Mina stood. “Coffee refill, anyone?”
Bene raised his mug with a smug smile. “Yes, because it’s excellent coffee, thanks to me.”
“Thanks to our Breville Barista Pro X380,” Mina teased while pouring.
“MyBreville Barista Pro,” he emphasized. “That beauty is the number one improvement we’ve made here at the château.”
I snorted. “I’d rank renovating the stables higher.”
Bene shook his head. “That earns spot number two, tops.” He sipped his coffee, then kissed his fingertips and flicked them outward. “Definitely top of the list.”
“Mina’s painting ofThe Tower of Blue Horsesin the west wing is a bigger improvement than that coffee machine,” Marius countered.
“Ha. Says the guy who movedoutof the west wing,” Bene shot back. Then he grinned and looked at me. “Speaking of people who’ve started sleeping in the east wing—”
He howled when I kicked him under the table. “Hey!”
I swiftly changed the subject. “Time to begin this debrief.”
Bene pushed his chair out of kicking range and rubbed his shin while muttering into my mind.I did not deserve that.
You totally deserved that,I shot back, then turned to Henrik. “First, I believe thanks are in order. If you hadn’t arrived to warn us about the vampires, things could have ended very differently.”
Henrik straightened his collar, exuding snobby,I told you sovibes.
“I have to say, you had us worried for a while there,” Marius admitted.
Henrik’s frown said,How on earth could anyone ever be worried about a vampire as wonderful and pleasant as me?
“What are you suggesting?” he snipped.
“Come on, Henrik,” Mina said. “You didn’t respond to any of our messages. Even you can appreciate that seemed suspicious at the time.”
“By which she means, even more suspicious than usual,” Bene threw in, not all too helpfully.
I cut in, trying to defuse things before Henrik’s fangs extended.
“The point is, we’re grateful. So, well done and thank you.”
Bene pointed to Gen. “For the record, she believed in you the whole time.”
Henrik rewarded her with a slight nod. So, not exactly oozing gratitude, but not quite as snooty as usual.
“Now, what else can you tell us about those vampires?” I asked. “Such as, what kind of fallout might result from all this?”
Mina nodded solemnly. “Most importantly, should we expect Alexandre Ernaux and his coven to pay us a visit?”
“Let them try,” Marius growled, inching closer to his mate.
Henrik jerked his head in a no. “Alexandre’s sole interest was the Monet.”
“And?” Gen asked.
“According to my contacts, Grepper made it clear that Alexandre’s issue was with Celeste, not him. Now that she is dead, the matter is settled.”
Mina looked doubtful. “How settled?”
“Grepper’s considerable power convinced the coven to back down. Unless Alexandre Ernaux offers to buy the Monet, it will remain in Grepper’s hands.”
