“Thank you.” She leaned over and kissed her sister on her uninjured cheek, then she went to work finishing her bagel. When that was done, she took her coffee downstairs to talk to Temo.
Usually, everyone came upstairs, but she wanted a chance to speak to him on his turf. She thought he might be more comfortable saying no that way.
The stairs led into the kitchen, just like they did in the penthouse. “Temo?”
“Morning, boss.”
She turned to see him coming out of the laundry room, a basket of clothes tucked under one arm. “Laundry day, huh?”
He nodded. “Gotta do it. You need me?”
“I want to talk to you for a few minutes. If now is a good time.”
“Sure. You want to go into the living room? I’ll just put these on my bed and be right in.”
“Great.” She went to wait for him. He didn’t take long.
He sat across from her. “What’s on your mind?”
“Neo. I’d like to bring her on as part of the team. Not just to handle our cybersecurity, but also to help with all of our IT needs.”
“Like when you want to hack into something?”
“Maybe.” Donna laughed. “Let’s just not say it that way.”
“Right.” He was smiling. “Having her as an official part of the team would be great.”
“Yeah? You’re okay with me hiring her?”
“Absolutely. I like her a lot.”
His broad grin said he liked her more than a lot. “You’d be okay working with her on a regular basis, then?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
“How about living with her?”
His brows lifted, but the smile went nowhere. “You’re going to ask her to move in here?”
“Maybe. I know she’s ready to move out of the city.”
“She is.”
“So…I bought the apartment below this one. It’s a three-bedroom executive suite. I was thinking if you two wanted to make that your own…”
“Really?”
She smiled. “Yes. The penthouse elevator is being reprogrammed to add the stop, and that apartment will also get access to the stairwell.”
“Boss, that’s…amazing. I know you didn’t do it just for us, but—”
“Eh, I kind of did. Don’t get me wrong, it’ll be great to have the extra space. That apartment has another conference room and office, which I have no doubt we’ll use, but you guys plus Charlie in this apartment seems kind of cramped. Plus, this way, Charlie can have some more space too.”
“It’s a win-win.” He got a curious twinkle in his eyes. “And now Fitzhugh isn’t the only one with three floors.”
She sat back, her smile widening. “There is that.”
Maybe that was petty, but she didn’t care. She was sick and tired of Fitzhugh thinking he was better than her.
“When are you going to talk to Neo?”
“I’m going to see if she can meet me a little early for group tonight. So as soon as possible.”
“Good.” He let out a little contented sigh. “She’s going to be really excited.”
“I realize that this could go poorly if things between you two don’t end well.”
He shook his head. “That’s not gonna happen, boss. I like that woman way too much. Enough to think maybe someday I’d like to ask her to make things permanent.”
“Glad to hear that.” Smiling, Donna got up. “Now, let’s see if she takes the job.”
Chapter Thirty-one
Neo was waiting outside the New Manhattan Health and Wellness Center when Temo dropped Donna off. She walked up to the car as he got out to greet her. “Hey.”
Neo lifted her chin. “Hey.”
Donna came around the SUV in time to see her friend give Temo a quick kiss. She smiled but said nothing.
Temo, smiling sheepishly, took a step back. “You’ll text me when you’re done, boss?”
“I will.”
“Okay.” He grinned at Neo as he got back in the car. “See you later.”
Donna wasn’t sure which of them he was talking to. She stuck her hands in her coat pockets as she stood by Neo. “Thanks for meeting me early.”
“Sure,” Neo said. She watched Temo pull away. “What’s up? Need help with something else?”
“Sort of. More like permanent help. I’d like to offer you a job as my IT person.”
That got Neo’s attention. She whipped around to look at Donna so fast her braids went flying. “Get out. Are you playing with me?”
“Totally serious. Pay is great, you can still take care of your existing clients in your free time, and the position comes with room and board. If you want it.”
“This after I failed to get into the Venari system. You should really let me dig into Fitzhugh and see what I can find.”
“Not as long as that’s still illegal. And Cammie warned us the Venari setup was impossible, so I don’t consider that a mark against you.”
The corner of Neo’s mouth hitched up. “Thanks. Wait. You said room and board?”
Donna nodded. “The governorship has added another apartment to its holdings.”
Neo’s expression turned incredulous. “Any chance that crib is in the Wellman Towers?”
“Every chance.”
“And that’s where the room and board would be?”
“It is. I thought you and Temo could take over the new addition. If you’re ready to take that kind of step with him. I’m not about to rush you into something.”
Neo put her hand to her head. “I can’t process all of this. It’s too much. You’re serious?”
“I wouldn’t joke about a thing like this. You’re already part of my team. Why not make it official and put you on the payroll? Besides, you said you were ready to get out of Manhattan. So are you in or what?”
Neo lunged forward and hugged Donna. Which was very unlike Neo. But the hug lasted only a few seconds, so Donna didn’t have to wonder if her friend had been body-snatched. “Yes. I say yes. And thank you.”
“Great. Temo will be so happy.” Donna looked past her and saw Francine getting out of a sleek black sedan driven by her roommate/sire/boyfriend, Lionel. “Well, the party just arrived, so we’d better get upstairs. Hi, Francine.”
“Donna! Neo! How are you?” Francine gave Lionel a wave goodbye, then came over to them. Tonight’s velour tracksuit was emerald green with rhinestone trim. Her waist pack was gold lamé, which matched her metallic gold sneakers.
“Hey, Frankie.” Neo gave her a fist bump, which Francine returned. “I’m good. How are you doing?”
“Better than I was at forty, that’s for sure.” Francine grinned at Donna. “I already know you’re good, honey. I heard the news. Someone’s been a busy vampire governor.”
“What news? About the raid to get Rico back?”
“No, about the treaty with the fae. That’s unbelievable. How on earth did you pull that off?”
“It wasn’t really any one thing I did. Just a lot of pieces coming together at the right time.”
“Regardless, well done. After losing Artemis, the vampire community needed a good thing like that.” Francine held on to Donna’s arm. Not because she needed it for stability, she was fine in that department. More like a motherly gesture. “You’re smoking Fitzhugh in the points department, that’s for sure.”
Donna sighed. “I don’t know about all that. He’s filed two new complaints against me, which you might not know. Well, one complaint against Pierce for punching him at your party, and another against me claiming I’m responsible for Artemis’s death.”
Francine frowned. “What a putz. He’s jealous. And trying to make himself look better because he knows the council is making up their short list of successors.” She shook her head. “They’re never going to pick him. Ever.”
Neo wrinkled her nose. “They better not. Can you imagine?”
Francine sighed. “I can, and it’s not good. We’d probably decamp to England if that ever happene
d. Lionel has an estate there. But speaking of Artemis, has anyone talked to Meghan?”
Meghan Murphy, the redheaded supermodel member of the First Fangs Club, had been sired by Claudette as well, so that made Artemis her grandsire, just like Donna. And it made Meghan and Donna blood sisters. Which wasn’t something that had ever come into play despite how related it made them seem.
Donna shook her head. “I haven’t. Do you think I should have reached out to her?”
“You could have, I suppose, but that responsibility really falls on Claudette.” Francine made a face. “And you know that didn’t happen.”
“Hey, I did see Claudette.” Donna’s brows lifted as she prepared to drop the rest of that juicy tidbit on them. “Pretty sure she’s shacking up with everyone’s favorite New York governor. She was hanging on him like a cheap suit.”
“Shut up,” Neo said. “How did you not tell me that?”
“I’m telling you now.”
Francine’s mouth was open. “Boy, she’s a piece of work. Didn’t take her long, huh?”
“No, it didn’t,” Donna said.
Francine’s blue eyes twinkled. “I guess she missed being governor so much that sleeping with one was the next best thing.”
Donna snorted as Neo waved to someone behind her.
Neo grinned. “Hey, LaToya. What’s up, girl?”
The curvy woman joined them. “I am, baby.” She stuck out her arm and pulled up her sleeve. “Look at this bracelet my new man got me.”
The gold links gleamed in the streetlights.
“Ooh, that’s gorgeous,” Neo said. “He must be a keeper.”
LaToya dropped her arm. “We’ll see. But yeah, so far he’s doing all right. What are you all doing out here?”
“Just gabbing. We should go upstairs,” Francine said. “Dr. Goldberg will be wondering where we are.”
“Well, let’s go, baby.” LaToya shifted slightly, pulled her big sweater coat tighter. “It’s chilly out here.”
Donna nodded. “It is. But at least it’s not still snowing.”
As they headed for the door, a voice called out, “Wait for me.”
They all looked to see Bunni tottering down the street in zebra-print stiletto boots and a matching fake fur zebra coat. All of a sudden, she went slightly sideways as one of her ankles bent. With vampire speed and strength, she righted herself without falling, but not without a high-pitched yelp.
LaToya sighed. “That girl crazy.” She put her hands on her hips. “You’re gonna break something in those fool shoes.”
Bunni reached them. “Maybe I’ll meet a cute ER doc that way.”
“Yeah, and when he tests your blood, he’s gonna know there’s something worse wrong with you than a broken ankle, baby.” LaToya laughed. “But you do you, boo.”
They all went up in the same elevator and straight to floor twelve, suite C, the group’s meeting room.
Dr. Goldberg was already there. She stood at the credenza where the coffee service was set up, fixing herself a cup of tea. “Good evening, ladies.”
They all greeted her in return and got themselves something to drink. Donna got a bottle of water and a couple of cookies from the array beside the coffeemaker.
As they were milling about, Meghan came in, gorgeous as ever in a sweeping plaid coat that made her look like a Highland goddess. “Good evening, everyone.” She went right up to Donna. “I’ve been talking to my attorneys about your idea of setting up a foundation for people with sun sensitivity, and it’s actually happening. Thank you for that. It could really be life-changing for me. Please tell me you’ll come to the first event.”
“You’re welcome. And sure, I’d love to.” Donna had made the suggestion about the foundation at the last meeting, which was also the first time they’d met. “I have to ask. How are you doing with the loss of Artemis?”
Meghan sighed. “It’s been hard. I don’t even know why. It’s not like I knew her. I guess I thought she was somehow more immortal than the rest of us.”
“I think I felt a little of that myself.”
Meghan tucked a fiery strand of hair behind one ear. “How are you doing with it? I heard you were there.”
“I was. I’m dealing with it. I’m going to the memorial. I feel like I need to.”
“Oh, I wish I could go.”
“Why don’t you? You can travel with us if you’d like.”
Meghan shook her head. “I don’t know. I have to be really careful not to draw undue attention. The council frowns on that.”
“I guess it might stir things up if one of the world’s most famous supermodels suddenly showed up in Lebanon, Kansas.”
Meghan exhaled. “It would. And I can’t risk the press digging into why I’m there. I will definitely be watching online. And sending a fortune in flowers. Still, it’s not the same as being there.”
Donna gave Meghan’s arm a little squeeze. “If it makes you feel any better, she didn’t die without a fight, I can tell you that.”
Neo joined them. “And Donna took out the fae who killed our queen too. Their king, actually. I guess that’s fair. A king for a queen. Sliced him right in half with Artemis’s sword.”
“You did?” Meghan’s face brightened. “You’re so fearless, Donna. I don’t think I could ever do something like that. But then, there’s a reason you’re governor.”
“I don’t know.” That reason had been more about the right place and time than anything Donna had done. “I think you’d surprise yourself with what you’re capable of when the situation demands action.”
Meghan shrugged. “The best I can do is stand in heels for eight hours without complaining.”
“And you’ve been doing that since well before you were turned,” Donna said, laughing. “If that’s not a superpower, I don’t know what is.”
Meghan snorted.
“Ladies.” Dr. Goldberg clapped her hands. “If we could take our seats.”
Everyone got their refreshments and came over. Donna sat between Meghan and Francine, who was beside Dr. Goldberg. Rounding out the circle on the other side were Bunni, LaToya, and Neo.
“Full house tonight. Always nice to see.” Dr. Goldberg smiled as she opened her notebook. “Let’s get started, shall we? And I think the best way to do that is to acknowledge that this has been a hard week. The loss of Queen Artemis, regardless of how you felt about her, is a major stressor. Does anyone want to talk about how her death has affected them?”
LaToya raised her hand, making her new bracelet clink against her watch. “I feel like I need to do something, but I don’t know what. I’m sad that she’s gone, but that sadness has no real place to go. You see what I’m saying?”
“Uh-huh,” Bunni agreed. “She was our queen, right? So we need to, like, show our support. But how? It’s hard.”
Dr. Goldberg nodded, teacup in hand. “Understanding grief and how to react to it isn’t easy, you’re right. What about you, Meghan? Or Donna? You were both related to Artemis by your sire. How are you doing?”
“I’m doing all right.” Meghan smiled. “Actually, better now that I know Donna killed the fae who murdered our queen.”
Dr. Goldberg nearly choked on her tea. “What now?”
Neo nodded as she crossed her arms. “She did. I was there. She sliced that son of—that dude right in half. And did you know fae turn to ash when killed, just like we do? Because I didn’t.”
LaToya let out a long, whistling exhale. “That’s crazy.”
Bunni nodded, penciled brows high. “Yeah, it is.”
Dr. Goldberg was staring at them, lips parted but saying nothing.
Francine reached over and patted the doctor’s knee. “It’s okay, honey. I know you’re dealing with some heavy emotions right now. You want to take a break?”
Besides being a great therapist and group leader, Dr. Goldberg was an empath. It’s what made her such an outstanding therapist, but that gift meant she felt things much more deeply than most people.
Dr. Goldberg took a deep breath and shook her head. “No, I’ll be fine. I just didn’t realize…” She looked at Donna. “Maybe you should start from the beginning. Just exactly how did you come to kill the fae king?”
Chapter Thirty-two
By the time Donna had finished the retelling of the raid, Dr. Goldberg, LaToya, Francine, Bunni, and Meghan were all staring at her in rapt attention with the occasional astonished glance aimed at Neo.
Donna’s phone had buzzed once, but she’d ignored it to get through her story. She folded her hands on her lap. “And that’s it. I was unconscious for the next two days, but as you can see, everything worked out.”
Bunni popped her gum. “I can’t believe you turned Will Ferris. He’s, like, famous. Well, I mean, his leather jackets are. They’re amazeballs.”
Neo gave Bunni some hard side-eye. “Governor Barrone rescued a werewolf FBI agent, took down the fae king, then made peace with the new one, and your takeaway is that the guy she turned makes great leather jackets?”
Bunni made a face. “I can like what I like. You’re not in charge of what I think is important.”
“Hey,” Donna said. “Both of you, chill out. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’ve had enough stress this week.” Her phone vibrated again. “I don’t need to come here and get more of it. Especially not from two women I consider friends. Whatever this thing is between you, get over it. Being enemies is pointless. We’re all vampires. We all need to support each other. Fighting will get us nowhere.”
Dr. Goldberg nodded. “Donna makes some great points. If there was ever a group of women that should support each other, it’s this one. And you’re all feeling the weight of this week’s events. Whether or not you realize it, you will need to grieve.”
“I agree,” Meghan said. “I just don’t think I understood that until you said it. I haven’t cried. But maybe I should.”
“I did,” Francine said. “But I cry at all kinds of things.”
LaToya leaned forward. “Maybe we could do something as a group. Maybe get together and watch the memorial?”
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