“Which is more than I can say for our leader. He’s been pacing again.”
Blue sighed, her thoughts drifting to the long nights between jobs when she’d occasionally hear Viktor playing his violin. Sometimes in the wee hours of the morning, a haunting melody crept through the halls like a distant dream. No one ever mentioned it, so she couldn’t be certain if she was the only one who had ever heard him play. She speculated that whatever tormented him reared its ugly head when things got too peaceful.
“He’s worried about Raven,” she said. “This is her first time on a solo job, and it’s a big one.”
“If anyone’s up for the task, it’s Raven. She’s young but brave. Fear is our worst enemy.”
Blue slouched and closed her eyes. “I just wish my mind would quit spinning.”
“The stillness of life makes us dizzy with regrets.”
“What makes you think I regret anything?”
Niko sighed. “I know something about quiet moments. When the noise of the world goes away and you’re left with your thoughts, they tend to wander in the realm of regret. Things we wish we hadn’t done, things we wish we had. Things we wish we could do. That’s the noise that keeps us awake. It makes immortality insufferable.”
“Maybe we should live a perfect life so we’ll have no regrets.”
Niko chuckled softly and played with the lace on his shoe. “That’s an ambitious goal. Let me know how it works for you.”
“Will do.”
“Ah, Blue. You’re here,” Viktor said as he entered the room.
Blue’s eyes snapped open. She hopped off the couch to greet Viktor. “Niko said you were working, or I would have spoken with you right away. I was just having a drink. Can I get you anything?”
“Nyet. I am good.” He rounded his favorite chair and took a seat. “Tell me about your evening.”
She sat in the chair next to his. “Raven made contact with someone about the fighting rings. It was only an initial offer, but we should know more by this evening.”
His eyebrows popped up, deepening the wrinkles in his brow. Viktor was by no means an old man, even in Shifter years. He was what she considered seasoned—a man with years of experience behind his pale winter eyes. She imagined he’d once had coal-black hair, but now it was mostly silver with dark undertones. The lines at the corners of his eyes revealed the laughter and tragedy in his life. His Greek nose gave him character, and his lips only spoke truth—even if she didn’t understand a word of Russian. His culture was threaded into his being after hundreds of years living there, and she couldn’t fathom how difficult it must have been for him to uproot his life, move to a new country, and learn a new language.
“I filled Claude in,” Blue continued. “And Wyatt needs to keep an eye on her tracker.”
“This is excellent news.” Viktor heaved a sigh, and with that, his spirit seemed lighter. “I may enjoy a celebratory drink after all.”
He made a motion to get up, but Blue was already halfway across the room, pouring a small glass of vodka. He worked tirelessly to keep this organization running, so it was the least she could do.
She handed Viktor the glass.
“Spasibo.”
Blue returned to her chair and leaned on the armrest. “Wyatt can disregard what he saw last night. That was just a rendezvous point to meet her contact.”
While Viktor sipped his drink, Shepherd entered the room with Hunter on his shoulders. His snug white T-shirt had a small red stain on the front. Hunter gobbled down the rest of his strawberry before wiping his fingers on Shepherd’s shirt. His pant leg was riding up on one side.
“Nice socks,” Blue said, noticing the hot-pink knee-highs.
Hunter smiled proudly as Shepherd lifted him up and set him down on the sofa. His shoes began blinking the moment they made contact with the cushion.
“Isn’t it a little early for drinks?” Shepherd asked, noticing the two glasses in the room.
“We’re celebrating,” Viktor informed him. “Raven made progress on her mission.”
Shepherd crossed the room toward the liquor cabinet and opened a drawer where he kept his cigarettes. After striking a match and lighting one up, he ambled toward the divider wall and rested against one of the open archways. “So you don’t need me in the club anymore?”
“There is no need,” Viktor replied, putting relief on Shepherd’s face. “But keep yourself available. I do not know what comes next. I presume Raven will meet with her contact, but she must have enough evidence that we can move in and capture. I want everyone close to home.”
Shepherd made a donut ring with his smoke and blew the rest toward the ceiling. “Are you sending in Regulators, or will we do this the old-fashioned way?”
