My grandmother hired Tony for a reason, and that’s because he was the capable son of the lawyer who worked for her father.
“Who’s the beneficiary?” he asked, typing in the background.
“Julius Atagio,” I replied, spelling the name for him.
“Do you wish the estate to be included, Miss Le Spyre?”
No. My family home had stood here for one hundred and thirty-five years. It was a symbol of the Le Spyre’s presence in Bluff City. Giving it up was akin to selling my soul to Clan Sundulus.
I’d sold that a long time ago though, and it was within the boundaries of the new line I’d drawn in the sand.
“Yes, Tony. The estate as well. Everything. Collaborate with the financial team should you need to. There will likely be a delay of several hours before you receive details of my assets. I’m sending the email with my personal conditions for you to begin on immediately.”
Without waiting for his acknowledgement, I hung up and dialled Winston.
Eva answered.
“Good evening,” I replied, striding through Sir Olythieu’s mansion.
Fred fell into step behind me, hurrying forward to open the door of the car when we exited the main house into the front courtyard.
“I need the team on a new job,” I told her. Their last job—though they were so efficient I’d absorb them in my other companies somewhere. “Gather the contracts of sale for everything I own in Bluff City.”
“Of course, Miss Le Spyre. What would you like us to do with them?”
I pressed my lips together, settling into the back seat of Grandmother’s favourite car. “Listen very closely.”
22
I sat in the lavender garden, inhaling the scent as I gazed around the tiers.
“Miss, would you like some tea?”
Blinking, I focused on Rosie. “No, thank you.”
She curtsied. “The projector is set up by the pool, miss. They’re ready to begin the movie when you are.”
It needed to be dark for my outside cinema night. Blinking again, I saw it was dark. At some point, the sun had gone down.
Exhaustion used me as its play toy, but I couldn’t rest until the battle was over. Tomorrow, one way or another, I would have played my last hand.
“I’ll come presently,” I told her.
She curtsied again and turned to leave.
“Rosie?”
“Yes, Miss Le Spyre?”
“How do you think this area would look if I ripped out the lavender bushes and replaced them with succulents?”
Horror flittered across her face, and I smirked.
Gotcha.
Her expression smoothed. “It would look terrible, miss.”
A snort left me. “That will be all, Rosie.”
She was totally a poker player in some underground gambling circuit.
Gathering the stacks of papers spread across the wrought iron table, I trailed after her through the hedgeway toward the pool. The laughter and shouts of the gathered Vissimo stretched to me, drawing a genuine smile to my lips. Their silent and watchful days were over. My heart was happy that they were relaxed enough in my employ to make noise.
No matter what happened, I’d cultivate their trust until they were free on paper and in mind.
“Basil.” Tommy waved from the middle of what had to be two hundred vampires. I had no idea what their roster with Fyrlia and Sundulus was, but whoever wasn’t on duty tended to show up. The other day there were over five hundred here. Tonight, under half of that number. Were Fyrlia and Sundulus expecting trouble before tomorrow?
My staff had erected a huge white screen over the length of the pool. Speakers stood at either side and in the pavilions behind the chattering crowd. Every pillow and blanket in the house were on the grass right now, occupied by lounging vampires.
… Who appeared to be grouped in clusters that I strongly suspected were harems.
I really hoped the movie Tommy chose didn’t have sex in it.
“Hey, girl,” she said, shifting over to make space.
I plonked myself down. “Sorry to keep you all waiting. I lost track of time.”
“Did it have something to do with those?” Tommy eyed the stack of papers in my arms.
Yeah. Turned out the worst thing was the wait.
If there was anything else to do, I couldn’t think of it. I could only pore over every angle of my strategy again and again.
Laurel was on my other side, men draped over her like blankets.
“Will everyone be ready tomorrow?” I asked her.
She dipped her head, squeezing the thigh of a red-haired hunk on her left. “They will. And they’ll enjoy every second of it.”
Good.
I sighed.
Tommy took the papers from me and set them on her side, tossing a blanket over my legs.
“I take it you haven’t heard from them?” she murmured.
My oldies?
No.
They had until ten o’clock tomorrow morning to show with the documents, but I hadn’t heard a peep. At the very minimum, I’d expected them to organise another soiree to hammer out the final details.
I was going in alone, and I couldn’t blame them for their decision. My oldies had only ever seen the tormentor and the executioner in these beautiful creatures. If I spent three decades in the company of the Tonyi triplets, I’d never help them in a million years.
Even for me, for the memory of my grandmother, I’d asked too much of them. I knew that, but desperation drove me to ask anyway. Regardless of their answer, they’d deserved to understand what was happening and that our part was drawing to a close.
Without their help, I might be able to restore balance to Ingenium. But what if Fyrlia had made large purchases in the last twenty-four hours? Tommy had pushed the acquisition team hard over the last few days. They’d acquired four more properties, but there was no way to really know I had enough.
The uncertainty of the outcome kept me up each night. My hair was limp. Circles marred the area beneath my eyes. I felt tense to snapping point.
The movie started, and I smiled as the intro music played. The Boat that Rocked. One of my favourites.
It had sex in it.
Grimacing, I glanced around, wondering how long these horn-dogs would last. I gave it twenty minutes. Perhaps I shouldn’t be so judgmental, considering that if Kyros was here, we’d be halfway through the seventh exchange.
Closing my eyes, I focused on him, and my insides shook at the defeat and misery filling him. There was an undercurrent of determination, too, but he felt so fucking terrible. I followed the thrumming beat north. He wasn’t at his tower or our Lyall Bay property. Maybe his parents’ place? Their family would have gathered together for their last night.
If I’d thought separation was hard after the fifth swap, it was nothing on how I felt now. Fear about tomorrow wasn’t the only contribution to my appearance. I was draining away to nothing the longer we stayed apart.
That scared me more than anything.
If I failed tomorrow, both of us would fade to a whisper. For me, I’d survive and live a half life. For Kyros, King Mikael’s work would become that much easier.
Three days without him and I knew without a shadow of doubt that if he was taken from me, I’d spend the rest of my life trying to free him. Because I needed to.
Because I wanted to.
That was a game I’d never stop playing.
Tears gathered behind my eyes as his morose mood deepened.
I couldn’t take it. Sliding out my phone, I tapped out a message.
I love you, Kyros <3
Hesitating—because part of him must still hate me for what I did—I pushed Send.
I tapped out another.
I’m going to fix this. Your family will be okay.
Staring at the message, I hovered my thumb over Send. The thing was… I couldn’t promise that. If I gave him false hope now and lost, I’d never forgive myself.
I hunkered back against the cushions, wrapping my arm around her shoulders.
A soft moan rose from behind us.
Yep, there they went.
“Uhm,” Tommy said. “Can’t help but notice there are clusters of men with a sole woman, and clusters of women with a sole man.”
Pretty sure my crew had been aware Tommy knew about them for a while now, but now I’d freed them, I made no secret of it. And with the compulsion removed, I’d told her everything—from the moment I’d dropped off my résumé to now.
As much as I worried about her growing ease with the Vissimo, I also wanted to foster it. I wanted her to know that not all vampires were monsters after what she’d been through. My bestie was strong. Literally sitting in the middle of hundreds of people with fangs.
“What are you trying to say?” I asked. “That they’re into harems or something?”
“No, no,” she said quickly. Then paused. “Are they though?”
I flashed her a grin. “Most of them, yes. Vissimo can’t reproduce easily, so they have multiple partners.” I wasn’t sure why some grouped around a man and others around a woman, but I knew everyone had a harem of their own and was part of another harem too.
Maybe they alternated days.
She straightened and peered around. “Interesting concept.”
My gaze narrowed at the purring quality in her voice. “Interesting, how?”
My friend eyed a slender male with blond hair to his shoulders.
“Do you think he plays an instrument?” she whispered.
And we were back on the miserable musician kick. “No idea, Tom. Please tell me you’re not going to form a harem.”
She shrugged a shoulder. “Maybe I’ve been looking at life wrong. Why choose, you know?”
Belatedly, Tommy shot me a look.
“Yeah,” I said drily. “You may be talking to the wrong person about that.”
She snorted. “True.”
I wondered if we were ruining the movie for everyone. “You’re on the rebound then?”
Tommy had kept to herself since learning the truth about Theodore and his brothers. She needed to talk about everything. Except who could she talk to about vampires except me and those of them in my employ? I hoped we’d be enough. Her trauma could come out in any number of ways, and I knew from personal experience that grief often lured people into a false sense of security before returning for a smackdown months or years down the track.
“Sure, why not?” she said breezily, glancing around again.
That she was looking at a Vissimo to scratch the itch was kind of surprising.
I tucked my hand in hers. “As long as you’re careful. And as long as you talk to me if you’re ever not okay.”
Tommy squeezed my hand. “You know I will.” She peered at my phone. “You gonna send that or what?”
I’m going to fix this. Your family will be okay.
Kyros hadn’t replied to my first text.
Laurel tapped my knee and showed me her phone.
I scanned the flight details from Kyros.
“Tomorrow at eleven,” I murmured.
“We have orders from Kyros to ensure you get on the plane with your staff and Tommy.”
Well, that isn’t happening.
I met her blue gaze. “When do the negotiations start?”
“Eleven thirty.”
“Good.” If there was too much time between my flight and the gathering of the two clans, I had no doubt Kyros would personally come to ensure I left. He could feel my location, so I had to keep up the guise until it was too late for him to interfere.
Laurel returned her attention to the movie, and I peered down at the message I’d typed out. If Kyros suspected anything was amiss, he’d ensure I couldn’t attend the negotiations.
As much as tomorrow was about saving his family, it was also about representing my grandmother.
“I’m sick of keeping secrets from him, Tommy,” I said, moving to push the damn button.
She snatched the phone away. “Before you do though.”
“I don’t get to choose?”
“This time, I’ll let you. But listen first. From what you’ve told me, you seriously fucked up with Kyros and his family. Like really, really bad. Like—”
I arched a brow. “I understand how epically I messed up, Tom.”
“Good,” she said. “Which leads me to my point. Kyros is a crown prince. Which means that when all goes to plan, you’ll be a princess and maybe a queen one day.”
That was a terrifying fucking thought. Did we have to go there now? I reached for the phone. “I’m sending it.”
Tommy blurted, “If you’re going to be queen one day, you need to show everyone you are a queen.”
Hand in the air, I stilled.
My bestie leaned in, expression dead serious. “Erase your mistake from their minds. Kick Fyrlia’s ass into the ground and your screw up will look like a mastermind puzzle piece in an elaborate plan. Do it by yourself, Basil, for those you love, for those who need your protection, and show the immortal world you’re Kyros’s equal.”
I inhaled. “Wow. That’s heavy stuff. I just didn’t want to get his hopes up if I couldn’t make good on my promises.”
Tommy slapped the phone into my palm. “Become the queen or always be the princess, Basilia Le Spyre.”
Laurel and the others around us stopped talking.
Maybe Tommy had a point. I had something to prove to so many people that I’d forgotten my future people—Kyros’s family. Their clan. How could these people ever respect me if they saw me as the consolation prize to the man who’d be the most powerful vampire in existence.
I didn’t want Kyros to be ashamed of me. Never again.
And I wanted to be proud of myself.
I deleted the text and slid my phone away.
“Queen Basilia,” I murmured, testing it out.
Tommy rolled her eyes. “Y S I S.”
“What can I say? That rich shit sticks.”
Facing the movie, I tuned into Kyros’s emotions, settling in for what would be a long night.
23
“Do you have everything, Miss Le Spyre?” Fred asked.
I held up a heavy overnight bag. It was one of ten. The rest were loaded in the boot. “I think so. You’ll pick up my oldies soon?”
He bowed. “Yes, miss.”
“Once you’ve dropped them off, stand by to pick me up,” I told him. “I’m attending an important meeting today and I’d like to leave it in my grandmother’s car. If you’ll drive me.”
Fred was as much a part of this as anyone else.
His sharp eyes glinted and he glanced at my overnight bag with new understanding.
“This is it then?” he asked in a low voice.
I’d told him the truth about Laurel and the others—and that they worked for me now—but his distrust would take a while to fade. If ever. He was too loyal to forgive anyone with fangs.
“In my way, yes, this is it,” I replied, gripping his shoulder. “Thank you, Fred.”
“Miss Le Spyre, if you prefer, I can see Don to escort your grandmother’s friends while I accompany you.”
Tempting. Vissimo recognised that my butler wasn’t like other humans. But if two thousand vampires couldn’t protect me, he certainly couldn’t.
I smiled at him. “That means a lot, thank you. But not this time. I’ll text you the address.”
“As you say, Miss Le Spyre.” He bowed again.
I clambered into the SUV next to Tommy, and Kelsea slid in after me.
“To the airport, please, Laurel,” I instructed.
Surprisingly, exhaustion finally claimed me last night. I didn’t feel refreshed, but some energy had returned to me. Tommy’s work on my hair and make-up covered the other signs of my drained body.
I was dressed in black h
eels, a tight pencil skirt that highlighted my figure from waist to half-calf. I wore a white scoop-neck top with tight sleeves to my elbows. Demure, sophisticated. There for business.
My hair was back in a chignon, my make-up flawless from sooty lashes to ruby lips.
I looked the part.
I didn’t feel the part.
Only people with nothing to lose could be that cocky. Being a Le Spyre, I didn’t feel vulnerable very often, but at least my time off the estate gave me a crash course I’d never forget.
Everyone was quiet on the drive.
A distant part of me still hoped to hear from my oldies, their Bluff City assets outstretched. They wouldn’t have drawn it out needlessly to torture me—that I did believe in.
They weren’t coming.
“All set?” Tommy asked.
The contents of my stomach were sloshing and could appear at any moment. “As much as I can be.”
“We’ll have to wait at the airport as long as possible,” Laurel said. “He wants me to send confirmation when the plane takes off.”
He’d be focused on my location until he received that confirmation. Probably because he could feel me preparing to battle.
We arrived at Bluff City’s private airport, and I barely registered the clearance checks. She pulled into a hangar housing a large plane. Larger than the ones I’d always travelled in with Grandmother.
Cars began to arrive and my human staff filed out. Mrs Gaughton hopped out of the car, hustling to my side.
“Basilia, I can’t believe you’re doing this for everyone.” She cackled. “My first overseas trip.”
Yep. My staff thought I’d sprung a surprise vacation on them.
She dug her bony elbow in my side. “You’re sure you won’t tell us where we’re going?”
Pretty sure, considering I had no idea where Kyros believed he was sending me. Knowing him, somewhere nice.
I stood back as my staff went through the procedure of boarding.
Tommy joined me. “So this is the part where I tell you that I’m not going with everyone else.”
Death Game: Supernatural Battle (Vampire Towers Book 3) Page 24