Keystone (Crossbreed #1)(27)
Shepherd ran his hand over his bristly hair. “What are you looking for?”
“A connection. We’ve focused so much on the human aspect and the location of the murders that perhaps we’re not seeing the bigger picture. If this is related to their place of business, we might have something to go on. Tell Wyatt to pull up old land records as far back as he can. See if he can trace any of those buildings or land to Breed.”
“If you can’t figure out where he’s staying, then why don’t you just charm one of his buddies?” I suggested.
“Oh, we tried that,” Gem said. “Epic fail. Christian got staked, and Claude almost lost his pants chasing them down. Long story.”
“They wear sunglasses,” Shepherd said, his arms folded across the table, accenting muscles that made him look like a professional fighter. “They’re smart bastards, always on alert, even when they’re off the clock.”
“Have you tried other methods?” I asked.
Viktor rubbed his hands together. “Like what?”
My eyes skated about the room. “Really? You have two pretty girls and you can’t think of a single idea to get close enough to his men?”
“Absolutely not,” Niko said. “If something goes wrong, they’ll physically subdue them. It could be a death sentence if they don’t have backup, and I won’t have that on my conscience.”
I raised my hand. “Then I’ll be the guinea pig. That’s what I do best.”
Shepherd sat back, his arms draped over the back of his chair. “So you’re offended when Viktor says there’s no sex in the house, but you’ll fuck a guard for information?”
Blue threw back her head and slowly whispered, “Shut up.”
Now I knew what Viktor meant about Shepherd offending random people on the street. Shepherd had a crude way of speaking, even in polite conversation.
“First of all, Viktor didn’t say no sex in the house. He just said no sex with partners. Secondly, I never said I was going to have sex.” I laughed because the thought was too hilarious. “I just know how to lure them to—”
“Her spiderweb,” Christian finished with a mirthless laugh. “Then the black widow can sink her fangs into her prey and spin him inside a little cocoon. Maybe we should have called you Black Widow instead of the Shadow.”
Viktor regarded me for a moment. “I agree with Raven. Consider this a test.”
Christian chimed in. “Think carefully, Viktor. If they catch her or Darius finds out about us, all your hard work is ruined in one night. She’s too green to send in.”
“Let’s not be dramatic. She killed two men who were on our list. If she screws up, she’s out.”
I sat back, thinking this seemed too easy. “So all you want to know is where this guy Darius stays each night? That’s all?”
“Da, but I don’t want you killing his guards. He will panic and change his routine. I’ll send Christian with you to charm him for information and then scrub his memory.”
“Does he hire other Breeds?”
“As far as what we’ve seen, they are all Mage. He employs dangerous men, so keep that in mind. We know the pubs they frequent, but their schedule fluctuates.” Viktor stroked his beard. “I need to see what you have to offer us before I can make decisions about your future with Keystone. Can you handle it?”
“If I can handle a shopping cart with a trick wheel on Black Friday, I can handle just about anything.”
His brows furrowed, and I laughed.
“Never mind. Bad joke. Just take me to where they hang out, and I’ll do the rest. Do I get paid for these jobs?”
“Your payment will be deposited into an account.”
“Can I have an advance? I’m starving.”
Gem eyed my sausage. “I’ll fix you something better. We have a—”
“No, don’t bother. I won’t eat it.”
Christian stood up and strode toward the table. “She only dines off other people’s plates, so maybe you need to make yourself some breakfast and watch her in action.”
I felt a flush in my cheeks and rubbed my eyes, hoping no one noticed. “If I can’t earn my food, I take what people discard. I’m sorry if you have a problem with that, but it’s not about me being stubborn. This is the only honor I have, so someone telling me that it’s ridiculous is offensive. Eating isn’t something I need to do as often as the rest of you, so it’s usually not a big deal. I don’t have things handed to me on a silver platter, and it’s not easy to buy a meal when no one will hire you except to sweep up the kitchen as a one-time favor because they feel sorry for you. I’m not going to apologize for it. That’ll change once I start working more jobs for you—if I’m hired. But as it stands, I feel like an outsider. If you give me an advance on the money, I’ll buy my own meals until I’m officially hired.”
“Very well,” Viktor said, a hint of admiration in his voice. He took the sausage from my plate and bit into it. “Many centuries ago, there were warriors who lived by the same code. Sometimes when a man takes another man’s life, even for the sake of good, he clings to the things that make him feel like there is still honor and goodness in him. I will give you an advance and leave the card in your room. I have my own account; we don’t do business dealings through a separate institution.”