Nevermore (Crossbreed Series Book 6)

The next morning, snow flurries drifted down from the sky like winter’s afterthought. There was no significant accumulation, but the air held a bitter chill that I hadn’t felt in several weeks.

With my good jeans in the laundry, I slipped on a pair of leather pants and headed out to deliver the good news to my father. It was cause for celebration, and I let Viktor know I might be gone until tomorrow, depending on our plans.

Lenore hadn’t received her cut of the money yet. Christian had to go through the proper channels with the auction house since they also received a small percentage of all sales. Once they paid the remaining sum to Lenore, she would provide me with my share. Christian was tied up that morning with his banker, so my plan was to visit Crush and wait for Lenore’s call. After collecting my cash, I’d arrange a meeting with General and square away my debt.

Stirring with excitement, I knocked on the trailer door, a box of donuts in hand.

Crush opened the door and beamed. “Well, look what the cat dragged in.”

I stepped inside and gave him a hug before setting the box on the table. “I got extra jelly-filled donuts.”

“That’s my girl.”

After I took off my jacket, we sat down at the table and used paper napkins for plates.

“You’re getting around better,” I said, thankful to see some progress. “How are your ribs?”

“Still hurts, but I’ll live.”

I took a huge bite from my donut. “I’ve got good news. I’m paying off General today.”

He scooted his chair back and looked at the door. “You left that kind of money in the truck?”

“Easy, old man. I haven’t gotten the money yet; I’m just waiting on the call. I thought I’d come over and celebrate with donuts while we wait. See how you’re doing.”

He licked glaze off his finger, oblivious to the jelly stuck to his goatee. “I don’t know how I got so damn lucky to have a daughter like you.”

“I should bring donuts more often.”

“Are you ever gonna tell me how much money General’s asking?”

I finished my last bite and wiped off my fingers. The last thing I wanted to do was give the old man a heart attack. “Nope. It’s not your problem anymore. I just want you to promise me that if you ever need money, you’ll talk to me first. And don’t you dare hire another bounty hunter behind my back.”

“She was kinda cute.”

“You’re not her type. Trust me.”

A motorcycle engine rumbled in the driveway, steering my attention away.

“Are you expecting company?”

Crush lifted another donut from the box. “Switch called last night and asked if I’d look at his bike. It’s giving him some trouble.”

“Why can’t he take it to your shop?”

“I haven’t gone back to work yet, and he only wants me messing with it. Men are funny about their bikes and cars, Raven. They don’t let just anyone look up their girl’s skirt. He’s paying me in cash, so I’m not complaining.”

When I heard footsteps on the outside porch, I stood up and opened the door.

Switch tilted his head to the side and grinned at me. Something about the way he did that sent a shiver down my spine. No wonder I used to have a crush on him. He exuded power that was part of his wolf DNA.

“Hey, Switch. Just in time for donuts.”

He patted Crush on the shoulder as he circled the table and sat across from me. While holding a donut between his teeth, Switch removed his leather coat and draped it over the back of his chair. He bit through the donut and grabbed a napkin. “I saw a few flurries this morning. You think you can take a look at my bike before we get another blizzard?”

Crush cleared his throat. “What kind of problem is she giving you?”

Switch’s hair framed his face, so some of the donut glaze stuck to the strands near his mouth. “She’s just not running right. The engine sounds off.”

“How often do you clean her parts?”

“As often as I clean mine.”

“Don’t give me any lip. I’ll take a look at it, but if it needs major repairs, you’ll have to leave her here and find a ride home. I’m not a taxi service.”

I wiped my fingers on a napkin. “I’ll drive him.”

“We’ve missed you around here,” Switch said, his eyes flicking up. “It was kind of nice having you back for a while.”

“I’m still back. I just live somewhere else now. If you ever want to swing by, give me a call. We have restricted areas of the mansion, but I’m sure Viktor wouldn’t mind a trusted visitor.”

“Or we could just go out and hang.”

“I know a great diner in the human district. I should take you guys there sometime. They make great pie.”

Switch smiled. “I like pie. If you ever want lunch, hit me up. I’ll take you over to Coyote Burger. They’re in the Breed district. I don’t think your old man ever took you there back in the day.”

Crush looked between us but stayed quiet. I knew he was speculating what might exist between Switch and me, so I decided it was an opportune time to broach the subject with everyone present.

I reached beneath my collar and pulled out my ruby necklace. “I auctioned this necklace to pay your debt, and Christian bought it back.”

Crush set down his second donut and wiped his hands with a napkin. “So you two are a thing now?” His question was more rhetorical, as if the news hadn’t come as a surprise. He sighed and picked at the icing on his half-eaten donut.

“Yep. We’re definitely something. I know how tough you are on outsiders, but give him a chance. He’s not a complete fanghole.”

“Then why didn’t he come with you?”

“He’s taking care of business. We still have a loan shark to pay off.”

“How do I know he’s not gonna suck on you?”

I pushed away my napkin. “How do you know I’m not going to suck on him?”

Switch slapped the table and howled with laughter.

I frowned. “That’s not what I meant. My point is that you can’t be prejudiced against Vampires if I’m half.”

Switch’s laugh died in his throat, and his eyes rounded.

“It’s not fair to him, and it’s definitely not fair to me,” I continued. “I’m not asking for us to be the Brady Bunch. I just want you to keep an open mind, because this isn’t just a temporary fling. And don’t you dare think about staking him when he’s visiting, not even as a joke.”

Crush sat back and folded his arms. “Now what makes you think I’d do a thing like that?”

I stood up and gathered the trash off the table. “Oh, I don’t know. The time I mentioned I had a crush on an older boy in the neighborhood and I came home and found him tied to a tree. In the rain.”

“He was twenty-two. You were sixteen. That was no boy.”

“He didn’t even know I existed! I’d never talked to him before, and you can bet after that stunt, he never looked my way again.”

“You need to let that shit go,” Switch said. “Your old man was just looking out for you.”

“Thank you, son.”

I glared at them as I tossed dirty napkins into the trash. “You two need to stop ganging up on me and get a room.”

When I peered through the window over the kitchen sink, I glimpsed a wolf behind the tree line. Wizard had stayed true to his word by keeping one of his men around to watch over things. I’m certain he instructed them not to get involved and only to report anything unusual, but it still gave me a measure of comfort to know that Wizard had a set of eyes on my father’s property. Anything could happen out here.

Though my back was turned, I could feel Switch staring at me. I’d outed myself as a crossbreed in front of him by accident, and I was waiting to see his reaction. Maybe he needed time to digest the news, or maybe he didn’t want to say something insulting that would earn him a black eye from my father. In any case, he stayed quiet about it. I wondered if anyone would ever accept what I was without requiring an explanation.

“Your pocket’s vibrating,” Switch said, snapping me out of a daze.

I raced to the table and fumbled in my jacket pocket. “That was faster than I thought. Gotta run.” I kissed Crush on the back of the head. “I’ll swing by on my way home to let you know how it went.”

“Go with her,” Crush ordered Switch.

I put on my jacket. “No need. I’m just picking up the money.”

“And paying off General,” he finished. “Switch, go with her.”

Switch did as ordered and stood up. After he put on his jacket, he set his keys on the table and followed me out to the truck.

“You really don’t have to come,” I said, guilty that I’d dragged him into all this drama. “I’ve got this covered.”

“If Crush gives an order, you do it.”

“My orders don’t count?”

We reached the truck, and he looked at me from the other side. “You’re all bark. But that one, he’s all bite.”

“You haven’t seen my teeth.”

Lenore wasn’t a gracious host this time around. I’d thought she might use the opportunity to rub salt in my nonexistent wound about making off with more than half of Christian’s money, but instead her servant greeted me at the door with a black duffel bag. I couldn’t exactly walk around with all that money, so I told her to carve out a million and wire the remaining to my account. Admittedly, I was a tad disappointed that I couldn’t flaunt my necklace in front of her, but I had more pressing matters than a conniving bitch who was dead set on meddling with lives for her own personal gain.

I had sent a message to General while on my way to her house, confirming that I had his money. He texted me back and agreed to meet.

Switch lifted his visor. “You’re too damn quiet. What’s on your mind?”

I turned the corner and sped up. “I don’t like that he wants to meet at Crush’s trailer. Why not by the river?”

Switch chuckled. “Do you really want to meet up with a loan shark by the river?”

“Why not somewhere else?”

“Guys like him don’t make money transactions at Wendy’s. They want privacy and prefer places they’re familiar with so there aren’t any surprises. Crush said he’ll keep an eye out for him.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

“Better they’re on our turf anyhow.” He cleared his throat and shifted toward me. “So, about that thing you said to Crush.”

“What thing?”

“The half-Vampire thing.”

“Oh, that thing.”

“Is it true?”

I rubbed my nose and looked at him. Switch must have been mulling over that revelation for some time. “That’s another reason you and I would have never worked out. I’m a crossbreed.”

“How is that even possible?”

“I don’t know. How is any of this possible?”

He faced forward and stayed quiet for a beat. “Just for the record, I think that’s pretty badass.”

“Keep it between us. It’s not something I’m intentionally hiding, but let’s just say that it’s been an ace up my sleeve.”

When I pulled into the driveway, I saw the red truck parked in the yard. While pulling up to the front of the garage, we both scanned the property.

General was leaning against the front of the truck, hands in the pockets of his grey hoodie, his track pants flapping in the breeze. Three of his brothers were sitting in the back of the pickup, and one was in the driver’s seat.

“Let me do all the talking this time,” I said. “I want this to go as smoothly as possible.”

“Like you don’t have a track record for pissing people off.”

I grabbed the duffel bag and got out of the truck. General cut the distance between us while Switch headed toward the trailer steps.

I dropped the bag at General’s feet. “One million. It’s all there. Way more than what Crush owed.”

“Transfer fees.” He knelt down and unzipped the bag.

I bit my tongue.

General took out a pack of bills and thumbed through them, checking to make sure the denominations matched. He did that with a few others before zipping the bag closed and rising to his feet. “Impressive.”

“Crush won’t be requesting your services again.”

He ambled over to the truck and swung the bag through the open door. “I have to admit, I didn’t think you’d get it all.” General turned and reduced the distance between us. “You’re pretty resourceful.”

I looked up when I heard the trailer door open.

Crush stood in the doorway. “I want my truck back.”

The brothers hopped out of the truck in response.

General put his hands on his hips. “Is that so, human?”

“Daddy, get in the house.”

General gave him a toothy smile. “She’s a real beauty. Drives like a dream. How much are you willing to offer?”

“You got all your money,” Crush snarled. “But you don’t mess with a man’s vehicle.”

I looked up at Crush. “I’ll buy you a new one.”

“The hell you will. You’ve already given this dirtbag more than he asked for. All I want is what’s mine. He only took the truck to make a point.”

Common sense should have prevailed. Most people would keep their mouth shut and waddle away with their tail between their legs. But in that moment, Crush reminded me that I would always be his acorn, and I hadn’t fallen far from the tree. That truck wasn’t just his way around town, especially in bad weather, but it meant something to him. Just like the blue truck meant something to me.

“That was compensation for disrespecting me, old man.” General drew back his hood.

I lowered my voice. “You can afford another truck. That’s his. He bought it with his hard-earned money.” I stuffed my hands in my coat pockets. “Don’t you want me to recommend your services?”

General threw back his head and laughed.

“I’ll fight you for it.”

The laughter died in his throat, and he cocked an eyebrow. “You want me to fight against a Mage?”

“I won’t use my powers if you won’t.”

He stared at me for an uncomfortably long time, and a light breeze swept his mane across his neck. “We can work out a payment plan.”

“Just give him back the truck. It’s a drop in the bucket compared to what’s in that bag. You can buy twenty trucks just like it.”

What General didn’t understand about the working class was the pride they took in the things they bought. My father’s valuables—what few he had—were symbols of years of hard work and overtime. You can’t replace that.

General folded his arms. “And what do I get if I win?”

“Nothing. This is just a chance for me to win back what’s ours.”

He pressed his lips into a mulish line and shook his head. “Not good enough. If it’s worth something to you, then I’ll take a hundred large.”

I narrowed my eyes and walked off. “Fuck you.”

Switch’s eyes widened. “Raven, look out!”

Bracing for a lion attack, I pivoted on my heel just as one of his brothers swung a bat at my knee. There was no time to flash out of reach or thwart the attack.

The pain was blinding, and I fell to the ground screaming. Now I understood why kneecapping was a favorite form of punishment among professional criminals. Worst of all, there wasn’t any sunlight for me to heal.

Switch came out of nowhere and ducked when the Shifter swung the bat at his head. Their bodies collided as Switch tackled him like a football player and they hit the ground.

General got in the passenger seat and sped away, leaving behind three brothers to finish us off. I couldn’t stand up to fight. When I attempted to bend my knee, it wrought the worst kind of agony, so all I could do was watch.

Switch pummeled my attacker with a closed fist and then stood up to kick him in the ribs. My eyes watered from the excruciating pain, and I blinked through the tears to see the two other men casually strolling up. One grabbed the baseball bat and swung it like a batter trying for a home run. It hit Switch’s back with a nasty thud, and he staggered for a few steps.

A shotgun blasted from the porch, and one of the men flew back and hit the ground.

“Get back inside!” I screamed at my father.

The injured man shifted into a lion. He must have been as tall as my shoulders, a long reddish mane encircling his head.

When the bat hit Switch a second time, he shifted into a wolf.

Another shotgun blast fired, but nobody went down. I wasn’t sure who Crush was aiming at, the man with the bat or the lion.

The guy Switch had pummeled rose to his feet, and when he sprinted for the porch steps, I crawled madly after him and seized his ankle. Just before he stepped out of my grasp, I blasted him with energy, and he fell like a stone.

The lion charged at Switch’s wolf, who bravely darted around him and nipped at his hind legs. Switch was nimble, but could he take out a lion? We were in trouble. Big trouble.

I crawled on my forearms toward the Shifter I’d blasted so I could knock him out a second time. But when I grabbed his shoe, he kicked me in the face and scrambled out of reach.

The shotgun fired a third time, but blinded by dirt in my eyes, I couldn’t see what was happening. Only the sound of a roaring lion, the barking of a wolf, the cursing of my father, the blast of his gun, and footsteps on the porch.

And then… I heard something else.