I set down my drink, reading her glimmering expression.
That’s why Mikael was fighting for him? Not because he’d wanted the son of his union with Queen Titania, but because Kyros’s power could be felt before he was born?
Cold, cold bastard.
He wanted to use Kyros.
“He’s going to be really powerful one day, isn’t he?” I asked after an explosion of laughter from the dance floor.
In seventy years, he’d reach maturity. I’d be ninety-two. Surviving that long was something I hoped for while knowing I’d be dead at seventy-five like a good little statistic. The only way to be with Kyros when he matured was to become a Vissimo. If I died, he’d go berserk and be killed too. Yet seeing as my various sources of guilt wouldn’t let me consider our relationship as anything long term, turning into a vampire was still something I refused to contemplate.
Laurel regarded me through hard blue eyes. “One day, he’ll rule all Vissimo, Basi.”
I jerked, frowning at her. Was she serious?
She continued, “He’ll rule us. Or he’ll destroy us. And which path he takes is entirely up to you.”
9
“You’re kidding. Eight percent?” I stared at the screen which currently showed my Churchill team on the other side of the video call.
A woman in the middle flipped through a file. She stood, addressing me. “Yes, ma’am. Last week saw an increase of 8 percent in house acquisition. A 2 percent rise in rentals and leases.”
Well, shit.
“I take it the new employees are doing well.” My trouble property employees were behind this change. Led by Mrs Hannah.
The CEO cleared his throat. “Correct, Miss Le Spyre. Interestingly, our four newest employees were previously owners of properties from the trouble list. The houses sold last week were all from the trouble list too.”
I smiled despite my fatigue. “Good.”
In coming weeks, I’d hire more of them. But I needed to see how Sundulus reacted to the surge first.
Disconnecting the call, I climbed the stairs to my regular office, and pulled out my phone.
Staring at Tommy’s number, I chewed on my lip, typing.
Please message so I know you’re okay
I hovered my thumb over Send. She was physically okay. Laurel gave me a report every day on Tommy’s status. But was she okay in her heart, in her mind, and in her soul?
Hitting Send, I scrolled through my contacts until I reached the name Get Strawberries. I held the phone to my ear.
“Miss Le Spyre.”
Two rings. Not bad.
“Jordan,” I greeted. “Give me an update.”
I heard frantic rustling. Jordan was young, and managing a nightclub was a massive step up for her. During the three-month trial, she’d sink or swim. I had a feeling she’d swim—and well.
“Publicity after the opening night is insane. Exactly what we were going for. Nobody could hear a peep. They have no idea what was going on inside. I had Quin put up one post across our social media detailing opening hours next Thursday.”
Opening my Instagram that I’d never posted with, but always stalked Truth Ranges celebrities on, I pulled up the post. Black background. A handful of words in the middle.
Forbidden.
“Perfect. What else?”
I listened as she detailed various themes and edges she had planned. I’d already used my influence to pull in renowned DJs from outside Bluff City.
When she finished, I said, “Discuss your ideas with the marketing team and research which will be better received. I’d like a schedule by the end of the week. In addition, approach the four most popular bars in Black. Invite them to participate in a club crawl—with a better name, obviously. The crawl will end at our club at midnight.”
“I’ll get onto that immediately,” Jordan said.
My phone chimed as I ended the call. 1:00 p.m., and so many calls to make and emails to answer. I was mostly caught up, but a queue of CEOs waited for my approval on proposals. The sleepless nights were getting to me.
I glanced at the message.
[MESSAGE NOT SENT. This number is disconnected or no longer in service.]
My mouth dried. Tommy changed her number.
Of course she did.
Rubbing my chest, I opened a message from Dame Burke.
I stared at the address in Frankton Gorge.
There wasn’t a name attached to the message, but I knew who it belonged to.
Sandra Hoyt. The last case manager for Mr Ringly’s DA.
Hope and fear warred for first place. If she’d moved due to pressure or threats from Fyrlia, then I could stop the end cascade by bringing it to King Julius.
Which meant I couldn’t delay. If I left now, I’d be back before my tower shift.
The problem being my personal GPS tracker. Tapping a finger on the table, I frowned at the Tom Hanks autobiography on the shelf.
Picking up the landline, I dialled for Fred.
“Miss Le Spyre. How can I be of assistance?”
“Fred, please send Mrs Hannah in.” It was Sunday, so she shouldn’t be working.
Oh fuck.
“Scrap that, Fred. She’ll be at her extended lunch.”
Hmm, I needed a reason to go to Frankton Gorge. Screwing my face up, I dismissed half a dozen excuses.
Kyros understood family and business.
I picked up the landline again. “Fred, get the car ready. We’re going to Frankton Gorge.”
“As you say, miss.”
Laurel would have heard that too.
Kyros left mine an hour ago, which made this look more suspicious. Since the first night, he tended to stick around the estate until midday, then we went our separate ways until midnight. There hadn’t been any repeats of what happened in the wardrobe, even after my text last night. Part of me was grateful despite the aching of my body. It was just a rabbit GIF, but I’d literally thought the same thing minutes before he sent it through. That our connection was changing and deepening was undeniable. With physical intimacy as intense as ours that trend would continue. I had to be careful. Losing myself over and over like that could break me. Not that I had to fend him off each night or anything. In Kyros, I detected fear each time we touched. He was afraid of losing control and starting the fifth exchange before the agreed time.
Next Sunday after the fashion show, we’d take the next step.
I’d wanted to do it tonight, but Dr Olivia recommended we wait four weeks from the attack in the hope my body would have replaced a fair amount of lost blood cells.
I sent Kyros a llama GIF.
His amusement trickled through a second later, and I hit Dial.
“Basilia.” His voice slid over me, through me, and bumps erupted on my skin.
“Kyros.”
His lust surged, and mine answered, pushing his higher. We were like a positive feedback system; with each rebound, the heat catapulted higher.
“I’m heading out to Frankton Gorge for the afternoon, and I wanted to tell you. Because you’d know.”
A growl slipped down the line. “That’s the only reason you’re telling me?”
Well… “Yes.”
He sighed. “Of course it is. Why are you going to Frankton Gorge?”
“Don’t mistake this for asking your permission, Kyros. This is a courtesy call only. I’ll take two cars of Vissimo.”
“Take four.” He cut me off.
Ugh. “I’d prefer the residents of Frankton Gorge not to mistake me for the Madame President.”
Contemplation wound through the vampire. My ears picked up the squeak of leather as he leaned back in an office chair. “Then I’ll come.”
That was a big fat no. “You’re so frustrating.”
“Believe me, I’m nothing on you,” he said, anger splicing between us. “Twenty Vissimo. No less. Or I’ll follow, and you won’t like the consequences.”
“Chill out, Dad,” I said, hanging up.
&nbs
p; Consequences, my butthole.
I paced the office, hands curled into fists. Kyros wasn’t allowed to dictate how and when I went places! Who the fuck did he think he was talking to?
Plus, Sundulus placed tails on Trenit and Tynan Tonyi after I killed their brother. Kyros knew where they were at all times.
He was just being a possessive control freak.
I blew out a breath.
Except, maybe he wasn’t.
He’ll rule us. Or he’ll destroy us.
“Stupid male,” I informed the room.
Striding to the door, I beelined for the patio doors that Laurel tended to guard.
She didn’t turn. “Frankton Gorge?”
“Yes, could you get a team ready, please?”
“How many?”
I ground my teeth, increasing the number he gave me. “Twenty-five.”
Her expression smoothed, and I pivoted on my heel, striding for the lobby. If taking that many would shut Kyros up, then whatever. No skin off my back. There were more important things to focus on—like climbing out of the six-foot grave I’d dug myself.
I’d take twenty-five Vissimo with me, and hopefully by the end of the day, I’d be in a position to confess everything to the Sundulus royals.
There was still time.
Sandra Hoyt, I’m coming for you.
The two-hour drive here wasn’t totally wasted. My estate work was up to date—for now. The frenzy would continue until my CEOs believed I wouldn’t disappear again. Unfortunately, there were no assurances of that. Each day could be my last if I didn’t find a solution to restore equilibrium in Ingenium soon.
I’d made the Indebted wait at the ends of the street. My crew surrounded Miss Hoyt’s house, out of sight.
I knocked on the door of the narrow townhouse. Frankton Gorge was wine country. The houses lining the main street were charming Victorian-style apartments. I’d come up here a couple of times with Tommy. We got all dressed up and consumed far too many bottles of sacrificial grapes.
Light footsteps echoed through the house before the door swung open. A towering woman with red hair regarded me warily, her eyes darting to the black car where Fred sat in the driver’s seat.
This was Sandra Hoyt. I’d googled her.
“Miss Hoyt, I’m a family friend of Mr Hothen. My name is Basilia Le Spyre.”
Her eyes widened. “Le Spyre. What are you doing here?”
Smiling, I said, “The subject I wish to discuss is of a sensitive nature. Do you mind if I come in?”
The thing about a last name like mine was people knew better than to say no—especially if those people worked for the council.
Yet she hesitated.
“I haven’t come to harm you,” I told her, dropping my smile. I could spot her brand of fear from a mile away. Maybe literally with my sharpened vision. She didn’t leave Bluff City for her career. She’d been scared by Vissimo.
Badly.
She took another look at the car. “It’s just you?”
And twenty-five vampires. “Just me. I’m not here to cause problems.”
Sighing, Sandra gave up and opened the door wider. “Come in. I don’t have long though. I have a meeting in an hour.”
Sure she did.
I followed her into an elegant lounge room that matched the architecture of the house. Miss Hoyt was tasteful—and if Mr Hothen’s interest was piqued by her, the woman had smarts.
Smart enough to get out of danger when things heated up.
“How is Walter?” she asked.
I thought of the silver fox. “Fine last time I saw him. You know him. Doesn’t sit still for too long.”
Her expression turned wry. “He doesn’t. Are you dating him then?”
Ew. “Mr Hothen is more like a grandfather to me.”
A small smile played on her lips. “Indeed. Then how may I assist one of the richest people in the world?”
I leaned back, watching her. “For several years, you were the town planner on a rezoning application. Last year, you moved to Frankton Gorge. Six months later, the development proposal was approved.”
Her mouth tightened. “I don’t know which—”
“Mr Ringly’s DA for the 70 hectares known as Lot 42, previously agricultural land.”
She blinked. “I can’t discuss cases as I am sure you know.”
I did. But she would.
Focusing my thoughts elsewhere, I said, “They scared you, didn’t they? Was it just one of them or more?”
Sandra Hoyt froze.
“They threatened you… your life or career. They wanted you to approve the DA and you wouldn’t.”
“H-How do you know about them? Are you human?”
I waved a hand. “As human as they come.” With some alterations. “However, Bluff City is not in a good state. I’m hoping to stop it falling into… unsavoury hands for good. To do that, I need proof that something was amiss in the Lot 42 DA.”
She wet her lips.
I lowered my voice. “To do that, I need your help.”
“They’ll kill me.”
“They won’t,” I told her. “No one’s aware that I came here. Your statement won’t be put forward to the correct parties until I am positive my people can use that proof to overthrow our enemies.”
Sandra stood abruptly. “I can’t help you.”
“You’re not safe here, Sandra. You think they don’t know where you are? Do you think leaving Bluff City was protection enough? If you had the sense to get out of that situation, then you’re smart enough to realise there’s nowhere in the world they can’t find you—should they choose to.”
Tears pooled in her periwinkle-blue eyes.
I steeled myself, focusing on the texture of her wallpaper. “I can protect you. I say that with complete knowledge of their capabilities. But to protect you, and the city, I need to know how they tried to force your hand.”
Julia Dinh took over after Sandra, but approaching her wouldn’t go unnoticed by either clan. I’d looked up her name and confirmed she was a Sundulus human liaison. Yet she’d pushed through the DA for Fyrlia.
Which meant she was working both sides. Or Fyrlia had a larger hold over her.
Sundulus hadn’t detected any wrongdoing in the Mr Ringly case. No bribes, compulsion, or apparent blackmail. Seeing as the rules prevented compulsion of anyone who signed contracts, Sundulus couldn’t compel Julia for the truth. It would nullify future deals made with her as the signatory.
Had she figured that out?
That’s why the clans compelled the very powerful—people who delegated tasks to others. Mr Olythieu was in their power and couldn’t sign over anything himself; however, he could introduce them to a range of financial CEOs and advisors who could do the work they wished, as well as his direct underlings.
Sandra sat again, and I scanned her striking features, wondering if the stress of being a pawn in Ingenium caused the fine lines around her eyes. She couldn’t be older than her mid-thirties.
We were all victims in this. But if we acted like victims, they’d win.
“You’re living in fear,” I whispered. “I know the feeling, Sandra. That’s why I took my chance to live a life free of it. And the chance is good, or I wouldn’t be here.”
The woman plucked a tissue from a box on the table and wiped her face. “How can I be free? I’ve seen them. Seen what they can do. I just made it out of there with my life. As full of fear as life now is, why would I risk drawing their attention my way again?”
“For the others you may have in your life.” I held her gaze. “You cut ties with Mr Hothen, so you know what I’m talking about. Will you live alone forever? What if you have children one day? What about your parents and siblings and their children? That’s what you must protect. The information you have could be the thing that will protect them. Not only will I protect you during the proceedings, but afterward, if you still wish to hide, I’ll help you do it properly. You and whatever loved ones you wish to take
with you. You don’t have to believe this, but you can see the same fear in me. I know what you’ve been through and what you feel. Believe that I’ll do right by you and everyone else who has suffered.”
Sandra closed her eyes, and I listened to the rush of breath in her throat and focused on the bead of sweat trickling down her neck.
The silence swelled and the ticking of the clock a few rooms away boomed in my ears.
Her lips trembled and she opened her eyes. “You’ll help my family?”
I nodded. “I will.”
She exhaled and her shoulders sagged. “I need time to—”
“There is no time. Unless you want the enemy to win, it has to be now.”
Her hands shook. She opened her mouth twice before speaking. “I’d been working on the Ringly case right before I finished work that day. I usually left him until last because he tended to erupt on the phone each time I knocked his DA back. That happened a lot over the three years I worked with him. That particular day, I left work and found a list of my family’s home addresses in my letterbox. I didn’t know who the list was from at first. As time went on, each time I had an interaction with Mr Ringly, a new copy of the letter would appear. First, just in my letterbox. Then at my workplace. I’d get off the phone with him and a letter would be sitting there on my desk. Toward the end, I found them in my bedroom. Sometimes while I’d been sound asleep.”
Fuck. Even without knowledge of Vissimo that was terrifying.
“I told my superior and hoped that would be an end of the trouble. Instead, he asked me to stay on the case so Mr Ringly wasn’t alerted to the police investigations. It took a while to realise he hadn’t told the police about the harassment at all. I contacted the police myself and tried to go directly to the mayor. After that, the police stopped returning my calls. The mayor blocked me at every turn. I started to believe he must have some kind of stake in Mr Ringly’s plans. It was the only thing that made sense.”
She cut off and took a deep inhale. “That was about the time I began to spot the same man everywhere. I’d see him at the supermarket, and then pass the same man in the parking lot three seconds later. I’d stop beside the same man again at the traffic lights. I’d pass him twice on the same escalator and see him again on the next level walking out of a store. Meanwhile, each day at work was hell. Everyone thought I was creating trouble—I don’t know what they were being told, but my colleagues turned against me overnight. No one would help or listen. Whoever was threatening me was extremely powerful, and I still had no idea who they were or how they were doing these things to me.”
Death Game: Supernatural Battle (Vampire Towers Book 3) Page 9