Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

Victor stood on the front porch as we climbed from the cab, looking stern, with his sleeves rolled up, his arms crossed, and his hair tied back. But as the cab pulled away, his gaze settled on me, softened, and skipped to Zee. "What did I miss?"

"Oh, you know, same old," Zee began. "Adam rode a werewolf, then turned into a viral sensation."

"Ah, that explains the endless calls Madame Matase has been fielding."

I climbed the hotel steps, and as Victor opened his arms, I slotted in like a well-worn jigsaw piece finding its place. "I think this may be bad. People will know I'm..." I looked around, checking we were alone outside. "Not human."

He hmmed in that soft, melodic way he did so well. The sound reverberated through me while wrapped in his firm, ageless embrace. Maybe it wasn't so bad. At least I had the pair of them by my side. In the past, when I'd been found, my only choice had been to run.

"The drama will fizzle out," Zee said, leaning against the porch pillar. "We just need to stay out of trouble, ignore it all, and the masses will get bored. Some other crazy shit will happen, and Adam the Alpha will be forgotten. Trust me, this will all blow over in a day."

"Adam the Alpha?" Victor echoed. "It must have been quite impressive."

Zee's eyes lit up. "It was fuckin' epic." He dug into his pocket and opened his phone. "I'll show you. Ugh, the wards."

"I shall take your word for it. Let's get you inside, Adam."

We headed into the lobby, where Madame Matase stood at the front desk. With her hair a little wild and unpinned, and her eyes wide, she resembled exactly how I felt. "Adam, darling. I have messages from multiple people, including a Noreen Greene and Agent Leomaris."

My heart sank. Outside of a visit from Gideon Cain, those were my two least favorite people. "Oh no."

"It can all wait until morning," Victor grouched, in his no-discussion tone.

Without a word, we ambled into the elevator and up to my room. I yawned and slumped on the edge of the bed, grateful there were no gremlins or portals to contend with.

Zee shrugged off his suit jacket, then began to unbutton his shirt.

After flopping back, I sleepily watched Victor begin to unbutton his shirt too. There definitely wasn't much to complain about here. Zee's lean but muscular body was made to be admired—which I did so often it had become a habit—and Victor had a graceful wiriness that added to the powerful, efficient way he moved.

"Get the light," Zee said, already down to his thin, barely there underwear. He crawled up the bed and dropped onto his side. Victor flicked the light off, and since he was able to see in the dark he had no trouble making his way over. The bed dipped and the sheets ruffled .

This wasn't about sex. They were with me, no questions asked. They were here, where I needed them. I laid my head back and sighed. Hopefully, Zee was right and this would all blow over. I was just a boring human most of the time, and that didn't have to change just because of one silly werewolf-riding date.

Victor's hand found mine. He raised it to his lips and laid a small, soft kiss on the backs of my fingers. "You're safe."

I'd been on the run my whole life.

But running was no longer an option.

And I was . . . okay with that.

"Thank you," I whispered, unable to find the words that better described this settled feeling inside.

"He's thanking me, not you, Fancy Fangs," Zee grumbled, tucked against my left arm.

"Of course," Victor agreed, not believing it. He gave my hand a squeeze.

Whatever troubles and disasters awaited us, we'd face them as a threesome. And this time, we might even beat them.

"Adam, there's a Harold here to see you? He says he met you last night?" Madame Matase approached the bar where I'd been enjoying a peaceful whiskey for breakfast. The only accompanying sound all morning had been the swish of Tom's cloth along the counter and the occasional scurrying gremlin behind the walls.

"Okay, sure." Dressed in the casual clothes I'd thrown on after leaving Zee and Victor in bed, I wasn't dressed for work, but Harold wouldn't mind. "Send him back here."

A few beats of silence passed, long enough for me to turn and see Madame Matase lingering. "Adam, it's been a rough few weeks. Are you alright, dear?" she asked.

"Yes..." My reply was automatic, but she knew me well enough to ignore the reflex. I took a few moments to think about how I was feeling, and gave her a smile. "You know, I think I really am okay. Thank you."

She nodded with relief and left to fetch Harold.

I really was okay. I'd left Zee and Victor sleeping soundly, right before I'd quietly snuck out. I'd expected to be feeling down after recent events. My not-human secret may be about to be revealed, the SSD were getting closer, the vampires had to be plotting revenge for the murder of their queen, not to mention Gideon Cain and Sebastien would be all over that revenge plot. But despite all that, I actually felt pretty good. Better than good. I felt great .

I eyed the golden swirl of whiskey in my glass. "Tom, what did you put in my drink?"

He grinned and carried on buffing the bar. This morning, he wore a very handsome dark blue tux, with a silk button-down and black tie. His brown hair had a lustrous bounce and his eyes a sharp, intelligent twinkle.

"We've been through this many times. It's illegal, Tom. Not to mention morally shady."

"Is it though?"

"Yes."

"But is it really?"

"It really is, Tom. You have to stop with the drugs."

He pulled a face as though maybe he'd consider it, but it was more likely he'd already dismissed the idea. "Remind me again, what is the only part of this otherwise second-rate hotel that runs at a profit?"

I sighed. "The bar." We'd had this conversation before, and he was right every time .

"And the return customers we do get, return to where exactly?"

"Also the bar." Probably because he'd turned them all into addicts without them realizing it.

"So maybe I should stick to doing what I do best, and you should sit there and let me do it."

He had a point.

"Hello, Adam." Harold beamed from ear to ear as he hurried over. Out of his gown, he wore a handsome tweed suit and carried a flat cap in one hand. "You really do own a hotel. After last night, I wasn't sure what to believe about our encounter, but I wanted to drop by and perhaps help you with something, like you helped me."

"You're welcome, Harold. Take a seat. Tom will get you a drink."

"Oh, that's nice of you, but it's a bit early for alcohol." He glimpsed my whiskey and hesitated a beat too long before saying, "Anyway, when you came into the trailer last night, you asked after Claymore?"

I brightened. "Do you know him?"

"I was thinking about it, and I did meet him. He tried to warn me about signing a contract, but I thought he was just disgruntled with his job."

"Claymore works for Brink Security?"

"I only saw him the once, a few weeks ago now, so I don't know if he still works for them, but he did."

A few weeks ago put the sighting after the hotel had opened. This was our most promising lead yet. "Where was this?"

"Over by Santa Cruz boardwalk. But they use trailers for the events, and move around. It keeps the authorities off them, I suppose. You'd need to get tickets for the next event to find out where they'll be. "

I knew someone who could get more tickets. "This is really helpful, thank you."

"You're welcome." His grin was genuine. A warm, fuzzy little feeling glowed inside me. Was this what saving people felt like? "You got me out of that terrible contract," he continued. "It's the least I can do." Worrying the flat cap between his fingers, he looked up. "Now I can go to Saulianna and hope she'll understand that I've been a fool. Do you think she'll forgive me?"

"I'm sure she will. You're welcome to stay a little while, if you want. Tom Collins does have nonalcoholic drinks, don't you Tom?"

"Oh, absolutely, yes," Tom replied with too much enthusiasm. "They taste exactly like the real thing!"

I narrowed my eyes on the bartender. Were the new, nonalcoholic offerings just like the real thing because they were the real thing? "But without alcohol?"

"For sure," he said, cheerily.

"I'd better get going. No time like the present to mend a broken heart. Thanks again, Adam. You're a good one." Harold dipped his head then left the bar, and the warm fuzziness inside spread all over.

Huh.

Helping people felt better than whatever drug Tom had given me.

Zee poofed into the bar in a blast of sparks and slumped onto the stool next to mine. His hair was tangled in his horns, his shirt hung open—barely buttoned—and he wasn't wearing any shoes. If I hadn't known exactly where he'd come from I'd have assumed he'd been out at Razorsedge all night.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"Am I alright?" he repeated. "Am I alright?" He waved Tom over. "Shots. Line 'em up. I need to forget. You have a drink for that?"

I shook my head at Tom, warning him not to give Zee a drugged cocktail. "What happened?"

He snorted. "You left me in bed with Fancy Pants is what happened, Kitten. How could you abandon me ?"

Oh dear. They clearly hadn't woken up snuggled together, then.

Tom placed a shot of something dark on the bar, and Zee gulped it back in under a second. He tapped the glass, asking for another. Tom refilled it, and down it went.

I placed my hand over the small glass, stopping him from downing a third, and looked into his panicked eyes. "Zee, what happened?" I asked again, but meaning it. If something bad had happened between them then I needed to know.

He grabbed his tail and waved its end in my face. "My tail happened. My tail on his dick happened, which I thought was your dick." He dropped the tail, letting it swish behind him. "How was I supposed to know you weren't there, and it was His Lordship's cock I was jerking off. You ever woken up with your hand on another man's cock?"

"Well, uhm, not really."

"Here's a funny story for you. I got morning wood. I'm there, getting into it you know, and he moans— he fucking moans —and I'm suddenly awake. Real awake. I've never been more awake. There's no way you moan like that, all fuckin' deep and growly. I'm more awake than five lines of coke awake, because it's not your dick my tail is buffing. Oh no, it's Fancy Daddy's dick, and I'm hot for it. So fucking hot for it. He's all, ‘ harder , demon ,' and I'm there, but also, what the actual fuck is happening? It's like the mother of all bait and switches. Don't get me wrong, his cock is—" Zee pulled a chef's kiss impressed face. "But I need some fucking warning first. I need to work up to Fancy Daddy's dick. I can't just be jerking off vampires without some mental prep."

"Did he say indigo?" Indigo was our safe word. We hadn't used it yet, since all of this was still pretty new.

"No." Zee breathed deeply. "I said indigo. Me. The sex demon. The fucking pro. I tapped out." He stared through the bar's back wall. "What is happening to me?"

"Oh. Did you, uhm . . . say anything?"

"Oh yeah, we talked about fucking stocks and shares while my tail got him off. No, we didn't say anything. I freaked, he asked if I was okay—like he fucking cares—and I poofed the fuck out before shit got more weird."

"Sorry." I winced. "I thought you guys would be okay. I shouldn't have left."

" We need you there," he whined. "I need you there. When it's just me and him, it's weird. You're the lube that smooths things over, the custard middle of a delicious donut, the cheese in the mac and cheese. It doesn't work without you. It's just curly pasta without you. Do you hear me? Just weird, erotic, hot as fuck, messed-up pasta."

Lube, custard, and cheese was an interesting combination of things to be compared to. I laid my hand on his arm, and gave him a few moments to catch his breath. "Sorry, Zee."

He looked down at my touch, then smiled up at me. "It's fine. I was just fucking surprised. I do not like those kinds of surprises."

I'd need to check on Victor. He'd want to know Zee was okay, but he'd also confided in me that he feared rejection. Zee's abrupt exit would have hurt him.

"Zodiac!" Detective Somers plunged through the bar door and marched toward Zee. His whiskered chin suggested several days without seeing a razor, and his hair was a greasy nest .

"Fuck this morning." Zee rolled his eyes and nodded at Tom to keep the drinks flowing.

We hadn't seen the detective since the night Zee took down Sebastien at Razorsedge. I'd almost forgotten about the irritating, racist detective. Clearly, he hadn't forgotten about us.

"Zodiac, did you get my messages, my texts? Did you get my letters? I sent you so many, and some gifts, did you get those?" He continued to march toward us, showing no signs of slowing down.

Zee slumped over the bar. "Ugh."

"Hey." I dropped off the stool and held up a hand, blocking Somers. "Hold up. Zee doesn't want to see you right now."

"Alright, okay." Somers's frantic glances bounced from me to Zee. "I just... I really need to see him. Is he okay? Does he need anything?"

I frowned at the twitchy detective. Something was off. Somers hated Zee, and would never ask if he needed anything. He wasn't acting like someone who was here in a professional capacity. He was acting like... a fan?

Somers lifted his shirt sleeve, showing me a newly inked heart with Zee's name in a ribbon around it. "I got this tattoo, to prove my devotion. If I can just talk to him?"

Either Detective Somers had a Zee-obsessed twin, or he was enthralled.

"I just need to see him. It's been so long. Can I touch him?" He lunged for Zee.

I grabbed his arm and steered him around so he was facing me and the door out, his back to Zee. "Erm, no, I don't think now is a good time."

Somers gaped—confused, lost. His bottom lip wobbled.

Okay, this was just sad and uncomfortable for both of us.

That night at Razorsedge, when we ended Sebastien's ownership of all the demons, Zee had put on a show designed to distract and enthrall every single person in that audience. I'd been immune, but even so, I'd felt the power Zee had wielded. Like Ramone had said before the show, when Zee unleashed his potential he was awe-inspiring. I'd warned Somers—vaguely—but he'd stayed, determined to find something to arrest Zee for. Unfortunately, he'd gotten a dose of Zee's allure during the show, and now here he was, Zee's number one superfan.

"You know what, why don't you write him a letter?" I guided the detective out of the bar and toward the front door. "I'm sure he reads them. This morning just isn't a great time."

Opening the door, I planned to shove him out, but froze as countless flashes dazzled.

A bunch of people surged toward the steps, my name pinballing off each of them.

"Adam Vex, how were you able to ride a werewolf?!"

"Adam Vex, is it true you're a Lost One?"

"Adam Vex, is the hotel a front for a Lost Ones plot to take over San Francisco?"

My heart lodged in my throat. I was trapped in the unexpected spotlight of a dozen reporters shoving phones in my direction, all probably recording.

"What are you, Adam Vex?"

My stomach flip-flopped.

"Is it true you're a demon general?"

"Are you the Prophesied One?"

Leaving Detective Somers blinking and wide-eyed on the porch, I stepped back and slammed the door, then pressed against it as though to hold back the horde. Oh, no, no, no... They couldn't know about the prophecy and me. They couldn't know anything. It was just random questions and speculation. Just a guess. This was fine. I just had to go back out there and tell them I was human, and this was all a silly misunderstanding. But if I went out there, they'd throw more pointed questions at me. Questions like spears. Each one piercing my carefully crafted armor.

Sweat glued my clothes to my body.

I couldn't go out there.

Victor would know what to do.

Hurrying to my room, I hoped he'd still be inside, and knocked. "Victor? I uh... Look, Zee is okay. It was just a shock, and that was my fault, but he's fine, and I'm sorry I put you both in that situation. It's just... I really need your help. There's a horde of people outside?—"

He opened the door. His shirt was untucked, his hair a flyaway mess, but his stern face was all I cared to see. "Adam. The sunlight is an issue, but I'll see to it they're all destroyed, just give the order."

"Destroyed? Uhm . . . maybe, don't go that far."

"Then how do you wish to proceed?"

His calm composure and poised strength instantly soothed my hectic thoughts. Running, hiding, fighting when I'd been forced into a corner and had nothing left. That was all I knew. But I had Victor now—and Zee.

Maybe I didn't need to pretend anymore?

"Victor, I'm so tired of hiding."

He tugged sharply on his cuffs, aligning his shirt. "There are two options. One, ignore it as Zodiac suggested, and hope the furor dies down. Or two, attack the problem on your terms to control it."

"There's too much at risk," I whispered, hugging myself. I knew he was right, I just... I was scared. "This hotel, us... I'm afraid I'll lose it."

"It's perfectly acceptable to be afraid."

I lunged and flung my arms around him, knocking him back a step. His embrace closed in, sealing me inside safety and warmth. "Are you ever afraid?" I mumbled into his shirt .

"More in the last few weeks than at any time in the last several hundred years."

Was that my doing? "I'm sorry."

He tipped my chin up and smiled gently. "Don't apologize for bringing me back to life, Adam."

I clutched him tighter. He was my anchor in a storm. "I'm afraid it's coming to an end."

His hand stroked my hair. "What is?"

"What time I have left."

He hugged me closer, and when he next spoke, his voice rumbled through me. "Let me be clear. Despite our differences, both Zodiac and I will stand in the way of fate itself to protect you. We will fight alongside you until the last star has fallen from the skies. You have been alone for so long, I know it must be difficult to move on, but the past is over. And here, now, you are stronger than you've ever been."

Victor made all my fears seem small, but in a good way. I eased out of his arms, feeling a little foolish. He was right. Nothing was insurmountable with him and Zee at my side. "I guess I've not really had people care for me before."

Victor's small smile was more precious than any grin. "What problem shall we—all three of us— address first?"

"Maybe not killing the reporters... I have a lead on Claymore." As we made our way downstairs, I explained how Harold had apparently met Claymore several weeks ago, and how our missing security guard worked for Brink Security. Victor agreed we should take a closer look at their operation, and he'd use his contacts to see if he could secure us tickets to the next Dine and Fight event. If that failed, Zee could ask the police commissioner's wife, assuming her angry husband didn't find out.

At reception, Victor ventured outside onto the porch and quoted several trespassing laws, warning the press to back off or run the risk of being charged with harassment .

While I waited inside, Madame Matase called me over. "Adam, I'm sorry, I know you're having a tough morning." She winced and handed over a slip of paper with INSPECTION stamped across it.

"What's this?"

"The city have had a tip-off that we may not be following proper code. They're sending a health and safety inspector this afternoon."

" This afternoon?"

"Yes, they don't give too much warning for these things. They want to see the hotel running as it would normally."

I chuckled, because laughing was all I had left. "We don't really do normal here." After handing the sheet back, I ruffled my hair and shoved my hands into my pockets. "Fine, it's all fine." We had bodies up chimneys and in flower beds, gremlins on staff, and an unregistered shadowbeast in the attic. Zee had allured a racist detective, and my true identity was close to being cracked wide open. But it was absolutely fine. "Who is our health and safety rep on staff?"

"Uh, my darling, that is you."

"Oh."

"And Agent Leomaris called again," she added with another flinch.

I winced and rubbed my face. "Did they say what about?"

"No, just that they wanted to meet with you somewhere private."

That sounded different from Leomaris's usual line. Interesting. But there was no way I'd meet with an ex-bounty hunter alone. "Okay. How many guests do we have in the book?"

Madame Matase opened the guestbook and scanned the nearly bare page. "Just two."

Two guests weren't going to pay the bills. Maybe I wasn't cut out for running a hotel? Maybe Zee would have to go back to Razorsedge just to help us get by? I could be demon bait? Maybe Tom Collins could sell more drugs? Or maybe I could sell tickets to the circus my life had become?

"Darling, for what it's worth, I think you're doing an amazing job."

Madame Matase's kind words did help soothe my strung-out nerves. "Thank you."

Victor returned, having sent the press away under the threat of legal action. "That will buy us some time to see whether your overnight fame passes."

Zee emerged from the bar looking a little more put together than he had earlier, although on seeing Victor he clearly considered disappearing again. With a ruffle of his wings and renewed swagger, he sauntered over. Casually leaning against the front desk, he examined his glossy nails. "Alright, vampire?"

"Fine," Victor said, studying the guest book. "Demon."

"Good."

"Are you well?" Victor asked, his attention still on the book. It didn't take that long to read two names.

"I. Am. Fine," Zee said.

"That is good."

Okay, we clearly had some issues to work out later.

Zee's tail flip-flopped, but in a curious way, not anxious. So it wasn't all bad.

"I'm just going to take a quick break," Madame Matase said, scooting out from behind the desk, probably hoping to avoid the rapidly escalating tension. "Won't you three monitor the front desk for a few minutes?"

"Sure," I agreed, and stepped behind the desk, sidling up to Victor.

"So uh, Detective Somers, yeah... That's fucking awkward." Zee huffed, changing the subject. He picked a pen from a pot and twirled it between his fingers. "He's been sending weird letters for a week now."

"You didn't mention it."

"I get death threats and ‘have my baby' weird-ass shit every day. I didn't know he was in the audience that night at Razorsedge. Most humans had cleared out. If I'd known he was there, I'd have dialed it down. Or had him kicked out."

I pinched my lips together and blinked big, innocent human eyes.

"You knew ?" Zee gasped theatrically.

"I did warn him. But he was also looking for reasons to arrest you... so... I'm not saying he deserved it but he probably definitely deserved it."

Zee pointed the pen at me. "Ooh, you are next-level dark under all that twinky goodness and I fucking love it."

"At least he's not trying to get you arrested anymore?"

"Don't be so sure," Victor remarked, looking up from the guest book now that we were safely off the subject of feelings. "Obsessions can very quickly sour. As a lawman, he has the potential to be more dangerous. Is there a way to undo your allure, Zodiac?"

"It wears off," Zee wrist-flicked. "Although, he got a double dose because I was on fucking fire that night."

"Let's hope he doesn't become an issue," Victor surmised.

"Another lawperson we need to be aware of is Leomaris," I said. "They want to meet in private."

"Fuck, no."

"Not advisable."

At least we were all on the same page on that one. "There's no chance of me going alone, especially as there are countless bounties out on the... Prophesied One," I whispered.

"There are?" Zee asked .

"You remember how Agatha wanted to harvest all your best bits for FaeMade ? face creams?"

Zee paled. "Do not fucking remind me. I'm working through it with my therapist."

"You have a therapist?"

"Tom Collins at three a.m."

Victor was nodding also. "Tom at two a.m."

My slot was four a.m. Clearly, we all had the same therapist. "Imagine how much they could sell Prophesied One face cream for," I told them. "Heart of the Hero elixir? Then there's the whole save the world thing. I'm supposed to be all-powerful. I've got witches, ward weavers, desperate religious zealots, and everything in between wanting literal pieces of me. Dragon soup, dragon-bone milk, and dragon-eye ointment to rub on your..."

"My what?" Victor asked.

"Dick." Zee grinned at Victor, then dropped the pen back into the pot with a loud clack.

"Yes, well, I've had more than a few run-ins with bounty hunters in the past. I'm still half-convinced Leomaris suspects what I am. So yeah, not meeting them alone."

"We'll all go," Victor said. "Avoiding them is not realistic, so we should deal with them."

Zee coughed— "Murder?" —into his hand.

"No," Victor said. "I meant figuratively. Murder is not the answer to everything, demon."

"Pfft. Says Murder Daddy."

A little pinch of annoyance upset Victor's perfect brow. "I haven't murdered anyone in the past few weeks—excluding my wife. In fact, I'm the only one of us who hasn't killed anyone lately."

"I know what you're implying, Fancy Pants. Decapitating your sucker queen was an accident . Adam gets it."

"A miscommunication," I agreed .

Victor sighed. "As I was saying, delaying the meeting with Leomaris will not solve anything. We should meet post-haste."

"Who's that?" Zee asked.

"What?"

"Post Haste, who are they? You're not making any sense. Are you low on red blood cells? Do you need a top up?" Zee waved at me. "Adam will volunteer and I'll watch, for science."

"Whenever you need blood, I'm here," I agreed. Although, I doubted Zee was watching for science considering how hunger made his eyes glow.

Victor blinked, opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. "Thank you, but I'm fine. I'll see if I can secure tickets for the next Dine and Fight event, and we'll investigate Claymore's employers alongside meeting with Leomaris. One of us should stay at the hotel, to deal with any emergencies, while the remaining two do the investigating. How does that sound?"

"Like a fucking plan." Zee pointed the new pen he'd found at Victor's chest. This one had a bouncy unicorn on a spring on the end. "You stay here and I'll go with Adam."

"That didn't go so well last night."

"Maybe not, but did anyone die? No, they did not. Anytime you take him out, bad vampire shit happens. And Princess Daisy wants to sink her Hello Kitty nails into your finely clad ass."

"Disturbing imagery. Regardless of Daisy, the tickets will be under my name. I have to go."

Zee lolled his head and rolled his eyes. "You know I'll ignore your suggestion not to go, and show up anyway, right? We've done this rodeo before—you may not recall, as you slept through it—but if you order me to sit this out, imma show up twice as hard, just to piss you off. "

Victor glowered. "I was not asleep. I happened to have been tranquilized after taking down several armed fae."

"Do you want to argue with me on this, Fancy Fangs? Because I will win when I happen to mention how that whole fucking joyride with your friend Tinkerbell was your fucking fault."

"Okay," I butted in. "I'll stay here and you both will go and investigate Claymore's whereabouts."

Zee recoiled. "What?"

"Adam?" Victor's voice pitched a little higher than usual.

"It'll be good for you. Get out together. Go do some investigating. Some alone time."

Victor grumbled. "I'm unsure that's the best course of?—"

"You want me to work with His Lordship ?" Zee shuffled his wings and folded his arms.

This was exactly what they needed, as they proved by fighting it. "I don't think I should go anywhere with things as they are, and there's lots to do at the hotel. Find the next Dine and Fight venue and go check it out. Both of you. Together. There. That's an order, from General Vex."

Oh, that felt good. I grinned.

They fell quiet, glanced at each other, then quickly away. They were both mature, reasonable adults. They could do this. "If we're going to be a thing, then you two need to learn to get along without me refereeing. You fought the vampires in the woods together. I know you can do it."

"That was a brief mission which was over in five minutes," Victor grumbled. "And we were distracted by several vampires attempting to kill us."

"And you were fine. More than fine. You've totally got this! I have faith in you. Make the arrangements, get the tickets, and scope out the venue tonight—after sundown, obviously."

"As you wish," Victor said in his reluctant voice .

I looked at Zee's fake smiling face. "You good?"

"I am fucking great."

"You sure?"

"Pfft. Kitten. Don't worry." Zee flung his pen at Victor, which Victor caught without even blinking. "You can trust me and Fancy Fangs to complete this mission." He pointed a finger gun at Victor. "We are professionals."

Except, one was an ex-professional sex worker, and the other an ex-professional CEO of a now defunct company.

They had to be fine, because I had a health and safety inspection to prepare for, a horde of reporters to hide from, and a hotel to keep afloat.

I really needed them not to screw this up.