There I went again, thinking about the stunning redhead.
Fuck the cane. It was time for me to build strength in my thigh muscles and leaning on a piece of steel was nothing but another excuse.
Living in my own pity party.
The air was crisp, clean, and cold, the scent of pine filling the air instead of the fragrance of Cajun food and exhaust fumes. While I adored living on the fringe of one of the most vibrant and eclectic cities in the world, the constant noise and crowded streets had become cumbersome.
As I peered up at the darkening sky, I heard nothing, no shouts from jubilant or angry tourists, no waves of music coming from every direction.
Just utter silence.
The realization was unnerving as hell. Why I reached for my weapon I didn’t know, but as my mother had always warned me, the quiet before the storm was always worrisome and always predicted danger.
I headed for the door, my Italian loafers crunching through the packed snow. What the hell had I brought with me? Certainly not a warm enough jacket. I was freezing my nuts off. Come to think of it, I didn’t own anything other than a hoodie and a single fleece jacket. A puffy coat certainly wasn’t necessary.
Great. Maybe I would need to head to town and find that general store the vixen had steered me toward.
Goddamn, my balls ached. Why couldn’t I get her off my mind?
The house was much larger than I’d assumed, a chalet style with a deck running the length of the second floor, the A-frame something that you’d see in Denver. I couldn’t even remember when the family had purchased the place. I knew we owned several homes spread throughout the world, several having been used as safehouses in our distant past.
Our father had refused to allow us to sell any of them. After his death over a year before, we hadn’t even talked about consolidating our portfolio or selling off a single property.
Maybe out of respect.
Or maybe because as a family, we knew at some point our past would catch up with us.
That’s what I continued to think about in regard to almost losing my life.
Had I always been a brash businessman? No. It wasn’t like I’d gone out of my way to piss people off.
Did I handle whatever business was necessary with a ruthless hand? Yes. It was mandatory in our world. There were enemies in every corner of the world, inside every shadow waiting like bloodthirsty sharks to consume a little or a lot whenever possible.
Or whenever we made a mistake.
The fact there was no clues as to the identity of the assailant meant the attempt was a best kept secret. Tough to do in a town like New Orleans where crimes occurred every day, but when night fell, monsters ruled the city, clamoring to feed their extreme hunger.
At least according to my grandmother, a woman steeped in acts of black magic.
Her beliefs certainly made for lively conversation around the dinner table.
As soon as I stepped inside and turned off the security system, I was met with a feeling of being very much alone.
How strange since I hadn’t lived with anyone since my college days at Harvard. Pops had forced me to live on campus to get the entire benefit of a powerful university. A requirement for every child in the Prince household. No freeloading allowed.
But in truth, I knew his decision had been about keeping his children grounded, appreciative of what we’d been born into.
His plan had worked, maybe too well.
And why the hell was I thinking of my past at this moment? Did it have anything to do with feeling very much alone? Needing companionship?
Well, it wasn’t going to happen in Stowe-fucking-Vermont. I could only imagine the baggage I’d leave behind. No, thank you.
I flicked on a couple of lights on the wall, marveling in the immediate warmth trickling down from the open floor plan I could see from the foyer.
The security rearmed, I dropped my bag and headed into the massive room. I could only imagine the view with the huge cathedral ceiling and wall of glass. The floor plan was broken into two sides by use of a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace that added warmth to the room.
Whoever had decorated the space had done a very nice job of creating pockets of warmth with three different sitting areas, all inviting with huge throw rugs and plush leather sofas.
