Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Angelo

I stepped out of the Nephilim's bedroom, my fists clenched and pulse racing, and focused on putting as much physical distance between me and Serenity as possible. Not because I was angry with her, but because I had to remember she was a means to a precious end. And yet she was also a flame, calling to me.

I didn't want to get burned.

I rubbed the scratches on my face. She was right—they should have completely healed by now. As the day grew to evening, the sun cast deeper shadows into my home. Each one seemed to whisper Vlad's name, a constant reminder that I was never truly alone.

My long strides took me down the hallway to my office. The antique sconces cast a flickering light that danced like the jazz musicians in the Quarter's lively night scene. Every step I took on the aged hardwood floors echoed the rhythm of my beating heart. No woman had had this effect on me in centuries.

As soon as I walked in, I saw Enzo perched in a leather armchair facing my desk. I studiously avoided his curious gaze. He would detect my rapid heartbeat and notice the beads of sweat that had broken out across my forehead immediately and want to know why. Nothing ever got me riled up like this except hunting an enemy.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Is she awake?"

"Yes." I kept my face carefully arranged as I walked toward the large mahogany desk and took my seat behind it. My fingers clenched the armrests as I tried to calm the emotions roiling inside me.

"And?" he pressed.

I switched on my laptop. "And what?" My words came out crisper than I intended.

He let out an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes. "Did you take the girl?" His tone was laced with irritation.

"No." I shook my head and pulled up the reports on our family enterprises, particularly the casino.

Enzo's jaw dropped and his eyes bulged. "What do you mean, no? She has the ability to activate the Aeternum Stone." He could barely keep his anger in check.

I glanced only quickly at Enzo before returning my attention to the reports in front of me, detailing recent disturbances at our gambling house. "The Nephilim must willingly offer herself to me for the stone to work. If I force her or use compulsion, her power won't be released, and we'll be no better off than we are now. No, I need to seduce her into truly wanting me." I sighed and rubbed my temples, trying to focus on the task at hand. "What's the latest update on Crimson Stakes?"

Enzo's lip curled into a sly grin, his eyes shining mischievously. "Do you really want me to go over the mundane reports, or would you rather talk about the Nephilim down the hall?"

I glared at him, my jaw tensing as I tried to contain my frustration.

He frowned. "I haven't seen you this upset since the Unseelie and the dark Fae moved into the French Quarter."

I refused to divulge anything to him, even though he was my closet ally and like a brother to me. I couldn't show any weakness, not even to him.

"Enzo. Tell me the reports on Crimson Stakes."

"What's going on outside it, you mean? The cops, including our friend, Detective Louis DuPont, have been making inquiries up and down Bourbon Street about the Nephilim."

I leaned back in my chair, puzzled. "Why does DuPont care about a missing girl? He's homicide." We'd tangled before and he considered me to be the devil incarnate. Maybe I was.

"Apparently, his daughter is this Nephilim's best friend. His daughter has been putting up missing person flyers all over town."

I cursed under my breath. I had been so focused on Serenity I hadn't had my people check Joy's activities. Not a mistake I would make again .

DuPont was a bulldog, and now his daughter would be a yapping chihuahua nipping at my heels. Wonderful. "I want you to watch the girl. See if she learns anything."

"And if she does?"

I shrugged. "Then…Serenity will have her best friend at her side."

Enzo tapped his fingers on the armrest meditatively. "There's something else. Two more murdered girls have been discovered in the French Quarter. Their bodies were found close to Crimson Stakes."

I narrowed my eyes. "That's not us. Who is doing it?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. DuPont is determined not only to find Serenity but to find out who's murdered these girls. I think DuPont believes Serenity might be the next victim. He also got wind of the auction at Ravenwood Estates and has become more than curious."

That wasn't good. "Does he know of our world?"

He shook his head. "Not yet. But the man's persistent."

I gnashed my teeth like a wolf. "We can't let him discover our world. That would bring Vlad out of the shadows and make him come after us with a vengeance." The mere thought of Dracula's looming presence made every hair on the back of my neck stand straight up.

He met my hard gaze. "What do you want me to do if DuPont gets too close?"

I shrugged. "Detectives die in the line of duty all the time. Just make sure it looks like an accident."

I wasn't sure, but I thought I saw hesitation in Enzo's eyes. And he never shrank from an assignment .

I steepled my hands and put my elbows on my desk. "What do you know of these girls?"

"Not much. I have an informant. He may know something about who is killing those girls—one of them may have come from Simon's stable, but I'm not sure. He's really paranoid and will only meet with me."

I sat back. "So meet with him. We need to know who is murdering these girls, especially if they are pinning the crimes on us." Suddenly I felt a need to have everyone I cared about close to me. Someone was setting me up, and it would be only a matter of time before they managed to hurt people I loved. "Tell Dimitri that he and Gianna need to come and stay here."

"She won't like it."

"Doesn't matter. Just tell them."

Enzo nodded. "Done—but, by the way, DuPont isn't the only one curious about these deaths."

I rubbed my forehead tiredly. "Let me guess. Palazzo and Tarus?"

"Yup. I suspect they'll be wanting to set up a meeting with you soon."

King Nico Palazzo was the actual king of the vampires. He had sworn allegiance to Vlad years ago and decreed that vampires follow Vlad's rules of not killing humans. But that decree wasn't observed by me and my family organization. We were a constant thorn in his side because of it.

Costin Tarus, meanwhile, was the headmaster of Red Rose Academy. He and the king were thick as thieves, and the headmaster frowned whenever one of his graduates forsook what they learned and switched their allegiance by joining my family.

They would love nothing more than for the Aeternum Stone to grow dark, thereby causing my organization to come crashing down.

I locked eyes with Enzo and gritted my teeth. "We can't let them know about Serenity's true power. The last thing we want is for them to prevent Serenity from revitalizing the Aeternum Stone."

Enzo's nod was grim and determined. "Agreed. But you won't be able to avoid taking a meeting with them unless you want to be at war with them too. I would have thought the wolves and the dark Fae were enough there."

I pondered the recent murders, massaging my stubbled jaw. "Do we have any leads? Could it in fact be the wolves or the dark Fae behind these gruesome deaths?"

Enzo gave me another helpless look. "I've reached out to our usual sources, but no one knows anything yet. Maybe my informant will have news today. Based on previous interactions, I highly doubt it is connected to the Barone family. But I'll do some digging, just to be sure."

There was a knock at the door. One of my guards, Lorenzo, peeked in hesitantly. Usually no one disturbed my meetings with Enzo, so this must be urgent.

"Summons for you, Angelo," he murmured quietly. "It's from King Nico. He's requesting that you meet him at Fandor Citadel."

Fandor Citadel was King Nico's plantation. It looked like any other plantation in New Orleans, but a wall surrounded it, keeping out the curious. I had no intention of going anywhere near it.

"He knows better than that. Tell the king's messenger that I will be happy to meet with him at St. John's Tavern tonight for dinner."

St. John's Tavern was a restaurant that was frequented by tourists and in which I was a silent partner. We would both be quite safe there.

My guard bowed slightly and left.

Enzo lifted his eyebrow. "Do you think the king will agree to that?"

"If he doesn't, we don't meet. Simple. Now, has Simon sent the three magical objects I bought at his auction: the Eclipsing Mirror, the Codex of Eldritch Lore, and the Phoenix Feather Quill?"

Enzo's brow furrowed as he shook his head. "N-no," he said uncomfortably, crossing his beefy arms over his chest. "Simon is holding your shipment hostage until you pay for the damage to his bedroom window."

I clenched my fists angrily. "He should know better than to try that. Send some of our guys to talk to him and make an example of the idiot. Meanwhile, I want you to meet with your informant."

A wicked grin spread across Enzo's face as he stood from his chair. "Consider it done," he said with a menacing glint in his eye. I knew Simon would soon regret making such a foolish demand.

As Enzo's heavy footsteps faded down the hall, I returned to my desk and sifted through the casino's financial reports. I scanned the list of names and numbers, mentally calculating all the interest that was piling up on these delinquent debts. It never ceased to amaze me how some people thought they could gamble away money they didn't have and then refuse to pay up when their luck ran out. A few strong-armed men would need to be sent out to collect what was owed.

"Angelo?" Madame Elena stood in the doorway. "You wanted me to let you know when Serenity was ready. She is in the dining room, and Chef is about to serve her lunch, if you would care to join her."

"Thank you, Elena. Did you have any trouble with her?"

"None at all; she was very polite. I must say she's very beautiful, but still, I detected that life hasn't been that easy for her."

Over the years, I had come to listen to Elena's impressions. She had a knack for reading people, and that ability had helped me out more than once.

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

She avoided my gaze and looked down at her red kitten heels as if they were the most interesting thing in the room.

"Elena?"

She lifted her gaze to me and wrung her hands. "I didn't want to tell you, but the poor girl has dreadful scars on her lower back."

"From Simon?" The words came out as a growl. My jaw clenched tight and my fists curled, ready to deliver the punishment that bastard deserved.

She shook her head. "No. They're not that recent."

"I see. Thank you, Elena."

Translation: be gentle with her. Well, I would be more than gentle. I would find out who did this to Serenity, then pay them a little visit.

I stood up from my desk, the wooden floorboards creaking under my weight as I followed Elena out of the office. Serenity sat at a small round table in the dining room, the sunlight streaming in through the window behind her and casting a warm glow on her blue sundress. White daisies were embroidered all along the neckline, and her blonde hair cascaded down her back in gentle waves. Her eyes met mine warily, as if trying to decipher my intentions.

I flashed her one of my most charming smiles. "You look stunning."

"Thank you," she replied softly, but there was a hint of sadness and defeat in her voice.

As I took my seat across from her, I felt an unfamiliar sensation stirring within me—a mix of attraction and unease that I couldn't quite shake off. Ridiculous. I had been with countless women before, each one a forgettable conquest. Yet there was something about the Nephilim that made me feel off-balance, like I was fighting for control in uncharted territory.

I tried to maintain my composure, to view her as just another nameless woman that I would discard when she no longer served any purpose, but even as I told myself this, I found myself drawn to her in a way that unsettled me. Her presence ignited a desire I couldn't ignore, a longing I was determined to keep carefully concealed behind a mask of indifference.

Chef Gaultier had outdone himself today. He had prepared lobster rolls, their tender meat exuding the rich, succulent scent of the sea and lightly dressed in a delicate, lemon-infused mayonnaise that added a tangy freshness, all nestled within a freshly baked brioche bun. Beside them, the shrimp Greek salad offered a medley of crisp flavors—cucumbers and tomatoes freshly picked from the garden, mingled with the briny sweetness of the shrimp and the sharp bite of red onion. The olives and feta cheese, generously interspersed throughout, added depth with their earthy and salty notes, while a drizzle of olive oil and oregano finished the dish with an herby fragrance.

Chef Gaultier dished up fried potatoes, golden and crunchy, that added a comforting, homey smell to the meal. Each piece was a perfect blend of crispy exterior and fluffy interior, seasoned with a hint of rosemary and sea salt that made them irresistible. The sound of their sizzling as they were laid out on the serving platter still echoed faintly throughout the room.

Yet despite the sumptuous feast that lay before her, Serenity remained motionless, her expression filled with dread and apprehension.

I picked up a napkin and put it on my lap. "Aren't you hungry?"

She shook her head slightly and looked down at her lap.

"I assure you, the food isn't poisoned or otherwise doctored. With the drugs that Simon so foolishly gave you, you'll feel better sooner if you eat something."

"I'm not hungry," she said quietly. Such a lie. I could hear her stomach grumbling miserably from here.

I picked up a lobster roll with a pair of tongs and placed it on her plate. "Eat. "

She lifted her eyes to me. "Is that an order?" Her voice was soft, but it still held a challenge, a challenge I couldn't back away from.

"If you'd like to take it that way. I can't allow you to damage yourself. You're too valuable to me."

She glared at me as if she would like to throttle me, but despite her apparent anger, she delicately picked up the lobster roll and took a bite. As she swallowed, her demeanor softened noticeably, a contented sigh escaping her lips as she savored the taste. The way she delicately handled the roll, the thoughtful pause as she appreciated the flavors, the relaxed ease that washed over her—it was a moment of pure gastronomic delight, captivating in its simplicity.

I watched transfixed as she continued to eat, each bite an alluring display of her enjoyment. Her slender fingers gripped the roll with a gentle yet firm touch, guiding it to her mouth with a grace that I found utterly mesmerizing. Within a few minutes, she had cleaned her plate, leaving me with a hungry desire, not just for the food, but for the woman before me.

My guard, Jacques Girard, came into the dining room and murmured into my ear, "Detective DuPont is waiting for you in the parlor."

Serenity snapped to attention and her eyes lit up like two firecrackers.

I patted my lips with a napkin. "Jacques, please return Serenity to her room. And make sure she stays there."

Serenity jumped up from the table and raced toward the hallway. "Louis!" she cried out.

Jacques grabbed her arm, and she unexpectedly backhanded him across the face. He snarled, revealing sharp teeth.

A raw, primal rage surged through me, fueled by a possessive instinct I had never experienced before.

"Never touch her again." My hands shook as I grabbed Jacques' throat, lifting him effortlessly off the ground. His face turned purple, and his eyes bulged as he struggled for breath.

"Louis, I need your help. Where are you?" Serenity ran out of the dining room.

Drawing on my vampire speed, I easily caught up with her and lifted her into my arms. Her heart was beating as wildly as mine. She kicked and screamed, her fear turning angry as she fought to escape. But I didn't care. All that mattered was keeping her safe. In a desperate attempt to silence her, I impulsively pressed my lips hard against hers, tasting the sweetness of her mouth and feeling an overwhelming desire to devour her completely. Her fists pounded against my chest, but I held on tighter, knowing that now I could never let her go.