Napoleon's Gift (24 page)

“And I shall never grow tired of hearing it.” I cried, as his tongue caressed me, stilling any further words from me, except the moan.

Higher and
higher, I soared, the scream leaving me as my heartbeat slowed. He kissed me, and I turned him to his surprise. I edged between his legs, and he watched me with half-hooded eyes. I kissed my way up his stomach, and he sighed deeply.  I flicked my tongue across his navel, felt the muscles in his stomach tighten and flinch, then he groaned.

    He rose up just enough for me to cradle his face, and I kissed him slow, exploring his mouth softly with my lips. I drew back enough to see his face, and he whispered
. 

“My God.”

    He pulled me to him and placed me on his lap again, his mouth going to my throat, and I arched my neck at the feel of his lips. My hands touched the tip of him, and his quick intake of breath told me he was more than ready. Before I knew it, he rolled taking me with him.

I giggled.

       “Enough!” He commanded, and my back arched as he pushed his hips forward. I drew my hips up, and marveled in the fill of him. He rolled me, so now I was on top again.

As I moved my hips, I threw my head back, reeling in the feel of him.

        As I rode his body, he whispered my name, rocking my hips forward, causing a deep moan to leave my lips. I felt the building pressure inside me. A feeling, which seemed to start at the tips of my toes, only to spill its way out into my entire body.

However, I
was not ready for it yet.

It was my turn to be the seduc
tress.

I leaned over him
, teased his lips, kissing every inch of his face, returning to his mouth and sucking his bottom lip into my mouth. A moan lodged itself deep in his throat.

“I daresay
I cannot endure much more.” He groaned, then rocked me forward again. He moved my hips for me, and I lost all thought.

As usual, he was to do the seducing.

    I felt the orgasm build again, but this time he would not allow me to impede it. His hands went to my breast; he sat up with me, his mouth going to my nipple.

    I threw my head back and screamed blindly into the orgasm, as his strokes became more
insistent.

    He stiffened under
me; I felt the warmth spill out over me, as I rode it over and over, chanting his name.

I collapsed on top of him.

I was not able to do more than tremble as I tried to catch my breath. He drew me to him, kissed my forehead breathing deeply, as he placed us under the bed sheets.

Neither of us said a word.

I just listened to the beat of his heart, the rhythm lulling me to sleep.

I knew he was my one true love.

Chapter Ten…

“He did what?” Mr. Charles yelled, Betsy frowned, then watched astonished as he commenced to rearrange his entire study, however, not in a good way.

When he was finished, Betsy took a step back as he finally looked at her.

“When?” He demanded, and she swallowed hard. “When?” He yelled again, when she had not answered him quick enough.

“Two days ago sir.” She replied, and he threw himself into a chair.

“Fine, leave me. And send Monet in here to clean this mess.” He hissed, she nodded, then hurried from the room.

Mr. Charles
got up, snatched up his topcoat, then left the room.

French

Quarter…

When Mr. Charles reached the
quarter, he frowned, then motioned for James to wait, as he slithered his way into Madam’s from the back of the establishment.

He sa
w Declan, and he motioned him his way.

“A glass of port.” Charles told the barmaid, she nodded, then hurried off to
bring his request.

“
He married the little bitch two days ago. What shall ye do to remedy that?” Charles hissed at Declan, and he frowned.

“I am not quite sure what y
ou think there is that I can do, besides the obvious?” Declan replied, as he drew his finger over the tip of the knife.

“That is exactly what I want, the both of them. And since he is
Tobias’ only heir, the bank will collect the property and monies, and I shall buy it outright.” Charles spat, and Declan nodded.

“Are y
ou sure you want the same fate for the girl sir?” Declan asked, and Charles frowned as he accepted the port from the girl, then tossed her a coin.

“No, she is
used; however I shall not have her done away with. May hap I can still salvage her?” He jeered; Declan nodded, then frowned as he saw Cole Younger saunter in their direction. His frown deepened, as Cole recognized him, tipped his hat, then sat down at the far side of the establishment, a red head woman in his lap.

Declan’s frown deepened.

This would all go to pot.

He thought. There was too much bad blood between him and Younger, especially because of the death of Bill, or as he was known at the time
“Bloody Bill”
Anderson, Declan’s brother. Declan believed it was because of Younger’s hot head, that his brother and Quantrill had been killed in the raid on August 21, 1863, taking part in the killing of some 200 men and boys at Lawrence, Kansas, which the guerrillas looted and burned.

Declan noticed that although Cole seemed preoccupied, his eyes were every bit as focused on him and Charles, as if he were lookin
g straight at them.

“Seems y
ou have more pressing business.” Declan commented, then inclined his head towards Cole.

“Shite, he wasn’t due till the morrow.” Charles
spat, then waved it off. “Fine, have it done tonight. I haven’t the time for this since he’s arrived early.” Charles commanded, then got up and walked towards Cole and the young woman.

Declan nodded, then left the establishment.

Nedrick Hayward watched the entire scene, made a few notes in his little black book, then looked at Jefferies. Jefferies inclined his head slightly towards Charles; Nedrick tapped the table with his right index finger, then rose and left the establishment.

Jefferies frowned, then looked to where Charles and Cole were.

Was he doing the right thing?

If either found out, they
would both kill him.

However, he
was not about to be a party to murder. His moral compass was a bit askew, where women were concerned, however that did not make him a murder, or a party to it.

He watched as the Pinkerton walked from the establishment, then took a deep breath. Being a
lawman himself, he knew what they were, and what they were capable of.

Allan Pinkerton established
the Pinkerton National Detective Agency,
most often shortened to
Pinkertons,
in 1850.  Pinkerton became famous when he claimed to have foiled a plot to assassinate president-elect Abraham Lincoln, who later hired Pinkerton agents for his personal safety during the Civil War. Pinkerton agents performed services ranging from guarding, to private military work. The
Pinkerton National Detective Agency
employed more agents than there were members of the standing army of the United States of America, causing the state of Ohio to outlaw the agency due to fear that it could be hired as a private army.

In the 1850s, Allan Pinkerton met Chicago attorney Edward Rucker in a local Masonic Hall and formed the
North-Western Police Agency
, later known as the Pinkerton Agency. By the mid-1850s, a few businessmen saw the need for greater control over their employees; their solution was to sponsor a private detective system. In February 1855, Allan Pinkerton, after consulting with six mid-western railroads, created such an agency in Chicago, and it has branched out ever since.

Jefferies knew they were after Cole
as well, and anyone aligned with him.

Jefferies
had not established himself here in New Orleans, just to have Charles drag him back down into the mire that he came from. Jefferies frowned as he watched the two of them together, however when Charles looked his way, Jefferies pasted on a fake smile, then tipped his hat.

Charles motioned him over, but he declined, pointing to his badge, then hurried from the establishment.

There would be hell to pay for that later, but he could not have any of the Pinkertons see him in cahoots with Charles and Cole. As of right now, they were only after the two of them. They had no notions of the opium running. At least he prayed they did not. Sing swore he had kept Jefferies name from the entire fiasco.

Jefferies knew that
Opium smoking arrived in North America with the large influx of Chinese who came to participate in the
California Gold Rush
. The jumping-off point for the gold fields were San Francisco, and the city’s
Chinatown
became the site of numerous opium dens soon after the first Chinese arrived around 1850.

This was how Jefferies became well
acquainted with it, Mr. Charles and his travels. When he introduced Jefferies to Tsar Sing, he had no notions of what he was getting himself into. Now, two years later, he was so deeply imbedded, there was no way out for him.

He sighed as he walked towards the station house.

Once he thought he could make a difference on crime, now he was crime itself.

Did he even have it in him to do the right thing
anymore?

Had he gone so far, that the right thing to him did not exist
any longer?

Unknown to most of New Orleans’ resident, but the powerfully rich, there had been an Opium Den on the French Quarter for the last two-years. 
Jefferies frowned as he saw Declan.

Jefferies
nodded, then hurried on his way.

Madame

Soleil’s…

“And you believe he’ll be a problem?” Cole asked, and Charles frowned.

“Yes,
indeed I do. It seems as if he’s grown a conscience in the last two years, and we cannot have that.”

“Humm, I was never one for killin my partners, don’t seem right to me. But if you say
it’s what you want, who am I to question it; as long as the money spends.” Cole grinned.

“And the
Pinkerton?” Charles asked, and Cole frowned.

“What about him?” Cole returned, frowning even deeper.

“Who will take care of him? I cannot have my establishment ruined. I have given up far too much for it. Especially my respectability.” Charles hissed, and Cole nodded.

“Leave it to me.” He returned, Charles nodded
again, dropped a few pound notes on the table, then hurried off.

Cole’s frown deepened.

Seemed like, he may just have to rid himself of the lot of them.

He thought, his grin wider.

     The monies Charles showed him, equaled even more than his last train robbery. Not to mention, he needed that money, especially not being able to use the money from the last robbery. His frown returned however, when he thought of Declan. That was bound to be trouble, because the son of a bitch still held Cole responsible for his brother’s death.

Cole
grinned as the red head wiggled her bottom into his crouch. He got up, threw her over his shoulder, then hurried up the stairs.

No sense in dwelling on the inevitable.

He and Declan were destined to clash.

Haven

Plantation….

Love is sometimes cruel and unnatural…

Beauty of woman, savour of her kiss,

The mystery of love that turns to be

The bite of an eternal cruelty,

O secret, silent creature, what is this.

One memory of so many memories,

That holds me and enfolds me, heart and brain,

If I but see in memory again

The infinite enigma of your eyes?

I stretched, then smiled as he kissed my collarbone.

“Good morn to ye my love.” He whispered as he kissed my neck, and I laughed as my eyes finally opened.

“Is it good?” I purred, and he laughed.

“I can make it such, if only ye should ask?” He countered with a wolfish grin, and I could not help the laughter.

When I finally rose an hour later, I frowned as I realized I had nothing to do with myself. I wondered if I should
endeavor once again to make amends with Claudette. I sent her a letter, and the first one came back two days ago. I sent yet another yesterday, but since it had yet to come back, I decided I would show myself, and would do so after the mid-day meal. I was an early riser all my life, however the three days that I had been married to Benjamin; I had ceased to attest to that.