Sharkbait Down Under
Trust Issues

Consuela Vespucci’s POV

“Price?” Vicki looked at me, a little confused.

I nodded. “Protection, sex, money, power, training; everything has a price. Vampires do nothing for free because they have no intrinsic value system that would drive charity or self-sacrifice. It’s all about power, Vicki. Vampires build up their strength, consolidate power, and take advantage of their power over others. It makes me wonder what Alessandro will demand from me and why I’m worried about you.”

“I’ve never asked for any of it. I bargained with Master Alexander before I found out he was playing me. Master Emily gave me all that stuff because it shifted blame away from her; the fake will proving to the police his obsession with me.”

She pulled me over to a park bench and sat down with Nicholas on her other side. The security guys were well back, watching for any threats. I looked at the young Alpha and continued. “Master Emily made you independently wealthy and gave you the money to kickstart the Sharkbait Foundation. Master Emily and Master Cyprian bought the Sea Scout for you, another multi-million dollar gift. Master Alessandro and the others gifted you six million dollars worth of coastal property in South Australia, and now he’s entertaining your family on vacation here. Why do you think that is? Why pour all that money into an eighteen-year-old Pack Alpha?”

“Master Cyprian owed me; I warned him of a plot against him and how one of his Coven leaders was breaking Council law. We were able to work together to resolve the situation and avoid a war.”

“So the Sea Scout was Cyprian’s payout to you?”

Vicki shook her head, no. “Not at all. I’d already received my compensation for removing Alexander for him out of Alexander’s estate. It ended up cleanly resolving it for both species. The Vampires couldn’t blame Cyprian for Alexander’s death when he invited me there, and Werewolves couldn’t blame the Vampire council for holding werewolves in captivity. One of Master Cyprian’s businesses owned the Sea Scout, and after buying its replacement, it was effectively surplus. He got a big tax deduction out of it, and the Foundation got a platform. It was beneficial for both of us.”

“And it got him a big chunk of your goodwill,” I replied. “Would you have trusted Master Cyprian as much if he hadn’t done this?”

“Probably not. I trusted Emily more; it was only after seeing them in New Orleans that I started to trust Cyprian as much. He shared his dream with me; Vampires and Werewolves living in peace, and how I could help change things.”

I nodded. “Exactly. The two Masters turned you into an agent for the change they wanted by befriending you and giving you these gifts. It was a cheap investment on their part, and a wise one. They found an Alpha heir destined for greatness among your people, and they invested big and early to get in on the ground floor.”

I could see in her face how she wondered if they played her. “Why me?”

I laughed. “I heard all the stories on the way here, Vicki. Five years old, and you’re defying the Werewolf Council? Jack said no female who just came of age has EVER pushed the Werewolf Council around the way you did. Your courage and leadership are inspirational for wolves of all Packs, not just your own. The sheer number of resources and levels of cooperation that went into your rescue proved it.”

“So they are using me to push their agenda?”

I nodded. “Masters Cyprian and Alessandro want to see the Australian Council established, Vicki. If they can show that supernatural beings can govern in harmony, it will spread worldwide over the next century. Why do you think vampires would suddenly be reaching out to share their power after all these centuries?”

“Well, with population growth and technology, it’s becoming harder to hide our nature. Working together can help with that. It also avoids any wars that would spill over into the human world.”

“Yes, but what else,” I prompted.

“If our secret DOES come out, we’d need a coordinated response to survive.” If just one kind of supernatural got outed right now, the others would go into lockdown mode and wait it out.

“True, but vampires are the oldest, most powerful, and wealthiest of all the species. You’d need our power to glamour and control more than we need your ability to lick your genitals.”

She growled, then thought about it for a while. “Mermaids can distract, which is handy, but we could never have made it through Customs without the Masters entrancing the human agents.”

Nicholas finally spoke up. “If what you are saying is correct, the only reason for them to form the Council is that they gain power from it. They think they will control the Council.”

“DING DING! We have a winner!”

The pair thought about it for a while before Vicki answered. “The Vampire-Werewolf Peace Treaty limits their numbers.”

“Yes,” I said. “Five vampires per Coven and restricted to large cities. The Treaty goes away if a NEW governing agreement is signed. The Masters could raise more of their kind in more cities, becoming the dominant force over the entire supernatural world. They could turn on werewolves and mermaids any time they wanted.”

She closed her eyes and leaned into Nicholas’ shoulder. “Do you think that is their play? That all of this is just to set up another battle later?”

“I don’t know, Vicki. I’ve only been a vampire for a year, and I’ve had a hard adjustment to my new life. I’ve seen how the older vampires work, and it scares the hell out of me. They ruined my life to gain access to a hospital blood supply. Others they turned because they were in key government positions, or owned companies Vespucci wanted, or they were a hot piece of ass he wanted to fuck more than once. If I could run away and never see another vampire again, I would, but that isn’t an option. I could give Alessandro every peso I have, and it wouldn’t gain my freedom. I either stay in their circle, or I get destroyed. I want to live.”

“Strange phrase for the undead,” Nicholas said.

“You understand what I mean.” I stood up, noting the time on my watch. “I’ve told you what I think, and I hope you’ll watch your backs and keep your eyes open. I might be wrong about everything; I’ve only had one Master, and maybe the others are different.”

“That’s what I believe, but I’ll be careful,” Vicki said.

“That’s all I can ask.”

Vicki reached for my hand. “You are my friend, Consuela, even if I am suing the pants off of you for pain, suffering, and emotional distress.” I laughed at that since Francisco already informed me of their lawsuit.

Alpha Steven hired an attorney on their behalf as soon as he got the message from Beta Jack. My late husband had a brokerage account containing almost fifty million dollars in the United States. The FBI froze his assets after our rescue. The Pack’s lawyer filed a lawsuit in Federal court on our behalf and headed to the Justice Department with a deal. If I abandoned my claims to the overseas account, the US Government would use it to pay restitution to the six American crime victims. It might take a year, but it would be clean money for the girls who suffered at his hand. Vicki stood up next to me. “If it gets to be too much here, come see me. I’ll work out something with Alessandro so you can be under his domain, but stay with us.”

“Thank you,” I said with some relief. “I’m going to do some shopping and find some dinner while you’re at your meeting. Take the car and go, and I’ll hire a cab.”

“At least take one of the security guys with you,” Nicholas said.

“I’m not a famous model, Nicholas. Nobody knows me here, and I’ll be fine.” They headed back to the car while I looked for a cab. Finding one, I got into the back seat.

The driver turned around. “Where to, Miss?”

“You see that Range Rover down the street? The red one? My husband just got in there with his latest floozy. If you can follow him to her place without getting caught, there’s another hundred in it for you.” I handed him two hundred dollars for now.

“He’ll never see me,” the cabbie promised. “I hope you take the bastard for all he’s worth.”

“Oh, I will,” I said as I settled back. Something about the meeting had the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. I didn’t know if it was Alessandro or something else, but my instincts said to stay back and watch.

I started getting suspicious when the Range Rover turned away from the downtown area, heading towards an industrial park. I knew Alessandro owned several floors at the Crown Resort Casino/Hotel on the waterfront. It was the perfect place for a Coven, with thousands of visitors every day who might not remember their night anyway.

There was no reason to take Vicki and Nicholas in this direction, was there? I made a quick decision. Calling Alessandro’s number, I waited for him to pick up. “Consuela?”

“Alessandro, Vicki’s on her way to see you, but I’m still shopping. I wanted to verify where you are meeting so I can join you in an hour or so.”

“No problem. We’re on the seventieth floor of the casino tower. Check-in with the elevator attendant, and they will send you right up.”

Shit. Now what? Could I trust him with the truth? I had to make a decision fast because something was wrong. I went with my gut, which was rolling by now. “Alessandro, the car taking Vicki and Nicholas to meet with you isn’t heading downtown. I thought something was off, so I’m following them in a cab. They just exited the A36 on Sydney Park Road, headed to an industrial area.”

“Hold on. DO NOT hang up.” I could hear him yelling at others to call people, even the sound of dial tones on the speakers. A minute later, he came back on the line with me. “Something is going on, Consuela. I can’t reach Vicky, Nicholas, or the security guys on the phone. The phones come back not in service.”

“They could be using a signal jammer to prevent phone calls,” someone in his office said.

“Let’s GO,” he yelled. “Consuela, we’re going to head your way, but we’re a good twenty minutes out. Can you follow them until we get there?”

“I’ll do my best, sir.”

I heard him grab another man’s phone and call security, telling him to tap into the traffic cameras and find the cars, then he asked for my location. “We just crossed Euston Road onto Huntley,” I told him. “Shit.”

“What?”

“The Range Rover pulled into a parking lot, then drove inside a warehouse. The door is going back down now.” I rolled down the window, hoping to get a scent. “It’s in back of Huntley Electrical Supply. I’ll get you an address when we go around the block.”

I almost dropped the phone when I heard the sound of two muffled gunshots.

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