Blue still had on Joe’s ridiculously big trousers. He’d given her a pair of suspenders to hold them up, along with a fur coat. I was pretty certain if she asked, he would have given her his underwear.
Blue ordered breakfast while I browsed a souvenir rack along the wall. The owner didn’t sell things like key chains, mugs, and magnets. Instead, there were a number of small daggers, bows, alcohol, and maps. I skipped over all that and went for the snacks.
After loading them into the car, I headed back inside and hung out by the counters. “What’s the holdup?”
Viktor glanced at his watch. “I called my banker to route the money to their account. We’re just waiting for confirmation.”
I grimaced at the thought. “How much was it?”
“In American or Canadian dollars?”
“Never mind.”
The older man behind the counter hung up the phone and patted the counter to get Viktor’s attention. “You’re all set. I don’t want to see you around here again.”
The wind battered us as we walked to the car. Thank God that was all over. As much as I loved the hunt, not knowing the laws in Canada made me uneasy, and I didn’t think Keystone had much clout with the local authorities. Since Christian hadn’t mentioned anything about my killing spree to Viktor, I kept silent about it. It was only a matter of time before someone found the bodies, so the sooner we got out of Canada, the better.
A plane taxied from the runway to one of the hangars. Seconds after it came to a stop, the door opened and two wolves ran out. I had to laugh at how incredibly insane my life had become.
“Joe saw what you did by the outhouse,” Viktor said to Christian.
My heart ricocheted in my chest. I caught a look on Christian’s face I couldn’t peg. He matched Viktor’s pace and said nothing.
Viktor reached the sedan and took off his gloves. “It was kind of you to shovel all that snow away and widen his path. He still doesn’t like Vampires, but he appreciated the gesture.”
My jaw slackened, and I stared at Christian, who opened the passenger door and pulled his keys from beneath the seat.
He gave a crooked smile. “’Twas a pleasure. Nothing warms the cockles of my heart like rendering aid to an aging lunatic.”
Viktor looked between us. “I know you two don’t get along, but would it have been so hard to stay in the same room for one night?”
Christian folded his arms. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I simply wanted to repay the poor bastard by clearing a way for him to take a shite.”
“I am to believe that you two weren’t trying to kill each other?”
Christian rubbed his hand down his chest. “Perhaps Raven couldn’t handle being around all this sexual goodness, so I had to leave.”
I laughed and rocked on my heels. “Viktor’s right. You’re a big dick.”
Christian slid his gaze in my direction. “I’ve had a lot of time to think about our bet with all your moaning last night.”
I turned on my heel before anyone saw my smile. “Is that so?”
He walked past me toward the trunk. “You were the first to get information on the girl, and I’m a man of my word.” The trunk clicked open, but he rested his hand on top. “Let’s be clear we both agreed that Viktor will drive. I’ll not have you weaving through traffic like a bee on crack just to hear me rolling around in the trunk.”
Blue chuckled and got in the front seat of the car. Viktor circled around the front, catching the keys when Christian tossed them over.
I patted his arm. “You’re a good man, Christian.”
“Aye. And I hope you remember that when we cross the border.”
“No,” I said, lowering my voice. “I mean about Diesel and his men. You cleaned up my mess, didn’t you?”
He inclined his head. “You have my protection, even within Keystone. Don’t ask too much of me, Raven, because I just might do it.” When he lifted the trunk lid and peered inside, he gave me a baleful look. “Jaysus wept. You planned this all along, didn’t you?”
I glanced at the pillow, blanket, and porn magazine. “There’s a bag of corn nuts if you get hungry.”
“And what happens if border security checks the trunk?”
I laughed and shoved him in. “I’m okay with a cavity search if you are.”
“You’re a wicked woman, Raven Black.”
With the trunk lid giving us privacy, I stole a quick kiss. “But you like me that way, don’t you?”
He crawled inside, never stripping his eyes from mine. His gaze pooled with sexual invitation that beckoned me to get inside with him.
I slammed the lid and whispered, “I’m sorry I misjudged you.”
Once I ran around to the passenger side, I threw my coat in the back seat and sat behind Blue. “How was your night with Crazy Joe?”
She gave a throaty chuckle and took off her own jacket. “He was as quiet as a mouse.”
Viktor looked over his shoulder to back up, and a smile played on his lips. It seemed like Christian and I weren’t the only ones with a secret.
Once we reached the main road, Blue turned in her seat to look at me. “He insisted I sleep in his bed. I woke up when I heard him and Viktor arguing.”
“Never lie in a stranger’s bed,” Viktor said, wagging his finger at her.
I scooted to the center. “So what happened?”
Blue rolled her eyes. “He wouldn’t stop harping about how much more comfortable I’d be. I was tired, so I got in his bed, hoping that would shut him up. After a while, it got real quiet. Until…”
I looked at Viktor when she left her story on a cliff-hanger.
Blue sighed. “He tried to join me in the middle of the night to cuddle. Thank the fates I had the good sense to wake up. I was so startled that I shifted into my falcon. Joe nearly shit himself, and the next thing I knew, he turned into a mouse.”
Christian’s laughter from the trunk was infectious, and we all joined in.
I wiped a tear from my lashes. “You didn’t eat him, did you?”
She wrinkled her nose. “He wasn’t much of a meal. I let him scurry away to hide under the stove all night. Serves him right for coming on to me like that. He’s lucky I didn’t have my tomahawk.”
“What is this?” Viktor muttered, the car slowing to a stop.
I peered through the front windshield at a large black SUV, two men standing behind it. Their red coats and black pants looked stark against the white backdrop, and their coattails flapped in the wind. At first I thought they were the Canadian Mounted Police until I saw the katanas on their hips. My heart lurched, and I quickly locked down my Mage energy in fear of it flaring and coming off as aggressive. Regulators worked for the higher authority and could be any Breed. These guys didn’t look like Chitahs or Vamps, and it only made sense that they’d send one Mage after another.
Viktor put the car in park and got out.
“I’ll come with you,” Blue said, following behind him.
“Raven, stay calm,” I heard Christian say from behind my seat.