Gaslight (Crossbreed #4)(98)

I didn’t want anyone intimidated by my being a Mage, so I dropped a few hints that I was a Relic. Seemed like an innocuous choice that wouldn’t make anyone suspicious as to why I was hanging out with a Vampire and two Shifters. Relics often worked with other Breeds, and as long as I concealed my energy, no one would be the wiser.

Viktor chatted with the manager on duty, who was puffing on a pipe and laughing at what I’m sure was one of Viktor’s tall tales. Blue had her head on the café table, pretending to nap.

Or maybe she wasn’t pretending. Conserving energy was probably a good idea if this went on all night.

“Why don’t you invite your pretty friend to sit with us?” Diesel suggested, one of his stout buddies looking hopeful.

I raised my shot glass and smiled. “Because her old man is overprotective of his little girl. He’s one of those old traditional Shifters that’ll kick your ass if you so much as wink at his daughter.”

Diesel raised his glass, and it clinked against mine. “Respect.”

I gulped down the red liquid and slammed the empty glass on the table.

“How’s that taste?” he asked, laughter on the heels of his question.

“Like regret.”

“It’s got a little cinnamon and Tabasco.”

“You really know how to sweep a girl off her feet and right to the toilet.”

All three men howled with laughter. When one of them received an incoming call on his phone, he stood up and headed toward the front.

I stared at the empty glasses on our table. Alcohol made all the painful memories of Fletcher disappear, but every so often, they came back and stung me like an angry hornet.

“So where’s your daddy?” he asked.

“I don’t have one.”

His gaze tightened for a moment. “Did he leave you? That’s what’s wrong with the world. When a girl doesn’t have a good man to raise her, there’s no hope.” After a serious moment, Diesel leaned back and patted his knee. “Come sit on my lap. I’ll be your daddy.”

“I just bet you will. How lucky do you get with a line like that around here?”

Diesel glanced around. “Depends on the night.”

His buddy sipped his third cup of coffee, bobbing his head to the beat of the music.

I looked between them. “You ever get any Vampire chicks in here? My driver seems to think there’s hope for him getting laid tonight. But he only likes other Vamps, and it doesn’t look promising. I told him he’s going to have to settle for his hand, and he better take that shit deep in the woods and not in my car.”

Diesel smirked and turned his glass upside down. “Sounds like you need a new driver.”

“He’s not so bad. I feel sorry for him. Lonely guy syndrome. You guys come here a lot, don’t you? What are his chances?”

Diesel tugged on his thick beard. “Given you and your pretty friend are the only two gals in here tonight, his odds are slim to none. Unless you want to convert.”

“Perish the thought.”

“Yeah, but you’re a Relic, right? You can be turned.”

“Just because my DNA allows it doesn’t mean I want to be one of those fangholes. Maybe I want kids someday. Can’t do that if I’m a bloodsucking Vamp.” I sat back in my chair and folded my arms.

Diesel tucked his chin in his palm. “My poor little Relic. Don’t you care about dying?”

“We’re all gonna die.”

“Yeah, but you only get a hundred years, and that’s if you’re lucky. I’ll be around a lot longer.”

I snorted. “Not if you keep drinking those nasty shots.”

Diesel belted out a laugh, tugging on his beard with one hand. He did that a lot whenever he went into a fit of laughter.

His friend returned and lifted his coat off the chair. “Party’s over. We have to take off.”

Diesel looked as annoyed as I felt that our party was coming to an end. Hanging out with them had been a fun diversion, and now I was looking at a possible all-nighter in this place.

His friend threw a few large bills on the table. “Gotta go before the weather changes.” Then he shoved Diesel’s shoulder while the other man stood up. “Get your ass moving. Temple’s waiting, and you know what happens when we’re late.”

Diesel’s friends left the table in a hurry and headed toward the door.

“Well, honey, maybe our paths will cross again.” Diesel rose to his feet and put on his big brown coat.

My heart raced as I tried to scheme a plan. Temple was the name of our buyer. These must have been his middlemen—the transporters collecting the goods and flying them out. And to my surprise, they weren’t Vampires.

Where the hell is Christian?

“Mind if I walk you out?” I asked, jumping to my feet.

He zipped up his coat and looked down at my attire. “It’s cold out there.”

“Then keep me warm.”

A hungry look crossed his face.

I dashed back to the café to grab my coat. “Blue, I’ve got our man. It’s the lumberjack,” I said quietly. “Don’t look obvious. Are you awake?”

When she didn’t respond, I shuffled into my trench coat and hurried back to Diesel. He put his arm around me as we strolled toward the door, and when Viktor turned, he had the most bewildered expression on his face. I used my free hand to discreetly point at Diesel and widened my eyes—the universal sign for “this is the bad guy”—and hoping he didn’t mistake it for “be right back after I bang this guy.”