Hunted (Belle Morte Book 3)

Chapter Three

"Oh, hell no," Renie burst out.

"No way," Jason cried at the exact same time.

Their objections didn't surprise Roux – she'd expected them – but the only reaction she really cared about was Ludovic's. If they were going to do this, then he needed to be onboard with it. They couldn't work together if he resented her even being there. But she did need to be there, and she hoped he understood that.

"I'll go," Edmond cut in.

"Not without me, you won't," Renie promptly said.

Roux held up both hands. "Neither of you are going." She pointed at Renie. "Some of this might have to be done by day so that rules you out. And you" – she pointed at Edmond now – "are not charging off on some mission and leaving Renie. You two have more than done your bit; you are entitled to take a step back now."

"Shouldn't that be for us to decide?" said Edmond.

"Nope, because you will always try to do the hero thing. It's okay to let someone else handle this one."

Ysanne appraised Roux again, her eyes searching, calculating. "Why you?" she asked.

"Because I'm smart, because I know and understand how both the human and the vampire world works, and because I can be oh-so-charming when I want to be. That opens a lot of doors," Roux replied.

"I don't need you to open any doors for me," said Ludovic, his voice curt.

Normally, Roux would have responded with something flippant, but instinct told her that that wasn't the right thing to do here. While it seemed like Ludovic was dismissing her offer of help because he didn't think she was up to it, Roux wasn't so sure it was as simple as that. In all the time she'd been at Belle Morte, she'd rarely seen Ludovic interact with anyone who wasn't Edmond. He'd done a lot for Renie in the days after her turn, making sure that she was safe and fed and looked after, but Roux suspected that that had been more for Edmond's sake than Renie's own. Perhaps Ludovic's dismissal wasn't because he didn't think she could handle it, but because he didn't know to take help from a relative stranger.

Roux had always trusted her gut instincts, especially when it came to judging people. Ludovic wasn't the easiest man in the world to read, but none of the vibes that Roux was getting from him were bad. Awkward, maybe, but not bad. That had to count for something.

"Actually, you do," she said.

Ludovic's expression darkened, and Roux hurried on before he could say anything.

"Besides the fact that you've been in Belle Morte for so long that you've lost touch with the outside world – don't look at me like that, you know it's true – you're also one of the most recognisable faces in England. How are you going to get around that?"

Ludovic had never seemed too comfortable around cameras, but even he couldn't avoid them. When photographers or TV crews were allowed into the House, all vampires were expected to be present. Ludovic was a celebrity, whether he liked it or not.

"Not only do you have a mob of fans out there, all clamouring just for a glimpse of you, there are also a lot of people who really don't like vampires right now, and what happens if they recognise you? What if your cover is blown by something as silly as a squealing fan?"

Ludovic's mouth flattened, but Roux wasn't sure if it was the reminder that people were out for vampire blood, or the mention of his squealing fans. From what little she knew of him, the latter wasn't something he would have given much thought to.

"I can keep you disguised, keep you hidden," Roux said. Already she was studying his face, carefully appraising each line and angle and deciding how she could change it, how a little shading and contouring could alter the shape of his face, his eyes, his nose. "Makeup can do a lot of things, and I'm very good with it. I bet I can make you look like a whole different person."