I patted my hand on the table to get Wyatt’s attention. “Why don’t you like going into those shops?”
He turned his mouth to the side. “Sometimes the dead get attached to things, and those shops are reselling used items that belonged to people. Dead people. Not all of the deceased are mental, but when they follow me home like stray puppies, it interferes with my ability to do my job.”
Shepherd struck a match and lit his cigarette. “Do you really need all of us to go?”
“Of course,” Viktor said, combing his fingers through his silver-and-grey hair. “This is a job, and you each have specific skills that have helped identify items of interest. Besides, it’s good for us to get out together and socialize. You’re turning into a bunch of turtles.”
Christian lowered his hands to his lap, his Irish accent thick with annoyance. “I socialize plenty.”
“The bar doesn’t count,” Viktor said sharply. “When do you ever go to places that don’t serve alcohol? Just because we’re between assignments does not mean we should treat it like a vacation. The devil finds work for idle hands.”
Christian abruptly stood up, his chair scraping against the stone floor. “These idle hands have been busy folding laundry all week.”
“Don’t be so dramatic. Go warm up the van.”
Christian inclined his head and swiftly moved out of the room.
Viktor wagged his finger at me. “You spend too much time upstairs, and Niko has informed me you haven’t been training this week. Keystone is your family now, and you need to put away those old habits of isolating yourself from others.”
“Raven wants to shop for bedroom decorations,” Blue said, rising from her seat. “I’d say that’s a good sign that she’s making herself at home.”
My face heated with embarrassment.The crossbreed member of Keystone—formerly known as the Shadow, a merciless killer—is now on the hunt for linens.
Viktor clapped his hands together. “Splendid. We’ll make this an afternoon adventure.”
* * *
While most ofus rode in the van, Christian tailed behind on his motorcycle and Wyatt in his red Mini Cooper with the blue door. Viktor decided we should get my shopping out of the way before relic hunting, so we pulled up to a Kohl’s department store and went inside. I’d been cooped up for the past two weeks, so not only was it great to get out, but this was an opportunity to get to know the team outside of work.
I stuffed a faux fur throw into my cart. Poor Viktor. He looked lost lugging around two of my black shopping carts. I glanced over the shelf and spied him taking a seat on one of the bed displays.
When it came to clothes and home décor, there just weren’t any Breed shops for that. It would require labor, factories, and transporting the goods. Viktor had explained that most people purchase the necessities online to avoid going into human establishments. Immortals usually hold on to their old furniture and goods, which is why most of them acquire large homes. When it comes to clothes, some go to Breed resale shops or just hire a tailor to avoid visiting human stores. Having once been a human, I understood why. There was a distinct feeling of not belonging—of security cameras, inquisitive glances, and rules. Immortals often made direct eye contact with each other and held it, whereas most humans averted their eyes and tried to mind their own business.
“Raven, I did not think this would take so long,” Viktor said, turning an accent pillow between his hands before tossing it aside.
I pushed my tall cart toward him and parked it. “Didn’t you say earlier you wanted me to bond with the team?”
He lifted his grey eyes up to mine. “I have not seen the team in an hour.”
I sat on the bed next to him, amused by the situation. “Why are we going relic hunting? I thought you said Keystone did the jobs no one else would do.”
“That’s right.”
“Antique shopping?”
“And that is something no one else will do.”
I swept my hair back. “You made it sound badass.”
He eased off the bed and straightened his button-up shirt. “These jobs are what separate us from the rest. Do we hunt down criminals? Of course. But we also transport victims to safe houses, research cold cases, spend more time investigating crimes with insufficient evidence, and on occasion, we visit the local shops and make sure everyone is compliant with the law. The higher authority only sends out Regulators when they issue warrants or to document a crime scene, so we have no one to police the streets outside of a few volunteers.”
“I’ve seen those guys. They’re tough.” I recalled encounters I’d had with a Regulator or two—guys who dedicated their time to sticking their nose where it didn’t belong. Didn’t bother me one bit, except for the times I was busy staking a Vampire in a public bathroom.
He tucked his hands into the pockets of his tan chinos. “We conduct surprise visits to the relic shops to review inventory and make sure they are not illegally selling stunners or other prohibited items. They know I have relations with the law, so they cannot stop my investigations. Since most of them are conducting illegal trading, they won’t report me or complain. The higher authority does not have the time, interest, or manpower to regulate those shops. Sometimes we find items of interest that link to crimes.”
Seemed reasonable. “Have you ever found anything big? I’m not sure how helpful I can be, Viktor. I don’t have any experience with antiques, but if you need me to rough someone up for information, I’m your girl.”
“Do not diminish the importance of this job. A number of items have led us to an important case or unsolved mystery.” Viktor offered his hand to help me up. “You are more than a huntress, Raven Black. I am here to teach you, so pay attention whenever you’re on assignment. If you can sniff a lie or speak Mandarin, use those talents to your advantage. Do not take for granted what you are knowledgeable in—power is not always about Breed gifts.”
