Andre smiled smugly. “I said that I told him you would be unarmed, not that you actually would be unarmed. I’ve got some very well hidden weaponry that I think you’ll feel secure with. But Lucy, you are right. We can’t trust them, so watch your back. Oscar has a private suite. He’ll bring you and Mira up there immediately, then he’ll have Ephebia sent up, presumably for dinner, entertainment or whatever sick stuff that normally goes on. I’ll be in the building next door with two members of our team here. The buildings are connected on the north side and the balconies can be reached easily. You’ll all make your escape that way.”
Lucy looked at Andre as if he had just grown another head. “You honestly think it will be that easy?”
“Not at all,” Andre said with an apologetic frown, “which is why you are going to be armed to the teeth. You are right, the only advantage we have is knowing that you are walking into a trap. Neither Oscar nor Mira know that other agents are involved. As soon as Ephebia is out of there, you are too.”
Lucy mulled over all of the ways that the plan could fail. There were too many. “Well,” she sighed. “At least I have one advantage that you don’t.”
“What’s that?”
Lucy smiled viciously. “I never promised anyone that I wouldn’t kill Mira.”
Chapter 27
Lucy checked her appearance in the mirror for what was probably the fiftieth time, fingering the heavy, diamond studded bracelet on her left arm. Despite the reassurance that each of the thirteen precious stones was attached to a hidden miniature CPA, she felt overexposed and under armed. Her outfit, a mere scrap of black silk couture that had cost more than her entire wardrobe back home, was not what she would have picked, but with time being short Lucy had no time to shop for a dress that was both elegant and functional. Rather, Lona made all of the arrangements remotely through a design house in Paris that she was on friendly terms with. With her feet strapped into a pair of equally overpriced and impractical black leather stilettos, quick moves and defensive postures would be impossible, but a certain look was mandatory for admittance into the exclusive club.
Perhaps under different circumstances Lucy might have enjoyed the chance to dress up in red carpet worthy clothing. She had to admit, she liked the way the shoes and short hemline of the dress made her now muscular legs look long, and the way her salon styled up-do gave her a polished, sophisticated glamour. But the idea of walking into what was most likely a trap made it impossible to enjoy her Cinderella moment.
Picking up the tiny sequined clutch, Lucy took a deep breath and went downstairs, gripping the bannister tightly, lest she trip over the five inch heels, bringing about a premature beginning to the evenings calamities.
Andre, already dressed for anonymity in a black turtleneck, black jeans, and leather jacket, was double-checking the weapons and equipment he would need for the night when Lucy made her entrance. The wrist holster he had been checking slipped from his grasp unnoticed.
“Lucy, uh…wow,” Andre stammered. “You look…a-amazing.” He was staring and he didn’t care. Lucy’s outfit left little to the imagination. It took all of Andre’s resolve not to carry her back upstairs, lock them both in his bedroom, and forget completely about the existence of vampires.
“Thanks,” Lucy said with a timid smile. She eyed the pile of weapons on the coffee table. “You’re prepared for a war.”
“I am.” Andre zipped up a pack and slung it over his shoulder. “I just hope it doesn’t come to that. I’m going to start loading this into the car.”
“Do you have my boots in there? I don’t want to think about trying to run in these things, let alone trying to climb up buildings.”
Andre smiled and patted a bag on the table. “Boots, a change of clothes, your weapons, and phone.”
“Smart,” Lucy grinned shyly. “I hadn’t even thought about a change of clothes. Lona would probably kill me if I trash a five thousand dollar Auvegney original before she got to borrow it.”
“I'm far less worried about the dress than I am about the woman wearing it.” His words were stern, but his expression was one of such tender sincerity that Lucy had to turn away before she did something they might both regret.
Andre picked up a few more bags and headed down to the garage. When everything was packed, he came back for Lucy. “Ready?” He held out his hand, which Lucy accepted graciously since trying to get up from the overstuffed sofa was precarious in her shoes.
“Not really,” Lucy sighed, “but when has that stopped me before?”
“I almost forgot...” He reached into his coat pocket, withdrew a small velvet bag, and shook out a pair of diamond studded hoop earrings. “Your earrings are beautiful, but I’m going to have to insist that you wear this pair. There’s a tracking device in both of them, just in case. May I?”
Lucy nodded and slipped the wires of her dangling earrings out of her ears and tilted her head to the side. Andre deftly slipped on the new pair, carefully engaging the lock on the back that ensured they would stay on. Lucy sighed, silently savoring the light chills she felt when his fingers grazed her skin.
“There,” Andre said softly. His hand remained lightly on Lucy’s neck, just behind her ear. “Still beautiful.”
Lucy sighed shakily and gazed at the ground. “Let’s just hope they don’t come in handy.”
“Hey,” Andre gently clasped her hand in his. “Lucy, look at me.”
Lucy lifted her head, surprised that her height now matched Andre’s. His expression, while serious, was softer that any she had seen before. For what seemed like an eternity, he held her gaze, saying nothing. Finally, he leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Lucy’s cheek before whispering, “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, Lucy. Trust me.”
They drove to the Hotel Royale in silence. Andre, Lucy presumed, was deep in thought about the rescue plan, while her mind reeled in many directions at once, all of them leading to the same place. The Andre that she had previously known, cocky, stubborn, and quick to criticize, she could handle. This new Andre wasn’t as easy to deal with. She wondered if he actually cared for her or if his actions somehow related to keeping the upper hand in their partnership. Lucy pushed back her cynical side that told her that Andre was simply manipulating her feelings as a means to keep her from doing something stupid. She wanted to believe that he was being sincere, that he couldn't fake the intensity with which he kissed her.
The car that would bring Lucy, along with the mysterious Oscar and Mira, to Noirotique was waiting in the alley behind the Royale when they arrived. Lucy undid her seatbelt and slipped a gauzy shawl, her only protection against the chilly night, over her shoulders.
“Well,” she sighed, chancing a look at her partner in the dark, “I guess this is show time.”
“Be on guard and you’ll do great, Lucy. I’ll see you very soon.” Andre reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. “Be careful.”
“I will.” Lucy let go of his hand, picked up her small clutch, and got out of the car. For a moment, she stood halfway between the headlights of both cars. Taking a deep breath, she circled around to the driver’s side of Andre’s car and tapped on the window.
“Everything okay?”
Lucy leaned in and captured his lips with a fierce kiss. “I trust you, Andre, with my life. I have every intention of surviving whatever this is I'm walking into tonight. Because when this is over, I need to know if I can trust you with my heart.”
The words tumbled out breathlessly. Andre started to speak, but Lucy pulled away, hurrying to the waiting sedan and got in before the urge to look back overwhelmed her.
“Your lipstick is smudged,” Mira observed with a smirk.
Lucy pulled a makeup compact and a tissue from her purse and quickly touched up, using the time to covertly observe her host for the evening. “Sorry,” she smiled innocently, tucking the makeup back into her purse. “I believe introductions are in order.” She held out her hand to the man seated across from her. “I take
it you are Oscar?”
Oscar Pierre Blanc was obviously an ES vampire, a striking one at that. His hair was nearly the same shade and texture as Mira’s and his silver eyes were nearly colorless, which contrasted starkly with his pitch-black skin. Like Mira, and every ES creation Lucy had seen in Paris, he was equal parts terrifying and beautiful.
Oscar accepted Lucy’s outstretched hand and raised it to his lips. “Lucy, I am charmed to make your acquaintance. I had the pleasure of meeting your fiancé earlier today. He is a lucky man.” Oscar’s voice was deep and touched with a strange accent that was not immediately recognizable, yet something about it nagged at the back of Lucy’s mind.
“Indeed,” Mira chimed in, not bothering to hide the contempt in her voice. “I admit curiosity though, regarding your relationship. Forgive me for being forward, but Andre hasn’t exactly been known for his friendliness toward our kind.”
Lucy considered lying, knowing that Mira’s question was an opener that would lead to more questions about the organization that she would not answer, but she couldn’t think of anything that they would not immediately see through. “You are quite right. Andre and I did not get along when we first met. He didn’t trust me.”
“And he trusts you now?” Oscar asked.
“I would hope so,” Lucy said with a haughty air. “If he didn’t, he does now. He wouldn’t have asked my assistance in this operation otherwise.”
“Oh?” Mira feigned confusion. “I was under the impression that you were one of Evan’s operatives for his little project.”
And where would you have gleaned that information? Lucy thought suspiciously.
“Who me? Absolutely not!” Lucy gasped with mock surprise, finding the lie coming easily to her tongue. “I work for Evan, yes, but I’m a pencil pusher, I process paperwork for patents.”
The heavy silence that followed spoke volumes. Neither Mira nor Oscar appeared to have believed her declaration. Lucy stroked the bracelet on her left arm nervously. Of course, if either of these two decided to attack her physically, it would mean their death. Lucy knew that the ES was aware of her healing capabilities, but she held out hope that they were not aware of her unique hunter’s blood. It was a thin hope, but her only hope, should the evening go as she felt it was going to.
Gaining admittance into Noirotique had been a simpler process than Lucy had imagined. The large vampire guarding the velvet-roped entrance merely nodded to Oscar as he ushered them inside. Lucy had expected to be searched and questioned at the very least. As planned, the trio made their way to the main bar area, choosing a dark, secluded booth. Upon inspection of the bar, Lucy noted that all of the booths were dark and secluded, so she could make out only shadows of their occupants. Oscar excused himself and made his way to the bar, leaving Lucy in awkward silence with Mira. She surveyed the room again. A few vampires stood around tall tables, drinking and smoking. No humans appeared to be present. The fact that she could not see the occupants of the other booths worried her.
“You’ll not see what you are expecting to see in here,” Mira commented casually. “This room is for negotiations only. Entertaining,” Mira’s meaning of the word was clear, “is done upstairs in the main lounge or the private suites.”
Lucy regarded the vampire in silence as Oscar returned to the table and handed each woman a glass of champagne. Lucy accepted the flute with a questioning look. “What, no B negative on tap?”
“You, my dear, have been watching too many movies,” Oscar laughed. “The truth is that blood oxidizes too quickly to be consumed in any manner other than straight from the source. Perrier-Jouet will have to do for now, but perhaps a taste later?”
Lucy laughed tersely. “I’m sure you already know my answer.”
Oscar shrugged. “Your choice, my dear. Cheers.” He raised his own glass in a toast. Lucy returned the gesture, bringing the glass to her lips, pretending to drink, aware that both sets of eerily light eyes were upon her.
“Lovely,” Lucy lied. “I’m no connoisseur of champagne. Do I even want to know what something like this costs?”
“More than that Auvegney you’re wearing, I’d imagine.” Mira regarded her own glass with slight distaste. “We French place far too much value on consumables. Personally, I prefer a closet full of shoes to a well-stocked wine cellar.”
“I’m afraid I’m out of my league,” Lucy said apologetically. “My meager paycheck covers local beer and whatever gadget is being offered this year.”
Mira rolled her eyes dramatically. “That certainly explains your affection for Andre, doesn't it?”
“Excusez moi,” a man wearing a jacket that sported the club’s logo bowed low before the table. “You’re suite is ready monsieur.”
Their host ushered Lucy, Mira, and Oscar through a door in the rear of the bar and into a plush hallway with a bank of elevators.
Oscar indicated the furthest set of bronze doors. He slid a membership card into a slot where the call button would normally be and the doors opened. Lucy was impressed. The building that housed Noirotique was quite old, but unlike the other older building she had experienced in Paris, the elevator in this one was spacious, modern, and well appointed. It was also an express, Lucy noticed as her ears popped and her stomach barely had time to settle back to its normal position before the doors opened into a hallway boasting a single door.
Oscar used the same membership card to open the door and stepped aside to allow Lucy and Mira to enter. The suite, which easily took up the entire top floor of the building, could have been featured on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. The sitting room was a sparse landscape of modern design with leather sofas and chairs, and tables of glass, metal, and blonde woods. A kitchenette and full bar, decked out in granite and stainless steel, took up the far corner of the room. A hallway ran off the other side, presumably toward the bedrooms.
“Where is she?”
Lucy spun to see Oscar sweeping the room with a look of anger.
“What?” She whirled around in panic. Ephebia was supposed to have been delivered to the room before their arrival.
The earpiece Andre wore buzzed twice, indicating that Evan was calling on the emergency line. “This can’t be good.”
“It’s not. Please tell me Lucy hasn’t gone into the club yet.” Evan’s voice hinted at uncharacteristic desperation.
“She entered thirty-eight minutes ago.”
“Get her out of there!” Evan’s voice was a low growl. “Oscar’s voice is a perfect match for our mystery watcher.”
Andre’s blood froze. “Are you positive?”
“Deadly,” Evan sighed. “It’s worse than that. I put Mike’s entire team on this. They’ve come up with photographs and articles from newspapers dating back as far as 1860. He may look like a common ES soldier, but he’s near the top of the organization. There’s no telling what kind of an army he has waiting in there. We suspect his only objective was to get his hands on Lucy.”
Another signal buzzed, signifying that Gerard had spotted Ephebia being brought into the suite and Andre swore profusely. “It’s too late to change course. We will get Lucy out of there, Evan, I promise. If I have an opportunity to kill Oscar, I’m taking it, but Lucy’s safety comes first!”
“Be careful Andre.” Evan’s tone was as tormented as Andre felt. He disconnected the call just as Gerard made the two foot leap between the buildings to the roof of Noirotique.
“Your priority is to get both Lucy and Ephebia out of here regardless of what happens to me,” Andre informed the agents tersely before rappelling down the side of the building to the balcony outside Oscar’s private suite. As soon as the staff left the room, he picked the lock, unharnessed himself, and stole into the room. Ephebia Beauchamp was slumped against the arm of the sofa.
“Ephebia.” Andre shook the petite woman gently.
“Joseph?” Ephebia’s whisper was slurred. Her eyes were closed and she fought to keep her head from listing to the side. She was heavily drugged and
barely able to sit upright. Andre winced at the multiple puncture wounds on her neck. He cursed silently and pulled her to her feet.
“No, please!” Ephebia resisted as much as her current state would allow. Her eyes blinked open, wide with fear as she choked out a sob.
“Ephebia, trust me,” Andre soothed. “We’re going to get you out of here, back to Joseph.”
“Joseph?” She blinked away tears, and tried to see Andre fully through the haze in her head. Andre nodded, lifting the slight woman easily, and carried her to the balcony through which he had entered. Getting Ephebia into the rappelling harness was frustrating without her cooperation, but once he was sure the straps were secured, Andre signaled for Lisette to begin pulling her up.
The sound of the door opening from inside the suite sent him diving out of site.
As Lucy entered the suite with Mira and Oscar, he looked up with dismay. Ephebia had just reached the roof, meaning that at best, it would take a few minutes to unhook her and send the line back down. If Andre was going to get Lucy out before going after Oscar, he needed that harness. From the shadows, Andre watched as Oscar stormed down the hall, looking, no doubt, for Ephebia. He watched Lucy fidget with her bracelet unsure of her next maneuver. When Mira noticed the open balcony door, Andre realized he had no other option than to reveal his location. A brief glance up offered no comfort. The harness had yet to be lowered. Hoping the element of surprise would buy him a moment or two, Andre stepped out of the shadows.
“There has been a slight change of plans.”
“Of that you can be sure, Andre,” Mira smirked as she lifted a small black remote detonator up for all to see and pressed the button.
“No!” Lucy watched helplessly as the balcony’s anchors exploded in a cloud of dust and the entire structure fell away, taking Andre down with it. “You’re dead, bitch!” Lucy sprang forth in a blind rage, a CPA in each hand. With no regard for the consequences, she plunged both weapons into Mira’s back and sent them both tumbling out into the emptiness where the balcony had been.
The Eyes of the Sun: The Complete Trilogy Page 26