“And shoved me off?”
“Depends on how well the date went.”
“Then I’m putting in a formal request for wooden chopsticks instead of silverware.”
When he moved his head, his whiskers tickled my cheek. “You would stake me with a chopstick?”
“Depends on how well the date went.”
“Touché.” He suddenly leaned across my back until I was down on my forearms.
I was startled by the gesture until he blew out the candle and stepped away.
“If you stay in that position any longer, I just might lose our bet,” he said wolfishly.
I wiggled my bottom in jest and then stood up to follow him outside.
Sure, I could have turned Christian in to get him out of my hair, but his arrest would lead to more repercussions than just losing a member of Keystone. If they convicted one of us for a heinous crime such as this, it could be the end of our organization, and I’d be back out on the streets again.
Scavenging. Possibly murdering. After all, how difficult would it be to fall back into my old habits? I was determined to do whatever it took to make sure that didn’t happen.
Even if it meant trusting a Vampire.
Chapter 19
After Christian droppedme off at Ruby’s diner, I called a cab and arrived home a short time later. Viktor greeted me at the door and asked me to join him in the gathering room. Even on cloudy days, the stained glass windows were a touch of magic. A warm fire was burning, and I took a seat on the leather sofa while he strolled to the liquor cabinet on the far right side of the room and poured himself a glass of vodka. The arched walls behind me that separated the gathering room from the dining room offered no privacy, so I knew that whatever we were about to discuss wasn’t confidential.
“Viktor, I need a phone,” I said bluntly. “If there’s a crime and I’m away from the house, you won’t be able to reach me. And I can’t tether myself to others just because I don’t have a phone.”
He paced across the room in a brown button-up sweater jacket and chinos. Viktor dressed how I imagined Europeans did who sat in pubs and reminisced about the good old days in the eighteen hundreds.
“I’ve arranged for you to receive one this evening,” he said, sitting in the leather chair to my left. “It takes time for them to issue one so we’re not on anyone’s radar in the human world.”
“And a car?”
He chuckled, slipping into a thick Russian accent. “You are pushing, my dear. That is something you must buy yourself. I am not your… how do you say? Sugar daddy.”
I laughed and shifted in my chair. “I don’t know, Viktor. These are some sweet digs you set me up with.”
He grunted and took a slow sip of his drink. “And what is your opinion of the latest murder?”
The mood turned serious. “I don’t think Christian did it. You’ve known him longer, so maybe you know him better than I do, but the scene was all wrong.”
“Never underestimate what a man is capable of doing. We planned the raid on Delgado’s house, and everyone played a role. That is the Christian you think you know, but you have never seen him in action when no one is orchestrating his decisions.”
But I had. Back in Washington, Christian was operating under his own command. Every decision he made was to conceal his actions from not only the law but also Viktor. I’d never seen anyone so methodical. He worked fast and focused on every last detail. Not once did I see him drink from those men, which would have shown indications of bloodlust. He left behind no evidence, so it didn’t make sense that Christian would have left his scarf wrapped around Marlene’s neck, even if hehadcarelessly tossed the candy wrapper on the ground. Not unless hewantedto implicate himself, and if that was the case, he wouldn’t be on the run. Then again, maybe he was a lunatic and enjoyed the chase.
“You have a lot of books in here, Viktor. Surely there’s a copy of a Sherlock Holmes book. He said something about circumstantial evidence being a tricky thing. It could all be pointing in one direction, but if you shift your point of view, it might point somewhere else. Something like that.”
“I didn’t know you enjoyed the classics.”
“My father owned three books. That was one of them.” After a long pause, I decided to ask the only question I wanted an answer to. “What are you going to do?”
Viktor set his glass on the side table, his steely eyes pensive. “What more can I do than continue the investigation? I do not wish to hand over one of my men, even with the evidence presented. Even though this is out of character for Christian, I cannot deny the evidence.” Viktor scooted down in his chair, elbows propped on the armrests and fingers steepled. “Christian is not here to defend himself or give his side of the story. The evidence is damning, but I do not see motive. True enemies will never come for you; they will spend a lifetime planning your ruin and savor the moment when they have broken you. If Christian has an enemy who is trying to frame him, then they will not stop until he’s arrested. I will protect him for as long as I can, but if the higher authority issues a warrant, I will have no choice.”
I could sense his frustration. The lines in his forehead were deeper, his voice softer and mood somber.
Blue came in and knelt at his side. “You should eat something. It’s past noon, and you haven’t eaten since yesterday. You can’t just sit with us at the table and not eat at a time like this. We need your strength.”
