Chapter Two

 

 

A wise man once said that a man who has lived fully would be prepared to die at any time.

Bullshit! Richard Dames lived life to the fullest. He was not prepared to die. His death came swiftly and unexpectedly. It shocked everyone including Richard Dames himself. He was a man who was looked upon as a pillar of the community accomplished everything he’d set out to do in his short life. He was a thriving entrepreneur with a bright future. A person like that was never prepared to die, especially at the tender age of thirty-five.

What was most shocking about his death was the way he died; a massive heart attack. How uncanny? The man was in perfect health; six feet three inches of pure muscle, not to mention the fact that he was a vampire. 

It was 1:30 in the morning, when Desiree unlocked the front door to Richard Dames old office building in the Gaslamp District. It was never his passion to be a P.I. It was only when friends and friends of friends started to go missing, that Richard took it upon himself to do a little digging. What he found could not be swept under the rug. Nor simply forgotten. He opened up his doors and made his office a safe house; a place where his clients could come and air their dirty laundry without the fear of any repercussions. One client led to another and before he knew it, he had over five thousand. Vampires, humans, and wolves; he did not discriminate. He kept them all on a hefty retainer’s fee. Needless to say-The dude was loaded at the time of his death.

R. Dames, Private Investigator for Anyone in Need, was still on the front door. There was no point in keeping the space empty. Every attempt had been made to locate a relative, but it was the strangest thing; he had no family connections of any kind dead or alive. It was as if Richard Dames was hatched instead of born. There was nothing left to do but to give the place a thorough cleaning and get it back on the market for new tenants. A year was long enough. 

Desiree flipped the light switch and kicked the door open with her foot. What a delightful, awesome surprise. The space was in immaculate condition. A little musty from being closed up for over a year, but she would take musty over trashed any day.

Bogged down with cleaning supplies, she headed for the kitchen that took up the entire back wall of the loft and sat her bags on the corner before taking a tour. She could not help but admire the intricate details of the paneled walls. The pristine hardwood floors, arched ceilings, and the exposed concrete pillars. The space was empty except for an antique, 18th-century desk, along with a high back, leather chair. A beautiful French, vintage chaises lounge that was pushed against the wall between two large bay windows.

Desiree crossed over to the chaise she took a seat. Sitting there, she was the spitting image of her mother, Delilah. Right down to the length and color of her hair. The shape of her face and lips. All were identical to the queen.

Leaned back onto the chaise, Desiree felt dignified- Like Royalty. She propped her feet up and closed her eyes to listen for the sound of her subjects yelling out her name in admiration. 

“Some help would have been nice, your majesty,” Camille said as she stumbled into the room sending the cleaning supplies scattering across the floor interrupting Desiree’s royal fantasy.

“This place is amazing,” Desiree said as she jumped up to help her friend.

“Amazingly expensive. I Googled this Richard Dames guy.”

“And? Desiree asked as they looked around before heading over to the French doors that led out onto a large balcony. They stepped out into the night air that carried a bit of a chill from the ocean that was only a few streets over.

“Dude was fucking loaded- owned everything on this block! Not to mention all the companies and investments he had around the world.”

“I’d love to be the lucky beneficiary?”

“Stand in line. Even after a year, his legal team is searching everywhere for a relative. They refuse to give up. I read that a couple of major players are coming to a meeting next week to decide what to do. They’re all fine ass brothers too. One from Texas; another one from Mississippi; another one from New York and one from right here in San Diego.

“Damn!” Desiree said looking at her amazed. “You take your googling seriously.”

“It’s legal and free. And it’s not like it’s a secret.” Camille said as she looked down onto the streets that came alive at night, transforming into a hip and sophisticated playground for those who wanted to play. The Dames building was in the center of it all; the hottest restaurants, sizzling nightclubs, quaint boutiques, art galleries, and world-class hotels. Everything needed and all within sixteen walkable city blocks.

The sounds of traffic on the crowded streets along with the noise and laughter of party seekers was like music to the ears. Not long ago, Desiree and Camille were a committed part of that wild and crazy nightlife. Partying until the sun came up and then sleeping all day. Once hit with the party bug there’s no real cure. At the age of thirty-five, they were still young, and vibrant with plenty of wildness left between them. Now work came first. They were not cured of the party bug, but hard work helped in treating the symptoms.

Desiree stepped back inside and started to undress. Blessed with the perfect body. Lean and curvaceous, she was a stunner.

As she stripped down to her bra and panties, Desiree revealed a tight body that would give an impotent man an immediate erection. Her body was her ace in the hole where men were concerned; also beneficial in getting her out as well as into trouble. 

She stepped into a pair of gray coveralls, zipped it up, pulling her long hair back into a tight ponytail. Even in this drab getup, she still looked amazing.

Grabbing a mop and bucket, she headed for the kitchen to start the task of cleaning. While water filled the bucket, she plugged her earphones into her phone and inserted the earpiece into her ears.

Stepping out of her street attire, Camille reached for her overalls. She was the same height as Desiree with a sculptured body that looked to be a work of art. She piled her light brown hair up into a bun suited her delicate features and gave her a sex appeal that could not be duplicated. Her caramel colored skin, light brown eyes, luscious breasts, and ample booty classified her as sexy hot!

Working together maneuvering meticulously and methodically around each other, they looked like a well-rehearsed performance. As best friends, they rely on each other, even for the smallest of things, a shoulder to cry on, an inspiring word, or brutal honesty. They were indebted to one another for being the best friend a girl could ever have. Neither could imagine a life without the other.

Wiping the sweat from her brow, Desiree took a seat at the kitchen table and pulled a container from her lunch bag. Popping the lid, she indulged in a salad.

“You know I’m sick of Lois pulling out of jobs at the last minute.” She said stuffing a fork full of salad into her mouth. “I had plans tonight.” 

Camille washed her hands over the sink then took a seat at the table across from her. “With Liam?” she asked as she removed an apple from her sack and bit into it.

Liam was Desiree’s latest disaster. No one could argue that the man didn’t seem to have it all. There was something about him. It raised every red flag Camille had.

 “No. Liam is a fucking jerk!” Desiree said, trying not to sound embittered. Even though, she was. She did not feel like going into every detail of another failed relationship with Camille who would have a hundred and one questions. She would demand full disclosure from beginning to end. Desiree didn’t want to dredge up the painful memories she was trying so hard to forget.    

Camille raised a brow and waited. There was more to this story. There always was when it came to Desiree and men. She was notorious for picking the wrong man.

“He’s married.” She finally admitted.

Whoop! There it was! Camille had a feeling the son-of-a-bitch was married. She knew something was up with the smooth-talking, too damn good to be true, hot as hell, Liam Johansen.

Camille reached into her bag and pulled out a bottle of Casa Noble Anejo Tequila she was saving just for this moment. She unscrewed the top and handed the purple bottle to Desiree, who took a mouth full, then handed it back. This is how they dealt with problems of the heart. They drank it away one shot at a time. “Did he have the balls to tell you himself?”

 “No, apparently his wife holds the balls in the family. What a sweet woman; she could have texted me, but, no. She called; asked me to kindly stay the fuck away from her husband.”

Desiree reached the bottle and swallowed down more. “I told her that I had no idea that the lying, cheating bastard was married and that I would never see him again.”

Camille did her best to put on a show of genuine compassion. To be honest, she was running short on sympathy when it came to Desiree and her bad choices.

“Of course you didn’t know he was married. It’s not like he would come right out and tell you. That would have interfered with his plan to fuck you.”

Desiree didn’t feel that way about Liam. He was different. Yeah, he came on strong at first, but he was gentle and loving and…, well, different somehow. Sure, he was married, but she could see the decency in him. Trying to convince Camille that he was different would be a waste of time.

“It wasn’t just about that.”

“Then what? You think he was going to leave his wife for you. He’s nothing but a piece of garbage.”

“Well, I gave my word that I would stay far away from that piece of garbage.” Desiree could not understand why it hurt her to call him that. Liam had come to mean a great deal to her. He was not garbage at all, simply married. He was not only her lover but also a trusted friend that she relied on. Oh well, she thought, like all the others, easy come easy go.

Sometimes Camille thought Desiree was one of the original blonde-haired women. The man had married stamped across his forehead. You could practically smell the fondant from his wedding cake on his breath.

“Well, there you go, lesson learned,” Camille said trying hard to keep the annoyance out of her tone.

Desiree wanted to cry, but she refused to let this take her down. Again! She was a tough, black woman who would rather bite a hole in her tongue than to shed another tear over a man. “What lesson?”

“You are gifted. Prepare yourself and wait patiently for what’s to come.”

For a second Camille was not sure if the words she heard came from her mouth. She sat there stunned, wondering what the hell. It sounded like her voice. What would make her say something so random? It had to be the alcohol.

Desiree stared at Camille with a what-the- fuck look on her face wondering if there was a worm in the tequila bottle. Maybe she swallowed it and now it had her talking funny.

“What?” Desiree asked with a confused look on her face.

Out of the two Camille was by far the smartest. With zero effort, she excelled in everything did. She was a straight-A student right up until she graduated from college as valedictorian. Seriously, she didn’t know what the hell she was saying or why she said it.

“I don’t know where all of that came from. I guess I’m just worried about you.”

Camille was worried about her friend. She knew that the drama between Liam and Desiree may be pushed aside, but it was far from over. The Desiree she knew did not forgive easily. She probably already coming up with a plan to teach Liam a lesson he would never forget. Camille prayed that it would not be anything too bad this time. Sleeping in county lock-up was never fun. Facing a judge wasn’t a blast either.

Desiree removed a chocolate pudding cup from the bag and slid one over to Camille.

“You’re taking this awfully well. What’s your plan; confront him at work? Slash his tires?” Camille asked. Hell, she needed to know up front so they could get their lie straight when the police stopped by to question them. 

There were many ways Desiree could have make Liam pay for his deceit. A blueprint for revenge would already be laid out on the table. When she thought about it, he never said that he wasn’t married. Omission of the truth was still considered a lie, but what hurt the most was that he said nothing at all. She felt like a fool allowing herself to be tricked once again.

Camille was genuinely worried. Desiree went a little, single black female over shit like this; totally different from single white female. She had a bloody scenario all played out in her head.

“Please tell me he’s still alive, Desi?”

Desiree resented the implication. She understood Camille’s concern. She often went overboard when men failed to live up to her expectations. It was time to grow up; time to take a new approach when dealing with matters such as these.

“What did you do to him, Desi? Please, just tell me.”

“Calm down. He’s still breathing and in one piece.” Hurting Liam was the last thing on Desiree’s mind, hell; she loved the bastard and could never do anything to hurt him. Instead, she decided to take a different path this time- A path of peace and solitude. Coming to this conclusion was not easy, but necessary. She was tired of jumping from man to man with nothing good to show for all her exertion. Most men did not even know how to be real men. They were weak, imitations of the real thing. She was sick of it all.

Explaining her decision to Camille was going to be a challenge. Actually sticking to her decision would prove to be an even bigger challenge.

Camille let out a sigh of relief. Grateful that Liam was still among the living. In her mind, she pictured Desiree on trial for murder. It would have served him right though if she had tortured him for a while. 

“Aren’t you pissed?”

“Not at all.”

Camille stared at her with a what-the-fuck-has-happened-to-you, look on her face. The woman sitting across from her could jump from being perfectly normal straight to a raving lunatic in a matter of seconds. 

“Come on, Desi, what gives? Liam was hounding like a dog for weeks. I was there when he got down on his knees and begged you to go out with him. All along, he had a wife at home. How can you sit there pretending like it’s all good?”

“It is all good.”

“Really? That’s unlike you.”

“Sorry. I don’t know what else to tell you.”

“You could tell me what’s really going on.”

Not that Camille wanted her to retaliate or go all single black female. Liam certainly was not worth all of that, but damn! Show some emotion. Laugh, cry, scream, hell, throw something for God’s sake. Don’t just sit there and hold it in. Shit, pent-up anger could kill a person. 

Desiree took another long draw from the bottle of Tequila. “For your information, I’ve been doing some soul searching. I even read, soup for the soul.”

“Oh shit! Not again.” Camille sighed. She hated Desiree’s soul-searching phases. It always did more harm than good.

“I liked Liam. He was the closest thing to a decent man that I will ever see. If he weren't already married, we would have been perfect together.” She paused as if in deep thought, thinking about what could have been. She imagined them married with children, a white picket fence, and the whole nine yards. Never once had she ever thought about settling down and living an ordinary life like other people until she met Liam. “I feel like I owe him. He helped me.”

“How?”

“He helped me arrive at an important life changing decision.”

This could not be good Camille thought. How many times had Desiree reached a very important life changing decision? How long had any of her very important decisions lasted? Two, three days at the most, then she was back to her crazy self; most of the time, crazier than before. 

“I’m done with men,” Desiree declared. “They are all liars. Just a fucking waste of my valuable time; so why bother?”

Okay, she was upset, Camille got that, but giving up men on men was just ludicrous. “That’s a little drastic and, might I add, stupid.”

“Whatever! I’m done!”

“Let me get this straight. You’re telling me that you’re going to alter your entire life because of one man. You’re going to give Liam that much power?”

“I don’t see it as giving him power over anything. The choice is still mine. But, yes, that’s precisely what I’m going to do.”

Camille took the bottle away from Desiree and finished it. Life had never been easy for them. Growing up in the system, in and out of foster care, never knowing their parents, and they even lived on the streets for a while. They were the closest thing to family that they had ever known. They jumped every hurdle placed before them together.

Desiree convinced herself that love and family did not matter. Family was just a bunch of fucked up people that thought they had the right to screw around in your life. Making it more miserable than it already was. She was much better off without the added hassle.

Gathering her trash, Desiree stood with tears forming in her eyes. They were ready to fall any second, but she refused to blink and let them wet her face. She was determined to beat this thing called men, and she would do it her way.

“It’s better this way. I don’t need a man hanging around. They’re nothing but trouble.”

Her own words cut a hole in her heart, a heart that bled for true love. Desiree wanted nothing more than to have a man in her life. A man who was capable of taking her away to a place where reason and though disappeared. A man who had the ability to see her for who and what she truly was and was confidence enough to act upon it.

Tossing her trash into the garbage, Desiree disappeared around the corner leaving Camille wondering, what the fuck?

Desiree entered the bathroom and went right to work. First, she sprayed the mirror with Windex and wiped it clean. Damn Liam for forcing her into abstinence, the thing she enjoyed the most about being in a relationship was the intimacy-The closeness-The familiarity. Knowing one another so well and in tuned to each other’s sexual needs. Now she was forced to give it all up.

 She should have known better than to trust him. He was too good to be true. She fell for him the moment she saw him. He was handsome, charming, and gainfully employed. A triple super-threat, he had a smooth line of bullshit on a hook, which she bit like a guppy. She should have taken off running when he told her that he was a lawyer. Somehow, he managed to work his magic on her making her. She believed he was one of the good people.

Six months of dating and they never had one single problem. He was so easy to talk to and seemed just as happy as she was. She had fallen fast and deep for Liam. Her heart would race every time she saw him. Marriage had even worked its way into various conversations. She would have said yes the minute he proposed. 

Oh, well, what the hell. It was just another failed relationship, love, marriage and all that baloney, who needed it?  

Desiree’s heart was slowly turning bitter and cold. She could not understand why every relationship ended badly. It was as if someone was taking her by the hand and leading her directly to the wrong men.

Thinking back there was a trail of losers. Before Liam, there was Carl, the embezzler. The man was a criminal mastermind. Nevertheless, she hung in there giving him time to change. Oh, he changed all right. He turned into a bigger criminal. Not only did he rob his own company blind, he tried to bankrupt their cleaning company as well. Five years behind bars was not enough to pay for the hell he would put her through.

Then there was Louis, the professional cheater. He had women all over California and Arizona. Even in Mexico. He had so many children he could have started his own little league. And who could forget Phillip, the beautiful compulsive liar. He lied about everything, ask him how he was doing, and he would lie about that too. He just could not help himself. He opened his mouth, and a lie fell out.  

Why did every man have to be a total and complete fuck-up? If she did not know better, she would swear that the gods were messing with her on purpose, intent on keeping her from finding Mr. Right. Well, it no longer mattered. From this point on every man who cast a shadow on her doorstep would be given an invitation to go straight to hell. She was done-Done wasting time. It was time to purge her system clean, time to focus on important matters in life like being of service to others.   

Desiree dunked her mop into the bucket of hot water, rang it dry, and began cleaning the floor.

Celibacy could not be that bad, she thought as she moved the mop over the floor. It could be therapeutic, good for the soul. All women should take a spiritual journey. She could not change the past or the men in her life, but she could change herself and thus changing her future. Perhaps in a year or two she might be in a better place of understanding. Not only herself, but also the men she allowed into her life. When she had a better understanding, she would even revisit her decision. Until then, men were persona non grata. 

The more she thought about it, the more she liked her decision. She was starting to feel good about things. She felt liberated. Free from all the bullshit. Why hadn’t she thought of this before, a man cleansing-Freeing herself from all the crap?

She was happy for once and was looking forward to getting to know herself without all the distractions. Maybe a trip to India would be next. Just like Julia Roberts did in the movie.

Then Camille entered the bathroom. Plopped herself up on the counter and went about destroying her dream.

“I’ve been giving this man break thing of yours some thought.” She said swinging her legs back and forth like a kid. “It’s a damn good idea. Count me in.”

“Really?” Desiree said.

“Yes, really! If you can do it, so can I.”

No one knew Camille better than Desiree did; the woman loved sex, always had. Moreover, she was quite the expert in all things related to the subject. She was a proud, confident, and highly sexual woman. For her, even to hint at the notion of giving up men for any amount of time was just crazy talk. However, Desiree was grateful for her support.

“What? You don’t think I can do it?”

Desiree said nothing as she went back to cleaning the floor. Hell no was the answer. She just did not have the heart to tell her or the nerves.

“You’re not the only one who can make a commitment and stick to it.” Camille said then jumped down from the counter to admire herself in the mirror.

There was no one on earth who loved Camille more than Camille. She radiated sex appeal. A sensuality that was rare in women nowadays. Once you met her, you had no other choice but to love her.  

“I could use some me time and I have plenty of toys to keep me satisfied. A good week or two could do the va-Jay-Jay some good.” She said as she removed the clip from her hair letting the long strands fall down her back and around her shoulder. 

“I’m not talking a week, Cami.”

“What? A month?”

“Try a year- Maybe even two or three.”

“Years?” Camille swung around with a horrifying look on her face as if someone just told her that she had to shave her head bald. “Are you serious? Your stuff will dry up if you don’t use it.”

Desiree shrugged her shoulder as she continued mopping. She was serious about this. No amount of begging or rationalizing was going to change her mind. 

“Is that what you want?”

Desiree kept her eyes on the floor and her mouth shut as she mopped her way toward the back of the room. Camille had a way of making her see things differently. She didn’t want to see things differently this time. She wanted to travel to India. She wanted to eat strange foods and sit on the floor while meditating.

“Liam hardly seems worth all that. Hell, for that matter, no man is. I won’t let you do it.”

“It’s not your choice.”

“But it’s absurd, Desi! And a cry for help.”

Camille reached in her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. There was no way in hell she was going to let her best friend go through with such an outrageous idea. A week or two, maybe, but years was testing the boundaries.

“There’s no way I’m letting Liam turn you into a nun.” She said as she began punching in a number. “I’m hooking you up with Walter.”

“This isn’t about Liam.” Desiree tried explaining.

Camille looked up from her phone with a raised brow that would have made, “The Rock,” proud. Of course, it was about Liam she thought. This had Liam written all over it. In the short time, they had known each other he had wormed his way into her life, and then into her heart. Desiree had a way of confusing the act of fucking with love. It was a common mistake made by most women. Camille was smart enough to know the difference. Sometimes the sex was just about fucking. It had nothing to do with love. To most men fucking was just that- Fucking! It was rare that it meant anything more than a fun way to waste some time and satisfy a need.

“Okay, maybe Liam had something to do with my decision. But I’m also doing this for me. Please try to understand where I’m coming from and why this is so important.”

“Oh, sweetie, I understand where you’re coming from. I also know exactly where you’re going,” Camille said going back to searching for Walter’s number. “You’re going on a date with Walter.”

Desiree knew she had to appeal to Camille’s sensitive side before she punched in Walter’s number. Once she got something in her head, she went with it full force. There was not stopping her. 

“Don’t you ever feel lost?” Desire asked. “Like you’re constantly heading down the wrong path, or like you need help to figure out which way to go?”

Camille knew precisely what Desiree was saying. There were days when she too felt the same way. “Yes, of course, I do. But it shouldn’t take years to figure things out. If this is your version of eat, pray, love bullshit, then okay. You know who you are, Desiree. You are a strong, intelligent, beautiful, black goddess. You are more than capable of taking care of herself, with or without a man at your side. That is who you are. That is who we both are.

Finally, she was making some head way with her friend; talked some sense into her. She was wrong.

“But we are also human beings. We were made to have a man at our side. We function better that way. So, if you want to give in for a short while, that’s your choice. But I won’t let you give up. And I will never allow Liam to take away the essence and beauty of who you are.” 

Camille’s words resonated in Desiree’s mind touching her deeply. In all of her life, she never felt more womanly than she did at that moment.

Delilah was at work; watching over her daughter. Making sure, she stayed true to herself, the goddess of love, desire, and goodness in the human world. A sabbatical from love could wreck her entire plan ending everything before she and Roman had a chance to meet.

Atum and Zeus had their heads together plotting her demise if Kourosh got to her first. Delilah had to use every trick she had. And fast. Atum alone was an impossible god to reason with; add in Zeus, and there was no amount of begging she could do to save her. These two mighty gods played by the rules. They would surely snatch Desiree from the human world and return her to Nirvana without a second thought. She had to do everything possible to keep her there until she met Roman. If using Camille from time to time to communicate with Desiree was against the rules, well, so be it. 

“If you need a little R & R, fine, but damn girl, life is short and much more fun when you are getting laid on the regular.”

Desiree grunted, turned her lip up over Camille’s last statement, and pushed past her. “You’re disgusting.”

“But you know it’s the truth, girl. C’mon, don’t act as if you don’t know. I’m calling Walter right now. He’s an accountant, so he’s a little on the nerdy side.”

“Its three o’clock in the morning, Cami!” Desiree protested.

“So what- We’re gonna wake his ass up and put a little spice in his mundane life.” Camille punched in a number and placed the phone up to her ear. 

“No!” Desiree yelled as she tried to snatch the phone from Camille’s hand. Camille blocked her every move, left, then right. They played around acting like kids until a loud knock on the front door startled them. 

“Who the hell could that be at this hour?”

Camille dropping her cell back into her top pocket and pulled out a switchblade. “Let’s go find out.” She said as she flicked it open like a pro.

Desiree grabbed the handle of her mop as the headed for the front door. Camille turned the doorknob and opened it.  

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could actually see that pivotal moment when the direction of your life changed? You know, that life-altering moment of which people often speak, the moment that changes everything for better, or regrettably sometimes for the worse.

It would not have mattered though, not tonight. Fate and Destiny had their orders. No one in their right mind would ever defy these two bitches.

Noland Bauer was among the wealthiest people in Southern California. If you asked whom he was by name most people would not have the slightest clue. That was fine with Noland. That was the way he wanted it; the way he planned it. Inconspicuous was the name of the game for his kind.

Under normal circumstances, he was a man who was on top of everything. Noland was always dashing and a true gentleman but not tonight. Tonight Noland was not himself. His swollen, red eyes were a clear indication that he had been crying or that he was in a drunken stupor. His hair and clothes were filthy-disheveled. He could have easily been pegged for one of the homeless vagrants on the streets had it not been for the Berluti shoes. Those suckers could run you close to two thousand bucks a pop.

“What do you want?” Camille asked in a what-the-fuck-are-you-doing-knocking-on- this-door-at-this-hour, tone.

“Get Richard out here.” He demanded.

“Richard!” The women said in unison.

Seriously? Was he seriously fucking around with them at this hour? Unless you lived under a rock, everyone knew that Richard Dames was dead. His picture had been plastered on the television screen for weeks after his death. The media carried on as if the man was a famous movie star or some political figure.

The two women shot each other a look like not sure if the guy was serious or just a dimwit. Camille was about to find out.

 “Are you a fucking idiot? Everyone knows that the man is dead.”

If this guy was acting, he deserved an award. His eyes went wide. You could actually see the color drain from his face as he stared back at them.

“Dead-That’s impossible! Who are you?”

Camille repositions her knife with the pointy end aimed in his face. “Who are you?”

“I’m Noland Bauer-A longtime client.”

“Not anymore,” Camille said flippantly.

“And isn’t it kind of late to be out taking care of business?” Desiree asked.

Noland had never been treated so rudely in his life. He was a well-respected Alpha wolf; a supreme pack leader who fought his way to dominance and reigns superior to the other wolves in his pack. Everywhere he went people catered to him, served him as if he was the Pope. Having a knife pointed at his face was disrespectful.

These women had no idea who he was, nor what damage he could do to them. “I’ll ask you again, who are you? And who sent you here to spread these vicious lies?”

“It’s no lie. He dropped dead of a heart attack. Ask anyone.” Camille said.

“Impossible.”

Desiree reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. Googling the passing of Richard Dames did not take long. Headlines popped up confirming their allegations. Desiree shoved the phone in Noland’s face.

The poor guy went down as his knees buckled. They caught him just in time before he hit the floor. They helped him into the office and eased him down onto the chaise.

“Have you literally been hiding under a rock?” Camille asked. “He’s been dead for over a year now.”

“I’m sorry. I’ve been away- Out of the country for well over a year. I just returned tonight.”

He paused as if lost or uncertain of what to do or say next. “He sent me away.” He mumbled under his breath, his eyes ricocheting from one woman to the other as if searching for answers. “He wanted me away when it happened.”

“When what happened?” Desiree asked.

 Noland ignored her as if she was not even standing there. His mind was in overdrive. Trying to piece together what Richard had done.

Desiree went into the kitchen leaving Camille alone with the man who began babbling under his breath. Hell if she didn’t feel sorry for the poor fool.

“We all must die, sir.” She said as she kneeled in front of him. “No one is immortal. I’m real sorry about your friend. I can only imagine how hard it must be for you to return home to find out about him this way. But you need to pull yourself together.”

“You don’t understand.” He said looking into her eyes. “Richard dying of a heart attack or any other human illness is impossible! He’s a vampire.”

“A vampire?” Camille asked stoically.

“Yes. He’s immortal.”

Camille tried her best to keep the patronizing tone out of her voice, but it was hard. “Immortal? Well, that’s different.”

“Don’t you dare use that condescending tone with me, young lady! I’m not some nut who just happened to stumble in off the streets.”

“That’s exactly what you are.” Desiree said holding a glass of water out to him.

Noland took the glass from her hand, quickly lapped the water down as if it would be his last. “It may look that way to you,” he said handing her the glass. “But I am as sane as they come.” He leaned back in the chair fumbling with his tie in an effort to loosen it.

Camille stood and took a few steps back. He seemed harmless enough. It was obvious he was distraught and confused, talking about immortality and things that would make for a great episode on vampire diaries. 

“Until I can get this all sorted out I’m going to need your help ladies. My daughter is missing.”

“What do you want us to do? Clean her room?” Desiree asked with all the sarcasm she could muster. 

Camille elbowed her in the ribs.

“No, I want you to find her.”

“Do we look like Charlie’s Angles?” Desiree asked stepping forward.

“No, Charlie’s Angels had three idiots, I only see two.”

Desiree went into attack mode. Like a pit-bull. She could feel her blood pressure rising as everything turned red. She grabbed the knife from Camille’s hand and went for Noland.

Camille grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back.

“Calm down. I got this.” She had already mopped the floor once. The last thing she wanted was to have to mop it again. And blood was hell to cover up. “We can’t help you sir. If your daughter is missing, I suggest you call the police.”

“That’s not an option.”

“Why not?”

“Trust me! I know these monsters.”

“More vampires?” Desiree asked with even more sarcasm.

Noland had enough with Desiree smart-ass remarks. He cut her a cold look that forced her to apologies for speaking inappropriately to a guest.

Desiree had no idea why she felt a sudden need to apologize other than it felt like the right thing to do. “I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”

If she were not necessary for this mission, Noland would have ended her life then and there. It was still up for debate.

 “You have no idea what’s going on all around you?”

“Apparently not,” Desiree answered as if it was all just a big joke.

“The masses are gathering in great number. A division is taking place. Two powerful men are at odds and chaos throughout the underworld will come down on us like hell’s fire. When this happens, I hope you know who your enemies are. If so, mark them so that you will never forget.”

 Baffled, they both stood there wondering, what the fuck?

 “And Mr. Clean and Sarah Lee are having their first child. What else you got?” Desiree asked.

Now Noland was pissed. It generally took much more than a flippant tongue to get him riled, but his nerves were already on edge, and Desiree’s smart mouth wasn’t helping.

He stood and took a step toward her. “You think this is a joke? You think this room will save you? You will have to leave at some point. You cannot stay in here forever. Then what will you do?” He asked looking from one to the other.

Delilah waved her hand over the Oracle in an attempt to stop Noland from speaking. She tried her best knowing that he was protected from her magic. Richard, the noble do-gooder, intent on saving the world made sure of that. Even though he was her nephew, she could not let him get away with going against her.

He was a smart and determined one. Hell bent on speaking to the council; he found a way to Nirvana. Claiming he had proof, that Desiree was a threat to the human world. He would have insisted upon her immediate removed. Having him removed first before he could do any harm seemed the logical step to take. She had no other recourse but to seek help from other sources.

Now she had to deal with Noland Bauer- A filthy werewolf. When will it end she wondered? When would she ever have peace?

Well, she could not shut him up, but she could certainly direct his attention away from her daughter.

Noland directed his attention towards Camille as he spoke. “We need to put our heads together and find my child.”  

“We?” Desiree snapped. She could not believe he added them into his sick equation of nightmares and bullshit. “There is no, we. There is only you. And you need to do whatever it takes to find your child, even if that means involving the police.”

“How much will it take to shut you up?” Noland asked now looking at Desiree.

Insulted, Desiree snapped back. “Get out!” She yelled pointing toward the door.

“I’ll pay whatever you ask, two, three, four million apiece? Just name your price. I’m sure you have one.”

Desiree took Camille by the arm and pulled her into the kitchen while keeping a watchful eye on Noland.

“I don’t like this guy. If you don’t get him out of here, I’m going gouge on his ass.” 

“I kinda like him.”

“Are the dollar signs dulling your senses? He’s fucking creepy! And he insulted us at least three times.”

“Okay, I’ll admit, he is a little creepy, but the insulting thing in no big deal. We’ve been insulted way worse than that.”

“He’s a disrespectful, pretentious ass.” Desiree said aloud for him to hear.

 “You would be too if your child were missing. Let’s just do this. It could be fun.”

They both looked over their shoulder at Noland, who had stepped out onto the balcony. His powers allowed him to hear them. It was just one of the few supernatural gifts he possessed.  

“You do realize that we have zero experience in finding missing people. How do you suppose we handle that?”

“How hard could it be?” Camille asked, shoving Desiree further into the kitchen. “We’ll ask around a little, see what comes up.”

“And if nothing comes up?”

“We head down to Mexico, throw around a few pesos, and keep asking. I bet we get lucky. Hell, we could start our own P.I. business just like this Dames guy.”

Desiree said nothing. She couldn’t believe she was even considering it though it would be nice to pay off all their loans and live life without any financial worries. The type of work could be fun. Once the girl was found, they could give it up and use the money to travel, as they have always wanted to do.

“You trust this weirdo?” Desiree asked looking over at Noland, who was now staring at them through the window.

 “Not really. I’ll deal with him. You can handle everything else.”

Desiree paused giving Noland’s offer serious thought. She liked the way things were, the cleaning business, the ease that came along with it. Investigating could be a risky business especially if the results were not good. She could see that Camille really wanted to do it, so she gave in. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

“Yes!” Camille said pumping her fists into the air before wrapping her arms around Desiree’s neck in a tight hug. They headed back over to Noland to give him the good news.

Noland knew what their answer would be. Even if they tried to turn him down, he would have raised the stakes so high it would have been impossible for them to say no.

 “I see you have reached a decision.”

 “Yes, we’ll take your deal, sir,” Camille said standing in front of him.

“Wonderful,” Noland said. “I’ll have two million wired directly into your accounts tonight. When my daughter is found, you’ll receive the rest.”

“That would be fine,” Camille said.

“You ladies now work for me.” He said handing Camille one of his business cards. “Please, find Gracie before it’s too late. If they kill her, it will mean war. That wouldn’t be good for anyone.”

“You act as if you know who took your daughter. Do you know who we should be looking for? Camille asked.

Did he know for sure? Not really, but he had a real good idea. If his suspicions were correct, may the gods have mercy on her soul because Kourosh would not.