Cursed in Love

by Kenborn, Cora

  I glance at my girl, who’s staring them down like she’s about to scale them, and I realize her power has grown even more. She’s opening the gates without even touching them. We step off the property line, and the moment we do, it’s as if all life in Mila floats away because she stumbles into me.

  I catch her easily. Her slim frame almost weightless, and I realize she’s passed out. We make it to the car hidden in the shadows just as the blue lights flash wildly in the dark night. I watch them pull up to the house, and soon enough, they’re heading up the long driveaway.

  It’s over.

  It’s all fucking over.

  I turn the engine and speed back toward the French Quarter. It’s time I take my woman home, make sure she’s warm, and we both get some rest.

  * * *

  Mila rolls over, her arm falling across my torso as she grips me tightly, and I take note of the diamond on her finger. She’s not awake yet, and I wonder if she’s going to tell me to go to hell after the way I proposed.

  I watch as her long dark lashes flutter and those green gemstone eyes pierce me with their curious yet seductive stare.

  “You know, stalkers aren’t sexy,” she taunts, causing me to chuckle.

  “Figured you’d like that sort of thing,” I challenge with a wink.

  Mila scoots up, her smile dancing on that luscious mouth as she grins at me. “Thank you for being here, for . . . everything. This mess . . . I don’t know.” She lowers her gaze, but I tip her chin with my index finger, making her look at me.

  “This whole mess brought you into my life for a reason,” I tell her. “You can’t walk away from what you know, Mila. I mean, I’ve already given you a ring.” Deep down, I’m being selfish. Only knowing each other three days doesn’t mean anything when we’ve been bound together our whole lives. I want her with me, but I can’t force her to stay.

  She glances at me, and those pretty green eyes hold so many emotions I can’t pick them apart. I want her to agree to stay, not because of her job, not because this is her home, but because I’m here.

  I can never leave New Orleans. It’s where my life changed twice. Once was tragic and painful, but this time it’s more than happiness. I’ve finally found closure and love.

  After Lola, I didn’t think I could ever feel this again. I do now. I know Mila is for me. She was brought to me because I needed to wake up from the darkness that held me hostage for far too long.

  “Is that your way of proposing, Broussard?” she quips, the corner of her mouth tipping into one of those smiles that seem to light my whole fucking life up.

  “Perhaps. I can’t be too romantic, I’ll lose my edge,” I tease. Pressing a kiss to her lips, I revel in her flavor. “Stay, Mila.”

  “If I stay,” Mila finally utters, and I hold my breath. I keep my lungs full, not wanting to make a sound. My heart thuds like a goddamn bird awakened from a stupor, and it’s fighting with the cage it’s in. It wants escape. It needs to be right there in her palms.

  “If you stay?” I urge, needing closure. Needing her to say yes or no.

  “We can’t live here. This place is far too small.” She waves her hand around the bedroom. “Also, before you even tell me you want to do this, I have something for you to read.” She’s on her feet, padding into the living room, and I follow. We’re both mussed from sleep, and she’s never looked more beautiful. When I reach her, she pulls something from her purse which I’d brought in from the car last night. She places the folder on the table, pushing it toward me.

  “What is it?”

  “Closure.”

  I pick it up, flip it open, and scan the information. It’s the file Mila took from Dr. Crane’s office, only it’s not filled with patient information. It’s a stalker’s manifesto on Lola. A meticulous journal of her comings and goings, intimate details about us, classified notes on the Dauphine case, as well as a graphically detailed plan on how he was going to kill her and what he planned to do with the body.

  However, what catches my eye is a paper placed inside that obviously doesn’t belong. It was put there recently, the date at the top of the New Orleans Police Department letterhead typed yesterday.

  They’ve found Lola’s body. Well, her remains at least. All this time, she came to me and never told me she was right here in town. Right under my nose.

  “This is what you were doing last night when I was trying to find you, huh?”

  Mila lowers her gaze, her cheeks tinting a faint shade of pink. “Yes. It only took them half an hour to find her.”

  “So, she was buried alive,” I utter, noting she wasn’t burned like the others. “Did he confess as to why he did it?”

  “Depends on what you want to believe. He changed his story quite a bit. The detective in me buys into his initial reasoning. After his brother killed himself, she was closing in on him. He got scared and kidnapped her, but since she didn’t have any special powers, he buried her not thinking we’d ever dig up his home.”

  “And the necromancer in you? What does she believe?”

  She worries her bottom lip between her thumb and index finger. “Odyn, do you believe some people are destined to meet?”

  More than she will ever know.

  “Thank you for this,” I tell her. Setting the folder down, I reach for her. My hands grip her hips, tugging her closer. The vanilla of her perfume wafts around me, and I know it’s time to fully move on. “Let’s get a place together,” I suggest, causing those green eyes to snap to mine.

  “What?”

  “Well, you said this place is too small, so. . .” I arch a brow in question. I’m giving her the choice. I can’t tell Mila what to do, but I can be by her side as we make choices about our future together.

  “You really want to live with me?” she asks, tipping her chin up, her eyes boring into mine.

  Chuckling, I nod. “God help me, but yeah, I do. If I can put up with your snark during these past few days, then I can certainly try to love you even when we’re in the same space twenty-four seven.”

  “Love me?” Her brows quirk up in surprise. Her pouty lips are parted in an O-shape, which only distracts me from what I was trying to tell her. “You sure ’bout that, Broussard?”

  I lean in, offering her a smirk before I tell her, “You doubting me, Moroz? If you are, I should teach you a lesson.” I hum along the column of her neck, inhaling her scent. It’s the fragrance that captured me the first time she walked into my apartment, and it hasn’t let go since.

  “I never thought about emotions or shit like that,” she tells me honestly. Her voice is raspy, and I’m tempted to take her right here, but I need to focus on the conversation, not how her body feels against mine.

  “And what about now? After putting up with me through this ordeal?” I question, meeting her emerald gaze.

  “If you want to try this, then I want to try this.”

  “No, Mila, what is it you feel? In here.” I point at her chest, the tips of my fingers connecting with her smooth, silky skin.

  “You’ve made me feel things I put in the back of my mind. Things I’ve hidden away because of Nick. My heart was never up for grabs.” She sighs, shaking her head as if remembering that prick is the worst thing to happen to her. “But you’re not him, and I need to realize that. After all that’s happened with my father, you were there right beside me like you promised.”

  “I never break a promise, Mila. And for you, I will never stifle your powers,” I vow to her. Cupping her face in my hands, I tip her head back so those lips are mine to steal, and I’m a thief as I claim them.

  Soft, luscious, and warm, I kiss her like she’s the only thing in this world that matters to me. And right now, she is.

  “That’s my girl.” Mya’s voice startles me backward, my eyes locked on hers.

  “What’s wrong?” Mila’s question drags me back to her. “Did I hurt you?” Her brows furrow, but I can’t stop my gaze from flitting between the two women. Shit, this is some weird necro
mancy.

  “Nothing. Nothing.”

  “Tell her I love her, and I have to go soon,” Mya tells me.

  “Odyn? Tell me who’s here.” Mila is in my face, her hands on my shoulders, and I nod at her mother before turning to my girl.

  “Your mother,” I utter, watching her eyes shimmer with emotion. Those green gems that are normally full of fire are now luminous with the tears filling them.

  “What . . .?” Her voice cracks, and she clears her throat before asking, “What did she say?”

  “She said to tell you she loves you, and that she won’t be coming back.”

  “And tell her I’m proud of her choice in a partner.” Mya grins happily making me smile.

  “And she says you have great taste in men,” I tease, earning me a swat on the shoulder from Mila.

  “I love you, Mama,” Mila whispers, and her mother nods. She places a hand on her daughter’s shoulder, and I feel my girl shiver as the contact becomes apparent. “I love you so much, and I’m so sorry for not believing.”

  “Hush now, child, and look after this man.”

  Mila’s gasp tells me she heard. The contact between the three of us has given her enough connection to form a bridge to her mother.

  Mya’s gaze locks on mine. “Thank you.”

  It’s the final two words before she’s gone, and I feel the pain lancing through Mila and into me. We’re tethered. We always have been. I just needed to go through heartache to find her.

  Epilogue

  Odyn

  One Year Later

  She’s sitting with her legs crossed on the living room carpet, her hair in a messy bun, and her swollen belly hidden by a tight tank top the color of an eggplant. I teased her the moment she put it on, and ever since, she’s only worn it indoors. Mila has changed my life. She’s brought back in light where there was only darkness.

  It’s been a long while since all the shit went down with her father, and at first, the nightmares would come, and we’d sit in the dark, me with my arms wrapped around her, holding her close. But she’s no longer the frightened young woman I met a year ago. Now she’s a soon-to-be mother and my wife.

  “Stalkers creep me out, Broussard,” she mutters, not turning to face me. We have this innate feeling whenever the other is in the room, or in close vicinity. She’s stronger now. Her powers have been honed, and she’s so in tune with the world around her sometimes she scares me.

  In a good way of course.

  “Oh yeah, Broussard,” I bite back, settling on the sofa behind her, pulling her slim yet pregnant frame between my knees. She’s gluing flowers onto the wooden headboard for our little girl’s crib, and I have to say, when she told me she wanted to build it herself, I had my doubts.

  But if there’s one thing I’ve learned about my wife, it’s that she’s capable of anything. She’s strong, beautiful, and at times, breathtaking. She’s overcome so much, and she’s learned to accept her gift for what it is.

  “I think we should make a special dinner tonight,” she announces, glancing at me over her shoulder.

  But then again, there’s one thing my wife cannot do, and that’s cook.

  “You mean you think I should make us a special dinner,” I taunt, planting a kiss on the top of her head.

  “Of course. The women in this family need your undivided love and support. And you need to feed us both,” she affirms with a nudge of her chin.

  “Anything for you, sweetness. Anything.”

  And it’s true. I would do anything for her.

  Whether it be in this world or the next.

  * * *

  Cora’s Newsletter

  http://eepurl.com/c5O8Cv

  Dani’s Newsletter

  https://www.subscribepage.com/DaniNewsletter

  About Cora Kenborn

  Cora Kenborn is a USA Today Bestselling author who writes in multiple romance genres from dark and gritty suspense to laugh-out-loud comedy. Known for her sharp banter and shocking blindsides, Cora loves pushing her characters and readers out of their comfort zones and onto an emotional roller coaster before delivering a twisted happily ever after.

  When not lost in the fictional world, Cora enjoys online procrastination and consuming mass quantities of gummy bears. Since the domestic Southern Belle gene seems to have skipped a generation, she spends any remaining free time convincing her family that microwaving Hot Pockets counts as cooking dinner.

  Oh, and autocorrect thinks she's obsessed with ducks.

  Follow Cora Online

  Amazon

  Newsletter

  Facebook

  Reader Group - Twisted Alpha Addicts

  BookBub

  Twitter

  Instagram

  Website

  Also By Cora Kenborn

  Carrera Cartel Trilogy

  (Dark Romantic Suspense)

  Blurred Red Lines

  Faded Gray Lines

  Drawn Blue Lines – Coming Soon

  Lords of Lyre Duet

  (Rock Star Romantic Suspense)

  Fame and Obsession

  Fame and Secrets

  Swamp Bottom Novella Series

  (Romcom Serial)

  Front Porches and Funerals

  Voodoo and Vodka

  Hookups and Hang-ups

  Blue Lights and Boatmen

  Pink Lines and Panic

  Divorce and Denial

  Warrants and Onesies

  Standalones

  Shallow (Enemies to Lovers Romance)

  Unsupervised (Fake Fiancée Romcom)

  Blacklisted (Craving: Bad Anthology)

  Cursed In Love (Dark Paranormal Romance)

  Darkest Deeds (Cavalieri Della Morte)

  About Dani René

  Dani is a USA Today bestselling author of a variety of genres, from romantic suspense to dark erotic romance and even BDSM romance. She loves to delve into the raw, emotional journeys her characters venture on, and enjoys the dark, edgy, and sensual scenes that fill the pages of her books. Dani’s stories are seductive with a deviant edge with feisty heroines and dominant alphas.

  Dani lives in the beautiful city of Cape Town, and is a proud member of the Romance Writer's Organization of South Africa (ROSA) and the Romance Writers of America (RWA). She has a healthy addiction to reading, TV series, music, tattoos, chocolate, and ice cream.

  www.danirene.com

  info@danirene.com

  Follow Dani Online

  Do you follow me?

  If not, head over to any of the below links,

  I love to hear from my readers!

  Amazon

  BookBub

  Facebook

  Facebook Group

  Goodreads

  Twitter

  Pinterest

  Instagram

  Website & Store

  Newsletter

  Spotify

  Also by Dani René

  Stand Alones

  Choosing the Hart

  Love Beyond Words

  Cuffed

  Fragile Innocence

  Perfectly Flawed

  Black Light: Obsessed

  Among Ash and Ember

  Within Me (Limited Time)

  Cursed in Love (collaboration with Cora Kenborn)

  Beautifully Brutal (Cavalieri Della Morte)

  Taboo Novellas

  Sunshine and the Stalker (collaboration with K Webster)

  His Temptation

  Austin’s Christmas Shortcake

  Crime and Punishment (Newsletter Exclusive)

  Malignus (Inferno World Novella)

  Virulent (collaboration with Yolanda Olson)

  Tempting Grayson

  Gilded Sovereign Series

  Cruel War (Book #1)

  Sins of Seven Series

  Kneel (Book #1)

  Obey (Book #2)

  Indulge (Book #3)

  Ruthless (Book #4)

  Bound (Book #5)

  Envy (Book #6)

 
Vice (Book #7)

  The Taken Series

  Stolen

  Severed

  Four Fathers Series

  Kingston

  Four Sons Series

  Brock

  Carina Press Novellas

  Pierced Ink

  Madd Ink

  Broken Series

  Broken by Desire

  Shattered by Love

  The Backstage Series

  Callum

  Liam

  Ryan

  Forbidden Series

  From the Ashes - A Prequel

  Crave (Book #1)

  Covet (Book #2)