“Men with money surround themselves with lackeys who do their dirty work.”
“And that’s their flaw. Men can’t keep secrets, and money will always win over loyalty.”
“That baby better show up on the black market.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“Plan B.”
“Plan B. Is that a pregnancy test? Your bra size?”
I crossed my legs at the ankles. “Not everyone knows who we are and what we do. Let’s go to a few bars and ask around—pretend we’re a couple in search of a child.”
“And what if your plan results in another innocent woman’s murder?”
“What if it doesn’t?”
“Viktor wouldn’t approve. Are you going back to your old ways, crossbreed? That’s not how we do things here.”
“You’ve never gone undercover? Don’t be telling me fibs,” I said in a bad Irish accent.
He paced to my right, holding the back of his neck. “If a child winds up in your arms, and it’s notthatchild, you’ll have to live with that for the rest of your life. Assuming you have a conscience. You’ll have captured a criminal, but at the expense of another innocent life.”
“But think of all the lives we’ll save. Even if you think it’s wrong, you can’t deny the end result.”
Christian stalked forward and glared at me so intensely that I blinked. “Are you langered? Because that’s not a rational argument. Where did you go this evening?”
“That’s a tight leash you keep on me.”
“You’re more combative than usual tonight. I’m just curious what’s influencing such dangerous thoughts.”
“I went to Club Nine.”
He rocked with laughter. “Jaysus wept. No wonder. Let me guess, you drank the heresy.”
“Wrath.”
“No wonder you’re on a mission. Let the alcohol wear off, and see how you feel in the morning. When a Sensor spikes your drink, the residual effects can last longer than you think.”
“Why did Betty keep staring at you like she did?” I asked, shifting topics. It was something that had been weighing on my mind all day.
“Betty who?”
“The waitress at the diner.” When just a hint of scarlet touched his cheeks and he walked off, I bolted out of my seat and followed behind him. “What are you not telling me?”
The sound of our footsteps reverberated off the stone floors, and I hurried to match his pace. When he turned a dark corner and shadow walked to get away, I flashed with a burst of energy and grabbed the back of his shirt.
Christian spun around. “What the feck is wrong with you? Can’t you let a man be alone? You’re always trying to stir the pot.”
“You know her, don’t you?”
His lips tightened, and he gave me a belligerent look.
“You might as well talk,” I said coolly. “It’s not as if I’m going anywhere for the next few centuries. Did you drink her blood?”
This time when he flounced off, I let him. He went out the heavy door that led to the interior balcony. It was a nice space that overlooked the front property, but I hadn’t spent much time out there since the weather changed over to snow. I casually pushed open the door and saw Christian leaning forward, his arms resting on the stone railing. I crossed the distance and stood to his left where a quiet gust of wind lifted snowflakes off the ground.
Christian kept his eyes forward. “Believe it or not, Betty was a fetching girl in her youth. Fifty years ago. Maybe more.”
