Ivan scanned the information in the folder while Raina made pleasantries with the man on the phone. “Ask him if there’s a safe somewhere in the hotel where guests keep their valuables.”
She nodded, got up, and left for the bedroom.
“Normally there is.” He turned to Jack. “No one would be stupid enough to lock a diamond up in one of the small safes in the rooms. Anyone can get into those.”
“Can they?”
Ivan shrugged. Perhaps not anyone, but he could. “Eat more if you want.”
Jack eyed the last three pancakes on the platter. “You’ve never fed me before.”
Ivan shrugged. “I’ve only ever had you for short times. I don’t think we’ll get done today, so you have to eat.”
Jack’s gaze swept over his face. “I haven’t eaten in two weeks.”
Fucking Remington Redwood. “Why don’t you kill the bastard? You’re strong and quick, he wouldn’t stand a chance.”
The blank face Jack presented had Ivan sighing.
“Look, I know it must be hard, or I can guess at least, but withholding food and locking you up in cages is wrong.”
“If I disappoint him, he’ll replace the plastic stake with one made of ash wood.”
Killing them with a push of a button. “Yeah, but yours is plastic, right?” God, he hoped so. “It is, right?”
Jack nodded.
“Good. If you were to kill him on your first try, he wouldn’t be able to change it into ash.”
“But we all would be euthanized.”
Euthanized. As if they were dogs. Ivan wanted to be sick. “Break his neck and run.”
Jack gestured at his chest. “They’ll trigger them. They can do it remotely.”
They needed to remove it. He couldn’t have Jack falling paralyzed at the click of a button. Especially not since Ivan might push the button at any time by mistake while squeezing through somewhere. And Ivan would bet his right hand Remi had more than one device for each vampire.
Perhaps it was the plan. Have Jack fall into a heap at a critical moment. He frowned. The tracking devices would tell Remi where they were, and if he wanted to, he could shoot the stake into Jack’s heart. “Fuck.”
“Luis is working tonight.” Raina walked into the kitchen. “He can get me in.”
“Is there a safe?”
She nodded. “One in each room, and one on the basement floor. There’s a vault only the hotel manager has access to.”
“Palm print? Retina scanner?”
“Eh…” She shrugged, and Ivan held in a sigh.
“Can we get a blueprint of the building? I need to know if there’s another way into the vault.” He looked up and noticed Jack frowning. “What?”
Jack grimaced; he’d never seen a vampire grimace. Most often they didn’t show any emotions at all. “Why would they bring a diamond if they weren’t going to show it to someone?”
Ivan pursed his lips. Yeah, why?
“This diamond, is it just a diamond?” Raina sat across from him.
“The queen’s diamond.” Ivan didn’t care who the diamond belonged to.
“Yes, but is it a rock sitting in a box or is it in a necklace or a ring?”
Ivan leafed through the papers in the folder until he found a photo of the diamond. He held it up so Jack and Raina could see. “Necklace.”
“Luis said he could get me in tonight because there would be so many people no one would notice I didn’t belong. There is some kind of charity fundraising dinner thing. Lots of fancy dresses and tiny portions of food.”
Shit. “You think the wife will be wearing it?” Remi hadn’t said anything about there being a charity dinner.
“What do we know about it?”
Ivan shook his head. “Nothing. It’s a suicide mission. Lord Zelly is there with his wife and thirty guards. Remi has a buyer for the diamond and wants it stolen.”
“I would wear it.”
Ivan huffed. “I know you would, but subtlety isn’t your thing.”
“Yeah, well, fuck you, Ivan. Not all of us were born shadow walkers.”
Ivan glanced at Jack, but he showed no reaction to Raina’s words.
“It doesn’t matter. We need a plan.” He held up a finger. “We need to get Jack out of the chains and out of the stake.” Jack once again hovered with his hand over his chest. “We need to find him clothes.” He tapped his finger on the folder. “We need more information about the layout of the building.” He met Raina’s gaze. “See if Luis can fix you up as a cleaner or waiter. Waiter is probably best so you can keep an eye on them during the dinner.”
Raina nodded and stood, phone in hand.
“Then we need an escape plan. I hand the diamond over to Remi, then we’re out of here.”
Raina gave one short nod and left the kitchen.
“He won’t let you go.”
Ivan looked at Jack. “Who? Remi? He can’t force me to stay once I’ve paid off Raina’s debt.”
Jack’s gaze jumped between him and out through the doorway where Raina had gone. “I’m to capture you.”
Ivan stilled. Jack was to capture him? Why?
“Capture me while stealing?” It made sense. If one of Remi’s guards caught him red-handed, he’d be sent to jail, and Remi would get all the glory. It explained why Remi wanted to track them. If he knew exactly where they were, they could sweep in and capture him as soon as Jack had secured him. It would also explain why Remi demanded Ivan would keep Jack close at all times.
“No, he wants the diamond.”
“He wants the diamond?”
“For a buyer. At least that’s what he told me.”
Ivan grunted. “So why are you going to capture me?”
Jack looked at him. “What’s a shadow walker?”
Ah, he had caught that. Ivan kept quiet and waited for him to answer his question.
“How will Raina manage to get my chains off? They’re sealed with magic.”
Ivan sighed. “Yeah. Why are you going to capture me?”
“I don’t know why. I’m to capture you when we get back and hand you over to someone.”
Ice spread in Ivan’s veins. “Who are you handing me over to?”
Jack shook his head. “Some man who’ll be waiting. Warner? Weldon? Something like that.”
Ivan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “And you don’t happen to know what he wants with me, do you?”
Jack shook his head. “He’s a wizard?”
“Raina!”
It took a few seconds before Raina came into the kitchen again. “Yes?”
“Do you know of any wizards named Warner or Weldon or something along those lines?”
Raina paled. “Wizard? We need to leave if there will be wizards.”
“You haven’t…made a bet or something?”
She growled. “I made a mistake with Remi, okay? I’ve been careful ever since.”
“Jack is to hand me over to a wizard once we have the diamond.”
Raina shook her head. “No, let’s run. If they know what you are…” They’d drain him of his blood and use it in some crazy ceremony. He was a shadow walker—not a human, not a wizard, not a vampire. He could melt into walls, disappear, become invisible, and something with his blood had everyone going crazy.
“You’re not human?” Jack was frowning at him, and Ivan pursed his lips. Jack had told him about his instructions, perhaps he should tell the truth about himself.
“What’s your name?”
Jack widened his eyes. “Jack.”
Ivan shook his head. “No, what do you call yourself? What do the other vamps in the basement call you?”
Sharp fangs appeared for a fraction of a second. Ivan had never seen them before. Jack was always careful never to show teeth.
“Malik.”
Ivan nodded. “I’m Ivan Charna, and Raina is Raina Charna.”
“Snow?”
“Snow is white. Charna is originally a girl name meaning black. We thought it fun to call us Snow. The Charna family only births girls, except for once a century or so when there is a boy.” He waved his hand.
“You?”
Ivan nodded. “Yeah, me. The women have power, not like a wizard, but power all the same. And the men are shadow walkers. Very rare.”
“You are one.” Malik nodded as to confirm it for himself. “Does Remi know?”
Ivan shook his head. “I don’t think so. Had he known, he would have tried to capture me a long time ago. There are many legends about the power in my blood, Raina’s, too, though they’re not as outlandish as the legends about mine.” He stood and went to wash his hands in the sink, then he removed the lens disguising his blue eye.
Malik sucked in a breath. “Phantasm.”
It wasn’t a term Ivan had heard before, so he shrugged. “What does it mean to you?”
“You’re not living, and you’re not dead. A shadow between.”
Ivan rolled his eyes. “I’m very much alive, dear. What does your legend say about my blood?”
Malik shook his head. “Different colored eyes are a sign of life and death warring within. We cannot drink dead blood.”
Ivan cocked his hip. “My blood is not dead, but I guess it’s good. If I’m ever in trouble with vamps, I’ll show my eyes.”
Malik shook his head.
“No?”
“Abomination. Not meant for this world.” The disappointment painting his face had Ivan frowning.
“It’s okay. I’ve been called worse than abomination. Or you know, it’s not the first time I’ve been called it.” Ivan sighed, weariness spreading in his heart. “You know me, Malik. We’ve done many missions together, and you’re my favorite vamp in the whole wide world. You have to know I’m as queer as a three-dollar bill by now. And abomination might not be my favorite word, but trust me, I’ve been called a lot of things.”
Malik stared.
“Nothing has changed.”
Raina gave an exasperated sigh. “Now we can’t even trust your pet vamp.”
“Don’t call him that!” Malik wasn’t a pet vamp. He was a male caught in, or most likely born into, slavery. It was cruelty far worse than the one he and Raina had to endure.
Ivan turned to Malik. “Will you still help with the mission?” Or would Malik capture and hand him over to the wizard?
Malik nodded. “Always. You’re my favorite human.”
“If only I was human.” Ivan winked.