20. Nicolas

Chapter 20

I shoved my paperwork to one side, the movement frustrated and rough. Things had all gone to fucking shit. I'd called for the paperwork of more of my biggest debtors, but it turned out that none owed me as much as Jean Boucher had, and none would provide me with anything of the same worth in return.

I growled and pushed the paperwork from my desk completely, watching it scatter uselessly to the floor. Then I stood and wandered to the mirrored glass overlooking my casino before resting my forearm on the window as I watched people I had no respect for literally gift their money to me.

Fucking humans.

Stupid species.

No common sense. No wonder I couldn't stand them.

I couldn't hear the game floors from here—the rooms were insulated against even my super-hearing—but I could imagine the sound of the chips, and farther away, the chimes of the slots.

The entrance door opened to admit another lamb to my slaughter, and for a moment, my heart froze in my chest as I took in dark brown hair and a slender frame. But it wasn't her, and I looked away again.

"Everything okay in here?"

I jerked at Jason's voice, distracted by too much noise in my head, and that was dangerous. "Why wouldn't it be?" My words came out terse and biting. I half-turned to glance over my shoulder as I waited for his reply.

He gestured to the paperwork on the floor. "You dropped something."

"Fuck it." I returned to watching the casino, this time tuned in to the rustle of Jason's pants as he crouched and began to shuffle the paperwork back into order. Each slice of the papers being piled together cut a fine line of irritation across my skin. "Leave it."

"But I can get some of the others onto these collections."

I waved a hand. I didn't care anyway.

He sighed, and I could feel his gaze—his damn curious gaze, probably filled with concern if I knew Jason—on the back of my head. "What can I do?" His voice was no louder than a murmur, ensuring any vampire who happened to be passing my door wouldn't hear.

"Nothing." I sighed. "There's nothing to do. Collect the debts, bring in the money. It's business as usual."

"And what about not-business?" he prodded. "What about pleasure?"

I barked out a laugh as some dumb guy below me gave in to a premature celebration over a win he hadn't yet made. I was that fucking dumb guy. So close and everything had slipped away. "Pleasure's overrated."

"But you had slipped into pleasure then?"

Too late, I realized my mistake. I'd said too much and not denied Jason's words. I'd shown him my hand. I said nothing further.

"Nic?" Jason prompted.

"What?" Usually my bad-tempered attitude made even him leave, but not this time.

"The house always wins, Nic. So where is Leia?"

I sighed. "The house didn't win this time."

Jason snorted laughter and tapped the files against my desk like he was straightening them. "Then change that. I've never known you to accept a loss with anything like good grace. You're always biding your time, always watching to reel the punter back in."

I sighed, so soft I hoped he didn't hear it. Leia was more than a punter.

"You can't pretend Leia wasn't important, or that her whole family wasn't important. Are you just going to let everything end like this? She's across town, not in another country, not dead."

Shit. So close. She was so fucking close. I closed my eyes against the people chancing their luck in La Petite Mort.

"Well?"

I spun around. "Shit, Jason. For fuck's sake. What's gotten into you? Can't you just leave it?"

But he stood his ground, holding the files he'd collected against his chest. "No. No, I can't, and neither should you. I've never seen you like you were with Leia."

"Yeah?" I forced a cruel smile. "I'll find another virgin. That's all I need to rule."

He scoffed and shook his head. "Yeah. You just keep telling yourself that, Nic. Keep telling yourself that one day you'll find another virgin and she'll be enough. Keep telling yourself that next time you meet Leia Boucher and she's no longer a virgin that discovery won't kill what's left of your decaying, blood-bag guzzling heart."

"Get out." I kept my order calm and controlled as I pointed to the door like Jason didn't know where it was.

He shrugged. "I figure if I don't tell you, no one else will. Who else here dares to say what you need to hear?"

"What makes you think I need to hear it?" My eyes narrowed and my heart rate accelerated—signs I was about to become dangerous, but my sireling didn't even flinch.

"Because sometimes, Nic, you're stubborn. You're stubborn and you're stupid and you're old and self-defeating. And you forget that the house always wins only because you make it that way. So why have you stopped playing this game? Why have you thrown in your hand?"

"She left me." And there it was. The bald truth, the source of my pain.

"So she injured your pride?"

"Yes." But that was a lie.

Leia had been many things. She was a virgin with virgin blood—never known a man to claim her with his cock nor a vampire with his fangs—she had a strong ancestry via her matriarchal line, and she was beautiful. Added to that, she alone could increase my power. She was my true mate. In short, she would make the ultimate bride.

But I hadn't expected to see this as anything but another game I could win. It was the culmination of a business transaction, turning in my chips for my reward.

I hadn't expected to fucking care for her, and now there was a hole in my chest like she'd ripped my heart out and packed it in her bag with whatever else she'd chosen to take. That was unfair, though. She'd taken only what she'd brought. She'd very carefully left all of my gifts to her behind.

Which didn't explain my heart. The one thing I hadn't intended to give her and she'd taken anyway.

She'd veered between fear and fury before she left, but despite that, she'd still desired me.

"I can't let her go." I spoke the words quietly, but they were like some kind of grand realization.

"That's more like it." Jason sounded satisfied behind me, and I'd forgotten he was there again.

Fucking humans and fucking sirelings.

At least she was safe. Benedict had already been to see me and told me all about his surprise visitor. And I was heading out to The Pour House later this evening to see what Benedict had done to the place so far.

If Leia happened to be there when I showed up, well, so be it. I loved a good coincidence.

I left my office early, quietly, almost sneaking out. I called my own hours, but they were always longer than anyone else's. Only not today.

Jenkins met me downstairs and then we were off, my nose full of Leia's scent where the back seat of my car seemed to have absorbed it, my memories full of the warmth and welcome of her pussy as my fingers had conquered it. I yearned to taste it, to taste her, and almost growled as my cock jerked and my gums ached.

When Jenkins drew up at The Pour House, I didn't step out right away. Instead, I admired everything Ben had accomplished. There was a reason he was my trusted right hand, and circumstances like this one always proved me right.

I'd worked hard to surround myself with people I deemed loyal and trustworthy. I didn't give my friendship easily, but I meant it when I did. I gave my love even less easily, and the hole in my chest was proof as to why for that.

When Jenkins finally turned, his lips parted like he might ask a question, I moved to open the door.

"I don't think I'll be long," I said.

"Very good, sir."

I didn't really know how long I might be, but if I had to, I'd reemerge with Leia over one shoulder, my hand on her ass to keep her still, because she was mine. And I wasn't going to let her go this easily.

I paused outside the doors. Ben had truly accomplished a miracle. He'd taken Leia's bar from some hole-in-the-wall, rundown place to a popular spot, with a crowd big enough that I couldn't even start to guess where he'd collected them all from. They'd arrived so quickly, it didn't seem possible. Perhaps he'd compelled them.

But even that wouldn't matter. Crowds drew more crowds, and more crowds would fill Leia's cash register. And knowing Ben, he'd only gotten started.

I hadn't come here to stand outside the door, though, and as soon as I entered Ben looked up from where he was serving customers, his gaze meeting mine as he grinned.

"Nic." He shouted my name across the bar. "You the reason Leia hasn't shown up? You manage to convince her to come back to you?"

The grin I'd aimed at him in return slipped a little. Fuck. I couldn't be the all-conquering hero come to claim what was mine, not when what was mine wasn't even here. I almost turned to leave, but Ben gestured me over.

"Come and see what we've been doing with the place. Leia was really impressed."

I nodded, sure she had been. Ben had surpassed himself by introducing an old-style atmosphere that was friendly and welcoming—perfect for regulars and tourists alike, and maybe now tourists would make their way out here—especially if that was Chef's gumbo I smelled.

Ben grinned again as I joined him at the counter, and he handed me a beer. "Craft beer from a local microbrewery. No more supply problems." He winked. "Do you want to see the new ordering system? The kitchen? The sound system? Where shall we start?"

"What time's Leia due?" My clipped question sounded rude, but she was uppermost on my mind. Where she was, what she'd say when she saw me, how she she'd taste, how her body would feel as I slid inside her.

Ben frowned and checked his watch. "She said opening, but maybe she changed her mind."

I matched his frown as I took a step backward, jostling a guy standing too close behind me. I hissed a little over my shoulder and he backed off.

"She should be here then." I directed my words at Ben.

"Maybe, but there are a lot of changes she might want to explore at the house, you know?"

I did know, and I doubted any of the changes overrode Leia's desire to see The Pour House be a success. I'd wanted to give her a taste of the luxury she could live in at my side, but after the way she left me, I doubted she was basking in anything I'd done to her home.

"You worried?" Ben handed the guy behind me a beer and waved his money away. "It's on my grumpy friend, here," he said as he indicated me. "An apology for his rudeness."

"Yeah, a little," I answered Ben's question as my stomach churned. It was still a foreign feeling, worry for someone else. Everyone I knew could look after themselves easily—especially in our territory.

But with Leia, my heart was walking around outside my body, completely unprotected.

"I think I'll head over to her place. See what she thinks of the changes." I checked behind me this time. I had no desire to buy all the new customers a drink.

"Not just changes. Improvements. And I'm sure she loves them." Ben didn't even falter in his rhythm as he held multiple conversations and served different people a variety of drinks.

I'd made the right choice in asking for his help with this.

Jenkins was sitting right where I'd left him, and I took my place behind him again.

"Leia's house, please."

He nodded, but I expanded anyway.

"She wasn't at the bar." It wasn't like me to talk unnecessarily, but something about Leia not being where she'd said she'd be made me nervous. And I didn't like being nervous any more than I liked being worried.

Jenkins ate up the miles like he knew I was in a hurry. He probably did. I didn't usually fidget. But I tapped my fingers against the door and shifted my position, alternately leaning forward to check the traffic and looking out the windows to check our location.

We turned onto Leia's driveway, and I tightened my grip on the door handle to prevent myself leaping from the car while it was still moving. I'd never felt desperation like it, and it coursed through my veins. I needed to see her and make sure she was okay.

"Wait here." I issued the gruff command as Jenkins finally stopped the car. Then I got out and knocked on Leia's door.

It swung open under my hand, and I caught my breath. Shit. The house was quiet. Silent, really, and I closed my eyes as I listened. The wards weren't even fucking in place yet. I'd arranged that for after all the work had been completed.

But it should have been safe.

A clock ticked somewhere, and something settled. A dripping tap and the hiss of water along a pipe… But nothing else.

No heartbeat, no breathing sounds.

I stepped inside. Leia's scent was strong, so she'd definitely been here. So had my men—working on the renovations. But that was the other issue with the silence. Where were the workers?

No one was here. But wait. No. I was wrong.

Like an undertone to the odor of the paint, there was a copper tang. Unfamiliar vampire, too, but that could be my work crew—I didn't know them. They just worked for me.

I followed the scent of blood, past knocked-over paint buckets and through rooms where all the lights were on, to three dead workmen. They lay in a pool of blood, their heads half hanging off, and their hearts had been ripped from their chests. This was overkill and then some.

My own heart knocked against my ribs, gathering speed as I pulled my phone from my pocket and increased my walking pace, almost blurring through the house.

"Leia!" Her name was a plea. Something desperate as I forced it from my lips.

I took the steps two at a time and only glanced at my phone as I scrolled to Jason's speed-dial.

"Nic?" He already knew something was wrong. Could probably feel it in our blood bond.

"She's not here." I gasped the words out. "She's…something's wrong."

I followed her scent to a closed door and swallowed my next words with an audible gulp.

There was no heartbeat in the house, at least three dead workers, and a closed bedroom door.

I closed my eyes briefly as I pushed the door open, not wanting to confront my worst fear. But it was okay. Her bedroom was empty, and the bed didn't even look slept in. A breath of relief whooshed from me.

"Nic? I'm on my way." Jason sounded distracted now like he was focused on another task. "I'm getting my gun from the safe."

"I'm at her house. She's not here." I started to turn around, but something lying on the comforter of the pristine bed caught my gaze. I stepped closer. "Fuck, no."

I picked up the note, and the paper rustled as I tightened my fingers. My chest tightened, and I couldn't draw a breath or push one out. My head pounded, and my stomach roiled as I fought to retain my last meal.

"Nic?" Jason seemed to have forgotten most of his other words.

"We've got a problem." I spoke through gritted teeth, and I didn't need to see my reflection to know my eyes glowed red as I focused on the note again:

Let the war begin.

I bellowed my rage into the bedroom I'd had created for Leia—a bride's room with no bride. Someone had taken what belonged to me.

But worse, they'd taken Leia.

My Leia.

War. Fuck, yes. Someone had my mate, and I'd win every battle in front of me to reclaim her.

I'd burn the whole world to ash if I needed to.