Léopold's Wicked Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans) (32 page)

“Yeah, that was about me, not the car. I promise to be careful. Besides, it’s just a car.”

“Just a car,” he sniffed. “You do realize how much this car…”

“No. Don’t care. And why’s that? Let me see… yeah, that’s right, I could be dead in two days. Just checking…no, I don’t care how much it costs. But I would like to drive really, really fast.” Without equivocation, she reached over and took his hand in hers. Their easy conversation had filled her soul, allowing her to forget, albeit only for seconds, the sobering reason why they were sitting in the car in the first place.

Léopold glanced out the window with a grin and shook his head. He’d give her the damn car and anything else she wanted to make her happy. He knew she was worried…worried they’d fail, that the demon would kill her. Maybe he couldn’t change the situation, but he could lift her spirits.

“We’ll see, mon amour. I’m not going to let you get us killed speeding before we have a chance to make love again.”

Laryssa made a sad face, sticking out her bottom lip and then quickly smiled. “Please….”

“Okay, okay. I’ll let you drive it. On one condition.” He took the keys from his pocket and held them out to her.

“What is it?’ She raised a curious eyebrow at him.

“When all this is done, I want you to move in with me.”

“It’s kinda soon for that, isn’t it?”

“Shall I tie you up again when we get home?”

“So it’s just my blood you want?”

“No. It’s you that I want. I want you in my home. I want you in my bed. And I want you there forever.” Léopold had deliberately let the bond grow stronger each day, aware that it would only be a matter of weeks before he sought to complete their bond. It had been a conscious choice that at one time he’d thought preposterous, yet he’d never felt more satisfied or alive. Laryssa recognized the serious tone of Léopold’s voice. No longer engaging in easy banter, he’d pinned her in place. Her heart sped with the realization that he was genuinely asking her to move in with him. Her mind warred over what she wanted to do versus what she’d been conditioned as a human to think she should do, what was socially acceptable. Despite knowing she was immortal, she had led her life very much as a human. But having a demon slice open her midsection, one who planned on dragging her into its horrific underworld, forced her to set priorities and face the reality of her situation. There was a very good chance she’d die in two days. With no time for a bucket list, agreeing to move in with the man she was falling for seemed to be the most rational choice in the world.

“Yes,” Laryssa replied softly.

“Excellent,” Léopold exclaimed, pleased with her answer. He extracted the keys from the ignition and dangled them in front of her. “Ride home. You drive.”

“Really? You’re serious?” She extended her palm and he dropped them in her hand.

“A man never jokes about his car.” The corner of his lip curled upward, his eyebrow raised.

Laryssa wrapped her arms around Léopold and hugged him. She could tell she surprised him as he slowly returned her embrace. Biting her lip, she realized that she’d almost told him how she felt. How embarrassing, she thought, that she’d almost used the
love
word. Aware of why they were sitting in the car, emotion welled inside her chest. Fighting the tears she knew would come all too easily, she pressed her face into his shirt. Inhaling his masculine scent, she sought to sear the memory of him into her psyche. From the way he smelled to the way he firmly held her in his arms, she’d never forget him. Whether in heaven or hell, he’d always be hers.

“This is creepy,” Laryssa whispered, carefully walking through the darkened convent.

“I promise to protect you from the vampires,” he teased, keeping his voice quiet.

“Maybe we should’ve told Sydney we were breaking in. Or even better, asked if we could come in…you know, legally.” She shone her flashlight toward the floor, hoping no one would see them and call the police.

“The police know nothing of our ways,” he said with disdain.

“But what about Sydney? Hello? She lives with a vampire, right?”

“Oui. But she’s new in town. Besides, she needs to keep Ava safe, not babysit me.”

“I’m just sayin’. Would be nice to be able to just flick on the lights and look around.”

“I can see perfectly fine. Come this way,” he told her.

“You do remember that I’m not a vampire or wolf? I’m very close to being human. Do you think you’re going to be able to accept being…” She’d almost said ‘married’ and immediately swallowed her words, shocking herself that she’d even had the thought.

“Being what?” he said, unaware of what she was thinking. He gestured toward her. “This way, into the living quarters.”

“Are you going to be able to accept that I’m kinda human? I know I have some abilities, but I’ve been less than effective in helping with finding this knife. Look at how long it took us to figure out what to do with the book. For crying out loud, I had it in my shop for two months and didn’t even know it,” she huffed, following him down a long hallway.

“You’re naiad. You just haven’t had time to strengthen your powers yet. And eventually,”
with my blood…when we bond,
“you’ll be able to do even more things. Don’t sell yourself short.”

“Maybe…if I actually live long enough. Do you see anything? What was the saying again? Something about a leaf.”

“Le waterleaf tombe donne la clé. The waterleaf falls bestows the key.” Léopold studied the artwork, hoping there’d be some clue or picture of a leaf.

“Ugh, damn cryptic naiads. Waterleaf. What do you think that even means? Are we talkin’ lilies or maybe ferns?”

“Not sure. Maybe the book referred to an actual waterleaf. It’s a species of plant. Flourishes in the water. Little blue flowers.”

“I have to admit that I’m impressed with your knowledge of horticulture.” Catching the small laugh he gave, she pressed him. “What? How’d you know that?”

“Wikipedia. Even an old man like me can use the internet, ma chérie,” he grinned. “But look around here, there’s no plants at all. I still think that it must be in one of the paintings.”

“Look at this staircase…it’s incredible,” Laryssa commented, flashing the light over the wood. The three-story-high spiral staircase curved upward so that you could look down to the floor while you ascended. “You know this is one of the oldest buildings in the city?”

“Oui. The architecture, it’s…”

“It’s waterleaf,” she interrupted, taking notice of the underbelly of the staircase, which had been inlaid with an intricate cream-colored molding.

“Where?”

“Here.” She pointed to the edges that were carved with tiny leaves. “This pattern. It’s waterleaf. I can’t believe I didn’t put it together. I’ve been in so many mansions…see this pattern. Usually it’s carved in the crown molding. But this is rare. I mean look at it, it’s a huge area. It covers the entire back of the staircase going up to the ceiling.”

“Oui.” Léopold sighed, assessing the situation. Taking off his suit jacket, he handed it to Laryssa. She took it from him, giving him a look of confusion.
This is not going to be pretty.
As much as he appreciated fine woodwork, it had to go.
Pity.
Without warning, he balled up his fist and punched it directly through the molding. He heard her gasp as splinters flew into the air.

“Jesus, Leo, what the hell are you doing?” she shouted, bringing her hands to her mouth. “You just totally wrecked that wall. This is a historic building. Oh my God…Lord, please forgive this vampire. We’re in a fu…freakin’ convent, for God’s sake.”

“Oui, I’m aware of the fact, but we don’t have a lot of time. And I don’t have patience. I’ll be sure to send a generous donation that more than covers the damage.” Léopold began to peel the wood away from the back of the stairs.

“But…but…” she stuttered. Altogether aghast with his actions, she shook her head. But as she shined her flashlight into the empty space, curiosity took over her actions. Intrigued, she searched the cavity. “Leo, Leo…do you see that?”

“See what?”

“Stop for a second. Look, that there.” She pointed to a small shiny object on the floor. “That’s not a key. What is it?”

“Stand back,” he ordered. Reaching into the chamber, his fingers brushed over the piece of metal. Leaning a bit further, he was able to collect the small item. Lifting it to the light, they both studied their find. “Un poisson?”

“A fish,” she confirmed. “It’s brass. It doesn’t look like any kind of key that I’ve ever seen, but that has to be it. Can I see it?”

Léopold deposited it into her palm. The cold bumpy ridges of its scales were rigid, and she couldn’t tell if it was an ornamental piece or something else. But as she flipped it over, she noticed the small round bar that ran from its tail to its head.

“Hey, I’ve seen one of these. Well, not this exact one but a tiger. An antique tiger lock. This one’s similar. I think it’s a puzzle, though. The key must be inside it.” She shook it and it rattled. “There’s something in here.”

Léopold brushed the dust off his hands, retrieving his coat from the crook of Laryssa’s elbow, where she’d been holding it. He slid his arms into the sleeves, and smoothed down the wrinkles. Laryssa glanced up at him, reminded that behind his refined supermodel looks, lurked a ferocious warrior.

“We’ve gotta go,” Léopold said, hearing sirens in the distance.

“But what about this?” Her eyes darted over to the shards of wood covering the floor.

“As I said, I’ll make a donation.” Léopold put his arms around her waist, attempting to prepare her for their departure. “Ready?”

“Léopold, you can’t just leave…” Laryssa lost all thought as he transported them back into the car. They fell into the passenger side seat together. As her head stopped spinning, she took note of her positioning. She sat atop of him with her legs straddling his. She gave him a small smile, and brushed her breasts into his chest.

“Now this I like,” he quipped, pressing his erection up into her.

“You are a very bad vampire. Making a mess like that,” she scolded, her voice husky. “Naughty boy.”

“Is that a challenge? ’Cause you’ve got no idea how bad I can be,” he replied, letting his fangs drop.

“Léopold,” she feigned protest. Being so close to him caused her body to flare in heat. “We’ve got work to do.”

“It’s true.” He nuzzled his nose into her neck, pressing his lips to her skin.

“Why does breaking and entering make me horny? You’re corrupting me,” she laughed.

“All day long, ma chérie, all day long.” He laughed, but knew he was seriously close to tearing off her clothes. Realizing that if they went further, they’d be having sex in a parked car, with the police soon to arrive, Léopold gripped her by the waist and lifted her into the driver’s seat. “Now be careful with my baby. Treat her gently. Avec amour.”

“Nothing but love, baby,” she said with a wink.

Léopold braced himself as Laryssa inserted the key into the ignition, and the engine roared to life. His stomach flipped at the sight of his gorgeous naiad with her hands wrapped around the steering wheel. As she shot him a sexy smile, Léopold knew for certain the experience would be something he’d already guessed. In more ways than one, he was in for the ride of his life.

Sydney patted Ava on the back, while rocking her in the chair. The sweet smell of the baby warmed her from the inside out, and she wondered if she’d ever change her mind about not having children. Even though she and Kade couldn’t get pregnant, the possibility of adopting had always remained an unspoken option.

She had to admit to herself that the past four days, living with the Alpha and his mate, hadn’t been even close to a hardship. Both Logan and Wynter had shown her what she’d always imagined to be southern hospitality at its finest. Strangely, she found herself becoming close to Wynter. From sunup to sundown, they chatted about everything from recipes to television shows. Granted, their cloistered existence was beginning to wear thin in that they both yearned to get out of the house, but Sydney knew that by the end of the week, something was going to break in the case. God help them all, she prayed that it wouldn’t involve death.

Daily, she’d checked the interior and exterior, ensuring that there were no weak links in the physical structure of the house. Samantha had seen to spells, making sure that no demonic forces could cross over into the home. Unbeknownst to the wolves and the vampires, she’d ordered increased police patrols to be set up within a five block radius. Despite having taken every safety precaution, Sydney knew all too well that if a supernatural force wanted to get to a person, they’d never give up on a plan of attack. Even if they had to wait it out, eventually they’d make their move and strike.

Sydney smiled at Wynter, who’d entered the room. She’d thought it was interesting how the Alpha and his mate had taken to the baby. Even if they never found Ava’s biological father, Sydney was certain the baby would have a good home. Between Léopold and the Alpha, there was no question she’d be raised with love.

“How’s our baby doin’?” Wynter asked Sydney, drying her hair.