“Delighted,” I ground out.
He folded up the bloody handkerchief and tossed it into the fire. “Are they worth giving up your life for them? You can’t mean that much to them if you’re wandering the streets alone. Have you heard of the Shadow? If you’re who I think you are, I’d rather have someone like you on my side.” He stood up. “Let me get a chair so we can talk.”
When he left the room, I searched for a way out. I can always throw myself into the flames to burn the ropes, I mused.
Darius returned with a wooden chair. He closed the door behind him and sat down in front of me, his fingers steepled. “Who is Keystone?”
I shook my head.
“That’s the name I heard when you were screaming.”
Oh shit.
Those moments had been a blur, and I couldn’t be sure of what I’d said. What did it matter anyhow? I didn’t have any loyalty to Keystone.
“I’m not with them,” I said. “He owes me a favor, so they’re giving me pointers on how to protect myself on the streets.”
Darius sat back and ran his fingers through his curly hair. “Tell them you want a refund on your favor. I don’t see that it’s helped much, do you?”
I averted my eyes.
Darius leaned forward again, his eyes narrowing and forming wrinkles at the corners. “What has Keystone truly given you? Their loyalty? Their unwavering protection? It looks as if they have more important things on their agenda than protecting a scavenger. Groups like that will never elevate you to a better position. I’ve spent my entire life working to amass a fortune; all it takes is a little vision and good partners I can trust. It just so happens I’m missing my right-hand man. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”
I shook my head.
“If he’s missing, then he wasn’t qualified for the position. You could fill those shoes, Raven. I can offer you a place where people will respect you and follow your lead.”
I tilted my head back and settled my eyes on his. “You’re offering me a job?”
“I’m offering you much more than that. I can give you a place at my side, and our empire will prosper. Choose the right opportunities, because you don’t always get a second chance. I can protect you from men who would harm you,” he suggested, his gaze fixed on my burn. “If there are people you love, then you already realize how your very existence puts them in danger. I can offer them my protection as well.”
“I don’t have anyone.”
His brows arched. “Oh? I’m curious why my driver had to venture all the way out to that gas station this morning. That’s a desolate side of town. The only notable place in the area is a human trailer park just down the street. You strike me as recently made, and I’m sure it’s not been easy to let go of your human life. I’ve seen it all too often. According to my men, that wasn’t your usual spot. Sometimes the biggest flaws a man can have are right under his nose.”
My skin went ashen. Darius didn’t know who was in that park, but it wouldn’t take him long to find out. It was another indirect threat, and this time I gave him my full attention.
“That’s what I do, Raven. I offer people my protection.”
“You extort men for money. You’re the one they need protection from.”
He chuckled and rubbed his cheek. “Aren’t we all our own worst enemy? This isn’t about good and evil; it’s about right and wrong. I know what it’s like to have nothing and for people to see me as nothing. These so-called laws stripped away everything my Creator had given me, so I’ve spent my life rebuilding what was wrongfully taken.”
“You kill humans.”
He crossed an ankle over his knee and regarded me for a moment. Darius was a well-groomed man, someone I could easily imagine sipping champagne on a veranda while an ocean breeze blew back his dark, curly hair. “These mortals will perish like flies, and that’s something you’ll realize in the coming years. Once you understand how long your life will be, you’ll no longer dwell on moralities. You have to preserve your wealth and secure your future. Why do you think immortals focus so much on money and property? You can’t live on the streets forever. Ten years? Maybe. But what regrets will you have in two thousand years when you’re wandering around in search of a place to sleep for the night? Prepare for the unexpected changes that will come, and you will be in a better position to survive.”
My head was spinning. “What do you want with Keystone?”
“If you’ve told anyone about me, you’ve compromised everything I’ve worked hard to achieve. I could throw you in an abandoned well or cut off your head, but you have connections to this group, and that makes you valuable. We can work together.”