“Why am I here?” Margo asked once the door clicked. “Why didn’t you just take me home?”
Bishop raised a brow. Amusement apparent in his lopsided grin. The look gave him a playful appearance.
“You didn’t want to go home,” he quipped with an arrogant chuckle.
Margo narrowed her eyes and parted her lips to speak, but before she could utter a word, the blonde entered with a tray. She walked over and handed her a frosted, crystal glass filled with clear liquid.
“Thank you.”
“Of course, Mademoiselle Roux. Please, enjoy.”
She walked over and handed Bishop a copper chalice. Margo squinted at the fancy goblet. When he lifted it to his lips, she was curious to know if he was drinking blood. After nodding his approval, she excused herself and left the room.
Bishop took a sip and lowered the chalice. When he licked his lips, her core tightened and pulsed unexpected moisture to her womanhood.
With nervous energy, Margo lifted the glass to her lips and gulped a good portion of vodka. When it went down, she was thankful for the burn. She needed the distraction.
“Tell me, Marguerite. What have you been doing with that power of yours? Have you gathered yourself a nice collection of male slaves?”
Margo nearly choked.
“What?” she gasped.
“Well, you do have the ability to make men do anything you want. Are you telling me you haven’t used it to your sexual advantage?
Margo crossed one leg over the other and narrowed her eyes at the vampire.
“Is that what you think of me?”
“I don’t know you,” he pointed out.
“Then maybe you should wait until you know me a little better before you ask such an offensive, and petty question.”
Bishop smiled and leaned back in his chair.
“I don’t believe anyone has ever been brave enough to call me petty,” he mused. “At least, not to my face,” he added with a chuckle.
Margo eyed the vampire and understood. A huge Viking of a man, to say Bishop was intimidating was an understatement. His whimsical blue eyes didn’t hide the fact that he was a predator that lived solely on the blood of man. And Margo would tell him as much, but a loud explosion shook the room. Margo fell off the settee and hit the floor. She crawled toward the sturdy wooden bar.
Margo planned to hide in a safe corner behind the bar, but the wrathful voice of her cousin roared in her head. At least she thought it was in her head.
“MARGO?”
Enola’s angry voice was deafening.
“WHERE IS SHE?”
Margo fell against the finished wood and covered her ears protectively. Her cousin’s roar filled her head like a nightmare. Her rage was apparent.
Margo peeked around the bar, just as the blonde tore through the doors.
“The Voodoo Queen is here! The fire one. She’s blown through the front door!”
Bishop was calm when he stood and adjusted his slacks. He glared at her with a wrinkled brow and stuffed his hands in his pockets.
“Blown? What do you mean, “blown?”
With wide-eyed fear, she hurried over to Bishop.
“I mean, the door exploded!” she freaked.
Bishop grabbed her elbow and led her to the lounger that Margo abandoned. He urged her to sit and kneeled in front of her.
“Calm yourself, Bridgette. You’re strong and more powerful than most.”
“The door blew up!” she repeated hysterically. “She makes fire!” The female vampire was anything but calm.
Bishop ran his nails through his thick, golden beard and strolled Margo’s way.
“Go with the others,” he instructed the less than tranquil vampire.
Bishop stood over Margo. With a soft laugh, he extended his hand.
“Come on. Get up, scaredy-cat.”
Margo frowned and placed her hand in his. Though there was a lot going on, she still felt the very same jolt of something. Bishop wrapped long, thick fingers around her hand and helped her to her feet. Actually, more than just to her feet. He pulled her against his big body and snaked an arm around her waist.
Margo’s cheek crashed against his solid pec. She inhaled the fresh scent of what could have been soap. She almost sighed and melted against him, but shouting and hurried footsteps snapped her to back to the reality of her cousin blowing shit up at the vampire mansion.
Margo pushed against Bishop’s tight abs and peeled herself from his hard body. After one last appreciative glance at his beauty, she jogged over to the settee and grabbed her purse.
Margo left Thor in the room and ran to see about her cousin. After crossing the large threshold and hooking a left, she trotted down the hall, past the portrait of her ancestors, and entered the great room. Unlike before, the vampires weren’t jovial. They were in battle mode. The party was definitely over.
Just as Bridgette said, the doors had been blown off the hinges. Splintered wood was covered with flames. Enola stood in the foyer. Her arms expanded, engulfed in flames, giving the appearance of colossal wings of fire. Her normally golden irises had turned a fiery scarlet. Had the winged beast in front of her not been her cousin, she would probably have been terrified.
Margo had only seen the phoenix once; the day their grandmother died. But being under attack distracted her. Now, she had an unobstructed view of Enola’s transformation. Margo ignored the hissing noises of vampires revving themselves for battle.
One brave vampire jumped over a table and stalked across the foyer. He had made a foolish decision to attack. Margo hurried to block his path. She held her hand out, stopping his advancement.
“Sit down!” she ordered.
Margo could see the struggle in the vampire’s eyes, but he sat; right in the middle of the marble floor. She stepped past the vampire and cautiously approached her cousin. It wasn’t until she got closer that she saw her mother’s worried face.
An arm snaked around her waist. From the jolt of arousal and the crisp aroma of soap, she knew it was Bishop. He was trying to pull her backward.
“Careful,” he whispered near her ear.
Margo huffed, rolling her eyes.
“What’s wrong with you? Nola is family!”
He tightened his grip around her waist and hugged her tighter.
“Is this beast the family you know?”
Margo scoffed and jerked out of his grip. She moved toward Enola and her mom.
“What’s the deal, Nola?”
In her head, Enola asked, “Did they hurt you?”
“What? No!” Margo blurted out loud.
“Georgina said that you were attacked at Ricky’s. She said you were forced into a car.”
She was still in her head.
“No. It wasn’t the vampires. My powers went kind of crazy. Bishop helped. Bring it down a notch, cousin.”
Enola stepped further into the house. By the time she reached the middle of the foyer, she had returned to her normal form. Naked as can be, but normal Enola. She saw Bishop walk past in her peripheral. He snatched a throw from a chair that wasn’t on fire and went to cover Enola’s naked body. But a roar from the doorway stopped him in his tracks. Suddenly, Gideon in giant wolf’s form leaped across the threshold. The large, black beast snarled, circling his wife protectively.
Margo rolled her eyes and snatched the throw from Bishop. Her cousin’s husband lost his shit every time anything male went near his wife. When she wrapped the soft throw around Enola’s shoulders, she noticed, for the first time, that Gabriel was parked in the darkness, ready to pounce.
Bishop chuckled and walked over to the chair. He sat, crossing one leg over the other.
“Don’t worry about the mess, Voodoo Queen. I’ll take care of it.”
“I’m not worried,” Enola stated bluntly. “But if you wish, we’ll have the door repaired.”
“No need.”
Enola tightened the blanket around her shoulders and walked into the great room. She
pulled two throws from two different loungers and then returned to the foyer. Enola tossed them on the floor and turned back to Margo.
“What happened?” she asked her.
She was fully prepared to explain her bizarre night to her cousin, but Gideon and Gabriel morphed into their human forms. The sound of bones rearranging, breaking, and reattaching was disturbing. However, it was nowhere near as disturbing as seeing Gideon and Gabriel’s dicks. Margo turned around, not needing to see her ancestor’s unusually large genitalia.
Bishop grinned at Margo. He stood and walked over to Enola.
“Would you like a drink, Madame Phoenix?”
“Jamison, neat. Thank you.”
“How about you, Madame Roux?” he asked her mom.
“I wouldn’t be offended by a glass of Pinot Noir.”
He turned to Bridgette. Without so much as a word from his lips, she nodded and went for the drinks. The other vampires seemed to have retracted their fangs. They moved about, still cautiously watching Enola and the wolves.
“Basile...”
“Oui, I’m on it.”
Bishop’s right-hand man walked over to the door to assess the damage. Then, out of nowhere, the bravest human that ever lived walked over to Enola, grinning from ear to ear.
“Wow!” she gushed with a giant smile. “That was... wow!”
She pushed her hand toward Enola. “I’m Beth. It’s nice to meet you.”
She was way too bubbly for someone who just watched an enraged firebird blow the doors of a vampire lair. Enola assessed the woman with a furrowed brow before reluctantly taking Beth’s hand.
“Nice to meet you too. I’m Nola, Enola Roux.”
“E-No-la,” she annunciated through a whisper, nodding as if it impressed her.
Enola gave Margo the “What the fuck?” look, but Margo was speechless. So, she just shrugged.
Chapter Six
ENOLA
Bishop Delacroix walked over and placed his hand on the eager woman’s shoulder.
“I need to see you for a moment, chéri.”
“Of course,” Beth agreed timidly.
Thankfully, she released her hand. Enola thought she was going to have to pry it away from her.
“Nice to meet you, Enola... all of you.”
She didn’t know what it was, but something about the woman made Enola smile.
“It is nice to meet you too, Beth.”
Margo’s jealousy didn’t go unnoticed when Bishop’s large hand moved to the lower part of the woman’s back.
“Drinks will be served in the sitting room. If the Toussaint’s would be more comfortable covered, I could arrange for some clothing,”
“Thank you but that won’t be necessary,” Gideon informed.
With perfect timing, Alvin Boone stepped into what used to be the doorway. He walked over the debris and handed Gideon and Gabriel duffle bags.
For the first time, Enola felt a little guilty for destroying their beautiful estate. But the vampires were their enemies. They’d attacked them several times. And after the phone call from Georgina, telling them that someone had abducted Margo, she was ready to do a lot worst the burst through their front door.
“Bien sûr. Basile will show you where you can change.”
Even though Enola had been wrong about Margo being in danger, she didn’t trust Bishop Delacroix or his nest of vampires. She walked over to her aunt.
“Are we safe? Any bad intentions?”
“I don’t detect any... for now anyway,” her aunt responded.
Enola trusted her aunt’s instincts. And she definitely trusted her gift. So, she did as Bishop instructed and followed her husband. They followed Basile across the atrium and down a very long hall. Eventually, winding up at a large wooden door that opened to a bedroom the size of the condo she abandoned in Chicago.
Enola looked around as they followed him inside. There was a massive poster bed, covered in sheer golden fabric. Exquisite furniture lined crisp, white walls covered in antique artwork.
Basile gestured toward another door.
“Madam Roux, the dressing room is right this way.”
Gideon handed her the bag containing her clothing and placed his hand protectively in the small of her back. When they moved to the door, he held her by the waist, haltering her steps as he reached for the doorknob. In true Gideon fashion, he opened the door and stepped inside. No doubt, he was going to inspect every inch of the dressing room before she took one step inside.
Basile’s chuckled behind them.
“I can assure you, Monsieur Toussaint, your family is safe here.”
“I’ll assure it,” Gideon remarked as he stepped out of the dressing room. “Go on, darlin’. We’ll dress out here.”
Enola walked inside and closed the door. She looked around, doubting that anyone in Hollywood had ever seen a dressing room so opulent. There were no clothes on the hangers, no shoes on the racks, so she concluded that the room was unoccupied. There was, however, plush white carpet and a large vanity that covered an entire wall. Enola took off the blanket, folded it, and dressed in a hurry.
Before long, they were all fully dressed and following Basile down another long corridor, covered with beautiful paintings. Enola admired the artwork, but one painting, in particular, stopped her in her tracks.
“That’s Auriette Moureau,” she whispered to no one in particular.
“Oui, it is.” Bishop’s deep voice was a surprise. He seemed to appear out of nowhere.
“As I told Marguerite, we were not then, and are not, now, your enemies. For over a century, we were allies. I don’t how or why the former regent got involved with the witches, but I can assure you his actions weren’t sanctioned.”
Bishop turned and continued down the hall.
“Shall we?” he urged without looking back.
Enola glanced at the painting one last time before following Bishop and Basile down the hall. She turned and smiled at Gideon.
“You’re still so damn handsome.”
“Thanks, darlin’,” he responded with a grin.
The vampires led them to a large door that opened to a gold and burgundy room. The space was breathtaking. Gold drapes framed large picture windows. Plush velvet, burgundy sofas, and settees seemed soft and inviting. Basile invited them to take a seat and a frazzled blonde shuffled to the bar.
“Would anyone like a drink?” she asked.
Margo, who was already seated, grabbed a glass from a nearby cocktail table and took a sip. She seemed comfortable enough. So, Enola figured a drink wouldn’t hurt. Forgoing the hard stuff, she cautiously requested white wine instead of whiskey. Both Gideon and Gabriel opted for scotch, and Alvin Boone chose water.
Enola took a seat on a soft, tufted love seat. Gideon sat next to her, Gabriel sat in a chair close to Margo, and Alvin stood behind Gideon. Bishop relaxed in a chair that could have been a throne. He crossed one long leg over the other, and it didn’t go unnoticed that Margo’s gaze followed his every move.
“I see you eye-fucking the vampire,” Enola teased in her head.
Margo blinked nervously and peered over at her with wide eyes.
“Don’t even try to lie. You’ve been giving him the googly eyes since I’ve been here.”
Margo raised a brow.
“Bitch, you got eyes! Look at that motherfucker!”
Enola wasn’t blind. Bishop was definitely easy on the eyes. She could see why Margo was attracted to him. But as far as she was concerned, him being their enemy was yet to be determined.
“Madame Toussaint, the things you can do are utterly amazing. I am curious though. Is the transformation painful?”
The unusual question took Enola by surprise. It was funny that her entire body could be engulfed in flames and no one had ever asked her if it was painful.
“No, it’s not. And please, call me Enola.”
He nodded. “Enola it is.”
Bishop smiled, but his cool blue eyes remained i
cy. Until they landed on Margo. His gaze softened.
“And Marguerite here, the beautiful siren, has an amazing gift as well.”
The vampire seemed reluctant to look away. Yet, he turned to Ruby.
“Madame Roux, the heart of the family,” he noted.
“Are you writing their biography?” Gideon blurted gruffly.
Bishop sipped from some sort of chalice, ignoring Gideon’s remark. He turned back to Enola and said, “You incinerated half of my coven. Of course, I want to know what you can do.”
“You already know what we can do,” Margo interjected. “And your coven attacked us.”
He turned to Margo and smiled.
“Yes, my coven attacked you. And for that, they paid with their lives. Now, we move forward.”
“Moving forward is an option,” Gideon replied. “As long as your people remain peaceful, the Roux tribe and the wolves will remain peaceful.”
“Then we have a treaty.”
Bishop pushed his fingers through the thick, blonde hair of his beard and held his cup out toward the blonde woman. She hurried over with a fancy pitcher and refilled the goblet. Enola’s curiosity got the best of her.
“What are you drinking?” she asked inquisitively.
“Beth,” he specified without emotion.
“Wow,” Margo scoffed.
Enola wasn’t sure if it was the fact that he was drinking blood that was appalling to Margo. Or, was she jealous because it was the brunette’s blood? Surely, she didn’t want him sucking her dry. Or, knowing Margo, maybe she did.
“Sounds tasty,” Margo quipped sarcastically.
Bishop grinned.
“Very,” he confirmed. “But I would bet that you taste better.”
Gabriel leaned forward in his chair.
“Except, there ain’t gonna be no tasting her,” he declared.
Bishop chuckled as he sipped from his cup. He seemed cool and unbothered by the twin’s aggression. From what Gideon told her about him, Bishop was very old and extremely powerful. She gathered he wasn’t easily intimidated.
Margo shifted impatiently in her seat, suddenly irritated. Enola opened her mouth to comment, but Gideon shushed her. He sat forward, very still, as if he was listening for something. Enola looked around the room in search of danger. Bishop jumped to his feet and Ruby pressed her temples. Abruptly, she heard clothes being torn.
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