Chapter 7 #2
Mason, Lewis, Mindy, and Melissa started freaking out and trying to give me back the money or demanding to know how I just had stacks of money ready to give them so fast. Rapid-fire questions or freaking out.
It went on for a couple of minutes with me not answering and just glancing between them while doing a great impression of a fish.
Kyria’s loud laugh cut through it all and she went over and playfully smacked each of them upside the head as if to snap them out of their crazy. Then she hugged me and kissed each of my cheeks before turning us to face the four of them.
“This is Jasmine Stewart who we know better than most and love. The woman who always has a plan for the plans and backups. Tech, life, investigations, the clubs—everything. There is always a way out and more to the story and she’s got an exit planned.
If you didn’t assume she’s got some hidden vault in her condo with cash, gold, and gems, you’re silly. ”
I gave a shrug when they all stared at me as if they wanted me to confirm it. “I’ve seen currencies tank and economies crumble. The value of gems plummets and others completely flip on what was worth the most. It’s always best to diversify in case of an emergency.”
I swatted at Kyria when she burst out laughing again. “And I have three vaults, thank you. Two at my condo and one hidden at…”
“You don’t know?” she checked, laughing all over again.
“Elijah technically is in charge of it. It’s a shared one. I’ve given him stuff to add to it, but it’s an emergency bug out for the VPs should we need it.” I frowned. “I forget where, but I know how to portal there.”
“Fair enough,” she said, the others agreeing.
But then they went back to trying to give me the money.
“Don’t ruin a nice gesture,” I grumbled and grabbed one of the muffins that were there that someone picked up. “I needed this nice after yesterday. Tell me your idea and let’s be nice.”
“It wasn’t just the murder. She went to ask Evan for a favor and was bummed when she came home,” Mason told them evasively but also to let them know it wasn’t bad or for them to worry about.
Yeah, that pretty much covered all the bases and I was glad he’d said it.
We sat down with breakfast, including a delicious breakfast casserole one of them made with taco meat and tofu that Mason promised to get the recipe for after I ate almost half the pan of it.
Kyria made a point to say that she was proud of me to put so much into place personally after all I’d been through. That it was motivating for them.
I knew it was praise, but there was more to it, and that part confused me.
It made me feel very seen though and touched me, so I did confirm that when the apocalypse hit, I would have them all covered and keep them safe. I wasn’t sure what else to say.
And for some reason, it amused Mason.
“We appreciate that and yes, I personally will take you up on that,” Mindy said with a kind smile.
“Truly.” She cleared her throat nervously and slid over a presentation packet.
“But even today with having money on hand for something so generous, I’m much older than you and don’t have that. I should. I want to. I want—”
“We realized that we’ve been so busy surviving and trying to not be eaten by our traumas and pasts that we haven’t done as much as we could,” Lewis said quietly, looking out the window as his cheeks flushed.
“Me and my stupid fancy cars while you have extra wealth and have saved so many personally.”
“My focus is always on the club and helping people, but never myself. And letting people still bully me at times that I’m selfish instead of healing and putting myself first has kept me from moving forward,” Kyria grumbled.
“Realizing that I had nothing besides the club and our friendship. That’s not healing. That’s not living.”
I opened my mouth to say something, but there wasn’t much I could say without sharing too much for Melissa, Mindy, or even Lewis to hear.
Mason reached over and squeezed my hand. “I feel the same. I—it’s not excuses and I was never lazy, but I just rode the waves and did what I had to, never more. I never had goals or reached for more. You have. You are a superhero and not because you save people.
“You inspire them,” Melissa whispered. “That’s why I’ve always made it clear, no matter where I land and how I help the company, that I’m on your team and will handle your personal everything.” She gestured between the four of them. “We will.”
“Thank you, because I can’t function as an adult without a team,” I muttered, not sure where the conversation could even go from there.
Apparently, a lot of places.
First, I listened to an explanation of the housing crisis in several countries.
Corporations buying houses to resell for more and driving up prices in the market, pricing out those who generally lived there.
Or buying them to rent them for way too much and that was the new standard and others were too greedy so would do the same.
I knew enough of the issues of rent prices having worked with dancers undercover and more, but I didn’t know how much was corporations behind the scenes.
We regulated and managed that shit in Germany.
Yes, we had corporations owning lots, but there were limits, and corruption didn’t rule our lawmakers to just be bought into not serving their people.
So the background and issues in multiple countries the company had properties in made sense given too much hadn’t been handled. We had apartment buildings we were total jerks on and… It was a mess.
It was a mess with over four thousand properties now, and rebranding that to Heavenly Properties was smart enough.
But I also had sixty-two personal properties of my own that were just sitting there being used for nothing. More than Lewis probably knew or handled—another mess.
“So you four are going to handle all of this for me,” I hedged. “I appreciate that and now wish I’d given you more money as a gift.” I snickered when all five of them sighed.
Hey, I had a lot of money, but I also had a lot of messes. I understood that.
Flipping the next page, I started to put the pieces together.
They were making it so some of my properties could be maintained by Heavenly Properties.
Managed. Leased out and—just like people could do in several countries when they had rental properties.
It was better to have a third party handle it all.
It was a smart idea and a good addition to have more jobs for demons who didn’t want to… Everything that came with strip clubs or even clubs and corporate associated with them. Hell, it would be great feeds for wrath demons more than working the door and sloth demons like Melissa.
Pride ones who fed from people who couldn’t handle their situations or more. Envy. It honestly worked on a lot of layers.
It wasn’t until they went deeper into the idea that I paused. They wanted to set it up where other demons could bring in houses or get loans to buy houses as a way to build their own futures and investments. While helping the area not jacking up rents and having a way to see more than surviving.
“Okay, I didn’t expect you to shut down this fast,” Lewis muttered. “And I would like to point out that this is exactly why you should not be flippant with even us.”
That made me do a double take. “It’s fine for the four of you. I’ll even loan you whatever money you need to start if you want. Yes, add real estate to your portfolios. Take a house of mine to start and grow—whatever.”
“I see the issue,” Mason cut in when I got flustered. “There’s fear in your aura. You see security risks and more.”
“Yes, no—maybe.” I let out a slow breath. “Yes.”
“How?” Mindy asked. “No judgment. We came to you for a reason, Jasmine. This isn’t a fully fleshed-out idea—this isn’t even our field. I protect others and you know how hard it is to see the other side. See this side for me, please.”
I smiled at her, glad she put it that way and I didn’t have to kill their hope. I tapped a few points on the presentation. “What if an ancient demon comes in with a bunch of properties or money to buy gobs of them and uses all we have to get more and more—”
“It’s a way in to take over,” Mindy whispered in horror, her face going pale. “You’d have challengers like the ones at the club and—okay, there are non-compete or—”
“Limit the amount of houses,” Lewis added, both of them immediately taking notes.
“Or the total value of real estate since this should be one basket for people to put eggs in. Dancers to put money in besides the bank and know it will be taken care of. Roll out the program for dancers even to start?”
“No, but there can be ways to be sneaky and more off-book work to give bonuses,” I muttered, shrugged when I got confused looks.
“Make it known through the lust demons that if they step up their game to help us now that we got them. I’ll go be super spy and get more properties if you find me places. I love that shit.”
“You are so adorable,” Mason whispered, moving his hand over his face. “Your aura is lit up with excitement and everything positive at screwing people over and—”
“Bad people,” we all corrected him.
He gave me a soft look. “Yes, of course. I apologize. The ‘bad’ was implied. You are just so fearless and—your courage and—I’m in awe of you.”
I wasn’t the only one who swooned.
But I did swoon. Hard.
“I’m fine with each of you getting a few of my places I didn’t even know I had or even being the poster children of how this could work,” I told them. “But we need to seriously hammer out more details to protect us. This could be a way to screw us over more instead of helping other demons.”
“True, but look at the last page,” Kyria said nervously.
And I understood why when it was an idea to eventually offer our property management to other supes. Other leaders even.
“This is very, very tricky because the councils wouldn’t risk pissing their people off for screwing us over.
I’d rather find more ancients like the ones we’ve partnered with in Rome who would eat their councils to protect their people and money.
They’re the allies we need if we can make it clear they can’t take us over. ”
“Definitely something to put a pin in and hash out more,” Mindy muttered, writing furiously.
“But yeah, those ancients in Rome—that could be exactly what was needed to make it all work.” She gave me a knowing look.
“That many powerful ancients that their councils are even worried about are powerful fucking allies.”
“That’s an idea I’d rather focus on first,” I admitted. “We need it.”
I was glad when they all agreed. I encouraged them to keep thinking of ideas, but for right now it had to be to strengthen our position. We needed more security and to brace for attacks.
I’d rather pay people more for that and teach them how to invest in the fucking stock market… After someone taught me.
Fine, tried to teach me again. That had gone about as well as teaching me how to speak German like a native.
As in it hadn’t gone well at all and the ancient demons on the council with me still bitched about it.
And I didn’t actually blame them.
Just like they didn’t blame me when I bitched about how they didn’t understand any type of fucking tech.