Nevermore (Crossbreed Series Book 6)
: Chapter 23

After speaking to Niko, I didn’t leave Keystone right away. I ventured to my bedroom, hoping Viktor might shift back so we could talk. I’d sent him a text message, and when he never came, I went up to the roof to watch the sunset. Avoiding the team seemed like the best way to avoid questions I wasn’t ready to answer. It was chilly, and the country air smelled crisp and clean. The vantage point from my favorite spot was spectacular—rolling hills and trees as far as the eye could see. The city seemed a million miles away, as if we were living in an enchanted place that no one could touch or see. While it distanced me from all the troubles in the world, it also gave me a chance to reflect.

Leaving my father wasn’t going to be easy, but at least now I could take him to Ruby’s Diner and have someone I could talk to about personal matters. That was something I’d sorely lacked during all the years I lived alone on the streets. Not having a friend or someone to depend on can make a person crazy. Wizard promised to have a wolf keeping an eye on things, so that was a little extra peace of mind. I didn’t expect his men to risk their lives and intervene, but at least they could call for help or let me know if something was wrong.

After dark, I slipped out and headed to an old bar my father used to frequent. I needed a nice quiet corner to get hammered. I’d earned it. Not only had I stood up to Lenore and still managed to keep our agreement, but I’d put my foot down with Christian and let him know I wanted the real deal. No pussyfooting around. I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry, but after a few drinks, I’d probably find out.

I tapped my hand on the bar, signaling the bartender to give me another shot. “What do you call this again?”

A baldheaded man named Gleason set another green shooter in front of me. “A quick fuck.”

“These specialty drinks aren’t usually my thing, but…” I knocked back the drink and set it down. “Yummy.”

Gleason chuckled. “You’re at the stage when everything tastes yummy.” He rested his arms on the bar. “Sal tells me you’re Crush’s little girl.”

I squinted. “Who’s Sal?”

Gleason pointed at a biker at the end of the bar. Sal looked naturally bald but was sporting a grey goatee just like the one Crush had. He lifted his beer and smiled at me.

I poked my finger in the empty glass. “I’m not a little girl anymore.”

Gleason laughed. “I’ve heard.” He set the empty glass behind the bar before popping the cap off a bottle of beer and placing it on a napkin. “So you’re a Mage, huh?”

“You’re a bunch of gossiping hens,” I retorted, pointing in every which direction. “Is everyone in here Breed?”

“Pretty much. Except for the drunk sitting by the bathroom. He’s human.”

“You don’t worry he might overhear something or see a wolf run by?”

Gleason laughed. “He doesn’t even know what planet he’s on half the time.”

Energy leaked from my fingertips as it sometimes did when I had too much to drink. “Me either. Or is it neither? Neither nor…”

“Maybe I should cut you off.”

I chortled and grabbed the beer before he took it. “I haven’t seen a Breed bar yet that stops serving people. So if you cut me off, it might not be good for business.”

He sighed and set down a bowl of peanuts. “At least eat something. And I already took your keys, so you’re not driving.”

I jerked my head back and looked on the bar where I’d put them. Then I tilted back on my stool and searched the floor. Sure enough, Gleason had confiscated my keys. Just as well. I wasn’t planning on driving home anyhow. After all, I was a Mage. I could flash the rest of the way.

I palmed my beer and scoped out the room. It was smoky, dark, and full of bikers shooting pool in the sunken room behind me. There were four tables, each with red felt, which wasn’t a popular color in pool halls. There were green mosaic lamps hanging over each table, and most of the men were telling stories and laughing instead of focusing on their game. I wanted to immerse myself in that lively atmosphere, but my sullen mood would only be a buzzkill.

After steadying myself on my feet, I searched for an empty booth. Most people were sitting at the bar, including four boisterous women who looked like sisters. Everyone seemed to know one another, so there weren’t a lot of men encroaching on everyone’s personal space to deliver their worst pickup line.

Thank God.

Sometimes a girl just needed to be left alone.

I staggered to a booth near the back and collapsed in the seat before thumping my head against the wall as I tipped over. When I sat up and took a swig of beer, I noticed a man at the bar swiping my bowl of peanuts. He headed toward me, and when he came into focus, I found myself at a loss for words.

Except for one.

“Houdini.”

He set the bowl on the table and sat across from me. Something was different about him, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Same black ear studs, same disheveled hair, same forgettable clothes. Ah, it suddenly dawned on me.

“You’re not smiling,” I pointed out, slapping my hand on the table.

Houdini didn’t have on his grey coat. He was dressed down in faded jeans and a brown long-sleeve V-neck. His bleached hair was darker at the root than usual, like he needed a touch-up.

He set a silver puzzle box between us, the same one I’d tossed over the bridge. “It took me a while to find it and even longer to open it. I love a good challenge and didn’t want to damage the integrity. However, it seems to be missing a key.”

“Huh.” I took a swig of beer with absolutely no idea how I was going to get out of this one.

When I had tossed that box over the bridge, I thought it would either sink to the bottom or the river would carry it away. I’d never imagined Houdini would spend the next few weeks underwater, searching for it.

Especially since I’d taken out the key before leaving the mansion.

That key was the only thing I had on Houdini, and even though I had tricked him into making a deal with me, it was important to hold on to that key. It might be the only thing keeping me alive. Houdini was crafty and constantly meddling in my life, and the next best thing to possessing that key was figuring out what it opened. Maybe he knew and maybe he didn’t. Maybe he’d already burned the contents. But one thing was clear: he didn’t want anyone else having access to it or evidence of its existence. Even if it was an excuse to be in my life, getting rid of it—or pretending to—would eliminate me as a threat.

Not anymore.

He laced his fingers together and stared at me so intently that it made me glad I was too drunk to hold his gaze. Less chance of him charming me.

I pushed the box away. “You can keep it. Did you know the devil lies within? That’s what it says on the side, written in some archaic language.” I spun the box in a circle. “Are you the devil?”

He drew in a deep breath and exhaled through his nose.

Yep. He was pissed.

“You broke my trust,” he said.

I snorted. “Seriously? You ruined my life. You left me in a morgue, kidnapped me, sold me to an abusive Mage, kidnapped me again, and sold me back to my abuser. Do you really think I care if I hurt your feelings over a little white lie that saved this city?”

“I can shut off the lights again.”

“But you won’t.”

“What makes you so certain?”

I leaned back, hands resting on the edge of the table. “Because you insist that nothing you do is out of maliciousness. You’re merely conducting your own experiments to study what happens. If you shut off the lights because you’re mad at me, that’ll prove everything you’ve told me about you is a lie. And maybe I want you to.” I reached in the bowl and chomped on a few salty peanuts. “Go on. Shut off the lights.”

“You know I won’t do that. But the key is mine.”

“Is it? Possession is nine-tenths of the law.”

He leaned forward. “Then I guess that makes you mine.”

“I’m not in your possession.”

“Aren’t you?”

“If you weren’t a Vamp, I’d blast you into oblivion.”

When I stood up to leave the table, he captured my arm.

“There are consequences for every action.”

I jerked my arm, but his grip was iron. “Is that a threat?”

“It’s Newton’s third law of motion.”

I bent down and flashed my fangs. “Let me go.”

“I don’t like this side of you,” he said, releasing his hold.

“You mean the side that stands up to you and doesn’t give a shit about your threats? Too bad. If you want to continue this conversation, I’ll be playing tarts.” I barked out a laugh. “I mean darts.”

After grabbing my beer, I headed toward the steps that led to the game room. Hopefully he’d disappear like he always did. How had he known I was here? Probably because he followed me from home. Houdini had trespassed on our property on at least three occasions that I knew about, so it wouldn’t surprise me.

“Raven, come back. I’m not finished talking to you.”

“Nope. I seem to have a bad track record with talking to you alone in bars when I’m drunk. If you want to talk to me, you’ll have to do it in front of an audience.”

I weaved toward the two dartboards against the far wall. The intermittent sound of pool sticks cracking against balls filled the gaps between conversations.

Houdini grabbed my arm, this time more forcefully. “Come outside.”

I turned, raising my arm to pull away. “Let me go before you break it! You don’t get to decide my fate anymore.”

“I’ve done nothing but help you,” he said so that no one else could hear. “I returned your memories.”

“After you took them! What kind of favor was that? It’s like stealing someone’s dog and then claiming the reward.”

“You’d be better off without them, and you know it. Funny how the moment I return your memories, you leave Keystone.”

“Quit stalking me.”

When I tried wrenching away, I fell against a large man.

Still gripping my arm, Houdini dragged me toward the bar. I dug my heels in, grabbing anything I could, including someone’s belt.

Houdini abruptly stopped, and when I looked up, four brawny men were blocking his path. Their muscled arms were crossed, and one of them had mirrored sunglasses shielding his eyes. Would Houdini risk charming the other three? Would he expose himself as a Vampire in a Shifter bar and start a brawl? Curious, I watched on.

“This is a personal matter,” Houdini informed them. “I would advise you to step aside and let us pass.”

The big guy with the shades jerked his chin at me. “When you mess with a Graves, you mess with us. And we don’t step aside.”

A smile ghosted my lips. Somehow these guys knew I was Crush’s daughter. Maybe they remembered me from years ago when Crush used to bring me here, but I hadn’t been back since those early days, so none of them looked familiar.

Houdini released his hold and turned to face me. “I gave you a chance to make this right. What happens next is on you.”

The men parted, allowing him to pass, and when Houdini reached the steps, I angrily grabbed a pool ball and threw it at him. He turned like lightning and caught it in his hand, crushing it to pieces before making his exit.

“Did you see that?” someone exclaimed. “Holy shit, that guy was a Vamp.”

“I knew it,” a woman declared. “You can always tell when they’re wearing contacts.”

But they hadn’t suspected a thing. Houdini didn’t wear contacts, and nothing about him looked like a Vampire.

I grabbed a random beer bottle sitting on the edge of a table and took a swig. Did he expect me to be compliant simply because he was my maker? I suddenly had more clarity drunk than I did sober about what he’d been doing. Maybe Christian was right. Maybe Houdini really was gaslighting me, because all I’d been doing was rationalizing his actions. Even now I was doubting myself, wondering if I’d overreacted. Throwing the box into the river had been a ruse, but now whatever he had planned was going to be my fault. Why? Because I refused to talk to him.

One of the big dudes who had confronted Houdini hustled over and lifted me off my feet before setting me on the edge of a pool table. “You all right?” The look of concern on his face had me worried.

“Maybe it’s broken,” another man suggested. “She’s too drunk to notice, and he had a firm grip. Did you see what he did to that ball?”

I set down my beer and squeezed my bicep. After flexing my arm and turning the shoulder, there didn’t seem to be any injuries. Houdini was incredibly strong, but he hadn’t broken any bones. Maybe a little bruising, but my long sleeves were covering up my arm.

“Nice shirt,” a woman said. “I dated a drummer once. They have stamina, and I love going all night.”

A lean man cackled. “Oh yeah, Tonya? Back when I used to play, I seem to remember this woman who fell asleep on top of me during sex. Oh wait, that was you.”

She pursed her lips. “That says more about you than it does me, honey.”

“Where is she?” Crush boomed from the bar.

I fell back on the table and scooted to the center, attempting to hide from his view.

The men weren’t any help. As soon as they noticed my cowering reaction, they stepped aside and raised their arms to point.

I gazed up at the light. “Nobody is ever on my side.”

When Crush’s face appeared over mine, I reached up and tugged on his goatee. “Hey, Daddy-o. What brings you here?”

“I got a call that said you were shit-faced.”

“Did someone put out an all-points bulletin?” I pulled a ball out from under my back and rolled it across the table. “Was it that guy at the bar? Sal? Did he snitch on me?”

“Never you mind.”

“You didn’t have to come all this way. I didn’t plan on driving home. I just had a rough day at the office.”

Someone approached Crush and gave him an appraising glance. “What the hell happened to you?”

Crush had a fat lip and black eye, but my guess was that people were more concerned with his limp and the cane.

I eased up on my elbows. “Wait a second. How did you get here? You can’t drive a motorcycle in your condition.”

“Wizard brought me.”

“Swell.” When I sat all the way up, I hit my head on the overhead lamp. “Where is he?”

“Outside. One of us will drive your truck back home.”

“That’s not a plan. You can’t drive.”

“My right foot is fine, and that’s the only one I need.” His eyes darted around, and the way he kept mashing his lips together revealed he wasn’t happy having this conversation around people who knew him. “What did you have tonight?”

“A lot of quick fucks.”

Riotous laughter erupted in the room.

Wizard swaggered into the bar, and I only recognized him through the smoky haze because of his long black mustache, which went across his upper lip and down the sides of his mouth. Several men clapped his back and greeted him. He took one look at me and hoisted me off the table by my waist before tossing me over his shoulder.

“You got a real hell-raiser there, Crush,” the man in shades said, and he meant it as a compliment.

When I glanced up, everyone was giving me the bye-bye wave.

A redhead waggled her eyebrows at Crush. “You should come in here more often, honey. I’ll take real good care of you.”

“Keys?” Wizard asked, approaching the bar.

I heard a jingle as the bartender tossed them over.

As soon as we made it outside, I slapped Wizard on the ass. “Put me down before I throw up.”

When my feet suddenly hit the ground, I teetered before he caught me around my waist.

He tossed his keys to Crush. “I’ll drive her back. Looks like she’s gonna need someone to lift her ass into the truck. Meet you at your place. Take care of my baby.”

To my relief, Wizard had his work truck with him instead of his bike. I wriggled free and plastered myself against the door. At least it was Wizard seeing me like this instead of Switch.

Crush tapped his cane against my truck. “Strap her up. I want to make sure she’s alive so I can kill her when we get home.”

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