“Oh I mentioned it this morning when she left. I told ya that there’s no need to worry about me,” Illeanna stated then began to stand up to start cleaning up the mess. It was a habit but apparently not one the men wanted her to do at the moment.
“We had plans for you tonight,” Louis stated firmly.
She refused to make eye contact with him and those damn dark eyes of his that could make any person feel guilty.
She shrugged her shoulders. “Things change. I told ya that I could take care of myself.”
Johnny stood up and wrapped an arm around her waist. She looked up into his big brown eyes and waited for the bombs to go off. He was a hard-ass, bossy man, and most people knew not to mess with him.
“Are you afraid of us?” he asked, and she was shocked. Where the hell did that come from?
She shook her head as he pulled her tighter against him and lowered his head closer toward hers as he held her gaze.
“Ya sure?” he challenged. But before she could answer he kissed her fully on the lips, surprising her by his brazenness.
She felt a whirlwind of emotions as Johnny thoroughly explored her mouth. She was keenly aware that the others watched and it actually stimulated her senses even more. She felt lost in his kiss, lost in the moment, and lost in her emotions until he lifted her thigh, rubbed his hand up her shorts, and cupped her ass cheek.
Immediately she tried to separate from him, but it was no use. Johnny Boudoux was determined to end the kiss when he was good and ready.
* * * *
Johnny had been on fire from the moment he entered the house and suspected that Julien was making out with Illeanna. He was immediately aroused and very determined to taste a bit of Illeanna before the night was through. He and his brothers had tossed coins over who would get to stay with her tonight. It had been a battle, but he had won. Now that Mikayla was staying over the plans would change. Slowly Illeanna was trying to push them away.
He loved the way she felt in his arms. He loved the taste of her lips and the feel of her sexy body beneath the palms of his hands. The shorts she wore were driving him wild. The sight of her long, sexy thighs as she sat on the couch, the shy way she reacted to them catching her staring at one of them, her gorgeous green eyes, and the smell of her perfume were intoxicating. She was all woman, their woman, and he wanted her.
Johnny didn’t want to scare her. He just wanted to make his intentions known. They all needed to make Illeanna know that they were ready for a commitment. Slowly he released her lips, and he noticed that she clung to him, eyes closed and breathing hard. Good. She felt the attraction, the chemistry between them, just as he had thought.
“We’ll give you some time with your sister, but you understand this good, Illeanna, we want you. All of us want you and have for a long while. You gave us a scare, and we’re trying to recover, and the only thing that calms us down is having you close. We’ll give you time tonight, but tomorrow things are gonna change,” he stated firmly then reached up to gently push a stray strand of black hair from her eyes. Her beautiful face stared up at him, holding his gaze. Her plump lips were parted, her cheeks rosy, and her eyes glistening, but damn it, he saw something else that he couldn’t quite label.
“Johnny, let me go,” she whispered.
Slowly he released her.
She placed the palm of her hand gently against his chest, and his entire body burned with desire. She looked at her own hand, and damn, he wished she would move it and caress him further. He felt his cock press harder against the zipper of his uniform pants, and he was grateful they were a bit baggy in hopes that she wouldn’t notice.
“I’m not sure how to respond,” Illeanna began to say when they heard a car door slam outside. Illeanna went to pull away, and Johnny grabbed her hand to stop her. He placed his finger under her chin as he spoke to her.
“You think about what I said. You think about it and know that we mean it.” He released her just as Mikayla knocked on the door.
Chapter 5
“You were supposed to be in the kitchen when they escaped, ensuring that they had a quick getaway,” Luther told his brother Jacque as he stood in their small apartment. The sounds of jazz music echoed in the background as tourists walked through the neighborhoods. They were in the center of town where Jacque rented an apartment above a large bar.
“The senator was impressed with my shrimp-and-sausage étouffée. I am a chef and trying to make a name for myself,” Jacque replied with a thick French accent.
“You are an idiot! I was paid good money to ensure their escape, and you worried about impressing the senator? He’s the one they want to destroy,” Luther stated as he looked at his fat, obnoxious brother.
“I am a chef, not a criminal.”
“No, Jacque, you are not a chef. Your cooking is decent but nothing like that little woman you worked with, the one who fucked up our plans.”
“Illeanna? She is nothing. Your guy should have shot her instead of me.”
“She was the one who should have walked out of the kitchen since she was the one who made the étouffée,” Luther stated firmly. He knew that his brother hated the female chef because she was a better cook than him. The fat bastard lied about studying in France and faked his thick French accent to boot.
“What’s done is done. The restaurant is closed for now, I am out of work and so is she.”
“She caused us problems. She can identify the shooter that escaped. She can identify Mickey and he’s the one that hired us.”
“What about the one the cops caught? They can interrogate him and he’ll be the rat.”
“Allen? He’s dead. Was killed before he had a chance to speak to his lawyer.”
“What?” Jacque asked, looking shocked and a bit paler than before.
“Yeah, Jacque, these guys mean business. We fucked this up, and sooner or later Mickey is going to be tying up loose ends, and we’re loose ends.”
“No! Why? We did as we were told and as you were paid for.”
“No, we let the bitch get in the way. Now she has to be eliminated in order for us to be in the clear. You were supposed to clear the kitchen and create a diversion so the shooters could escape. She saw the shooter. She’s a witness that must be killed.”
“How do you figure? So she saw the gunman that escaped? Allen is dead and Mickey is a professional hit man. He’s probably out of the country by now. Illeanna probably couldn’t identify Mickey since he escaped so quickly.”
“The hit man hired me to get two men to take care of this. I have no idea where Mickey is and probably never will, but if we can get rid of the witness, then there’s no way the Feds can connect us to the murder whether they find him or not. Plus the ones who are setting up the senator have more in store for him. We don’t want them to add us to some list of loose ends. This is a total fuck up, Jacque. Our part is done once we eliminate the woman.”
Jacque shook his head.
“Fuck her. She was trying to steal my limelight anyway.”
“Good. I’ve got men on it now. We’re going to see what she knows then do the job.”
* * * *
“So am I staying the night or was I just a cover story to get them to give you some space?” Mikayla asked as they cleaned up the ice cream bowls. Illeanna looked at the clock and saw that it was midnight.
“I’m fine to be here alone. I need the breather. They have been all over me, demanding to carry me around, to wait on me hand and foot. I can’t even walk across the room without one of them intervening.”
Mikayla shook her head and made a pouty face. “Oh you poor thing. It must be terrible having five sexy heartthrobs fussing over little ole’ you,” Mikayla teased. Illeanna threw a pillow at her sister, and they laughed.
“So did you sleep with any of them yet?”
“Mikayla, you asked this the moment they left, and I told you no.”
“Well damn, woman, they looked so hungry when
I walked in and it was like I walked into something. What was going on exactly?”
Illeanna explained about what she did with Julien and Louis and then Julien and then Johnny and of course what Johnny said to her.
Mikayla whistled.
“They want you, honey. They all want a piece of you and have for years. Why not go for it?”
“Oh God, Mikayla, you’re not supposed to tell your sister to go have an orgy with five men.”
“First of all haven’t you heard anything Angelique has told us about ménage relationships? I mean damn, girl, our sister is living the life. She is so incredibly happy I’m green with envy. Now here you are in a similar situation with five great men who obviously adore you, and you’re all like what should I do? Explore it with them. You know that you’re attracted to them. You even said that you haven’t had sex since Louis. That tells me a lot right there. Plus, it’s not like ménage relationships aren’t common where we live. Look around town, honey, and you’ll know what I’m talking about.”
“I don’t know, Mikayla. You don’t understand what it’s like when they kiss me or when one of them touches me. I lose all focus, all self-control, and feel like I’m in a haze.”
“You feel that way from their touch and kisses alone?”
Illeanna nodded.
“Then just imagine how the sex is going to be. You like them. You care for each of them individually?”
“Yes, but they come as a package. How can I care for them individually but also as one?”
“That’s something you all are going to have to learn to do by doing. Maybe you should call Angelique? See if she has some useful insight into your questions. Better yet, try talking things out with the Boudoux. Maybe they have a better understanding or way of explaining what exactly they expect and want with this relationship.”
Illeanna thought about that a moment.
“You’re right. I’ve fought them tooth and nail on this because of my fears and haven’t given them time to explain exactly what they expect from me. It’s so damn different. ”
“Talk to them tomorrow. See what they have to say. Just give them the chance that Johnny had asked for.”
Illeanna hugged her sister.
“I’ll stay anyway. I really don’t feel like driving now. It’s late.”
“Yeah and one of the Boudoux is probably watching the house. The second you leave someone will come in.”
Mikayla laughed as she rose from the couch and began locking the doors.
* * * *
Illeanna showered, dried her hair, and changed into a thigh-length cotton V-neck T-shirt and a pair of cotton panties. She searched in the dark for her shorts, coming up empty and feeling too tired. She got right into bed instead. Pulling the covers up, she closed her eyes and thought about the guys. She tossed and turned for what seemed like hours, the silence telling her that she had been such a fool. She was practically in love with the men already. They had shown nothing but concern, protection, and compassion to her, so why was she determined to fight it? The answer came to her mind immediately. She was scared. Scared to share her life, her emotions, and to show weakness.
She didn’t need to speak to a counselor that the fear stemmed from her upbringing or rather lack of. Her father had destroyed any hopes of a bright future, leaving their mother to tend to five girls. Her mom had begged their father to return and help to raise them. Their father came back and their parents seemed as if they would work out the problems in their relationship. The night they’d ventured out together in their car was the last night any of the Aubert sisters would see their parents. The car accident killed them both. They were forced to raise themselves. They faced hard times, debt, and bitterness that could have destroyed any hope of a future. Cherise Laveau had steered them straight whenever they began to wander toward danger. Others in the community helped as well, but mostly they worked together. She thought about her sisters. They were getting older. The time to begin their separate lives was beginning to happen. It didn’t mean that they would lose one another. In fact if she had it her way, getting involved with a man, or in her case men, would mean an expansion of the family. It was their time and their turn to find love and to succeed.
She smiled as the revelation brought her a new understanding and sort of acceptance of the men. They wanted her. Johnny and Julien told her so, and the others looked on in agreement. They wanted her, she repeated to herself as she snuggled lower under the sheets. Before long she was sound asleep.
* * * *
It was too late when she realized that she was no longer dreaming but actually being restrained for real. Her eyes popped open just as her attacker taped her mouth closed and began to tie rope tightly around her wrists. It was painful and burned as she squirmed for release and tried to scream.
“Make a sound and your sister dies, too,” the masked man whispered, and immediately Illeanna thought about Mikayla. She wouldn’t let anything happen to her sister. The fear gripped her insides, and she began to shake. What the hell was happening? Who was this guy and what did he want?
He yanked on the ropes to ensure that she was indeed bound, and she felt the circulation stop flowing. He was large and thick, a bit on the heavy side, and had dark eyes. She could see them through the slits in the mask he wore but it was too dark to make out the color of them.
She shook her head and wiggled her legs trying to get free. He slammed an elbow down against her stomach, causing her to lose her breath and cry against the tape in pain. Tears streamed down her face, and fear like nothing she ever felt before filled her body.
“You got a nice body, Illeanna. I may have to fuck you before I slit your throat,” he whispered as he ran his hands along her thigh then over her breast, grabbing it roughly.
“Oh yeah, you got the goods. I can see why those cops are always sniffing around. You fucking them all, slut?” he growled at her then roughly released her breast to grab her neck. She struggled against the bindings for release, but it was no use. The tears poured from her eyes, and she pleaded with her eyes for him to stop. His hold on her throat was so tight she could hardly breathe. He was going to strangle her and kill her. She thought of Mikayla and feared for her sister’s life. Just as she felt like she couldn’t breathe any longer he released his hold.
With the tape muffling normal intakes of breath she breathed rapidly through her nose. The sound echoed through the room.
He stared at her, seemingly amused by her inability to breathe properly. Then he looked her body over, and the fear increased. Her body tightened, knowing that she was half naked and now bound by a masked man prepared to kill her.
“I changed my mind. Instead of killing you like they want me to, I’m taking you with me.”
He pulled her up and against him and began dragging her through her bedroom. She let her legs hang, and he threw her to the rug. He grabbed a fistful of her shirt, ripping it in the death grip he held as he shook her. “You move or I will kill you right here and then your sister.”
She struggled to get up, and he struck her in the cheek. She raised her tied wrists to stop the second blow, and he kicked her in the ribs and then her thighs.
She wished for Johnny, Louis, Gustave, Julien, or Franco to come, and she prayed that Mikayla wouldn’t get hurt because of her.
She felt defeated and in pain. She was so scared that every inch of her shook, but she couldn’t let him get to Mikayla.
“Get up, bitch,” he growled low, spittle hitting her face. She complied, feeling her muscles against her thighs spasm from the strikes they took. Her ribs ached, but she was determined to keep this guy away from Mikayla.
* * * *
Mikayla awoke with a start. She thought she heard a noise, and then there was silence. She couldn’t go back to sleep, so she got up and thought she would check on Illeanna. That’s when she heard a scuffle and someone talking. At first she thought it was one of the Boudoux. That maybe they snuck in to fool around
with Illeanna. They also gave Illeanna time to think about what they wanted. Her gut clenched with fear. Something was wrong.
She looked around for some kind of weapon, hoping that Illeanna still kept her guns hidden in all the same places. There were five that she knew of, and one was in the kitchen.
She flipped open her cell phone and called the police. She informed them that she wasn’t sure if something was wrong or not but she heard noises and she was loading a gun. She disconnected the call, checked the gun for bullets, and took off the safety. If this was a false alarm, she was going to need a long stiff drink when it was over.
Slowly she walked toward Illeanna’s bedroom.
* * * *
He pulled her out the back patio doors and down the hill near the side of the house. There was a long stretch of wooded area before the side road. Apparently that’s where his vehicle was. She had trouble breathing with the tape tight against her mouth. Her nose was running and tears were streaming down her face. She was terrified.
Illeanna felt the rocks and branches crack under her bare feet, eliciting cries of pain as her ankle ached. She wasn’t that far from the back of the house when he turned her around to face him.
“You and me gonna party first and then you die,” he whispered as he held the blade against the V of the T-shirt and the cleavage of her chest. He cut the material, revealing more of her breasts.
“Fuck, woman, you got a set on you. I may have to pull over and fuck you before we’re out of this shit town.” He grabbed her around the waist and hurried her along the way until he reached a car. In a flash he opened the trunk, and she panicked as she tried to fight him from tossing her inside. He struck her again and again, making her keel over in pain before he shoved her against the edge of the bumper. She tried to fight him off, but he was much stronger. He lifted her, tossing her inside as if she were a sack of potatoes, then closed the trunk.
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