by Paige Patton
“Is that what you want?”
Desiree kept her eyes on the floor and her mouth shut as she mopped her way toward the back of the room. Camille had a way of making her see things differently. She didn’t want to see things differently this time. She wanted to travel to India. She wanted to eat strange foods and sit on the floor while meditating.
“Liam hardly seems worth all that. Hell, for that matter, no man is. I won’t let you do it.”
“It’s not your choice.”
“But it’s absurd, Desi! And a cry for help.”
Camille reached in her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. There was no way in hell she was going to let her best friend go through with such an outrageous idea. A week or two, maybe, but years was testing the boundaries.
“There’s no way I’m letting Liam turn you into a nun.” She said as she began punching in a number. “I’m hooking you up with Walter.”
“This isn’t about Liam.” Desiree tried explaining.
Camille looked up from her phone with a raised brow that would have made, “The Rock,” proud. Of course, it was about Liam she thought. This had Liam written all over it. In the short time, they had known each other he had wormed his way into her life, and then into her heart. Desiree had a way of confusing the act of fucking with love. It was a common mistake made by most women. Camille was smart enough to know the difference. Sometimes the sex was just about fucking. It had nothing to do with love. To most men fucking was just that- Fucking! It was rare that it meant anything more than a fun way to waste some time and satisfy a need.
“Okay, maybe Liam had something to do with my decision. But I’m also doing this for me. Please try to understand where I’m coming from and why this is so important.”
“Oh, sweetie, I understand where you’re coming from. I also know exactly where you’re going,” Camille said going back to searching for Walter’s number. “You’re going on a date with Walter.”
Desiree knew she had to appeal to Camille’s sensitive side before she punched in Walter’s number. Once she got something in her head, she went with it full force. There was not stopping her.
“Don’t you ever feel lost?” Desire asked. “Like you’re constantly heading down the wrong path, or like you need help to figure out which way to go?”
Camille knew precisely what Desiree was saying. There were days when she too felt the same way. “Yes, of course, I do. But it shouldn’t take years to figure things out. If this is your version of eat, pray, love bullshit, then okay. You know who you are, Desiree. You are a strong, intelligent, beautiful, black goddess. You are more than capable of taking care of herself, with or without a man at your side. That is who you are. That is who we both are.
Finally, she was making some head way with her friend; talked some sense into her. She was wrong.
“But we are also human beings. We were made to have a man at our side. We function better that way. So, if you want to give in for a short while, that’s your choice. But I won’t let you give up. And I will never allow Liam to take away the essence and beauty of who you are.”
Camille’s words resonated in Desiree’s mind touching her deeply. In all of her life, she never felt more womanly than she did at that moment.
Delilah was at work; watching over her daughter. Making sure, she stayed true to herself, the goddess of love, desire, and goodness in the human world. A sabbatical from love could wreck her entire plan ending everything before she and Roman had a chance to meet.
Atum and Zeus had their heads together plotting her demise if Kourosh got to her first. Delilah had to use every trick she had. And fast. Atum alone was an impossible god to reason with; add in Zeus, and there was no amount of begging she could do to save her. These two mighty gods played by the rules. They would surely snatch Desiree from the human world and return her to Nirvana without a second thought. She had to do everything possible to keep her there until she met Roman. If using Camille from time to time to communicate with Desiree was against the rules, well, so be it.
“If you need a little R & R, fine, but damn girl, life is short and much more fun when you are getting laid on the regular.”
Desiree grunted, turned her lip up over Camille’s last statement, and pushed past her. “You’re disgusting.”
“But you know it’s the truth, girl. C’mon, don’t act as if you don’t know. I’m calling Walter right now. He’s an accountant, so he’s a little on the nerdy side.”
“Its three o’clock in the morning, Cami!” Desiree protested.
“So what- We’re gonna wake his ass up and put a little spice in his mundane life.” Camille punched in a number and placed the phone up to her ear.
“No!” Desiree yelled as she tried to snatch the phone from Camille’s hand. Camille blocked her every move, left, then right. They played around acting like kids until a loud knock on the front door startled them.
“Who the hell could that be at this hour?”
Camille dropping her cell back into her top pocket and pulled out a switchblade. “Let’s go find out.” She said as she flicked it open like a pro.
Desiree grabbed the handle of her mop as the headed for the front door. Camille turned the doorknob and opened it.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could actually see that pivotal moment when the direction of your life changed? You know, that life-altering moment of which people often speak, the moment that changes everything for better, or regrettably sometimes for the worse.
It would not have mattered though, not tonight. Fate and Destiny had their orders. No one in their right mind would ever defy these two bitches.
Noland Bauer was among the wealthiest people in Southern California. If you asked whom he was by name most people would not have the slightest clue. That was fine with Noland. That was the way he wanted it; the way he planned it. Inconspicuous was the name of the game for his kind.
Under normal circumstances, he was a man who was on top of everything. Noland was always dashing and a true gentleman but not tonight. Tonight Noland was not himself. His swollen, red eyes were a clear indication that he had been crying or that he was in a drunken stupor. His hair and clothes were filthy-disheveled. He could have easily been pegged for one of the homeless vagrants on the streets had it not been for the Berluti shoes. Those suckers could run you close to two thousand bucks a pop.
“What do you want?” Camille asked in a what-the-fuck-are-you-doing-knocking-on- this-door-at-this-hour, tone.
“Get Richard out here.” He demanded.
“Richard!” The women said in unison.
Seriously? Was he seriously fucking around with them at this hour? Unless you lived under a rock, everyone knew that Richard Dames was dead. His picture had been plastered on the television screen for weeks after his death. The media carried on as if the man was a famous movie star or some political figure.
The two women shot each other a look like not sure if the guy was serious or just a dimwit. Camille was about to find out.
“Are you a fucking idiot? Everyone knows that the man is dead.”
If this guy was acting, he deserved an award. His eyes went wide. You could actually see the color drain from his face as he stared back at them.
“Dead-That’s impossible! Who are you?”
Camille repositions her knife with the pointy end aimed in his face. “Who are you?”
“I’m Noland Bauer-A longtime client.”
“Not anymore,” Camille said flippantly.
“And isn’t it kind of late to be out taking care of business?” Desiree asked.
Noland had never been treated so rudely in his life. He was a well-respected Alpha wolf; a supreme pack leader who fought his way to dominance and reigns superior to the other wolves in his pack. Everywhere he went people catered to him, served him as if he was the Pope. Having a knife pointed at his face was disrespectful.
These women had no idea who he was, nor what damage he could do to them. “I’ll ask you again, who are
you? And who sent you here to spread these vicious lies?”
“It’s no lie. He dropped dead of a heart attack. Ask anyone.” Camille said.
“Impossible.”
Desiree reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. Googling the passing of Richard Dames did not take long. Headlines popped up confirming their allegations. Desiree shoved the phone in Noland’s face.
The poor guy went down as his knees buckled. They caught him just in time before he hit the floor. They helped him into the office and eased him down onto the chaise.
“Have you literally been hiding under a rock?” Camille asked. “He’s been dead for over a year now.”
“I’m sorry. I’ve been away- Out of the country for well over a year. I just returned tonight.”
He paused as if lost or uncertain of what to do or say next. “He sent me away.” He mumbled under his breath, his eyes ricocheting from one woman to the other as if searching for answers. “He wanted me away when it happened.”
“When what happened?” Desiree asked.
Noland ignored her as if she was not even standing there. His mind was in overdrive. Trying to piece together what Richard had done.
Desiree went into the kitchen leaving Camille alone with the man who began babbling under his breath. Hell if she didn’t feel sorry for the poor fool.
“We all must die, sir.” She said as she kneeled in front of him. “No one is immortal. I’m real sorry about your friend. I can only imagine how hard it must be for you to return home to find out about him this way. But you need to pull yourself together.”
“You don’t understand.” He said looking into her eyes. “Richard dying of a heart attack or any other human illness is impossible! He’s a vampire.”
“A vampire?” Camille asked stoically.
“Yes. He’s immortal.”
Camille tried her best to keep the patronizing tone out of her voice, but it was hard. “Immortal? Well, that’s different.”
“Don’t you dare use that condescending tone with me, young lady! I’m not some nut who just happened to stumble in off the streets.”
“That’s exactly what you are.” Desiree said holding a glass of water out to him.
Noland took the glass from her hand, quickly lapped the water down as if it would be his last. “It may look that way to you,” he said handing her the glass. “But I am as sane as they come.” He leaned back in the chair fumbling with his tie in an effort to loosen it.
Camille stood and took a few steps back. He seemed harmless enough. It was obvious he was distraught and confused, talking about immortality and things that would make for a great episode on vampire diaries.
“Until I can get this all sorted out I’m going to need your help ladies. My daughter is missing.”
“What do you want us to do? Clean her room?” Desiree asked with all the sarcasm she could muster.
Camille elbowed her in the ribs.
“No, I want you to find her.”
“Do we look like Charlie’s Angles?” Desiree asked stepping forward.
“No, Charlie’s Angels had three idiots, I only see two.”
Desiree went into attack mode. Like a pit-bull. She could feel her blood pressure rising as everything turned red. She grabbed the knife from Camille’s hand and went for Noland.
Camille grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back.
“Calm down. I got this.” She had already mopped the floor once. The last thing she wanted was to have to mop it again. And blood was hell to cover up. “We can’t help you sir. If your daughter is missing, I suggest you call the police.”
“That’s not an option.”
“Why not?”
“Trust me! I know these monsters.”
“More vampires?” Desiree asked with even more sarcasm.
Noland had enough with Desiree smart-ass remarks. He cut her a cold look that forced her to apologies for speaking inappropriately to a guest.
Desiree had no idea why she felt a sudden need to apologize other than it felt like the right thing to do. “I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”
If she were not necessary for this mission, Noland would have ended her life then and there. It was still up for debate.
“You have no idea what’s going on all around you?”
“Apparently not,” Desiree answered as if it was all just a big joke.
“The masses are gathering in great number. A division is taking place. Two powerful men are at odds and chaos throughout the underworld will come down on us like hell’s fire. When this happens, I hope you know who your enemies are. If so, mark them so that you will never forget.”
Baffled, they both stood there wondering, what the fuck?
“And Mr. Clean and Sarah Lee are having their first child. What else you got?” Desiree asked.
Now Noland was pissed. It generally took much more than a flippant tongue to get him riled, but his nerves were already on edge, and Desiree’s smart mouth wasn’t helping.
He stood and took a step toward her. “You think this is a joke? You think this room will save you? You will have to leave at some point. You cannot stay in here forever. Then what will you do?” He asked looking from one to the other.
Delilah waved her hand over the Oracle in an attempt to stop Noland from speaking. She tried her best knowing that he was protected from her magic. Richard, the noble do-gooder, intent on saving the world made sure of that. Even though he was her nephew, she could not let him get away with going against her.
He was a smart and determined one. Hell bent on speaking to the council; he found a way to Nirvana. Claiming he had proof, that Desiree was a threat to the human world. He would have insisted upon her immediate removed. Having him removed first before he could do any harm seemed the logical step to take. She had no other recourse but to seek help from other sources.
Now she had to deal with Noland Bauer- A filthy werewolf. When will it end she wondered? When would she ever have peace?
Well, she could not shut him up, but she could certainly direct his attention away from her daughter.
Noland directed his attention towards Camille as he spoke. “We need to put our heads together and find my child.”
“We?” Desiree snapped. She could not believe he added them into his sick equation of nightmares and bullshit. “There is no, we. There is only you. And you need to do whatever it takes to find your child, even if that means involving the police.”
“How much will it take to shut you up?” Noland asked now looking at Desiree.
Insulted, Desiree snapped back. “Get out!” She yelled pointing toward the door.
“I’ll pay whatever you ask, two, three, four million apiece? Just name your price. I’m sure you have one.”
Desiree took Camille by the arm and pulled her into the kitchen while keeping a watchful eye on Noland.
“I don’t like this guy. If you don’t get him out of here, I’m going gouge on his ass.”
“I kinda like him.”
“Are the dollar signs dulling your senses? He’s fucking creepy! And he insulted us at least three times.”
“Okay, I’ll admit, he is a little creepy, but the insulting thing in no big deal. We’ve been insulted way worse than that.”
“He’s a disrespectful, pretentious ass.” Desiree said aloud for him to hear.
“You would be too if your child were missing. Let’s just do this. It could be fun.”
They both looked over their shoulder at Noland, who had stepped out onto the balcony. His powers allowed him to hear them. It was just one of the few supernatural gifts he possessed.
“You do realize that we have zero experience in finding missing people. How do you suppose we handle that?”
“How hard could it be?” Camille asked, shoving Desiree further into the kitchen. “We’ll ask around a little, see what comes up.”
“And if nothing comes up?”
“We head down to Mexico, throw around a few pesos, and keep asking
. I bet we get lucky. Hell, we could start our own P.I. business just like this Dames guy.”
Desiree said nothing. She couldn’t believe she was even considering it though it would be nice to pay off all their loans and live life without any financial worries. The type of work could be fun. Once the girl was found, they could give it up and use the money to travel, as they have always wanted to do.
“You trust this weirdo?” Desiree asked looking over at Noland, who was now staring at them through the window.
“Not really. I’ll deal with him. You can handle everything else.”
Desiree paused giving Noland’s offer serious thought. She liked the way things were, the cleaning business, the ease that came along with it. Investigating could be a risky business especially if the results were not good. She could see that Camille really wanted to do it, so she gave in. “Okay. Let’s do it.”
“Yes!” Camille said pumping her fists into the air before wrapping her arms around Desiree’s neck in a tight hug. They headed back over to Noland to give him the good news.
Noland knew what their answer would be. Even if they tried to turn him down, he would have raised the stakes so high it would have been impossible for them to say no.
“I see you have reached a decision.”
“Yes, we’ll take your deal, sir,” Camille said standing in front of him.
“Wonderful,” Noland said. “I’ll have two million wired directly into your accounts tonight. When my daughter is found, you’ll receive the rest.”
“That would be fine,” Camille said.
“You ladies now work for me.” He said handing Camille one of his business cards. “Please, find Gracie before it’s too late. If they kill her, it will mean war. That wouldn’t be good for anyone.”
“You act as if you know who took your daughter. Do you know who we should be looking for? Camille asked.
Did he know for sure? Not really, but he had a real good idea. If his suspicions were correct, may the gods have mercy on her soul because Kourosh would not.
Chapter Three
