Gaslight (Crossbreed #4)(94)
Fecking hell, it made Christian want to be something he wasn’t—a romantic. He wanted Raven to know what it felt like to be revered by his touch, his words, and his kiss.
And now, thanks to Houdini, he might never get the chance.
Niko’s blue eyes flashed up. “If her maker charmed her, then we can assume he knows about us. Should he decide to target anyone, it’ll be either you or Viktor. He must know that you’re her partner, and that’s why he considers you a threat. Partners have a bond, and maybe he doesn’t want her to have a loyal connection to anyone. Makers and Creators aren’t so different from one another. Not all of them have love for their progeny, but they still have a compulsion to control that which is theirs.” Niko drew in a breath and held it for a moment. “He didn’t erase her memory of him. I find that most curious. Either he has reason to trust that she won’t divulge his secrets, or she’s promised him something.”
While those two suggestions could be right, Christian was certain that Raven had bartered her necklace. He didn’t mention it to Niko. No one in the house knew its true value, and it would only draw suspicion as to why he’d given it to her in the first place.
“What’s Viktor got you doing while we’re away?” Christian asked, shifting the conversation to give the topic a rest.
Niko rose to his feet and stretched his arms overhead. “Guard duty. We can’t be too careful with Raven’s Creator on the loose. Viktor had to bow out of a few meetings, so I’ll be attending those in his stead.”
“Sounds grand,” Christian said absently.
Niko stretched out his arm and touched the window. “Perhaps you better get Raven off the roof lest she fall and break her neck.”
Christian stood up and squinted. “I can’t see anything.”
“She’s just up there,” Niko said, pointing his finger south. “I saw her light move by just now. She walks the roof at night when she’s troubled. I guess you know that by now.”
Christian put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “She does what she likes.”
“You can’t change the past and what’s been done.” Niko reached out until he caught Christian’s shoulder. “No matter how she portrays herself, she’s vulnerable now. I know you two have had your differences, but Raven’s a strong addition to our team. Don’t give her a reason to quit, even if she asks for it. Remember: if she’s not our ally, then that makes her our enemy. Viktor will have no choice but to scrub everything, and she’ll be left with nothing but hollow memories of the past.”
“You’re always a pocketful of sunshine, aren’t you?” Christian patted Niko’s cheek. “Why don’t you run along now and spread some of that good cheer into the world.”
Niko grinned and turned away, his hand running along the grooves of the wall. “One of these days, Christian, you might actually find my advice useful.”
Men as old as Niko were qualified to give sage advice, and his words were enough to prevent Christian from doing something regretful, like telling Viktor the truth. It wasn’t worth the gamble. The truth would do them more harm than good if it meant jeopardizing her career and their partnership. Maybe it was time to let go of a fate he couldn’t change and a dream he’d never hold.
Chapter 28
Why do men always get the front seat?” I complained from behind Christian.
Viktor reclined his head on the passenger headrest. “Because men have longer legs.”
“Then sit on the roof.”
Christian adjusted his visor so he could see me. “I was saving that seat for you, sweetheart.”
“Maybe you should ride in the trunk since you’re practically blind from all this sunshine.”
He tipped his head until I could see his eyes peering at me from beneath his dark sunglasses.
We’d left the mansion at around two in the morning, and it felt like we’d been on the road for ages. Around noon, Christian had pulled in to a gas station to refill the car while Blue and I went inside to use the restroom. Though I wasn’t hungry, browsing the aisles of the convenience store allowed me to stretch my legs.
Now I was squished in the back seat again, any hope of napping long gone after Christian had spent the past half hour giving his uncensored opinion on why computers don’t belong in cars.
“Are Canadian Vampires nicer?” I mused.
“Aye. They’ll give you a mint before cutting off your head.”
“How you were able to charm that lady at border security, I’ll never know.”
I nudged Blue, but she was dead asleep. Blue had come prepared in thermal underwear beneath her jeans and tall boots with fur lining. The white puffy down jacket wasn’t her usual style, but she suggested that we might get stuck out in the snow in daylight.
Perish the thought.
Hopefully our journey would end at the airport, and we’d take down these black marketeers. Wyatt’s anonymous friend confirmed that the first exchange had taken place. The buyer had a routine where he’d send someone to collect the victim, transport them by car across the border, board a private plane, and head out from there. Since we’d gotten a head start, we had a good chance of running into them as long as the information we’d received was correct. As Wyatt had plainly put it, our mission was to head them off at the pass.