“You kill humans.”
He crossed an ankle over his knee and regarded me for a moment. Darius was a well-groomed man, someone I could easily imagine sipping champagne on a veranda while an ocean breeze blew back his dark, curly hair. “These mortals will perish like flies, and that’s something you’ll realize in the coming years. Once you understand how long your life will be, you’ll no longer dwell on moralities. You have to preserve your wealth and secure your future. Why do you think immortals focus so much on money and property? You can’t live on the streets forever. Ten years? Maybe. But what regrets will you have in two thousand years when you’re wandering around in search of a place to sleep for the night? Prepare for the unexpected changes that will come, and you will be in a better position to survive.”
My head was spinning. “What do you want with Keystone?”
“If you’ve told anyone about me, you’ve compromised everything I’ve worked hard to achieve. I could throw you in an abandoned well or cut off your head, but you have connections to this group, and that makes you valuable. We can work together.”
I barked out a laugh. “You just threatened to kill me. What makes you think I would trust you?”
Darius shrugged. “I threaten to kill everyone. A rogue like you will never understand the baneful influence an organization like that is to entrepreneurs like me. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what they do, and by the looks of the property, I’d say they have powerful connections. You know more about them than anyone else, and I don’t sense you’re as loyal to Keystone as you pretend to be. This isn’t about honor, Miss Black. It’s about survival. Your survival.”
“I don’t have any information that’s useful. They didn’t tell me their secrets, and there’s nothing you haven’t already figured out.”
Darius leaned forward, his voice softening. “I don’t want you to give me information. I want you to kill them.”
My heart skipped a beat.
“I know you can do it,” he continued. “You’ve shown me the weak spots in my security. If this Keystone group is allowing you into their home, then they trust you on some level. Trust is an Achilles’ heel.”
“They’re not inviting me to any weddings.”
He sat back, his expression pensive. “On second thought, I’m beginning to have doubts that you can pull off something this big. Perhaps it’s too much. What a shame, because I’m eager to share my fortune with a capable partner.”
I thought about it. “The mansion is huge, and most of them stay in separate areas during the day. It wouldn’t be hard to take them out one at a time without alerting the others.”
“You’re just a street scavenger, and I’m not sure if money is motivation enough for someone like you.”
I huffed quietly. “What do I care what happens to them? They made a joke out of me. And you’re right; money isn’t what I’m after. I’m not saying I won’t take it, but I’d rather have someone who respects what I can bring to the table.”
A smile touched his lips. “Before you think about betraying me, just remember that I know the places you frequent and the people you interact with. I’ll eventually find the one person who matters. I can make your life hell before I eventually kill you, or I can be your mentor.” He reached out and moved a few strands of hair away from the burn. “Would you rather have more misery, or do you want a chance to become someone that people respect and fear? Work for me and I’ll furnish you with nice clothes, a home—anything your heart desires. No more sleeping in alleys or eating cold apple pie at an empty table in a diner.”
It was then that I realized Darius had been spying on me for the past week. He probably knew all my hangouts, where I slept, and the people I came in contact with. I flinched when another sharp wave of pain lanced my cheek, reminding me that I wasn’t going to escape.
“Your fate is in your own hands, Miss Black. Make the right choice and you’ll prosper for many years to come. Be loyal to yourself first and claim what’s rightfully yours in this world.”
“Untie me,” I said, holding his gaze.
“If I let you go, what is your intention?”
“To kill every last member of Keystone.”
Chapter 24
Every promiseI’d made to Darius was a lie.
He’d tempted me with money and power, and had I been a weaker woman, I might have accepted. But men like him didn’t take on equal partners. They manipulated people to get what they wanted.
Darius might not have trusted me, but he was consumed with the fear that an organization like Keystone knew about what he’d been doing and that they had connections to the higher authority. I was his only chance, and after seducing me with promises and indirect threats, he seemed certain I wouldn’t betray him—especially with the incentives he offered. We spent an hour laying out plans, but he didn’t seem willing to send his men in with me. Either he didn’t want to risk losing the few people who were loyal to him, or he was afraid that if someone captured them, they would give up incriminating information on him.
I had until midnight to complete the mission. At first, he wanted me to bring their heads as proof. I finally convinced him that taking a cab with a bunch of severed heads might attract attention.
The plan didn’t matter. I would have agreed to dance naked in moonlight, wielding a battle-axe while singing show tunes if it meant getting the hell out of that house.
He let me keep two daggers but held my other weapons along with my bag.
Then he made a final proposal: “If you fail or turn your back on me, I will hunt you to the ends of the earth. Before you die, I will force you to witness the deaths of everyone you’ve ever cared about, starting with that sweet old lady in the diner. If you succeed, you will return to my house and confirm the body count. I’ll send two of my weakest guards to verify your claim. If they don’t return, our deal is off. Succeed at this mission and you’ll have my unwavering trust. I’ll reward you with the highest rank in my house and pay you handsomely for your partnership. We can do many great things together.”
One of his men had dropped me off down the road from the Keystone estate before turning around. Because Keystone was located in an area with a primary road and no neighborhoods, an unfamiliar vehicle parked on the road would draw attention. I told Darius that in order to execute our plan, I needed his cooperation and to keep his men away. Aside from that, he didn’t want to send them in until he heard back from me.
