Chapter 18
Alexander
“What did you discover?” I stood off to the side, studying the interaction between Catherine and Emmeline. They acted as if they were old friends, my sister enjoying providing samples of pastries and showering my guest with attention. All the while I couldn’t take my eyes off the beautiful woman.
I still wasn’t certain why I’d brought her to the cemetery other than providing proof my father was dead. Maybe I’d hoped she would realize the effect his death had on me. And it had. A dagger swiftly driving through my heart.
There’d been no more questions about my family, but I sensed there were several she longed to ask. Perhaps she’d gathered an understanding that by learning more about me, she’d placed herself further in harm’s way.
So yes, my father’s death had changed me.
As had the effect her presence had on the simmering darkness threatening to become unleashed, which was very much unlike me. She unnerved me in ways that shouldn’t occur, tormenting me with every smile and every brush of her hand and I was beyond being able to simply let her slip away.
Or maybe there was something even more sinister in my decision to allow her into the most private aspect of my life.
I was at a distance, unable to hear their conversation, but I wasn’t surprised when her eyes continually tried to locate where I was standing. She’d been allowed to see the most vulnerable side of me and had been unprepared to handle the information. Now I was questioning my motive for doing so.
Jarvis sighed. “You’re not going to like it.”
Stiffening, I turned away to mask the tightness of my face. “Talk.”
“Her father is Philip Devereaux. Ring a bell?”
Obviously, it did with him. “Cut to the chase.”
“A former prosecutor that almost convicted your father for murder turned state senator before retiring last year.”
Bristling, I swept my gaze toward my lovely captive once again.
“Interesting.” The name of Devereaux was generations old within Louisiana, akin to Smith in various cultures.
Plus, the case against my father had been from years before, the trial in Baton Rouge, but I should have made the goddamn connection. What the hell was wrong with me?
I’d taken my eye off the ball and she was to blame. The timing… Around the time Russo had talked with my father about an alliance. I bristled again from the thought. What the fuck kind of game was being played?
That wasn’t the only reason. My father had allowed himself to take the blame. For his brother, Uncle Armand. As the Don and leader of the family, he decided how everything occurred within the family and the business. The rest of us hadn’t been given a choice. It was his punishment to take.
Another reason loyalty was something I held so dear.
And betrayal was considered a sin worthy of death.
I paid close attention to every head tilt, every flick of her hair and the soft pursing of her lips as she laughed easily and often. When away from her captor.
“I thought you’d think so. From what I can tell, Ms. Devereaux has had little to do with her father in the last few years, but the coincidence isn’t one we can afford.”
He was right about that. What I remembered from the case involving my father, a shoddy attempt at framing him for a murder he’d had nothing to do with, the then prosecutor had even threatened my father after his acquittal, promising one day he would destroy the Prince name and the hold my father had over the city.
My father, being the man he’d been, had laughed it off.
But there was more to the story that hadn’t been told.
I could feel it in my bones. “I need you to find out exactly what the man is doing in his retirement.” I thought about what she’d told me regarding her father and the anger and hatred she felt for him.
A betrayal. At least she understood the concept.
The woman’s laughter caught my attention and as always when concentrating on Catherine even for a few moments, my body’s reaction was borderline toxic.
“I already have. He’s remarried and living in Montana, so I doubt he had anything to do with your father’s murder.”
I thought about what he’d found. So far, she’d been truthful with me, but there was something there, information that would change things. “Dive deeper into Catherine’s background. I want to know everything about her.”
“A full dossier.” Jarvis seemed amused.
“Yes. I don’t care how you discover her life story. Do it.”
“Yes, sir. Are you certain you want to know? You’re getting very close to her.”
My cock ached from the thought of just how close. “Family comes first.”
“Understood.”
I shoved the phone into my pocket, keeping my distance as I tried to decide what if anything to say to the sweet angel. While there was no concrete evidence she was anything but what I’d seen and been told, the simmering anger had just been fed.
We were two opposing forces on different sides of the law. She was light.
I was pitch-black darkness.
There was no sugarcoating who and what I was.
We shouldn’t work yet the passion and drive we both felt deep within our souls meshed perfectly.
As if we’d been carved from the same stone.
Whatever the outcome of the accusations against me and even if the result ended in her betraying me, one thing was perfectly clear.
I would never be able to let her go.
The obsession had turned into something else.
A loaded gun.
When Emmeline offered her look of scorn, only then did I move closer.
“I thought you were ignoring us on purpose,” she said with her casual perfected passive-aggressive tone.
“Just handling business.” I could never let my sister know how close she’d come to having her entire life derailed. It was something I’d find difficult to forgive my father for.
“On a Sunday. Today is a day of celebration.” Now my sister was daring me to remember an event when she knew I couldn’t care less about the legendary circus the city often became at night.
“Did I miss a holiday?” Catherine asked, immediately sensing something had changed between us.
She had an uncanny ability to read me, our connection going far beyond the heated passion.
As her eyes searched mine, I allowed my gaze to fall down the long line of her neck to her breasts, my lips stretching into a grim smile.
“My sister enjoys creating holidays that don’t exist.” I shifted my full attention to my sweet angel, who was carefully searching my eyes.
“What are we talking about?” Catherine pressed.
“A costume party. The club upstairs has them once a quarter. We draw our largest crowds when we host them.” Emmeline tossed a napkin toward me.
“How would you know since not once have you donned a mask and joined in as long as we’ve been doing them?
So you know, dear boring brother of mine, the costumed events are the reason Indulgence developed such an incredible reputation and why we’re wall to wall with guests every night.
Our festive events allow people to indulge in their darkest fantasies. Even you must have one or two.”
“No, sister of mine. Indulgence obtained our reputation from beating the competition. And my fantasies are much too dark for anyone else.”
“Forgive my brother,” Emmeline told Catherine. “He lost his ability to live his life years ago.”
“And forgive my sister; she believes life is one festive event instead of realizing there are vultures around every turn. When you aren’t paying attention, feeling comfortable and safe in their presence, they pick away at you until one day they manage to strip away your soul.
” I could tell my frank words had caused pain. Something else I was good at.
Emmeline shook her head, questioning me with her silence. I was hurting my beautiful baby sister for what reason? Because I couldn’t control my emotions regarding a woman who could be attempting to destroy my life.
“Alexander,” Catherine admonished, or perhaps she was shocked I could be so cruel. She would soon learn that I was nothing but vindictive. That’s why I remained alive.
“Would you like a glass of wine, Catherine? I plan on tossing another into my brother’s face. He doesn’t know when to shut the hell up.”
“No, he doesn’t. I’d love to go to the event tonight, but I don’t have a costume.” Catherine’s face was riddled with anger as well as confusion. “And I’ll be glad to toss the wine for you after I’ve enjoyed a glass.”
Emmeline’s features softened, but not before I noticed a single tear had formed in her eye. “I have plenty of costumes or simply masks you can wear. You can be my guest if my brother doesn’t get his stick out of his ass. Let me get you that wine. Red or white?”
“Red since I’m seething with anger.”
My sister chuckled. “Maybe you’ve met your match, Alex. I doubt Catherine will take the crap you toss out like everyone else does, kowtowing to your biddings.” She turned on her heel and walked from the bakery without looking back.
While I exhaled, my jaw hadn’t become any less clenched.
Catherine wrapped her arm around mine and I allowed her to pull me away from the customers. “What is wrong with you? Did you see the look on your sister’s face? Why would you do that? She adores the ground you walk on.”
“Because she needs to learn before it’s too late that there are venomous snakes everywhere. She’s too soft.”
“And maybe you need to learn humility and how to enjoy your life like your sister is doing.” She decided now would be the time to try to pull away from me. That wasn’t going to happen. With a firm grip, I yanked her against me, lowering my head so what I was about to say only she could hear.
“Remember, you are my guest.”
“Then act like I’m not your prisoner.” Every time she placed her hand on my chest, a strange feeling of resolve settled in. Forget the peace. She had a control over me that defied logic. When she offered a tentative smile, some of the anger faded.
But not all.
What she was hiding would be discovered by the end of the night.