THE AUCTION

Jules POV

I go into the city looking for Jamie. Frenchman was not much help at all, or maybe he just not want to help me. I have a feeling he is working with Lester. I know he is hiding something from me, but I am not sure what just yet. He has not been the same to me since I was thrown out of the authority years ago. I could care less what he thinks or anyone else in the authority, but I need to find Jamie. I only need to find Jamie before he decides to start talking about things he knows nothing about. The little bastard better keep his mouth shut. He does not want me to shut it for him. I have to find him first.

I spot Renae and Tara in a bar on Royale. They are coming out with a drink in each hand. I need Renae to help me. Hell, Lester will never help me. Lester will hang me. I know he has Jamie and I know Renae is helping him. So, why in the hell would she or Lester help me?

"Where are you two headed with both all that liquor?" I ask both of them.

"We are going to the vampire bar on Decatur. You can join us if you want to or not, it is up to you," Renae says.

"Why are you going to an authority bar? We can get a drink somewhere else. You want to go to another bar, I mean why that one?" I ask her.

"Because they make the best bloody mary in the city," Tara says.

"Oh, I see. I guess they do," I say.

As I walk behind them, following them to the vampire bar, Renae turns around to hand me one of her drinks. "Here, hold this for me," she says.

I take her drink. She pulls out her phone. I look over her shoulder to see who she is texting. She is sending a message to Lester. Sneaking little bitch, I knew it. I had never been able to figure out if it was true or not. Her thoughts of him are horrible; he taught her how to hide her mind and feelings well, but she is still with him.

"You sure you don't want to walk to another bar. What if we see your ex? I know a non authority bar just around the corner," I suggest.

"After I grab a bloody mary, we can go anywhere you want," Tara says.

Renae takes her drink back from me. She smiles at me. You twisted little woman, and I thought we might be friends. I reach up and grab the back of her arm. She looks at me and reacts with fear in her eyes. Did I scare you, bitch? I look into her eyes and hiss at her.

"So, Renae, how is Lester these days?" I ask her. I tilt my head and hiss at her again. I want the truth. I still cannot read her thoughts completely.

She stops, pulls away from and turns around. "Fuck Lester. That is how he is these days. I have to report everywhere I go while I am in the city. I do not like it one damn bit. I am not his to demand anything out of, yet here I am reporting in to my ex," Renae says.

"Damn, Jules, thanks for upsetting my friend," Tara says.

Renae storms off, leaving Tara and me standing in the street with Tara looking like an idiot. Maybe I was wrong.

"That was a little dramatic, don't you think," I say to Tara.

"Yeah, especially for her, she's never this dramatic. You think it is because of Lester?" Tara asks.

"Probably," I answer.

"We can let her walk it off. Let's go in a bar close by while she cools off. She can catch up to us," Tara says.

"Sounds good to me. I need a drink or a bottle after this day," I say.

Tara and I go into the first bar we can to as we walk.

"Here, the fire bar. We can go in here. I love this bar," Tara says.

"I do not think they have any bloody marys, but we can find something you might like," I say to her.

Tara rubs up next to me, getting a little frisky with me. "I think I already have found something that I like," Tara says. She kisses at me and gives me a wink. Great!

Great now I have Renae's drunk friend trying to fuck me five seconds after losing her. I should have fun while I wait for my brother to surface. Maybe I will fuck Tara, she does look like fun.

"Come on," I say to her as I pull her into the bar. We take a seat at the bar.

"Please tell me you can make me a bloody mary," Tara says to the bartender.

"I got you," the bartender says.

"What’s your name?” Tara asks him.

“Michael,” He says.

“Well, Michael, I am Tara, and this is my friend Jules,” Tara says.

“I know who he is. Every one knows him and his brother Jamie,” Michael says.

“What do you know about me?” I ask Michael.

“I know Samuel has your brother and I know that you will never see him again. I know the authority is looking for you and that you will be dead before dawn,” Michael says.

He makes a bloody mary for Tara, never taking his eyes off of me. He hands her the drink but doesn’t ask me if I want anything. He leaves as soon as he gives her the glass. I watch him. He goes to the side door.

“I will be back. I want to see what he is going and why he said that to me,” I say to Tara.

I hurry to see what he is doing, and I hear him on the phone as I approach him.

“He is here in the bar with Tara, but no sign of Renae. I can hold him for you,” Michael says.

I stand behind him. He turns around after ending his call.

“Hello Michael, who was that you was reporting my whereabouts to? Let me guess! Was it Lester or someone higher at the authority?” I ask.

He laughs. “Not your whereabouts that anyone is interested in, Renae is very important to the authority as you well know. We need to know where she is at all times. The authority is worried about her after seeing you with her,” Michael says.

I grab his phone and look at the last number he called. He called Lester. If Renae is unaccounted for, the authority will blame me, and Lester will have my head. Fuck! How can this be happening? I just want to get my damn brother and get the fuck out of here before these bastards kill me.

“She was with us; she got upset and took off crying over Lester or some shit,” I say.

“I suggest you find her and make sure she makes it to her destination or you might not ever leave New Orleans,” Michael says.

As I walk from the back, Tara is gone. Fucking great, am I going to lose them both. Lester will kill me for sure now. I need to find my brother and get the hell out of this town before all hell breaks out. I did not want to be here anyway. I have some business to attend to at the club tomorrow.

My phone dings, I pull it out. It is Delana.

*Hey. We got a problem with one of the bidders. *

Just fucking great; as much as I pay this bitch it looks like she could be a problem.

*Fucking handle it I have bigger problems* I text back.

I need to find Tara and Renae before the authority has my head over them both. I start down the street. The street seems to be extra crowded all of a sudden. I wonder what is going on. As I approach the crowd, someone places their hand on my shoulder.

“Hello Mate,” I hear from behind me.

I turn around. “Draco. What the fuck do you want? I guess the authority sent you to deal with me,” I say.

“Yeah, it seems you got a nice little bounty on your head, my friend,” Draco says.

“I see you got your sidekick with you,” I say, eyeballing Tatina.

“Yeah, well, I don’t let her out of my sight much. She has a wee bit of a temper, as you well know,” Draco says.

“I know very well. She is crazy. You should keep her in a breeding box in a basement before she gets hurt,” I say. Draco punches me in the stomach for the snide remark.

I look back at the crowd and back up at him as I gather myself from the gut punch. “So what is going on up there?” I ask Draco.

He points to a pole. “You know the vampire authority has a flair for the dramatics, shall we go take a peek. I am curious myself. I want to see this display of power,” Draco says.

I have a bad feeling about this. I walk to the pole to see what everyone is looking at up the street. Draco and Tatina follow along behind me. I am not sure what I am looking at until I get almost directly in front of the pole.

The vampire authority killed Jamie; they put him on display for me to see. I stand in the streets looking at my brother dead in the middle of New Orleans, a town he loved. What the fuck!

“You are coming with us, Jules; we need to talk about the little business you have been running out of your club,” Draco says.

I am not going to fight Draco. The last thing I want is to end up on a stick!