I covered my face with one hand. I’d been doing a lot of mental gymnastics to place the blame on Christian and get him to admit culpability. His answer had come across as disingenuous, but instead of calling him out on it, I’d drawn my own conclusion. The only person who deserved blame was Houdini. If I didn’t learn to trust my instincts again, I was going to push away the only people I had left who had my back.
“When you have a chance, give Wyatt every detail you can about this Houdini.”
“There’s nothing to tell.”
A storm brewed in Viktor’s eyes as he studied me. “Why are you protecting him?”
“Because he’s not the issue. I know what he’s doing is wrong, but the women who went with him did so of their own free will. I don’t know how much evidence we can stack against him because of that. What we really need to do is go after the buyers. They’re easier to catch, and if we make an example out of them, it might prevent others from getting the same idea.”
Viktor crossed his legs and lifted his glass. “As it so happens, this wasn’t in vain.”
“What do you mean?”
He polished off his drink and then groomed his beard with one hand. “You inspired us to dig deeper into this problem. We reviewed the files you singled out as belonging to him because of a misspelling. Very clever find. Wyatt was able to uncover new information on the buyers who won the auctions. Do not ask me how he does these things, but he identified several buyers as one person. Somehow he found more, uh… bids or requests? I think that is the correct word.”
“I know what you mean. I thought the black market was private?”
“Da. But there are back doors, and people who know how to break in get lucky sometimes. Wyatt is talented with all that hackering.”
I chuckled. “You mean hacking.” Viktor was a well-spoken man, but sometimes he had his moments where he struggled with English. Particularly when tired or angry.
Viktor shrugged. “He traced the buyer’s general location. We suspect the group is purchasing women cheap on the black market and selling them to rich foreigners for a substantial profit.”
“Just women?”
“That always depends on demand, but men are also sold on the market. Women are more desirable since the Vampire population has more males than females. Because Wyatt’s suspect isn’t an individual buyer, this is an opportunity for us to stop an even larger trading ring. We believe they have an expansive network and are buying from more than one source.”
“So not just from Houdini.”
“Da. They seem to have specific tastes and won’t just buy from anyone. They choose safe sellers and bid on average every two to four weeks. They won a recent auction, so we have no time to lose. Wyatt is gathering information.”
“He only pinpointed the city. Isn’t that a little vague?”
“Wyatt’s computer contact was able to provide him with more specifics.”
“I didn’t know they could track you down to your house.”
“That is why we rarely get involved with doing anything on the black market site beyond monitoring it.”
“Who’s his contact?”
“An anonymous user. They don’t use their real identities when they are going in the back door.”
That seemed rather convenient. I wondered if Wyatt’s anonymous friend had bleached hair and hazel eyes.
Viktor rubbed his hands together. “I want to ask you an important question, and I need you to consider your answer very carefully.”
“Okay.”
“We will have to travel outside the country, and I must assemble a team of people who I believe are the best for this mission. You are on my list, but I need each person at one hundred percent. If it’s too soon with everything that’s happened, I need to know so I can choose a replacement. Are you ready?”
I took a deep breath, the fire crackling in the hearth. “Why me?”
He regarded me for a moment. “Because you excel at killing.”
“Then let me go do what I’m good at.”
“You are stronger than I imagined, and I think this will be good closure.” His gaze skated toward the fire. “Sometimes when we endure great suffering and loss, we find our way back in the most unexpected ways. Sometimes it is not possible to have your revenge.”
I wondered about Viktor’s past and knew it must have been a difficult one. He’d come all the way here from Russia to live in a house once owned by his family. It was a mansion fit for a thriving pack, and I wondered if something had happened to them, if that was his tragedy.
“I’m sorry we could not capture your kidnapper or Creator, but perhaps this will give you some measure of peace. After all, Raven, your investigation led us to this case.”
“Is this a paid mission or for fun?”
His lips twitched. “The higher authority has sent us an advance. Be sure you’re ready for this. It’s a dangerous mission. I can’t afford any weak links in the chain.”
“I’m more ready for this than I’ve ever been. Not just mentally but physically. I’ve put weight back on and gained muscle. I’m not the weak link in the chain, and I don’t ever want you to look at me like that because of what happened. If you do, then we might as well cut ties now.”
He chuckled and rose to his feet. “Don’t be so dramatic. Your word is all I require.”
“Who’s going with us?”
“I’m calling each of you in one at a time. I called you first so we could have a chance to speak privately and I could make my decision. I don’t wish to put you on the spot in a group setting if there are things you wish to keep private.”
I rose to my feet. “Thanks.”
Viktor approached me and gently placed his hands on my shoulders. Whenever he did that, it felt like a hug. His voice softened, and it warmed me like brandy. “I’m here if you need to talk. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to your leader, find someone you can trust. We’ve all experienced pain, betrayal, and sacrifice. Humans glamorize immortality but do not realize how much suffering one must endure through the centuries.” He cupped my cheek with his hand. “Use your anger as a weapon, but be careful it doesn’t consume you like fire.”
Viktor was the closest thing I had to a father now, and part of me craved that position to be filled. It made me want to please him and follow his lead.
I bent down for my glass and handed it to him. “Where are we heading?”
“Canada, so be sure not to pack your bikini.” He rocked with laughter.
“You’re a hoot, Viktor.” I strolled toward the door while he remained by the fire, his laughter slowly dying. “One more thing. Tell Kira to set my place at the table tonight.”
“Are you sure?”
“It’s your rule. Besides, dinner’s cold by the time it makes it to my room. Thanks for giving me time.”
I left the door open and strode down the long hall, passing a few windows that overlooked the courtyard below. I found Christian near one of the windows, his shoulder pressed against the wall as he gazed outside.
“Do you need to go in there next?” I asked.
“Viktor and I already spoke.”
I looked down at my shorts, the cold chill in the hall finally getting to me. “Look, I’m sorry about what I said earlier or implied. What happened to me wasn’t anyone’s fault. Viktor told me what happened. We just got outplayed, that’s all.”