Page 52

“Victor. Don’t you trust me?”

“I find trust is worthless in business, Agatha.”

Agatha glanced at me and sighed. “Why don’t you give me something? As a show of respect, for old times’ sake?

“Of course.”

“Your assistant there. Adam Vex? Tell me . . .” Her perfectly pink glossy lips curved into a hungry smile. “What exactly is he?”

CHAPTER 14

“Me?” I squeaked. Everyone stared, including the mute twins. I huffed a laugh and shoved my hands into my pockets. “I’m just Victor’s assistant.”

Agatha folded her arms and leaned back against the lab tables. “I see, I see, but if that’s the case, why is Gideon Cain so interested in you?”

“Cain who? What?” My heart thumped.

“Perhaps Mr. Cain is looking to poach my assistant?” Victor suggested, the epitome of calm composure. “Gideon Cain and I had something of a disagreement recently. Adam is really quite average, as you can see.”

I really was exceptionally average.

Agatha narrowed her eyes. She wore glamor, and she may have sensed that I did too. But it would be socially rude to point that out, and the fae were sticklers for politeness. “He does seem particularly dull.” She removed a rectangular, black, thumbnail-sized device from her jacket pocket. “Which makes this all the more mysterious.”

Alright, but what was that? I glanced around, hoping someone was going to ask but nobody did. “Erm, what is that?”

“The backup for your Tom Collins unit. I’m sure you’ve noticed your bartender has not been performing as it should of late.”

That tiny thing was our Tom Collins? Then there really was a backup, and our Tom was still alive?! “We had noticed a small change in Tom.” Such as him being super nice, until he tried to murder me. “Why uh . . . why do you have that?” I asked, hoping it sounded casual.

Reynard was proving to be of no help, and instead of helping, he watched me stumble about in the dark.

“That’s a good question, Mr. Vex. I’m asking myself that same thing. Why do I have this?”

Was this a riddle? Was I supposed to know the answer?

I glanced at Reynard but found his face politely blank. He seemed to be holding back, content for the moment to let me ask the questions. Had he known his friend had Tom all this time? I was going to have some stern words with Victor Reynard. “Well, then . . . if you don’t know? May we have him back?”

She gave that all-over body sigh that bad people sometimes do before plowing into a monologue. “You see, some time ago now, Mr. Cain was very insistent you should be in receipt of a modified Tom Collins unit.” Ah, Gideon Cain . . . “We rarely trade in tech, not least because I do not wish to tread on Baron Reynard’s toes.”

“Much appreciated, Agatha,” Reynard said.

“However,” she continued. “Mr. Cain offered a substantial sum of money to ensure one particular AI bartending unit was placed in your hotel. I’m not one to turn down a good deal, so we arranged it. A few days ago, Mr. Cain demanded we hand over the backup for your Tom Collins unit. At which point, I became rather curious.” She held up the thumb drive and examined it under the lab’s bright lights. “What could a real-estate developer such as Mr. Cain want from a Sex Hotel spybot?”

“Oh, that’s not . . . The hotel isn’t called that.”

“It’s not called the Sex Hotel?”

“Erm, no. It’s SOS. Like, save our souls? Because the hotel is a sanctuary, you see, for those in need⁠—”

“But you have a porn demon on staff?”

“Yes, but he doesn’t offer, uh, adult services anymore.”

She screwed up her nose, then arched a thin eyebrow. “Well, that really does make this a mystery. I assumed Gideon’s spying on you was a kink thing. How intriguing. Victor, what is your interest in all of this?”

“I reside at the hotel,” he said flatly, as helpful as a stone statue.

“You live at the Sex Hotel?