shoes. He needs a Mage, and he also needs a second person who won’t stand out or distract customers—for any reason.”
She hooked one arm over the back of her chair. “We’re trying to bait someone who runs cage fights. Wouldn’t a scarred woman be a sign of a warrior?”
“There’s a stigma, and you know it.”
“Thank the fates I don’t care about stigma. Don’t you find it infuriating? Scarred men are warriors. Scarred women are victims.”
“Smart people know the truth.”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s always going to hold me back.”
I lowered my head. Even though I wanted to make her feel better, there was no denying that her altered appearance would change everything. “I’m sorry.”
My external scars were miniscule in comparison. I had marks from an old Chitah bite on my hip, but my Keystone tattoo covered the ugliest part of it. While Blue expressed concern that her scars would ruin her career, it ran deeper than that. She was still a knockout, but her life hadn’t gone back to normal, even around the house. Wyatt didn’t ogle her body like he used to. At least, not for the same reasons. The world would treat her differently. Men would treat her differently. She’d never liked the attention, but now she had to deal with a different kind of attention.
Blue stood and crossed the room. Her button-up dropped to the floor, and she reached inside the armoire and chose a sleeveless black shirt with a high neck. It was formfitting and accentuated her full breasts, yet it cloaked her scars. Then she turned around and put her hands on her hips, making the point that she could have rocked a sexy look on this mission. The scar on her shoulder was visible, but she easily covered that with her long brown hair.
I heaved a sigh. “If what you’re wearing is considered too much for a club like this, what the hell am I going to be wearing?”
“Shy?”
I snuck a bite of her sandwich. “You’ve seen my wardrobe. A short black dress is about as sexy as I get. And how am I supposed to put up with lewd remarks and people leering at me without getting pissed off and showing my fangs?”
Blue returned to her seat and sipped her lemonade. “Christian didn’t have any advice? He always keeps his cool.”
I gave her a mirthless smile. “He spent all morning teaching me how to control my anger.”
“And?”
I pushed off the desk and headed toward the door. “If you find a stake in his chest tomorrow morning, it wasn’t me.”
Christian propped his elbows on the booth table and watched Niko eat his ham sandwich. On the heels of a new assignment, everyone else must have cut their lunch short to get back to their duties. When he, Raven, and Niko had emerged from the gym for their afternoon break, Wyatt was the only person left in the dining room. He’d briefly chatted with them before heading upstairs with an energy drink in his hand. Niko made himself a plate while Kira cleared the table. What a strange lass. Always consumed with work, her hair pinned up or tied with a kerchief. Servants were common in the world of mortals, but times weren’t as hard as they used to be. Christian had once been a servant, and he’d never choose that life again. It was a humbling position, one that required silence, loyalty, and obedience.
Raven whooshed out of the kitchen with a plate and glass in hand. “Be right back. I’m taking this up to Blue.”
Christian noticed a guilty look on her face. According to Wyatt, Blue hadn’t come down all day. She was vexed about the assignment, but Viktor’s options were limited. He couldn’t send Blue into the fire like that. It wouldn’t be fair to Keystone’s mission, and it might traumatize the poor lass if some wanker made crass remarks. Only customers wore latex suits to those clubs. Employees were scantily clad, and there was no way Blue could hide her scars.
Christian lifted his glass of whiskey and took another sip. This was their first break and chance to eat. Not that Christian ever ate at the table, but he enjoyed a glass of alcohol. Right now he needed it.
“You shouldn’t feel guilty,” Niko said as he finished his sandwich. “Taunting Raven had to be done. She isn’t like every other Mage, and she must learn to control her Vampire nature. You’re the only one who can mentor her. She didn’t receive that guidance