Jarvis laughed. “Always careful.”
I had to be.
There were always sharks in the water eager to clean up the chum.
CHAPTER 2
New Orleans
Alexander
A vibrant city at any hour of the day.
Music blared, the scent of delicious, spicy food coming from every corner on every street. This was my hometown and there was no place I’d rather be, although the large crowds annoyed the hell out of me.
I’d been called away from a meeting regarding potential new real estate to handle Randy, which had prompted the bad mood to turn worse. At least while I was here, I could check on Emmeline and our booming business. Indulgence was our bread and butter.
At least on the legitimate side of the corporation.
An entire city block of buildings with the first floor catering to tourists and locals alike. We owned several specialty stores from a bakery and coffee shop to a winery and bookstore. But it wasthe restaurant and two clubs on the upper floors that made the most money and had boosted both our family’s notoriety and reputation.
My sister had her hands full running the bottom floor, but she adored being a leader in industry.
Thinking about her allowed a smile to cut through my shitty mood. As I headed away from the warehouse and toward the busy street, the rush of adrenaline continued to throb in my veins. Inflicting pain and eliminating lives were simply a part of the world created generations before.
I’d never flinched in being required to handle a situation, starting at a young age. It was my duty to ensure the employees remained in line and the clients were happy. What I reveled in was the violence allowed by being kings of the underworld, a seedier yet more profitable side of New Orleans.
My brothers often teased me, stating my appetite for violence was the only indulgence a cold-blooded man such as me understood. Over the years, I’d begun to think they were right. Drugs were off limits and had always been. Liquor was enjoyable, but I couldn’t remember the last time I’d gotten drunk. And women? Well…
It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy the company of a beautiful woman, savoring the softness and passion they allotted me. I could simply turn off the need like a faucet when necessary.
Very little in my life excited me, violence less and less.
Yet I was mafia, prince in both name and position, heir to a powerful throne and I’d accepted the responsibility when I was nine years old. Nine. That’s when I’d lost my childhood, on my way to becoming a man.
I pushed through the throngs of people, savoring the continued feeling of control. That’s what I craved. Dominance and power in all things and with all people. We had our share of enemies, but few had dared try to infiltrate our company or act in a way as to suggest the need for retaliation.
At least until now.
Some would consider us blessed.
By black magic, according to all sources.
The thought always made me laugh. We might as well be vampires according to certain members of the press. With our French Creole background and disturbing history, our family had not only come to accept but use the notoriety to our benefit.
As evidenced by the gothic appearance of our French Quarter shops and themed galas at Club Indulgence and for our appearance in the Mardi Gras. My sister’s insistence. Not anything I participated in. She’d reminded us that we were in business to make money and that marketing took all forms.
My sister was correct. However, I was more interested in the darker, seedier side of the corporation, remaining in the shadows. Maybe it was the darkness I preferred where my sister was the shining light in the family.
I turned the corner and a noise captured my attention fully and completely. A laugh.
Not just any laugh, but a woman’s laugh so sultry and evocative that my body instantly reacted, a deep longing coming out of nowhere. I was momentarily taken aback just before I collided with someone, sending the person tumbling forward.
And straight into my arms.
My hands gripped her forearms instantly, but she was still swaying, the phone she’d had in her hand slipping to the sidewalk. The brutal crack made her cringe, her pert nose turning up out of frustration.
“Shit. Shit. Shit. Goddamn it. Fucking hell.”
