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  "Hey, you could have gone inside, I would have found you," Simon said but seemed pleased that Leroy had waited.

  "I'm a gentleman, Simon, what can I say?" Leroy joked but found that his gaze kept wandering to the fourth-floor balcony. The man did not return, and he felt oddly sad about that. Simon looked up at the building to see what Leroy was looking at.

  “What’s wrong?” He finally voiced his confusion as they continued to stand there on the sidewalk.

  Leroy shook out of it and turned his gaze back on Simon. "Nothing, I thought I saw something, but it was nothing." He smiled, and Simon returned the gesture as they walked into the restaurant.

  Simon was an attorney who worked for a local firm, one of the few who were not vampire owned. Their first date had been to a concert and had ended with a good night and a light kiss. Tonight, Leroy had thought about trying to take it a step further, but as the evening wore on, he found his interest, sexual interest in Simon gradually vanishing.

  He found it strange considering at the beginning of this evening he’d been looking forward to hopefully scratching that itch that had been left unattended for too long. Now, he just wanted to go home. All interest and expectation were gone, and he looked at Simon as someone who was a good person and could probably be a good friend but never a lover.

  The date ended soon after dinner both recognizing the lack of appeal and desire that had been strongly present during their first date. They shook hands as they went their separate ways outside the restaurant. Leroy was frustrated and lonely, but Simon was not the answer to his need. He decided to stop by the Crimson Clover on the way home and see if anything interested him there.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Daniel was trying to be understanding and be patient, but the woman was irritating the flesh right off his bones. Miss Marilee Castor was a young and handsome looking woman with the ability to talk about nothing and make it sound like she was meeting your needs.

  "Please ma'am." He broke in and could not hide his exasperation. "Crimson Plantation, I requested information on Crimson Plantation, not every other plantation in the area and beyond. Crimson, tell me about Crimson." He pushed. She glanced from side to side as if looking for someone before beginning haltingly.

  "Well, you see there isn't . . ." She stopped when someone entered the office behind Daniel and closed the door. Her attention shifted to the person behind him, and her relief at their presence was obvious. "I'll let Mr. Volakis explain it to you. He works directly with Mr. Stone."

  She jumped up and raced out of the room like the place was on fire. Daniel felt the man first before he saw him. He moved like you would guess an assassin would move, silent and deadly while never letting his eyes drift from the target. He watched as Mr. Volakis stepped in front of where he was seated in an apparent move to intimidate. Daniel rolled his eyes growing tired of all their varied attempts to make him go away.

  Daniel grew up the son of an intellectual genius and at the age of sixteen became a dreaded wunderkind in the cutthroat arena of academia. He’d cut his teeth on constant and well thought out insults, putdowns, and intimidation. There was nothing that this man could do or say that would put him off his desire to see Crimson Plantation.

  He kept his mind focused on his task in order to control his reactions to this threatening individual. He was indeed scary, but Daniel was too aggravated by his intimidating manner to take heed of the malice that was filling the room.

  He glanced up at Mr. Volakis over his glasses and held the most bored and unimpressed expression he could muster. It was a skill he’d developed over years of taking down the purported experts in his field and laying out the blowhards to proper scrutiny.

  No one took a too young academic seriously until you made them. Daniel made them see and listen, and he made them respect him. His father, Dr. Culpepper The Elder, had a lot of enemies, some earned and some not, and as Daniel excelled, he inherited a good lot of them. He was used to doing battle.

  Mr. Volakis took a step back and finally spoke. His tone condescending and his words were laced with menacing intent. "The Crimson Plantation is not open to you. It is a private home and tours are not arranged for anyone." Daniel let the silence lay for a moment before responding.

  "What is your authority?" Daniel asked with equal disdain. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs in a dismissively relaxed move. He saw the flash of anger as it hit the man's countenance and then vanished just as fast under a flat unaffected façade. He took the stance of a fighter with hands at his sides and his feet at shoulder length apart. He was expecting an attack or wanted to prove he was ready to launch one.

  "My authority comes directly from Alexander Stone, owner of the Crimson Plantation." His tone had taken on a hardness that normally would have Daniel backing off, but he was too far gone with the need to see this bully taken down a notch. The man's attitude was pissing him off like no other.

  He stepped up closer to Daniel preventing him from being able to stand and leaned in to stare at him in much the same intense manner as so many others in this town, and that was enough. Daniel jumped to his feet knocking over the chair as he did so. Daniel didn't back off; instead, he stepped up to the much taller man and stared up at him with the same menacing expression Mr. Volakis was delivering.

  “I want to speak with Mr. Stone. The historical significance of his property is immense and deserves to be studied.” Daniel told him and held his stare.

  "He doesn't have time to entertain every cut-rate academic with a bloated sense of their worth who fancies themselves a historian." Volakis delivered every word with precision. Normally each one would have hit its tender mark, but Daniel was not new to the attacks on his abilities, and this one actually fell quite short of some that he'd fielded in the past.

  Daniel gave a half smile and took a half step back. "You know who I am, and you know my background. You're too smart not to have researched me before coming here today. Your insults are good but not very creative." Daniel turned his back on Cullen and took several steps towards the door before turning back. He could feel the man's anger intensifying, and he should be afraid, but he wasn't. Stupidity can be a dangerous motivator.

  “I did my research too. You are Cullen Volakis also known as the hammer of the corporation. You eradicate problems and you have a global reputation for doing so. For you to be here trying to scare me away only intensifies my interest as to what the Crimson Corporation is hiding.” Daniel again turned his back and left the office with Cullen on his heels. When they reached the sidewalk out in front of the Historical Society, Cullen took him by the shoulder and swung him around to face him.

  “You know who I am, so you know what you are facing. The Crimson Plantation is private property and a private home. Do yourself a favor and go home.” Cullen’s words shot daggers and the intensity of their discourse was beginning to draw an audience. People were filing out of businesses and watching them intently.

  “I’m a researcher and an architectural historian. I will study the Crimson Plantation either in person or through public records and I will get those records even if it takes me the next twenty years to do so. You cannot hide a six-hundred-and-twenty-acre plantation with such historical significance as the Crimson Plantation.” Daniel’s voice was rising, and he was getting up into Cullen’s personal space when the man suddenly grabbed him by the upper arm.

  “You should be careful.” The threat was clear and to the point as the hard fingers dug into his upper arm. Daniel refused to be bullied and took a step closer to Cullen totally getting into his face and by Cullen’s momentarily shocked expression he hadn’t expected the bold move.

  "I am always careful, and I never give up, so you can try to intimidate me all you want, but it won't work. Crimson Plantation will appear in my next book whether you like it or not. It will be based on an eyewitness account and be strictly academic, or it will engulf theory, myth, and conspiracies and become a popular mystery, the choice is yours." Daniel nearly spa
t the words and pulled away from Cullen.

  Cullen made an abrupt move towards him that had Daniel stumbling backward and suddenly rethinking his behavior, but then Cullen stopped and looked to his right. There on the other side of the street stood several young men standing in front of a jewelry store, and one was calling to Cullen. Whoever he was he had the power to stop Cullen Volakis in his tracks. The man's demeanor changed in an instant as he looked lovingly at the young man running towards him.

  “Cullen.” The young man called again and ran up to embrace him. Mr. Volakis wrapped his arms around the man and held him like he was the most precious thing in the world. The entire scene was astonishing considering the state of mind Mr. Volakis was in a few seconds ago. The young man with long blond hair and striking light blue eyes looked at Daniel and mouthed one word. “Run.”

  Daniel was stubborn, but he wasn’t stupid, and he took the man at his word and quickly ran to his rental car and locked it. Starting the engine, he did not look back as he drove away in the opposite direction.

  ‘What the fuck was wrong with me?’ He chastised himself. That man is dangerous and there he was poking at him daring him to strike. Shit! He shook his head and didn’t stop driving until he reached his hotel and quickly parked it in the underground parking and rushed up to his room. The need to hide was on him hard.

  Once in his room, Daniel closed all the curtains and double locked the door and put a chair in front of it just for further security. He then paced the room for about fifteen minutes before flopping down in a chair and staring at the ceiling.

  He'd read the information about Alexander Stone and his second in command Cullen Volakis, and he should have been more cautious with his words. It was the bullying that was his trigger. Daniel had been a target his entire life and he wasn’t going to take it from Mr. Volakis regardless of how scary he tried to be.

  He’d suffered much throughout his life with being overly intelligent, socially awkward, and freakishly small according to some less than kind descriptions. He hated bullies, hated them with a passion.

  Mr. Volakis had been on the verge of serious physical reprisal and Daniel doubted he would have survived if that man hadn’t shown up and deescalated the situation. But what about next time? What if Mr. Volakis isn’t finished with him? People tended to disappear around Mr. Volakis never to be heard from again and Daniel did not wish to be among their number.

  Whatever was going on at the Crimson Plantation was very likely illegal based on the secrecy and the lengths they would go to in order to maintain their secrecy. Daniel was obsessed, but he also valued his life, so he needed to think long and hard on how far he was willing to take this obsession. He had a basic understanding of the site so was seriously considering just writing a brief side note regarding the property and moving on or perhaps not mentioning it at all.

  It took a couple of hours for him to calm enough to start to think rationally. It infuriated him that he’d been so afraid. He hated knuckling to men like Cullen Volakis, but he was not the usual bully. Mr. Volakis wouldn’t embarrass or discredit him, Mr. Volakis would kill him.

  Daniel went online and started gathering every scrap of information he had on the plantation and the Stone family and began weaving it together in a manner that would add to his book compilation and would also inspire interest.

  He’d point out the secrecy and the lengths the Stone family went to in order to keep him from seeing the property. Or perhaps he wouldn’t write anything at all. Did he want to tear open this wasp’s nest or did he want to walk away? He didn’t want to end up like Nolan Prescot or disappear like others have done. His father would look for him, eventually as long as it didn’t interfere with his sabbatical or the retreat he’d scheduled immediately after.

  Daniel accepted that he was not going to get access to the plantation house or any of the grounds and no one in this town was willing to talk to him about the Corporation or the Plantation. With that said, what was the point of staying?

  …

  “On Main Street, in front of over a dozen people?” Alexander chastised more than a little perturbed. He’d called for Cullen to meet him at his corporate office immediately after hearing of the incident. “If it hadn’t been for Ethan’s interference you would have killed him right there on the sidewalk in broad daylight and in front of more than a dozen witnesses?”

  "Yes, very likely and I doubt anyone standing there would have blamed me," Cullen admitted without empathy. "He's going to be real trouble, and he's not going to give up until he gets his answers. I couldn't get into his thoughts. There's a barrier there that I can't get through. Probably would have been better for us all if Ethan hadn't interfered."

  Alexander smiled and they both sat down. "Well, I know how much you like to expedite solutions to potential problems, but as it turns out, it is better that you didn't harm him. I spoke with Christopher regarding this issue, and he gave me information, very specific information which is unusual for him. As a seer, his visions are usually vague but not in this instance." Alexander paused a beat before delivering the shock. "He told me the reason we can't influence him is because Dr. Daniel Culpepper is a chosen and he belongs to a member of the Crimson Coven."

  Cullen stared mildly shocked for a moment then asked. “Who, who does he belong to?”

  “We don’t know. Whoever it is, they haven’t met yet and which explains why the studious historian was so drawn to the plantation and why he refuses to go away. Fate brought him here to meet his destiny.” Alexander spoke with a touch of romance in his tone.

  “We need to find the vampire he belongs to and end his blasted obsession with baring the plantation to the scrutiny of the world.” Cullen sat down and looked bothered.

  “Confronting the man in the manner that I did is probably going to make it considerably more difficult for his chosen one to gain the trust necessary to move their bond forward. Dr. Culpepper’s animosity towards everything Crimson is now quite formidable.” Cullen’s troubled expression continued.

  “Fate makes all things right again. He’ll not be able to ignore or dismiss his chosen bond once they meet. We just need to find him.” Alexander assured.

  “He’s smart, strong and okay looking, he’ll make some vampire a decent partner.” The superior condescension had returned to Cullen’s tone.

  “Okay looking?” Alexander cocked an eyebrow at Cullen. “I saw his pictures, he is a gorgeous little man, with wild curly brown hair and the delicate face of an angel. He is going to make some vampire ecstatically happy.” Alexander began to laugh when Cullen did not respond but gave him the stern expression indicating he wasn’t going to give an inch on the subject.

  …

  Sheriff Thibodaux headed for Main Street as soon as the calls started coming in. Apparently, someone was about to be killed or maimed at the very least. When he arrived, the crowd had dispersed, and the combatants were nowhere in sight. After speaking with Brice, a coven member, who owned the jewelry store across from the altercation and witnessed the entire thing, Leroy had a better understanding of what had taken place.

  "Sounds like Dr. Culpepper came very close to being listed as a missing person," Leroy commented as Brice continued in his animated fashion of explaining the incident.

  “If Ethan hadn’t been here it would have been ugly for sure. Cullen Volakis looked like he was going to eat him alive.” Brice continued.

  “Not a look you want to see on anyone especially not Cullen Volakis.” Leroy leisurely interjected as he continued to listen patiently and take notes.

  By the end of the statement, Leroy had a pretty good understanding of what had happened. He would write it up as a minor scuffle that was over by the time he arrived. No charges were filed, and no victims presented. He would keep a watch out for Dr. Culpepper just in case he decided to try and file charges against Cullen. He finished his report with the statement, ‘and no one saw a thing.' No witnesses no proof, Dr. Culpepper would have no recourse but to drop his comp
laint if he made one.

  From what Brice had said, Culpepper was a tiny human even smaller than him, and Brice was small. Why a man that size would pick a fight with someone like Cullen Volakis boggled the mind. The guy must have a death wish, and if he didn't stay away from Cullen, that wish would be granted. Cullen was not known for his patience and he did not abide fools.

  Leroy would file the report and wait for further direction. Master Stone was already aware of the altercation considering Brice called his husband Zaan who then contacted the Master. Cullen was probably getting an ear full right now. Master Stone didn’t like getting the streets bloodied up especially not in the middle of the day.

  Leroy smiled, Master Stone was the only person on earth that Cullen had to answer to, except for his chosen Ethan of course. If they wanted anything more from him, they would contact him. For now, the incident appeared to be contained.

  Leroy was on duty till morning with two of his deputies calling in sick. Not like he had any plans considering his stop at the Crimson Clover last night proved to be as big of a bust as his date with Simon. Noa and Lenny offered to come in and cover, but they'd been on the night shift for the past two weeks. They needed their downtime just like the rest.

  Noa and Lenny were two of Lord Nael DuFour’s hellhounds that decided to remain in Crimson once the war was over. They were damn good at law enforcement. Leroy never worried when Noa and Lenny were on the job, there wasn’t anything those two could not handle.

  …

  Daniel had managed to calm his wild thoughts down considerably after a couple of hours of losing himself in his research. Around six he called and made a reservation at the hotel restaurant for eight o’clock. He was hungry and in need of some fresh air.

  When he entered the restaurant, he noticed that it was near filled to capacity. The place was really hopping for a Monday night. To his utter shocked surprise, he was seated almost immediately even though there were others waiting and he was early for his reservation. He questioned this, but the hostess assured him that he was next. No one seemed to be put out by the slight, so he decided to ignore it.