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“Why did we need a meeting?” Lulu asked, rubbing her belly.
“Because your BFF,” Connor said, “offered to meet the AAM in forty-eight hours.”
Lulu stared at him for a minute, then turned her icy gaze to me. “She did what?”
I told her about the AAM showing up at Cadogan House, the threats Clive had made, and what I’d agreed to. She slugged me in the arm.
“What the hell,” I said, rubbing it and looking between them. “I’m pretty sure I don’t deserve that for being incredibly noble.”
“You should have told me,” Lulu said.
“Supernatural shenanigans,”I said with emphasis. “I was trying to protect you.”
Lulu rolled her eyes. “There are obvious exceptions to the no-shenanigans rule when my now rent-paying roommate is in danger.”
“So your interest is financial,” I muttered. “Maybe you shouldn’t have spent the difference on Chinese food.” I held up a hand to stop more argument. “We are under a literal deadline, so let’s skip the blame and get to the solution. Given the running from attacks and stalkers, I haven’t had a lot of time to brainstorm.”
And forty-eight hours would slip by quickly. Especially since I’d be unconscious for a good chunk of it.
“Do we get T-shirts like the OMB has?”
We all looked at Alexei.
“What?” I asked.
“Our team. We can call ourselves ‘Lace.’ L, A, C, E,” he said, pointing to Lulu, himself, Connor, and me in turn.
“Can we put ‘Sups against Fangs’ on the back?” Lulu asked.
Alexei grinned, but I shook my head. “Obviously not,” I said, “since one of us—in literal point of fact—has fangs. And I’m calling this meeting to order. The floor is open for suggestions.”
Connor’s grin went wicked, his blue eyes drowsy.
“Strategic suggestions,” I clarified.
“What about a duel?”
We all looked at Alexei.
“If they’re good enough for secretaries of the treasury, they’re good enough for vampires. I’m just saying, if you and Clive had it out in some kind of winner-take-all scenario, would he pack up and go home?”
That was along the lines of Uncle Malik’s thoughts. “I don’t know,” I said honestly. “I could probably take him one-on-one. His katana skills weren’t that impressive.”
“Not slick enough,” Alexei said.
“Not nearly,” I agreed. “And I’m sure I could provoke him into a fight. But I don’t think that would resolve the other issues.”
“Blackmail?” Connor asked.
“I’m also not above blackmailing a bully,” I said, “if we had any information to use against him. Which we don’t.”
Connor and Alexei looked at each other. “Maybe we could obtain something from the Consolidated Atlantic Pack.”
The shifters of the eastern seaboard. Their territory abutted the NAC’s. “You think they’d be able to dig something up on an Atlanta vampire?” I asked.
“Maybe. Relations between shifters and vamps out east are a little... testier... than those here,” Connor said. “If there’s information to be found, the Atlantic may be able to find it.”
“I don’t want to damage the AAM,” I said. “Just put a little pressure on Clive.”
