Rowan’s breath caught, and she allowed her surprise to show on her face. “Michael, you practically run this town. What is it about this company that has you rolling over?”
There was a long pause as Michael gritted his teeth and looked at her out of the corner of his eyes. The one thing she could always count on with Michael was the strength of his ego. She’d phrased his inability to help her as a presumed weakness. If her logic paid off, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from countering that presumption.
“You always knew me so well. All these years, I’ve wondered what happened to you. After things ended, it was like you fell off the planet for a while.”
“When you live as long as we do, it’s important to change your identity now and then.”
“For you it seems like changing your shirt.”
“Fair. Is that why you won’t help me? You’re still angry with me?” She held up the symbol.
“All I can tell you is this… and this is between you and me, not for public knowledge…” He pointed a finger at her face.
“Of course. I won’t tell a soul. Who would I tell?” She shrugged one shoulder.
“Not even Harriet.”
Rowan shook her head. “Not even Harriet.” She wasn’t sure she could keep that promise, but she’d say anything to keep him talking.
“This logo represents the corporate front for a growing group of supernaturals from outside Manhattan who are taking up residence on the island for the first time in history. They are… preparing for mass occupation by acquiring property for their members. But as you might suspect, given their nature, they are very secretive about their acquisitions. Just like you and me.”
She shook her head in confusion. “What supernaturals have never been on the island?”
He didn’t say a word, just walked around her to a bar against the far wall and poured two glasses of something brown and strongly alcoholic by the smell of it. “It’s not my secret to tell, and you of all people know I am a man of discretion.” He handed her the drink.
She took a sip. Scotch. There was only one supernatural creature she knew of that had never occupied Manhattan. But it couldn’t be. It would mean Michael was going against his nature.
“It’s vampires, isn’t it?” she asked, her eyes widening. “Oh my God, Michael. How are you involved? Are you safe?”
He took a lock of her hair between his first two fingers, bringing his face dangerously close. “How sweet of you to think of me first.”
Actually, her first thought was for the children. They were truly in danger if vampires were coming to their neighborhood. But she was smart enough to know that Michael wanted to be thought of first. Michael came from money and power. His parents had groomed him from the cradle to run their empire. He’d never known anything but privilege. Which meant Michael thought of Michael first and expected everyone else to do the same.
“You know as well as I do that vampires and shifters have a long and violent history. I just worry…”
He wrapped his hands around her waist, and Rowan suppressed the urge to push them away. She needed him to tell her what he knew, and resisting his touch was not the way to accomplish that.
“Not anymore.” Michael’s chin lifted as if the notion made him proud. She licked her lips and watched his need to stroke his own ego crack his resolve to keep his secret. “NAVAK stands for New Amsterdam Vampire Kingdom, and yes, we’ve struck a deal. A huge deal.”
“You… arranged an accord.” She didn’t have to fake the look of surprise on her face.
He laughed and shook his head. His hands slid down to cup her hips. “Better.”
“It must be brilliant if you came up with it.” She was laying it on thick, but she knew she was close. He wanted to tell her. She could feel the truth on the edge of his lips.
“You know I can’t tell you everything. The New Amsterdam coven puts a high value on their privacy. I’ve promised discretion, and I am nothing if not a man of my word.” He grinned. “But suffice it to say that the New Amsterdam Shifters have more gold in their coffers than ever before, and we are enjoying the dawn of a new age for Manhattan.”
A wave of disappointment and confusion crashed into her.
It must have shown on her face, because he gripped her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “I can’t tell you, but I can’t stop you from seeing for yourself. Someone like you who has the ability to go… unnoticed.”
That got her attention. He knew she could make herself invisible. She locked eyes with him.
“If you should happen to wander downstairs and enter a code that was once familiar to you, I couldn’t stop you from drawing your own conclusions. And those conclusions are very impressive. Things have changed, Rowan. You have no idea.”
He traced her jaw with his finger and leaned in. This time she did pull away. She slid sideways before his lips could connect with hers and moved toward the door.
“Thanks, Michael. I trust you, and I think I’m going to let this one go.”
