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His bossy tone stopped me dead. Mostly because when he got all snippy, I got hard, and if he continued to boss me around, we were definitely going to his room, but it wouldn’t be for talking.

I sipped my whiskey, and glanced around us to find a few guests looking over. It was late Friday night, and most guests were awake, either heading into town or about to enjoy the bar. I hopefully had a little time before the next hotel crisis.

“Alright, fine. Let’s go.”

Carrying my glass of whiskey like an emotional crutch, I entered the clanging elevator beside Victor, unsure if it was the whiskey warming me through, or if I just really wanted to blow off some frustrated steam with Vampire Daddy. Or just blow him.

“Agent Leomaris has the camera you were wearing,” I said, breaking the tense silence. We stepped from the elevator and headed toward his room. “They said the water wouldn’t stop it from working, and if we got everything I’d mentioned, they’ll be able to secure a warrant and raid the lab tomorrow.”

“Bringing an end to Agatha’s trading in body parts. That is a good outcome,” Reynard said.

“It should be enough to keep Zee and me from being prosecuted. All charges dropped.” The elevator bumped, and the doors creaked open. I strode down the corridor beside him and entered his room a step behind. Everything was neat and tidy and had its proper place. He hadn’t changed anything since moving in, as though he didn’t believe he’d be staying. Or perhaps the emptiness was just how he’d always lived. “It may have gone smoother had you told me everything you know about Agatha before we went in.”

“Your tone is displeased,” he said, heading toward the window.

“So is the rest of me.” I stopped a few strides inside the door.

He parted the drapes, revealing the twinkling cityscape on a clear night. A crescent moon cut the perfect tear in the night sky’s canvas. Victor sighed, and turned to face me. “What did you see at Reynard Technologies, Adam?”

“You’re monitoring Lost Ones. Watching them, tracking them. Why?”

Straightening, he folded his arms. “Are you sure?”

“Pretty damn sure, yeah.” I started forward but stopped at the foot of the bed, uncertain if I should go to him. “And you were aware. You told me. What is technology for, if not to spy on people?—you said those very words.”

Finally, he loosened his stance, and spoke softly, “I meant generally, but it seems I was more right than I knew. Adam, as I’ve made clear, everything I’ve done these past centuries has been in pursuit of vampire supremacy. That includes Reynard Technologies. I didn’t steal it for myself. I own it, but I have little interest in its running. From what you’ve just told me, it seems clear the vampire royals are monitoring Lost Ones, and using my company to do it.”

That did not sound good. “They can do that?”

He approached me, and lowered himself to the end of the bed. “Sit.”

He’d said it in his Daddy Vampire voice, so of course I immediately obeyed. Zee was right, I really was a simp for Victor Reynard, even knowing he had a million secrets. Maybe because of them. The more I understood Victor Reynard, the more I saw my own mistakes. We both had pasts that demanded we lie.

We sat, side by side, in awkward silence.

“Daisy has plans to reopen the veil,” he said. “And invite her mother, the queen through. Once here, if she isn’t already, she’ll have the strings with which to control this world via every piece of technology ever sold from Reynard Technologies.”

Oh my stars. “Victor, you know this for certain?”

“In the interest of transparency, yes. As their liaison to this side of the veil, I’ve been an instrumental part of their plan. I paved the way, in fact.”

“Oh great. That’s just . . . That’s great.” World domination. By vampires. Okay. I’d known that little missy, Princess Daisy, was trouble. But I hadn’t known the scope of her plans.

“I’ve disappointed you,” Victor whispered.

“I don’t know what to think. But it’s fine, we just have to stay here, keep our heads down, and everything will be alright.” That seemed like a good plan. It had worked for me so far.

“I don’t think hiding is a viable option.”

“Hiding gets a bad rep, but hiding works. Trust me.” Reynard’s intelligent eyes narrowed. Oops. “I mean.” I shrugged. “You don’t work for Daisy anymore anyway. Reynard Technologies is yours. So you can stop them.”

“You seem to have an inflated view of my status among the royals, when we both know I’m of no significance now their plans have almost come to fruition.”

“Just shut that monitoring thing down? Unplug it. Whatever.”

“Now I am aware of it, tomorrow I will do exactly that. But it’s unlikely to stop them.”

My heart sank. This was exactly the kind of thing I needed to avoid. “You know what, I can’t think about this.” I stood and wanted to leave. The door was right there. I could walk out, and forget we’d had this conversation. But something held me in place, and a glance at Victor’s sad, guilt-ridden face trapped me in one spot. “It’s not my problem. The vampires wanna come, that’s fine. Let them come. What can I do about it? Nothing. I’m just me. Adam Vex. And you, you’re just . . . you. A vampire, who—as it turns out—is not very good at saving people, or yourself. So, the vampires want to take over the world? Oh well. We can all stay here and run the hotel. It will be fine.”