Chapter Two

 

 

Four years flew by in the blink of an eye. Richie couldn’t believe the girls were already graduating. Tonight, they were coming to the bar for one final toast to best friends and a night on the town before Teresa got hitched and Billie started her master’s degree program.

A melancholy smile tugged at the corners of his lips, and his heart ached. Dang, he would miss those ladies. At least Karen had decided to stay in New Orleans, and Billie would be around a couple of more years.

The expression on the faces of single men when he walked in with four beautiful women never got old, either. They had no idea he hadn’t dated a single one of them, but that was his secret. Let them eat their hearts out wondering.

How much longer? He twisted his wrist to check his watch. Dang it, there was still an hour before they would show. At least the bar was busy enough to supply an adequate distraction.

Richie rubbed his aching chest. Pain stabbed his heart again. Two of the women he considered little sisters were moving away. Earlier that morning, he had helped them pack up their apartment and load their cars. Thank goodness, Billie and Karen were staying. He couldn’t take losing them all at once.

The blasted hour finally dragged its rear end to a close. Any second now, his ladies would walk through the door.

He leaned against the back bar and recalled the fun times they had spent together. There weren’t many restaurants the five of them hadn’t tried. Of course, Café Du Monde was always good for a few laughs. He’d lost count of the number of times they had gone for late-night beignets and chocolate milk to soak up the alcohol they’d consumed. He closed his eyes and easily pictured the powdered sugar flying. They learned early on not to wear dark colors if they were going for beignets after clubbing.

His daydream disintegrated when Billie’s voice broke through his melancholy thoughts. “Can I get a little service over here?”

Then he heard Helen ask, “Are you all right, Richie?”

His gaze zeroed in on his friends seated across the bar. Running around the twenty-foot behemoth would take too long. He vaulted over the dang thing and swept as many of them into his arms as he could manage.

“Hey there, big guy. Are you okay?” Teresa asked as she extracted herself from his grip.

“I never thought this day would end. I’m going to miss you gals so dang much!”

“What are we? Chopped liver?” Billie and Karen blustered. “And here we brought new friends.”

Richie pulled Billie and Karen into a rib-cracking group hug. “You have no idea how grateful I am that you’re sticking around.”

Billie laughed. “Well, all right then. You’re forgiven.” Then she mock scowled at Helen and Teresa. “Since our old friends are abandoning us, let me introduce our new crew. These lovely ladies are Pam Altman, Amy Olson, Jessie Clemons, and Jackie Allman.”

Richie said hello to each in turn and shook their hands.

“They’re our cohorts in crime. Pam is particularly gifted with cherry bombs. Watching her blow up a toilet is a thing of beauty.”

Richie barked out a laugh. “As long as you stay away from my bathroom with your explosives, we’ll get along great.”

“Don’t write me off completely,” Teresa hurriedly said. “I want you at my wedding.”

Richie pulled Teresa close and kissed her cheek. “Screaming banshees couldn’t keep me away.”

“Good, you had me worried. It wouldn’t be right if you weren’t there.”

“Can we get this party on the road?” Billie asked as she slid from her bar stool.

“Absolutely. Let me clock out and change. I’ll only be a minute.”

Everyone began talking at once. What should they do on their last night in town?

Billie watched Teresa look left and right, taking in her best friends, then a grin pulled at Teresa’s lips as she pushed back from the bar. “You know, I think we should do something crazy and touristy as a goodbye to this great old city.”

“Like what?” Helen asked.

“I know what we should do,” Billie squealed. “Why don’t we take a vampire tour?”

Karen frowned and grumbled, “A vampire tour? That’s stupid.”

“Karen is just scared a real vampire is going to jump out and bite her,” Helen teased.

“I am not,” Karen denied. But they all knew she hid under the covers when they watched scary movies.

“Well, I think it’s a great idea,” Teresa said, backing up Billie’s suggestion.

“What’s a great idea?” Richie asked when he rejoined them, tucking in his shirt.

“A vampire tour,” Billie answered excitedly. “We’ve been here for four years, and we’ve never taken the tour.”

“Okay, if you really want to. In my opinion, those tour guides don’t know shit, but this is just for fun, so I’m in.”

“Vampires aren’t real,” Karen said. Then she glanced at Helen. “Right?”

“No, silly,” Helen said firmly as she grabbed her purse. “We’re just teasing you.”

Karen sighed. “That’s what you think. I met a gang of them in Savannah,” she mumbled under her breath. She had to maintain the pretense of being scared or her friends would become suspicious.

Richie checked the time. “It’s six. We have a couple hours to waste before the tours start for the night. I vote we buy the tour tickets, then find dinner and maybe a drink or two. A few cocktails might spice up the tour and make it more interesting.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Teresa agreed. “Where should we eat?”

“Since it’s your last hurrah, how about dinner at Irene’s. I love their Lamb à la Provence.”

“Awesome! There’s a ticket office between here and there,” Helen interjected.

“Why are we still sitting here? Let’s go,” Billie said and took Richie’s arm as she marched out the door. At the last second, she turned to Karen. “Come on, sweetie. I’ll keep you safe from the scary vampires and ghosts. Who knows, we might even see a werewolf.”

Richie chuckled and nudged her. “Stop it, you big meanie. You’re getting her all worked up.”

They were one shop down from the tour office when Teresa squealed, pointing at the souvenir store’s window. “Oh my goodness! Vampire fangs! We should all wear them during the tour.” She ran inside to purchase enough for everyone.

Teresa was in and out in about two minutes. Her smile lit her face like a thousand-watt bulb as she waved a bag full of plastic fangs. The ladies groaned, but in the end, they would all be sporting fangs, no doubt about it.

 

 

Etienne Delacour stood before his dressing mirror, buttoning his dress shirt. He tucked the tails neatly into his slacks and smoothed the front before pulling on his suit coat and tugging down the cuffs until a glimpse of white shown at his wrists.

As always, he was impeccably dressed and groomed. No doubt a habit held over from his days at court. His parents had raised him and his twin brother, Ivan, to be the personification of royalty and sophistication. After all, he was the heir to the throne, and Ivan was the spare.

His father, Ambrogio, was the original vampire created by the goddess Artemis. When Etienne was younger, that heritage had weighed heavily on his shoulders. Though now, after a few centuries away from court and all its trappings, the weight was barely noticeable. He had left that royal court nonsense to Ivan when he made a pact with his twin.

They had split the world in half. It seemed only fair since there were two of them and Etienne loathed court. So now, Ivan ruled Europe, and he ruled the Americas. That way Ivan was happy, and Etienne was free to rule the new world in peace.

Since sharing the throne, Ivan had backed off with his assassination attempts, which was what Etienne had suspected would happen. Ivan had what he wanted, and his brother’s reason for trying to kill him no longer existed.

Being the second born had turned his twin into a spiteful, nasty man. Ivan had felt cheated of his birthright simply because he was born five minutes later than Etienne. Etienne understood that. He might have felt the same had he been the second born.

Ivan’s animosity and threats against his family had finally led to his removal from the palace. Ivan claimed traveling to Asia for an extended tour was his idea. The family knew the truth but allowed the story to circulate among their people. Though he didn’t trust his twin, Etienne loved his brother despite Ivan’s hatred and that had hurt more than he ever admitted.

He hadn’t seen his twin again until their parents died and the throne passed to him. The hundred-plus years Ivan had been on his own appeared to have changed him. He had matured and seemed to be in control of his temper.

Etienne spent time with Ivan getting reacquainted and studying his behavior. Ivan never once showed aggression nor made a threat. Either his brother had changed, or he was one hell of an actor. Etienne chose to believe Ivan had become a better man.

Regardless, he kept certain family secrets to himself. Ivan hadn’t earned his trust yet. Once he was sure that Ivan was capable of ruling, he had struck the shared rulers deal with his brother. Shortly thereafter, Etienne left Romania to travel the world.

But that was the past, and he refused to dwell on it. The perfume of spring blooms filled the air, heralding summer would be here soon. That alone raised his spirits and washed away all thought of the past.

With a quick brush of his hair, he swept it back and tied it with a black leather thong. So maybe he hadn’t given up all of his old habits. He still couldn’t bring himself to use those ridiculous stretchy hair bands.

He had tried to blend in and be hip to fashion and grooming trends. Heck, a couple of decades ago, he tried to wear a leisure suit but quickly learned the height of fashion wasn’t his cup of tea. He would stick to his suits unless cartoon characters were involved. But that guilty pleasure was strictly relegated to his pajama pants and coffee cup.

Etienne whirled on his heel and headed down the stairs. He was almost to the front door when Nick stuck his head out of the great room.

“Hey, boss. Where are you off to?”

“I am going to monitor the vampire tour tonight. It has been too long since we have listened in on the humans.”

“Yeah, okay. While you do that, I’ll do a sweep of the Quarter. I keep telling Janet that she needs to take one of us with her if she leaves the estate, but she won’t listen. No matter how many times I tell her that witches are in danger as long as the guild is skulking around, she ignores me and takes off on her own anyway. I’m at my wit’s end for how to keep her safe. Hopefully, our spies on the streets may have information on the guild and what their plans are.”

Magic has existed since the beginning of time, thus wielders of magic have been around just as long. It wasn’t until sixteen hundred and four that the use of magic became a crime punishable by death. The guild was formed to wipe every witch from the face of the earth.

The vampires believe that all magical beings have a symbiotic relationship. The loss of even one magical species would create a catastrophic imbalance. Because of that, when the guild endangered the witch population the vampires stepped forward and formed the League of Guardians to protect the singular practitioners, the most vulnerable of the witches.

“Outstanding idea. Good night, Nick.”

Outside, the heat and humidity of the unseasonably warm evening were more than he’d expected. He took a moment to lower his body temperature until he was comfortable. Then he turned left and headed down the sidewalk. He knew the circuit the tour guide followed and there were only five blocks between his home and the corner where he would intercept the tour group.

As he walked, he glanced at each human along the way. If one were a guild member, he would know. They had an unmistakable look and scent about them.

Royal Street hosted the high-end stores and galleries in the French Quarter. Regardless of how many times he strolled the street, he enjoyed looking into the storefronts. He smiled as he walked past the Cornstalk Hotel. That house was one of his favorites. If it had provided the space and rooms he required for his New Orleans compound, he would have purchased it. Sadly, it didn’t, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t admire the beautiful architecture.

He walked with his head up and eyes alert. He didn’t need to watch his step. He knew every crack and uneven portion of sidewalk. And the cacophony of sounds drifting out of the open doors of the bars on Bourbon Street offered nothing new either. The constancy was comforting after spending time away from his beloved city.

When a woman whistled appreciatively behind him, Etienne didn’t bother to look over his shoulder. The unwanted attention was tiresome but expected. That was the problem with living in a tourist location that attracted people looking for a good time. He tended to pick up gawkers and receive propositions whenever he left the house.

Etienne knew better than to stop or engage. That only led to additional unwanted attention. Instead, he amped up his don’t fuck with me vibe and kept walking.

 

 

Billie sighed and rubbed her distended tummy. Dinner proved to be as delicious as Richie promised. With their stomachs full and a few cocktails under their belt, it was time for the vampire tour. It was time for the vampire tour. The cashier at the ticket office said to meet on the steps of the cathedral. So, there they sat, waiting for their tour guide to appear.

A few minutes later, a man in a dramatic long black coat and top hat rounded the corner. Billie rolled her eyes at the spectacle he made. That had to be him. No one else would be crazy enough to wear a full-length coat in the heat wave New Orleans was suffering through.

Other than their group of nine, there was a family of four and a young couple. It looked like the tour was going to be an intimate affair.

The first couple of times the tour guide stopped to talk, he told stories that were more along the lines of a history lesson than anything to do with creatures bearing fangs.

“This sucks!” Billie hissed into Teresa’s ear. “We’re on a vampire tour with no vampires.”

“Yeah. I noticed.”

Billie’s annoyance faded as she felt the hair on the back of her neck rise. Damn it. She was being watched again. Screw that! If it was another mugger, bring it on. She was in the mood to kick a mugger’s ass tonight.

To her surprise, this felt different. Not so much threatening or dangerous. Instead, the feeling was laced with intent and interest. What the heck?

Nonchalantly, Billie turned her head. There was no sign of the source of her discomfort. No one was paying attention to them at all.

Sure, there were people on the sidewalk and street—tons of tourists and even a few tarot card readers with tables along the fence enclosing the cathedral’s back garden. But not a single person was looking their way.

Billie shook her head. “I must be imagining things.”

At least that’s what she told herself until she spotted a man leaning against the corner of the building across the street. Goose bumps raced across her skin. He was staring directly at her.

Though she couldn’t see his eyes, she felt them on her. She doubted he even blinked. How dangerous could he be? He was dressed in a crisp white dress shirt, black sports coat, matching slacks, and sporting sexy sunglasses. Granted, the glasses were a strange addition since the sun was down, but they sure were smoking hot on him. She shrugged. He was probably just a businessman curious about the tour group.

From this distance, she had no idea if he was handsome or ordinary. He obviously had long hair; she’d glimpsed a ponytail when he turned to watch a pedestrian walk by. The dark sunglasses he wore obscured his eyes, and the shadow he stood in made it impossible to tell much else.

In fact, given his glasses, she couldn’t say for sure where he was looking, but every goose bump on her body said he was focused on her. It made little difference. Stuffed suits weren’t her type. She preferred bad boys.

Her mind wrote him off as a threat, but her intuition screamed to keep an eye on him. She couldn’t put her finger on the issue, but there was something about him. She’d never gotten a dark and dangerous vibe off a suit before. But this guy was dripping with commanding, dominant energy. Although, it didn’t feel like his dark energy was directed at her. No, it was more like he was accustomed to being in charge of everything he surveyed.

She rubbed her neck to ease the sensation, wishing he would turn his attention elsewhere.

“Is something wrong?” Richie asked.

“No. It’s nothing,” she said a little too quickly and tried to cover with a smile.

Not only did the feeling not fade, it grew stronger. The man was intense, fierce, and oozing danger. But for some reason, which Billie couldn’t explain, she knew he would never hurt her. Actually, it felt like the opposite. This guy would shred anyone who threatened her. How the heck did she know that? She hadn’t even met the guy, and he already unnerved her.

If she pointed the man out, there was no telling what Richie would do. He was very protective of all the girls, and this was their last night in the French Quarter as a group. So, she kept her thoughts to herself. She didn’t want a fight or, for that matter, to get the cops involved.

 

 

Etienne crossed his arms and leaned a shoulder against the post that supported the overhang above the entrance to Peter O’Neill’s art studio. A strange and yet oddly fascinating woman among the tour group across the street had caught his attention. It wasn’t that she dressed strangely; they were in the French Quarter, after all. No, it was more her demeanor and her essence. He dipped his head and looked at her over the top of his dark lenses for a moment. Still perplexed, he shoved them back in place and tugged at his earlobe as he tried to pin down what it was about her that fascinated him.

He followed at a distance as the tour group moved on to the next location. Though he kept a block between himself and the group, he could hear every word spoken. It was interesting that his friend Richie Majors was taking the tour. Even more interesting, Richie seemed to know the woman who piqued his interest.

By the time the group stopped again, he had heard all of their names. That group of ladies chattered incessantly, which was useful for collecting intel. He wondered which name belonged to the woman with rainbow hair.

“Surprise, surprise, another history lesson and not a vampire or the legend of one in sight,” Teresa snarked to Richie.

Etienne chuckled. Those two were amusing with their sarcasm and irreverent comments whispered back and forth. Their antics got two of the others going. The tour guide ignored them and continued his rehearsed speech. Undoubtedly, accustomed to hecklers.

“We’re stopping at a bar soon, right?” Pam asked.

Amy nodded and fanned herself a little faster. “Yeah, the guide said there would be a break at some pirate place.”

Billie only half listened. Her radar was pinging faster than a Las Vegas slot machine hitting the jackpot. She stood still and searched with her senses. She felt the suit again, but she just couldn’t locate him. She slowly turned in a circle, stretched out her gift, and tried to pinpoint the dark, intense energy of the man.

Richie dropped back to stand with her and the other girls, effectively ending her search. “You guys having fun back here?”

“I guess,” Pam grumbled. “I can’t believe they get away with calling this a vampire tour.”

“I tried to tell you at the bar. These guys don’t know shit.”

Billie raised an eyebrow. “And you do?”

Richie fidgeted. “Well, I’m sure I could do better than that guy. I grew up hearing a lot of stories. I could tell some that would curl your toes.”

The girls nodded, and Billie grinned. “I bet you could. You’ll have to share them sometime.”

They suffered through two more tour stops, and you guessed it, there were no vampires. Thank goodness, it was time for a break. Billie’s feet were killing her. Besides, if they stayed in one place for a while, she might be able to locate the suit. She knew he was keeping pace with the tour group. She felt his energy following them.

“Thank you, baby Jesus!” Pam said overly loud.

“I’ll catch up to you guys. I want to check something out,” Billie said, casually searching the street for a sign of the suit.

“You got it, cher. Come on, ladies. I’m buying.” Richie grinned as he escorted the girls into the darkened interior of Jean Lafitte’s.

“I’m hanging with you,” Karen stated, folding her arms over her chest. “You can’t fool me. I know you sensed something and it’s bugging the heck out of you.”

“Yeah, we’re staying, too,” Helen agreed for herself and Teresa.

Etienne was intrigued. What was it about this woman that drew him so powerfully? For the life of him, he couldn’t stop following her. Why did a woman who dressed in tacky clothing and used the vocabulary of a sailor captivate him? For some reason, he found her amusing and oddly beguiling.

That was when it happened, the breeze picked up, and he stifled a gasp. Her scent enveloped him like a warm caress. She smelled rich and sweet. The fragrance didn’t smell like perfume from a bottle but more like a flower. A stargazer lily? Possibly. He inhaled again and reached out a hand to the brick wall for support as his blood stirred.

Etienne was dumbstruck. And he wasn’t a vampire who was ever dumbstruck.

His heart pumped as if he had run from his bayou estate to the city, and to his surprise, his slacks grew tight. Goddess, have mercy. This unusual woman was his soulmate.

He remained in the shadow cast by the wall covered in vines, trying to wrap his brain around the realization. After a moment, he lifted a hand and extended his fingers, tempted beyond reason to touch the human. Then he reluctantly closed his fist.

An unexpected touch from a strange man in the shadows would undoubtedly send her screaming into the night. That was the polar opposite of what he wanted.

She stood with her back to him, recounting a funny story to her friends. Holy hell, her laughter triggered his fangs and caused other needs to rise as well. The reverberations of the throaty sound vibrated through every cell of his body, stiffening parts he had neglected for far too long.

Mustering his control, he stepped from the shadow. “Good evening,” his smooth baritone voice purred.

He heard her gasp as she spun to face him.

Etienne felt her shock and was surprised by her reaction. Ordinarily, his glasses tempered the magnetic pull of his gaze. He had better dial it back a bit before he scared her off completely.

He could also tell his acute scrutiny made her edgy. But then, he made everyone edgy. The effect he had on others was precisely why he worked hard to cultivate a warm, happy-go-lucky attitude for the most part. A small grin tugged at his lips as he considered what some would say about him having a happy-go-lucky anything, much less an attitude.

Normally, he was careful to avoid eye contact unless he had schooled his expression and dialed back the vibes a vampire as old as he naturally exuded. This woman threw him off balance more than he cared to admit.

But he couldn’t take his eyes off the lush beauty, which left one option. With a massive effort, he curbed his vampiric sex appeal. It wasn’t easy when he wanted to pounce on her like a leopard on a gazelle.

Her eyes widened as she took in the hottest man she’d ever laid eyes on. She didn’t know where to look first as she checked him out from head to toe. And there was a heck of a lot to check out.

He was tall, like get a crick in your neck looking up at him tall. Standing at least six-foot-three, he towered over her vertically challenged height. Wisps of long, wavy black hair had escaped from his ponytail and floated around his shoulders on the breeze. He wore an expensive suit with a crisp starched white shirt. His clothing would have looked odd on any other man with hair so long. But the combination on this sexy man was sheer perfection.

When he took a step toward her, her gaze shot to his. She wondered what his eyes looked like behind the dark sunglasses he wore. Suddenly unsteady, she grabbed Karen’s arm to catch her balance before she fell headlong into Mr. Sexiness.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Etienne Delacour.” Then he bowed and held his breath.