Page 58 of A Token of Blood and Betrayal

“And you thought the power company sent you past due notices because…”

I gave him a weak smile.“A glitch in their system?”

Sullens didn’t think I was funny.Sighing, I slumped in my chair and stared at the paper stacked across the desk.

“We will get this under control,” Sullens said.

“Not without more money.”

His mouth tightened, a clear sign he agreed with my assessment.

How had my parents expected to make ends meet?The loan had carried them for the past six months, but that wasn’t the case anymore, thanks to me refusing to admit Arcuro’s and Lehr’s sanctioned paranorms.The werewolves who’d signed my tent list last week had sent digital payments to my personal banking app.It would be enough to turn the power back on, but even if we’d been fully booked this whole time—something that hadn’t happened in The Rain’s history—the “allowance” Arcuro and Lehr would have sent wouldn’t have been enough to cover the next six months of operations.

We neededa lotmore money.

“I don’t want to price out paranorms who need the Null but can’t afford it,” I said.

“Your idea of tiered pricing is not a bad one.”

“But how would that work?Do I require them to submit their bank statements when they book a room?”

“You can,” he said.

“What if they have multiple accounts and send the one with the lowest balance?What if they refuse the tiered pricing or demand better accommodations for the higher prices?”That last one, I didn’t mind actually.I wanted to update and renovate The Rain.I could see the potential, could see what it might look and feel like.It shouldn’t be in its current condition with outdated wallpaper, worn-thin carpets, and television sets that were basically antiques now.The hotel’s architecture was so unique, the location was perfect, and the view was amazing.If we’d catered to humans, we could have charged twice as much as Lehr and Arcuro sent us.And we could have kept every penny.

“You do see that you are overstaffed,” Sullens said.It wasn’t the first time he’d brought it up.He’d apparently mentioned it to my parents as well.In the past, they’d only hired when positions were vacated, which was after an employee’s contracted term expired or they decided to leave early.My parents changed that policy after meeting Christian.He was as anti-abuse of power as me, and he’d managed to get them to team up with him.Together, they’d helped paranorms escape abusive situations, bypass the sanctioned lists, and establish new lives in safer conditions.Those were all the things I’d wanted to do years ago, yet they hadn’t supported me back then.

“I’m not firing anyone,” I said.

Sullens sighed.

I stared at the open envelopes, the printed invoices, and the multiple notepads Dad had scratched numbers down on.From the latter stack, I pulled free a page listing nine cash payments that didn’t reconcile with anything we’d sorted through.“Maybe these will make sense when we look at the online accounts.”

“They might be theoretical numbers,” Sullens said.“Wishful thinking in an attempt to cover expenses.”

“Maybe.”I didn’t think so.The amounts almost matched what I’d charged the werewolves last week, meaning they seemed like off-the-books payments for services rendered.Or, more specifically, they looked likethank you for saving me from the asshole who turned mekind of payments.

The problem was, we couldn’t match the numbers to any bank deposits.If they were thank-you payments, where had they gone?

“We won’t know until the power returns,” Sullens said, not for the first time that afternoon.

“We have a better idea of the money situation now.”My response was vague because I hadn’t one hundred percent committed to leaving The Rain yet.

“We can talk again when you return.”The chair opposite my desk squeaked as Sullens stood.He turned toward the door.

“Thank you,” I called.

He looked over his shoulder, and shockingly, he smiled.“You’re welcome, Ms.Rain.I’m glad you are beginning to take an interest in The Rain.”

I made a face after he left.I hadn’t beennotpaying attention; I’d just been mourning, adjusting, surviving, andchangingwhat I could while trying to rescue Deagan from Arcuro’s compound.

And now I was trying to save Garion.

Maybe I was taking on atinybit more than I could handle.

Resting my elbows on the desk, I put my palms to my forehead and attempted to massage away the tension there.I needed to find Astrid.I should also check on Deagan again.Melissa had said he was still sleeping when I saw her in the lobby.Maybe he—

I yelped when the phone rang beside me.I’d known it was there, but I was so used to everything else not working, and the ring was so loud and piercing, I just hadn’t expected it.Plus I couldn’t remember the last time I’d used an honest-to-God landline.