Chapter 8
I had to cut things shorter than I would have liked and I apologized. Mason gestured with his head to them to hint at something and luckily I figured it out from the demon’s desires.
So I showed them Elijah’s text basically summoning me.
“I’d like to stay and get a flow of the house and see if there are any spells I should place here,” Mason hedged. I realized he wasn’t so much asking my permission, but he didn’t know if he was welcome there, nor who the house really belonged to.
Which I didn’t either anymore, but I was glad when my best friend and the others I valued immediately jumped on the chance. They were on lunch Germany time—which I’d forgotten since I was on a case US time—and had to get back to their jobs besides Kyria, so she promised she had it.
Perfect.
I arrived at home base to find major renovations going on. I simply rubbed my hands over my face and went to find Kyle to get caught up.
He was standing there with Elijah, Chun—the ancient who was going to right the ship with all of the properties… And Gavin, head of the vampire council of all people. I simply pointed between them which amused all of them.
“We like your idea,” Gavin explained. “And if some of the other councils would stop acting like they can put the lid back on you guys, they would as well.” He nodded towards the crew fixing things.
“These are some of mine who needed to be punished after they were part of the security breach that leaked up to us and didn’t tell us. ”
“Oh shit,” I hissed, rubbing my neck. “Okay, yeah, so spanked hard for sure.”
“And at length,” Gavin chuckled darkly. “Especially because a few avoided death sentences and others prison. They’re getting working sentences that will offer some goodwill for us and hopefully help their people.
” He held up a finger to me. “But before any more of the current plan, one issue to address.”
“He tried to pay Sloan,” Elijah explained.
He nodded when I simply raised an eyebrow.
“Her handwriting is less than stellar when tired. I saw where she wrote the account and I thought the two numbers were what he did. Luckily, the account didn’t match the name and it was rejected and Gavin missed that in the piles of his other crap.
I saw the wire sent and rejection later. ”
“Fair,” I sighed. “And Sloan was putting in so many hours or with that other asshat doing what he did to her—who knows? Glad it was sorted out and handled.”
“I pay my debts. Most vampires do even with all our other faults.”
I hoped so and was glad there was that much honor among them at least.
They filled me in on the details and I thanked Elijah and Chun for handling the “renovations” without the lecture. I swallowed a snort when their desires were that I not call them out on agreeing with Kyle and his teams.
Shockingly, Gavin addressed it. “I am not into video games, but I have had many a hobbies over the years. I—even if digital, the time a man puts into his enjoyments is to be respected. If a petty man wasted hours—months of my life over something so insignificant as a cheating woman, I would drain him. No matter the woman, you do not punish others.”
Chun snorted. “I used to make saddles before the process was simpler as it is now. The time and effort put into—it was art more than a livelihood. I took great pride in my work and some drunk noble ruined my whole showroom setting a fire and not caring. Waving it off and not even reporting it because it mattered not to him.”
“So you made him into a pretzel, yeah?” I checked.
His lips twitched. “That I did.” He shared a look with Elijah. “You’re right that she’s not like annoying young ones. Many of the ones around you aren’t like that. You’ve taught them well.”
Elijah snorted. “You’ve learned patience and how to appreciate those who know what you don’t. You now see how others have adapted better than you have and have grown past being such an insufferable know-it-all.”
“Both things can be true,” Chun accepted, amusing all of us.
Gavin cleared his throat. “Our council is going to throw in with yours.”
I didn’t respond right away. “I like details. Walk me through what that means to you.”
He gave me an approving look. “We’re publicly accepting your existence and making it clear far and wide we value you over others.
We’ve started talking personally to each coven and laying it out that this is real.
We’re having meetings that any of ours who risk this fragile alliance we feel is needed for our survival do so at their own peril. ”
“That’s a big shift,” I hedged.
“Your team made an impression,” Elijah muttered not hiding his amusement well.
Okay then. I listened to the rest and basically the vampires realized they weren’t doing as well as they thought, and the fact we were the German government right under their noses gave them a huge serving of humble pie.
We were the future and they didn’t get much from the shifters besides headaches.
Plus, we’d already been way more honorable in our dealings, and now that it was clear angels were on our side… They didn’t have a death wish. They were sure they were picking the right side of history and that was how their people would survive.
But also not to leave them holding any bags of shit because they weren’t coming to us with their hats in their hands.
I snorted. “Don’t fuck us and we won’t fuck you. That’s basically the motto tattooed on demons for—” I frowned when my phone beeped through my silent setting. That was for emergencies. I pulled it out and blinked as I read what was going on. “Excuse me, I need to handle something.”
“What’s wrong?” Elijah demanded. “You’re not worried, but the shock—”
“Yeah, I’m not one to shock,” I accepted. “It’s about Italy.” I met his gaze. “There’s a situation with our development in Italy and I’m being asked to save their asses.”
It took him only a second before his eyes went wide. Too wide like he could have been pushed over with a feather.
“I’m coming with,” he declared.
“You weren’t requested,” I hedged, holding up my hand to him when he went to argue. “I’m fully capable of calling for backup and I will. Sometimes a smaller footprint is the better one.” I hurried to kiss his cheek before apologizing to Gavin and heading for the portal.
“Now I’m beyond curious,” Gavin grumbled as I activated the portal.
Oh, I just bet he was.
Too bad.
I came out a block away from where I needed to be and jogged over after checking my GPS.
I sensed the desires I needed when there were too many people around and then locked onto Ricco, the ancient cheetah who was Alpha of his pride in Rome.
We’d made a deal with him and others of the ancient shifters in Rome before buying land and developing it.
An officer went to block me and spoke in Italian. Given his desires, my best guess was that he didn’t want me to get involved… Or the gross animals to have anyone help them.
“I don’t speak Italian, but I’m needed here,” I told him as I pulled out my German credentials, glad I’d actually had them on me. There were too many people around and too much scrutiny on this one to risk glamouring something like that.
Ricco saw me and relief filled his eyes, rattling off in Italian to someone while gesturing to me.
“I need to verify this,” the officer who had my ID said in a thick accent… Before trying to walk away with it.
I snatched it back and gave him a withering look.
“You’re no one and we both know it. I speak with bosses and their bosses, not beat cops with bad attitudes.
” I snorted when he opened his mouth and looked like he was reaching for his cuffs.
“I have diplomatic immunity, Officer. Make sure you play this right or it will cost you.”
Everyone around us froze, even some of the people with Ricco who clearly didn’t know that.
I smirked at the officer and slid through the others to make my way to Ricco. I showed my ID to the man he’d been arguing with. “My name is Jasmine Stewart. I’m a German national with diplomatic immunity.”
“Yes, your name was thrown around, Ms. Stewart,” the man bit out. “It didn’t seem plausible.”
I gave him a genuine smile. “Good on you for checking and not being an idiot who falls for any line. Truly. You should check and well done.” I shrugged when those with Ricco bristled. “It doesn’t help anyone when the cops are idiots. I also like smart men.”
I gave Ricco a subtle wink while using my influence on the officer who seemed to have some real rank.
“Two of these men won’t show their papers, and I’m not an idiot who knows they’re not at home where they won’t even tell us where that is nor let us escort them to fetch them,” the man explained. I honestly didn’t blame him for some of his upset and what he was saying.
Except it was all rooted in his disdain for supes. He knew enough about shifters and supes to have immediately locked in on Ricco and his people to know they were shifters, and this guy hated them. So after some bullshit that a few fit the description of some criminals, they demanded papers.
And two couldn’t provide them because they were expired.
Beyond expired since ancients hid below the radar as much as possible.
Also, something had happened to Ricco’s contact in the Italian government who used to get their papers updated.
Life had gotten in the way and he hadn’t found someone else yet to make it happen.
Plus, it wasn’t something easy to handle or everyone would have fake papers.
Duh.
I nodded as the cop rambled on but then interrupted by moving my hand to his arm, my influence stronger with touch. “Did you run the names of all of them? Please tell me you didn’t?”
“Not yet,” he hedged, glancing at someone and confirming it.
“Good, good,” I whispered.