Gaslight (Crossbreed #4)(87)

I glared at a statue of an archer taking aim at one of the chairs. “You should tilt him in a different direction.”

Viktor leaned around to see what I was referring to and chuckled. “I like to keep people on their toes.”

“You have a special sense of humor.”

“Would you like a drink?”

“I might need one.”

“Have a seat, my dear.”

He filled the empty glasses on the table next to him with a clear liquid. When he handed me mine, we clinked our glasses together before taking a drink.

It felt like nighttime in a room without windows, but the fire added warmth and blanketed us in amber light.

“I cannot imagine what you have suffered at the hands of your Creator,” he began. “We had no other leads. I took the matter to the Mageri, hoping they might have something in their records about property or contacts. We were only able to connect with his banker. They sent Enforcers with a warrant for his arrest, but he never showed up at work or home. Shepherd watched his house for a week until Wyatt installed motion-activated cameras. Most immortals have an unlisted residence, so all we could do was wait.”

I gulped down my vodka and then set the empty glass on the floor. Viktor’s explanation sounded more like an apology. “What’s done is done. Has he turned up? Is that why you called me up here?”

Viktor swirled his glass. “Nyet. Fletcher Black is a ghost. But I want you to know that he will always remain in our case files. Do you understand? An attack on you is an attack on Keystone.”

I rested my forearms on my knees. “I’m sorry I messed this up, Viktor. Christian and I had everything planned out—every precaution taken. I wasn’t expecting…”

He set his glass on the table. “Go on.”

I possessed a strange loyalty to Houdini and wasn’t sure if I wanted to divulge details. He needed to be stopped, but he was also my maker. How could I break my promise not to come after him? On one hand, he’d never harmed me. On the other, he’d proved how cunning and capable he was. The veiled threat didn’t put a target on my back but on those around me.

“The Vampire who took me was my maker.”

Viktor’s lips mashed together, and his grey eyes narrowed. I knew right away that Christian hadn’t told him a thing.

Viktor stroked his beard once and finally broke the silence. “Does he have a name?”

“Houdini.” That was no secret. He’d signed those damn notes, so it wasn’t as if he was hiding it.

Viktor’s gaze traveled up to the ceiling. “Ah, now it makes sense. He was the one complaining that I had something of his. You were that something.” Viktor shut his eyes and sighed.

I kept my mouth shut about the key. The fewer details he knew, the better.

“What can you tell me about him?” he pressed.

I shook my head. “Nothing that will help us find him. Fletcher’s top on my list; I’ll worry about Houdini later.”

“Did your maker harm you?”

“No.” My gaze drifted back to the fire. “Houdini kept me in a room with a bed, a comfy chair, and a bathroom. He fed me, made me tea—it was more like staying at a bed-and-breakfast.”

Viktor leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “You understand I had no choice. There is only so much one can do without evidence. We’d hoped Christian’s search would yield better results. I commend him for his persistence. It seems like just yesterday you were at each other’s throats. He carried so much guilt for the trickery.”

My eyebrows knitted. “What do you mean by trickery?”

Viktor waved his hand as if I already knew. “The blocking device.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

His eyes settled on mine. “Christian has not told you about that night?”

I shook my head.

“When he was inside, a sonic frequency intercepted his ability to hear. At first he thought it was the sound system—whatever plays the music on the speakers. Your kidnapper used something to block Christian’s ability to hear.”

A vague memory drifted in my mind of sitting in Houdini’s car and how he’d turned on the radio but no music came on.

Oh shit.

I covered my face with one hand. I’d been doing a lot of mental gymnastics to place the blame on Christian and get him to admit culpability. His answer had come across as disingenuous, but instead of calling him out on it, I’d drawn my own conclusion. The only person who deserved blame was Houdini. If I didn’t learn to trust my instincts again, I was going to push away the only people I had left who had my back.

“When you have a chance, give Wyatt every detail you can about this Houdini.”

“There’s nothing to tell.”

A storm brewed in Viktor’s eyes as he studied me. “Why are you protecting him?”

“Because he’s not the issue. I know what he’s doing is wrong, but the women who went with him did so of their own free will. I don’t know how much evidence we can stack against him because of that. What we really need to do is go after the buyers. They’re easier to catch, and if we make an example out of them, it might prevent others from getting the same idea.”

Viktor crossed his legs and lifted his glass. “As it so happens, this wasn’t in vain.”