Chapter 6: Part 2 — Sly of the Tiger
Author's note: Thank you for all of the attention you've given this series; I'm so overwhelmed by all of the support I've received! This is a sequel to Chapter 2 in this series, so we're heading back to the underground fighting ring that Caroline runs in addition to her other activities of questionable legality. This time, Kol has been kidnapped…mostly because he's a dumbass. Will Klaus be able to put aside his pride and ask Caroline for help?
Warning: A smidge of smut.
"He can have heart, he can hit harder and he can be stronger, but there's no fighter smarter than me."
— Floyd Mayweather Jr.
"Sure the fight was fixed. I fixed it with a right hand."
— George Foreman
"How dare they challenge me! This insult will not stand!" Klaus continued raving as he paced the entire length of his office, dirty blonde curls in disarray from the number of times he'd run his frustrated fingers through them. "I will find them, tear off their skin and set them on fire along with the rest of this miserable city!"
His older brother Elijah regarded him with a frown as he heaved a great sigh of disapproval. "Niklaus, now is not the time to blindly engage in your patented brand of impulsiveness." He rested one ankle over his knee, plucking at the precise crease of his charcoal trousers. "We must approach this situation rationally, armed with all of the facts at our disposal." He cleared his throat, waiting for Klaus to pause in his erratic pacing before he continued. "We know that our brother Kol appears to have been forcibly removed from his penthouse on Napoleon Avenue early this morning. Unfortunately, the building's security cameras did not indicate any untoward activity that could be of use."
"Which makes no bloody sense, Elijah! The stained glass bordering his front door had been completely smashed apart; not to mention the blood and bits of flesh clinging to the shards that our witches confirmed belong to Kol! How could the security cameras facing his front door reveal nothing," Klaus raged, picking up his crystal tumbler and hurling it across the room where it exploded against his mahogany bookcase.
"Niklaus," Elijah began hesitantly, "Perhaps it is time for us to consider…alternative resources at our disposal."
"Absolutely not, Elijah," Klaus snarled, his eyes bleeding gold at the mere suggestion of running to his rival, Caroline Forbes, for help. Their first encounter months ago was a constant source of embarrassment to him, as he had attended Fang Fights, the wildly popular underground supernatural fights, to confront the mysterious and elusive boss who had been stealing business from the Mikaelsons and rapidly building an enviable empire. He had been captivated by a stunning blonde who easily seduced him, leaving him gasping and nearly giddy at the possibility of a future illicit encounter.
He had been blindsided to learn that this ethereal creature was actually the new boss that he had come to loathe. Klaus gnashed his teeth whenever he thought of the loyal Mikaelson clients that kept abandoning his family's business for the seemingly impossible profit margins and massive network connections Caroline offered. He hadn't seen her since that night, despite the longing he felt whenever he thought of how she had sighed against his mouth and how her fierce blue gaze had pierced him, sending a jolt through his body from which he still hadn't fully recovered. No, the best course of action was to keep his distance and try to reclaim his clients from Caroline by any means necessary. He refused to watch his empire crumble because of an ill-advised infatuation.
"Niklaus, if I may, now is not the time to allow your personal feelings about Miss Forbes cloud your judgement. Our brother is in danger and we have yet to uncover why he was taken," Elijah huffed, smoothing his tie while casting a disparaging look at Klaus.
A sardonic voice broke their tense silence. "I think we can safely assume that Kol was taken because he's a dumbass manwhore who spectacularly fails at life," Caroline stated in a teasing tone as she strutted into their office. Her long blonde curls danced around her smooth ivory shoulders, beautifully exposed by her vibrant magenta dress. She took advantage of the brothers' momentary speechless state at her unexpected arrival and wandered over to the antique sideboard to pour a drink. She studied the marble inlay and intricately carved wolf heads and dryly remarked, "So it is true — money can buy everything except taste."
Klaus refused to dwell on the fact that his nemesis possessed the most spectacular, sexiest pair of legs he had ever encountered. The way that Caroline slightly leaned against the sideboard, casually crossing one ankle over the other, allowing the short hem of her dress to flash a tiny bit of creamy inner thigh did not affect him in the slightest. He was perspiring because the New Orleans morning sun was streaming through his enormous bay windows. It had nothing to do with him noticing how her beautiful breasts were clearly unbound, her nipples poking stubbornly at the thin material of her dress.
He curled his lips into an impressive sneer and bit out, "A maxim you illustrate beautifully in that scarf you're wearing, sweetheart."
"Niklaus," Elijah admonished, clearly horrified by his brother's appalling manners.
Caroline held up a carefully manicured palm. "It's fine, Elijah. Klaus is clearly still licking his wounds from the fact that much of my money used to be his money." She bit her lip playfully and nodded in his direction, "Although I'm surprised you haven't taken the reins away from Klaus. I've only been in New Orleans a few months and have managed to unravel much of the Mikaelson empire just by offering a fresh perspective and top-notch business solutions." She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "After all, just because a business is shady, doesn't mean it shouldn't still be run like a business."
Klaus snorted derisively. "You think running underground fighting matches offers you insight into a centuries-old empire?"
Caroline's blue eyes flashed in anger. "You know damn well that Fang Fights is just one of my many revenue streams. Or did you think that some other mysterious boss was undercutting your offer to the Salvatores?" At Klaus' jaw tightening, she added, "And did you honestly think the Lockwoods' merchandise was still tangled in red tape at the port?"
Elijah raised an eyebrow, his tone unmistakably impressed. "That was you, Miss Forbes? Your reach is quite vast if you were able to coerce the officials into releasing the Lockwoods' shipments."
Her lovely face flushed briefly as she basked in the elder Original's praise. "Building a strong network is key; a businesswoman is only as good as the people who work for her." She sipped her drink before adding in a more serious tone, "That's what brought me here. I wanted to offer my resources to help you find Kol."
Klaus scoffed, waving his hand dismissively at her offer. "What could you possibly know that would be of any use? Your presence here has barely registered in the supernatural community. You have yet to secure your place, to make your mark."
She frowned at his condescension. She crossed her arms stubbornly, offended that the hybrid was trying to intimidate her. "Your family has felt my presence and you know it; otherwise, why would you and Kol have sought out the mysterious new boss at Fang Fights? The Originals wouldn't waste their time on a confrontation unless they perceived a threat." Her pink lips curved into a mocking smile as she added, "Causing the Mikaelsons to worry about their centuries-old empire? I'd say I've made my mark."
Elijah cleared his throat, trying to soothe the tension in the room. "Miss Forbes, if I may, since you obviously view us as your rivals, why would you be willing to help us find Kol?"
She sighed, her blue eyes softening slightly as she turned her attention away from Klaus to address Elijah's question. "Because it's bad for business. You Originals are a volatile lot, and the supernatural community should know by now that if you mess with one, you risk the wrath of all. It would mean an ugly war and choosing sides and a thousand other realities that would interrupt the way I do business." Her tone darkened as she declared, "And that is unacceptable to me."
"Even if I foolishly trusted your intentions, love, you couldn't possibly know anything that would be of use to us. The resources you boast of are nothing compared to our own. We have hordes of witches and a hybrid army at our disposal — trust me, whatever information you think you possess, we already know," Klaus said smugly, crossing the room to the sideboard where she stood to pour a new drink.
Caroline uncrossed her arms and placed them on her hips, moving closer to invade Klaus' space as she argued, "Kol has the emotional maturity of a teenage boy — he's stupidly impulsive and reckless which is how he gets into these situations." She cocked her head to the side, studying Klaus as she disdainfully added, "I bet I can venture a guess about who he learned that asshat behavior from." She allowed the tips of her fangs to play with her bottom pink lip, clearly enjoying how Klaus' gray eyes flashed at her insult. "Any number of his idiotic life choices could be responsible for him being kidnapped."
Klaus took a measured sip of his bourbon, averting his eyes from the undeniably delectable sight of Caroline's fangs toying with her luscious lips. She was teasing him, deliberately trying to unsettle him so that he would be blinded by whatever her true intentions were. "And what, pray tell, has your far-reaching network informed you of my brother's reckless activities that you think I don't already know?"
Elijah sighed in annoyance, "Niklaus, please, we do not need to revisit every instance of Kol's unseemly behavior. It's more pressing that we narrow down the most likely culprits." He addressed Caroline less sharply, "We appreciate any insight you can offer, Miss Forbes."
Caroline flashed the brothers a wicked smile as she said in a saccharine tone, "Of course. Listing all of Kol's jackass fuckups could take a while and I have several pressing meetings on my calendar today. Here are his current top three with the highest retaliation plausibility: (1) Kol makes it a habit to sleep around with a lot of powerful men's women, in particular you'll want to look at the mayor since he is a wendigo and they are prone to irrational possessiveness; (2) Kol's been running a side bet gambling ring at Fang Fights and my ghouls are onto him; and (3) Kol's been selling panpipes claiming they're from an archaeological dig in Crete but in reality they're popsicle sticks with a cheesy glamour spell and the satyrs are furious."
The Originals' stunned silence followed Caroline's impressive speech and she casually leaned against the sideboard once more, cutely wiggling her toes in stilettos that were a shade too high for a daytime meeting, but clearly had been worn to unbalance a certain surly hybrid opponent.
Elijah broke the silence with his flustered response, "I see. So then, I can assume that at the gala a few months when I was reminiscing about my journey to the West in the 1840s where I encountered the remnants of the Donner party and my criticism of their survivalist behavior is what offended the mayor so deeply?"
Caroline giggled at his obvious discomfort. "You weren't particularly pro-cannibalism in your statements. Not that you have to be to get business done in a city run by a wendigo, but it helps if you at least recognize that for some, cannibalism isn't a choice so much as it is an instinct."
Klaus tore his gaze away from studying the brightly painted toenails that gleamed in the morning sunlight. He told himself he had zero interest in dipping them in his glass and sucking the aged bourbon off of them one by one. He tried to refocus on the issue at hand and groaned suddenly as a thought occurred to him. "Bollocks, is that how you easily obtained that permit for your ostentatious underground fight club and we keep getting blocked by a rubbish city ordinance to change the paint color on our driveway gate?"
"That and Kol keeps banging the mayor's favorite mistress," Caroline said cheekily. "Running a business in this town is about what you know almost as much as who you know."
Klaus closed his eyes in frustration at her playful tone. "Elijah, please consult with our witches and see if they have anything new to report." His dismissive tone was not lost on Elijah, who raised a questioning eyebrow before seeing the resolve on the hybrid's face. With a curt nod, he left the office, closing the door behind him.
Caroline stretched languidly, re-crossing her toned legs as she set down her crystal tumbler. "I'm starting to think you arranged Kol's kidnapping just to get me alone," she teased with a flutter of her long lashes.
"You use people nearly as much as I do, sweetheart," Klaus commented with an edge to his voice. "You came here far too easily and are far too eager to share information. What game are you playing?"
She bristled at his accusation. "I resent that. I'm a businesswoman. Why are the same tactics I employ that men in our line of work use held under more scrutiny? Supernatural or not, being a girl can suck ass." She threw back the rest of her drink, swallowing harshly. "Name one example of how you think I use people."
He smirked, enjoying that he had clearly ruffled his sexy rival. "How about your ghouls? You employ ghouls to run your gambling operation because everyone knows of their aptitude with money."
Caroline scoffed, her blue eyes glinting. "That's racist and ridiculous — it's like assuming all vampires can fight. Like you're turned into a vampire and suddenly you're magically imbued with martial arts skills." She took a calming breath as she continued, "I am willing to put aside our differences and use my resources and extensive alliances to help your family. I can be a valuable friend, Klaus. For example, if it turns out that the ghouls have taken Kol for his side action at Fang Fights, I can talk them down. I have the right leverage and you know it."
Klaus shook his head dismissively. "Your delusions of grandeur are becoming tedious, love."
Caroline sighed loudly, shrugging her shoulders. "Very well. You can't say I didn't try." She allowed her bright blue gaze to wander down the length of Klaus' muscular body. "I'd hate for this trip to be a complete waste of my time. Care for another warm up," she asked, teasingly referencing his cheesy pick-up line during their first encounter.
He was the most powerful being on the planet with centuries to hone his control. He would not succumb to her feminine wiles. He wasn't remotely interested in reacquainting himself with the marvelous taste of those plump pink lips. Her obvious interest did not make him uncomfortably warm. Before he could begin mentally listing the ways in which he was not attracted to Caroline, he impulsively grabbed her bare shoulders, yanking her to his body and planting a punishing kiss upon those pouty lips.
She languidly moved against him, rubbing her lovely curves against his hard body. She snaked her tongue into his mouth, stroking and sliding with a determination that was electrifying.
Klaus grabbed the short hem of her dress, roughly pulling it up to her waist and groaning when he realized she was completely bare. "Naughty girl, paying a visit without your knickers," he playfully admonished, cupping her moist mound while breathing in her intoxicating scent of honey and vanilla mixed with desire. He easily slid a finger into her slick channel, slowly stroking her.
She reached down to spread her folds for him, rocking her hips into his hand as he added another finger.
He broke their kiss to watch her clever fingers tease her opening, licking his lips as he noticed how her desire dripped into his hand. He let out a helpless grunt when he felt her start to clench around his digits, increasing his strokes.
Bucking wildly against both of their hands, she called out his name as she shuddered, her walls squeezing him tightly.
As Caroline lazily licked the column of his throat, she nipped playfully at his skin, noting with pleasure how he twitched under her ministrations. Her husky voice bathed him in a lusty fog, making him impossibly hard. "Are you sure you don't need my help finding Kol?"
His gray eyes appraised her with a steely glint. "Of course not. I am quite capable of handling it myself."
With a sly smile, she traced the edges of his straining bulge and cooed, "How unfortunate. Color me disappointed." She pushed away from him suddenly, smoothing down her rumpled dress and opening the door.
"Sweetheart," Klaus groaned, unable to stop the whine that entered his voice as he looked helplessly down at his aching, clothed cock.
Caroline giggled at his distress. "Enjoy handling things yourself, Klaus." With a saucy toss of her gleaming blonde curls, she strutted out the door.
After taking some much-needed private time, the disgruntled hybrid continued to ineffectively place threatening calls to his contacts, aggravated that the blonde minx had wrecked him so thoroughly that he couldn't properly concentrate on finding Kol.
Finally, Elijah returned with something useful. "Niklaus, one of our witches discovered that Kol has been kidnapped by the ghouls." He rubbed the bridge of his nose in aggravation. "It seems that Miss Forbes was correct that his side betting has angered that faction."
Without another word, the Originals flashed out of the office and flung open the front door, ready to race to Caroline's Fang Fights to rescue Kol. Much to their surprise, they found their younger brother bound and gagged on their doorstep with a silly pink bow on top of his head.
A note was pinned to his wrinkled shirt that read, "You're welcome. P.S. Let me know if you ever get tired of handling things yourself."