“Here’s your napkin,” I said, tossing it on the table.
Lenore gave a mirthless smile. A split second later, she shot to her feet and twisted around.
Viktor moved to the left side of the table, putting distance between himself and an unpredictable Vampire.
“What is this? Where’s Ronald?” Lenore looked between us all. She narrowed her eyes at Christian. “Did you really think I wouldn’t notice you returning alone? One set of footfalls, and they belonged to you. I also heard your heart racing, and that’s so unlike you.” She flicked her eyes down to the impalement wood in his hand. “I demand to know what this is about. You realize attacking a higher authority member is a treasonous act?”
Christian glanced at Viktor. “Ronald confessed.” He glared at Lenore with a look of self-righteousness that he had earned. “Or should I call him… Mr. X?”
Scarlet bled into Lenore’s cheeks.
Christian grinned. “Ah,thereshe is. The Lenore I remember—the one easily spooked at the thought of someone plotting against her. It seems your insipid beau wasn’t working alone. Did you know he actually believes he can steal money from wealthy oligarchs, have them murdered,andget away with it? Now where in the world do you think he got an idea like that?” Christian was truly enjoying himself with his animated and dramatic speech. “Ah! So it turns out he believes the idea was his even though he had never heard of these men before. I don’t think it’s a far stretch to suggest that you helped him arrange this master plan. I am curious about one thing—how do you know the oligarchs? You can’t exactly look them up in the phone book. Is it safe to say you shared a bed with one of them long ago in your quest for power, and now that you have it, concocted a scheme to reclaim your dignity?”
Lenore stole a glance at Viktor. “I don’t know what he’s talking about. You’d better get your underling in check before you face the courts for being an accessory. This is slander.”
I rested my hands on the back of a chair. “It’s only slander if other people hear about it, and right now it’s just us.”
Viktor kept his distance and avoided eye contact.
We all did.
Christian kept a firm hold on that stake. “At first I thought you were conspiring with Borislav and using the human to eliminate the two remaining oligarchs. But that would go against your principles. Lenore Parrish doesn’t want a man to lead her. Why get rid of two when she can do away with all three? Now have a seat, and we’ll ask a few more questions.”
“I’ll do no such thing.” Her eyes stayed fixed on the impalement wood.
“Do you have something to hide?” Christian stood like a statue to block the hall entrance. “If you’re innocent, wouldn’t you want to clear your name from a scandalous act such as this?”
“There is no need to play games,” Viktor informed her. “If Ronald has given up your name under a Vampire’s charm, then there is no disputing that. I only wish to understand your side of the story. We have evidence that will trace back to you.” He let the threat hang in the air. “More than you realize.”
Lenore looked like she was mentally scrambling to figure out what mistakes she’d made.
“There’s something else you should know, Viktor.” Christian’s sobering tone had me wondering if there actuallywasmore or if he was just using his dramatics to scare her into confessing. “They planned to do away with us after we completed the job. Not just you. The whole team—including the wee one.”
Just the idea that she wanted to hurt Shepherd’s kid made me want to scoop out her heart with the caviar spoon.
“That would ensure no one could trace them to the oligarch’s money or disappearances,” he continued. “Hiring us was the only way they could keep the money. Ronald couldn’t steal it out from under them, not without risking his life. When he found out they were wanted, he suggested turning them in. Apparently the reward money wasn’t enough for Lenore.”
She barely moved, her sunny floral dress a stark contrast to her black mood. “Do you think anyone will believe the ramblings of a mortal? Viktor, youknowme. You know this isn’t true. I can’t imagine what in the world led you to believe I am behind this, but the accusation is absurd. I would never risk my position. Now put down that stake, Christian. I’m warning you. I’ll make sure you’re the first they execute. This is unacceptable.” She had the nerve to turn a sharp gaze to Viktor. “And you of all people I expected more from. Here I thought you had become a bigger man by inviting us over after you failed me as a partner.”
“Enough!” Viktor roared, slamming his fists on the table. The sound was like a punch to the gut. “No one is above the law. You have crossed a line of integrity that is undeserving of the position you hold. You would use us in secret to murder the most wanted men in history to steal their fortunes? You know any recovered money would go toward their victims. That is the way. Would that money be enough to shield you?”
She tipped her head to the side and studied him. “You’re a man who built an organization that profits off the capture and murder of criminals. How much do you need to stop this nonsense?”
Viktor squared his shoulders. “You may be able to buy your allies, but you cannot buy me.”
Christian seized the moment and lunged. Lenore knocked him away so hard that she lost her balance and fell onto the table. I reached out and grabbed a fistful of her hair. She jerked her head back, leaving strands hanging between my fingers. When my fangs punched out, she flipped the table, and it knocked me against the wall. Ice and fruit went everywhere—caviar sticking to my shirt, the floor covered in hors d’oeuvres.
I hopped to my feet and saw Christian and Lenore in a clinch. She held his wrist, the impalement wood inches from her chest.
“You can’t win,” she hissed before shoving him through the air.
Christian slammed into one of the archways. The brick crumbled before he hit the floor. I jumped over the table and dove at the ground, seizing the stake.
Lenore kicked me, and it was the hardest I’d ever been kicked. Had Christian’s blood not been in me, I was certain she would have pulverized my organs.
I clutched my stomach, coughing on the floor next to the fallen table. When Viktor stalked toward her, panic set in.
“My wolf can tear you apart,” he growled. “Is this how you want to end it? If I shift, I will not be able to stop until you are dead. Submit.”
