Isla was on the king’s council and one of his most trusted advisors. She had made the New Orleans operation her single priority, since it was believed the Valta had made significant headway in breeding with humans to create hybrid infants. The woman had some wicked skills and intimidated many of even the strongest warriors. Tre was one of those warriors but he respected the hell out of the woman.
“Mathias had better get used to that feeling, Dev. I don’t think he’ll ever relax about ensuring the protection of those two females, whether there’s an imminent danger or not. And I can’t say I blame him.”
Tre smiled at the thought of the little Coteri princess. She was gorgeous. He had returned briefly to Germany to see the granddaughter of the king, the first-born Coteri born to a hybrid. Vivienne looked just like her mother, Mina. Beautiful dark-auburn hair, big chocolate-brown eyes and a smile that would bring a grown warrior to his knees. And Mathias had become a tyrant when it came to the safety of both of his girls.
The security at the castle had been tripled since the king’s personal guard, Gabriel, had been found to be a traitor to their race, his brother Simon killed by Gabriel’s own hand. And now that Vivi was here, Mina and Mathias were taking no chances about the health and well-being of their daughter. And that was just another thing weighing heavily on Tre’s mind—not only was Isla depending on Dev to find the hybrid babies, if there were any, but Dev was depending on him to locate the Valta and their lab.
Nothing like having a freight-train ton of pressure to go on top of the oppressive heat of this fucking place.
Tre brought them back on topic. “Anything more on the two girls found down by the warehouse district?”Dev shook his head. “Nothing we didn’t already know. Both branded, both recently gave birth, both beaten and their throats cut. And just like the others we researched, they both had some kind of special background. One was the daughter of a practicing witch and the other professed to be able to see ghosts. She worked with a local paranormal investigation team out of Metairie.”
Thanks to Talon’s newly discovered half-brother Sean researching all the files of the victims found in Seattle and New Orleans, they had made the connection between the abductions and the women. Each of them professed to have some kind of psychic or special ability and, coupled with both Mina and Sean’s human mothers being gifted in their own ways, they now knew what type of women were being targeted. The Valta theorized they could get a pregnancy to stick if they used gifted women. What they hadn’t figured out was how to make sure the pregnancy successfully made it to term, or that these “gifted females” were truly gifted. Or at least that was what the Coteri had deduced, since other than the medical records, all they had found were dead, mutilated women and no babies. It also didn’t hurt that the leader of the Valta, Valencia, and her sadistic son, Luca, hadn’t been spotted in a while. If they had succeeded in producing a hybrid, Dev and Tre were pretty confident that one of those bitches would start blabbing about their success.
But the question still remained—where the hell were they?
Tre followed Dev back into the office and shut the doors to the balcony. The cool breeze from the window units helped, but the sticky Louisiana heat was still stifling. His emotions were turbulent, his mind racing with the never-ending questions playing on a virtual repeat track through his head. He needed to calm the hell down, and the only way he figured he could do that was overdose on sugar. And he knew just the place to feed that particular craving.
“I’m going out for a while. Catch you later.” Tre tilted his chin at Dev and walked the three flights of stairs down to the main floor of the building. All the warriors on Dev’s team were housed on the second floor. Dev occupied the third with his residence and office. The first floor was their cover—a high-end antique store that didn’t bring in much traffic but served its purpose as the perfect front they needed on Royal Street.
Crossing the highly polished marble floor, he was careful to avoid knocking into one of the many priceless antiques on display. If that happened, Thea would have his ass. He dug his keys from his front jeans pocket and spotted Thea across the room, speaking to an older gentleman who was obviously a customer. Thea LeBlanc had worked for Dev for the past few years, managing the antique business. She was an extremely beautiful woman with a great head on her shoulders and a personality as sharp as a whip. Tre had witnessed her bringing Dev down a peg or a two a few times and, since very few people had the guts to do that to the general, Tre’s respect for the woman was rock-solid. He had also witnessed the way Dev’s gaze lingered a little too long on the female. Tre figured Dev was keeping his distance with Thea since she was human, but his general’s poker face sucked when it came to his interest in her. The old Tre would definitely have flipped Dev some shit over that one, probably repeatedly. But his current mood these past several months made levity a rarity.
Tre wondered when Dev would finally get off his ass and take his chances with Thea now that the Coteri law forbidding mating with humans had been lifted. After all, Roderick, their king, had successfully mated a human and his daughter, Mina, was the result. It would have been pretty hard to keep such a law in place after that kind of discovery. There was also the newly discovered hybrid, Dr. Sean O’Conner, Talon’s half-brother.
The news of Sean’s existence had been exposed during their last assignment in Washington, when Luca had made Chloe, Talon’s mate and Mina’s best friend, his latest target. Sean’s birth had been the result of Talon’s father mating with a human long after he had defected to the Valta, and no one had been more stunned than Talon to learn the truth—although Sean’s discovery of his true heritage had come in a close second. Sean had never known his father, who from all indications had forced himself on Sean’s young mother then disappeared, probably never realizing he had left her with child. Sean had grown up believing his father had died prior to his birth, so he had been utterly shocked to learn of his Coteri heritage and the fact he had a brother.
Still, the Coteri knew of the inherent dangers in such a mating, especially if a pregnancy occurred. Most often the result was the death of the human mother as well as the infant. That fact alone held most Coteri in check when it came to getting intimately involved with humans. It was obviously holding Dev back as well.
Thea turned toward Tre and gave him a dazzling smile. Not too tall, very curvaceous, with long chocolate-brown hair and violet eyes that would slay any man, Thea LeBlanc would be the death of Dev if he refused to let her in for much longer. Tre smiled back and tipped his head.
He walked out of the mildly cool building into the oppressive Louisiana heat. He headed down the block and around the corner to the parking garage. Once on the second floor, he found his car, started it, and immediately got the airconditioning cranking.
Cupcakes. He needed cupcakes.
* * * * *
Nicolette LeBlanc looked around the bakery and could only smile. She had only been in business for three months, but she had to admit, Voodoo Cakes Bakery was a sensation.
Nestled in between a Christmas shop and a souvenir store on Decatur, her location was primo when it came to the tourists. And like a cherry on top, she took advantage of the local mystery of voodoo. Her cupcake menu consisted of twelve different flavors that played off different herbs and spices connected to the voodoo arts. Chamomile for happiness, nutmeg for luck, mint for protection and apple and cinnamon for love. And, of course, each was decorated to represent its meaning. Who would ever have thought that a black frosted cupcake with a skull on top would be one of her top sellers?
Her grandmother, Caro, had been a practicing priestess and had owned a shop deep in the Quarter. Nic had loved watching all the rituals Caro had put on for the tourists. But once the shop doors closed for the night, Caro had shown Nic the benefits of learning the voodoo arts. It wasn’t the dark magic many people believed it was. It was light and protection. It was something she had always had an interest in and it had brought her closer to her Caro.
“Hey, sugar pants…what’s cookin’ today?”
Nic whipped around and smiled. “Hey, Tre! It’s been a while, hot stuff. How are you?” She reached out and gave him a big hug around his middle. The man was just too damn tall to hug his neck.
“Not bad, sweet cheeks. Been craving one of your double vanilla cupcakes. Can I get one with some chocolate milk?”
Nic reached up to tousle the ends of Tre’s long, wavy hair and turned toward her cooler. “You need a haircut, Tre. It’s gettin’ too long. You look like one of those big sheepdogs.” She placed the big glass of milk in front of him as he took a seat at the bar. She leaned over, opened the glass case and picked out a double vanilla cupcake. She placed it on a plate and slid it next to the milk. “There you go, hot stuff.”
Tre eyed the cupcake hungrily. “First I’m a dog and then I’m hot. Make up your mind. You’re giving me a complex, Nic.”
She giggled as she watched him all but stuff the entire cupcake in his mouth. “Hell, Tre! Don’t eat the whole damn thing in one bite. You gotta savor my masterpieces.”
After chewing and swallowing, Tre downed the entire glass of milk before setting it down with a resounding thunk on the counter. “Set me up again, Nic. I’m a man in need.”
Nic rolled her eyes and got another cupcake out of the case. “Not this again, Tre. It was just a one-night stand. I swear you’re worse than a chick. Why are you so hung up on this girl?” She filled his glass again but this time with white milk. “It’s not as if you’ve never cut and run after a date.” She winked, obviously trying to lighten his mood.
Tre looked at Nic and smiled, appreciating her efforts. His one human friend. He had met Nic through Thea and once Tre had found out that Nic baked for a living, the friendship had been a given. After all, Talon didn’t call him Betty for nothing. And the one thing that was guaranteed to calm him down when he was stressed was what Nic did for a living. Score!
Neither Thea nor Nic had any idea about the Coteri, a secret race of shifters who were duty-bound to protect the human race, but both women played an important role in Dev’s life as well as Tre’s. Both women calmed the storm. The only difference was that Nic was like a little sister to Tre and Dev wanted to jump Thea’s bones. Tre sometimes wished he could tell Nic the truth. Bring her into the fold, so to speak, so he would have someone to confide in. With Talon being recently promoted to general status and living in Washington with his new mate Chloe, and Tre’s subsequent assignment here, he felt more and more alone. Bringing Michael down from Talon’s territory had been a bonus but talking with Nic was different. He’d confided in her about meeting Alex and what had happened between them, including the part about her leaving him—he’d just conveniently left out the part about how Alex had mind-numbed him into a pseudo-paralysis in order to slip away from him.
He hated the limits he had to place on his conversations with Nic, but it was ultimately for her safety. If the Valta knew she was in the least bit important to him or any member of the Coteri, they would come for her. Especially given her history in the Voodoo arts, her gifts and what the Valta now believed was a crucial piece of the puzzle for successfully breeding with humans. He eyed Nic as she helped other customers. She was a tiny, pretty little thing. Short, dark pixie hair, a nose covered with freckles, and bright-blue eyes. Full of life and laughter. She should be someone Tre would be interested in spending intimate time with but he just couldn’t see her that way. She was his friend. Someone to talk to and have fun with. There was no way in hell he would mess that up.
Nic finished with a customer and walked back toward him. “Okay. Back to your ego. So what if she left? It’s not as if you didn’t give her what she wanted, right? I mean, come on—you could tell she was enjoying herself, right?”
Tre grinned. “Yeah. She enjoyed herself, all right. About six times.”
Nic’s eyes widened. “Six? Lucky girl.” She fanned herself in mocking amusement. “I usually end the night around two if I’m lucky, and that’s only if the guy is really talented. I’m impressed, hot stuff.”
Tre threw his napkin down on the counter. “Stop. Just stop. I am not thinking of you getting it on with a guy. TMI, Nic. You’re like my little sister. Jesus, if you care about me at all, don’t go there again!”
Nic laughed and flicked Tre’s nose with her finger. “Oh, get over it, Tre. I’m no rosebud waiting to bloom. I’ve pretty much been plucked, sucked and fucked enough to know what’s good and what isn’t.”
“Oh dear God. Stop!” Tre begged, covering his ears with his hands. “I do not want to hear this!”
Nic smiled unapologetically, obviously loving how easy it was to get a rise out of him. “It’s the truth, hot stuff. And I know one day my prince will come. But until then, it’s cupcakes and sprinkles for me.” She gave him a quick wink.
“By the way,” Nic continued as she began to wipe down the counter, “how’s your sexy buddy? I haven’t seen him around in a while.”
Tre cocked his head to the side and narrowed his gaze on her. “You mean Michael? Why?” Michael was the only member of Dev’s team he’d brought into Nic’s shop and he’d done so only once that he could remember.
Nic shrugged but didn’t return his gaze. “No reason. Just curious.”
Tre finished his second cupcake and polished off the milk. He threw a twenty onto the counter and blew Nic a kiss. “Love you, sugar pants. See you around.”
“Bye, sugar lips. Don’t be a stranger!”
Tre smiled and walked out into the blanket of heat that was New Orleans. He made a mental note to ask Michael about Nic. It was obvious she was deflecting and the big brother in him was on full alert. He needed to ensure that he kept the warrior away from the bakery and far away from Nic. Having Nic refer to Michael as sexy was trouble, and he needed to keep her away from any entanglement she could get into with a Coteri. Her safety depended on it. Tre headed back toward his car. Having gotten his sugar and Nic fix, he felt remotely better. But he was going to make damn certain Michael heeded his warning where Nic was concerned.
Chapter Three
Tre woke in the middle of the night to the earth-shattering sound of a woman screaming. He jumped out of bed, grabbed his knife and tore out into the hallway. No time for stairs as he hopped over the second-story railing and landed on the first floor. He followed the shrieking and found Thea hysterical in the back office of the antique store. Dev had her by the shoulders, trying to quiet her.
“She’s gone! Someone took her! Devereaux, please, get her back!”
Tre skidded to a halt outside the office. “They got who, Thea?”
Thea turned and looked at Tre. Her violet eyes were swollen and red from tears. “Nicolette. She’s gone! The bakery was broken into and there was blood everywhere but she was nowhere to be found. The police called and when I got there, I saw it all. The damage to the store, the blood.” Thea turned back toward Dev and placed her small hands on either side of his face. Her shattered gaze bore into his before she spoke. “I know you, Devereux, and I’ve spent enough time around you to know there’s more to you than what you allow others to see. I see something different about you. I feel it. I sense it. And I need you right now, more than ever. Get Nicolette back. Please, Devereux—I know you can do this. Get her back for me. She’s all I have left in this world!”
Tre’s chest tightened and his heart sank as Thea’s pleaded with Dev in shattered cries. His sweet Nic. Taken, brutalized. He could only pray she was still alive. He gripped his knife more tightly in his hand, wanting the permission only his general could give him.
Dev pulled Thea’s hands away
from his face and held them tightly in his. “Thea, honey. I don’t know what I could do for you. I’m a businessman. I’m not a cop or a detective. I’ll try, darlin’, but I don’t know what I could do.”
She thrashed her head from side to side in disagreement. “No. I know you. I’ve heard you talking. I know you’re looking into things. Into those killings that have been all over the news. The marks on those poor girls. Oh God, Devereaux, a symbol just like the one I’ve overheard you describing was marked on the floor of the bakery in blood. The police think it’s some sort of ritual cult but I’ve heard you talking. I’ve kept quiet, but damn you, I’ve heard you, Devereaux. Please! Please. I can’t lose my sister.”
Tre gripped his knife more tightly and cursed under his breath. “Fucking Valta!” They had his sweet Nic. They’d hurt her. And he was ready to go hunting, with or without Dev’s permission.
Dev pulled Thea into a tight embrace. “Oh Thea, darlin’. You have no idea who I really am.” He placed his hand on her head and ran his fingers over her long hair. “You have no idea what you’re asking me to do.” He blew out a breath and buried his face in her hair. “But for you, I’ll do what I can, bébé. For you.”
Dev lifted his gaze and looked over Thea’s head at Tre. He gave him a quick nod. That simple gesture was all Tre needed and he knew what it meant. Get the hell over to the bakery and find out what happened. Get the trail and track it to hell and back until he found Nicolette.
He turned and faced the rest of the warriors, who had quickly gathered in the store. Over the months, Tre had quickly come to trust these men, and he was confident they’d have his back in this. “Seth, Jude—you two get over to the bakery. Stay out of sight but canvas the area. I don’t care what form you use, just find me something. Marcus—you know some of the NOPD. See what they’ve found and report back to Dev. I’m going to track these fuckers. Michael—you’re with me. I need a second set of eyes.”
Infinite Desire Page 3