Page 118 of Inhuman Nature

“Tunnels,” Shaun said.

“What now?” DJ asked.

“Lawrence has been in Brighton much longer than we thought. Dug some tunnels from the basement.”

“He kept the new vampires down there,” DJ confirmed.

“It must have been how he got to your flat so close to sundown,” Kit said.

All four of them turned in unison at the sound of multiple footsteps coming from the front door.

“If you’re looking for a fight, come back tomorrow!” Kit called.

The living room door opened with such force it flew into the wall, smashing to bits. Boris, Winnie, Julia and a couple of other vampires rushed into the room, coming up short at the sight of them. Most of them appeared stricken. Rake had forgotten until that moment that Lynette had recreated them all.

“Oh, god,” Julia cried.

Winnie got to her knees next to the pile of ash that had been Lynette. “I sensed her death. I didn’t want to believe it.”

“How did this happen?” Boris demanded, approaching Shaun. “How are you still here and she isn’t?”

“Lawrence always enjoyed playing with his food,” Kit said drolly.

“I’m really sorry,” Shaun said. “He was too fast. Too strong. We got him in the end, though.”

Boris’s jaw set, and he glanced at his companions before focusing on them once more. “You all need to leave this city. There is enough on my plate with the mess Weston made with the new creations. Not to mention the sheer number of humans we’ve had to compel to forget what they saw tonight. We’ll be spending weeks clearing this up.” He let out a heavy sigh. “Fucking cameras everywhere these days.”

Rake’s blood ran cold. “This is our home. You can’t make us leave!”

“Brighton is overpopulated with vampires. I have every right to tell you to join a nest elsewhere,” Boris said, arms flexing as he stood over them.

Jumping to his feet, Rake got right in Boris’s face. Or, asclose to his face as he could, seeing as Boris was around six and a half feet tall. “You aren’t in charge here.”

“I am with Lynette gone.”

“We swore no oath to you.”

Boris drew himself up, towering over Rake. “I was her second in command. You’re new to this, so I’ll give you some grace. You have twenty-four hours to get the hell out of my territory.”

“But we have four months left on our lease,” DJ said quietly.

“I’m sure you’ll be fine. Pay it off with the profit you’ll make from this place,” Boris grunted.

“What?” DJ asked.

Boris rubbed a hand over his face. “You, that one over there”—he inclined his head towards Kit—“and Shaun are all Lawrence’s creations, are you not?”

“We are,” Shaun confirmed.

“Then you’ll inherit his holdings. Along with the others, I’m sure you’ll stand to make a tidy sum, even if it is split fifteen or so ways.”

Rake looked around at the state of the blood-spattered house. “We’d need to clean the place up before putting it on the market.”

“We have people,” Boris said. “They can deal with it. We’ll get everything to you once you’re gone. In fact, let’s make it a condition of your departure. Leave, and we’ll make sure his assets get to you with haste.”

“And what if I don’t want his tainted money?” Kit asked. He stood, but was gripping onto the seat behind him, knuckles white.

DJ raised his hand as if Boris were their teacher. “Would just like to make it clear that I’m happy to take the blood money.”