Vampire Debt - Supernatural Battle (Vampire Towers #2) - Kelly St. Clare Page 0,34

at night, but there’s no mistake they are surrounding the property.”

Ah, fuck nuts.

“Do they come any closer?”

“They remain just inside the perimeter. I upped our security measures as a precaution, but for all intents and purposes, the group is either gathering intel or waiting for something. I am as yet unsure.”

We entered the small office toward the front of the main house, tucked away down a smaller hall. Cameras lined one wall while the long desk was filled with screens.

“Hey, Daniel,” I greeted the rake-thin man on the chair there who managed our online and our home security.

He smiled. “Miss Le Spyre. It’s nice to see you again.”

Sober? Or in general?

“And you. How are Marissa and the girls?”

“Better since the twins started school. Marissa feels halfway human again, I think.”

I arched a brow. “I’m sure. Please send her my regards.”

He beamed. “I will.”

My grandmother’s staid voice filled my head. You do not ask, Basilia. You shall be the head of estate. “Please bring up the footage of our guests, Daniel.”

He swivelled in the chair, hands flying over the keys. “Take a look at the top-right screen. These people are good. They know where our main cameras are. But your grandmother asked me to hide cameras in the gargoyles last year. Our visitors haven’t spotted them.”

A tall, willowy shadow moved across the camera. Female visible by her silhouette. The night settings showed her as a green frame.

I relaxed somewhat.

“How many?” I asked. It wasn’t the Tonyi triplets, or at least they weren’t alone, and that didn’t seem like their style. The female could be any of the Fyrlia princesses, I supposed. But I doubted they dressed in leather jackets. Still, the lurkers could be Fyrlia Indebted.

Daniel brought up more footage. I scanned the screens quickly. All female. All in leather jackets.

“Seven, we believe.”

I’d say that was spot on. “All females, yes?”

“Correct, Miss Le Spyre. Any idea who it could be?”

Oh, I had an idea alright.

If Laurel and the rest of my crew were here, they were listening to this entire conversation. Which meant they’d intended estate security to notice them.

I pushed off the desk. “Where are they right now?”

“Spread out around the perimeter, miss. The last sighting was in the nut orchard.”

“Okay, I’ll go out there. Wait in the house, please.”

Fred opened his mouth, and I held up a hand.

“I’ll be alright,” I informed him.

A smile trembled on his lips at my hand gesture before he bowed.

Yeah, okay. Agatha’s hand raising thing had stuck around. Only because it was a time-saver.

Winding back to the lobby, I yanked on one of the monstrous front doors and padded out onto the gravel.

Dang, gravel was not foot-friendly.

Peering around, my gaze fell on the golf cart parked out front.

That’ll do.

I whistled low at the damage to the front. Must’ve crashed into that wooden step pretty damn hard. Oops.

No more tequila-fuelled golf cart ventures for me.

Twisting the key, I sent gravel scattering as I blitzed down the driveway. Halfway to the southern gate, I yanked the wheel to the right to crash through the plants lining the driveway behind, wincing as the branches scratched the cart. Georgia, the estate’s head gardener, hopefully wouldn’t have too much fixing to do.

Where were the lights on this thing?

I couldn’t see shit.

I zoomed past the stables where Tommy’s father could be found during daylight hours, and reached the nut orchard, slowing when walnut shells popped and crunched under the tires.

Rolling to a stop next to my favourite pecan tree, I turned the engine off.

“Alright,” I hollered, sliding out of the vehicle. “Come out. I know you’re there. Stop lurking like creepy fucking stalkers.”

A twig snapped behind me.

“Took you long enough,” a voice purred.

I faced Laurel, grinning despite the fucked-up situation. “I was busy. Watching musicals.”

She scowled. “We heard.”

Snickering, I searched the trees behind the Vissimo. “Where are the others?”

“Spread out.”

I folded my arms. “And why are you all here?”

I was happy to see her. Really happy considering I’d expected to be embarrassed. Certainly happy enough to know that not all my happiness was due to her being here. The presence of the Indebted was a tie to Kyros, and my stupid blood-bound body was delirious about the link.

“Kyros sent us. We’ve been here since you left.”

“I don’t suppose there’s any chance he’ll change his mind about posting you guys here?”

“You want him to?” She cut me a look before inspecting the scratches on my cart.

I mulled that over. “I don’t. The Tonyi triplets are after me, and no matter how