I guess we had been busy focusing on all of the people who hated me, and the list seemed to be growing. Thankfully, there had been no additional drama since our last locker-room meeting. We were laying low, doing our thing. I spent most of my time training and researching. Call-outs were at a minimum, which gave the enforcers and me plenty of time to try and search out our dirty-little-rodent mole, trace the paper trails of the Sanctum hit—behind the Quorum’s back—and also try and destroy the financial backing of Deliverance.
Sam had arrived back yesterday. Despite my constant barrage of questions, he was pretty much mute about his fishing trip. Yeah, I might have been trying to catch him out in a lie, but when a dude never says anything there’s no need for lies. Plus, I couldn’t badger him too much, he was being very helpful as he systematically catalogued the zillion and one bank accounts that Jermaine Winifred, the sneaky oil billionaire bastard leader of Deliverance, had funneled away everywhere. The guys wanted to make sure they hit all his accounts in one go. That way he had no time to stash any funds. No funds would make regrouping that much harder.
Nothing of investigative or revenge nature was done within Hive walls now. We’d taken to using encrypted computers up on the roof. Sunlight hated vamps, so it was our best weapon against the mole. For some reason we were all sure it was a vampire. Probably one on the Quorum, because they had the most money and power. More than enough to tempt Sanctum.
Today I was on the roof with Oliver and Kyle. I was never alone any longer after my “two guard assignment” started.
Ryder hadn’t been back in my bed yet, but somehow he was always part of the Charlie night watch shift. Four nights in a row now we had sat on my couch and watched movies, the sexual tension between us pretty much killing me. I wasn’t sure I could do it another night. Unfortunately, with two enforcers assigned to me at all times, having enough privacy for me to jump his bones was not readily available. I was also getting the gentleman vibe from him, like he was waiting for me to take the lead.
My dirty thoughts were cut off by a low voice.
“I think I’ve traced the entire network of his company and Deliverance.” As always when Sam spoke, we all paid attention. “I’m preparing the virus. We have our own set of numerous offshore accounts ready for the funds. The cash will land there before my program divides again. Then it’ll shoot between eighteen countries and multiple bank accounts, before wiring the cash to the charities we decided on. It would take them years and a supercomputer to follow the trail.”
We all grinned. Hells to the yeah. You shoot up my boyfriend, I take your Mercedes, your private jet, your fluffy dog, and whatever else your money buys.
I wasn’t sure what happened then, but all of a sudden Sam was staring at my eyes in an intense way. It was making me kind of nervous.
“What?” I asked, but he quickly shook his head.
My laptop screen beeped with an instant message from Jayden.
Tessa is here and she is hammered. I locked her in room 23, way in the back.
“Shit!” I popped to my feet and took off running. A quick glance back told me that Sam had remained seated, but Oliver and Kyle were already up and pounding across the track behind me.
“What’s wrong?” Oliver asked, sounding worried.
I flew through the double doors and down the hallway. “Tessa,” was all I said.
The sexy six knew enough about my current situation with her to know that she was a handful. What human wanted to be a bloodsucking, allergic-to-the-sun monster? Only my bestie.
I nearly slammed into a vamp exiting the feeding center while I was trying to enter. I managed to dodge the bloodsucker at the last minute, nodding at Jayden as I dashed past. He tossed me a key to the room. When we reached 23, I turned to my bodyguards.
“Give us a second, will ya? This chick needs some real talk and it’s not going to be pretty.”
They both nodded, and as I was about to turn the knob I heard her banging against the door.
“You can’t keep me in here, you blood-loving assholes! I want to see my best friend.” Her words were so slurred that I only understood them because of my years speaking drunk Tessa. I heard a crash, and with my heart in my throat I jerked open the door and she almost toppled onto me.
“Oh, Tess…” My hand flew to my mouth.
She swayed once, and then crumpled to the floor. Her normally pristine appearance was … that of a homeless lady—baggy sweatpants, a loose t-shirt, mismatched shoes, her hair in a ratted ball at the nape of her neck. She wasn’t wearing make-up and was superbly drunk.
Her eyes locked on mine. “You!” She pointed and tried to stand.
Her shirt lifted and I saw a peek of her abdomen. “Is that a tattoo!” I shrieked. “You hate tattoos. You said they were trashy.”
Tears rimmed Tessa’s hazel eyes. “They are trashy! This is what happens when your best friend becomes a hot immortal ash and your only friend options are Valarie! I’m a mess.”
She broke down.