“Maybe it is an option,” he mused, stroking his chin.
“No, it isn’t,” Roux insisted.
“We let Mina in on this in exchange for her letting us finish out our contract here,” the vampire said.
Roux opened his mouth to protest, then shut it again.
“Too dangerous,” Marius growled.
Bene tilted his head from side to side. “Maybe, but do you want to be the one to explain to Gordon why she’s kicking us out?”
Marius frowned but didn’t waver. “Still too dangerous.”
“I agree,” Roux chimed in.
I scowled at them both, but Henrik beat me to it.
“Oh, I think she’s capable of making up her own mind.”
I stared at him, every suspicion aroused.
When he grinned, the sharp points of his fangs interrupted the smooth line of his lips.
“Besides, she could be useful.”
My enthusiasm waned. Useful to a vampire? In what way?
“As a distraction, I mean,” he elaborated.
“He has a point there,” Bene mused.
“How?” Roux frowned.
“Getting in,” Bene said. “Every infiltration operation has two options, right? Going in through the front door or the back door.” He pointed to me. “With her, we can do both.”
I crossed my arms. “That better not be some kind of dirty sex talk.”
Bene’s eyes lit up, and he tsked. “Naughty, naughty. Not meant that way, but I like how you think.”
I put my face in my hands. Another day of these imbeciles and I would break.
“Just ignore him,” Henrik murmured. “That’s what the rest of us do.”
“Gee, thanks,” Bene protested.
“Bene!” Roux snapped. “Get to the point.”
“Well, this Baumann guy is throwing a party, right?”
Roux nodded curtly. “So?”
Bene pointed to me. “So, we put her in a nice dress, do up her hair—”
“Hey,” I grumbled. I was a person, not a Barbie doll.
Bene went on, unperturbed. “And she waltzes through the front door with the rest of the guests. I mean, with one of us as her gentleman companion.” He grinned and smacked his chest. “I nominate me.”
“Forget it,” Marius snarled.
