Viktor: Heart of Her King Read online

  Katarina still wore the straight black skirt from their meeting, which was fine with Viktor. He appreciated the way the material hugged her ample curves and sat just about her knees. The slit in the back was an added bonus as it gave just a hint of how gorgeous her creamy thighs would be when he uncovered them for himself. It was not only because he was a gentleman that he followed behind her...the view was one he wasn’t willing to miss.

  “I hope your wait wasn’t too long,” she said when she stood right in front of him.

  “Not at all,” he responded. “Shall we go?” Turning to face the doors, he bent his elbow and smiled as she automatically placed her hand upon his arm.

  The trip to Sanguinem was uneventful, as was their arrival through the private entrance at the back of the building and their slow tour to the VIP section. Nikos was waiting, as were Bain, Tommas, and Salvatore. Viktor couldn’t contain his smile as he watched each of his men interact with Katarina. She was a natural and they were all instantly enamored with her, but none so much as Salvatore, who had been going by Sal since the seventies.

  “This is unbelievable! You’re the Kat from Roma Tech. The woman responsible for the AIG chip? No way! When are you gonna get it on the market. I need it. I need it bad. I can’t imagine what playing Fallout on XBOX Live will be like with all that awesomeness.”

  Katerina beamed with pride as she answered the youngest of the Kings. “As soon as your boss here approves my proposal, it’ll be less than six months before we go to beta testing.” She winked at Viktor before turning back to Salvatore to continue. “And I’m sure I could hook you up with that gig.”

  It was one of his greatest joys to watch his mate happily interact with his men. The next few hours were spent eating, drinking, and talking videos games. Viktor laughed more in that time than he had in centuries. Katerina gave as good as she got. As the ancient commander listened to the thoughts of not only his mate but also those of the other Kings, he was reassured that it would take little time for the keeper of his heart to accept their future together.

  Throughout the evening, one by one, the Kings had excused themselves to feed. Viktor closely monitored Katarina to make sure she was blissfully ignorant of what was happening and applauded his men for making a difficult situation bearable. As Roman took his turn, one of the very few popular songs Viktor could tolerate began to play – “At Last” by Etta James. It didn’t matter to him that it was from the sixties or that he knew Nikos had asked the DJ to play it. He was going to hold his mate close for as long as he could, even it was under the guise of dancing.

  Standing, he held out his hand to Katarina, “May I have the honor of this dance?”

  Her heart sped up and her cheeks turned that lovely color of pink he loved to see on her as she nodded her consent and laid her hand in his. Walking to the dance floor, she looked up at him through the veil of her long dark lashes and said, “This was my mom and dad’s wedding song. Thank you for asking me to dance.”

  “The pleasure is all mine, Katarina.”

  Wrapping one arm around her waist, Viktor held tight to Katarina’s hand as she placed her head on his shoulder and cuddled against him. That one simple act of surrender, of trust in him to care for her, nearly brought the ancient warrior to his knees. She had no way of knowing how much it meant to him or how long he’d waited for just that moment, and it was all the more special for it. They swayed to the music, their hearts in sync as the rest of the world faded away.

  A second slow ballad began and Katarina lifted her head from his shoulder. Looking up at him with questions in her eyes, she wet her lips in preparation to speak. His tenuous hold on his desire snapped. He’d waited long enough. There would never be a more perfect time.

  Lowering his lips to hers, Viktor groaned at the contact. His heart beat sped up at Katarina’s answering moan. What started as a slow burn grew in intensity. She opened to him immediately as he tasted the seam of her lips. Their tongues met. Sensations before unknown to the King came rushing from every direction.

  Katarina pulled her hand from his and gripped his shoulders. He knew from her thoughts that she was confused by her reaction to him but more than willing to see where their mutual attraction would take them.

  Using the arm around her waist, he pulled her as close to him as he could, needing the feel of her body against his. His free hand wound through her long red curls, releasing them from the elastic band and reveling in their silky softness as they cascaded down her back.

  Her hips began a slow grind against his growing erection while her hands moved into his hair, tangling in the waves at the nape of his neck. Katarina was attempting to take the lead and Viktor was more than willing to let her. Following his mate to the tempo of their hearts, he danced them into the darkest, most secluded alcove of the dance floor.

  The shock of his skin touching hers as his hands slid under her sweater drove the air from his lungs. His struggle to maintain control when all his instincts were driving him to make love to the keeper of his heart, to bind her to him, to make them one even before she knew their destiny, was overpowering.

  Summoning a strength he didn’t know he possessed, Viktor moved his hands to her shoulders, kissed her as if she was the very air he breathed, and then set her an arm’s length away from him. Dazed and more than a little confused, Katarina slowly opened her eyes. A lust and passion he knew he’d put there made Viktor stand a little taller. He took pride in her kiss-swollen lips and the gently tossed look of her locks. The day when he didn’t have to stop, when he could love her the way the mate of a King of the Blood should be loved, the way his woman should be loved, could not come soon enough. Alas, it was not this night.

  “Viktor—” Her words were cut off by the appearance of Roman.

  “There you two are. We thought maybe you got lost.” Grinning like a loon, making Viktor concoct new and inventive ways to torture him, Roman winked and added, “Viktor, there’s someone in the office to see you.” Then to Katarina he said, “How about you and I get some refreshments while the boss conducts a little business.”

  Viktor watched as Roman took the confused Katarina by the arm and headed toward the bar. The King made his way to the concealed door that led to the Manager’s office and once secluded from human eyes, used his preternatural speed to rush to his waiting saietas.

  Angelique was the daughter of Roman’s steward and she’d had the privilege of providing Viktor’s nourishment for almost ten years. She was well-paid for her services. Her family, like all the other families who’d been stewards to the Kings over the millennia, was loyal and trustworthy.

  “How are you this evening, sire?” Angelique asked. She stood, moving the strap of her camisole from her shoulder and leaning her head to the right.

  “I am fine, dear. How are you?”

  “Fine, sire.”

  “And your parents?”

  “Vacationing in the Isles and from the postcards I’ve received, having a blast.”

  “That is good to hear.”

  Wanting, no, needing to get back to Katarina, Viktor asked the question he’d been asking every month since he’d arisen from his grave. “Do you, Angelique, agree to provide nourishment to me, a King of the Blood, freely and of your own volition?”

  “Yes, sire. I do.”

  “Then I shall take only what I need. Thank you for your service.”

  Viktor supported her with his hands on her upper arms as he leaned in. Angelique sighed as he pierced the tender skin over her carotid and pulled the life blood from her vein. Feeding was a sensual experience for the saietas but not for the King. That only occurred when the keeper of his heart took his vein or he took hers, something the supreme commander was very much looking forward to.

  Drinking quickly, Viktor took only the barest amount necessary to maintain his health, as he’d been doing for several centuries. Removing his teeth from her neck, he wiped the single drop of blood that had escaped his lips with his linen handkerchief and then retur
ned it to his jacket pocket.

  “You’ve ordered your meal?”

  Smiling, she nodded, “I have. It’s in the lounge with the others.”

  “Good. You received your new assignment?” Because Katarina had now come to Viktor, whether she agreed to be his mate or not, the King no longer needed a feeder, therefore, he’d had Angelique transferred to the corporate office where her skills as a programmer could be utilized.

  “Yes, sire. Thank you so very much and congratulations. Your custos animae is beautiful.”

  “Thank you, Angelique.”

  Viktor had just opened the door when Angelique asked, “Is that why you had us come two nights earlier than scheduled?”

  Before he could correct her assumption and get his much needed answers, a gunshot from the club below ripped the air. Swinging open the door, he was swamped with Katarina’s terror and panic. Looking through her eyes, he saw only a misty darkness. It was as if she’d been blindfolded. Her fright turned to anguish from one heart beat to the next as pain tore through her stomach.

  Fearing she’d been shot, needing her by his side, Viktor hit the dance floor running. Roman was at once by his side.

  “Katarina’s been shot!” the commander roared.

  “No, Viktor. It was Sal that was shot, but Kat’s been abducted and...”

  Not waiting to hear what else Roman had to say, Viktor sped out the emergency exit and into the alley, praying to reach his mate in time. The thought of being without her for only a moment was more than the King could bare. He knew he’d acquired some enemies over the years but only in business, no one who would strike out at him in a personal manner. Looking one way and then the other, he saw nothing and no one. It was as if Katarina had vanished along with her kidnappers. The door at the back of the building slammed against the brick wall as Bain and Nikos flew to his side.

  “Where is she? Which way did she go?” they yelled in unison.

  Viktor couldn’t answer. He could barely breathe. His worst nightmare had come to life. There on the wind was the scent he’d been hunting since the day he’d risen from his original death, but this time the bastard had gone too far. This time there would be no officials to bribe and no help from a vengeful goddess. No, this time there would only be death and retribution. This time he’d threatened Viktor’s mate.

  This debt would be paid in blood...Bjorn’s blood.

  Chapter Five

  Kat awoke to the smell of furniture polish and fabric softener. It would’ve have been okay, maybe even pleasant, if it hadn’t been combined with stale air and whatever had been on the rag they’d shoved in her mouth when she’d been abducted.

  The good news is it’s clean here. The bad news is I have no idea where the hell here is.

  Squinting against the glare of the streetlights shining through bare windows, Kat attempted to figure out what had happened while trying to pry open her swollen lips. The bastards had been extremely rough when they gagged her. It felt like she’d been punched in the mouth. Then there was the world record case of cotton mouth she had. If she’d had anything to drink she would’ve said it was a hangover. There had to have been some kind of chloroform or something on that blasted rag. It was the only explanation.

  Then there were her bruised ribs. Injured when some huge man unceremoniously threw her over his shoulder. They ached and having her hands stretched above her head didn’t help. Kat tried to move her arms to relieve some of her discomfort only to be met with resistance and the clank of steel against wood. Three more tugs had her shoulders burning, her wrists aching, and her sides burning as if she’d just ran a mile. Which she never did.

  More than a little pissed, Kat yelled, “All right, enough is enough! Let me go. This shit isn’t funny anymore.” Then quietly added, “Not that it was to begin with.”

  Holding her breath, she listened for any sound indicating she hadn’t been left alone to die. All patience lost, she yelled again, “Somebody? Anybody? Crazy Kidnapper? Am I supposed to be scared? I’m not sure what you’re hoping to accomplish. Seems like a waste of time to abduct me and then leave me staring at the ceiling.”

  In the blink of an eye a tall, dark-haired man with piercing blue eyes stood at the end of her bed. She had no idea where he had come from or how he’d moved that fast but from the contained aggression pouring off him, Kat was sure he would have no trouble snapping her neck without a second thought. The tension in the air threatened to strangle Kat while her captor simply stared, daring her to stare back...so she did.

  Kat had to admit his intimidation technique was effective. Sweat ran down her back and her hands slightly trembled, but she’d come from the ‘never let ‘em see you sweat’ school of hard knocks and there was no way she was going to blink. Their test of wills seemed to go on forever. The longer she looked into his heartless eyes, the more the sense of déjà vu grew.

  Before she could think about it any longer, the man spoke. “Hello, Katarina.”

  His voice was hard and heavily accented, but familiar. It fit his dark features and olive skin. He knew her name. But so did a lot of people because of the huge amount of publicity she and Roma Tech had received in the last eighteen months. But that didn’t feel right. This wasn’t business...it was personal.

  He turned his head, glancing at their surroundings. At the sight of his profile, bells went off in her mind. It was right at the edge of her memory, just out of reach. A picture forming of how she knew her kidnapper. Then he spoke. Her concentration was broken and Kat wanted to scream.

  “I understand your reticence to speak to me. If you will be patient all will be explained. My plan is for you to be released unharmed as soon as I have what I want.”

  He turned to leave and Kat lost her cool. “That’s it? You have a plan? What am I supposed to do? Lay here and wait?”

  Spinning on his heels and advancing toward her almost faster than her eyes could follow, her captor leaned down until their noses almost touched. His piercing blue eyes bore into hers as he spoke through gritted teeth. “No, that is not it, but I was going to get you something to eat and the key to your handcuffs so that you would be more comfortable. However, if you prefer to lay here trussed up like a Christmas goose, then so be it. I must admit I like the view.”

  He pulled back ever so slightly and slowly ran his eyes from her face to her toes and back again. Kat felt like she needed a shower with lye soap and a Brillo pad. As if that wasn’t enough, he ran the tips of his fingers across the thin strip of her stomach that showed from where her sweater had ridden up.

  Kat held her breath, refusing to squirm. She absolutely would not let him know how much he repulsed her. The bastard was playing a game. He wanted her to react. He needed her to fear him for his plan to work. But she needed him to believe he had no effect on her, needed him to keep talking. It was the only way she was going to figure out what was happening.

  “I’m sorry if Aldo hurt you when he was carrying you to the car. Sometimes he doesn’t know his own strength.” Another swipe across her skin. Then, in a dreamy voice her captor added, “Viktoras truly is a lucky man.” Smiling an evil smile, he maliciously chuckled, “Or should I say he was almost a lucky man.”

  Now he was baiting her. It was a trap. There was no other explanation. He wanted her off kilter. On some level, she knew he was more than simply mean; he was sadistic. He wanted her scared. It fed his need for control, made him feel powerful. Too bad for him, Kat wasn’t playing. She had no clue who this Viktoras character was or what tall, dark, and psycho wanted with him, but she knew if she kept him talking, he would tell her.

  Taking as deep a breath as she could with her sore ribs, Kat used the voice her father had taught her for her debate competitions in high school. Calm and clear was the mantra going through her head. “I’m not sure who Viktoras is or what he has to do with me, but I am willing to help you get whatever it is you’re looking for.”

  “Oh, I know you will.” Her abductor spoke with a confidence that said he
believed there was no way he could lose. He thought he had it all figured out. “First, let’s get you out of those restraints. Then we can eat and talk. I have waited for you for a very long time, longer than you can ever imagine.”

  Before she could say anything, he was gone. From the sound of his footsteps, Kat was able to figure out that he’d gone down twenty-one stairs before walking thirty steps on carpet then stepping onto tile. There was the clatter of dishes and the sound of running water before he started back. Kat recounted the same number of steps as before until he was once again at her door. Her unease grew as she assumed they were alone. He hadn’t spoken to anyone, but then they could just be screwing with her.

  Cause they’re not the most forthcoming guys in the world.

  Walking into the room without a word, her kidnapper set a huge silver tray covered with what smelled like tea and dessert on the long antique dresser across the room from where she lay. Kat thought about the biscuits she’d had the night before and wished to go back in time.

  As promised, her captor moved to release her hands. Unfortunately, he took full advantage of her prone position, all but laying across her as he unlocked her cuffs. Looking up, Kat saw him leering at her with the corner of his mouth upturned in a sadistic smirk. Just another trick to disarm and intimidate her. This wasn’t his first abduction; he’d perfected his technique. The bastard was toying with her.

  First one and then the other of her wrists were freed but...instead of letting them fall, he held them in his hands, lifted them to his lips, and lightly kissed the raw, irritated skin. His touch burned. Sucking her breath through gritted teeth, Kat jerked her hands away.

  Feigning sympathy, the man cooed, “I’m very sorry for your pain. I did, however, bring you an ice pack and some pain relievers. Now, go ahead and visit the ladies’ room.” He pointed to a door in the far corner. “When you get back you can eat while I talk. As soon as you’ve heard what I have to say, I believe you will understand why this is the only real course of action I had.”