ripped up his shirt, all he had was his trench coat, which flapped behind him in the wind.
As he sped down the long and winding rural road, he regretted leaving that man at the club alive. But a dead body would have shut the place down and drawn attention to Raven. Still, if Claude hadn’t called him, Raven would be having a different kind of morning. Christian would have never held her accountable for doing anything under the influence of magic. All that guilt she felt was her human side talking—the one she cleaved to. Despite her past experiences, there were many things she didn’t yet know about the Breed world. Most of them she would have to learn on her own, like how potent Sensor magic could be. Sometimes telling a person wasn’t enough.
Christian throttled the engine at an intersection, impatiently waiting for the light to turn green. Who had given her that drink? After this assignment was over, it would become his mission to find out. Thinking about the ways he’d kill that bastard had distracted him during the painfully long hours he’d spent watching Raven pleasure herself. Last night’s visual would stay with him forever, and just the thought of it was making him hard.
Once he entered Keystone’s gates, he slowed his bike near the house. Instead of veering toward the underground garage, he drove around the circular driveway and parked next to the Harley-Davidson. He didn’t have to guess who was here. After he shut off his bike, a tapping sound from inside was all he could make out.
Christian glided through the front door, flung his coat on a winged statue, and spotted Crush facing the stairwell, one foot on the bottom step and his arms folded. Oil stains covered his jeans and white T-shirt. Those weren’t clothes he wore around his house, so he must have come straight from work.
When Crush heard the door shut, he stopped tapping his foot and turned around. “Where’s Raven?”
“As always, delightful to see you, Mr. Graves. Can I get you a drink? Perhaps a fire hose to clean your soiled garments?”
“Cut the shit. I want to know where my daughter is.”
Christian heard the light footfalls of Gem in sneakers. He’d gotten to know the unique sound of everyone’s movements around the mansion. The types of shoes they wore, how quick or slow their gait, how light or heavy their tread.
Gem bounded down the stairs in a teal romper, her shoulder-length hair bouncing with every step. Her whimsical spirit made it impossible to dislike her. “He’s not up there. Oh, Christian’s here! Maybe he knows. Have you seen Viktor?”
“Did you try calling?” He looked at Crush. “It’s a big house. We can’t exactly go around yelling for each other.”
Gem slowed her pace until she reached the last step. “I’m sorry, Mr. Graves. We can’t talk about where Raven is unless Viktor’s here, and I can’t find him.”
Grumbling obscenities under his breath, Crush put his hands on his hips and turned away.
Switch appeared from behind the stairs, Hunter dawdling beside him with a picture book in his hand. The long-haired Shifter stopped at the staircase and rested his arm on the newel. “Hey, old man. What are you doing in this neck of the woods?”
“Looking for Raven. Have you seen her? Seems to be a mystery around here, and it’s pissing me off.”
“Not my job.” Switch pulled an elastic band from his jeans pocket and tied his hair at the nape. He gave Christian a cursory glance. “Working on your tan?”
Gem giggled and leaned against the railing. “I think he just likes showing off his big ole tattoo.”
“Maybe you should get one,” Switch suggested, smiling up at her.
“Alas, I’ve got enough pizzazz. A tattoo would only detract.”
Crush approached Christian and lowered his voice. “Where is she?”
“Is this an emergency?”
“She’s not answering her phone, and no one here is answering my questions.”
“Maybe if you tell us what you’re doing here…”
Crush’s blue eyes narrowed, and Christian flicked a glance downward to see if the man was holding an impalement stake. He wouldn’t put it past him. “Tell me where she is, Vamp.”
“Now, there’s no need to get hostile.”
“Raven!” he bellowed, turning on his heel. Crush moved swiftly past Gem, up the stairs.
Her eyes widened. “He can’t go up there. He can’t!”
“Worry not,” Christian assured her. “I’ll take care of the old gobshite.”
She gave him an admonishing look. “You shouldn’t talk that way about Raven’s dad.”
“Yeah,” Switch agreed, his voice a threatening growl. “You