That's how Cooper had gotten where he was: playing the idiot teenager card while plotting his own ascension. It had worked well thus far, but he needed now to shed that image if anyone was to take him seriously. His smile goes a little brittle when she points out the obvious shortcomings and his eyes get a hard glint. No way is he giving up his power that easily.

"Then I have to make sure whichever incompetent booby that replaces me has as much sense as I do." Assuming he was still alive when that happened. There was always the chance for a bloody turnover to happen again. But not likely. The vampires seemed to have had enough of violence for a while. Cooper planned to keep it that way.