Vampire Debt - Supernatural Battle (Vampire Towers #2) - Kelly St. Clare Page 0,46

back a coffee after seeing Kyros. This guy was a live one. “Not from an electricity company either. Would you like another guess?”

“You’re from Live Right.”

I pulled a face. “Is it that obvious?” And was that the ranking? Jehovah, electricity company, and realtor?

He started to close the door. “Not this time. Usually I can peg them straightaway.”

You’re one of the smart ones.

“Yeah,” I said. “Pretty easy to spot. Usually.”

The door widened a crack. “You notice it too? Their eyes?”

“Hard to miss, isn’t it?” I dodged the question, scared I’d gurgle instead. “But you’re right. I’m here to discuss the possibility of Live Right purchasing your home.”

He seemed disappointed I wasn’t eager to swap conspiracy theories.

“Right.” Mr Trenington said. “I am looking to sell, but I won’t sell to Live Right or Foremost. They’re up to something. Aliens, perhaps. I won’t give them more power.”

I nearly whistled.

Wow, this guy had super good instincts. Shoving down the urge to pat him on the back, I instead answered, “Completely understandable, Mr Trenington. If you change your mind, here’s my card. I assure you, I’m not an alien.”

I’d had them printed myself, the number linking to my untapped phone that Daniel updated the firewall on yesterday. If Mr Trenington called this number, I wouldn’t be buying the house on behalf of Live Right.

“That’s what an alien would say.” He still took the card, gaze boring into my back as I left.

I strode down the grass driveway of the small abode in Purple, rattling off a text to my Churchill team.

54 Page Street. Mr Trenington. Values local business and transparency. Two days.

The phone chimed a second later. I read the text.

Received. Forwarded to Head of Sales for acquisition.

The team of ten sent a report each day with proposed properties to purchase based on the recent purchases of Foremost and Live Right. In addition, I employed four real estate agents who travelled to Bluff City from surrounding cities. They had a 75 percent success rate for acquisition—25 percent higher than Live Right.

I planned to kill two birds with one stone during my Live Right shifts. I wouldn’t lift a finger to acquire houses for Kyros. Maybe just one every so often to keep up the illusion. All other properties I visited were to gather intel for my team.

Doing it felt so fucking good.

But that wasn’t enough.

Years of forecasting reports in the hidden office had told me that if I didn’t expand my operations, then I’d never win this thing in my lifetime. Grandmother must have planned to accelerate acquisition—she’d mentioned finishing this before she passed, but there were no details of such plans. The Churchill team was on a need-to-know basis despite the confidentiality agreements—and the incriminating evidence I’d found for each of them in one of the filing cabinets in the secret office.

I’d looked over the books, studying how my grandmother had pushed growth. Slowly. Only every couple of years. She’d had me and my parents to worry about, no Indebted to protect her household, and the bigger operations got, the higher the risk of being caught.

My position was stronger.

My game had to be more aggressive.

This wouldn’t occupy my entire life.

I opened the door and rolled over Josie to reach the middle seat.

She snorted, pushing my leg off her lap. “I was about to get out.”

“Just saving time.”

“Mrs Gaughton’s, please,” I told Laurel.

She peeled the SUV away from Mr Trenington’s curb.

The vampire cleared her throat as we tore through Purple on the way to Orange via Pink. “I made the recommendation to Kyros last night, Miss Le Spyre.”

“Thirty?” I quirked a brow.

She nodded. “He wants fifty stationed on your estate.”

My brows shot up. “Fifty?”

Shit, this could work out perfectly.

Her grip on the wheel tightened.

“Typical guy trying to show off.” I rolled my eyes, playing the part.

Laurel’s eyes glimmered for a beat before she cleared her throat. “We know you won’t want to house so many—”

“Oh, that’s what you’re worried about?” I blurted. “If fifty of you want to come to the estate, it’s no problem. You’ll have to double up on rooms, and some will need to sleep in the pool houses and old staff quarters at the back of the property, but if that’s cool with you guys, I’d love to have you.”

Quiet descended.

I tapped my lip. “I feel bad for the other fifty. Is there any way to rotate guard duty so everyone gets some time away from the tower? You guys will need to avoid my staff whenever possible—I don’t want them