that if there’s anything I can do to assist, I’m at your service. It’s the least I can do after what you’ve done for me.”
Shepherd nodded. “I’ll let Viktor know. We might take you up on that offer if you’re serious.”
“Criminals like these should be strung up and made an example of. That’s what they would have done in my time, but now we have rules to abide by and regulations to follow. But see, that’s where organizations like yours come in.”
Shepherd looked up. “Meaning?”
“I think we both know what I mean. And just so you know, men like me appreciate what you do for us. Some criminals don’t deserve a prison cell, and our executions are, dare I say, humane.” Patrick shifted his gaze to me. “Have you ever witnessed an authorized execution?”
I gave him a nervous smile as a servant took away my plate and replaced it with a bowl of soup. “Can’t say I have. Do they sell tickets somewhere?”
Patrick laughed blithely. “Our punishment is swift and certain. We carry out a sentence the moment it’s given. No time for appeal. We have Regulators who perform the beheading. Friends and family can attend, although to be honest, most have none. Do you know why royalty used to have public executions? It wasn’t for entertainment. Nothing instills obedience more in the hearts of men than seeing the consequences of their actions.”
“It also makes a lot of people lie against their neighbor when you have a system set up that doesn’t allow for appeal.”
“You’re a Mage,” he said, steepling his fingers. “Newly made, I presume. You can’t possibly imagine what life was like centuries ago and how far we’ve come. And yet, despite the laws we’ve established and restrictions on making immortals illegally, crime seems more rampant now than ever.”
I gave Shepherd my best “why am I doing all the talking?” stare.
“You I haven’t quite figured out,” he said to Shepherd. “You don’t strike me as a Shifter.”
“Sensor,” he replied matter-of-factly, arms folded on the table.
I lifted my napkin, and when I dragged it toward my lap, the fork fell onto the floor. “Sorry.”
“I have to say I admire Viktor’s vision,” Patrick continued. “I’ve traveled across the globe and seen a few organizations like yours. Most are made up of the same Breed. I suppose it makes it easier for everyone to get along, but it’s limiting, don’t you think?”
I bent down to pick up the fork while they discussed Keystone. Better that they do most of the talking since I didn’t want to upset Viktor by saying something I wasn’t allowed to disclose. Most of it was common sense, but I never liked to make assumptions. When I lifted the tablecloth to search the floor, I blinked in surprise.