Chapter Ten

 

The two police detectives nodded at Miss Nadine as they entered. Lucian had hoped to avoid this. If Delight had only stayed put, they would be meeting the detectives in his home with his lawyers present. It was always advantageous to be in a position of power when dealing with the authorities. Not that he expected to have any problems, but it was always better to minimize any complications before they arose. He would just have to adjust.

He was still reeling from waking up to find Delight gone. Somehow she’d been able to push through his mental command that she sleep until he woke. Not many people could accomplish such a thing. It also meant she probably remembered everything that had happened last night, including him taking her blood.

Thankfully Stefan had left her address on his desk and he’d hurried over, ready to confront her. Luckily, she’d been in the shower. That had allowed him time to calm down and rethink his approach.

Delight was not the type of woman to give in to demands. She was a strong-willed, independent woman. It made her even more enticing. He just wished they were alone and not getting ready to be questioned by the police.

Keeping silent for now, Lucian studied the men and took their measure. They introduced themselves as Detectives Jean Gagnon and Sam Cassidy of the New Orleans Police Department. Gagnon was the picture of urban sophistication with his styled dark hair, Italian suit, and fine leather shoes. Cassidy was the exact opposite. He wore jeans, boots, and a sports coat over a white cotton shirt. His blond hair was cut short. However, both men had one thing in common. Cop’s eyes. Two pairs of deceptively shrewd eyes had already catalogued everything and everyone in the room.

Lucian smiled inwardly, already sensing their suspicion toward him. He seated Delight once again, sat back in his own chair, and laid one arm over the back of Delight’s in a blatant show of possession.

Both detectives noted the act. Gagnon smirked but Cassidy’s gaze narrowed and he gave a faint nod. Both men understood that Delight was his and he would protect her.

“And you are?” Detective Gagnon’s question and tone were polite, but there was an edge to both.

Lucian slowly came to his feet, allowing his large frame to unfold from the chair until he was standing at his full height. At six-foot-four, all of it solid muscle, he knew he was an intimidating sight. Keeping his own voice low and pleasant, he addressed both detectives. “I am Lucian Dalakis.” Nodding to both men, he then resumed his seat and replaced his arm around Delight.

Detective Cassidy’s eyebrows rose in surprise, obviously recognizing his name. He glanced at Delight, giving her a second, slightly more appraising look, as if suddenly realizing there must be more to her than he’d noticed at first glance. Lucian’s entire body grew tense and it took all his discipline not to lunge across the room and rip Cassidy’s throat out for staring at Delight with masculine interest.

Gagnon cleared his throat, obviously trying to break the tension. “Let’s get down to business, shall we?” Taking a notebook and pen out of his pocket, he flipped it open until he found the page he was looking for. “If you’ll give us a few moments alone with Miss Deveraux to question her.”

“Absolutely not.” Lucian’s voice was almost drowned out by similar denials by Chase and Miss Nadine.

Gagnon held up his hand. “We only want to talk to her. We understand that she’s the victim here, but Miss Deveraux is also a witness to a murder.”

“We stay or you can talk to my lawyers about making an appointment with Miss Deveraux. She is being very cooperative, but she does have rights.” Lucian leaned forward threateningly in his seat. “And I am here to make sure that she and her rights are protected.”

Anger pumped so hard through his veins, he was surprised he didn’t explode. It was bad enough that Delight had witnessed a murder and then been threatened and attacked herself, but now she had to recount it all over again. It made him furious at himself for not protecting her better. That he hadn’t really known she existed until the night before it happened didn’t matter to Lucian. Delight was his and he had failed to protect her.

He felt her small hand stroke his arm. It was such a light, gentle touch, but it immediately soothed some of the fury swirling around inside him, allowing him to gain control once again. It was amazing to him, a man who had always prided himself on his ironclad control, that any threat to Delight churned up the most primitive of emotions within him. It would take some adjusting.

Lucian respected the fact that the police had to do their job, but in the end, it was he who would decide how best to protect Delight. When she tugged on his arm, he allowed her to pull him back next to her.

Leaning close, she whispered in his ear so that only he could hear her. “It’s all right, Lucian. I’ll talk to them.” Her tone became more pleading. “Don’t make any trouble. I don’t want them looking into your life.”

For the first time in his more than five hundred years of living, Lucian was stunned. Other than his parents and brothers, no one had ever wanted to protect him. He was the monster stalking them all in the dark of the night, the one their fears conjured when they slept, the creature the hero in the movies slew. He was a vampire. His power and abilities were beyond the comprehension of most people.

Delight’s earlier insistence that he leave now made sense to him even if he was having a hard time processing the information. She was protecting him. Even knowing what he was, Delight was trying to keep his secret from others.

His heart pounded and he had to force himself not to rub the ache in his chest. Pride welled up inside him at his chosen one. Surely, no other man had a woman as wonderful as Delight. Love and lust washed over him and all he wanted to do was drag her onto the table and bury his hard, throbbing cock in her waiting warmth. His fangs ached to sink into her luscious flesh and taste her blood.

Lucian shook his head. She was doing it again. Distracting him from the moment at hand. Detective Cassidy was speaking once again, so Lucian focused on what he was saying.

“Look, Mr. Dalakis. I know who you are.” Cassidy gave them a boyish grin and struck a good ol’ boy pose. Lucian was not deceived by the action, recognizing it as the ploy it was to get them to relax and talk to him.

“Really.” Lucian scrutinized Cassidy until his easy grin faded. “I do not recall meeting you.”

Cassidy gave Lucian a nod, as if conceding him the point in their match of wits. “Let’s just say I know you by reputation.”

Delight’s fingernails were digging into his arm. She was very tense and growing more agitated by the moment. It was time to end this charade. “This is upsetting to Delight. You will do nothing to distress her further. Ask your questions.”

Lucian’s voice was filled with a compulsion, urging both men to do exactly as he asked. Detective Cassidy eyed him even more suspiciously, as if he suspected Lucian had done something, but he couldn’t quite figure out what it was. However, Detective Gagnon, who was the more susceptible of the two, began to ask his questions immediately.

“Start from the moment you were asked to work late, Miss Deveraux, and tell us what happened.”

As Delight recounted her horrific tale, Lucian watched the other occupants of the room. He could feel Miss Nadine’s love reaching out to Delight as she answered the detective’s questions and relived the trauma. The older woman was a permanent part of Delight’s life, and truthfully, he liked her. Her energy was invigorating, and her devotion to both Delight and Chase was unquestionable. For the rest of her life, Miss Nadine would now be under the protection of the Dalakis family. Lucian or one of his brothers would make sure she was well taken care of.

Then there was Chase. He was young, but he showed all the signs of becoming a formidable man. Chase had immediately jumped to Delight’s protection against Lucian, who was obviously a bigger and more powerful opponent. But he hadn’t flinched from Lucian. Instead he had become more aggressive. Lucian was impressed by Delight’s younger brother and looked forward to getting to know him better.

Lucian made a mental note to contact his lawyer immediately. He had to make provisions for his little family in the event that something did happen to him. The detectives’ frustration reached out to him. Delight’s answers to their questions were vague at best. He turned his entire focus back to the conversation, which had been up to now little more than a recounting of events with the detectives asking for the occasional elaboration.

“How can you not know what happened to the men in the alleyway?” Detective Cassidy’s voice was laced with suspicion.

“All I know is that one minute they were hitting me and tearing at my clothing.” Delight’s voice broke on a sob, and she took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. “Then they were gone. I didn’t stop to question it. I only wanted to get away.”

Delight’s entire body started to shake and she began to cry. Lucian lifted her off her chair and cradled her in his arms. “Enough.” His soft voice cracked like a whip in the small area, making everyone jump. Delight snuggled closer and he tucked her more firmly against his chest.

“You have blood in the alleyway, but no bodies. Until you find the bodies, you have no crime. She has told you everything she can about the murder she witnessed. You have upset Delight. I suggest you leave.” Detective Gagnon opened his mouth to speak, but quickly closed it when Lucian pinned him with a glare. “Now.”

Both of the detectives stood, knowing that this interview was at an end. Cassidy reached into his pocket and took out a card, laying it on the table next to Delight. “If you think of anything else, please call me, day or night. In the meantime, we’d like to take the clothing you were wearing last night back to the lab for analysis. Maybe we’ll get lucky and get a DNA sample that will match someone already in our database. It’s a long shot, but it’s worth a try.”

“They’re upstairs. I’ll go get them.” Delight started to rise from the table, but Miss Nadine stopped her.

“You sit right there, Delight. I’ll take the detectives upstairs to get what they need.” Nobody said anything else as Miss Nadine jumped up from the table and directed both of the men up the back stairs. A few minutes later they all came back down with the clothes in a clear plastic bag, and Miss Nadine saw both men out the door.

The second the door was closed behind the detectives, Chase turned toward his sister. “Tell us what you didn’t tell them.”

Delight shifted uneasily in his arms. She’d lied to the police to protect him, but he didn’t know what she would say to her family. He sensed she hated holding anything back from them.

She bit her bottom lip. “There’s really nothing else to tell.”

“That’s bullshit!” Delight flinched from the accusation in Chase’s voice.

Lucian could not allow this to harm her relationship with her brother. “She is protecting me.”

Chase stood so fast he knocked his chair to the floor. “Who the hell are you anyway? And why would she protect you? I thought Delight was supposed to be with a friend last night. Instead, all this crazy stuff happened to her and then she was attacked.” He stalked around the side of the table, plucked his sister out of Lucian’s arms, and thrust her behind him. Crossing his arms across his chest, he glared down at Lucian. “But I get the feeling she was with you last night. Just who the hell are you?”

Lucian felt a deep pride in the young man as he defended his sister once again. Delight had done an amazing job raising her brother on her own. But right now, he had to diffuse the situation. He needed to take Delight somewhere quiet so they could talk.

“I am Lucian Dalakis. And I am the man who is going to marry your sister.”