Viktor

by Teresa Gabelman

  Viktor

  Teresa Gabelman

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Quote

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Also by Teresa Gabelman

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you so much, Becky Johnson and Donna Pemberton! Your sacrifice, kindness and understanding for me will never be forgotten.

  To the readers who I adore, Viktor’s book is the beginning to a whole new world. I hope you will be as excited as I am through this continuing journey. Thank you so much for the support and love you have shown me. This also will never be forgotten!

  The Protectors Series

  Viktor

  Copyright 2019 Teresa Gabelman

  All rights reserved. The right of Teresa Gabelman to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. This is a work of fiction and any resemblance between the characters and persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Gabelman, Teresa (2019-4-27). Viktor (The Protectors Series) Book #13

  Kindle Edition.

  Editor: Hot Tree Editing

  Created with Vellum

  The battleline between good and evil runs through the heart of every man.

  ‘Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’

  Chapter 1

  Viktor sat at a small table with a pristine white tablecloth at Primavista. His soul craved some Italian cuisine, and he was told this was the place to be. Very upscale dining. Of course, as he stared out at the city lights of Cincinnati, he knew he was out of place, but what was new? He was refined, knowing which fork was used for what dish, but his clothing was definitely not a suit. His long leather coat stayed on his broad body as he continued to stare out at the night skyline. The coat essential as his weapons were hard to hide without it.

  A waiter stopped by, and Viktor noticed without even looking the man was nervous. Good. He wanted people off guard around him. It made him more in control of situations.

  “More wine, sir?” The waiter’s voice shook only slightly, but the hint of fear was there.

  Viktor gave a nod, still not glancing at the young man. Even though his eyes remained on the scene out of the large windows, he was fully aware of who and what was around him, even behind him. Years of hunting and being hunted had trained him well.

  He had already ordered and now waited for his food. Conversation rang out around him, but he ignored it all. Shifting slightly, he reached for his wine, the small book rubbing against his chest reminding him of a past he could never forget. Frowning, he downed the wine, not caring about what was acceptable or not. His eyes moved to see the waiter watching him, then hurrying over to refill his glass.

  “Just leave the bottle.” Viktor’s voice was low, hard and stern.

  “Yes, sir.” The waiter placed the bottle on the table still wrapped in the white cloth, then scurried away. His eyes met those of an older couple who watched him. He gave them a half grin, thinking about downing the bottle of wine right then and there, but instead, he poured more in the glass like the civilized person he forced himself to be for the moment.

  His phone buzzed in his coat pocket. With a curse, he pulled it out to see a message from Sloan. He wanted a meeting with him and his brother, Bishop, ASAP. Viktor knew exactly what it was about. Sloan Murphy wanted him and his brother to sign on with the Cincinnati Branch of the Vampire Council Warriors. This wasn’t the first time they had been approached by branches of the VC, and he was sure it wasn’t going to be the last. He and Bishop were assets for sure, but they were also free agents, meaning they were Warriors, but without the benefit of a team. They only had each other for backup most of the time. They came by their information by way of lots of research and leg work that they did on their own. They were a team and had done damn well for themselves for over a hundred years or more.

  With the witch activity on the rise, Viktor and his brother were going to be more in demand. Not many vampires specialized in witches like they did. He could smell a witch a mile away. He grinned, thinking of what Kira and Mira Grail would think of that thought. His mind suddenly went to Bonnie Grail, and his frown deepened. He still couldn’t believe she was the daughter of the woman he had loved and lost. Not only that, but she was also the daughter to the man who he would find and kill. The bastard who put a spell on Emilia then set her on fire. It was a death all witches feared.

  Picking up the bottle of wine, his hand tightened at the thought, and he heard a slight crack. Easing his grip, he poured the rest of it in the glass, then downed it in one swallow. He really couldn’t get drunk, which was a bitch, but the Italian in him craved the bitter smoothness only an exceptional red wine could deliver.

  Emilia’s diary in his jacket pocket once again hit him reminding him he had yet to read the words she’d written meant for him. He honestly didn’t know when or even if he would read it. So much time had passed. Pain, hurt, rage, and anger had played a part in his life for so many years that to revisit those feelings didn’t appeal to him. In fact, he had been in such a dark place during that time if it hadn’t been for his brother, the VC Warriors could have been hunting him down for going rogue. Could he go back into that place again? Damn straight he could, and he knew it.

  His food arrived as did another bottle of wine. Pushing all thoughts aside, he took a deep breath, smelling the aroma of the exquisite meal before him. As busy as he usually was, he never took the time to sit down for a meal like this. It was usually a quick on-the-go meal, but tonight he needed a reminder of better days of his and Bishop’s youth.

  The capellini and veal meatballs were amazing. Kudos to the chef. Viktor actually took a drink of wine in salute to the food he was devouring. As he went to set the glass down, his gaze caught the shapely calf of a woman passing his table. His eyes roamed up to the hem of her short black dress to the curve of ass that made his cock stir. The visual continued to the flare of her hips and the low cut back of her dress that exposed flawless golden skin. Viktor’s gaze seemed frozen to the spot until a waiter cut across his vision. He actually leaned to look around the distraction as the woman turned to smile at the hostess seating her.

  Every primal instinct known to man hit him all at once. Her raven-black hair was pulled up into a messy, yet prim bun with feathery wisps teasing her shoulders and curve of her chin. Full sensual lips painted a sexy red spread into a smile, showing straight white teeth. Out of everything he had seen of this woman, it was her eyes that set him back. Never in his life had he seen eyes the color of sea green lined with the longest black lashes framing their oval shape.

  “Fuck!” The word slipped out as his eyes once again roamed her body as she sat... alone.

  “Sir?” The passing waiter stopped and looked at him.

  Breaking himself out of the trance this woman had put him in, Viktor glared up at the waiter. “What?” His growl was low and not pleasant. />
  “Did you need something?” the waiter asked after a brief hesitation.

  Viktor’s eyes automatically went back to the woman. He knew exactly what he needed, but it was something the waiter could not provide. “No,” he responded, dismissing the man completely.

  It had been a long time since a woman had sparked this much interest in him. It wasn’t as if he’d been celibate, not by a long shot. But this woman had him wanting to know her name. That was something totally new. Previous lovers were faceless women with names he couldn’t remember. All had been more than fine with the arrangement of sex. He’d got what he wanted, and they definitely were fulfilled. Viktor made his offer of sex only nonnegotiable and clear, and if he sensed any hesitation or smugness in the woman as if she could change him, he moved on quickly.

  Viktor watched as the woman sipped her wine, nervously glancing around. Their gaze met briefly before her beautiful eyes shifted away quickly to stare straight ahead. There were no tables between them, only air. He tuned out all noise and focused on her. Her heartbeat was rapid. There was also a slight tremble to her hand as she lifted the wineglass once again to those luscious lips.

  He felt his phone buzz again, but he ignored it. He also ignored the heaviness of the diary in his inside coat pocket. Instead, he remained staring at the woman, knowing he would leave with her. At least that was his plan. Just as he started to stand, a man passed him, heading her way. A snarl escaped Viktor’s curled lip as the man stopped at her table.

  “Lacey?” the man questioned.

  Her eyes rose to the man, and Viktor noticed there was no recognition in her gaze, but she did give the man a half smile.

  “Yes. You must be Brett.” Her voice was smooth, with a hint of southern twang.

  Viktor frowned as the man pulled out a chair across from her and sat down, ruining Viktor’s plans for the evening with the beautiful stranger he now had a name for. Lacey fit her perfectly. He continued to listen to their conversation and plot his next move to remove Lacey from this asshole’s company.

  Lacey was so nervous she almost downed a whole glass of wine in one swallow. Embarrassed, she quickly put the glass down and took a deep breath. She had never done anything like this before. Meeting a stranger online, talking for weeks then agreeing to a date. Yeah, that was something that was far from what the old Lacey would do. But this was the new Lacey. She was breaking out of her old, boring mold, and this was something she needed to do to achieve her passion.

  The candlelight from the table setting flickered playfully, pulling her gaze toward it. She then looked out the window to the night skyline and sighed. Primavista was beautiful and one of the top-rated restaurants in the Cincinnati area. Once again, she reached for the wine, but only sipped. Her eyes roamed the restaurant until they stopped briefly on the man sitting alone next to her table. Their gaze met and she felt the intensity in his golden eyes. It was unsettling in an exciting way. Goose bumps tingled across her skin. Vampire. A very handsome and extremely huge vampire was staring at her. She was here to meet a vampire, but she knew he wasn’t the man. Unless, of course, Brett had lied about his looks. She asked for a picture of him, but he said it would be more exciting to meet and see each other for the first time. She reluctantly agreed because, in fact, she wasn’t interested in dating him at all. She was interested in learning about vampires.

  Lacey knew she was crazy because what she was doing was dangerous. It was why she picked the restaurant, and the time and day they would meet. Her friends also knew exactly where she was. They did everything in their power to talk her out of it, but of course, Lacey proceeded with her plans.

  For some reason, she wanted to glance at the man sitting at the table next to her one more time, and as she did, her vision was filled with someone else who had walked up to her table.

  “Lacey?” The man looked down at her, and the one thing she noticed right away was his eyes were a flat brown. Not the golden hue of a vampire.

  “Yes. You must be Brett,” she replied, then frowned when he nodded, realizing she may have been had.

  Brett took the seat opposite of her. “It’s finally nice to meet you in person.” He smiled, showing her a set of fangs.

  Okay, maybe she hadn’t been had. “Likewise.” She stared at his fangs and frowned. One looked a little crooked. Did vampires need braces? That thought had her clearing her throat to cover the chuckle she felt building. Thankfully, the waiter picked that moment to come to their table.

  “Wine?” he asked Brett as he refilled her glass.

  “Yes, thank you,” Brett answered, but continued to stare at her.

  “Are you ready to order or do you need more time?” the waiter asked them both.

  “I’m ready, but you haven’t even looked at the menu,” Lacey said to Brett, shifting uncomfortably at the way he was staring at her.

  Brett smiled, and her eyes went straight to his crooked fang that looked like it had moved slightly. He leaned toward her across the table. “I don’t eat food,” he whispered with a cocked eyebrow, as if sharing a great secret. “But you go ahead and eat.”

  Lacey sat back with a frown, then glanced around the waiter to the table with the man who still stared at her, then down at his empty plate. She quickly looked away from the man to Brett and whispered back, “Why not?”

  Her question seemed to trip him up for a second. Then he laughed as he looked up at the waiter who stood patiently waiting. “Bring the lady the special,” he ordered for her, dismissing the waiter.

  Lacey bit her tongue, not liking anyone ordering for her, especially a stranger who knew hardly anything about her. Brett was handsome, she’d give him that, but something about this was wrong. She should have known, but without meeting in person, he was reluctant to talk to her about being a vampire.

  “So, Brett.” Lacey decided it was time to put her suspicions to test. “How long have you been a vampire?”

  “I’m four hundred years old.” His voice deepened as he stared at her over candlelight.

  “Oh, wow.” Lacey feigned shock. “So you only live on blood?”

  “Yes.” His eyes purposely went to her neck as he took a deep breath through his nose. “And your blood is calling to me.”

  “What’s it saying?” she asked, her eyes wide in feigned innocence.

  “Ah, huh?” Brett tilted his head in confusion.

  “You said it was calling to you. What is it saying?” Lacey wanted so bad to roll her eyes, but refrained. Instead, she stared at him as if she really wanted to know.

  “Oh, it’s saying....”

  A loud snort from the table next to them drew both of their attention. Lacey saw a half grin on the man’s face as their eyes met. The golden hue of his eyes was definitely calling to her. Wow.

  Turning her attention back to Brett, she frowned. “I thought all vampires had golden eyes?”

  “Contacts,” he answered quickly. A little too quickly. “It’s hard to live life as a vampire in the open. Contacts hide the truth of what I really am.”

  “I would think the fangs would give you away,” Lacey replied, starting to get tired of the charade this man was playing. She briefly wondered how many other women he had pulled it on who fell for his bullshit.

  His flat brown eyes narrowed. Then he once again leaned closer to her across the table. “Have you heard of the VC Warriors?”

  “Who hasn’t heard of the VC Warriors,” she answered, and knew where this was going as her bullshit radar was going off full blast. “Why? Do you know one?”

  He sat up tall in his chair looking so damn proud of himself as if he hooked her like a worm hooks a fish. “Honey, I am one.”

  Chapter 2

  Viktor had a hard time remaining quiet as he listened to this asshole sitting across from the woman he couldn’t take his eyes off. Actually, he hadn’t remained quiet. The snorts of disbelief were loud enough at least once to draw their attention. He had never rolled his eyes more in his life than he did in the last fiv
e minutes listening to this dipshit try to fake his way as a vampire. What surprised him was she wasn’t falling for it. He could tell by her questions and body language that she was on to the dumbass. Beautiful and smart. He liked that a lot.

  He thought about leaving, realizing that hooking up with this woman, Lacey, may not be in his best interest. But something kept him there. Maybe it was the way she kept glancing his way as if comparing him to Brett, the idiot. Though the decision to stay happened when he heard mention that this guy was saying he was a VC Warrior.

  Well hell. Viktor’s smile grew. A comrade. He stifled his snort. Maybe he should introduce himself. Without another thought, he stood, grabbed a chair, setting it down backward and straddled it at their table.

  “Did I hear VC Warrior?” Viktor’s voice was deep and rough. His golden eyes on the man who looked ready to piss himself.

  “Excuse me?” Brett’s voice actually shook as he looked from Viktor to Lacey then back to Viktor again. “Who are you?”

  “Well hell, man.” Viktor leaned forward, sticking out his hand. “I’m Viktor Valentino, VC Warrior. I thought I met all the Warriors in the Cincinnati branch, but I guess you’ve been out wining and dining beautiful women.”

  Brett’s mouth opened as wide as his eyes before slamming it shut. He reached out to shake Viktor’s hand, and Viktor made damn sure he cracked a few of the idiot’s knuckles in a handshake that said more than words ever could. Brett pulled his hand away, the pain he was trying hard to hide clearly on his face as he held his hand to his chest.