Viktor pairing me up with a Vampire was like the universe giving me the finger.
As I turned down another hall, I overheard voices coming from behind one of the closed doors. I didn’t have exceptional hearing like a pureblood Vampire, so I tiptoed over to the door. Viktor had mentioned that some of the rooms were soundproof, but not this one. I recognized Viktor speaking.
“Are you familiar with this area?”
“I think so,” Blue said, her voice more distant. “Do you think he’ll have poachers?”
“Nyet. He does not come from the Old World. In my time, men were always prepared for spies. Get as close as you can without putting yourself in danger.”
“Are you sure your source is reliable?”
“Whether Darius changes his mind is another matter, but we cannot dismiss an opportunity.”
“And if he moves?”
“Follow,” Viktor said tersely.
“If he leaves the property, do you want me to call in for backup?”
I could tell Viktor was pacing around the room by the way his voice shifted direction and volume. “He has reservations at a Breed restaurant. I cannot initiate an execution in such a public place. We have an end goal, but you must always consider how you choose to reach that goal.”
I pressed my ear closer to the door.
“Do we have enough evidence?” she asked.
“Sufficient. Wyatt gave me an update and linked all the businesses to an area of land that once belonged to Darius. His motive for extortion is evident. It was no secret to me that Darius was arrested many years ago, but after Wyatt’s discovery, I called a close friend of mine. He knows this area well and said it was commonplace that those who served time in Breed jail had to relinquish their land. The higher authority must have noticed the growing human population and wanted to create more division since many locations were a mixture of the two.”
I heard Blue’s boot heels as she trod across the room. “Wow. So the authorities stripped away his land, and once free, he couldn’t get it back because they sold it to humans. What was he in jail for?”
Viktor laughed, and it was a warm, sonorous sound. “What do you think? The very thing he is doing now. Extorting people for money. That is how I received the tip to open his case. Darius was acquiring money too quickly, and it caught the attention of the higher authority when he was buying and selling expensive properties. They suspected he was back to his old habits but had no proof. There were rumors of wealthy humans turning up dead, but the higher authority couldn’t question the victims’ families because it goes against our laws.”
“What do you want me to do if he moves to a more private location? There’s always that possibility.”
It sounded like someone was tapping their foot on the floor.
“Nyet. It will be daylight. Too much risk,” he said, his accent heavier.
“Too much opportunity,” she suggested.
“If we’re caught and endanger the reputation of the higher authority—who is paying us—we will be cut off like a necrotic limb. Just follow. We need to confirm if the information Raven gave us is correct—that he’s staying in this house. Follow the vehicle and identify him. When you get to the restaurant, shift back and call me with an update.”
“Are you sure, Viktor? We could surround him and—”
“I cannot take the chance,” he stressed in slow words. “Christian is not here, and we would have no one to take care of witnesses. You would have a body to deal with—blood and emotional imprints. You are smarter than that. Leave early in the morning, and keep your phone charged. Put it on vibrate so it doesn’t draw attention.”
She laughed softly. “You must think I’m an amateur. I keep my clothes well hidden when I shift.”
I scurried down the hall and ascended the stairs. When I reached the top floor, I slammed right into Wyatt.
“Well, it looks like we meet again. Does something have you… spooked?”
Once my heart stopped hammering against my chest, I put my hands on my hips, still out of breath. “Feel up to some covert spy stuff?”
Wyatt put his arm around me, and we strolled toward his game room. “Now you’re speaking my language.”
Chapter 15
The car lurched to a stop, and I gripped the driver’s seat in front of me, which happened to be on the right side of the car and not the left. “I thought we were going to be covert?”
Wyatt shifted to park and turned off the engine. He jerked his thumb at Shepherd. “He’s my partner. If I keep anything from him, he’ll move my bed into a graveyard while I’m sleeping.”
“I meant the car.”
Wyatt’s expression twisted comically. “Leave my girl alone. This is a vintage 1971 classic Mini Cooper.”
“Yeah, nothing conspicuous about that,” I said with a snort.