Keystone (Crossbreed #1)(59)
Christian shifted in his chair, unsettled by Viktor’s resolve. In a perfect world, Viktor would skip the rules and pair her up with the next member of Keystone—if someone new joined their group. Viktor had never expressed how many people he wanted in Keystone, but Christian had secretly hoped that he’d be the last.
Christian tilted his head to the side, searching for the right words to reason with him. “She’s a crossbreed. That’s something you should consider before making a decision. You don’t know what she’s capable of because there’s never been anyone like her. You’re only seeing one side of the coin. She’s dangerous and unpredictable.”
“As are all of you.”
“Aye, but we are not that to each other. She’s been on her own too long without any guidance. If she’s never had a positive influence in her life, she may be too far gone to save. Is it worth jeopardizing our lives for a rogue?”
Viktor laced his fingers together. “Tell me what this is really about, Christian. You are not a man who backs away from a challenge. Is it because she’s a woman? Is it because she’s a beautiful woman, and you somehow find that a distraction? What is the root of your fear? We are not angels.”
Christian pinched at the whiskers of his short beard, attempting to feign indifference. Viktor’s remark had unexpectedly struck a nerve. Misplaced affections weakened a man. And what was the point of partnering with a fetching woman he couldn’t bed?
Torture, that’s what.
He’d tried to ignore her cool confidence and dry humor that was much like his own, but the moment he spotted her vulnerable side, he wanted no part of it. Partners formed close relationships, even if they disliked each other. The last thing he needed was to grow attached to her, or even worse, watch her destroy everything they had built. Either way, this partnership had to end.
For feck’s sake, he’d tucked her into his bed.
Viktor tapped his foot on the floor. “Do you have nothing to say?”
“I need to break away from here for a while and get my head together.”
Viktor rose to his feet. “Nyet. I have a blood-soaked car in my driveway with a body in the trunk. No cleaner is going to touch that without reporting it to the higher authority. I do not trust those men with this much evidence. Cleaning a little blood off the street? Fine. That is not something they can report with much merit. I need you to take care of this for me.”
Christian rubbed his face, realizing he couldn’t hang Viktor out to dry. He rose to his feet and rocked on his heels. “Aye, I’ll finish this job as you asked. But after that, I’m taking a holiday to think about what I want to do. If I stay here another night in my current state, I might leave for good.”
Viktor sighed harshly, the lines in his face etched deep. “Very well. If you need to go away and think, I respect that. We’ll work something out.”
They didn’t speak another word, and Christian left the house in the Mage’s car. He wiped down the seat before getting in so he wouldn’t have to sit in a pool of sticky blood.
Thank Jaysus they were leather seats.
“Raven Black. What kind of name is that?” he mused.
She kept herself guarded when it came to her creation, but without knowing those details, it left Christian uncertain about her stability. Who was her maker? Where was he now? Maybe she murdered them all and her heart was just as black as her name. After all, what kind of Vampire would abandon his youngling? Raven despised Vampires, and it wouldn’t have offended him so much had she not been half.
Christian loved what he was. Eating was optional; blood wasn’t necessary to sustain life, but it filled them with power and knowledge; and he was blessed with immortality. He was stronger, had exceptional hearing, and especially didn’t mind how most Breeds avoided him. Had his maker not granted him this life, he’d be rotting away in a pine box alongside his brothers.
Although truth be told, Christian had no idea where his brothers had been laid to rest. His father and younger sister stayed behind in Ireland while the rest of them moved on in search of a better life. After many hardships, the brothers parted ways in pursuit of different opportunities. Christian remained behind in the big city, reduced to picking pockets because no one would hire the Irish. When he was around thirty-one, he met a Vampire who had offered him the unexpected opportunity of a better life. In those days, makers didn’t need to obtain permission. Christian accepted without hesitation. His brothers would have said he was in league with the devil, but what else did he have going for him?
As the years went by, muddy roads and horse-drawn carriages transformed into paved streets and motorcars. As the cities became more populated, they came alive at night—more anonymous. Anyone could blend in.
Even a Vampire.
Christian wondered what his maker would think of him driving a stolen car with a dead body in the trunk. Not that Ronan was a pious man, but he believed everyone was born with a greater purpose.
“Is this what you have to look forward to?” Christian asked whimsically. He drove the car through the broken gates of the oldest cemetery in the city. “Meet your new partner, Christian. Isn’t she a bonnie lass? Nothing to worry about. She’s bright, gifted, and a murderous lunatic. You’ll be spending the next century cleaning up her messes and dumping bodies. Every time she screws up, you’ll have everyone judging you for her actions.”