I’d looked over the books, studying how my grandmother had pushed growth. Slowly. Only every couple of years. She’d had me and my parents to worry about, no Indebted to protect her household, and the bigger operations got, the higher the risk of being caught.
My position was stronger.
My game had to be more aggressive.
This wouldn’t occupy my entire life.
I opened the door and rolled over Josie to reach the middle seat.
She snorted, pushing my leg off her lap. “I was about to get out.”
“Just saving time.”
“Mrs Gaughton’s, please,” I told Laurel.
She peeled the SUV away from Mr Trenington’s curb.
The vampire cleared her throat as we tore through Purple on the way to Orange via Pink. “I made the recommendation to Kyros last night, Miss Le Spyre.”
“Thirty?” I quirked a brow.
She nodded. “He wants fifty stationed on your estate.”
My brows shot up. “Fifty?”
Shit, this could work out perfectly.
Her grip on the wheel tightened.
“Typical guy trying to show off.” I rolled my eyes, playing the part.
Laurel’s eyes glimmered for a beat before she cleared her throat. “We know you won’t want to house so many—”
“Oh, that’s what you’re worried about?” I blurted. “If fifty of you want to come to the estate, it’s no problem. You’ll have to double up on rooms, and some will need to sleep in the pool houses and old staff quarters at the back of the property, but if that’s cool with you guys, I’d love to have you.”
Quiet descended.
I tapped my lip. “I feel bad for the other fifty. Is there any way to rotate guard duty so everyone gets some time away from the tower? You guys will need to avoid my staff whenever possible—I don’t want them terrified by your Vissimo-ness.”
Jillian whispered to Evie, “I told you she’d let us.”
I pivoted on the seat. “You guys thought I’d shut you down?” Jaw dropping, I scanned all seven of them. “You totally did! Ouch. You know me better than that.”
Kelsea hung her head.
“We apologise,” Laurel said, her blue eyes burning. “It’s hard for us to trust anyone who isn’t in debt like us. Even then, it takes a while to let newcomers in. Our situation is tenuous—”
I held up a hand. “Truly, I’m not offended. But I want you to know, all of you, that no matter what’s happening between Kyros and me, I would never do anything to bring harm to your sisters and brothers. Not willingly.” Because he can just compel the truth out of me.
Josie sniffed, wiping her face.
The timing was right. “Laurel, when we get back to the estate, I need a word with you.”
“Certainly, Miss Le Spyre.”
“Just Basi, please. That goes for all of you.”
Laurel shifted in her seat. “Basi. Only out here. Not in the tower.”
I conceded the point as we pulled up outside Mrs Gaughton’s.
I’d called her yesterday to explain why I’d ghosted our date, citing a breakup as the reason. “I’ll be an hour at least. More if she turns this into an extended dinner.”
“We’ll be here,” Kelsea said fiercely.
Laurel nodded. “We will. And Basi?”
“Yeah?”
“Fernando will be at the estate when you return. He’s appropriately fearful of what you may say.”
She’d totally laid into him.
“Good,” I said grimly, climbing over Josie before she could hop out of the way.
“Stop it.” She whacked my butt.
“Why would I when that’s the reward?” I asked her, wiggling my behind.
Rolling her eyes, she gave me a gentle shove.
“Basilia!” Mrs Gaughton was already outside. “Do your friends want to come inside?”
Jesus, they’d fear her to death.
I straightened, marching up the driveway to meet the elderly woman. “Thank you for the offer. They already ate and they’re listening to the Harry Potter audiobooks. It’s at a good part.”
“Stephen Fry’s voice could melt my panties right off,” Mrs Gaughton replied seriously.
Interesting. “How’s the garden looking?”
We both surveyed the lavender bush.
“It looks great, Mrs Hannah.” I wasn’t lying either. “There’s new growth. And the rest of the garden too. You planted fresh marigolds?”
She preened. “Sure did. Won’t look right if the lavender is flourishing and nothing else.”
“Got a hose? I’ll give everything a water and weed.”
The older woman protested. “Not in your nice clothes. You look like you’ve been to a high tea or something.”
“Had to dress up to show the ex what he was missing.” I sincerely hoped Laurel and the others didn’t carry that tidbit back to Kyros. We were technically off the estate, so their reporting was fair game.
She sniffed. “His loss.”
“My thoughts exactly.” I kicked off my heels and shimmied out of my grey coat. “Where’s that hose? This garden is going to look epic.”
She pointed to a spot in the middle of the garden where a green hose was coiled. “It will look perfect for when my sister visits.”
Her sister? “Didn’t she visit a few weeks ago?”
Mrs Gaughton flushed. “She’ll be here in a month.”
I took in her flushed face. “That’s okay. I must have misheard. I’ve had a bit on my plate.”
She fluttered a hand my way. “Don’t worry. She was coming but had to put off the trip because of health issues.”
“I hope she’s feeling better.”
A shadow flickered across her face. “Right as rain.”
I studied the clear blue sky. “Well, it doesn’t look like rain. So how about I get to work and you offer me a cheese and onion toastie?”
The glint returned to her eye. “You enjoyed that, huh?”
“Understatement,” I replied, picking through the new marigolds to the hose. She’d weeded recently, so this wouldn’t take long. The irony of what I was doing when I had a team of gardeners in my employ wasn’t lost on me.
When my parents died, I’d learned that matters of the heart didn’t have to make sense at the time.
Such things always made sense in the end.
Want a new job? Triple your current pay. <3
I need to buy your house off you, plz. K thx <3 <3
I fired off the text to Tommy, sliding open the desk drawer to deposit the phone out of sight at a knock on the door.
“Come in.”
Laurel slid in, shutting the door behind her. “Basi.”
“Thanks for coming.” I crossed the room, pressing the noise-cancelling button.
She blinked several times. “That’s uncomfortable.”
“The ear-popping? It’s uncomfortable for humans too. What does it feel like for you?”
“As though I’ve lost one of my crucial senses and I’m more vulnerable to attack.” The vampire moved her jaw around. “What is it?”