by V. A. Dold
Taking a shopping bag, she collected the ingredients from her well-stocked pantry. “Here you go. When are you serving the meal?”
Marcus let out a long breath. “I was going to do it tonight, but it looks like I have to soak the beans overnight. I guess it’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”
Emma glanced at the clock. “Not necessarily. Soaking overnight is about eight hours. If you get started now, the beans will be ready to fix for dinner.”
“Really? Dinner is a surprise. Do you think you can keep Cassidy busy until I get back?”
Emma’s eyes glittered with excitement. “You’ve got it. Now get going before she sees you leaving.”
Marcus kissed her cheek as he moved past her to sneak out the backdoor.
Utilizing shifter speed, he flew across the acres to his house. Once inside, he pulled out the pound bag of red beans and checked the instructions. Rinse the beans, and then soak them in a large pot of water. That sounded easy enough.
Examining the beans, he tried to figure out how big of a pot he’d need. Finally, he grabbed the largest pot he owned and a colander. He placed the colander in the sink, dumped the beans into it, and rinsed the bejeebers out of them. Scowling at the wet mess, he grabbed the sprayer and gave them another rinse for good measure before dumping them into the pot and filling it with water. Okay, where to hide it until tonight? The oven! He tucked the pot inside and out of sight.
With that done, he checked the rest of the ingredients listed against the bag of groceries his mother gave him. Oil, onion, bell pepper, celery, cayenne pepper, thyme, sage, parsley, Cajun seasoning, andouille sausage, ham, and rice. He breathed a sigh of relief. It was all there.
Then his heart sank. The prep time for the entire dish was three hours! How was he going to hide the fact he was making dinner if it cooked for three hours?
Scowling, he grabbed the groceries and headed to the refrigerator. Some of the items needed refrigeration. He dug through the bag for the pepper, celery, ham, and sausage while racking his brain over the three-hour cook time.
Finally, he conceded that making it a surprise wasn’t an option. He’d have to tell her about dinner and do something else to make the evening romantic. A slow smile spread across his face. He knew just what to do.
Marcus grabbed his phone and rang his brother. “Stefan?”
“Oh, hey, Marcus. What’s up?”
“Have you left for town yet?”
The sound of auto locks disengaging on Stefan’s car came through the phone. “No, I was just leaving, though. What do you need?”
“Don’t worry about going to town. I’m heading that way myself, and I’ll take care of it.”
“Oh, okay. Cool. Let me know what you find in the email and if a family meeting is called.”
“Will do. Say hello to El for me.”
“I’ll do better than that. I’ll give her a kiss,” Stefan growled suggestively and ended the call.
Marcus tucked his phone in his pocket, shaking his head. Glancing at the clock, he made for the door. He’d been gone for fifteen minutes. Odds were good, he could sneak into his parents’ house without her knowing he’d left at all.
Quietly, he opened the back door and poked his head inside. “Mom,” he whispered.
Emma spun on her heel, clutching her chest. “Dang it, Marcus. Don’t do that.”
Grinning, he closed the door behind him. “Sorry. I didn’t want Cassidy to hear me if she was near.”
Emma waved his concern away. “She’s still with the boys.”
“Good, because I need to ask for your help. Could you pull together a tablecloth, napkins, candles and candlesticks, and maybe some nice china?”
Emma gave him her full attention, grinning ear to ear. “Are you getting romantic on me, Marcus?”
Glowering, he folded his arms over his chest. “I’m romantic.”
Emma snorted. “And pigs fly.”
“Forget I asked,” he growled and made to stomp out of the kitchen.
His mother sighed. “Calm down. I’m just teasing. When do you need the romance package?”
Marcus stopped to think about that. “This afternoon. I’m going to the Quarter for a couple of hours, and I’ll pick it up on the way home.”
Emma lifted her chin toward the back door. “I’ll put the items by the door, so you can grab it and go.”
Smiling, Marcus gripped her shoulders and kissed her cheek. “Thanks, Mom.”
“You’re welcome, cher.”
Twenty
Marcus rapped his knuckles on the bedroom doorframe. “Are you two sharing secrets or can anyone join the conversation?” he teased as he entered the room.
“Dang it, Colin,” Cassidy stage whispered as she scooted sideways and made room for him to pull up a chair, “we’re busted,”
“Don’t worry. He didn’t hear you say that he’s hotter than hades,” Colin stage whispered back.
Marcus cocked a brow, grinning at Cassidy. “Really?” he asked, drawing out the word.
Cassidy snorted. “Hardly. I said your ego’s as big as Texas.”
Marcus nodded, still grinning. “Of course you did.”
He kissed her cheek, then turned to Colin, who was massaging his leg and wincing.
“Crap. Do you need some painkillers?” he asked as he rose to his feet to get his mother.
Colin shook his head. “It just aches a little.”
Cassidy laid her hand on Marcus’s arm. “I think we should let him rest.”
He patted her hand and glanced back at Colin. “We’re going to go. I have errands to run and things to take care of. Get better as quickly as possible so we can gang up on your sister.”
“Hey!” Cassidy protested.
“You’re on,” Colin agreed, thrusting out his hand to Marcus.
Marcus grinned and shook it happily.
Leaving the makeshift clinic, he leaned down and whispered, “Let’s say goodbye to my mother before we leave.”
Emma was pulling the last of the baked goods from the oven when they entered the kitchen. “How’re my patients?” she asked, pulling off her oven mitts.
Cassidy smiled warmly at Emma. “They’re both doing incredibly well. I’d like to do something for you and the healing team to show my appreciation. Is there something I can purchase that you’ve been wanting?”
Emma took her hand and patted it with her other. “No thanks needed, cher. Healing is what we’re called to do. If you really want to do something for me, you could give Isaac and me another grandchild as soon as possible.”
Cassidy gasped, and Marcus gave his mother a censoring look. “You’re putting the cart before the horse mother,” he scolded. “We’ve only known each other for a short time, and we would like a period of time as a couple before we’re a family.”
Emma glanced at him and then Cassidy before smiling to herself. Marcus narrowed his eyes. No doubt she knew something she wasn’t willing to share just yet.
When he saw a mischievous glint flash in her eyes, he knew he had to get Cassidy out of there before his mother said something even more outrageous.
“Thank you for everything, Mom. We have errands to run and need to get going.”
“Oh! Okay, have a good day,” Emma called as he rushed Cassidy out the door.
Halfway to his house, Marcus slowed his pace to let Cassidy catch her breath.
“Why all the rush?” she panted out.
“I love my mother dearly, but you never know what she’ll say next. Besides, we need to take a look at the email.”
“You’re right. We can’t assume you’re safe simply because you’re on the plantation. It would be easy enough for someone to figure out where you’ve gotten to. We need to know who’s behind the contract and address that threat once and for all.”
Ten minutes later, Marcus sat back and exhaled a long breath. “What a mess.”
Cassidy’s expression insisted he elaborate. “Care to enlighten me?”
“It’s a long story, but ba
sically, a friend of mine was on the run with the woman who later became his wife. She saw a mob hit, and they wanted her silenced before she could testify. When the mob kept finding them, no matter where they went, he asked for help. My family and our friends answered his request and helped defend the woman at my brother’s ranch in Texas.”
Marcus rubbed his face with his hands. “During the fight, which they brought to us, mind you, approximately thirty men connected to the mob were killed. This Devin Mitchell seems to think I’m the one who killed his father, Jerome.”
Cassidy leaned in to read the email over his shoulder. Finally, she asked, “Did you kill his father?”
Marcus raked his fingers through his hair. “I have no idea. It’s not like I stopped to introduce myself in the heat of battle.”
“I wonder why he locked onto you as the responsible person for his father’s demise. Have you ever met this Devin? Maybe he felt slighted by you at some point?”
When Marcus narrowed his eyes at her, she lifted her hands. “I’m not saying it makes any sense, but in my experience, most reasons for contracting a hit are usually whacked. No pun intended.”
“I could have met him somewhere, but I meet hundreds of people every year. It’s not like I remember everyone.”
Cassidy nodded absentmindedly like she was thinking it through. “Regardless of if you met him or not, he believes you killed his father. He either needs to be convinced you didn’t, or he needs to be eliminated.”
“You may be onto something there. Remember the other paranormals you didn’t want to know about?”
Cassidy crossed her arms, and hesitantly said, “Yeah.”
“One of those other kinds can read minds and change memories. If he can trace this mess back to the moment Devin decided I was his father’s killer, he can change the memories from that point forward. If he can do that, we won’t have to eliminate him.”
She sat down hard in the chair beside him. “I’m glad I didn’t ask.”
He took her hand and squeezed it. “Don’t worry, mon amour. I’ll talk to my father and see what he thinks before we make a move. And that’s why I need to go to the city. Do you want to come along, or would you rather hang out here?”
“I’ll go with you. My wardrobe is pathetically limited. Now that I’m retired and staying in Louisiana, I need to buy a few things.”
He gave her a hot look. “Are there any lacy things on your shopping list?”
Cassidy bit her lip. “Maybe.”
“Excellent. You can give me a fashion show later. We better get back on track with these errands before I drag you off to my lair and tie you to my bed. First off, I need to go to the office, and after meeting with my father, I’ll probably meet with Etienne on the far end of the Quarter. I’ll drop you off at the Shops at Canal Place on the way to the office. You should be able to find everything you want there, and you can call me when you’re done shopping.”
“Okay. As long as you call me if you need an assassin after you talk to your father.”
Marcus wrapped his palm around the back of her neck and pulled her close for a kiss. “If I need assistance, you’re the first person I’ll call.”
She scowled at his teasing but kissed him back.
Before the kiss landed them in bed, he pulled away. “I’m ready to go when you are.”
She headed for the bedroom, swaying her hips provocatively as she said, “Give me a minute to put something comfortable on.”
“Cassidy,” he growled in warning.
“Get your mind out of the gutter. I’m talking about my feet. I need my tennis shoes.”
“Evil woman,” he grumbled good-heartedly under his breath.
* * * * *
As Marcus pulled up to the shopping center, he glanced at the clock on the dash. “Will three hours be enough time for you?”
Cassidy unclipped her seatbelt and grabbed her purse. “That should be plenty of time, why?”
“I thought Johnny’s Po Boys would be fun for lunch.”
“That’s a great idea. It’s on my list of places I wanted to try, and I haven’t been there yet.”
Marcus leaned across the seats to kiss her. “Excellent. If you get done early, call me, and I’ll swing by to pick you up.”
“Okay. See you in a few.” She gave him one last kiss and got out of the car.
Marcus drove the few blocks to the Le Beau building and made his way to his father’s office. “Hey, Dad,” he said in greeting as he came through the door.
“Marcus. How are you today?”
“Great. No better than great. Cassidy claimed me last night,” he announced.
Isaac jumped from his chair and grabbed Marcus in a man hug. “Congratulations, son.”
“Thanks, Dad. But that’s not the only reason I’m here. Cassidy got word from her friends in DC. I’m still a target. It seems Jerome Mitchell’s son believes I killed his father and is hell-bent on getting justice.”
Isaac frowned and retook his chair behind the desk. “So that’s what this is all about?”
“Seems so. Anyway, we have two options to consider, and I want your opinion about which to take. The first option is to eliminate the problem. Personally, I’d rather not. More killing isn’t the answer.”
Isaac sat forward, steepling his fingers. “And the second option?”
“Etienne.”
“Ah. He would be an effective alternative. Besides, this issue started with his people. We were protecting a witch for him, after all.”
“That’s what I thought. If he can delve deep enough into Devin Mitchell’s memories and erase all knowledge of me, there would be no reason for him to pursue the contract.”
Isaac nodded. “The contract. I’ll have Quin do his computer wizardry. We don’t want emails, phone records, and the like raising questions after Etienne does his thing.”
“Good idea. While you talk to him, I’ll have a chat with Etienne. Could you give Stefan a call too? He wanted to know what we decided to do.”
“Sure. I’ll pass the word onto the family.”
“Thanks. I knew bouncing this problem off of you would be helpful. I better get going, I have to collect Cassidy from the mall in a few hours. See ya, Dad.”
“Have a great day, and congratulations again,” Isaac said as Marcus rose to leave.
Still grinning, Marcus called the elevator. Which to do first, Etienne or the jewelers? He pulled his phone from his pocket and texted Etienne.
M: Hey there, fang boy, you in town?
E: Not yet, furry ass. I should be at the mansion in an hour.
M: Great. I’ll see you there. Have to talk.
E: I’ll be in the library. See you soon.
Decision made Marcus collected his car from the valet.
“Have a great day, Mr. Le Beau.”
“Thanks, Jeff. You too.”
Five blocks over, a quick right onto Conti Street, another right onto Royal Street, and he was parking in front of the jeweler. “It’s a beautiful morning, Jack, and I need the prettiest ring you have,” he called as he walked through the door.
Jack chuckled. “Yes, it is. I assume you’ve found your mate.”
“Found and claimed. I’m making dinner and proposing tonight. Chop chop, man. I need that ring,” he teased.
“Prettiest ring, huh?” Jack perused his display cases. “Here it is,” he proclaimed, pulling a tray from the case. Grinning, he presented a fancy antique blue and white diamond ring for Marcus’s approval.
Marcus fought back his grimace. “That’s very pretty, but not Cassidy’s style. Put it this way. She just retired as a professional assassin.”
Jack’s eyes widened. “I see. You’re right, something so girly won’t do.”
Marcus quickly added, “I like blue diamonds, though. They match her eyes.”
“Hmm,” Jack went back to eyeing his stock with a critical eye. Suddenly, he grinned. “How do you feel about wearing a ring with diamonds?”
“Me?
I hadn’t given my ring any thought. I suppose it would depend on the ring.”
“I have an idea.” Jack pulled a tray of wedding bands from the case, removed two rings, and placed them on a velvet tray. “Matching blue diamond bands. The man’s ring is a wide platinum band with a single channel of square blue diamonds. The woman’s is also platinum, with the difference being, it has three channels. The outer two are set with white princess cut diamonds, and the center channel is blue princess cut diamonds. It’s stunning and yet unencumbering.”
Marcus picked up the rings and examined them. The longer he looked at them, the more he liked the idea of matching rings. Then he slipped the man’s ring on his finger and examined it again. He’d never considered himself a gemstone wearing man, but he really liked the ring.
Then something occurred to him. The man’s ring fit his finger perfectly, but what about Cassidy’s? “I don’t know her ring size,” he sighed.
“That’s no big deal. Propose with that one, and if it doesn’t fit, I’ll make another one that does.”
Marcus eyed the woman’s ring. “You can’t resize this one?”
“If it had a bottom shank of solid platinum I could, but the stones go all the way around. It has to be made to fit.”
“That makes sense. What size is this one?”
“The most common ring sizes for women range between size six and eight, so I made this one a seven.” Jack shrugged. “It’ll fit about fifty percent of my female patrons.”
A smile tugged at his lips again. “I like those odds. All right, I’ll take them.”
“Excellent.”
While Jack rang up the sale, Marcus looked around the shop. “Hold on, Jack. I want these, too,” he said, tapping the top of a display case.
“Oh, these are the perfect choice to go with her ring,” Jack pronounced as he took the blue and white diamond necklace and earring set from the case.
“That’s what I thought. What’s the saying? Something new and blue? She can wear them for the wedding and then have them for fancy corporate parties.”
Jack returned to the register to complete the sale. “That’s very forward-thinking of you. I can’t wait to see her wearing the entire ensemble.”