Chapter Sixteen
Zachary
By the time I left with Anthony and Beckett, it was about nine o’clock.
“Should we grab a drink at Julian’s bar?” Anthony asked.
That was the name we used for the Lucky Bar because it was where we all went most often. In the past, Julian was there on Friday and Saturday evenings, too, to keep an eye on business. But lately, he hadn’t been making as many appearances.
“Sure,” Beckett replied.
“What have you two been up to?” I asked.
“Same as usual,” Beckett said with a shit-eating grin. “I won’t be staying long, though. I’ve got a date later, if you get my drift.”
“So do I,” Anthony added.
I wasn’t bothered by that in the slightest because I had plans of my own. And I didn’t necessarily want my brothers to know about them. They wouldn’t understand.
When we arrived, the Quarter was already packed.
“Anyone else think we live in the best city in the world?” Beckett asked as we headed down Bourbon. Many people avoided this street, especially on Friday and Saturday nights, but I liked the energy. This early in the evening, there weren’t that many drunkards. They came out later.
“We’re lucky,” I replied.
As we walked down Bourbon, I texted Grace.
Zachary: Hey, are you already in the Quarter?
Grace: Yes, we’re at a place on Chartres.
She sent me her location pin.
My entire body filled with tension. I’d planned to head over once my brothers and I parted ways. But now that I knew exactly where she was, the pull was simply too strong.
“Let’s head down Chartres,” I said.
“Why?” Anthony asked. “That’s not the shortest way to the Lucky Bar.”
Beckett replied nonchalantly, “We could switch things up a bit. Check out the competition for Julian now that he’s spending Friday evenings cooped up at home.”
“Don’t be so judgmental,” I said.
I could definitely see the benefits of being cooped up with Grace right now. And that thought alone was insane. I’d always relished being a bachelor, doing what I wanted when I wanted without having to check with anyone. But things were beginning to change.
As we turned on Dumaine and approached the location she’d sent, I kept looking around for Grace. They were at the outdoor bar, of course. Most everyone was outside on the street because it was so damn hot at this time of night, and even with AC, it was hot inside. It wasn’t easy to spot her.
But then I heard her voice, and she sounded annoyed.
“No, really, we’re good. We don’t need any drinks.”
“Oh, come on, really? Two single women coming out looking like that? I know women like you. It’s what you came for, so someone can buy you drinks.”
The moron sounded inebriated. Who the hell talked like that to women? He thought he was going to pick someone up with those lines? More likely he’d pick up a punch to the face. And I wasn’t opposed to being the one who delivered it.
Grace was standing between two buildings on a narrow pathway. She looked fucking stunning in a gold dress that was short enough to send my imagination running wild. She was wearing high heels, too, and the shoulder strap from her purse crossed her chest. Her hair was pulled to one side with curls cascading down her shoulder.
The woman next to her had to be her friend Lais. I headed straight to them. They both had their shoulders hunched and had moved back until they’d almost reached a wall.
Why the hell was no one else stepping in? If I’d heard Grace, then so had a group of men who were just two feet away. Then again, this was Friday night in the French Quarter. People usually tried to stay out of trouble, not get themselves into it.
“Fuck off,” I said the second I was close enough for him to hear me.
He snapped his head in my direction. His eyes were bloodshot already. He was a big guy, but not bigger than me.
“You fuck off. They’re mine. I saw them first.”
“What the fuck? You think women are some sort of property? Get the fuck out of here.”
He sneered. “Isn’t that what we’re all doing out here in this heat? Looking to get laid?”
“No, we’re fucking not,” I said.
“Zachary,” Grace whispered. The relief in her voice chilled me.
“Fuck off,” I told the guy again, “and don’t make me say it a third time.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Or what? I don’t need both of them. You can take whichever you want. I want Goldie here. You can take the other one.” He pointed at Grace, and I saw red. “And you won’t stop me.”
He took a step toward her.
Grace shrieked as I raised my fist and punched the guy right between his eyes. He wobbled backward until he reached the wall opposite from the one Grace and her friend were propped against.
“Are you insane?” he asked.
“Fuck off.”
“Get checked, man.”
I laughed without humor, but he scurried away.
Once he was out of sight, I turned to look at the two women. “You two okay?”
“Yes, now, thanks to you,” Grace’s friend said. “I’m Lais, by the way. Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise. I’m—”
“Zachary LeBlanc,” she finished for me.
“Have we met before?”
“No, but I’ve heard about you.” She glanced at Grace, who had a hand on her chest, tugging at her pendant. Clearly she was still unsettled.
“Grace, are you okay?”
She nodded, but it wasn’t very reassuring.
“What the fuck just happened?” Beckett’s voice came from behind me as he and Anthony joined us.
“Where were you two a few seconds ago?” I asked.
“Looking for you. One second you were with us, the next you just disappeared. Thought we lost you in the crowd. Then we saw you clocking that guy,” Anthony said.
“He deserved it,” Lais cut in. “He was making us very uncomfortable, and Zachary here was our knight in shining armor.”
“Lais, Grace,” I said, “these are my brothers, Anthony and Beckett.”
“Grace Deveraux?” Anthony asked.
“Yes,” Grace replied, nodding.
“Why don’t the three of us grab drinks?” Lais suggested, pointing at my brothers. They immediately nodded.
That worked for me. I wanted to take Grace somewhere private and make sure she was really okay. She seemed almost uncomfortable here. Was she not used coming out to the Quarter on weekends?
“I want a Pimm’s,” she told Lais.
“And I’ll take a Sazerac,” I added.
“Dude, Julian is going to skin us alive if he hears we drank Sazerac somewhere that’s not his bar,” Anthony said.
“I’ll take the risk.” I rarely drank any other cocktail.
“We’ll be right back,” Lais said.
Anthony looked at me and Grace with a frown. Beckett raised an eyebrow. They’d put two and two together but at least had the decency to keep their mouths shut—for now, anyway.
Once they were gone, I turned to Grace, putting both hands on her shoulders. “You’re shaking.”
“I’m not even sure why. That guy was pushy, but...” She shook her head. “The way he spoke to us was insane. Like we were his property, and he was going to pick one of us no matter if we wanted it or not. It chilled me.”
“Nothing happened,” I reassured her. I moved one hand to her cheek, touching it with the backs of my fingers. “Want us to leave?”
“No. I really did promise Lais that I’d hang out with her. We just arrived a while ago. We haven’t even managed to get our first drink. Alcohol will help—liquid courage and all.” She looked up at me. “Thanks. You know, I never actually put myself in positions to be rescued, but you’ve had to do that twice now.”
“My pleasure. Although, I’d rather not do it a third time. I don’t like the thought of you being in danger.” My words surprised the hell out of me.
Grace stilled, blinking rapidly.
“So, you’re out with your brothers,” she said, clearly attempting to change the conversation.
“Yes. We had dinner at our parents’ and grandparents’ house.”
“Where were you heading?”
“My brother Julian’s bar on Dumaine.”
“Then don’t let us keep you.”
“I want to make sure you’re okay. I won’t leave before that.”
She laughed but without humor. “Then you might be in for a long wait.”
“I don’t mind.”
“I’m really not sure why that guy creeped me out like that. But whenever I hear someone talking to me like I’m property... well, it brings back memories.”
I instantly remembered what Isabeau told me. Of course that would be triggering for her. That fucking moron. I’d clock him again if he were still here.
“He won’t be bothering you again,” I promised.
“Not as long as we have this sexy bodyguard with us.” Her eyes flashed.
“Bodyguard,” I repeated. “I can live with that. What do you say to me being your bodyguard for the rest of the evening?”
“Very smooth.”
“Grace, I’ve been trying to be smooth all week. I’m hanging by a thread.”
“What are you talking about?” she said, but her expression was lighting up. This was working. “You’ve been shamelessly flirting all week.”
“Grace, you haven’t seen shameless.”
“Oh. Oh!” She covered her mouth with one hand. I pushed a strand of her dark hair behind her ear.
“All right, here we go,” came Beckett’s voice.
Instinctively, I dropped my hand and straightened up, but Anthony saw us. His eyes fell on Grace’s cheek where I’d been touching her. Lais was smiling big, also looking between us. Beckett seemed blissfully unaware of anything as he handed me the Sazerac.
“You have one too,” I said, pointing to his drink.
“Couldn’t let you be the only one getting the end of Julian’s wrath. Besides, it’s not bad to check out the competition. See if he still has the best Sazerac in town.”
“Your brother owns the Lucky Bar?” Lais asked him, and Beckett nodded.
I was damn proud of our oldest brother. He’d been the one to perfect the Sazerac recipe. It was voted the best in town year after year.
“Cheers,” Lais said, and we all clinked classes. “What a nice surprise to run into you, Zachary. Of course, circumstances were unfortunate.”
“What about us?” Anthony asked her.
“We’re just collateral something,” Beckett informed him.
Lais laughed. “Of course I’m glad to meet you too. But I’ve heard so much about Zachary from Grace that I was dying to meet him.”
Silence reigned between us for a few seconds. Both of my brothers stared at me.
“Really? You’ve heard a lot about him, huh? So, what exactly did you hear? We’re curious,” Beckett asked her.
Lais seemed to realize she’d spoken out of turn because she cleared her throat, looking at Grace, deferring to her.
“Lais is up-to-date with the fact that we’re both interested in the horse ranch,” Grace explained.
Even though Beckett had the good sense to stay quiet, I knew what he was thinking: that was definitely not hearing a lot . It was just the bare minimum. But thankfully he didn’t press.
“Right,” Anthony said, chugging down his bourbon. We had something of an obsession with the liquor in the family. Probably because we’d grown up watching our granddads, David and Felix, down one in the evening as they chatted about business. Bourbon always seemed very sophisticated.
“So, Lais, what do you do?” Beckett asked.
“Oh, I’m an accountant. I know it sounds boring, but I promise I’m not boring. So, what do you guys do?” she asked, pointing first to Beckett and then Anthony. “I know Zachary here is running the shipping side of the family business. And you two?”
“I’m in charge of all the bakeries,” Beckett said.
Anthony cleared his throat. “And I run everything else that doesn’t fit into a category, which I thoroughly enjoy. There’s a bit of everything. Mostly, I’m focusing on music venues, though.”
“Like jazz bars?”
“No, it’s bigger than that. Some are speakeasy places—very similar to bars but focusing on music. Others are actual music venues where people go to concerts and things like that, mostly in arenas.”
“That’s impressive. So, I have a proposition,” Lais said before she downed her drink. My brothers had done the same too. Damn, they were quick. “Why don’t you two and I go to the Lucky Bar to grab one of those Sazeracs? This one’s shit.”
I laughed, taking a sip of my own.
“I wouldn’t say it’s shit,” I said, “but it’s nowhere near as good as Julian’s.”
“I’m sure Grace and Zachary have more details to discuss about the ranch,” Lais continued.
I knew Grace was blushing even without looking at her. When I did look, her cheeks were indeed tinted red.
Anthony cocked a brow. “What would they have to discuss?”
Beckett elbowed him. “Yeah, great idea. Let’s go. Neither of us can actually stay too late.”
“Don’t worry. I can always entertain myself or come find these two.” Lais winked at me. Clearly she didn’t think we’d linger here at all. “Now, let’s go. I haven’t had your brother’s Sazerac in a while.”