by Deanna Chase
Spirits, Spells, and Wedding Bells
Pyper Rayne Series, Book 5
Deanna Chase
Bayou Moon Press, LLC
Copyright © 2019 by Deanna Chase
Editing by Anne Victory and Angie Ramey
Cover Image: © Janet Holmes
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher of this book.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locals, business establishments, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.
Bayou Moon Press, LLC
www.deannachase.com
Printed in the United States of America
Contents
About This Book
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Deanna’s Book List
About the Author
About This Book
It’s three weeks until Pyper Rayne and her fiancé Julius tie the knot. All she wants to do is enjoy her risqué bridal shower, complete the final details of her wedding, and find time to enjoy the holidays. But when Charlie, the manager of Wicked, is arrested for a murder she didn’t commit, Pyper puts her medium skills to the test in order to find the real killer before Charlie takes the fall. With help from her friends, a couple of shih tzus, and more than a few ghosts, can Pyper save the day and get her happily-ever-after?
Chapter One
“You need some more ones?” Jade asked, leaning over to whisper in my ear. Her strawberry blond hair was tied up in a bun, showing off her slightly rounded cheeks. She’d put on a few pounds while pregnant, but they looked good on her. She seemed fresh and wholesome, a direct contrast to the dirty lingerie show she’d organized at Wicked, the club Kane owned, for my wedding shower. “The blonde and the redhead in the back aren’t sporting any singles in their G-strings.”
I snorted. “Sure. Do you have any?”
Jade slipped her hand into her considerable cleavage and pulled out a wad of dollar bills. “Looks like there’s more than enough to keep this party going.”
“Damn, girl. Nice rack—post-pregnancy really agrees with you.” I winked at her as I took the bills and gestured for the two models to make their way over to us.
“Thanks. Too bad they’ll resemble deflated balloons by the time Juliet is done with me,” she said, referring to her six-week-old daughter. She crooked a finger to the redhead modeling a sexy lace push-up bra and matching G-string. “Pyper needs to see that bra up close.”
“Now you’re just being dramatic.” I slipped a couple of bills into a bright-pink G-string.
The model smiled at me and twisted, giving me access to her other hip.
Laughing, I tucked in some more bills and said, “That set is a keeper. Tell Charlie to order me one in my size.”
The model nodded and winked at me before strutting back across the stage.
“You know, this is the strangest wedding shower I’ve ever experienced,” I told Jade, tucking the lock of electric-blue hair that had fallen into my eyes behind my ear. The rest of my hair was so dark it was almost black, and I liked the pop of color.
Her eyes twinkled and she giggled. “No kidding, but that’s what we get when we put Charlie in charge.”
Charlie, the manager of Wicked, had brought in a friend who sold lingerie for Love & Lace and arranged to have the club’s strippers model all the styles for me. My friends had pitched in enough money that, depending on what I purchased, I could get up to ten sexy new sets that were guaranteed to make my fiancé Julius lose his mind. I had to admit it was kind of genius. There weren’t any silly games or adult gag gifts that would end up in a drawer, never to be looked at again. The lingerie would be put to excellent use, especially since Julius and I had been trying to get pregnant for the past few months. So far no dice, but we were having a hell of a lot of fun anyway.
The blonde sauntered over and turned slowly, giving me time to peruse a sapphire-blue set that was trimmed in white ribbon. The lingerie was gorgeous and just the sort of thing that would turn Julius on.
“You look stunning,” I said to Georgie, the pretty coed who’d recently started working at the café next door a couple of months ago. “Let Charlie know I need that in my size too.”
“You got it, Pyper.” Georgie eyed me through her lowered eyelashes as I filled her G-string with bills.
“Stop looking at me like that,” I said with a laugh. “We have to work together tomorrow. Besides, you don’t want to make the groom jealous, do you?”
She chuckled. “Please. I’ve seen the way you look at him. I’m no competition.”
I winked at her. The thing was, a few years ago she certainly would’ve been competition for any man in my life. Prior to meeting Julius, I’d been open to both male and female relationships, but once my fiancé walked into my life, there hadn’t been anyone else who had caught my eye. And today was no different. Georgie was certainly attractive, but she didn’t hold a candle to the hot witch who would be waiting for me when the bridal shower was over.
Jade laughed. “The look on your face. Jeez, Pyper. It’s like you got hit with a lust wand.”
“I can’t help it. I keep seeing Julius’s expression when I model all my new Love & Lace outfits.”
“You mean the one that’s unfocused and looks like he might drool on himself?”
I eyed her. “Have you been peeking through my windows at night?”
Jade snorted. “No. It’s the same one Kane gets when he thinks he’s about to get lucky.”
It was my turn to snort. “I did not need that visual of him.” Kane was like a brother to me. And while I obviously knew that he and Jade weren’t celibate, I wanted zero details in that department. ’Cause ew.
“Oh em gee,” Jade said with a gasp. “Look.” She nodded toward the stage, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open.
I turned and spotted a lush redhead who was dressed in a strappy black mesh bodysuit that looked like it belonged on a dominatrix. The only things missing were the thigh-high boots and the leather whip.
“Woo-hooo!” Jade cheered, standing up and pumping her fist in the air. “Sexy mama. Show us your moves.”
“Holy hell. What is Kat doing dressed up like Madam X?” I asked, laughing at the absurdity of it all. Kat was Jade’s best friend from Idaho. The woman blushed furiously at the mere mention of sex. Seeing her dressed up in the sexiest outfit of the day was more than surprising.
“Sam didn’t show up today,” Charlie said from behind us. “Kat was down one model, so she decided to do it herself.”
I glanced back at the club manager and frowned when I saw the worry lines etched in her brow. “Did Sam call?”
Charlie shook her head and reached down for the empty glasses in front of us. “No. And honestly, it’s not like her. I’m getting worried.”
“I didn’t think so.” I got to my feet and re
ached for the empty hors d’oeuvres plate. “Maybe she overslept?”
“Overslept? It’s one in the afternoon,” Jade said through a yawn. Her eyes watered, but instead of slumping back into the chair like I expected, she took the plate out of my hands and scowled at me. “You’re the guest of honor. What are you doing?”
“Helping?” I asked with a sheepish shrug. The truth was, I’d managed the club before Charlie took over a few years ago, and staying still, even for my own wedding shower, seemed foreign to me.
“Sit,” Jade ordered. “Kat is on her way to give you a lap dance.”
“What?” I said with a laugh, glancing back at the fiery redhead. She was moving toward me with an exaggerated sway of her hips, her eyelids at half-mast in a deliberately sexy gaze.
“Whoa, Kat. Look at you, girlfriend,” Jade cheered, handing the dishes to Charlie as she sat back down and started wiggling around in her seat with excitement. “Looks like Lucien certainly got his money’s worth.”
Jade’s comment was one that would’ve had us all cracking up under any other circumstance because those words would normally make Kat turn bright red and likely stammer something about their sex life being just fine, thank you very much. But she’d embraced her inner dominatrix and was already firmly pushing me back down into my chair.
The music started. It was the slow, sensual beat of “Let Me Blow Ya Mind” by Eve, and Kat worked it hard. She strutted over to the stage and grabbed the pole. Leaning her body out while her feet stayed near the pole, she whipped herself around like an expert. Her eyes met mine and she gave me a slow grin, her previously focused gaze full of amusement. Then she changed to a two-handed grip and started to pull herself up.
“What the—” I started to ask, shocked that Kat obviously knew her way around the pole. But before I could get any other words out, the club door banged open and a couple of the guests let out a squeal.
“Male strippers?” Holly, my assistant manager at the Grind, gasped out. “I didn’t know this was that kind of party!”
“Strippers? Seriously?” Laughing, I spun around and spotted two men dressed in NOPD uniforms. Only they weren’t wearing cheap costumes and sporting flimsy handcuffs. They were in full uniform, complete with NOPD badges, batons, and firearms.
Holly ran up to the taller one and grabbed his arm with both her hands. “Ooooh. You’re hot.”
“Step back, ma’am,” he said, his tone cold and commanding. “This is official police business.”
Holly quickly got the message and jumped back, putting her hands up in front of her. “Sorry. I thought you were… um?” She turned to Charlie, her face white and her eyes wide with mortification.
“Officer Jamison,” Charlie said, walking over to him, her lips turned down with concern. “What seems to be the problem? We’re just holding a fashion show here this afternoon for one of the owners and—”
“I’m sorry, Charlie,” Jamison said with a grimace. “This isn’t about the strip… uh, fashion show. I’m afraid you’re under arrest.”
Jade and I both darted forward, barking out a loud “What?”
Kat was right behind us, crying out her own disbelief.
The second cop, a dark-skinned man, stepped forward, holding his hands out, preventing us from getting to Charlie.
“You have the right to remain silent…” Jamison was saying even as he placed Charlie’s hands at the small of her back and clicked the handcuffs around her wrists.
Chapter Two
“What are you arresting me for?” Charlie demanded.
Someone had turned off the music, and all my guests and the models had formed a circle around Charlie and the two officers. One thing was for sure, Charlie had a lot of women in her corner and not just me and Jade. Holly had tears streaming down her cheeks. Kat looked as if she was ready to claw the officers’ eyes out, and the handful of Wicked’s strippers who’d come to help out Jade and Charlie were spitting fire.
“Charlie didn’t do it,” Cami cried.
“That’s right. She’s one hundred percent aboveboard,” the brunette beside her insisted.
A gorgeous woman with dark skin and perfect black ringlets put her hands on her hips. “Charlie has been here all day. Whatever you’re accusing her of, she has an alibi.”
A few more women chimed in support, but Jade and I stayed silent. It wasn’t that we didn’t believe in Charlie’s innocence, whatever they were accusing her of. It was just that we had some experience with the NOPD and preferred to have our facts before making any statements.
“I’ll call Kane,” Jade said softly.
Before I could answer, she was already halfway across the room, headed for Charlie’s office.
“Let’s go,” the taller officer said, gently pulling Charlie toward the door.
Charlie moved with him, putting up no fight. But when they reached the door, her voice took on a deadly calm as she said, “You never said what I’m being arrested for.”
There was silence as the two officers glanced at each other. I was about to yell at them, demand they spit it out, but then Jamison let out a tired sigh and said, “I’m sorry, Charlie. You’re being arrested for the murder of Samantha Burke.”
A collective gasp sounded from among the club workers while Charlie’s heart-shaped face went completely white. Her entire body stiffened and her voice trembled when she finally asked, “Sam is… dead?”
Both officers were silent as Jamison pushed the door open and led Charlie out of the club.
A few of the employees, still dressed in their lingerie, ran after them onto Bourbon Street.
With my insides churning, I started to follow, but then I heard a voice behind me that stopped me in my tracks.
Charlie was there, but she didn’t do it.
I spun around, looking for the woman who’d spoken. But no one was there. “Who said that?”
The voice was right in my ear when she spoke again. I’m Sam’s grandmother.
A ghost. Of course. It had been a while since one had come straight to me. Usually they spoke through my guides, Tru and Lily.
“Can you tell me who did it?” I asked, trying to get straight to the point. Ghosts didn’t have an infinite amount of energy. If this one was like the others, she could vanish at any minute.
No. I don’t know who— A loud pop sounded right next to my ear, followed by a crackle of energy that skittered over my skin.
“She’s gone, isn’t she?” I whispered, my heart sinking straight to my toes.
Yes, Tru said, appearing before me. Her long white hair hung down to the small of her back, and her clear blue eyes were troubled. “She’s been following Charlie since last night.”
“Trying to tell someone what happened?” I guessed.
Tru nodded. It’s not good, Pyper. She said Charlie was there when it happened. I think your girl is in serious trouble.
“But how could she be there and do nothing?” My blood had started to run cold. Charlie had a heart of gold. There was nothing on this earth that could make me believe she’d hurt one of her employees. There had to be an explanation.
It’s a good question. But one thing’s for sure. She shouldn’t say a word until a lawyer gets there.
Panic flooded my veins and sweat broke out on the back of my neck. Tru was right. But would Charlie be calm enough to keep her mouth shut? If she didn’t see anything and truly was innocent, it was entirely possible that she’d blurt out whatever she was thinking in an effort to try to understand what was happening. I broke out into a run, heading for Charlie’s office.
“Jade,” I called out after rushing in. “I have to go. Charlie needs someone to warn her.”
“I’m coming with you,” she said immediately as she dropped the phone back into its receiver. She jumped out of the chair, her face as white as Charlie’s had been.
“Hurry.” I turned and ran for my car, which was parked in back of the building.
Thankfully, Jade didn’t waste any time. Right as I
shoved my key in the ignition of the VW Bug, the passenger door flew open and Jade slipped in.
“Go,” she ordered.
I already had my foot on the gas and shot out of the space, racing down the road. “We have to get there before the cops do. It’s the only way to warn her.”
“Warn her? About what?” Jade asked.
“To keep her mouth shut. Sam’s grandmother just told me Charlie was there. If she confesses to being wherever Sam died, it’s only going bite her in the ass. She needs to wait for her lawyer.” I sped up when the light turned yellow and winced when it turned red right before I flew through the intersection.
Jade cursed under her breath and whipped her phone out. After another call to Kane, telling him time was of the essence, she raised her hands and magic crackled at her fingertips.
“What are you going to do? Stun all the police officers and break Charlie out?” I knew Jade would never use her magic that way. Not unless someone’s life was in physical danger. But still, I had no idea what she thought her magic could do while we were flying down the streets toward the police station.
“This.” Jade lowered her window, shoved her hand out the opening, and yelled, “Verde!” Magic shot from her hand straight toward the upcoming red light, instantly turning it green.
“Whoa. Where have you been keeping that trick all these years?” I stepped on the gas and sped through the intersection.
“Don’t think I’m going to be pulling this out all the time. It’s not exactly safe, but this is Charlie we’re talking about. If Kane can’t get to her, we need to.”