13

Kyle chuckled. “Nah. My contact.” He drew his phone from his pocket. “I should tell him we’ve arrived. Get this party started.”

I crossed my arms and ankles and leaned against the wall while Kyle had a brief, quiet conversation, the street sounds of New Orleans filtering in behind me, the breeze bringing the bitter tang of coffee and the cloying odor of swamp. I’d never really enjoyed New Orleans. It had always been enemy territory, but diplomatic visits had always been necessary—and Father had usually relied on me for those.

But since Leia had been attacked here, I didn’t just dislike it. I hated the entire city with a loathing that burned through my veins. Final death would be too good for Francois Ricard.

I hadn’t figured out what to do with him yet. But maybe New Orleans was ripe for takeover.

“Nic?”

I glanced at Kyle. “Yeah?”

He shook his head slightly and his eyes narrowed. “I said Temple’s on his way.”

I nodded. “Good.” I returned to my thoughts then glanced at Kyle again. “But who the fuck is Temple?”

Kyle chuckled. “Nice to see our eminent leader was listening when I just explained all that shit to everyone.”

Irritation tightened each of my muscles, and I ground my jaw as I waited for my gums to stop aching at my desire to lash out. At Francois… Fuck, at anyone. Even one of my guys if they continued being smartasses. Frustration was a drum beat inside me.

“I’ll ask one more time.” My voice was low and deadly. “Nice and slow, so you all hear. Who. The. Fuck. Is. Temple?”

“I’m Temple.” A new voice answered my question.

I spun toward the sound, my lips pulled back to reveal my fangs as I sprang toward the man I’d never seen before. I stopped, my hand a mere hair’s breadth from closing around his throat. “Wait. You look familiar.”

He stood perfectly still. Either frozen in the face of my anger or without a single care at all.

“I saw you…” I looked him up and down. “I saw you when I brought Leia to The Neutral Zone.” I closed my fingers fully around his throat, watching for a moment as his face reddened before I turned to Kyle. “What the hell is this fucker doing here?”

“Put him down.” Kyle sounded bored as he examined his fingernails. “He can’t help us if you end his life.”

“Help us?” I ground out the question even as I relaxed my grip. “He let Leia walk right out of the restaurant and she nearly got…and she…”

Temple stepped back, warding me off with his arms out in front of him. “Hey, dude, it’s not my fault if you let your unprotected virgin girlfriend go wandering all over the French Quarter unguarded.”

I growled, the sound echoing from deep inside my chest, and Kyle’s head snapped up to watch the two of us.

“Can it, Temple, you dumb fuck. Pissing off the King of Baton Rouge isn’t smart.”

“Take a seat, Nic.” Jason stood up from the ridiculously delicate-looking chair he’d perched on.

“Shit, no.” I shook my head. “That chair looks like it could break under the weight of my fucking stare.”

“Get over here, Temple, and tell the king what he wants to know.” Kyle jerked his head to his left.

“And what’s that?” Temple still sounded cocky. A little too confident.

“Who the fuck you are.” Kyle’s tone held no room for negotiation, and Seb watched Temple with interest as he walked closer to the fussy sofa.

Jason hovered behind me, just over my right shoulder.

Temple folded his arms, seeming to broaden his chest as he looked at me. “I work at The Neutral Zone, like you said. I was there that night you paraded your virgin around, showing off to New Orleans, challenging the prince without directly challenging him.”

I hissed, my fangs slicing through my gums once more.

He didn’t even flinch. “You know it, I know it. Point is, I don’t give a fuck if you challenge the prince or humiliate him in his own city. He deserves it. He’s an insane fucker who turns people without their permission.”

I released a long breath. “He does what?”

This put Leia in even more danger.

Temple shrugged. “You heard what I said. He turned me without my agreement, and I’ve watched him do it to many more through the years. If he gets your virgin, he’ll be king.”

“If he gets my virgin, he’ll be dead,” I growled. She was so much more than simply my virgin but Temple didn’t need to know any of that. I didn’t need to lay myself bare to this guy. “But what are you here to do?”

“I know how she’s doing, where she’s staying, the best time to go in and grab her.” He checked off each item in his list on his fingers as he spoke. “Simply put, I’m your best hope at getting her back unbitten and still alive.”

I blew out a sigh. “Well, shit.” I met Kyle’s steady gaze and jerked my thumb in Temple’s direction. “This guy is the best you could do?”

Temple stepped back. “I don’t need to fucking be here at all. I’m happy to let y’all manage by your own damn selves and carry on with my other blood-based plans for the crazy prince myself.”

Sebastian stood and walked to lean against the door, blocking the exit. “I don’t think that’s an agreeable option.” He grinned in his usual carefree way, but there was an unmistakable hardness to his voice.

“Look, relax.” Temple leaned back and closed his eyes—a brave fucker, or a stupid one, in a room full of enemy vampires. “I’ve contacted a witch who can help us. She already helps me. She’ll be here soon. Until then, we just wait.”

“A witch? For fuck’s sake. How many more people need to know we’re here?”

Temple cracked open one eye, his movement almost lazy.

“Do you want the virgin back or not?” His words were dangerously close to a challenge, and my men tensed. “I mean, I’m just saying, my way is the way we get her back.” He chuckled to himself and closed his eye again. “Baton Rouge guys, always up to fight someone,” he murmured.