Free Finally Dead (Eve Benson: Vampire Book 1) by P. S. Power Page B

on the phone.
    Eve took
a breath, and then just told the truth.
    “Um,
Lenore Hawthorn mentioned the idea first. Then Bey Transmorguire? It’s a new
blood concern.” She went into the details, making a point of letting her know
that she had access to the recipe that the Mistress of Souls had developed, and
the right to use it.
    “I see,
so you need me for what? Operating capital?”
    “Nope.
We have that. Or at least part of it. A hundred million? I already have a
partner in it. He gets fifteen percent of the gross, but also has to provide
Line Transport if we need it, which could end up being a lot of work,
especially at first. Zack Hartley? He also recommended you. No, I really just
don’t have a clue how to run a business, and I’m sort of new to the whole Vampire
thing, so having you on board would be really useful. I hear that you’re good
with numbers too? So, what do you say?”
    That
started another round of negotiations, which took out only ten percent, of the
net. Marissa was a bit miffed that Zack was getting a cut of the gross, but she
didn’t complain too much.
    “He’s a
Greater Demon after all. That he didn’t insist on us being enslaved for life is
a blessing. He never does that however, which is why I’m willing to work with
him. I’m not certain I’d trust any of the others of his kind. That you managed
to pry a secret from the Mistress of Souls and aren’t her creature…
Wait, you aren’t her creature, are you? She can take Vampires, I know that.”
    “Nothing
like that. She’s just a buddy of mine. The Technician too, just so you don’t
make a mistake and talk smack about them in front of me.”
    “Like
I’d be so foolish? Well, good enough. We’ll need to set this up soon then. I
have… It looks like my schedule is clear in four days time, would that work for
you?”
    She let
her head play back and forth, thinking. It sounded reasonable to her, but she
didn’t know what Edom was going to have her doing, did she? It sounded a bit
too youthful, but she just admitted that portion of things.
    “So, I don’t have control over that part of things really. Like I said, I’m a bit new
to all this Vampire stuff. I still need to hop to my maker’s whims. So far that
hasn’t been hard, but there are floors to scrub and who knows what else to do?”
    “Ah!
Well, do a good job, and I’ll clear that with him.”
    Bey
cleared his throat, and did a credible job of it.
    “Edom,
at the Westfield Embassy. A most understanding being.”
    “We’ve
met. I’ll see to setting that up directly.”
    Eve felt
a bit nervous, but really, all she had to do was get some blood and the right
chemicals. They weren’t even illegal, so she just had to order them. That would
take some cash, but new Vampire or not, she had some savings. A few thousand,
but it would be enough to run up samples. She even had a butcher set up to sell
her cows’ blood. It had been hard to make sure she got it from living animals,
but the man just thought she was a freak. One willing to pay well for a product
that his farmer pal was more than willing to collect. Really, she was nearly
certain that they both thought it was about some kind of genetics work.
    She’d
claimed it was for Vampires to drink, but that had just gotten laughed at.
    It was
too late to do that part that night, but she could use the computer at Troy’s
to order the chemicals she’d need and have them sent next day delivery.
    Zack
laughed at her as she turned to walk out, but called out as she got to the
wooden door.
    “Oh,
hey, can you cover a few shifts next week at night? I can get you home at about
six, but we have some shipments coming in and I could use the help stocking
shelves.”
    She
looked back at him, and nodded.
    “I can
ask? What days, Wednesday and Thursday?” Those were the normal shipping days
for most orders.
    The
Greater Demon, who looked like a twenty-something store manager, nodded.
    “That’s
right. Set that up if you can?