“Do it!”

Thomas pressed the button at the base of the microphone. He inhaled slowly. “By now, you probably all know that I’ve taken over this building.” He exchanged a look with Kasper, before continuing, “Samson, I’ve finally found my way back to my roots. I am what I am. And Kasper has shown me the way. I can’t deny the power in me any longer. And now, with Kasper by my side, I’ve claimed that power. I will no longer hide from it.”

Thomas closed his eyes for a moment, feeling a strange feeling in his gut that was trying to work itself up into his chest. Using his dark power, he forced it down.

“I’ve helped you build this company, and I realize now that none of you are worthy to run it.

I’ve proven that today. You’re my prisoners now. Had you bothered to curb my authority and put checks and balances in place to stop me from overstepping my domain, this would have never happened. As it is, you let me implement fail-safes that I am now using against you. You shouldn’t have trusted me.”

Because trust was a dangerous thing. He’d trusted Eddie to keep his heart safe, and Eddie had tossed it to the dogs. Eddie had betrayed him in the worst possible way. The pain, still fresh and ever-present, sent another painful spear through his heart. He’d hoped that by claiming his dark power and exercising it, the pain would vanish, just as all other feelings of concern for his fellow vampires had vanished. Where he’d been a caring man before, there was simply a void. He felt nothing. Nothing but the pain of Eddie’s betrayal. Nothing could ever stamp it out.

“I won’t bore you any longer. Here’s what you’ll do, Samson. You’ll sign Scanguards over to me. Amaury and Gabriel will do the same with their interests in the company. You have ten minutes. I’m opening up the intercom in your office for you to respond.”

He was about to press the intercom button to switch off the microphone when Kasper stopped him and bent to it. “I’m afraid my dear Thomas is far too nice. This is Kasper, his maker. And I am a little less patient than he is. Sign the company over to us or the human currently stuck in the elevator dies.” A grin spread on his lips, then he pressed the button, muting the intercom.

Thomas’s glance shot to the monitors in front of him, searching for the video feed that showed the interior of the elevator. Nina’s blond locks were easy to distinguish against the dark lining of the interior.

Stunned, he looked up at his maker. Kasper had assured him earlier that nobody would die tonight.

***

Eddie exchanged a frantic look with Amaury.

“Shit!” Eddie cursed. “We’ve gotta get her out now!”

His brother-in-law’s fingernails had already turned into claws, and he now tried to jam the sharp edges in between the two doors to try to pry them apart. His neck muscles tensed and he breathed heavily.

“Where’s the fucking manual release?” Eddie cried out, rushing to Amaury’s side, falling to his knees and trying to do the same as Amaury, lower down. But the doors didn’t move.

“There’s a panel somewhere,” Cain answered from behind.

“Find it!” Amaury ordered.

Eddie heard Nina’s panicked voice from inside the elevator. “Get me out of here, Amaury, please! Before he does it!”

Eddie had nearly forgotten that the intercom could be heard in the elevator too. Nina had heard every single word of Kasper’s threat.

Amaury’s expression was gloomy. “It’ll be all right, chérie. We’re nearly there,” he lied.

Then lower, he whispered to Eddie, anguish in his face. “I can’t lose her.”

His last word was drowned out by Samson’s voice coming over the intercom. “Thomas, stop this madness. We know this is not your doing. You’re being manipulated. Whoever this man is who claims to be Kasper, you know it can’t be he. Kasper is dead. He has no power over you anymore. We can work all this out. We’re friends. You’d never hurt your friends.”

Then Thomas’s voice cut in again. Eddie felt his heart bleed as he heard it, cold and emotionless. “You’re wrong, Samson. Kasper is very much alive. He and I belong together. He can give me the love I need. The love that I deserve.”

Eddie knew instantly that the last words were meant for him, not for Samson. Thomas was craving his love, and it was Eddie’s fault that he now turned to an evil man like Kasper. How Kasper could still be alive when he’d seen him die in front of his own eyes, Eddie didn’t know.

But what he did know was that Kasper was evil. Thomas had said so himself after his mind control fight with him a few months earlier. Thomas hated his maker.