by V. A. Dold
“Neither can I,” Marcus agreed, handing Jack his black American Express card.
Jack placed the earrings and necklace into a fine velvet-lined wooden jewelry box designed to store the set. Then he put the ring box and wooden box into a shopping bag. “Congratulations, Marcus. I can’t wait to meet your mate.”
“Thanks, Jack. You will be the first name on the guest list. Have a great day.” Humming, Marcus practically danced out the door.
One more stop before he took care of business. He had statuary to purchase. Marcus left his car parked where it was. Fischer-Gambino was only three blocks down, and it was much easier to walk than find a parking space.
Entering the store, he wasted no time finding an employee. “Good morning, ma’am. I’d like to speak with your manager, please.”
“Of course. Let me get him for you.”
Minutes later, a man of about thirty smiled when he saw that it was Marcus asking for him. Approaching, he offered his hand. “How are you doing today?”
“Great! I have a special request. My mate fell in love with your giraffes and that pig,” he said, pointing out the animal. “I want them delivered and placed in my house in the next two hours. Money is no object.”
The manager rubbed the back of his neck, “I don’t have a delivery crew. We ship all of the purchases that aren’t picked up at the store.”
“Not a problem. Just process the sale. I’ll arrange the delivery.”
Marcus pulled his phone from his pocket and called Jeff, the valet at corporate.
“Hello?”
“Jeff, this is Marcus Le Beau. Look, man, I’m cashing in that favor you owe me.”
“Oh, okay. What can I do for you?”
“I need you to gather a couple of your friends and a truck or van. There are two large crates I want you to pick up at Fischer-Gambino. Take them to my house on the plantation and unpack them. Place the statuary in my living room and make sure you take the packing material and crates with you when you leave my house. This is a surprise for my fiancée, and I want it to go off without a hitch.”
“When do you need this done? I work until six.”
“I need this done immediately. But don’t worry, I’ll cover your lost wages and take care of covering the rest of your shift.”
“Oh, okay. I have to make a few calls to see who’s available, but you can count on me.”
“Thanks, Jeff. Gotta go.”
Marcus stuffed his phone in his pocket and handed his credit card to the manager. “A young man will be here shortly to collect my purchase. Please make sure they’re packed well to avoid damage.”
“Absolutely. I’ll handle the packing myself,” the manager assured as Marcus sighed the credit slip.
“Thank you.” He slid the card into his wallet and checked the time. Accepting his copy of the receipt, he smiled and headed for the door. “Have a great day and thank you again.”
Next stop, Etienne. He started the car and checked the clock on his dashboard. He had ten minutes to get to the mansion. Plenty of time.
Minutes later, he parked on Royal Street across from Et’s place. With a spring in his step, he crossed the street and knocked on the front door.
“Good morning. Long time no see,” Willa said, as she opened the door.
“Good morning, Mrs. Delacour.” Then he laughed when she scowled.
“You know I don’t like that. Mrs. Delacour sounds like an eighty-year-old grandmother.”
“And that’s what makes it so much fun. Is the old bat in the library?”
“He sure is,” she said, laughing as she closed the door. “Want some coffee?”
“Yeah, that would be great. Thanks.”
“Marcus! To what do I owe the pleasure?” Etienne called from down the hall.
Marcus waited until he was seated in the library to answer. “We have a mutual problem that only you’re equipped to solve.”
Etienne sipped his café au lait. “Really? And what would that be?”
Willa chose that moment to join them with a cup of au lait for him.
“Here you go, furry ass,” Willa teased with a glint in her eye.
Marcus groaned. “Not you too?”
She leaned in closer to Marcus and stage whispered, “Paybacks a bitch. When you start using my name, I’ll use yours.”
“Fine, Willa,” Marcus stage whispered back.
“See? That wasn’t so hard. It looks like you have serious business with Etie, so I’m going to excuse myself.”
Marcus took a sip of his coffee. “Oh, that’s good. Have a great day, Willa.”
“You too, Marcus,” she said as she disappeared into the depths of the house.
Etienne cleared his throat and took another sip.
“I found out who took the contract out on me. It turns out he’s the son of one of the mobsters we killed, and he thinks I pulled the trigger.”
Etienne heaved a sigh. “I thought we were done with that business.”
“So did I.”
Etienne looked at him pointedly. “You wouldn’t be here without a plan.”
Marcus grinned. “No, I wouldn’t. Would it be possible for you to erase the kid’s memory of me?”
Etienne raised a brow and sighed as if bored with the idea. “Child’s play. Is that all?”
Marcus chuckled. “That’s all I need you to do. Quin will do the rest.”
“When and where do you want this done?”
“I’ll have to coordinate with Quin, so the electronic and paper trail are deleted at the same time you take care of Devin’s memory. My best guess is a few days to a week at most.”
“All right. Where does the irksome child live?”
“Baton Rouge. I’ll get the address for you.”
“Excellent. Leave the coordinating to me. You have more important things to do with your time.”
“You’d do that for me? Thank you, Et.”
“You’re welcome.” Etienne drained his cup and set it aside, then he grinned. “Now, I’d rather talk of pleasant things. The grapevine whispers of your new mate. When’s the wedding and pack run?”
“I’m not sure,” he chuckled. “I have to ask her first.”
“A prudent plan. Willa and I look forward to an invitation once you manage to pop the question. Until then, best of luck with your proposal.”
Marcus snorted. “I need more luck making the dinner I have planned so I can pop the question. I’m more of a takeout guy.”
Etienne groaned. “I feel your pain. A chef, I’m not.”
Marcus got to his feet. “I better get going. Cassidy will be waiting for me at the shopping mall. Thanks again, Et.”
Etienne walked him out. “Consider it your wedding present,” he teased as he opened the door.
Marcus had just stepped onto the sidewalk and turned to shake Etienne’s hand when the tell-tale sound of a gun cocking had him spinning to confront the assailant.
A dark-haired man of about twenty-five stood ten feet away with a gun pointed at Marcus’s chest. “Le Beau! You’ve been a real pain in my ass. You shot my father and now I’m going to do the same to you.”
Marcus dodged right as the man pulled the trigger.
The blast from the gun was a loud echo as the sound bounced off the walls around them. Chunks of plaster flew from the grand entrance to Etienne’s home as the bullet embedded in the wall.
Etienne roared in outrage. He grabbed the young man by the neck and slammed him against the wall. “You shot my fucking house!”
When the man only kicked his dangling feet and sputtered, Etienne shook him like a ragdoll. “What the hell is wrong with you. This house is a landmark and you shot it.”
Marcus cleared his throat. “I think he was aiming for me, not the house.”
Etienne snarled, flashing his fangs. “I don’t give a fuck who he was aiming at, that doesn’t change the fact that I have a bullet in my wall.”
“True. But perhaps we should ask the man a few question
s while he’s still breathing?”
Etienne lowered the man until his feet hit the ground, but he didn’t take his hand from the man’s neck. “Ask your questions but be quick about it.”
Marcus looked the man in the eye. “What’s your name?”
“D-D-Devin.”
Marcus raised a brow at Etienne and smiled. “Isn’t that convenient.”
Etienne scowled. “Very. Young Devin and I will finish our conversation inside. Tell Quin the situation is handled.”
“Will do. Thanks, Et. I’m sorry about your house.”
Etienne shrugged. “The house will be fine. I have a guy who can fix it, so you’ll never know it was damaged.” Then he glanced at the damage and snarled at Devin again before frog-marching him to the door. “You better get going. Your mate is waiting for you.”
“Oh, shit. You’re right.” Marcus ran to his car and took off for the other side of the Quarter.
* * * * *
After a quick lunch at Johnny’s, Marcus showed Cassidy around the French Quarter, playing tour guide to her sightseer. He patted himself on the back when Cassidy wanted to revisit the giraffes and the rocking pig. She’d be disappointed but not for long.
“Oh no!” she exclaimed as she searched the area where her favorite decor items had been. “They’re gone,” she said, sadness rounding her shoulders.
Marcus put his arms around her. “It’s the Quarter, mon amour. The stores get new items every day. Who knows what we will see here next time we visit?”
“Yeah, but I really wanted them,” she murmured against his chest.
“I know, sweetheart. What do you say? Should we head home?”
Still melancholy, she shrugged. “I guess so.”
Hardly containing his excitement, they left the city in their rearview mirror and headed for home. Marcus checked the time, four in the afternoon. “Do you have any plans for the next couple of hours?” he asked Cassidy as he helped her from the car.
Cassidy took his hand and followed him across the yard. “Not a thing. Why?”
Marcus sighed. “I wanted tonight to be a surprise, but that isn’t possible. Would you like to go with me to collect a package from my mother, or would you like to wait here?”
Cassidy glanced at him with a grin on her face. “Now that you have my curiosity peaked, I’m going with you.”
Grinning back, he shrugged. “Suit yourself. It’s not like I’m doing anything exciting.”
Without knocking, he opened his parents’ back door to find a grocery bag waiting just inside. He grabbed the handle and stepped back to close the door. “See? Exciting stuff.”
Cassidy narrowed her eyes. He knew the way her mind worked, and she was analyzing the situation to suss out what he was up to.
She craned her neck and eyed the top of the bag, obviously curious about it. “What do you have there?” she finally asked.
He rolled his lips to suppress a chuckle. “A romantic dinner.”
She gave him a skeptical look. “I don’t smell a prepared meal.”
“That’s because I’m the chef this evening.”
She halted, pulling him to a stop when she did. “I swear you just said that you’re cooking dinner.”
Marcus rolled his eyes and pulled on her hand until she started walking again. When she glanced pointedly at the bag again, he gave her hand a little squeeze. “What?”
“I’m just wondering about a couple of things.”
“Which are?”
“Should I be afraid that your mother had to supply the ingredients?”
“Not at all. I planned this last minute, so I didn’t have time to run to the store.”
She nodded. “That’s true. So, what are you making?”
“A classic. Red beans and rice,” he said proudly.
Cassidy chewed her lip but didn’t ask the question he knew she was dying to lend voice to.
Sighing, he set the bag at his feet to open his door. “Just spit it out.”
Glancing from the bag to his immaculate, never before used kitchen, she asked, “Do you know how to make red beans and rice.”
Marcus plucked the recipe from the countertop and waved it for her to see. “I do now.”
Cassidy stared at him for a moment then started rummaging through his kitchen drawers.
“What on earth are you doing now?”
“Searching for delivery menus.”
He nodded toward the other side of the room. “They’re in that drawer over there. Not that we will need them. My mother wrote down easy to follow instructions, and I’ve already started the meal,” he said, puffing out his chest dramatically.
“Really? That’s some trick seeing as we just walked through the door.”
“Yes, but I started the beans before we went to town,” he proclaimed as he pulled them from the oven.
Cassidy moved closer to glance into the pot. “I’m impressed.”
Marcus beamed. “Thank you. Why don’t you make yourself comfortable in the living room while I put this together? It has to simmer for a couple of hours.” She was so busy teasing him about dinner, she had yet to notice the changes made to the decor.
“No way. I want to watch you cook for the very first time.”
Marcus furrowed his brow in concentration as he read through his mother’s instructions. “You have about ten minutes. It’ll take me at least that long to prep the vegetables.”
Cassidy wrinkled her nose at the small pile of onions, peppers, and celery. “I think I’ll go freshen up.”
Marcus watched as she turned to leave the kitchen area. Holding his breath, he waited for it.
Cassidy let out a screech that made him clap his hands over his ears. “My babies!” She ran over to the giraffes and hugged one around the neck. “Oh, Marcus, why didn’t you tell me that you bought them?”
Rubbing his sore ears, he said, “That would have ruined the surprise. I’m glad you like them.”
“Like them? I love them!”
“Good because I bought them for you.”
“For me! They’re mine?”
“Of course. You wanted them, so I made sure you got them.”
“I wanted them but figured it was just wishful thinking. Thank you. They look amazing in here.”
“Shockingly, I agree with you. They look great with the high ceiling.”
Cassidy hugged the other giraffe’s neck and moved onto the pig.
Chuckling, he returned to the kitchen. “While you enjoy your surprise, I’ll chop the vegetables.” He took a moment to recheck the recipe. He had to chop up one large onion, a bell pepper, two stalks of celery, and mince two tablespoons of garlic. How the heck do you mince garlic? He pulled what he needed from the bag but didn’t see a head of garlic. The bag was getting empty, so he pulled the remaining ingredients, which were mostly seasoning, out and set them aside. That was when he found a tiny container he hadn’t noticed before. Pulling the cover free, he realized it was the garlic already minced for him. Chuckling, he set it aside. His mother was the best.
Marcus was adding the vegetables and garlic to the hot oil in the skillet when a knock sounded on the door.
“Hello! I come bearing gifts,” Simon said as he let himself in.
“Hey, Simon, what do you have there?”
“Mom sent me over with this Instant pot. Since when do you cook?”
“Since today.” Marcus wiped his hands on the kitchen towel and examined the appliance. “What’s an Instant Pot?”
“From what Rose tells me, it’s a pressure cooker and slow cooker all in one. Anyway, Mom said you could cook your dinner faster with this.”
Marcus snorted. “How? I don’t know how to operate the thing.”
“Oh, yeah.” Simon patted his pockets and pulled out a slip of paper. “She wrote down what to do.”
Marcus went back to stirring his vegetables while he read the note from his mother. “Wow! This cuts the cooking time down from two and a half hours to thirty minutes!”<
br />
“Crazy, right? Rose loves hers. Anyway, I better get going. The family is waiting to go for a boat ride. Enjoy your dinner.”
Busy reviewing his mother’s instructions, Marcus only grunted a response. The vegetables were done sautéing, and he needed to do the next step. First, he moved his mother’s appliance nearer an outlet and lifted the lid. Hands on hips, he glanced from the pot of beans to the stainless-steel pot inside the cooker. Finally, he decided the ingredients would fit.
Pulling out a strainer, he drained the beans and dumped them into the Instant pot. Then he grabbed the skillet and scraped the vegetables in as well. Grabbing a cutting board, he sliced the andouille sausage and ham into perfect bites and dropped them into the mixture. Then he went back to the instructions. How much broth?
Interesting, the Instant pot required half the amount of broth as simmering in a pot. He dug through his cabinets until he found a measuring cup. He was adding the third cup of broth when Cassidy pulled out a barstool to watch.
“How’s it going? Should I get the takeout menus?” she teased.
“I just need to add the seasoning, and it’s ready to go. Following a recipe is easier than I thought. Even you could learn how to cook passably well,” he teased back, as he tossed two bay leaves into the pot.
Cassidy picked up the spices one at a time and read the labels. “That’s a lot of seasoning,” she noted hesitantly.
Marcus laughed. “You don’t dump it all in. You have to measure out a little of each.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Even I know that. I just didn’t realize red beans and rice had so many spices. No wonder it tastes so good.”
“I know, right?” Marcus picked up the thyme and measured out a teaspoon. Then he grabbed the cayenne pepper and added a half teaspoon into the pot. A little sage, parsley, and Cajun seasoning, and he was ready to stir.
Locking the cover into place, he examined the control panel and set it to pressure cook for twelve minutes. After that, the machine would slowly release the pressure over a twenty-minute span.
Just then, his phone pinged a message. He glanced at the screen and saw Etienne’s name.
E: It’s done. The bastard’s memories are wiped.
M: Thanks, man. I appreciate it.
E: You could really thank me by letting me kill him. He shot my damn house!
