Page 49 of Viktor's Temptation
“Yes,” Johnny whispered, then hesitated, his gaze darting to the others as though weighing the consequences of what he was about to say. His voice dropped to a shaky murmur. “But he’s not the one in charge.”
Trent’s head snapped toward Johnny, and Mikail straightened from where he’d been securing the other vampire with reinforced wires. “What do you mean, ‘not the one in charge’?” Trent demanded, his tone hard.
Johnny flinched but didn’t look away from Viktor, the weight of the clan leader’s gaze pinning him in place. “There’s someone else,” he said, his voice cracking. “A puppet master behind the scenes. Dave calls him… Cerberus.”
Viktor’s expression darkened, his jaw tightening as his mind turned over the revelation. “Cerberus?” he repeated, his voice sharp and precise. “Who is he?”
Johnny shook his head quickly, his eyes wide. “I don’t know! I swear! Dave said Cerberus is the one funding everything—the transitions, the setups, the dumps. Dave’s just… the middleman.”
Viktor’s lip curled into a snarl. “And you expect me to believe that you don’t know anything else?”
“I’m telling the truth!” Johnny stammered. “Dave keeps it all to himself. He doesn’t tell anyone where the money comes from or how Cerberus contacts him.”
Viktor’s patience snapped like a coiled spring. He grabbed Johnny by the collar, lifting him off his feet effortlessly. “And yet you helped him,” Viktor growled, his voice so low it was almost a rumble. “You’ve been complicit in his atrocities, and now you’re trying to save yourself by feeding me scraps of information?”
Johnny whimpered, his hands scrambling to grip Viktor’s unyielding arm. “I didn’t have a choice!” he pleaded. “Dave said Cerberus would come after me if I didn’t do what he wanted!”
Viktor dropped Johnny unceremoniously to the floor, where he crumpled into a heap. The clan leader turned hisattention to Charlie, who was still slumped against the brick wall, trembling. The flickering light of the old crematorium’s bulb threw shadows across Charlie’s face, accentuating his haunted expression.
“Charlie,” Viktor said evenly, his tone softening but still commanding. He crouched down to meet the fledgling vampire’s gaze. “Tell me everything you know.”
Charlie’s shoulders shook, and he hesitated, his hands curling into fists on his lap. “I was just a guy,” he rasped, his voice raw with emotion. “I worked in IT, went to the dog park, planted roses in my garden.” His eyes squeezed shut as if trying to block out the memories. “Then one night, I was walking home, and I got… grabbed. Next thing I know, I’m shackled in this place. Dave and some other guy—Johnny, I guess—they brought people in, over and over, chaining us up like animals.”
Viktor stared at the man, using his mind to force the truth out of him.
Suddenly, the vampire’s voice cracked, and he looked up at Viktor with desperate eyes. “I didn’t want to do this! They starved me, tortured me, until… until I couldn’t stop myself. I drank from them! From people who were alive!” He let out a choked sob. “I didn’t even know what I was doing.”
Viktor stood, towering over Charlie, his eyes filled with a mixture of pity and resolve. “You’re not to blame,” Viktor said firmly. “But you will help us stop Dave and Cerberus.”
Charlie nodded weakly, his tears streaking through the dirt on his face. “Whatever it takes.”
Mikail, who had been listening intently, stepped forward. “We’ll need to secure this place and keep it under watch. If Dave is on his way, we can’t let him slip through our fingers.”
Viktor nodded, his silver eyes gleaming like molten steel. “Agreed. And Johnny,” he said, turning to where the restrained vampire glared defiantly, “you’re going to make yourself useful. Because if you don’t, I’ll make sure you regret every choice you’ve ever made.”
Johnny’s face paled, and he finally dropped his gaze to the floor.
Viktor’s mind raced with the new information, but his anger burned hottest at the thought of Cerberus, an unknown threat pulling strings from the shadows. As much as Viktor wanted to find Dave and end his reign of terror, he knew the true fight lay with the faceless monster orchestrating it all. And Viktor was determined to bring him down—no matter the cost.
Chapter 28
“Hello?” a warm, feminine voice called out.
Gracie spun around, her body instinctively shifting into a defensive crouch as two stunningly beautiful women walked into Viktor’s expansive great room. The room’s rich ambiance suddenly felt much smaller as her tension grew.
“Who are you?” Gracie demanded, her voice edged with fear and a hint of territoriality.
One of the women, dark-haired with striking blue eyes and a radiant smile, stepped forward with a calm and disarming confidence. Her movements were fluid and unhurried, like someone entirely at ease in her surroundings.
“Easy there,” the woman said gently, raising her hands in a non-threatening gesture. “I’m Anikka, Jace’s mate.” She tilted her head and smiled warmly. “We’ve met, but not properly. It’s nice to meet you again… in human form.”
Gracie blinked, piecing it together. “You’re a wolf,” she gasped, then cringed. “I’m sorry! That sounded rude.”
Anikka laughed, her eyes sparkling with humor. “No offense taken. And yes, I’m a wolf-shifter. Very observant.”
The second woman, with soft, dark hair and enchanting green eyes, stepped forward, her presence equally commanding but with a softer edge. She extended a perfectly manicured hand. “I’m Sorcia,” she introduced herself. “High Priestess of the coven.” She glanced playfully at Anikka. “Although, I usually just go by Sorcia. Titles are so tedious.”
Anikka leaned closer to Gracie and whispered conspiratorially, “She’s being modest. Sorcia is a powerhouse. Sorcia is in charge of all the East Coast witches.”
