It was plenty deep. “I’ve been here before.”
“Conditions can change.”
I’d never seen her lose her cool. I’d worried her. A lot. “You’re right, that was stupid.”
She shook her head and swam for the small beach opposite the rockface.
Eek. Really upset.
Cannon splashes erupted around me, the squeals of the six Indebted filling the tree clearing as they joined me in the pool.
I snorted as they surfaced and began dunking each other.
Hands shoved me down and I sucked in a breath, batting at their hands and breaking the surface again.
Kelsea shoved Josie away. “You’re not supposed to dunk our client.”
Josie cast me a guilty look. “It’s Miss Tetley.”
Did she know my real name? Maybe Laurel hadn’t told the others. I’d just assumed she would or that the others listened in at the time. Maybe Josie was just used to calling me that now. I coughed, my body tiring quickly. Shoot. Perhaps I should force myself to eat more. “Seriously, I don’t mind. I’m just wondering if I’m fast or strong enough to get you back.”
Kelsea displayed her teeth. “Want me to give you a freebie?”
“Where’s the glory in that?”
Stretching my body flat, I swam to the beach to join Laurel.
Water poured from my stained clothing as I stood. The top was definitely a goner, but at least there weren’t clumps of compost in my hair anymore.
“You like swimming?” Laurel grunted.
“Used to swim most days of the week.” At the estate. When the world was normal.
She sat on a small rock, knees hugged in and chin propped on top. Her hair was a midnight black contrast to my butter-blonde, but to all other outward appearances, she could be my slightly older sibling.
“There’s a pool on the 30th floor of Kyros Sky,” she said.
There was? “I’ll have to get a swimsuit.” Or ideally just return to the estate and use my own pool.
How to get there though? Fred couldn’t handle my business affairs forever. Maybe I could lie and say that a client from the estates had called expressing interest to sell. Kyros wouldn’t know the exact property I was on, right? Or would he? Except Live Right would definitely want to know the name of the clients.
Dang.
Maybe I could go there for a fake social function as the date of a friend.
In that case, I’d just need friends. Which honestly seemed like the more impossible of the two.
Fuck my life.
“Thank you for giving them this,” Laurel said in a low voice. “I apologise for snapping at you.”
Everyone was apologising to me lately. Laurel, however, meant it.
I shrugged a shoulder. “I deserved a scolding. Sorry for upsetting you.”
She hesitated. “If I act that way sometimes, it’s because your actions, your … continued safety has a direct effect on the lives of these women.”
Finding a rock to perch on, I mimicked her posture, chewing on that tidbit. “If I’m injured on your shift, this crew will be punished?”
“Usually there aren’t repercussions, but with how... tied Kyros is to you, I fear any injury to yourself could cost these women their lives.”
That made me jumping into the water pretty selfish and stupid. I could understand her reaction.
“Noted and absorbed,” I told her. “Thanks for explaining, and I’ll be more careful in the future.”
A small smile curved her lips.
“I’d love to help pay off everyone’s debt one day. If I got the money,” I added as an afterthought, aware that Laurel was the only vampire in the know.
I scanned the crew of female vampires, and my eyes widened. Holy shit, they were taking water fight to an entirely new level.
Was that blood?
“You’d do that for us?”
I tore my gaze from the water fight at her off tone. “Does that offend you?” She must know what my real name meant—that I was loaded.
“No, it’s just... for you to offer is—” She broke off, her chest rising.
Stretching out, I punched her shoulder.
Ouch!
I shook out my hand.
“Though your intention touches my heart,” Laurel said hoarsely, “our debt is not so simple. Our payment must be matched to a deed. Only a Vissimo can set the deed and pay the debt.”
Crap. “There’s no way around it?”
“They feared we would influence human benefactors to be free of our chains.”
That made sense.
Her eyes glittered, and I pounced. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Laurel shook her head.
“Whatever! You can’t hesitate and then not tell me.”
“If Laurel isn’t telling you something, it’s probably for your own good,” Jillian said, joining us on the beach.
Laurel’s lips quirked at my eye-roll as the others took seats around us.
“Fess up, Loz,” I pressed, folding my arms.
“You expect me to speak because you’re crossing your arms?” She arched a brow.
Kelsea cocked her head. “What about when she stomps her foot?”
“Or the hands on the hips,” Josie added.
My jaw dropped. “I hardly ever do those things.” Anymore.
Their silence didn’t inspire confidence that I’d successfully kicked the habits.
Laurel sighed. “Humans who’ve exchanged blood with a Vissimo six times are no longer classified as human. They’re well past the stage of being vulnerable to anyone’s compulsion but their mate’s. As such, they are able to hire Indebted of their own accord even though the mating bond is still incomplete until the seventh exchange.”
I stared at her.
Exchange blood with Kyros three more times?
When he mentioned the ability to read each other’s thoughts after the final swap, I’d assumed he meant the fourth exchange. There were seven of the fuckers?
Fuck me.
“Exactly,” Laurel said, standing. “Which is why I wasn’t going to tell you.”
“Yeah.” I drew out the word. “Sorry, ladies. I’d love to help out, but I can’t get any deeper into that craziness or I’ll never get out alive.”
Kelsea’s blue eyes didn’t hold their usual glimmer. “We understand. We’d never ask that of you.”
They’d never ask anything of anyone. That’s what broke my heart. Their shackles were too tight, they couldn’t remember a time when they hadn’t worn them.
Josie peered through the trees. “Humans are running toward us. ETA: three minutes.”
Ah, yes.
I cleared my throat, avoiding seven sets of blue eyes. “That would be Mr Lygon.”
Grinning at their sudden tension, I bellowed, “Run!”
“Miss Tetley?”
I stepped off the elevator on to Level 44 and peered at Angelica. Behind the reception desk, her gaze widened at my dripping state.
I wiggled my toes, noting the wet puddle forming around me.
“What happened to you?” she demanded.
“This and that,” I replied, waving my house files in the air. “Secured a property in Pink. Laid some foundations for the suburb when your clan next lands there too. Did you need something else?”