“No, that, we could fucking handle,” someone growled. “The asshole set up someone else in the raid and we were allcollateral damage. The fucker wanted to getone guyback and threw the raid, killingthirtyof us.”
“Oh fuck,” I hissed, getting it better. “And just took years of your work and more?” I winced when they all nodded, the temperature of the room rising. “And did you all need to die?”
“No,” they all growled at varying levels, Kyle continuing. “But he took the surefire way and tookmeout because I’m the tank and it was my job to block the boss so everyone else could get in and set up. So he literally stabbed me in the back so everyone else was slaughtered to get this one guy.”
“Instead of taking the chance to stab the one guy and he might die and not get his revenge,” another demon yelled from the other room. “Mother fucker! I—I’m going outside!”
Okay, even if it was a game… I sort of saw their upset.
“So we find this fucker and peel his skin off,” I muttered, shrugging when they looked at me with shock. “Look, I’m not a gamer and you know how I feel about this game specifically, but this wasyearsof your work. That’s some serious bullshit for his petty revenge. I can’t even imagine what—” I jumped when a door slammed.
One of Kyle’s buddies who wasn’t even on this team but worked for us came stomping into the room. “It was over a fuckinggirl. The target slept with the guy’s fucking girlfriendthree years ago. He’s on his stream fucking laughing at it and giving zero shits about all of us he killed too. He’s like whatever that we were stupid enough to fall for such a smart move.”
“Don’t you dare!” I bellowed when people looked like they were going to ramp back up. “Feed from the guy until he changeshis tune or—we’ll get your revenge on him, but you are fixing this house and paying for your damn tantrum.”
I gestured around the destroyed house andequipmentwhen they all gave me hurt looks. No, I stood by “tantrum.”
Even if I had just as bad of a temper.
Probably worse.
“You’re fixing it!” I roared when they started arguing and others came in and joined. They all instantly backed down… And even took a few steps back. “You are fixing what you broke like the rest of us do. You will work it off in the time you would spend on your gaming or whatever else! This isn’t a discussion or I will work out my annoyance on all your asses.”
One of the youngest demons there that I barely knew cleared his throat and stepped forward. “I’ll work all the unpaid OT you want to make up for the cost of my damages. I was arguing that I can’t like—I’m a klutz when it comes to using a hammer or—I wouldn’t be useful on this shit, boss.”
“Fair,” I accepted when they all seemed to agree to that. “I’ll figure something out and block you from Elijah. But not again and we keep this quiet.” I shook my head and growled. “I’m getting promoted. No more of this junior VP shit. I’m now a councilwoman, and everyone knows you are my guys. Just—we fix it and I spank you.”
“Agreed,” Kyle said flatly. “And whoever needs to know we were spanked does. We—hell, I fucking admit I lost it. But like… We have enough bullshit, and this was our fucking stressreliefthat someone torpedoed and for something so fucking stupid. Like… I know you hate it, but I like my stupid little tank guy and—for real? Someone had to shit on it and now it’s gone?”
Yeah, again, fair enough. Even if I didn’t really understand the game or their draw to that, I understoodthat.
But it also gave me an idea.
Maybe a good one.
I handed Kyle what I’d brought and asked for a few things before setting the portal and heading right back out. I shared shocked looks with those gathered and sighed.
Loudly.
“I apologize. Profusely even,” I grumbled as I glanced at my watch. “No, I don’t—Gavin said to drop by whenever and I had a weird idea that I wanted to run by him while it was fresh and I don’t have the details worked out.”
“Well, now we’re all going to be curious,” Gavin, the head of the vampire council, said with a dark chuckle. “And we were fighting about the same nonsense that never goes anywhere, so this is a nice reprieve.”
I felt about a third of the council’s desires to pound him, but way more were on his side. So was I in a way, so I went with it.
“This isn’t hashed out and I haven’t even talked to the other members of my council. I’m trying to make a lot of pieces fit, so—you and I are on the same page of a lot.” I waited until he nodded. “I need to spank some of our people.” I bounced that around. “A gentle spanking. Fucking idiots forget their strength sometimes.”
I felt better when several people snorted.
“First, Sloan was never paid and I’m demanding it on her behalf, especially after what happened,” I told them, glad when Gavin was pissed. I handed the file off to an aide who hurried over. “I know more of you would like more from us. We are working on the image and bullshit that we’re under you or now other idiots saying we’ve clipped your fangs.”
“Yes, we’rethrilledabout that,” one seethed.
I met his gaze head-on. “It didnotcome from us. We don’t want war. All I’ve said is what I’ve said to your face. We didn’t even publicly share the shit one of yours pulled as a show of good faith and Gavin asked us not to. We want equal footing.”
“I can’t get a read on her. She’s too locked down,” someone else muttered.
“Well, I don’t trust any of you or—”
