when you have had trauma. Raven, Blue, and even Gem. You will accept the time I give you. Raven will be without weapons, so I want you to work with her today.”
“Wait a second.” I got up, flustered by the idea of going in without my push daggers. “You want me unarmed?”
“That is the club policy. The owner fires anyone carrying, so if you are caught and shown preferential treatment, it will—how you say—blow our cover.”
Gem smiled approvingly.
Viktor sighed and rubbed his eyes. He must have been up all night working out the details. “Use your Mage skills to protect yourself. No bloodsucking.”
I snorted. “That takes the fun out of it. So what do you think happened to the victims?”
“It is possible they made mistakes or tried to quit. Fighters never leave, not unless it is in a body bag. A headless or charred body would draw attention from insiders working for the police, so the person behind this is very crafty indeed. Perhaps a Chitah delivered a fatal dose of venom and sealed the wounds. I think what is more likely is that a Mage killed them. There are a number of those with rare but deadly gifts. You’re a Stealer, and your kind were once executioners. Stealing someone’s light and then their life is not as messy.”
“You said the first girl had blood on her. That sounds pretty messy.”
“Da. But no injuries from what they told us. We believe after she was strangled, the culprit dumped her body in the human district in hopes that she would be misidentified as human. We can only speculate what is happening. That is why we need you to go in and gather as much information as you can.”
Blue gripped the rope with one hand. “And me? Don’t keep me home, Viktor. I’ve taken enough time off. I’m ready to work.”
Viktor gave her a reluctant smile. I’d never met a stronger woman than Blue, and she wanted to get back into the thick of things—perhaps too quickly. Since returning from our last mission in West Virginia, Blue hadn’t acknowledged the attack that left her scarred. I felt a kinship to her for that, because I had a tendency to bottle up my rage and pain. I couldn’t imagine how the hell she was dealing with those scars, ones I hadn’t seen since that fateful night. All I knew was that they covered her torso, and her days of wearing sexy low-cut tank tops had ended—not unless she was wearing a button-up over it. Now most of her shirts had high collars like the flannel shirt she wore today.
“If Raven leaves club with anyone, I want you to follow,” Viktor said, giving Blue a respectable role. “We cannot rely on a tracking device that might malfunction.”
“My equipment never malfunctions,” Wyatt grumbled.
Shepherd snickered. “That’s not what your last date said.”
“That’s it?” Blue cocked her head. “Or am I also working inside?”
“You will wear a small phone around your neck. Wyatt will design something that will not be a danger to your animal.” Viktor blushed and averted his eyes. “The club has a provocative dress code that I do not think you can adhere to. That is why I chose Claude.”
Blue’s lips thinned, and she stormed out of the room. We felt the weight of her fury as the door slammed.
Viktor clasped his hands behind his back and paced toward the door as if he might go after her, but he didn’t. “Raven and Claude will stay in separate hotels. Only Shepherd and Blue are permitted to return home. Claude will work as Raven’s partner inside the club, and Blue will follow her every move on the outside. These roles are vital to Raven’s safety. I must be updated on any new developments.”
“And what’ll you have me doing? Helping Kira with the dishes?” Christian argued.
Viktor spun on his heel. “I want you to create Raven’s alias. Make it believable and something she can remember. You know what men like this might ask her, and I need her to be prepared and consistent with her answers. I will give you what we know about the victims, and you can search for similarities.”
Christian seemed satisfied with that answer.
“Any questions?” Viktor asked.
I sprang to my feet. “When do we start?”
“Soon. Everyone except you and Niko can join me for breakfast. I need you sharp, and Niko will work with you. Break only as needed—we have no time to waste.” He turned his attention to Niko. “Teach her what