It wasn’t until they went deeper into the idea that I paused. They wanted to set it up where other demons could bring in houses or get loans to buy houses as a way to build their own futures and investments. While helping the area not jacking up rents and having a way to see more than surviving.
“Okay, I didn’t expect you to shut down this fast,” Lewis muttered. “And I would like to point out that this is exactly why you should not be flippant with even us.”
That made me do a double take. “It’s fine for the four of you. I’ll even loan you whatever money you need to start if you want.Yes, add real estate to your portfolios. Take a house of mine to start and grow—whatever.”
“I see the issue,” Mason cut in when I got flustered. “There’s fear in your aura. You see security risks and more.”
“Yes, no—maybe.” I let out a slow breath. “Yes.”
“How?” Mindy asked. “No judgment. We came to you for a reason, Jasmine. This isn’t a fully fleshed-out idea—this isn’t even our field. I protect others and you know how hard it is to see the other side. See this side for me, please.”
I smiled at her, glad she put it that way and I didn’t have to kill their hope. I tapped a few points on the presentation. “What if an ancient demon comes in with a bunch of properties or money to buy gobs of them and uses all we have to get more and more—”
“It’s a way in to take over,” Mindy whispered in horror, her face going pale. “You’d have challengers like the ones at the club and—okay, there are non-compete or—”
“Limit the amount of houses,” Lewis added, both of them immediately taking notes. “Or the total value of real estate since this should beonebasket for people to put eggs in. Dancers to put money in besides the bank and know it will be taken care of. Roll out the program for dancers even to start?”
“No, but there can be ways to be sneaky and more off-book work to give bonuses,” I muttered, shrugged when I got confused looks. “Make it known through the lust demons that if they step up their game to help us now that we got them. I’ll go be super spy and get more properties if you find me places. I love that shit.”
“You are so adorable,” Mason whispered, moving his hand over his face. “Your aura is lit up with excitement and everything positive at screwing people over and—”
“Badpeople,” we all corrected him.
He gave me a soft look. “Yes, of course. I apologize. The ‘bad’ was implied. You are just so fearless and—your courage and—I’m in awe of you.”
I wasn’t the only one who swooned.
But I did swoon. Hard.
“I’m fine with each of you getting a few of my places I didn’t even know I had or even being the poster children of how this could work,” I told them. “But we need to seriously hammer out more details to protect us. This could be a way to screw us over more instead of helping other demons.”
“True, but look at the last page,” Kyria said nervously.
And I understood why when it was an idea to eventually offer our property management to other supes. Other leaders even.
“This is very,verytricky because the councils wouldn’t risk pissing their people off for screwing us over. I’d rather find more ancients like the ones we’ve partnered with in Rome who would eat their councils to protect their people and money. They’re the allies we need if we can make it clear they can’t take us over.”
“Definitely something to put a pin in and hash out more,” Mindy muttered, writing furiously. “But yeah, those ancients in Rome—that could be exactly what was needed to make it all work.” She gave me a knowing look. “That many powerful ancients that their councils are even worried about are powerful fucking allies.”
“That’s an idea I’d rather focus on first,” I admitted. “We need it.”
I was glad when they all agreed. I encouraged them to keep thinking of ideas, but for right now it had to be to strengthen our position. We needed more security and to brace for attacks.
I’d rather pay people more for that and teach them how to invest in the fucking stock market… After someone taught me.
Fine,triedto teach me again. That had gone about as well as teaching me how to speak German like a native.
As in it hadn’t gone well at all and the ancient demons on the council with me still bitched about it.
And I didn’t actually blame them.
Just like they didn’t blame me when I bitched about how they didn’t understand any type of fucking tech.
8
I had to cut things shorter than I would have liked and I apologized. Mason gestured with his head to them to hint at something and luckily I figured it out from the demon’s desires.
So I showed them Elijah’s text basically summoning me.
