Page 11 of Bottoms Up (Mythic Beast #4)

I didn’t want to lie to him, but Bran had just pointed out I couldn’t tell him the truth. I considered how to answer and landed on, “Dating is a complicated word.”

He shook his head. “Okay. You’ll tell me what you can when you can. Promise me you’re safe.”

And that was so Benji. He’s good with whatever I’m doing, however I’m living my life, as long as I’m safe. I smiled ear to ear and assured him, “Oh, that’s an easy one. Totally safe for a variety of reasons. Did you like the song?”

“I did. Will’s a lucky man, finding two people he loves when most of us can’t find one person who loves us for who we are and not what’s in our bank account.”

“You have to find someone just as rich as you,” I told him.

He shrugged. “I don’t like those people. I know you’re right, that I need to find someone who’s at least close to being my equal…” Another shrug. “What would happen if I pretended to be poor, or maybe just middle class, and met people? Maybe hike the AT and see if anyone interests me?”

I was still reeling. Still trying to process the fact that Benji knew vampires were real. That he’d already been read in, oathed, and operating in this world I’d been hiding from him. How long had he known? How long had he not been able to tell me?

But I stayed with the conversation. This was important for Benji to understand.

“Relationships built on a lie can’t last. Davy didn’t recognize Will when they met.

Will asked him out, told him he had a secret to tell him, and then told him toward the end of their meal.

Even that was almost enough to break trust. It worked out, but if Will hadn’t been honest about there being a big secret from the start, I’m not sure it would’ve.

Davy has some trust issues, but most Americans do, these days. ”

“I’m not interested in climbing Everest, but if I could find something just as challenging and expensive that happens to be somewhere warm….” He put his hands in his pockets. Took them out.

“You met someone while we hiked in Patagonia,” I reminded him.

“Yeah, but she lived halfway around the world, and long-distance relationships don’t work. Neither of us were willing to relocate.”

“The Himalayan trail takes three to five months, and I understand October and November are the best months, temperature-wise.”

“Yeah, the goldilocks months. I think the AT would be a better choice, so maybe at least I’ll meet an American, though I guess that isn’t a given.”

“Why not something nearer to your heart? You’ve always wanted to find sunken treasure.

Figure out which wrecked pirate ship or whatever you’re most likely to find, hire people who have some experience doing so — or collab with them, whatever works.

That kind of thing pretty much collects rich people looking for adventure, right? ”

And then, casually, too casually, he asked, “How did you find out about vampires?”

My brain stuttered. I still wasn’t over the fact he already knew.

I thought through what I could tell him, and realized I couldn’t say much of anything. “I don’t think there’s a way to tell you without spilling someone else’s secrets. How did you find out about them?”

“Collaborating with some financial geniuses — a married team who used to live in Chattanooga but are in Alaska now. They decided it would benefit them for me to understand the fact they are ancient as fuck and have watched the markets move since before the markets formally existed. They own real estate all over the planet, and they buy and sell based on political movements as much as monetary ones. It’s the Rhett Butler ideology of making money off of rising civilizations as well as failing ones. ”

I stared at him, trying to match this version of my brother with the one who used to watch cartoons with me. Used to help me with my homework.

“And how did you meet Bran?” I asked.

“He came to me. Wanted me to handle a portion of his portfolio. The motherfucker owns an island in the Caribbean with a huge hill on it, so he can have an underground area the sun can’t get to.”

“Do you know any vampires in Chattanooga?”

“Yes, but I can’t tell you who they are, for obvious reasons.”

“Someone higher than the person Bran said did my oath?”

He stared at me a few seconds, pulled his phone from his pocket, touched the screen a few times, meaning he had to search for this person in his contacts, and he put his phone to his ear.

“It’s Benjamin Clark. I’m standing here with my brother. He’s always been Jules to me, but I believe you know her as Silver?”

He listened a few seconds and handed me the phone.

“I’m guessing Benjamin wants permission to talk to you about me?” Marco asked, “Or is it you who is hoping to talk to your stepbrother?”

“I would love to be able to share what’s been going on in my life with my brother. I had no idea he knew about the supernatural world until Bran clued us in.”

“Your brother knows both me and Julian, though he only knows Julian as my assistant. Do you wish to tell him more?”

“Please.”

He was silent long enough, I thought he was going to tell me I couldn’t, but he finally said, “It looks like the two of you go on vacations together multiple times a year?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, I get that you’re close and want to share what’s going on in your life with him. You have permission to share the details of my relationship with Julian, as well as yours.”

“How about…” I considered how I could ask without giving anything away. “Details about his human life?”

“As you know, this can be my decision, but give me a moment to telepath Julian.”

He was silent a good two minutes before finally saying, “Whatever you wish to speak with your brother about in regards to Julian is fine.”

“Thank you.”

“Let me speak with Benjamin again, please.”

I handed the phone back to Benji, who gave a whole bunch of answers that didn’t tell me anything, and finally tucked his phone back into his pocket. “In a nutshell, I can talk to you about personal shit, but nothing about Marco’s finances.”

“Okay, so this is going to be hours and hours of conversation, but in the short term, since Marco says you’ve met Julian, that’s who I’ve been seeing.

It’s been well over a year.” I did the math in my head and shook my head.

“I met him nearly two years ago, but it’s been about a year since I knew what he was, so we could see each other more than occasionally.

I mostly stay at either the Beast Castle or Homewood. I don’t go home often these days.”

He hugged me, kissed my forehead, and said, “I look forward to hearing everything you want to tell me, but we should go help your friends celebrate.”