by Ali Vali
“I believe the lady asked you to let her go,” Kendal said softly, right next to his ear.
Kenny turned and looked up at her as he tightened his hold on Piper. “This is a private matter between me and her. Get lost.”
“I’m sorry, did you think I was making a request?” She pulled the cigar lighter out of her pocket and turned the small torch on. “Care to see if that alcohol aftershave you’re wearing is flammable?”
Kenny pulled back so fast he toppled over in his chair. “Crazy bitch,” he said, pointing at Piper before he jumped up and left. “Friday at ten, don’t be late, and don’t forget to bring the old man with you. Tell him his payback is coming.”
Kendal grabbed him by the back of the collar before he reached the door. She dragged him out and pushed him into the first empty bathroom she found. “Do you get a charge out of beating on women, Kenneth?”
“Get out of my way,” Kenny said, his eyes darting around as if searching for a way out, but she was standing between him and the door. “That was a business meeting, Richoux.”
“That was a pathetic man showing me he needs to be put in his place. Hitting someone who’s already on the mat only makes you an asshole.”
“You were lined up to do the same thing,” he said, smiling. “What, she wouldn’t fuck you so you’re taking your frustrations out on me? Trust me, she wasn’t that good.”
She grabbed him by the neck this time and shoved his head in the toilet so fast he didn’t have a chance to scream. Too bad the Piquant staff kept the facilities spotless.
“Are you crazy?” Kenny yelled when she let him up. “You’ll pay for this.”
“You need a new threat vocabulary, stupid,” she said, shoving his head back in and flushing. The strong gush of water made him frantic, judging from the way he kicked his legs, trying to get his head out. “Stay away from Mac and Piper, or that cute hairstyle will be the nicest thing I’ll do to you,” she said, loud enough for him to hear her over his coughing fit.
When she let go, Kenny stood up and tried to hit her before he cleared the water out of his mouth. She easily sidestepped his sorry attempt and had enough time to decide where to land her fist. The size of the bruise that would cover most of his cheek and eye by morning was the best reminder of her warning.
“This isn’t over, Kendal,” Kenny said, both his hands covering the spot where she’d hit him.
“You’re right. It isn’t, so use your brain before you decide to treat Piper like that again.”
Piper was still in the same spot, staring intently in her direction when she turned the corner. “Are you all right?” she asked Piper when she was close enough.
“Just peachy.”
If she was expecting gratitude, she wouldn’t get it from Piper. With a brief nod she turned and headed back to her table. Maybe Morgaine was right; she couldn’t afford the distraction of Piper any longer, no matter how pretty and entertaining she was, especially if she couldn’t be civil at all.
“I’m sorry,” Piper said, standing behind the extra chair at her table.
“For what, exactly?” A fine mist had started to fall outside, painting the window she was staring at with water droplets that were getting thick enough to block the view. The thought of spending the night chasing bloodsuckers in the cold damp wasn’t making her feel too sociable.
“I’m sorry for being rude to you just now,” Piper said, sincerely enough that she looked up at her. “My fight’s with Kenny, and considering how I’ve treated you, I’m surprised you’d come to my aid.”
“Mental illness runs in my family,” she joked, pointing to the chair Piper had a white-knuckled grip on.
“I could sue you for breach of verbal agreement for getting involved in any aspect of my business.”
“Saving you from the wrath of Kenny and defending your honor is interfering in your business?”
“We were negotiating.”
“Asking you to prostitute yourself with his potential clients is negotiating?” she asked incredulously.
“I was about to make my counteroffer.”
“I can’t wait to hear this one.”
“It wasn’t so much verbal as the glass to go with the drink I threw at him. I didn’t get the chance or the satisfaction before you threatened to set his face on fire with that lethal weapon in your pocket.” Piper smiled up at the bartender when he put two fresh drinks on the table, one of which was what she’d been drinking. “Want to tell me where you went just now?”
“I had something to flush down the toilet,” she said, making Piper laugh. “And that’s the first time you’ve strung that many words together in my presence that didn’t have to do with wishing me bodily harm,” she said, relighting her cigar.
“You have to understand the kind of pressure I’ve been under lately. I promise you I’m not usually such a bitch.”
The tip of the cigar turned a bright orange as she sucked hard to get it going. “I don’t think you’re a bitch, Miss Marmande. You’re feisty. If I thought you’re a bitch, I’d have bought the company just to teach you a valuable lesson on manners.”
“Why didn’t you? Buy Marmande, I mean.”
“My first sit-down doesn’t usually go like ours did. People are usually so terrified of losing their business, they barely talk, so it was refreshing to find someone so passionate and ready to take me on. And, contrary to my reputation, I do listen before I make my offer. Even if you didn’t say it, I realized how much Marmande means to you and your family, and I didn’t want to be the one to take it away from you.”
Piper nodded and held her drink with both hands. “Instead, you left us hanging so someone like Kenny could come along and take it.”
“I offered to help you, if you remember, and you told me to go to hell. Life isn’t always about people trying to screw you over, Miss Marmande. Your company is and has been in trouble for a while. You can’t deny that.”
“I’m not denying anything, but my grandfather isn’t to blame. Life threw a lot at him, and he had a hard time climbing out of the hole he landed in.”
“Please don’t think I’m laying blame on anyone. I take over businesses like yours and turn a profit. History teaches us that there’s a time and a place for everything, and business is no different. Marmande was once a giant in the shipbuilding industry, but now it’s in the wrong location to compete for the really big contracts. You’re landlocked, making expansion impossible, and you aren’t competitive enough to go after the small contracts that could save you. That isn’t anyone’s fault. It’s reality.” The fire she was used to seeing in Piper’s eyes was starting to burn. This time she gave in to a smile.
“What’s so funny?” Piper asked, her anger clear in her voice.
“You don’t like it when someone tells you the truth, do you?”
One of Piper’s hands came off her glass, and Kendal put the cigar down just in case.
“The truth as you see it doesn’t make it the truth.”
“Okay, let’s try this. Miss Marmande, do you want my help?”
“I can’t afford your help. You want what’s mine, and I’m not willing to pay that price.”
She exhaled in a long sigh. Piper was the most annoying person she’d ever come in contact with, and considering she had thousands upon thousands of days under her belt, that was quite an accomplishment. “Why not ask what the price tag is before you turn me down? Haven’t you ever heard that life is full of surprises? I might surprise you if you give me the chance,” she said before downing the rest of her drink.
“Your first surprise was enough to make me wary, so forgive me for not jumping at your offer.”
“My first surprise?” she asked, confused.
“You wanted us bad enough to kill the contract I worked hard to get. With no other work in our future, it was much easier for you to convince the bank to cut their losses.”
“You have my word I never did that, but if you like, I’ll find out who did. We both can make an edu
cated guess. Kenny has a lot more to gain from watching you fold because he sold you out to assure his own survival. That isn’t the case with me.”
“Perhaps you’re not as slimy as Kenny, but you both want the same thing so, I don’t trust either of you.”
Kendal stood, picked up her cigar from the ashtray, and leaned over the table. “Think about what I said before time runs out.”
“Would you like to have dinner with me?” Piper asked, appearing surprised at her own invitation.
“I’d love nothing better, but I have work to do, so could I have a rain check?”
“You’re going to work now?”
“Yes, ma’am, I’m not just telling you that to brush you off.”
“Dressed like that?”
Looking down at herself, she spread her arms out. “What’s wrong with the way I’m dressed?”
“Nothing, it’s just not your usual business suit. Makes me wonder what type of business you have to attend to.”
She laughed at Piper’s usual lack of manners. “I could give you a lifetime of guesses and you’d never come up with the answer. Have a pleasant evening, Miss Marmande, and don’t forget about my offer.”
Piper let out a laugh of her own. “Why do I think accepting any offer from you would land me in the same position Kenny got me in, namely, in his bed?”
She moved closer, and for once Piper didn’t back away. “I meant what I said about my bed the first time we met. If you end up there, it’ll be because you want to be with me. I’ll never force or obligate you. Right now the only shot you have is to beg me.”
“Trust me, you’re not my type.”
Now only inches separated them. “Run along the straight and narrow, do you? And I’m putting emphasis on the ‘straight’ part of that statement.”
“I’m not interested.”
“And you think I am?”
Piper’s eyes dropped first. “You sounded interested enough, but I’m sorry for assuming,” Piper said, sounding uncertain for once.
“I do enjoy the company of other women, but my honor means everything to me. I’d never take advantage of you or anyone else when they’re desperate.” She stood straight and looked out the window again. The rain was now falling in a steady stream. “I’ve never had trouble finding someone who wants to share time with me, so you’re in no danger.”
She turned and left, hoping Henri would give her more of a challenge tonight. After a few minutes with Piper she couldn’t wait to shove a sword into someone’s chest.
*
Henri entered the house and looked around to see who was missing. All the young ones he’d sent out were gone, including Veronica. Not that he had thought they’d have any chance against Kendal’s skill, but he hoped the numbers of his followers had at least intimidated her.
However, it really wasn’t important to him how Kendal felt or what she thought. For Henri and the woman he owed everything to, the time had come to fight and break the shackles the Clan and the damned Elders had imposed on every one of their kind. Taking Kendal out would give them the edge in the battle that would follow, because no matter what Kendal’s position within the Clan was, she was their leading slayer. Not even the blonde who’d taught her in the beginning and remained her teacher came close to Kendal’s skills.
As Henri moved to his chair, he studied the group of people in the room. It was small compared to those who would worship him once they announced their existence to the world and claimed their rightful place of power. He had always known he was meant to rule, and it wouldn’t be long before he’d fulfill his destiny. Once he did, the world would either do his bidding or exist only to quench his thirst.
“Send out the more talented fighters tonight,” he told Troy. “You don’t have to defeat her, just capture her or her little pet. Asra’s as predictable as the rising sun. Touch or threaten those close to her, and she’ll drop her sword without hesitation.”
“Yes, master. I’ll send them out in force.”
“Not all, just enough to do the job. I don’t want to be left vulnerable if she’s luckier than we give her credit for. Remember, all we need is just one of them,” he said.
He stayed to see who Troy picked, then left the house headed into the city, hurrying to sate two hundred years of longing. When he slept he had no memories or dreams to cloud his rest, with only one exception. Her call had filled his head almost as if someone had screamed it so loud it had echoed off the stone of his crypt.
Most of the people he passed on the street never saw or felt Henri, and those who did simply shivered at the quick touch of cold of his skin. He didn’t care about anyone who got in his way and only slowed down a block from where he was headed in the second oldest part of New Orleans. Uptown had been where the outsiders who weren’t French or Spanish had built their big houses and estates.
The neighborhood that skirted the river had become more congested with time, but unlike the French Quarter that had held on to and protected its historic treasures, very few of the original homes from that era existed except the ones that lined St. Charles Avenue.
Henri stood before one of the survivors and tipped his head back to calm his excitement. The place appeared foreboding, with its dark shutters closed except for a few upstairs on the west side and the high, solid-brick fence that surrounded the property. Broken glass shards lined the top of the wall, an old security measure, but that’s not what kept everyone out.
Anyone who stopped long enough to stare through the wrought-iron gates to the house didn’t linger, and those who were brave enough to jump the wall soon went mad because of the strong protection spell in place. It didn’t matter that commercial dock businesses, restaurants, and bars now surrounded the property—everyone had left it as untouched as a time capsule.
Henri stood on the cracked sidewalk, the cement no opponent for the roots of the large oak close to the fence, and the hair on his arms stood when he heard her call again.
“Abez, come to me. I’ve waited long enough for you.”
This place was his, but he seldom ventured here. Through the years he’d modified and improved it so thoroughly he was confident it was safe for the treasure it would house for the fight to come.
He sniffed the air and closed his eyes in ecstasy at her scent before he unlocked the gate.
Their own Elders, who guarded the house, bowed to him as he moved to the door. Two other old ones sat at her feet with their swords across their laps when he entered the glass solarium with its good view of the full moon.
His eyes filled with tears. Ora was beautiful with her long red hair pulled back and held in place by a large comb that appeared to be made of bone. The black robe she wore opened to reveal her legs as she extended her hand to him with a smile.
“You’ve done well and have earned the right to sit beside me.”
Without hesitation, he dropped to his knees. “My queen, welcome to New Orleans. I’m here to do your bidding.”
Chapter Fourteen
“Piper, you have a visitor,” the receptionist said.
“I requested no calls, and I don’t have any appointments scheduled for today.” The morning was as overcast as the previous day, but despite the dark luminous clouds, only a fine mist was falling. As Piper stared out the window, rocking slightly in her office chair, she felt like the weather reflected not only her mood but their future. “Who is it?”
“Are you sure you want me to say that?” The receptionist’s voice was muffled but Piper still understood her question. “She said to tell you it’s the sanctimonious bitch.”
“Send her back,” Piper said, laughing. Maybe her grandfather was right and she shouldn’t have pissed Kendal off from the start.
“Good morning, Miss Marmande,” Kendal said, stopping right outside her door and wearing another great suit.
“If you’ve come to survey the lay of the land to see what you can sell off, you can forget it.” She smiled as she spoke, wanting Kendal to know she was kidding. “I
f that isn’t threatening enough to keep you from running off with the furniture, Granddad has a gun in his desk.”
“I’ve called off the invasion even if you don’t believe me, so I left my invading-horde hat at the hotel.”
“What can I do for you?”
“Even though you don’t like me much, I thought I’d make up for having to turn you down last night by asking you out for breakfast.” Kendal slipped her hands into her pockets. “If you’d like, you can ask Mr. Marmande to join us.”
“He’s actually out searching for buried treasure.” It finally dawned on Piper why Kendal was still in the hallway, so she stood and walked around her desk. Kendal Richoux might have perfected the art of corporate raiding, but she had impeccable manners. “Please come in and sit.” Her words pried Kendal’s feet off the floor. “And breakfast sounds good.”
“I thought if we talk without our original barriers, we could actually share a meal and not have it end in a food fight.”
“The last few months haven’t brought out the best in me, so I apologize again.”
“I understand difficult positions, so you’ve nothing to be sorry for. Shall we?” Kendal asked, pointing to the door.
Piper guided her down the street to the café where she and Mac ate often. It wasn’t fancy, but the woman who’d run it for years took pride in preparing simple homestyle foods. Once they’d ordered, Piper held her coffee cup with both hands to keep them still. Kendal had a way of looking at her that made her feel stripped bare.
“Can I ask you something?”
Kendal nodded. “What would you like to know?”
“Please believe I’m not asking to make you mad—I’m only curious.” Kendal smiled, she guessed at her hesitation, and when she did it brought out the unique color of her eyes. They made her think of blue ice. “Why do you do this for a living?”
