He didn’t listen. Before Ariel could scream, he clamped a gloved hand over her mouth and plunged the knife into her belly over and over. Ariel’s back arched up as she moaned in agony as he murdered her. His hand fell away from her mouth when he saw she was struggling to breath.
“Why?” Ariel gasped as her killer sat back to watch her bleed out. A tear ran down her cheek. “Please tell me … why?”
But he never answered her.
Nox was getting into his car when his mother called him back. Her face was tense. “Amber’s on the telephone. She’s hysterical, and I can’t understand what she’s saying.” It took Nox a few moments to realize Amber was telling her Ariel was missing.
They found her body the next morning and a devastated, distraught Nox drove straight to the cemetery. He fought with a police officer who wouldn’t let him near her, so much so that they had to cuff him to calm him down. “Please, please let me see her.”
In the end, to appease him—he was the son of a powerful New Orleans scion, after all—and possibly to gauge his reaction, they let him see her.
The sight of Ariel, gutted and broken, her gray chiffon soaked in blood, lying pale and dead on the grave, brought Nox to his knees. Something inside him died.
The funeral was hell for Nox. He barely acknowledged anyone else, not even Amber or Teague when they tried to reach him. Amber was destroyed by her sister’s death—she was changed forever by it.
Eventually, the society around them got back to normal, but Nox and Amber spent more time together, feeling disenfranchised from everyone. The police had no leads. Nox had an air-tight alibi, and so the police quickly ran out of clues. The case got put on the backburner, much to the rage of the Duplas and Renaud families. Then almost exactly a year later, Tynan Renaud murdered his wife and son and shot himself, and Ariel’s case was pushed even further to the background.
Now
Livia stroked Nox’s face as he told her everything. “I always felt guilty because when my family died, Ariel was almost forgotten by our circle, by the press, by the police.” He sighed, leaning his forehead against hers. “I swore I would never let that happen and yet I was so utterly destroyed by what my father had done … It was almost as if Ariel had been relegated to a place where young, beautiful women are viewed as ‘probable targets’ just by being young, beautiful, and female.”
Livia kissed his eyelids. “Sadly, though, it does seem to be a truth. We women always have to be careful. Don’t go out alone at night, because a man might rape or kill you. Don’t dress a certain way, we’re told, as if we’re the ones responsible for not ‘making’ a man rape or kill us. It’s sick and disgusting, but it is how we live in this world.”
Nox shook his head. “Christ. What a messed-up way to live.”
“And yet normal for every woman on the planet.” She sighed, thinking about the terror of her recent assault. How close she had come to death.
“Can I just apologize for my gender?”
Livia laughed. “No, you cannot. You’re one of the good ones, Nox, and don’t forget it. Don’t take the responsibility of others on your shoulders. Just promise me we’ll raise our sons not to think of women solely as sexual beings.”
Nox kissed the tips of her fingers. “Absolutely promise … and, our sons?”
Livia flushed. “I’m not presuming anything, just …if it happens.”
“God, I hope so.” He pressed his lips to hers, pulling her close. “I want a bunch of them with you, Livia. But you’re young, and you have your career in front of you.”
“Waitressing? Yeah, I’ll get right on that.”
Nox laughed. “I meant your music career.”
“Oh, that. Nox, I love music. It is my passion. But I never envisioned a career in music as such. I want to be good enough to teach it, like Charvi. I would love that. Maybe play some small concerts here and there, but as far as a fully-fledged career as a musician—I think that’s a pipe dream.”
“You don’t want to be famous?”
“Good God, no. No, ugh, can you imagine? The press everywhere … Wait. Yeah, you can imagine. God, I’m dense. Sorry.”
Nox laughed. “It’s okay. You know, once they get hold of the fact we’re dating, you have them to look forward to.”
Livia groaned and rolled on top of him. “Let’s not worry about that at the moment. I’m hoping to put that off for as long as we can. Agreed?”
“Promise.”
Nox didn’t realize just how soon that promise would be broken.
Chapter Twenty
At work the next day, the restaurant was so full of customers that Livia and Moriko didn’t have time to catch their breath, let alone catch up. Livia had mentioned to Nox that she wanted to see more of Moriko. “I feel since I moved out that we’ve been drifting apart, and I would hate that. Morry’s my girl, you know?”
She said as much to Moriko when they were finally relieved of duty by the evening staff. Moriko asked Livia to come back to her new apartment, wanting to show off, she said with a grin. Shadowed discreetly by Livia’s bodyguard, they went to Moriko’s new apartment building, traveling up to the seventh floor in the wrought iron old-fashioned elevator.
“Fancy,” Livia said with a wink at Moriko, who grinned.
“Jealous? Not that you need to be, living in a freaking mansion.”
“Ha. Listen to us, we’re both kept women. What happened to the Sisterhood?” Livia sat down on a vast dark blue couch. “God, this is heavenly.”
Moriko laughed. “I know, right? And speak for yourself—I pay Lucas rent.”
“Lucas, is it? Tell me more, girl. You’ve been keeping this Lucas secret for too long.”
Moriko handed Livia a bottle of beer and sat down next to her. “Well, if I saw more of you …”
Livia punched her shoulder lightly. “I know, I’m sorry. I always swore I wouldn’t be one of those women who deserted her friends when she fell in love, but I seem to be doing just that. I am sorry, Morry. I’ll do better.”
“How are things out on the bayou?”
Livia talked to Moriko about her life with Nox, about how close they had become, and her friend listened with a frown on her face. “Sure you two aren’t becoming co-dependent?”
Livia was stung. “What do you mean?”
Moriko sighed. “I mean, how long have you actually known each other? Not even two months, right? You moved in with him—less than a day after giving him the whole ‘I’m an independent woman’ speech, I might add—and now you’re practically imprisoned in that place. The place where your boyfriend got shot, for crissakes …” Moriko stopped, dragging a shaky breath into her lungs. Livia had never seen her so riled up before.
“Morry? Where’s this coming from? I mean, I—”
“No, let me finish. I’m scared, Liv, I’m terrified. I feel like something bad is going to happen to you, like you might die. Like Nox is a dangerous person to be around, and something—someone—could hurt you and then his circle of friends will close ranks and we’ll never really find out what happened.”
Livia was stunned for a long moment. “I know the thing with Pia is horrific, and yeah, we got assaulted but—”
“And his girlfriend was murdered and his family got killed. Jesus. Death follows him around, Livia. Look, I like Nox, I do … I just don’t think he’s good for you.”
Livia felt her eyes fill with tears. Having Morry’s blessing for her relationship was important to her, and she hadn’t seen this coming. “So, what? You want me to leave him?”
“Yes.”
“Are you kidding me?” Livia blinked at the sudden change in the atmosphere between them, and looking closely at her friend, she could see the strain on her face, the dark circles under her eyes. “Morry, is something else going on? Are you okay?”
“No, I’m not okay,” Morry yelled suddenly, making Livia jump. “Jesus, every time I get a phone call, I think it’s the police telling me you’re dead.”
“Dude, yo
u are way overreacting.”
“No, I’m not. Someone shot your boyfriend, attacked you in a freaking hospital, butchered a young girl to send Nox a message. ‘Everyone you love’? Jesus. Liv …”
Morry was trembling, but she backed away when Livia tried to hug her. “I had no idea you felt this way.”
“You are my family,” Moriko said fiercely, “My sister. I’m scared, Liv.”
This time she let Livia hug her. “It’s okay, Morry, really. Look at the hulking slab of beef I have outside the door. Actually, that’s mean. Jason is very nice and he’s protecting me.”
“Don’t you see how messed up it is that you have a bodyguard?” Morry clearly wasn’t going to let this go, Livia thought in dismay.
“Look, I get it, I do. But it’s only until they catch the guy, Morry. Nox is a powerful man; he’s bound to attract weirdos.” Even to Livia’s ears that sounded like a feeble way to describe what they were going through.
Moriko looked at her with cold eyes for a long minute, then stood and went into her bedroom. Livia heard her moving around, then she re-emerged carrying a stuffed manila folder. She flung it at Livia. “Just a weirdo, huh?”
Livia caught the folder, papers scattering everywhere. She slid down to the carpet to spread them out. Old police reports, clippings from newspapers. Livia saw the photographs of a young Nox, dressed in an exquisite suit, being comforted by his mother as a medical examiner and his team removed Ariel’s body from the cemetery. The photos of the funeral, the intrusion even into this most private of days, was jarring and sickening. All of the photos were accompanied by sensationalist press, condemning the young man before Ariel’s body was even cold. The blood on the gravestone.
Then later, Nox alone at a funeral service, standing in front of the caskets of his mother and his brother. The look in his eyes was searing, and Livia couldn’t help the sob that escaped her. Moriko didn’t attempt to comfort her. Again, the press eviscerated Nox, the only survivor. Had he been in it with his father? He was the only heir now, after all …
“Moriko, if you believe any of these lies about Nox … I don’t see how we can continue to be friends.”
She looked up to see Morry’s eyes soften. “Of course, I don’t. The press is, and were, scum. I want to kill them for what they did to that poor boy. But, Liv, you have to see … Darkness follows Nox. He couldn’t have a more appropriate name, could he?”
“I can’t leave him. I love him so much. He really is a good man. What kind of person would I be to leave him now?”
“A person who stays alive.” The coldness was back.
Livia closed her eyes and rubbed her face with her hands. To say she felt as if her equilibrium was smashed was an understatement. Moriko was the balls-out one of them, the ride-or-die girl, and now she was telling Livia to cut and run.
No. Livia stood, gathering the folder to her. “Can I keep this for a while?”
“Sure.”
A long silence, then Livia sighed. “I better go.”
“Okay.”
Moriko didn’t follow her to the door, and Livia felt her heart falter as she turned to look at her friend. “Soon?”
Moriko gave a stiff nod. “Stay safe, babe.”
Livia made it back into Nox’s town car before she burst into tears.
Nox was actually finding success in putting everything to the back of his mind, although not for the greatest reason. Sandor had come to him that morning and said two words that made him sit up and take notice.
“Hostile takeover.”
Nox looked up sharply as Sandor came into the room. “What did you say?”
“You heard, Nox.” Sandor sat down heavily. “I can’t believe we didn’t see this.”
“Whoa, back up. What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about Roderick LeFevre and his gang of merry men.”
“So? They only have thirty percent share in the company.”
“Not anymore. Seems Rod has been quietly buying up every last share that you and I don’t own.”
“What the actual fuck?” Nox’s adrenaline pumped through his veins. “How do you know?”
Sandor smiled without humor. “Rod had one holdout. Zeke Manners. Zeke called me and told me Rod was offering him three times market price. Zeke told him to drop dead.” He sighed. “I blame myself. If I hadn’t urged you to float the company, we would still retain overall control.”
“Wait,” Nox looked aghast, “you’re saying we don’t?”
“Do the math, Nox. We gave up fifty-one percent.” Sandor sighed and leaned forward. “Look, whatever Rod’s planning, we’ve still got, with Zeke’s shares, a majority. It just means we have to bring Rod in as partner due to the deal we made. It’s not the end of the world.”
When Nox got home that night, he heard Livia playing piano and went to the music room to find her. He stood at the door watching her, her fingers moving lightly over the keyboard, her body swaying to the melody. He went to her, bending to kiss the soft skin of her shoulder.
“Don’t stop,” he said as she started slightly, so Livia continued to play while he sat down beside her. He put his arms around her waist and buried his face in her hair. Fuck work, fuck everything else, he thought. This is all I want, this woman. She and I—us. Nothing else matters.
“Come away with me for Christmas,” he murmured. “We’ll go somewhere where no one can find us, nothing can bother us. You and me and a log cabin in the mountains. A white Christmas.”
His lips were at her ear, then they trailed down her neck and he felt her shiver. She stopped playing and turned to kiss him. “That sounds perfect. Just perfect.”
“I’m just so sick of everyone interfering in our relationship, in our lives, our work. All I want is you, Livia … for all time.”
She wound her arms around his neck. “And I, you. Just you.”
He kissed her deeply, pouring all the love he felt for her into the kiss, leaving them both breathless. “I love you,” Livia whispered, brushing her lips back and forth against his. Nox smiled and, standing, pulled her to her feet.
“Come with me.” He led her into his study and to the huge globe he kept in there. “Pick somewhere, anywhere in the world, and that’s where we’ll go. Anywhere. I know you won’t let me splurge on you often …”
“Unless it’s to buy freakin’ Steinways for my college,” she interrupted, grinning, and Nox inclined his head with a grin.
“Touché, but please, let me do this. Let me give you the most romantic, over-the-top Christmas. It’s our first one together. Let this be my gift to you.”
Livia studied him for a long moment then smiled. “I guess, for our first one, it would be Grinchy of me to decline. Okay then, Nox Renaud, this one’s on you … with two conditions.”
By the grin on her face, he knew she was about to make a joke. “Go ahead.”
“One … next year, it’s my choice, my budget.”
“As long as you promise there will be a next year, and a year after that, and after that, and so on.”
She kissed him tenderly. “God, yes, I promise.”
His arms tightened around her and he gazed down at her lovely face. “And the second one?” He deliberately pressed his erection against her, making her sigh happily.
“That you never, ever make me listen to that God-awful Mariah Carey song.”
Nox laughed. “What? ‘We Belong Together?’”
“Ha ha, no, I actually love that one. And we do.”
Nox kissed her again. “Yes, we do. Now, stop prevaricating and choose somewhere to go on vacation.”
Livia hummed over the globe, spinning it gently. “What about you? Where do you want to go for Christmas?”
“All I want for Christmas is you,” Nox said innocently, then laughed as she punched his arm. “Ouch, devil woman. Have you made up your mind?”
“Okay,” Livia said, closing her eyes and spinning the globe. “Wherever I put my finger, we go there.”
&nbs
p; “Deal.”
She let the globe spin a couple of times before pushing her finger against it.
“That’s the middle of the Pacific Ocean, doofus, spin again.”
“Darn it.” She repeated her process, but before she could open her eyes to see where she had landed this time, Nox turned her and spun the globe around. “I didn’t see where I landed,” she complained to him but he just smiled.
“I know … I’m going to leave it as a surprise until the day. Can you get the time off work?”
She nodded. “Marcel closes for five days over Christmas, but he’ll need me back for New Year’s Eve.”
“Understandable. I’ll be partying at your place that night too.” They wandered slowly to the kitchen, hand in hand, and Nox pulled open the refrigerator. “Pasta?”
“That’s good.” Livia sat on the tallest stool and watched him prepare their meal. “So, yeah … you’re really not going to tell me where we’re going?”
“For as long as I can keep it secret. We’ll use my private jet … yes, we will, just this once,” he shot her a glare. “I know, the environment, yadda, yadda, but this will be the last time. I’m selling it afterward, so allow me this one last play with my boy toy.”
Livia grinned. “I like playing with your boy toy.”
“Rude girl.”
“You’re really selling it?” Livia was impressed.
Nox grinned ruefully. “Your guilt-tripping worked, Enviro-Woman.”
Livia snorted with laughter. “Seriously the dullest sounding superhero name.”
“Isn’t it?” Nox dumped some onion and garlic into a pan, and chopped some herbs.
“Where did you learn to cook, Renaud?” Livia reached over to steal a piece of Parmesan cheese, grinning when Nox batted her hand away.
“Mom. Italian, you see?”
“Did you ever spend a lot of time in Italy?”
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