The Vissimo blinked. “Which property?”
“9C Joker’s End.” I thumbed through the files as I approached, sliding the respective paperwork onto the desk.
Her mouth was slightly ajar. “The hippy activists?”
“Strongly opinionated bohos? Yes.”
She shook her head, rifling through the papers.
I folded my arms, inadvertently squeezing a fresh torrent of water from my ruined bra. “We’ve established it’s because I’m human. This isn’t surprising.”
Angelica glanced up from the file. “That’s not all it is, and we both know it.”
A compliment? I remained mute, not willing to accept it from her. She liked to act first and ask for forgiveness. I wasn’t into that.
“He’s not mad, Miss Tetley—that you said no the other night.”
Uhm, subject change much? “Oh, goodie. The thought was keeping me up at night.”
Her nostrils flared, and I kept my innocent expression locked in place.
In my answering smile, I made sure to show all my teeth. “He accepted my answer awfully quick when I asked what he was hiding, Angie. If you’d like to tell me that, I’ll happily listen.”
Amusement alighted her cool, blue gaze. “If you have a question for Kyros, perhaps you’ll have most success asking him.”
Yeah, you know I won’t do that.
If Kyros had fucked up yet again, he could come to me. If he hadn’t, that was still a win in my eyes.
“Could you join me for a moment?” she asked.
I gestured at my dripping clothing. “It can’t wait?”
“We won’t be more than a minute,” the vampire purred.
My brows climbed higher as she led me to the hot water closet to the left of reception.
Angelica shut the door to the closet, pulling the cord above to turn on the weak bulb.
“Any particular reason you’ve brought me to one of two soundproof locations in this tower?” I folded my arms.
“Never forget the nooks and crannies, Basilia,” she murmured.
And that means what? “You’re up to no good. The last few days were almost normal. Don’t screw that up if you can stand to keep your nose out of my business for three seconds strung together.”
She cut me a small scowl. “I wanted to give you this.” The blonde-haired, blue-eyed vampire pulled a grey device from her blazer pocket.
“…You wanted to give me a voice recorder?” The fuck?
She beamed, passing it over. “Exactly! I find them useful for taking notes. Right after client visits when everything is fresh. You’ve done so well, and with so much going in your life, I thought you deserved a gift.”
I turned the recorder over in my hands. “Thanks?”
“Don’t mention it,” she snarled.
Yikes, okay.
Angelica recovered her polite smile with eerie speed. “Best put it in your pocket, Miss Tetley. You wouldn’t want to lose it.”
This conversation had achieved first percentile strangeness. Holding the recorder, I studied my sopping clothes and elected to hold the gift.
“You purchased new clothes?” Angelica murmured, eyes dropping to my compost-stained ensemble.
“New clothes,” I grunted. “Sorry to put a kink in your matchmaking plans.”
“Never be sorry for kinking, Miss Tetley.”
Was that don’t apologise for doing what you have to advice? Or get yourself a harem stat advice?
She pushed open the closet door. “After you.”
“You’re seriously odd, Angie.”
The vampire’s lips twitched. “How about you call it a day? Go up and change. I’ll type up the notes on 9C Joker’s End.”
I groaned. “Mrs and Mrs Tilonia who own 9C Joker’s End. They’re women, people, not an address.”
Not receiving a response, I stomped to the elevator and added to the wet patch in the lift as I rode to Level 61.
By the time I stepped into the shower, I was shivering up a storm. “Stupid blood exchange.”
Since the last exchange, I was running cold. In Summer too. Maybe I should get some supplements or something. Iron? Usually, I drew from Truth Ranges for any medical situation, but funnily enough, they hadn’t covered what to do when a fanged monster drank from a person three times in a row.
Hopefully it wasn’t on tonight’s episode because I had some sleuthing to do.
Dressed in a form-hugging black knit dress, black tights, and chunky heels, I threw on a half-thigh length grey cardigan to complete the look. Digging into my Elegance pack for a hair tie, I pulled out the binoculars I’d purchased two days before and the master key I took from Angelica during my second thrall.
Gathering my long curls into a messy bun, I pulled out a few wispy tendrils to frame my face and then slid my thick-rimmed black glasses on.
Feeling cute. Check.
Time to flush this spy fucker out.
Bouncing across the bed to the nightstand, I reached for Beast—making sure not to disconnect him from the charger. He didn’t like when that happened.
Unfortunately, my mastermind plan necessitated some communication with Kyros.
I typed:
Flushing out spy tonight. Just go with what I say and don’t interfere.
I sent the message to Tommy knowing she’d never receive it.
Sure enough, the security screening message came through a minute later.
Waiting another minute, I called Angelica.
“Miss Tetley?”
“Angie, darling. I need Kyros’s number, please.”
“... Certainly.”
No questions asked. If there was a dedication award, Kyros’s aunt would have won it five times over by now.
I jotted down the numbers she rattled off on the new notepad I purchased at the same time as the binoculars.
Hanging up, I dialled Kyros. Tuning into his emotional compass, I scowled at the delicious coiling that furled within me at the mere thought of him.
“Basilia.”
My heart pounded at the rumbling depth of his voice. I was happy to hear it. What was more, he was happy I called.
We were just so fucking screwed.
“Kyros,” I breathed. Lust rolled through him as I said his name.
I’d have to feel this—him—for the rest of my existence. The thought made me want to crawl into a hole. One where he’d be waiting. Naked.
“Can I help you?” he asked.
“I’m going out tonight. Just across the road to a wine bar. I only want Laurel, Kelsea, and Josie to accompany me so the other patrons aren’t weirded out. If the rest of my crew is on standby, is that good with you?”
It wasn’t. I knew it before he spoke.
I gritted my teeth. Damn vampire. I just spent three days setting this gig up, and that wasn’t easy. If he said no, I was going to find a baseball bat and end him.
“Just across the road?” he clarified.
Ha!
His need to find the spy was outweighing his assholery. “Yep. Yellow Otter.”
“I know it.”
That wasn’t a yes. I focused on my frustration and shoved it at him—or the world. I had no idea how this emotional telepathy shit worked.
“This once. Only because the bar is in close proximity.”