but I found its weight heavy all the same. “I found it by our drinks.”
He dropped the platter of cocktails and snatched the coin out of my hand to quickly shove it in the pocket of his swim trunks. “We need to talk about this, but not here.”
Brooke sighed. “Is this what it’s going to be like dating you? Always with something interrupting our good time?” She took the blood cocktail and sipped. “It’s not a deal breaker. I just want to be prepared.”
“You’re dating?” Cornflake squeaked.
“Hush,” Lila Jean said. “We’ll tell you later.”
“I don’t know. I’m usually pretty boring,” I answered. “There’s the occasional slayage, but…” I shrugged.
“Come on,” Gabe said, grabbing my arm. “We’re too exposed here.”
I’d just gotten in the water. So far, I’d actually gotten to participate in twenty minutes of the reunion. Which I guess was a win, because I’d said I didn’t want to come. Except now that I was here, I kind of wanted to. More than that, I wanted to hang out with my friends. I’d never really had that luxury.
Of course, if I didn’t figure out what that Leo sigil meant, I might be short a few of my crew.
Gabe led me away from the group, and he pushed his way through crowds of people until we were in one of the connecting rivers and he kept going until we were in another pool that was empty except for us. The water was cooler here, darker somehow.
“You don’t have clearance, but I’m going to break protocol. Number one, I know we can trust you and I want to bring you in anyway. It would be best if you had all of the information. I think your life is in danger.”
“My life’s always in danger, Gabe.” I swam into the deeper end and let the cool water wash over me.
He followed. “No. I think the threat is more immediate. Do you know what that coin means?”
Obviously, I didn’t.
“That particular coin means someone in our group has been put up for auction, and considering the members of our little crew, you’re the most likely candidate.”
“But who are they? I’ve seen that sigil in other places.”
“Come here.” He put his hands around my waist and tugged me toward him.
I put my arms around his shoulders and let him tread water for the both of us. He leaned closer to my ear.
“They could have ears anywhere, Margie.”
“So tell me who they are.”
“They’re an elite group of vampires and wanna bes who procure stock for those with a particular taste.”
“Human trafficking,” I said, remembering Marc’s most recent op in Croatia.
“Aged slayer blood would go for millions.” He leaned even closer to me, if that was possible. “The slayer herself? Billions.”
“The threat of blood slavery has been hanging over my head since I first picked up a stake. They aren’t the first to try. I’m sure they won’t be the last.”
“Margie, you don’t understand. They’re organized now. They’ve infiltrated the highest levels of our government. For every vampire who moves through society and obeys human laws, there are those who think that vampires should dominate humans and treat them like livestock. They’re stronger, faster, a higher rung on the evolutionary ladder. The Great Reveal, for them, was just the start.”
Just because I knew what I was doing didn’t mean I wasn’t going to listen when someone who had experience tried to tell me something. “So what do you suggest I do?”
“That wasn’t sarcasm?” he asked, obviously surprised.
“No. FBVI is your gig. If you have some insight I can use, I’m all ears, Gabe.”
“I know you’ll want to protect your friends, but the best way to do that is to keep your distance. Especially from Marc.”
Could they have been going after me when they broke into Marc’s house? That didn’t make any sense, though. It was clear I didn’t live there. Anyone who had half a clue what they were doing would have done enough recon to know that.
“Look, I get that your first instinct is to tell me to go fuck myself. I get it. I’d feel the same if it were me. These are heavy hitters, Margie.” His dark eyes glittered with some unnamed emotion.
Excitement fluttered through me on butterfly wings. “When can I see the file? What do they call themselves?”
“Marge,” he started again.
“Hey, I listened. You said you were thinking about bringing me in. If you bring me in, I’m not alone. I have the whole FBVI at my back.”
“You’re really willing to work