Vampire Debt - Supernatural Battle (Vampire Towers #2) - Kelly St. Clare Page 0,80
at 11:00 a.m.”
The CEO smiled—an impersonal kind of smile that gave me more trust in his professional ability. “We look forward to it, Miss Le Spyre. The Lot 91 contract will arrive via private courier within the hour.”
I disconnected the call and slipped off my glasses, my eyes scratchy. Shift sleeping didn’t suit me. I always felt particularly crappy after my 3:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. sleep. I knew my second sleep before my measly hour or two of home visit appointments wasn’t catching me up on Z’s entirely. My hours for Live Right had crept up to the twenty-five-to-thirty hours a week, but the house visits were important for my plans, so I wasn’t complaining too loudly.
I walked around the perimeter of the room, studying the bird’s-eye maps covering the walls.
“We’re getting there, Agatha,” I said grimly.
My goal by the end of the year was to increase acquisition by at least 5 percent, and a further 10 percent the following year. If the rates for Sundulus and Fyrlia held steady—I expected a slight drop as trouble properties were targeted, all properties would be purchased within two years. Then my game would become more aggressive indeed. I’d hopefully have the Indebted in my employ by then. At that point, I’d focus on finance and manufacturing, already having easy access to the health industry here because of MediKnow.
The thought of that more aggressive game terrified me. But I had two years until it hit me. By then, I’d be ready.
Tommy pressed the noise-cancelling button as soon as I shut the bookshelf door and replaced Tom Hanks’s autobiography. We met here each day at 10:00 a.m.
“Conquer some shit this morning, lovely?” she asked.
I smiled tiredly. “Getting there.”
She hummed. “These weird hours are catching up on you. And the stress. When is our next spa day? I might actually be able to pay for a decent one now I have more money and zero mortgage.”
Biatch wasn’t fooling me. Tommy still paid the bill for her pop’s retirement home. Though her circumstances were better now.
“A spa day would be nice. I can get Sansi and her girls around. Saturday?”
“I’d prefer to get off the estate. I think you need it. To go somewhere other than that fucked-up tower.”
Maybe I did need some normalcy. “Deal. Don’t tell Sansi if you see her. She’ll never forgive me.”
My restraints meant Tommy knew nothing about the meeting with Kyros’s father. But she’d seen my lingering fear after and though I’d said her assumption was wrong—she’d put all the blame on Kyros.
I took my seat behind the desk. “How was your first week?”
She sat. “You laying the groundwork on those trouble properties really helped. Just that tiny bit of distrust for Live Right and Foremost has made the last few sales easy as pie. The new employees vetted by the Churchill team are showing promise, and tomorrow I’ll put everyone through extra training based on what tips and tricks you’ve learned at Live Right.”
Pride filled me. I knew Tommy would kick ass at this job. “How are you doing with scheduling?”
Her role was similar to Angelica’s. Tommy arranged which workers went to which properties based on what I discovered the night before.
“It was a mindfuck the first few days, but I’ve got the hang of it. I’d like another week or two to get everyone in motion before adding more staff.”
“Done.”
We grinned at each other.
The phone on the desk rang. I picked it up. “Fernando is here?”
“Yes, Miss Le Spyre,” Fred answered.
“I’ll be with him presently.”
Tommy waited until the phone was set in the cradle. “Fernando is hot. I pass him each morning on the way out of here.”
My eyes narrowed. “He’s bad news.”
She held up her hands. “Jeez, put your best-friend daggers away. Just saying he’s sex for my eyes and part of me wonders if he has ten abs like in Fernando’s Eighth Ab. I’m happy with Theodore at the moment. He’s taking me away to Furnley Gorge at the end of the month. To a winery.”
I bounced on my chair. “No way! That seems serious. You’ve totally downplayed things.”
“You know me, Basil. Quietly freaking out over here.”
“I want to meet him.” I winked.
She glanced away, not answering.
I blinked through the shock hammering my chest. “Oh my god, you don’t want me to meet him.”
Tommy stood. “Ugh, I do. And I don’t. I’m part of this shit, Basi. If I had a choice, I’d pick to be by your side. I’d just never forgive myself if something