Sharkbait

Monday morning, Amy and I returned the boys to the base after a fun weekend. Kai and Amy loved the yacht, and Manuel and Ricardo didn’t want to wake up from their dream. They’d spent the weekend relaxing on a multi-million dollar yacht with two hot girls they were falling in love with. I prayed to Luna that they were mates; the girls deserved men like them.

We’d had a few problems with paparazzi and pushy males during our morning run. One man had even tried to tackle me, ending up eating sand as Makani swept his legs out from behind. Hammer was becoming more and more concerned with our security; when we returned inside the marina fence, he laid it out. “We’re going to have to stop with the beach runs unless we get a lot more security,” he said.

“Are you worried about me getting hurt,” I asked.

“It’s more than the danger of kidnappers and obsessed fans. I’m worried we’ll hurt someone, and they’ll get it on tape. You’re a celebrity, and not all the threats you’ll face are physical. Did you know that almost all lottery winners get sued multiple times?” I did not. “Lottery winners have been sued, and lost, over twenty-year-old ‘verbal contracts’ because they once said they’d split the winnings. A winner got sued by her Pastor because after donating one and a half million dollars to the church, it was the ten percent the Pastor said she promised. Extended family members come out of the woodwork, as do scam artists. It is common to be sued frivolously, with the plaintiffs hoping you’ll pay them money just to go away. That’s where you are now, Vicki. You’re eighteen-years-old and have a net worth over ten million dollars. Every bum and scammer out there wants a piece of you.”

“That’s why I have an accountant, a financial planner, a publicist, and you all,” I said as we walked down the docks.

“That helps, but lottery winners are more likely than the average person to go bankrupt in the next three to five years. They spend money frivolously, invest in shady deals, give money to relatives and friends, and get sued repeatedly. You’ve got a good head on you, but you need to think long term and understand that your life will never be the same. You can’t hang out at the Mall, or go to the movies, or even run on the beach anymore, Vicki.”

The attention sucked. I didn’t want to give up the money or the fame, but I loved our beach runs. “What about the base? Could we run there?” From the Marina, the base entrance was only a few blocks away.

“It’s a possibility, and safer than a public beach. I can get on with my retired identification, Amy has her Dependent ID, and you have your ID card as Amy’s assistant. The twins are Kai’s sisters, but we’d have to register them as visitors every day. That would be a problem.”

It could work; we could even get the service dog harness and bring one of the twins as her dog. “What else could we do?”

“You’ve got a small exercise room on the boat, and there is room for a treadmill and a stair climber up by the flying bridge. Working out on your property is better than being out in public.”

It would only be for another eight days, anyway. Our dock space rental at the marina would be up, and we’d be moving to the Driscoll Bay Marina, just over the border from Master Caroline’s territory. We had to be up there before the twins came of age. The marina was near Sea World, which reminded me that I wanted to do a show with their marine mammal rescue group. “I’ll look at getting some exercise machines later today,” I said.

We got back on board, following the smell of pancakes and sausage to the kitchen. “Shower and change, we eat in fifteen minutes,” Susan said as we walked by.

“You can use the shower in my room, Hammer,” Amy said as she followed me down to my room. She grabbed her clothes, coming into the master stateroom and closing the door. “Every time I see this room I get jealous of you,” she said.

“You’ll get used to it when you’re sharing it with the twins and me,” I said. Things were going to be cozy when we brought a film crew on board. I was kicking around ideas for how to rearrange things, but I wanted to talk to Captain Thomas first. I got through the shower first, with her right behind me. We both made it back upstairs and sat down to a big breakfast.

Susan looked at me as she sat down. “Your accountant called while you were out, Vicki. He found a 2028 Lincoln Navigator armored SUV for sale up in Los Angeles that meets your requirements. It passed mechanical inspection, so he bought it and will have it delivered between ten and noon today.”

“Armored SUV?” Hammer’s eyebrows raised.

“Yeah. You aren’t the only one worried about our security, and I needed to buy a car. My Uncle insisted I get a vehicle that could survive an ambush with AK-47’s. I asked Stan to see if he could find one for under sixty thousand, and he did.”

“A Navigator is a tank,” he said. “Good.”

“Big enough for all of us to travel in, plus a security detail,” I replied. “I could have gone with something smaller, but more space is good.” I looked over at where Hammer was touching Susan’s thigh as he leaned in to whisper something, unaware that we could easily hear him.

“Mom, if Hammer takes us to the dojo, can you pick us up,” Amy asked. She agreed, and Hammer felt better that we weren’t driving alone. We finished breakfast and left the two lovebirds to talk.

I had no idea what a hornet’s nest I’d created with a simple job opportunity letter until I checked my computer while Amy and I waited to leave. I’d gotten plenty of responses, both from women interested in the jobs and from Alphas that thought the whole thing was a terrible idea. The objections fell into three categories, each of which I would have to deal with formally now that the Council involved itself.

The first objection was to the celebrity status Amy and I had attained, and others like Makani and Noelani might find, too. The letter made it clear that the hires must agree to appearances in the show, regardless of their position. “Werewolves need to blend into the population, not stand out,” the conventional wisdom said. The fame from rescuing the boy was unavoidable, but everything since then was ‘risky’ and ‘self-serving.’ Never mind that I’d raised millions for my charitable foundation, or that my modeling job would have paid for my schooling. No, I was supposed to get mated, take over a Pack, and start popping out pups, like a good little Luna.

The second objection was to my restriction on female-only applicants. Werewolf society is strongly patriarchal, and the idea of a bunch of females without Manly Male Protection and Oversight was anathema to them. In some Alpha’s minds, we were risking ‘their’ females with my ‘foolish’ insistence on an all-female crew. It was more than just a job when werewolves were involved. To work together effectively, the Werewolves all have to be in the same Pack and share the Pack link. It meant their females might join Alpha Steven’s Pack and never returned. Worse, they feared that I was going to be that Alpha, forming a new Pack on the high seas, and doing it without a man at my side.

Their final objection was to me personally. I was eighteen and just starting college; what did I know about anything? After all, I’d made my fortune by enthralling a Vampire Master, not by hard work. I proved I could pose for the cameras and talk intelligently, but there was no way I could pull off a complicated project like this. I was risking more than just money. How could anyone entrust their Pack members to a girl barely of age?

The Werewolf Council decided to hold a hearing on my plan on Thursday at the Three Sisters Pack. I called Alpha Steven back, getting more details. He wanted me there on Wednesday night to go over our strategy and meet the Regional Chairs as they arrived. Luna Adrienne would be coming as well, which made me feel better about navigating the shark-infested waters of Werewolf politics.

Checking my other messages, I saw that Seaquest Las Vegas would be thrilled to have me make an appearance on Friday. Mercedes was on board with it and had worked with Lauren’s agent to secure four ringside seats for me for the UFC Fight Night at the Bellagio. Bodyglove would have a photographer at the aquarium, and my publicist would ensure I’d get lots of exposure during the fight. I made a few calls, speaking with the VIP department at the Bellagio. They arranged for two suites and additional security for me during my visit; I’d spend Thursday and Friday nights at the exclusive hotel. Saturday evening was my appearance in Tampa Bay, and then I could fly back home Sunday.

My next call was to the charter air service I was using. I arranged for flights from San Diego to Bend, Oregon Wednesday afternoon, and from Bend to Las Vegas on Thursday evening. Once I was in Vegas, Bodyglove security would escort me on a first-class flight to Tampa Bay and then back home.

I asked Amy if she wanted to go, but she said she’d stay here. “I can’t afford weather or a mechanical problem keeping me from Kai on Friday afternoon,” she said. “Plus, this is your project. Having me there would make you look weaker.”

I had a lot of planning and other work I had to do before I jetted out of town.

We had to get everything else out of our condo and get it cleaned up this week. Amy and I asked Susan to supervise this after we came back upstairs, and she agreed. “You know Lauren is fighting in UFC 287 on Friday, don’t you?”

“Of course, she’s got a tough match,” Hammer said.

“She asked me to watch the fight, and I think her sensei should go.”

“What are you doing for security,” Hammer asked.

“I was going to have a retired SEAL sitting by me, and maybe an active-duty SEAL on the other side. Casino security will help as well.”

I told them about the ringside seats, the exposure, and the event at the aquarium. “I have to fly to Oregon first, and I’ll arrive in Vegas on Thursday. If you and Susan can go, that would be great.”

“I have classes to teach until one on Friday,” Hammer said. “Who’s the SEAL?”

“James, if he wants to go.”

“I thought you broke up with him,” Hammer said.

“I still like him, but I decided he wasn’t the guy I was going to marry. Vegas is a chance to make up for the way our last date ended in the ditch. I was going to call him today.”

“Short notice, he might not be able to get off before Friday afternoon.”

“Why don’t I fly to Oregon and back down to Vegas with Vicki, so she isn’t alone,” Susan said. “You and James can fly to Vegas Friday and meet us there. The fights don’t start until late anyway.”

“I’ll check into it,” he said.

Dojo went well, and Lauren was thrilled I was going. I left a message for James, and he called me back at lunch. We had a good talk; James still wanted me, but understood that I wasn’t going to get serious with him. I told him he could stay with me in Vegas, but I was leaving there a virgin. We’d see about the rest.

I was playing with fire, but the burn felt so damn good.