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“Well, that’s a wrong that needs to be righted.”
“That works for me,” Gareth said. “I liked New York. I wouldn’t mind returning. But I can’t until this is resolved.”
Jasmine’s stomach grumbled. “Okay, well, I’m off to get something to eat for breakfast.”
“Thanks for asking me about why I would have been on a list. Assassins normally never ask. Enjoy your breakfast. Talk later,” Gareth said.
Then they ended the call and Stasio said, “See, I told you.”
“You were right. I’m headed down to our free breakfast. I’ll see you there.”
“I’ll be down in a few minutes. I need to shower.”
She was just going to leave him, but then she left his bed and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She didn’t expect him to pull her into his hot embrace and kiss her like there was no tomorrow, which considering the trouble they could be in if Pierre was tracking them, there might not be.
“Hmm, if you’re trying to tell me you’re glad I’m with you all, you’re doing a good job of it.” His kiss made her feel a whole lot more lighthearted. “Meet you downstairs. We can nap for a couple of more hours after that.”
“That sounds like a winning idea. We’re not meeting up with the others for a while anyway,” Stasio said.
She left the room then and headed down the stairs to the small dining area. Six men were sitting in a lounge area for guests where they had a number of books, card, and board games. It seemed odd to her that they were all just lounging in there—not families, just all men, three of whom looked in her direction, and none of them were having breakfast.
A family of four, a girl and boy and mother and father, most likely, were seated in the dining room at a table. She sat down at one of the tables and ordered eggs and haddock. She wasn’t that fond of fish, but she thought she would try it.“Hey, Stasio, a family is eating in the dining room, looking perfectly harmless, but there are six men sitting in the lounge area who seem a bit suspicious.”
He immediately responded,“Return to the room. I’m throwing on some clothes quickly.”
“Don’t do so on my account. I just ordered breakfast. If they’re bad news, they probably are waiting for the rest of you to join us, and that means they won’t play their hand until then. Or I might be wrong, but they just seem…out of place.”
“Like they’re hunters or vampire assassins.”
“Right.”
Stasio telepathically contacted Levka, or at least he tried to, but Levka didn’t answer him. He might be asleep…or in danger. He tried Caitlin next. She didn’t respond either. He didn’t want to leave Jasmine alone in possible trouble if he could avoid it, but he wanted to at least contact the others for backup should they need it.
He tried Ruric next. He didn’t respond either. Stasio paced. Were he and Jasmine the only ones awake this morning? He feared the worst. That assassins had already dropped by the other lodgings and eliminated his friends. He was trying to keep a steady head and not go downstairs and just start fighting the men when they might be here for a totally innocent reason.
He tried Arman. No response from him either. Fine. Stasio would fight all six of the assassins to keep Jasmine safe. He headed down the stairs and eyed the six men, one of whom glanced in his direction. He saw Jasmine eating fish for breakfast. Haddock. He hadn’t had any in eons and it really appealed. He ordered the same breakfast as she had.
“What do you think?”Jasmine secretly asked Stasio.
“I think they’re bad news, but I can’t reach any of my friends. I’m concerned more of these men might have learned where the others were staying.”
Then Arman finally communicated with Stasio.“Why are you trying to talk to me after we were up half the night? You woke me from a deep sleep. Don’t tell me you’re up and having breakfast already.”
“We may have six assassins in the common room at our bed and breakfast. The men all seem out of place here,”Stasio told him and then he began coating a slice of bread with blackberry jam.
“Have you told Levka?”
“No. I tried getting ahold of all of you, but no one responded.”
“I woke Ruric. If they’re assassins, Levka will kill all of them himself for waking him so early. If they’re not, you’d better make yourself scarce,” Arman warned.
Stasio glanced at Jasmine. She was raising her eyebrows at him in question. He cleared his throat.“We need to include Jasmine in our telepathic communications when it pertains to her.”
“Let us know if anything happens. Since Levka has got the van, we’ll have to make our way there and wake them and make sure they’re not in danger. The men haven’t made any threatening moves?”
“I’m wondering if they thought we were all staying here and they’re waiting for us to gather together so they can take us all out at once,”Stasio said.
“Why show their faces there now? If you suspect them of being trouble, surely they would realize you might warn the rest of us to stay away. They’ve got to figure we would think it could be a trap,”Arman said.
