Page 37 of French Quarter Heiress

As she slips away, I feel a renewed sense of purpose, of determination. I may be beaten and broken, the lowest of the low, but I'm not defeated.

25

ELISE

Islip into the lower kitchens of the Delacroix manor, my heart racing with a mixture of fear and anticipation. The room is dark, lit only by the flickering glow of a few scattered candles, casting long shadows across the stone walls.

Mimi emerges from the darkness, a vision of mischief and allure. She's dressed in a form-fitting flapper dress, the deep burgundy fabric clinging to her curves like a second skin. Her hair is styled in a sleek bob, the fiery red strands gleaming in the candlelight, and her lips are painted a daring shade of scarlet.

"I was starting to think you'd lost your nerve," she teases, her voice a playful lilt as she saunters towards me, her hips swaying with each step. "But I should have known better than to underestimate the resolve of a woman in love."

I roll my eyes, trying to ignore the way my heart skips a beat at the mention of Beau. "Do you have what we need?" I ask, my voice tight with tension.

Mimi grins, reaching into her beaded clutch and producing a small, gleaming key. "This little treasure will take care of your wolf's collar," she explains, pressing it into my palm with a wink. "One turn, and he'll be free to shift, to fight, to sweep you off your feet and carry you into the sunset."

I nod, my fingers closing around the key like a lifeline, a talisman against the darkness that threatens to consume us both. "And the gun?"

Mimi's grin widens, and she pulls out a sleek, silver-plated revolver, its barrel glinting in the candlelight. "Model 1917," she purrs, her fingers caressing the weapon with a lover's touch. "Reliable, accurate, and with enough stopping power to make even the most arrogant vampire think twice. It's loaded with silver bullets, of course. Call it a little insurance policy."

I take the gun, feeling its weight in my hand, a strange sense of comfort washing over me. With this, I have a chance. With this, I can save Beau.

"Thank you, Mimi," I whisper, my voice thick with emotion. "I won't forget this."

Mimi waves a dismissive hand, her lips curving into a sly smile. "Don't mention it, darling. Just promise me one thing?"

"Anything."

"Give 'em hell." With a final wink, Mimi slips away, melting back into the shadows as silently as she appeared.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the battle ahead. I make my way to the dungeon entrance, my heart pounding in my chest with each step.

But as I round the corner, I find myself face to face with a sea of guards, their weapons drawn and their eyes hard with determination.

My father was expecting me.

I don't hesitate, raising my gun and firing off a clip, the silver bullets tearing through the air with deadly precision. Several guards fall, their blood splattering the stone walls, but more keep coming, a relentless tide of steel and fury. "Surrender, traitor!" one of the guards shouts, his sword pointed at my heart. "You're outnumbered and outmatched. There's no escape."

"Never," I snarl, my eyes blazing with defiance. "I'll never surrender, not while Beau's life hangs in the balance."

I launch myself at the nearest guard. We clash in a whirlwind of steel and shadow, his blade singing through the air as I dodge and weave, my fists and feet striking with brutal precision.

Around me, the other guards close in, their weapons glinting in the dim light of the dungeon. I spin and kick, sending one guard crashing into the wall with a sickening crunch. Another lunges at me with a spear, but I grab the shaft and wrench it from his grasp, using it to sweep his legs out from under him.

But even as I fight with all the skill and fury of a vampire unleashed, I know that I'm fighting a losing battle.

The guards keep coming, their numbers seemingly endless, and for every one I take down, two more rise to take their place.

A blade slices across my arm, sending a hot bolt of pain lancing through my body. Another guard's fist catches me across the jaw, snapping my head back and filling my mouth with the coppery taste of blood.

Still, I fight on, my love for Beau giving me strength even as my body begins to falter. I will not yield, I will not surrender, not while there's still breath in my body and fire in my soul.

I want to see him again. I don’t care if I have to carve through all of the soldiers my Father throws at me. Beau belongs with me. And I’ve always taken what’s mine.

But in the end, it's not enough. A guard's sword pommel slams into the back of my head, sending stars exploding across my vision. I stumble, my legs giving out beneath me, and the guards swarm over me like a pack of ravenous wolves.

They wrench my arms behind my back, their grip like iron as they force me to my knees. I struggle and snarl, but their hold is unbreakable, their strength fueled by loyalty to my father and a ruthless determination to see me brought to heel.

"Enough," a cold, imperious voice cuts through the chaos, and the guards part like the sea before Moses, revealing the towering figure of my father, Don Victor, his eyes blazing with a terrible, icy fury.

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