Uh.
“That was sudden.”
“You offered to buy our freedom that day at the waterfall while still at the tower and ignorant of your grandmother’s work. Your offer comes from the heart.”
I scowled. “It annoys me that you lump me in with everyone who has shat on you.”
Amusement flickered in her bright eyes. “One day I might not.”
I rounded the desk. Having the Indebted at my back was the cornerstone of my midterm strategy. Her agreement on their behalf felt like a massive battle won.
“Would you like me to send Fernando in?” she asked, following me to the door.
“Is he nervous?”
“Extremely.”
I smirked. “Another day to stew will help build character then. I’ve been meaning to ask what the penalty would be if Kyros got wind of Fernando’s betrayal.”
Her expression darkened. “Kyros lost face. His true mate nearly died. Five of his Indebted were killed. The penalty for that is death. The debt of Fernando’s mother and his new debt would be passed on to his eldest child. Barring that, the closest family member. Which in his case, would be his only sister.”
I whistled low. “Shit. That was a helluva risk to take.”
“The desperate aren’t known for 20/20 vision. His actions reflected poorly on all Indebted, however. He’s being treated accordingly.”
I wasn’t surprised. I’d do the same. “If you see Fernando, please tell him to meet me here at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow.”
Laurel bowed.
I couldn’t stop myself fidgeting this time. “Please stop bowing to me. I’m not your superior in any way, shape, or form.”
She straightened. “No.”
“No, you agree?”
“No, I won’t stop.”
Alright then.
“You need to exchange blood with Kyros three more times,” she said, searching my gaze. “Has he agreed to that?”
Less than two weeks ago, he’d been pretty fucking eager. If he suspected anything suspicious about my return, the password to his pants would be as impossible to crack as the code to his lair.
Priority number one was infiltrating Kyros Sky.
Priority number two?
Seducing the fuck out of a one hundred and forty-nine-year-old vampire.
12
The door to my suite cracked open.
Biting back a shriek, I bolted upright in bed.
Clutching my chest, I stared at the woman illuminated in the doorway.
“It’s me. Josie.”
“And the Pussy Cats,” I answered.
“What?” she hushed, wrinkling her nose.
“Pinocchio,” I croaked, then shook my head a few times until the haze of sleep receded. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Josie looked torn between horror and hilarity. “Sorry, Basi.”
I narrowed my eyes, hissing, “You’re not sorry one bit.”
I twisted to check Tommy hadn’t woken. A vampire in the room in the middle of the night was just what she needed, especially now she’d finally worked up the courage to walk around the house.
Josie sobered. “We have visitors.”
Why didn’t she say so?
I shoved back the bedspread, swinging my legs down. “Who?”
“Triplets.”
Shit, shit, shit.
“That didn’t take long,” I murmured, knowing they could be listening to this conversation. Clan Fyrlia officially knew who I was now. The psychos had to have more spies in Kyros Sky. Unless Fernando was still doing a bit on the side.
I slung a silk kimono over my nightwear and slid into matching slippers.
I padded out the room. “What’s the situation? Have my staff detected their presence too?”
“No, they’re yet unaware. The triplets are alone and scouting the perimeter. Laurel wants to speak to you regarding battle strategy.”
Battle strategy. Was I a fucking army general?
Laurel was waiting in my office. In the dark. When I entered, she clicked the soundproof button and flicked on a lamp.
My ears popped. “Well?”
“They haven’t entered the property, but a show of force is necessary. Not to reveal our full numbers, but to show the Fyrlia princes how many Indebted Kyros has provided for his true mate.”
Right. A pissing contest.
“What do you need me to do?” I asked.
“Confront them head-on with twenty of us as backup.”
Ah, fuck nuts. “I was hoping you wouldn’t say that.” I glanced down at my lace and silk purple nighty and kimono combo.
“Would you like to change?”
I blew out a breath. “Nothing says I don’t care about your threat like showing up in your pyjamas.”
Her teeth gleamed in the low light.
Pivoting, I paused in the threshold. “I’m not going to die, am I?”
Laurel’s grin turned feral. “Not today, Basi.”
Reassuring.
Attempting to crack my neck and failing, I swung the door open and strode through the attached lounge and the music room to reach the main hall. Heading for the lobby, I peered back as my crew of seven fell in behind me.
More I didn’t know joined, a mixture of male and female. All of them dressed from head to toe in black leather.
“You guys know that only Jessica Alba in Dark Angel can wear that kind of getup, right?”
I didn’t care what the second thrall made me do once. As long as they wore leather, they’d hear about it.
Laurel snorted. “So you’ve told us, Miss Le Spyre.”
I gathered from her formality that the triplets were now within hearing distance.
Squaring my shoulders, I left the house, adjusting course for my golf cart by the roundabout. I’d parked it in the middle of the driveway, so someone had moved it.
A few snickers reached my ears as I slid onto the seat and twisted the keys in the ignition.
“It’s a long driveway,” I defended. And those fuckers weren’t stepping a foot inside my fence line.
I gunned down the driveway, knowing the Vissimo would have no trouble keeping up. Parking by the front entrance, I hopped out and swung the gates wide.
“Here, Tonyi, Tonyi, Tonyi.” I whistled for good measure.
This time my crew’s snickers were louder.
“You’re brave with twenty Indebted at your back, Basilia Le Spyre.” The cold voice slithered from the shadows and wrapped tight around me.
My heart sputtered and I worked to catalogue the fear. I’m scared because a predator wants to hurt me. I won’t underestimate him. For my mind to operate, fear needs to take a back seat.
Which it did.
“Don’t be shy,” I said back after a beat. “It’s not like I haven’t seen your ugly mugs.”
The first triplet left the shadows.
Where were the other two?
“Ugly? I think not. We could have you in our bed in a second.” His eyes roamed over my thighs and breasts.
The brothers shared their bed partners? Uhm, gross.
I wrinkled my nose. “By all means, try and see how Kyros reacts.”
“You’re his true mate,” a second voice came from the left of the gate. Another triplet stepped from the shadows. “Yet you are not in his tower.”