“Precisely,” Darius said. “But what the poor bastards don’t realize is most of them will end up becoming blood slaves, or just dying.”
My stomach turned, my anger at the men who’d hurt Ronan and Ash fading under the harsh light of that truth. They’d simply done what they thought they had to do for a shot at a better life.
Their mistake had been in thinking that becoming vampireswastheir shot. That it was the very best option they had.
Despite so many supernaturals living in plain sight, most humans didn’t know our world existed, and they were better off for it. But for the ones who’d come by that knowledge, life quickly became a double-edged sword.
For some, their entire worldview collapsed, and it left them untethered and lost. Others tried to share their newfound knowledge with the world, only to be labeled—and eventually driven—crazy. The path was no simpler for those who tried to assimilate or just peacefully coexist; it was all too easy to start feeling small and insignificant when your neighbor or hairdresser or favorite coffeeshop owner lived on human blood, turned into a wolf, carried out orders for hell, traveled to the summer court, cast spells, or brought people back from the dead.
Ronan tipped back the last of his beer, then let out a sigh. “Any idea who’d want to set us up? Who’s sending this message?”
“Or what the message evenis?” Ash asked. “They never did tell us.”
“To be fair, I staked the one doing the talking,” Ronan said.
Darius, who’d gone quiet again, finally spoke up. “It’s not a message. It’s a challenge.” He resumed his pacing. “Now that I think of it, it’s unlikely they’re setting up Ronan and Asher for a Council inquiry at all. I believe this is about me—the demons just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“I’m not following,” I said.
“By attacking my associates on my turf,” Darius explained, “someone is making it known that he—or they, depending on who’s pulling the strings—no longer consider my authority valid.”
“They mentioned something about you betraying your own kind,” Ronan said. “Which led me to think Hollis’s people were involved. But other than Weston, Hollis neverhadpeople.”
“What about the rest of the bloodsuckers you guys iced at Bay Coven HQ?” Asher said. “Any one of them could’ve had friends in high places.”
“Or friends in low places willing to join forces against a common enemy,” I said.
“But I’m not their enemy,” Darius said. “Other than Hollis and Weston, I’ve had very few confrontations with the vampire population—in Blackmoon Bay or anywhere else. Most, in fact, have been loyal Black Ruby regulars for years. Any customer service issues have been settled amicably.”
“It’s not about your business practices,” Ash said. He finished his beer, then set down the bottle, locking me in an intense gaze that burned all the way down to my toes. “It’s about Gray.”
“What makes you say that?” Darius asked.
“The first dude said something about Darius turning into a… What was the phrase?” Asher held my gaze, his lips quirking into a grin that made my fingers itch to strangle him. “Oh, right. A witch’s lapdog.”
Darius huffed, but despite my best efforts to hold tight to my monster-sized grudge against Asher, the image actually made me laugh.
“Oh, you find this funny?” Darius leveled me with an icy stare. “I don’t suppose you want me to fetch your slippers?”
“If you don’t mind?” I said. “Maybe a newspaper, too? No, wait. A magazine would be better.”
“Not the one she smacks you with when you’re a bad doggie,” Asher said.
“Don’t worry, Darius,” Ronan chimed in. “If you’re a real good boy and you promise not to shit behind the sofa, maybe Gray will let you sleep at the end of our bed.”
Darius stepped into Ronan’s space, so close they would’ve been sharing the same air if Darius had actually needed to breathe. “Or maybe she’ll stay inmybed, hellspawn, and while we’re doing everything on that mattressbutsleeping, you’ll be outside in the doghouse, whimpering with your nose pressed up against the glass, watching me do things to her you could only dream about.”
Ronan, Ash, and I were laughing so hard, Darius finally had no choice but to join us.
But the good humor was short-lived, the seriousness of the situation quickly chasing away the last of our laughter.
“So what’s next with these vamps?” Ronan asked. “Do you trust your staff at the club? People are going to start talking, if they haven’t already.”
“I do trust them,” Darius said. “I’ll put in a call to my manager later.”
“In the meantime,” Ash said, “I’ll make a few sketches, see what I remember about the assholes who jumped us. Maybe you’ll recognize someone.”
“Good call,” Ronan said.
