“He could’ve read it online,” Rafe suggested.
“I mean, maybe, but I’m telling you the police didn’t even bat an eye when I told them I couldn’t find her. So many people go missing every year. They have bigger fish to fry than worrying about someone with no family or friends. They didn’t even want to hear about it because she’d been to the blood clubs.”
“Did you tell them about the needles?”
“I can’t remember. I don’t know. Maybe. But thinking back on it. Maybe they were using needles for their blood…to drink. I hate this,” Waverly said, her tone defeated.
“Now we’ve got to see Ilsbeth again.” Viktor shook his head. “Fuck, am I ever going to get away from that witch?”
“There’s always a silver lining,” Greyson laughed.
“No. No silver lining.” Viktor waved him off. “I told you from the beginning that I want nothing to do with that witch. You know better.”
“Nothing like having a psychotic high priestess for a mom.” Wearing a broad smile on his face, Rafe looked to Waverly and pointed his fingers up into the air. “Rad!”
“I can’t imagine,” she replied, coughing back laughter.
“There is nothing funny about your mother,” Viktor stated. “She’s as serious as a heart attack. Deadlier.”
“She looked fine as fuck last night though. That dress,” Greyson commented. “Hmm.”
“Why do you guys get involved with witches anyway?” Waverly asked Viktor.
“It’s complicated. Sometimes you’ve got to play with the devil you know to fly with the angels. We all need a little extra magick now and then.” He shrugged. “Average spells aren’t needed by vampires. But if you need help with a demon? A witch can help you. There’s always a price to pay though. Except for Samantha Macquarie. But she’s married to a vampire.”
“What about humans, a guy like Adam? Why are they getting involved with this?” Waverly asked.
Viktor looked to his brother who had far more experience within the human world. Greyson swung his feet onto the floor and sat up, looking at Waverly. “Our existence on this earth was born of humans. They are fragile. Usually easy to kill, if necessary. Rarely a threat. I’m not worried about him.”
“Rarely being the key word.” Viktor sighed, continuing to fiddle with the fleam. “Now that we know Adam’s involved, we’ll be better prepared to deal with his antics.”
Greyson reached over to a bowl of potato chips and selected one, holding it up in the air, gesturing with it as he spoke. “Humans want for things. Goods. Money. Power. And when they get a taste of power, the thirst for more never stops. It’s like a drug. Many a leader would sell their soul to Satan himself to get more, to keep the power.”
“And they do.” Viktor held the fleam up, light glinting off its blade. “And this Adam is surely up to something. This woman he was with. Was there anything special about her?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t see her. But she had to have heard me. I was screaming for him to let me go.” Waverly took another sip of her water, pausing in thought. “I think she had an accent. French, I think. I can’t be sure.”
Viktor and his brother exchanged a concerned look. “It’s not her.”
Greyson shrugged. “There’s a lot of French women out there. Thousands.”
“What is it?” Waverly asked.
Viktor shook his head and pinched his fingers to the bridge of his nose. “Nothing. It’s nothing.”
“Whoever the woman is, she may or may not be French,” Greyson said. “That’s all we know. That and this Adam dude has a hard-on for your girlfriend and may be involved with this underground vampire wannabe brotherhood.”
“Why would he give Waverly the handle to the fleam if it was really some kind of clue? Why go to all that trouble?” Rafe asked. “It doesn’t make sense.”
“I don’t know,” Waverly said. “If he was involved with the brotherhood, why the blood in my apartment? And what about the detective?”
“Maybe there are a couple of players,” Viktor suggested. “Maybe they were working together, and something went wrong.”
“While we’re going down the conspiracy rabbit hole,” she gave a small laugh, “let’s talk about Teagan. I have a feeling Adam may have hurt her. Maybe they kept in touch? Or maybe they both became part of this brotherhood, got reconnected? Maybe he wanted me to get the fleam because, as Rafe said, I think he has a thing for me. I don’t know why it was important for me to be there in Miami though. Like, if she thought Adam was going to hurt me, why bring me to Miami? I don’t know. How would they know I’d be there that night?”
“Maybe the guy who was hassling you in the club was part of it? But it failed.” Viktor plowed his fingers through his hair, frustrated. “This brotherhood, whatever it is, it could be a fragmented organization, if it’s organized at all. Who knows?”
“I couldn’t find much online,” Rafe said. “But I was able to find a few threads in college forums about drinking blood. They believe they’ll eventually be paired with a sire. By the way they talked about it, it almost sounded like the leader was vampire.”
“Jesus Christ.” Viktor’s phone buzzed and he tapped at the screen. “We’re landing in five minutes. Keep working on the research, Rafe. Check with Kade and Quintus. See if you can find anything else. After visiting the witch, I’m thinking it’s time we take a more aggressive approach and go back to the blood club.”
“I’m thinking we should find Adam and make things uncomfortable for him,” Greyson said with a smile. “Find out where he lives. Have a chat.”
“Maybe we should bring Adam here?” Viktor suggested with a sly smile.
“Throw him a little party?” Greyson suggested.
“I do love a good party. And I’ve got the perfect shoes to match,” Viktor said.
Silence filled the cabin as the wheels touched down on the tarmac. Viktor dared not speak his suspicions, arguing with himself about the facts he knew to be true. Baxter is dead. You witnessed his death.
Yet this situation reeked of the diabolical bastard or of that ilk. As he locked his gaze on Greyson and exchanged a look of understanding, they both knew there were others who were every bit as sadistic as Baxter.
“Why couldn’t we meet at Ilsbeth’s?” Greyson grumbled as they stood in front of the antebellum mansion. “Could this place be more pretentious?”
“It’s boujee, baby,” Rafe stated.
“It’s neutral territory. That means it’s protected from things looking to harm us,” Viktor explained.
“Where the hell are we?” Rafe asked.
“St. Tammany Parish. Folsom.” Viktor tapped at the face of his phone, checking his messages. “Looks like Quint and Kade are already here.”
“Do I smell cows?” Waverly asked.
“Horses. This club is run by Tori Shinning. She’s a vampire. Former socialite. She has a stable full of horses and every luxury you can imagine. It’s a distance from New Orleans. This little shindig is invite-only. Professional donors are brought in from all parts of the world to mingle with guests.” Viktor unzipped his black leather coat and smiled at Waverly. “It’s upscale.”