“We need to get back into that house when they’re away.”
“You agree that they have Sophie?”
“Everything is starting to come together. The evidence is circumstantial at best, but I have a gut feeling.”
“And the murders?”
“I think once we have Sophie, we’ll start getting answers.”
“I’ll place a call to Magno and get his take on this,” Jana said. “I’ll let him know we’re actively pursuing the suspects and plan to end their operation, whether it’s guns blazing or something more subtle.”
“While you do that, I’m ordering room service,” Ethan said, as he went to the desk and pulled the menu out of the drawer. “Y’all want anything? Dammit, they’re closed! I’m gonna pop out for a bit. I’ll be back later.”
Chapter 28
Michelle sat at a bar on Bourbon Street, thinking that was exactly how she’d brought about the destruction of her relationship with Remi. She’d been drowning her sorrows over him that night, too.
Why didn’t I burn those clothes like Marcel told me to do? Remi might not have ever been affected by that damn Thirst, and we’d still be together. How could I have forgotten about that bag? God! It hurts so bad! And right after he admitted he loved me! I’m being ripped apart!
Paulette sat on the stool next to her, and after waving the bartender over, she ordered them another round, as a tear slipped down Michelle’s cheek. She swiped it away.
It had been almost a week since he dumped her, and no matter what Paulette said about the Thirst being at fault, Michelle felt like she’d been thrown out with yesterday’s garbage. A happy ending had been as hopeless as she’d always known in her heart. And her suffering was exactly as she had expected, as well.
“Do you regret it, Michelle? Being with Remi?”
“No, I don’t. I just wish things had turned out differently.”
“Me, too.”
The bartender brought the drinks over and set them down in front of them.
Paulette raised hers and said, “To new beginnings. May they be filled with wonder and joy.”
“Yeah.”
Silence fell between them, and Michelle resisted the urge to look at her phone for the hundredth time since they sat down.
“The tournament is in a few nights.”
“I won’t be there,” Michelle said, descending into fitful tears.
“Oh, why did I say that? I’m so sorry!”
“It’s o-o-okay.”
“How about I take that night off, and we hang out? Just you and me! We can watch movies and drink wine.”
“Luc needs you there, Paulette. You’re the dealer.”
“He’ll understand, and we can find someone to replace me. Oui. That’s what we’ll do. It’s settled.”
“Hey, Jacque!” yelled a man coming through the door. “Kitchen still open?”
“All night long!” The bartender tossed his dishtowel onto his shoulder and then waved him over. “What can I get ya, man?”
“I’m craving some....” Then Michelle felt heat at her back and swiveled in her seat. A drop-dead gorgeous guy in a black business suit, built like a linebacker, was staring down at her. “Why you cryin’, chér?”
“Please don’t call me that!” she whispered, trying to regain control and not embarrass herself any more than she already had.
“Okay. Well, what’s your name?”
“Michelle.”
He snorted as if that was what he was expecting her to say, and then he muttered under his breath, “It was the Legend.”
“Pardon?”
“Never mind. I’m Ethan.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Now that that’s outta the way, what’s got you so upset?”
“My boyfriend broke up with me.”
“Good.”
“What?”
“You might be crying over him now, but you’ll be happy in the end.”
“Why?”
“’Cause, baby...” Ethan winked and sat down beside her. “...you’re gonna be mine. That’s a promise.” He laughed at her shocked expression and shouted, “Jacque! We’re having tequila shots. Line ‘em up, man! Three!” He rapped the bar with his knuckles. “Right here! Me, my girl, and her friend!”
Ethan reached across her and gave a smiling nod to Paulette, while Michelle absently twirled a swizzle stick on the counter. With her head in her hand, propped up on her elbow, she wondered about the man in the next seat whose eyes had gone yellow for a second, signaling that he was a shifter. He hadn’t been the first guy, human or supe, who’d shown interest in her since she and Paulette had started going out together. And like the others, she planned on letting him buy her a drink and then getting rid of him.
“That was quick,” Paulette said, raising her glass.
“Huh?” she asked, sitting back up.
“Nothing.” She took a sip and set her drink down. “But I’ll tell you this, Michelle. You’re safe with him. I swear it.”
“Yeah, okay.”
Michelle shrugged, as the bartender set the shots in front of them.
Ethan nudged her, yelling, “Bottom’s up! Laissez les bon temps rouler!”
Michelle had been living in abject misery since Remi left her for Sophie. She figured a couple of shots might bring a smile to her face... or make her forget long enough to stop her tears from pouring for a bit.
As the minutes passed, Ethan’s happiness infected her, and she gave herself over to it, if only for one night.
Later, tipsy and laughing at him, Michelle noticed that Paulette had slipped away without saying goodbye. She’d never left Michelle by herself before when they’d gone out together. And though she sensed the absence of the woman she considered her sister, the pain in her heart wasn’t as overwhelming, and she didn’t feel as alone.
Despite the short time since they met, Michelle was growing more strongly attracted to Ethan as if perhaps fate had a plan for her, too.
“Another?” he asked.
He planted a quick kiss on her lips, leaving his hand on her waist when they separated, as he signaled for Jacque to bring another round—two that time.
“Why not?”
The band came back from their break, took the small stage, and started up again. Ethan stood, grabbed Michelle’s hand, and pulled her flush to him. He had removed his jacket, shirt, and tie hours earlier. His skin was damp, and his ribbed undershirt clung to his chest, as the air carried his scent.
“Ooowee! Bébé! You hear dat?” The alcohol had made his accent come out stronger, and he sounded like a true deep woods Cajun. The drums hit a beat, and he dropped his hand from her, to bend low, snapping his fingers, stepping forward and back, and then spinning in a circle. “Dat’s de Zydeco Bounce! You know it?”
She nodded, grinning, as she felt something bubbling up within her close to joy.
“Let’s go!”
The hours passed, and as the sun began to rise in the distance, and the rest of the patrons departed, Michelle stepped closer to Ethan on the parquet. He settled his hands on the flare of her hips and placed a kiss on her forehead, as they swayed to the slower songs, moving as one.
Chapter 29
“What happened to you?” Jana asked. “You said you were coming back last night. You didn’t answer our calls.”
“Yeah.” With Michelle’s scent still covering him, Ethan slid into a chair, leaning his head against the back. “About that… something happened. Needed my full attention.”
Jana sniffed the air and said, “Are congratulations in order? You’ve found your mate?”
“I did! God knows, I wasn’t looking, and it’s crazy to think how my wolf found her. It’s Michelle, Remi’s ex. You believe that?”
“When it’s fate, it’s fate. The Hunger partners with the universe to find a way.”
“You can say that again.”
“And what does she think?”
“Well, let me put it this way.” He rubbe
d his hands together. “She wasn’t crying over Remi Bellerive no more when I left her at my place this morning.”
Jana chuckled and said, “His loss, your gain.”
“Called my momma on the way over and gave her the news. She’s on top of the world. Probably notified the rest of the clan by now. They’re likely planning the wedding already.”
“It’s a joyous thing, to find your mate. Happiness has grown from the sorrow.”
“Yeah. Anyway, what’s the word with Magno? Are we going back in?”
Clarence walked into the room, straightening his tie.
“Gregor will be at the poker tournament at Luc’s house, and while we’re there, you’ll break into the estate. Get the lay of the land and see what’s going on in there. See if you can find Sophie and rescue her. If my guess is right, she’s the key to all of this.”
“Got it.”
“I thought Luc said he didn’t know Gregor.”
“He signed up with his gaming name, TripleAce. I asked Luc for the attendees list and then cross-referenced it using some back channels. That’s how I discovered his true identity, as well as all of the others who will be in attendance. It’s quite common for them to use aliases.” Clarence cocked his head to the side. “Did you know that Remi is a renowned poker player? He doesn’t lose very often. Strange thing is... who has beaten him and when.”
“Let me guess,” Jana said. “TripleAce.” Clarence nodded. “What’s Remi’s codename on there?”
“Oh, he goes by his real name. He’s too cocky to use anything else. He even says on the site that he’s a vampire.” Jana rolled her eyes. “The connections between them get even closer than that. During the period when Sophie was with Marcel, Remi won against Gregor consistently. Then, starting the night that Marcel was killed, the tides turned in Gregor’s favor.”
“How’d you find that out?”
“I had a hunch, and without divulging details to him, I asked Luc if I could have unlimited access to the site he hosts. Given that it was The Directive asking, he didn’t have much of a choice. The rivalry between Remi and Gregor is astounding. Their two arrogant personalities clashed over and over.”
“Did you tell Remi that Gregor is the guy he’s playing against?”
“No. I don’t need him jumping in and mucking up the operation. He’s desperate to find Sophie, but like we told him, there’s too much at stake here.”
“So, you’re saying that the lucky charm Gregor spoke of—”
“None other than Sophie herself.”
“Then, we know she’s alive.”
“Absolutely. There’s no doubt about it. Unless Gregor wants to lose to Remi grandly and in person, she’ll survive until the last card is played. After that, he’ll be most interested in saving his own skin, so we must work quickly.
“Jana, place a call to Gregor, thanking him and Hans for their cooperation. As Magno’s second in command, you have the highest authority to say that we’re pursuing other leads regarding the murders. Tell him that after our investigation, he and Hans have been eliminated as suspects. Work into the discussion that you and I are returning to the Directive’s command center. Make him think we’re leaving New Orleans. Chat him up. Get him nice and comfortable in the knowledge that he outwitted us. He’ll let his guard down, giving us our chance.”
“Sneaky. I like it.”
“Gregor’s not the only one willing to take a gamble.”
Chapter 30
Opening her bleary tear-crusted eyes, Sophie saw Hans’ boots in front of her and rose to her knees. She didn’t know how much more of his treatment she could endure. She had spent the last nights praying for death to take her, but he’d made sure she remained alive and fully healed by giving her injections of his blood after he was finished with her for the evening. So, though her body appeared untouched, her mind and spirit were as fractured as he’d intended. She was like the woman she’d seen come out of that same room.
She had stopped shying away from him or huddling in the corner. It only made things worse. Since she was taken below, she had learned to obey Hans’ orders without delay.
Sleeping between sessions, she had found an escape in dreams. In them, a beautiful man called her chér. He held her tenderly and told her she’d be safe with him. His voice was accented but not like the Louisiana Cajuns’ she’d heard around New Orleans. It was old country French, and though he mostly spoke to her in English, sometimes he lapsed into words she didn’t understand.
He was tall, with dark hair that reached the middle of his nape. His bearing had an air of the upper class but also a nuance of the streets she knew so well. It was as if he were more suited to the underbelly than high society. She thought that maybe he was a black sheep like her.
“Mon amor,” he said, and then he touched his lips to hers.
Whenever Hans trod down the stairs each night, she clung to those visions, as the door opened and light filtered through the dark to where she lay.
While she had gone astray in thought, another pair of shoes had joined Hans’.
“Gregor, I didn’t expect you tonight.”
“Things have taken a positive turn with The Directive. Noskova called to let me know we’re off the hook. They’re leaving town and no longer looking for our Sophie.”
His statement quashed the last tiny glimmer of hope she had. Gregor squatted down, and his blurry face swam in front of her.
“Are you ready to come upstairs? Be mine again?”
Barely a second passed, before Hans said, “Speak,” slapping a crop against his leg.
Her answer was immediate, and she kept her gaze downcast.
“I belong to Hans.”
“Ah, I see.”
“You will obey Gregor as you do me. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do I need to tell you what will happen as a result of any disobedience or infraction?”
“No, sir.”
Gregor trailed a finger down her cheek, and she leaned into his touch. He chuckled and stood.
“Very good work, Hans. Exactly how I wanted her. Better results than any chip or shock collar would have brought. Much quicker, as well. Take her and get her cleaned up.”
She didn’t fight when Hans gathered her into his arms and made his way up the stairs. She stood in the corner while he filled the tub with water and waited until he told her to get in. Then he bathed her and washed her hair.
Once he was done and had dried her, he tossed her some clothes and left the room. She put them on and sat on the edge of the bed, avoiding the sight of her reflection in the mirror in front of her or the windows to the outside world in which she had no expectation of ever participating again.
After an hour of sitting there, she lay down and escaped into dreams of being herself, free of Gregor and untouched by Hans, in the protective arms of the man who loved her—the one who would make her whole again if he could only find her.
“Remi,” she whispered in her sleep.
Chapter 31
As he drank yet another blood bag, Remi studied the cards. Old and yellowed with age, the deck had been a mainstay in his life since Grace had given them to him. Memories of her no longer brought a feeling of melancholy, and he supposed that after so many years had passed, there was no reason for grief to remain. And the Thirst had wiped away all his feelings for any woman other than his mate. All his thoughts were consumed by either Sophie or the game.
Switching his focus, he wondered how he was going to control his Thirst during the tournament, though Paulette had said that she had it covered and not to worry about it.
Luc had released the schedule, and Remi learned that TripleAce was going to be his opponent the following night. He had to be ready, with no distractions, to meet his nemesis. Finally, after months of their taunting each other, Remi was going to see his face and maybe even bash it in.
He could only hope that Clarence and Jana would have information about Sophie soon. His Thirst was growi
ng more insatiable, and his cock wouldn’t go down. He had never been one for self-pleasure, when there were women lining up to please him, but everything had changed. In an attempt to ease his all-consuming desire, he had resorted to using his hand multiple times a night. It gave him only a few moments of respite, and then his dick rose again. A compulsion to rush out into the night to search for her, seek out her scent, and follow it, trilled through his veins.
Clarence said they’re building a case, casting a wide net, and he’s certain that Sophie will be swept up in it. Interference could get you killed, or worse yet, thrown into The Directive’s prison to be consumed by the Thirst to the point of an insanity worse than death.
Flipping a card over, he grumbled at his loss, had it been a real game.
I don’t care what they do to me. Two more nights. Then once the tournament is over, so is my patience. Directive’s wrath or not. She’s mine, and I’m gonna find her with or without their help.
His phone rang, showing an unknown number. Thinking it might be something about Sophie, he pressed the answer button and raised it to his ear.
“’Ello?”
“I’m going to wipe the table with you.”
“Who is this?”
“You know who I am.”
“Triple farce, is that you?”
The voice laughed and said, “Keep talking trash, Remi. I’m going to take everything from you—all the accolades, the respect.... Your reputation as the top player is coming to an end, and you’ll be crushed in humiliation.”
“Your overconfidence is gonna make it an even sweeter victory when I slaughter you.”
“Ah, but you don’t have my lucky charm.”
“Eh? What need do I have for such foolishness? I’ve got more skill in my little finger than you have in your entire body. Why else would you have to rely on something outside of yourself to perform well?” Remi huffed a laugh. “You’re just another wannabe, whereas I’m the real fucking deal. I’m more man than you in every way. You don’t even have balls big enough to share your name publicly. You hide behind that ridiculous alias. Should I take a picture of mine and send it to you, so you can see how yours measure up?”
A Vampire's Thirst_Remi Page 10