Page 85 of Slayer

I regret to inform you that a few days ago, Steven was murdered by vampires. He was a wonderful employee and husband and will be greatly missed from this community. In the meantime, Marcus Finley will be taking over his client list and helping you with all your needs.

My heart beat frantically in my chest.

Murdered?

It didn’t say died. It said murdered. By vampires.

Another email popped into my inbox right after it.

Subject line: Greetings, new clients.

It was from Marcus Finley, welcoming me to his brokerage and telling me to email him with any needs or concerns I had.

My mind spun with this news.

Murdered.

“You okay?” Asher’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. He had already set up his tent and was placing wood into a perfect stack for a bonfire.

I just nodded. “You know my banker in New York, the one I went to see that day?”

He dipped his head as if he knew who I was speaking about. “Steven. He handles everyone’s accounts. Even my tiny one.” He winked.

“He’s dead. Murdered by vampires. I just got the email.”

Asher frowned, pulling out his phone and scrolling. “Damn. Me too.”

“You really think it was vampires?”

He nodded. “They hate when the humans help us. Have had it out for him for years. He’s moved offices at least a dozen times since my parents died. His wife has him rune marked often to cover his scent.”

I frowned. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something about this felt off.

“My money is still there. All eight hundred dollars,” he bragged.

I smiled. “Good idea to check.”

I opened the banking app and logged in to check mine. I was happy to see that the seven million I’d asked Steven to donate to Angel House had been done and also that Rae’s Parisian apartment for four hundred thousand had been paid for at my request.

I hoped she was happy living in Paris and thought it was best she didn’t know my new number or email.

But when I was about to click out of the app, I saw that just yesterday, the twenty-thousand-dollar wire to Emilie had gone through. I frowned.

That was supposed to be canceled.

Maybe Steven forgot… But no, he’d said in his office that it was done.

Hmm.

It took me a minute to figure out in the app, but I was able to cancel the monthly wires going to Emilie so there would be no more mistakes.

“Okay, time for beach games!” Daphne cheered, bouncing up and down like she’d just had a Red Bull.

“Is she always this peppy?” I asked Asher with a smile.

His face drew downward, and he seemed to seriously consider my question. “No. She’s not.”

Ouch. I hadn’t meant to strike a nerve there.