other vampires get shot? Why didn’t they avoid the bullets, like Andreas did?”
“Maybe he’s that much quicker,” Lilith suggested. “He is a master level vampire.”
“Granted,” Ari said. “But we can’t assume that was the difference. Something’s hinky here.”
“So, what do you suggest we do?” Lilith asked.
“Protect his ass,” Russell said.
“Oh, yeah.” Lilith polished her nails against her shirt. “It’s a cute one, too. Can I do that part?”
“No,” Russell and Ari chorused.
Ari grinned. “No handling of the merchandise, Lilith. You and your hubby can start by securing the building and training the club staff. Most of them are vampires. Plenty of skills but no training in security.”
“You sure they can be trusted?” Russell asked. “Doesn’t sound like they did much yesterday.”
Ari nodded, glad he’d asked, showed he was thinking. “In their defense, it happened fast. They’re untrained and weren’t expecting trouble. The only staff I know personally are Marcus, Gordon, Lorenzo, and Reno. Marcus is solid. You can count on him. And Gordon owes his life to Andreas. The other two are just kids. They idolize their boss, but I can’t predict their usefulness in a fight. The rest of the staff are unknowns. Lilith, why don’t you talk or flirt with them, take your pick, and make an assessment. Pull Andreas’s employee files. Russell, you’re in charge of setting up equipment. You can do the training together as soon as you’re ready.”
“Sure. We can handle that,” Russell said, while Lilith nodded. “A little martial arts, basic info on firearms, building security. Shouldn’t be hard.”
“I’ll be around to help in any way I can,” Ari said. “But I can’t do this alone. Or be here all the time. I have two murders to solve.”
“Understood. The club is our responsibility,” Russell said.
“Good, and that includes watching the street. We don’t need a repeat of yesterday. Maybe we can pin Andreas down to a definite arrival time.”
Awareness hit Ari, bringing her to her feet.
“Is this a council of war?” an amused voice asked.
She whipped around to find Andreas standing in a wall opening, the bookcase offset at an angle. Damn, he needed to stop these sneak appearances, but she knew her racing pulse wasn’t just due to surprise. The black shirt and tight black jeans from his favorite designer emphasized his dark attraction.
“No need for moats or barricades in the street,” he said, his eyes brimming with humor. “As you can see, I have arrived safely.”
“A second hidden entrance?” Ari had known about the closet trap door that led to Prince Daron’s compound. It had been secured since an enemy used it last year. “You never mentioned this one.”
“Not until now. I hope the knowledge can remain among the four of us and Marcus, of course. This entrance is private.”
“No problem. But, jeez, Andreas. How many more rabbit holes do you have?”
“You now know all my secrets.” He gave her an innocent smile, spreading his hands.
“Yeah, like I believe that.” Not bloody likely. He had more secrets than the CIA. Ari was uncomfortable that he’d revealed the hidden entrance even under these circumstances. The passageway must lead to his day quarters. Due to their vulnerability while sleeping, vampires were justifiably paranoid about the location of their resting spots. Ari wasn’t sure she’d earned this much trust.
She checked her watch. Yep, as she suspected, it was only 3:15. She knew that master level vampires could beat the dark, but this was amazing. “Aren’t you up early?”
He shrugged it off. “I wanted to speak with Russell and Lilith before they left.”
Before she could point out that didn’t explain how he’d done it, Russell interrupted. “I’m not sure we should. Leave, I mean. Maybe we should bunk here. At least until the staff is trained. Particularly, if that bookcase leads where I think it does.”
Andreas sighed. “The other end is secure, but suit yourselves. I have arranged for the storage area next door to be set up as a security office. A work crew should arrive by dusk. Perhaps you would like to supervise the changes.”
“That’s great! Then I’ll know what we have. I assume there’ll be computers and electronic gadgets?”
Andreas smiled indulgently. “Ask for anything I forgot, within reason.”
They continued to discuss security details until everyone was satisfied he or she understood their role. When they finished, Lilith left to pick up some things from home, Russell disappeared into the soon-to-be security office, and Andreas and Ari wandered into the main dining room. Club staff scurried, prepping for opening: tables were set, chairs straightened,