Chapter 22
When we reached Louisiana, Maddox stepped off the plane first and waited for me to exit. We got into a waiting vehicle that transported us to a large estate just outside of New Orleans.
“Who lives here?”
“Jerome, he is in charge of The Order’s business in New Orleans. He will be our host while we are in Louisiana.”
“How long are we going to be here?” I assumed this was going to be a quick trip.
“We have the meeting with Alexander, and it may take a while. We can stay here if you’re too tired to travel. It’s just an option in case the meeting runs late.”
The car came to a stop in front of the house. We exited the vehicle as a man was descending the steps toward us. He looked to be in his early twenties, slender, tall, with long dark hair that was pulled up on top of his head in a knot.
He was dressed in an expensive, plum-colored suit tailored to him. His features were sharp, his cheekbones every girl’s dream. He moved with grace, and his dark brown eyes were not those of a man just entering the prime of his life. He took my hand in his, pressing his lips to the back of it.
“Joslyn Lawson. I am honored to be your host and to assist you with anything you may need while you are here and even after you depart. I am at your service; please come inside.”
Maddox and I followed Jerome as he led us into the house.
It was a relatively modern home with lots of open spaces and high ceilings.
The inside had an industrial feel with steel beams and columns.
There was sealed concrete flooring and lots of windows.
The windows were extremely tinted—that part made sense.
“Please have a seat. I would love to learn more about you.”
“I hate to disappoint you, but at this particular point in time, I’m not here for a social visit. I do appreciate your hospitality and allowing us the use of your beautiful home. If it was any other time, I would be more than happy to oblige.”
“Say no more. You, my dear, seem to have the whole package. Beauty, brains, bravery, and a distaste for bullshit; I love it. The meeting has been set for seven o’clock this evening.
There is a chef in the kitchen preparing dinner.
The back garden has been transformed. That is where we will be dining.
I believe Maddox is expecting a few others, and I am confident that Alexander will bring some associates with him as well.
The goal is to get you the answers you seek and to keep things civilized.
Above all else, your safety is the top priority. ”
“That we can agree on,” Maddox spoke for the first time.
“Jerome, your hospitality is top-notch. However, make no mistake: you are not in charge; I am. I have six armed guards. They will not be dining. They will be present. I will be seated on Joslyn’s right and you to her left.
We will be flanked by the other men that I have entrusted with this operation.
Joslyn will ask the questions and Alexander will answer them.
The rest is up to her—everyone’s fate is in her hands. ”
“Could you be more intense?” Jerome responded.
“Would you like to find out?” Maddox asked, with malice in his eyes.
“I doubt any person in their right mind would want to find that out.” Jerome was used to Maddox.
He turned his attention to me. “Moving on—we have about an hour before the rest of the guests arrive. Please, come with me out to the garden. There is a reception area with cocktails and the hors d’oeuvres will begin circulating in half an hour. Dinner will be served at eight o’clock.”
We followed our host through the back door to a patio looking out onto a magnificent garden.
Flowers and shrubs bordered a well-manicured lawn.
The patio had outdoor couches and high tables with candle centerpieces.
A round stone firepit was ablaze in the center.
A bar stood just to the left of the door with a young man wiping glasses and sporting a smile.
“May I offer you something to drink?” he asked cheerfully.
I wondered if he was a vampire or perhaps worked with The Order often.
Maybe he was entirely clueless about the people around him.
However, it was highly unlikely that the bartender was completely ignorant of his employer.
That wouldn’t be wise on Jerome’s part. In my mind, that would be a horrible business decision while also being extremely bold and reckless.
“I will have wine; red please.” I didn’t want to drink anything that would work too hard against me.
“Bourbon on the rocks,” Maddox added from behind me. He hadn’t left my side since Michigan. His presence put me at ease, and made me feel safe. We received our drinks, and I walked over to a couch and took a seat. Maddox took his place next to me, and Jerome sat on the couch opposite us.
“It is so hot here. I’m from Michigan, and I wouldn’t normally dare to be in Louisiana during late summer.
” I stood up and took my jacket off. Immediately, I felt cooler thanks to the lace bodysuit I was donning underneath the jacket.
I sat down and took a sip of my wine. Maddox shifted in his seat, clearing his throat.
I smirked to myself. The bodysuit had tiny straps and showed a lot of skin except in key areas—and even then, it was hard to tell.
He would have to deal; I wasn’t wearing a suit jacket in a hundred-degree weather.
“Being a vampire has its advantages. I can wear anything I want at any time in any climate. Direct sunlight is the only thing that really causes us discomfort where the weather is concerned.”
“I would imagine being a vampire has a great many perks.”
“It also has its downfalls,” he cast his eyes down as the words left his lips. Jerome didn’t always enjoy being a vampire; that was obvious.
We made small talk for a little while and then our guests began to arrive.
Maddox’s associates arrived first. I was meeting quite a few people in a short period of time and trying to keep everyone straight was proving difficult.
Two of the men were brothers and it was painfully obvious.
Twins were my guess—possibly identical. These two were broader than any normal human or vampire, dark brown hair that was cut close to the scalp and no facial hair to speak of.
Their faces were as broad as their bodies.
They were barely five and a half feet tall and appeared as though trying to knock them off their feet would be about as easy as uprooting a giant oak tree.
They spoke very little and took directions from Maddox like it was second nature.
He trusted them with my life, to be exact.
Maddox’s second pair of security guards were very different from one another.
The first wasn’t male at all; she was a very small woman with her black hair cut into a pixie style.
She wore very tight clothing, all black, and if my ears didn’t deceive me, she arrived on a motorcycle.
If Maddox chose her to be here tonight, then any man or cryptid would probably be wise to fear her.
It was nice not being the only female in the room.
The last was an older gentleman wearing cotton earth tones and sandals.
His head was covered in long grey hair, and he had a matching beard.
He too was very slender, but unlike the others, he was tall—extremely so.
Maddox didn’t introduce them to me at all.
He took them aside and gave them specific instructions that he only wanted them to know.
Within fifteen minutes of their arrival, Alexander entered the garden via the gate instead of through the house. He was accompanied by two other individuals. As he approached, Maddox and I both stood.
“This must be Joslyn.” He offered me his hand, and I shook it firmly.
“So, did Charlotte choose not to grace us with her presence? My guess is that you kept her safe after you found out she wasn’t who you were seeking—solely as leverage to get to me. It’s odd that she didn’t come with you,” I said bluntly.
“I didn’t think it would be a good idea if she came. I feel like it might overshadow the real reason we are here.”
“Please, tell me the real reason that WE are here? Because you think my being here to speak with you has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that your men came into my house and kidnapped my cousin? Nope, that couldn’t possibly have anything to do with why I’m here.”
“I have upset you. I apologize,” he said, understanding that he may have been counterproductive in his choice of words.
“Yes, I would say that insulting my intelligence and presuming you are the most important person here might piss me off. It might have served you better if you had practiced the conversation with someone. Someone who would have been honest with you. Now, because you didn’t take that extra step, I have to correct you.
Could you explain to me why in the hell you would think I would call to meet with you?
Is it because I have a deep desire to clear your name and implicate an employee of mine in a murder?
Does that sound plausible to you? That I would waste my time setting up a meeting with you when the only thing of interest you have to me is Charlotte?
Who exactly is the dumbass here? Because from where I’m standing, it isn’t me. ”
Maddox laughed slightly from behind me. I wasn’t sure if he was laughing at how mad I was or what I said to Alexander, and I really didn’t care. Alexander blushed slightly and cast his gaze down at the concrete of the patio.