39

“Witch?” Leia struggled against Kyle, and a growl rumbled through me at the sight of his hands on her as he tried to remove her from the room.

“Release her,” I snapped.

Immediately, Kyle raised his hands and backed away from my mate.

She whirled toward me and crossed the room before I could stop her. “Oh, Lettie.” A tear ran down her cheek even as she looked into the box. Then she raised her pale face to me, her eyes dark. “Who would do this?”

I shook my head. “Perhaps Francois suspected…”

“I should check on Temple.” Kyle hurried from the room.

“She died because of me?” Leia kept looking at Lettie’s head in the box and I gently closed the flaps back up before handing it to Jason.

I shook my head. “No, Lettie didn’t die because of you. She died because of what Francois did, because he took you, because of the decisions she made, maybe. But make no mistake, Lettie died because of Francois.” Even if he hadn’t been the bastard to rip her apart.

Although it had definitely looked like the work of a madman, so I had my suspicions.

Fucking Francois.

I held Leia tight to me, keeping my world from fracturing as I pressed her against my body, in control of at least this much.

At least this fucking much.

“Things are becoming too dangerous,” I murmured.

“But you can protect me, right?” She looked up, and it hurt to see the trust in her eyes when I’d already let her down so much by staking my claim.

“Always.” The promise felt false on my lips. It tasted bitter.

Fuck, nothing would be left of Francois once I’d finished taking him apart for abducting Leia and now for killing Lettie. My mate had made me more powerful than Francois. I could take him easily, but I still needed to protect Leia to the very best of my ability. And the best way I could do that…

I needed to turn her.

Fuck.

“I…” I pressed her closer still as I spoke. I didn’t want her to see my face, my guilt, for this conversation.

But there was movement over her shoulder, and I looked out over the casino floor. People were running for the exits.

“Jason?” I released my tight hold on Leia. “What’s going on down there?”

My entire world was going to shit.

Jason hurried to the door, already reaching for his gun. “I’ll find out.”

“Shit.” I moved to the door then stopped, caught between action and protection. I couldn’t leave Leia on her own in my office. Instead, I moved to the window. I pressed my fingertips against it then thumped it gently with my fist. “Shit.”

“You should be out there.” Leia gestured into the casino floor.

“I…I can’t. I have responsibilities here.”

“I’ll be fine. I’ll lock the door.” She folded her arms.

“No.” I shook my head. “You won’t be safe alone.”

“So put me somewhere safe? Give me a different babysitter if you need to, but this is your business, and I’m in your way.”

“Never.” I bit out the word but didn’t get a chance to explain further because someone knocked on my door. “What?”

“Sorry to disturb y—” Valérie pushed the door open, already speaking, before she broke off on a gasp and her focus switched straight to Leia. She shook her head and seemed to recover herself. “You’re needed downstairs.”

“What? Why? Jason and Kyle are already there.” My men could handle out-of-control drunks, or the occasional customer who disagreed with my dealers.

“It’s not the usual kind of trouble.” Valérie’s face had paled, and she edged away from Leia. “A vampire from New Orleans managed to get into the high roller room. It’s a bloodbath. The remaining humans need to be compelled to forget what they’ve seen. Only you’re strong enough—”

“Fuck. How did this happen?” I glanced down, at my men standing by closed doors, at the humans screaming to be let out.

Fucking Francois.

He’d turned La Petite Mort into a death zone, and he’d divided my attention between my mate and my business. More than simply my business. This one stunt of his could reveal our whole society to Baton Rouge. The fucker.

I looked at Leia, meeting her eyes. They held fear, even as she lifted her chin in a parody of bravery.

“I can make you vampire,” I whispered.

I could turn her right now. Turn her and know nothing else could harm her… But I wanted what the Book of Gray promised. I wanted the moment of commitment, the promise of forever… Shit, I wanted the love. I needed to ask her, to have her come to me willingly a second time, and that wasn’t going to happen today, in the midst of so much fucking carnage.

But Leia shook her head, the movement emphatic. “No.” Her voice was quiet but determined. “That’s not what I want.”

I opened my mouth to explain, but I didn’t have time. Shit. What a cluster fuck. Instead, I turned my attention to my assistant.

“Valérie.” I barked her name for no other reason at all than she was the messenger. She’d brought me the bad news and stood directly in my line of fire.

“Yes?” She never trembled in front of me, but now something like fear lurked deep in her gaze. Fear and something else that flashed away so quickly, it surely couldn’t have been contempt? I blinked, and she was simply Valérie again.

“I need you to look after Leia in here. Don’t leave my office. Don’t open the door unless you can identify the man outside.” I stopped, my hand already on the doorknob. “No, scratch that. Don’t open this door to anyone but me.”