Page 4 of The Protégé

“What’s your relationship to The Condor?” I asked.

He leaned into the table. “He was my mentor too.”

My mouth dropped. “You’re The Raven?”

The initials TR clicked in my head. The Condor had mentioned his student had retired to settle down with his woman.

He was right. My mind had been muddled and missed this important detail. What else had I missed?

“Nice to meet you, Orion Reimann. Though I’ve retired from that art, I still kept in contact with our teacher. He spoke highly of you. Said you were better at the art form than he was.”

Thievery was a work of art, indeed. It took skill, calculation, and craftiness to ensure a smooth undertaking without being caught.

I released a disbelieving laugh. “Impossible.Hetaught me everything I know.”

“According to him, the student surpassed the teacher years ago.” The amusement flickering in his eyes turned to seriousness. “He knew someone was after him, so he reached out to me a week before his death.”

Why didn’t he tellme? I could’ve helped.

Maybe he thought I was still grieving for my uncle and aunt. He should’ve known I wasn’t close to them.

The Raven probably sensed my irritation and said, “You were swamped assisting your friends. He didn’t want to burden you. The Condor was going to share everything with you.” He paused and swallowed. “I wish he hadn’t delayed it.”

Me too.

“How did he know someone was after him?” I asked.

“He discovered something about The Trogyn. He said it’s a highly intricate scam that spans several continents. It would need careful unraveling. We were supposed to meet so he could share what he found out.” The Raven finished his cocktail and met my gaze. “When he didn’t show up at our scheduled meeting, I knew something was wrong. The Condor was someone you could depend on. He had saved my life years ago.”

“He had saved mine too,” I said.

“And we failed to save him.” The Raven’s jaw tightened. “He may have been a thief, but he was a better man than those who preach love and respect on the public stage.” He pressed his lipsinto a thin line. “The killer made certain The Condor’s discovery died with him.”

I scrubbed a hand over my face, trying to absorb this information. Did The Trogyn kill my mentor?

What did he discover? This crime ring was a virus under my skin, and I vowed to destroy it.

“He left something for you—his treasure box.” The Raven smiled.

“He did?”

Like my treasure box, his probably contained important items like the first artifact he’d stolen and other important items. Though I was honored, I wasn’t ready to look through it yet. His death was still too raw for me.

“You deserve it. I guess he never told you that?”

“No.” Regret clawed at me. Apparently, I’d been too busy to make time for him. “Is the box in Sweden?”

“It’s in his Providence apartment,” said The Raven. “He wants you to take care of it.”

“How did you know I’d be here?”

He lifted a shoulder. “Educated guess. I left traces of myself because I knew you’d be ferocious at tracking down every person who had been in contact with him. So here we are.”

My phone buzzed, and I retrieved my phone to see a reminder for a meeting I couldn’t reschedule. “I have to go.”

“Me too. My wife and kids are waiting for me. If you need anything, call me.” He gave me a piece of paper with his number on it. “Don’t hesitate. I want the killer to pay.”

“Thank you.” I took the paper, shoved it into my pocket with no intention of involving a family man who had left the underworld to be with his family.

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