Keystone (Crossbreed #1)(48)
Darius took a slow stroll around his desk and sat down in the chair, his thoughts scattered. He’d been saving his money in hopes of buying a magnificent piece of real estate to live on—something that would impress Patrick and make him forget about how Darius had lost everything. He’d never be able to acquire the land Patrick had given him now that humans controlled it, but he was going to milk those greedy little humans for every red cent until he accumulated enough to show everyone how successful he was.
Salvator tapped a small pendulum on the table beside him, initiating the swinging action. “Another five grand was deposited into your account. The new guy is cooperating.”
“Yes,” he murmured, thinking about how difficult all this was becoming. He had to be careful about how much he took because of their tax laws and how closely they were watched.
Extortion wasn’t the business it used to be back in the forties. In those days, men were easily bought off, and the law was equally corrupt. Times had changed. Now humans had wiretaps, could snap pictures and record conversations with cell phones, and had information at their fingertips thanks to the Internet. It wouldn’t take long to discover that Darius wasn’t listed on any business pages or social profiles. He only used his alias with humans, but it had become increasingly difficult to intimidate business owners.
“Well, if you don’t need me anymore….” Salvator said, rising from his chair.
Darius opened a drawer. “Hold on. I want you to finish off Mr. Bassett. He still hasn’t paid. Don’t go through with the original plan—we need to be more careful. Make it look like an accident. Once you finish the job, we’re going to find out how protected this woman is. I want her dead.”
“You and me both. That’s one thing you can count on, boss.”
Darius stood up and handed Salvator a file. “These are the signed documents. Give them to my secretary, and tell her I want them sent off tonight. Have her contact my architect.”
Salvator’s caterpillar eyebrows rose. “For?”
Darius glanced up at the photograph on his wall, feeling a sense of nostalgia in owning things instead of turning them over for profit. “I think I’ve outgrown this house. Don’t you?”
Salvator shook his head. “You’re one crazy son of a bitch.”
Chapter 14
After putting away all my new clothes, I changed into a pair of grey shorts and a long-sleeved violet shirt, courtesy of Gem, who’d tried to fill my wardrobe with as much color as she could. I ventured down to the gym, hoping to get in a little exercise since I was used to walking all day and climbing buildings. I could have paced the halls, but it felt intrusive since my footsteps would continually draw attention, and my housemates might start wondering if I was neurotic.
As I reached the stairway to the basement, someone gripped my arm.
“I wouldn’t go down there,” Blue said.
“Why not?”
She coaxed me in another direction. “Shepherd’s working out, and he likes to be left alone.”
“The room is huge; he’ll never know I’m in there.”
“He wouldn’t like that.”
“Not a very friendly guy.”
Blue’s eyes skated off to the side. “Shepherd’s a reticent man when it comes to his personal life. He likes his alone time. It’s just his way.”
I could relate since there were times I liked my privacy, but part of me still craved the companionship of others. Life on the streets had been a lonely experience.
Blue noticed a lock of hair that fell in front of my face. “He cut off a lot.”
I touched the ends. “It’s cleaned up now, that’s for sure.”
She gave me an impish grin. “You can’t imagine how badly he wants to get his hands on my hair and how I torture him by trimming the ends with a blunt pair of scissors.”
“You’re a cruel woman.”
Blue’s locks fell past her breasts—the kind of hair most hairdressers dream about.
She held her index finger in front of her lips. “Shhh. Don’t let him know how much I enjoy it. Besides, they always take off too much, and I love my hair long. Have you seen the courtyard?”
“From the windows.”
Blue placed her hand on my back and led me away. “Come on and I’ll show you.”
We moved through a magnificent room with high ceilings and a fragrant array of flower arrangements. I could only imagine how beautiful the mansion looked when the sun was shining. Nothing about it was garish or showy, and every room was pleasant and homey in its own way.
Blue opened the french doors, and we entered a veranda with beautiful stone archways that ran in both directions. She drifted through an opening that led to the courtyard. The walkway expanded in some places and narrowed in others, curving around and creating space for the lush landscaping. Some areas had grass while others were covered in ivy or moss. There were a couple of trees, but not a lot as they would have obscured the scenic view and prevented sunlight from getting in.
The house that enclosed us seemed imposing, as if it were somehow a living entity that was watching us. Or maybe it was the voyeuristic reality that there was no privacy out here, and anyone within the house could see us through the windows.
A breeze picked up the ends of Blue’s long hair, and it floated like ribbons of silk. Her tall black boots clicked on the path, and nearly every time I’d seen her, she was wearing a hood of some kind. While one was attached to her shirt, she didn’t bother to cover her head, even when a little drizzle began to fall.