Chapter Nineteen

I woke up sore. With an ache in my hips, my thighs, and my breasts. There was something to be said about an insatiable vampire. My mouth twitched up at the thought as I raised my arms above my head and stretched, bones cracking with satisfying little pops. I rolled over into the expanse of Charlemagne's chest and snuggled against him.

His breathing was slow, even. He had hours to go before he'd wake and come back to me. I kissed his chest, lingering there to inhale the scent of his skin. Je t'aime. "I love you too." I murmured, dooming myself in the light of day. There was no going back now.

I slipped my arm around him and started to doze off again when my stomach growled. I was starving. Hello, appetite. I kissed Charlemagne's chest before I sat up. "I'm going to eat, but I'll be back." I promised, leaning down to kiss his temple before I slipped out of bed.

Padding into the closet, I ran my fingers along the soft material of Charlemagne's dress shirts. His scent was on my skin, but I wanted to be wrapped up in it. I just didn't want to end up smearing food on one of his more expensive shirts. My vampire loved me, but I didn't want to test the strength of our relationship over coffee stains on a Gucci sleeve.

I drifted to the chest of drawers and pulled the top one open. An undershirt seemed like a safer bet. Hopefully cheaper, but with the same Charlemagne scent. I snagged a royal blue shirt and slipped it on over my head before I picked out a pair of socks, the least dressy ones I could find, and made my way out of the closet. I glanced at him one more time, exhaled a longing sigh, and slipped out of his room.

The house was quiet. Still. You'd never guess anyone else had lived, or died, here. I stole a glance in the direction of the library before dipping towards the kitchen. It was immaculate, no sign of my meltdown or the poisoned blood. Only a faint scent. Only a hint that something had ever been wrong at all. My appetite faltered. My mood dipped right along with it.

I wandered towards the sink and gripped the edge of the counter. The steel sparkled, but the scent grew heavier. Stuck in the drain. Someone had poisoned my vampire. Someone who didn't like me very much. Someone who killed girls that looked like me. They'd almost destroyed Charlemagne. I couldn't ignore that.

I stepped back from the sink and stole a glance at the clock over the stove. I had maybe an hour before sunset, just enough time to see Nannette and be home before Charlemagne woke up. I grabbed a bagel out of the fridge and dropped it into the toaster before hurrying back upstairs to grab a pair of jeans, my jacket, and my keys. Quickly slathering my bagel with cream cheese and strawberry jam, I stuck the bagel together, and hurried out the front door.

Sticking it in my mouth, I climbed into my little beetle, and brought the engine to life. Eating one handed, I pulled away from Fortuna and started down the drive. I'd finished the bagel by the time I reached the gates, licking jam off my fingers before wiping them on my jeans for good measure. My jeans I could ruin, Charlemagne's shirt I still wasn't sure about.

I drove into downtown twenty minutes later and parked along the street outside the Maman's shop. I cut the engine and stepped outside, shutting the door behind me before crossing the short distance to the door. The sign read closed, but I tried the handle anyways, lifting a hand to knock when it didn't budge. "Nannette?" I called, standing on my tiptoes to peer inside.

A growing panic started in my gut. "Nannette? It's me! Abigail!" I slapped my palm against the glass. "You told me to—"

"I'm coming!"

I leaned back on my heels and released a shaky breath as Nannette ambled towards the door to unlock it, opening it enough to peek her head out. "You told me to come back." I breathed out, studying her face. "It worked." I added in a rush. "Charlemagne is okay."

"Bon. The Maman will be pleased." Nannette murmured, starting to pull back. "Come in. Quick. The Maman is not feeling well today."

I followed her into the shop, a shiver running down my spine as I remembered my father's voice coming out of Madame Laveaux's mouth. "Will she be okay?" I mumbled.

"She just needs her rest." Nannette glanced at me from the corner of her eye. "No unnecessary stress." She said pointedly.

I held my hands up in a placating manner. "She won't get any from me." I murmured, dropping my hands back to my sides. "I'll leave as soon as we're done." I promised. As much as I would have liked to ask her about what had happened yesterday, I needed to take whatever answers I could and go.

"Here." Nannette slipped behind the counter, bending down to grab something from underneath the counter before she straightened with a small stack of receipts. "People who bought vervain." She started to hand them over but paused to arch her brow at me. "This does not come back to our shop, dakò?"

I dipped my chin in a nod. "It doesn't come back to you. I promise." I said, holding my hand out for the receipts. "Thank you." I added, pressing them into my pocket once she'd handed them over. "You have no idea how much this means to me. How much what you did means to me. You saved Charlemagne's life. My life." I swallowed hard.

Nannette studied me, her nostrils flaring as she exhaled. "Did I?" She murmured, shaking her head. "The loogaroo has already left his mark on you. I can smell it on your skin. He is not human. He is not a man anymore. His nature is to kill. Destroy life. He will destroy yours."

My throat tightened to a pinprick as she spoke. Her words cut down to the quick, but… she didn't know Charlemagne. Not like I did. Isn't that what all the stupid girls said when they were in love? "He won't." I mumbled, shaking my head. "Thank you for this." I said again, turning on my heel to leave the shop before she could say anything else.

My face burned as I stepped out onto the sidewalk. My skin suddenly felt hot. Itchy. Nanette's warnings had hit me right behind the ribs. In that place where the animal brain lived. That place that recognized predators. I swallowed hard. Charlemagne wouldn't hurt me. He'd rather die than hurt me. Right now, at least. Shaking my head, I climbed into the driver's seat of my car and shut the door.

I sat there for a few seconds longer, letting Nannette's words turn over in my mind. Comparing them to the last few days. The last few hours. No. I didn't have time for this. Whatever doubts I had, I needed to put them in a box and focus. I reached into my pocket for the receipts and pulled them out, smoothing them over on my thigh.

They were itemized with an initial and a last name at the bottom. If they paid with their credit card. Cash receipts left no trail. Brow furrowing, I leaned towards my glove compartment to open it and dig out an extra notepad and paper. I shut it and leaned back in my seat to write down what names I could find. Most I didn't recognize—

I lifted my head. A spark of recognition lit me up. G. Thibodeaux. Gemma Thibodeaux. A prickle of unease ran up the length of my spine. Why would Gemma need vervain, ash, and belladonna? Why would she buy holy water? Had she known she was being hunted by a vampire? Or... or had she been helping one when it turned on her?

Either way, it couldn't be a coincidence. I started to reach for my phone when I remembered I still hadn't replaced my other one. Fuck. Okay. What next? I leaned forward to peer through the windshield and the darkening sky under the onslaught of rain. I needed to get back to Fortuna. Back to Charlemagne.

The rain had let up on the drive back. I thought about Gemma Thibodeaux the entire way there. Gemma walks into an occult shop and buys vervain, ash, and belladonna. Where was the punchline? I was halfway there before I thought of going home instead to grab a few of my things and Frank. I'd meant to be quick, but by the time I'd packed up, I was hungry, and by the time I was snacking, I was doom scrolling for info.

So, the rain had let up, but the sun was down. A deep purple bruise with lingering wisps of gray clouds. I turned into Fortuna hoping I still had a few minutes to sneak in before Charlemagne even knew I'd been gone. For too long. I should have known I was caught the moment the door opened for me a little faster than usual. I stepped inside, bringing my foot up to close the door behind me as I settled Frank's carrier on the ground. I opened the door for him and straightened to find Charlemagne waiting on the stairs for me.

My heart stuttered and skipped a beat. He looked a little pale around the edges, but he'd dressed himself in black slacks and a black pullover, his curls loose and messy around his face. He gripped the banister, a thin blue ring around his black pupils. "I do not care for waking up alone when I fully expect you to be in bed beside me."

Biting my lower lip, I dropped my duffle and messenger bag beside me. "I had a few errands to run, and I lost track of time." I mumbled, crossing the space between us to climb up onto the stair just below his. I gripped the banister near his hand and tilted my head back. "I'm sorry."

Charlemagne scowled, but he was already softening around the edges. His gaze dipped over me from head to toe. "Is this my shirt?" He murmured, reaching out with his free hand to pluck at the material, brows arching.

"I wanted your scent on me." I said, meeting and holding his gaze. "That okay?"

"More than." His fingers curled in my (his) shirt, holding me in place as he bent down to brush the tip of his nose along mine. "I thought you had changed your mind and decided to run screaming."

My nose brushed against his as I shook my head. "No, just—" He kissed me, swallowing up anything else I'd been about to say.

I wound my arms around his neck and leaned into our kiss, let it wake me up and set me alight. When he reached for the back of my thighs, I didn't hesitate to wrap my legs around his waist when he lifted me. I didn't feel it when he moved, but a second later we were in his bedroom. "Mm, Charley?" I mumbled against his mouth, making a little noise when he tipped us into his sheets.

"Hmm?" The weight of him against me felt good. Good enough to turn my thoughts to mush. His lips trailed from my mouth to my jawline and down my throat. Complete and total mush.

"Um, um, I need to talk to you about something." I said, dropping my head back to give him better access to my neck, the scrape of his teeth sending a warm shiver through my body. My navel drew towards my spine, desire pooling low in my belly as I dragged my knees up on either side of his hips.

"J"écoute." Charlemagne purred, dragging my jacket and then my shirt off before he bent his head to trace my collar bone with his mouth. "Talk to me, mon coeur." He murmured, pressing a kiss between my breasts as he tilted his chin to look up at me, his eyes nearly black with desire.

I'm glad he could multitask because I was struggling. "Uh—" I dropped my head back again when his kisses led to the curve of my breast, when his tongue touched my nipple, my entire brain short circuited into the black. "It can wait." I sighed, lifting a hand to slip my fingers through his hair.

What was a girl to do?