“She is too hard for me to read,” someone growled.
“She speaks the honest truth and has only told one lie,” the woman confirmed, studying me closely. “It was inconsequential and polite. She wants peace but will make war for her people.”
“Yes. Even if it means my life,” I told her firmly.
She opened her mouth but then closed it, studying me and then the others. “You are all too amused. It won’t ever cost you your life. It will cost us ours. Elijah alone is beyond sure that you could take every one of us standing here. He has seen enough to know that.”
“That will upset people’s pride,” I hedged. “Even Ricco thinks I got lucky when weplayedand I couldn’t ever really get him, wouldn’t go for the killing blow.”
She snorted. “Oh, you’re a killer. Of all of the people standing here, you would be the one I would try to take out first should there be a problem, young one. I am older than any here, a few combined, and I know an angel of death when I see one.” She winked at me when the demons flinched. “Yes, pun intended.”
Fair enough, but it gave a lot of the others something to chew on.
“Now that we have established you are not coming with your hat in your hand and have the bite to bring pain,” she said, mixing up one saying or another, “Tell us as leaders what brought us heretoday. You could have done this over the past weeks. Why today? That is what makes us on edge.”
I gave her a grateful look, finally understanding why they were pushing. I explained what we were doing in Rome and where we were at. Then, with Ricco’s permission, we took them there and showed them.
“We’re going to try and make a deal with your pasta guy,” I told Ricco. “Our vendor just pulled out. All of a sudden justdoesn’t want to sell to us. No reason and not going under, just doesn’t want to sell to us. And they’re human. Wonder why?”
One of the vampires of the group chuckled darkly.
Yeah, my thoughts exactly. Their council was throwing in with us, but that didn’t mean all vampires were on board with it. The ones who said we “stole” their demons andpetswere acting out in ways they thought untraceable, but we would still probably figure out it was them.
“The furniture company we order our barstools from is…” I sighed. “I forget, but shifters. I’m sure their council ordered them to stop and—”
“And you know we have some of the finest wood craftsmen and women in the world,” the woman purred.
Ricco cleared his throat when I simply blinked at her. “No, she did not. I did not know about these issues either. This meeting was simply based on who I trusted and thought would be open to seeing reason—the truth as I was.”
I nodded, keeping her gaze. “I’m not even saying we want to buy from you. You’re dangerous too, and we want our peace and not to risk our people.” I gestured between Ricco, the leaders of Rome, and the demons. “We agree that’s what we want. We want more for the future. I’m simply answering the question of why now.”
She nodded but studied me carefully as I continued admitting who else was fucking with us.
Well, not all of them because the list was long and it was going to be a problem. Fast.
“We can work around all of this on our own and we have before,” I clarified before looking at the leaders of Rome. “But when we do, the petulant children will become bolder and move directly on the clubs, or they have already attempted more safe houses where the rescued demons are being protected.”
“You want more of our secret shoppers?” Ricco hedged but then had to explain what he and his had been doing for several weeks to help us. To say the other ancients were beyond interested was an understatement.
“And they have paid you for this?” the first wolf asked, glancing between all of us.
Ricco nodded. “Oh yes, fair wages plus the food and drink. I limit my people to one drink an hour, which is nothing for us and allows them to blend. No drinks would arouse suspicion. A few have taken lovers or business partners for fun as the cover and they pick up the bill for that, understanding it’s the cost of doing business.”
“We have money,” I muttered, sighing when I felt the jealousy and desires. “Yeah, I get it, that’s a sore spot for you, but right now your reputations would be a bit more helpful than the fucking cash in my bank account. These idiots wouldn’t dare fuck with you and innocent people gethurtmaking the point we can take care of things.”
“None of us have all the answers or perfect lives,” Elijah said smoothly, covering some of their sore feelings before focusing on Ricco. “But no, we were already discussing simply paying one of your people to be at the clubs. Not work the door or be on our payroll—not pick a side. Just be there and free food.”
“A deterrent,” the wolf muttered.
“A trusted deterrent that won’t stab us in the back or try to…” I wasn’t sure how to say what I wanted without repeating myself or insulting anyone. I was glad when he nodded.
“Many of ours would stand at the door and side with you,” one of the other Rome leaders said firmly, shocking the demons. He chuckled and shook his head. “You droppedeverythingto save two of Ricco’s cats who were rash to help in an emergency. You are honorable in your word and commitments. That carries a lot of weight.”
“I can’t always swing that but…” I sighed when the demons snorted. “I don’t like people getting fucked over who don’t deserve it. The cops were looking for shit.” I gestured between us. “If you hear nothing else, we are all supes. We are all people to me. Yes, I fight for demons, but that doesn’t mean I don’t fight for your people too.”
“She tells the truth,” the woman whispered in awe. “She would bleed for our people too. She might only be willing to die for demons, but she has and will bleed for ours.”
I was glad when they believed her, but they also weren’t completely sold… Which was why I always had a backup plan for the plans and more up my sleeves.
