The Vampire Authority

Two years after THE AUCTION

Renae Dufrene POV

I have been looking forward to this trip all month. When Lizbeth suggested we celebrate her divorce with a weekend in the French Quarter, I jumped on it. I have not been to New Orleans in a while. I need a few nights filled with music, booze, and dancing.

Before she married Mr. Straight and Fucking Narrow, we would go down at least once a month. We would stay in this fabulous rental house and party like we were locals. I was so ecstatic to find out the house was available for rent this weekend. The same guy still owns it. That is a bonus. He will be something nice to look at while we are there.

Lizbeth really needs this weekend, and I fully plan to give her a good one. Maybe I can talk her into staying longer. Marrying Kurt was such a mistake. I know she loved him, but damn, why him? I have every intention to make this a wild woman’s weekend. I have already sent at a massive text to everyone we know that lives in New Orleans—non-stop party as soon as we get there.

I pick up the phone and select her contact from the list. I hit call. The phone rings forever. “Liz! Hey, love. Are you packed?” I ask her.

“Yes, I am packed and ready. What time do you get off work?” Lizbeth asks.

I look up at the clock. It is 10 minutes until 3 AM. “In about ten minutes. I have everything in the car and will head straight to you when I leave here,” I say.

“See you in a few. Be careful. It’s raining,” Lizbeth says.

“Love you, sis,” I say, and I hang up the phone.

I dash the back of the club. I have to get all this oil off of me. I do not understand why we have to be so damn oily. I bet every dollar in my g-string is greasy.

As I make my way back to the dressing room, Jules stops me. “Hey, sexy,” he says.

Jules, I swear, is the hottest vampire club owner in this little town. His long blonde hair and dark green eyes make him so yummy.

“Hey, sexy,” I say back to him. I smile at him. I should bear hug his ass, so he is covered in oil too.

“You and Liz are still leaving this morning?” he asks.

“Of course, we are. We are staying at that house in the quarter I like so much. Would you believe that Frenchie still owns the place?” I tell him.

“Well, Frenchie is over 1000 years old. I seriously doubt he will ever sell it,” he says.

“True, I kind of just thought he would have moved out of the quarter by now,” I say.

“No, Frenchie will never leave New Orleans, girl. He loves that town,” he says.

“I knew he did, but I know how things got down there for a while, for, you know, the vampires,” I say.

Jules leans in and hugs me. “Listen, you girls be careful. Do not get into any trouble. I need you to come back here. I will never find another girl like you,” he says.

I bear hug him. What the hell. Let me grease him up. “We will. You know where we will be in the quarter. I’m sure not much has changed,” I tell him.

I give Jules an extra squeeze and head for my dressing room. My shift is over. It is time to change clothes and get my girl picked up. I open the door to my dressing room. Thank goodness, I brought everything with me. I do not want to make the drive to my apartment this morning. Hopefully, Lizbeth will drive, so I can have a quick nap.

I grab some comfortable clothes out of my closet and make my way to the shower. I try to hurry. I am so excited. Lizbeth and I have made this trip several times, but this time is different. This time, I know she is hurting. My job as her best friend is to make sure she does not think about that idiot the entire trip.

I finish my shower and dress quickly. I slip into some leggings and a tee. I want to be extra comfortable for the ride. I cannot wait to see Frenchie. I hope Bo is still the bartender at the Royale Bar and Grill on Bourbon. It would be nice to see him.

I toss my clothes into my laundry basket and leave a twenty for the laundry girl. I grab my bag and search for my flip-flops, which I see by the door. I slip into them as I open the door.

When I open the door, Jules is standing there waiting for me.

“Hey, I know this is a girl trip, but would you girls like some company?” he asks.

Hmm, that’s strange, but I will bite. “Sure, but what’s the reason? I know you, and I know you hardly ever leave this club,” I ask him.

Jules shuffles around. “Look, my brother is missing. No one has heard from him for a few weeks. He is lives right down the way from Frenchie. I will not be in your and Lizbeth’s way. I do not want to pop into town alone without reason. You know how they are when a vampire pops in that is not a part of the Authority,” he says.

“Jules, it’s fine. I am headed out now. Come on,” I say.

I kiss Jules on the cheek and grab his arm. I would do anything for him. Jules has been there for me on more than one occasion. When I left my husband and came to Bayou Blue, he gave me a job as a waitress. Jules looks out for every one of his “girls,” as he calls us. He doesn’t put up with any nonsense. He is a challenging but fair boss. We have gotten extra close over the years but never crossed the line. I do not think it has ever even crossed our minds to mess up our friendship.

We walk to the car. Jules takes my bag and places it in the trunk. “Packed lightly, didn’t you,” he says as he opens the trunk. “Never mind, I see the rest,” he says with a big laugh.

“Can you drive?” I ask.

“Sure. Straight to Lizbeth, I assume?” he says.

“Yes, I can get a quick nap,” I say with a big yawn.

Jules takes the wheel, thank goodness. I can sleep all the way there.

“Is her husband gone?” he asks.

“Ex-husband, and he is still around. He has a few weeks to vacate. She hopes he will leave while we are gone,” I say.

Jules drives way too fast for my taste, but I let it slide. I have been around vampires my entire life, and one thing is for sure they do everything quickly. I was married to a high-ranking member of the Authority for ten years. I know more about the vampire business than I ever wanted to know.

“I hate to ask, but do you think your ex could locate my brother?” he asks.

I roll my eyes at him. “I can try, but you know he may or may not. You know how they are. Don’t get me wrong. The marriage was bad, but our friendship was genuine. I have no hate in my heart for Lester,” I tell him.

“Oh, I know better than anyone. Remember when he came to the club and threatened to banish me from daylight hours. The man has a temper. If he could help, that would be great. I need to report in that I am there for obvious reasons,” he says.

“Yeah, I know. Lester is not really an ass. He just plays one on the council,” I say with a laugh.

Jules pulls into Lizbeth’s house. All the lights are off. I look for signs of life, but it is really dark.

“Do you see anything or hear anything, Jules,” I ask.

He listens carefully. As he listens, Lizbeth runs for the car. She jumps in the backseat. “Go, go, go !” she yells.

Renae POV

Jules takes off before Lizbeth can get the last “go” out. This is the one time I’m glad he is a fast driver. Lizbeth is sweating all over my backseat.

“What the hell?” I ask her.

“Fucking Kurt!” she yells. She throws her bag on the floor of the backseat.

Jules keeps his eyes on the road, trying to put distance between us and the house. If Kurt starts a fight with him over Lizbeth, it could get ugly fast. Jules is calm and non-confrontational. He knows his temper and tries to keep it in check these days. A vampire ousted from the Authority cannot afford any issues. Jules has never told me why he was dismissed, and I will never ask. If he decides to tell me, I will listen; it is none of my business until then.

“Why was Kurt such a dick?” I ask Lizbeth.

Lizbeth huffs and puffs. There goes my nap.

“Well, Kurt is being Kurt. The damn fucker. We are no longer married. He needs to get the hell out of my house. I told him I wanted him gone by the time we got back. Then he lost it. He is furious I am leaving for the weekend. He cut the power to the house and is having a hissy fit. When he heard you pull up, he was full-on crazy. So, I ran,” she says.

“Kurt is the most dramatic man I have ever met,” I say.

She lies back in the seat. “Don't I know it," she says.

I let her be for a moment. I know the last thing she needs is me hounding her for all the information. I am sure a lot more happened. We are talking about Kurt. She will spill it all tonight.

Lizbeth and I both lie back and sleep for the rest of the ride. I want to be fresh and ready when we make it to Frenchie's house. I am so excited about seeing the city again. Even though the town is run mainly by vampires now, I do not care. I love New Orleans, and I need it right now.

When I wake up, Jules is turning off the bridge and making his way past the dome. He is taking the long way, which is fine. I know he doesn't want to drive in certain areas until the Authority knows he is here. I will make that call when we get settled.

Jules makes the right on Royale and drives slowly through the traffic. My eyes are still sleepy, but the sounds of the jazz coming to me are bringing me to life. Lizbeth is still passed out in the back. I will let her sleep until we get to Frenchie's.

Jules pulls into the house. He goes around back to park in the garage. I did not tell Frenchie he was coming. They are old friends, and it should be okay. I hope so. I am not in the mood for Authority business today. Jules parks the car. Lizbeth comes alive and begins to collect her things.

"You did not tell me you were bringing the riff raft with you," Frenchie says jokingly.

The two men embrace. They are speaking to one another in Romanian. As long as I was with my ex, I never did pick up the language. I figured whatever was being said was none of my business. I gather my things. Lizbeth and I head into the cottage.

Lizbeth sets her things down. "So, why is Jules with us?" she asks.

"His brother is in some trouble," I respond.

Lizbeth rolls her eyes. "Authority business. I do not want even to know," she says.

"Me either. But Jules is a good guy, so he will do his thing, and we will do ours," I tell her.

We both begin unpacking. "This place has not changed any, has it," she remarks.

"No, not really. What do you want to do first?" I ask.

Lizbeth smiles. "Let us get drunk and find something nice to look at," she says.

"Sounds like a plan," I say.

We spend the next twenty minutes getting dressed. Jules is still talking to Frenchie. I am once again glad I have no idea what is happening. Maybe I should call Lester. Or at least send him a text.

I take out my phone and scroll to his information. I hit his contact info and send him a text.

“FYI, I am in town with Lizbeth and Jules”

I did not expect a quick reply, but he responds almost immediately.

“see you soon”

That is strange. I was not expecting Lester to want to see me at all. Maybe he meant Jules. Who cares? I am here to have fun and not be involved in the damn Authority.

Lizbeth and I decide to go out the front and leave Jules behind. He can find us later after he talks with Frenchie about his brother. Jules may not want to venture out into the city. The Authority presence here might not be suitable for him.

As we walk out the front and toward the street, I can still hear them talking. I hope his brother is okay. Jermine is a sweet man. I only met him once, but he was delightful. He is just as sexy as Jules.

"Be careful in the quarter," Frenchie yells at us.

"We will," I holler back.

"I need a drink. Let's hit the liquor store first, or do we want a frozen daiquiri?" I ask Lizbeth.

"I was thinking more along the line of a big ass fishbowl," she says.

"Let us do both," I suggest.

As we continue down the street toward the sounds of music, I feel like someone is watching us.

"Damn, "I say.

"What is it?" she asks.

I turn around. "Hello, Lester," I say with much-intended sarcasm.

My damn ex-husband already in my face to interrogate me. I have not been here a damn hour. I mean, couldn’t he let me get drunk first?

"You look lovely as ever, my love," he says as he reaches for me.

I embrace him with many reservations. What in the hell does he want? I only let him know I was here because of Jules. I really need alcohol if this is an Authority issue.

"And you look like you are intruding on my vacation," I say.

Lester smiles. When Lester smiles at me, I feel like Satan himself is about to ask me for a favor.

"I need to speak with you," he says boldly.

I throw my hands up. "Well, that is just fine, Lester, but we are getting a drink first, so just follow along," I say in the most smartass way I can manage.

"Fine, we can take my car. I have a driver right here," he says.

Lizbeth and I reluctantly get in the car. As we enter the car, I notice the person sitting in the front seat. Jermine. What the hell is going on?