Soul Catcher

by Vivi Dumas

  Chapter Twenty

  Banging interrupted their kiss. Angel regained her composure and removed herself from Jacque’s hold. The banging became louder.

  “Hey, y’all in there?” Bell’s voice called from the other side of the door, sounding as annoying as she did when they were kids. “Helloooo. Anyone home?”

  He snatched open the door. “What do you want, Bell?” Bell’s eyes gleamed with mischief. “Just want to tell y’all we have company. Etienne is downstairs for Angel, and your parents are here.”

  “What do you mean ‘my parents?’” Angel piped up.

  “Shit, Bell. You didn’t call them, did you?” He glowered, waiting for her answer.

  “I thought they would want to know you’re okay. And they can help. You know they got clout in the Underworld. I’m trying to get a hold of my mom, too.”

  Angel sunk onto the bed with an exasperated expression glued to her face. “Who are your parents?”

  “You would’ve had to meet them sooner or later. I was just hoping for later.” He shot a glance at Bell. “My father is Leviathan, one of the seven Princes of Hell. My mom is Isis.”

  Her eyebrows crinkled in a question. “The Egyptian goddess Isis?”

  “Yeah. She has a lot of titles. Some call her one of the four protectors. She has too many to name all of them.”

  Angel flung herself back on the bed, her arms flopping to her sides. “Fucking great. Not only do I have to meet your parents looking like this. Your father’s a goddamn prince and your mother’s a goddess.”

  “Hey, your grandma’s a voodoo queen. Maybe it’ll win you some points.” Bell stifled a giggle, straightening quickly when Jacque growled. “Look. I’ll go back down and keep everyone entertained. Y’all gotta come down. I have to catch up with your mom anyway. It’s been a while since we talked.” The glare Angel shot Bell could frighten Medusa solid.

  Jacque gathered Angel off the bed. She slumped in his arms in protest. He laid his full weight on her and ground his pelvis into her. Kissing the hollow of her neck, he felt her quiver underneath him.

  He whispered softly in her ear, “We can stay here, and I can make you forget my parents are downstairs. Eventually we have to go down, and when we do everyone will know why we were delayed.”

  She squirmed under him and pushed at his shoulders, trying to escape. He tasted her lips hungrily before freeing her. The fire in her eyes made him want to keep her trapped in bed, ravishing her body.

  She rolled off the bed and ran to the closet. “You’re such an ass. I should’ve left you to burn in Hell.”

  “What’re you doing?”

  “Changing. I can’t meet your mom in jeans.”

  “It doesn’t matter. Let’s just get going.” He dragged her from the closet. “Oh. I apologize in advance for my mom.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “You’ll see,” he said, guiding her down the stairs.

  ***

  Voices floated up from the living room, sounding like a party brewing. She took in a deep breath before descending down the stairs. When they reached the others, she resisted the urge to run and hide. Jacque’s hand at the small of her back comforted her and acted as a brace keeping her steady.

  A statuesque woman poised beside the armchair. Her flawless radiance glowed under the setting sun. She spoke with authority and grace. She and Marie chatted like ladies of the court. This was Jacque’s mother and to Angel’s pleasure, she stood as far away from Bell as physically possible.

  The men huddled by the bar, drinks in hand. She wouldn’t have had a problem identifying Jacque’s father, even in a crowd. Both men had emerald eyes with the intensity of an exploding star. They reminded her of an NBA star mixed with a WWE wrestler. Jacque took the best his parents had to offer and combined them into a spectacular specimen of a man. Demon, she corrected herself.

  The conversation died as she and Jacque entered the room. His mother came to him and embraced him. Even as he towered over her, she still exuded power and strength. Angel noticed a softer side as Isis’s love for Jacque shone in her eyes. Angel could only dream of having the same kind of love from her mother. The goddess released her hold, but held his hand like she thought he might escape. Angel knew the feeling well.

  Jacque’s father, like most men, refused public displays of affection. He slapped Jacque across the shoulder as if to say, “He’s my boy.” Angel envied the interaction. Her mother could care less about her, and she never knew her father. All she knew was the memory of her father burned a hole in her mother’s heart every time she looked at Angel.

  Jacque moved to stand behind her. “Mom, Dad. This is Angel.”

  His mother examined every inch of her, narrowing her dark brown eyes in scrutiny. “Yes, we’ve heard a lot about you. Jacque seems quite taken with you.”

  Angel backed a little closer to Jacque for protection, from what she didn’t know. “It’s nice to meet you both. I... I just wish it was under better circumstances,” she stammered like a babbling idiot.

  “This is a mess you’ve created here.” The words stung like salt in a wound.

  Jacque came to her defense. “Mom. Cut it out. This isn’t Angel’s fault. You know how crazy Luc is.”

  “At least she had the decency to get you back from Death.”

  Angel fought her tears. She couldn’t break down in front of this woman. She refused to give her the satisfaction.

  “Watch how you speak to my granddaughter,” Marie interjected. “She didn’t mean for any of this to happen, and she risked everything to save your son. You will treat her with some respect.” The two ladies challenged one another.

  Lightning flashed through the horizon. Power surged through the room. “I owe no mortal respect. I would watch how you speak to me!” Angel couldn’t decipher which woman caused the bolt.

  “Okay. Timeout.” Jacque stepped in the middle of the two, making a T-motion with his hands. “Mom...don’t disrespect Angel. She’s important to me.”

  Her heart sang. For the first time in her life, someone other than Faith took up for her. Love surrounded her.

  “I’m not sure what to call you. Goddess? Isis? Ma’am? I’d never hurt Jacque on purpose. I know I’ve caused a lot of problems. It was because I refused to be used by Lucifer again. I wasn’t going to turn Laurent over to him. Now I have to pay a price. This is not a price I asked anyone else to contribute to.” It took all her determination to face Jacque’s mother. She was an intimidating presence, one used to being worshipped.

  “You have fortitude, young one. You might be just what my son needs. Balance. We shall see. Now, how can we assist with this situation with Luc? He is really getting out of hand. Someone must put him back in his place.”

  Isis turned with a swish of her dress, dismissing Angel. Isabella cursed under her breath. Hugging Angel close to him, Jacque relaxed. Angel smiled. Round one went in her favor.

  Angel beamed with a confidence she had never experienced before. She held her head higher. Not even on her most beautiful days on the runway was she filled with this kind of joy. For the first time in her life, she respected herself and expected the same from others. The people in the room cared about her and not her beauty or money, just her.

  Now her life was worth living, she had to figure out a way to salvage it. This battle with the Devil wasn’t going to be simple. She was clueless beyond knowing how to entice people to help. She would leave the logistics and strategy to the military people. G.I. Jane, she was not.

  “Etienne, how many others have agreed to help?” she asked, talking about the one thing she understood.

  “We have a few covens of vampires and witches. The rougarou or werewolves have agreed to join. Luc has been after their pack leader for centuries. They will be strong allies. We have a few rogue Supes who offered to help at a price.”

  She slid back into the club chair, twirling a strand of hair. “We’re going to need more help if we plan to beat the Devil.”

/>   “The legions belonged to me for a long time. I know some of my soldiers will help us.” Jacque sat on the arm of her chair. She leaned her head to rest on his side.

  “I talked to some of them and they agreed. I’m sure more will join once they know you’re back,” Laurent chimed in.

  “I know Ra, Amun, and Ma’at will help. They owe me a favor, and Lucifer is not their favorite person. Your father will gather as many demons as he can get to join the cause. Call us when you have everyone assembled and ready to discuss strategy.” With those words, Isis and Jacque’s father vanished.

  “We may be able to get some more help,” the archs announced, putting on their coats.

  “Okay, for right now we work on gathering as many as we can to fight. Etienne, can you secure a place large enough for all of us to meet? Let’s say in three days.” Angel waited for his reply.

  “Sure,” Etienne answered.

  “Okay, we have a lot of work to do in a short amount of time. Let’s get this party started.” She stood, taking Jacque's hand. Everyone disbursed, leaving her alone with Jacque.

  ***

  Rising, Jacque gazed down at Angel. Her weariness reflected in her smile. Jacque figured standing up for herself was a challenge for Angel, one he doubted she’d been successful at many times before. Although she took a giant leap, insecurities lurked in the shadows of her mind. He needed to take things slow.

  He picked her up and her arms circled around his neck. She rested her head against his chest. Her sweet aroma wafted to his nostrils, teasing his senses. Her scent had followed him, kept him company in the bland nothingness of purgatory. He carried her to the bedroom, lowered himself on the bed, and cradled her in his arms. She peered up with cocoa eyes and brushed the backs of her fingers down his cheek. The heat of her touch seared his skin. He caught her fingers in his hand and brought them gently across his lips. He released her hand and ran his thumb along her bottom lip, feeling its petal-soft texture. She quivered under his touch as her hands explored the planes of his chest.

  He wanted to surround her in his love and secure her in happiness. He hadn’t realized how broken she was, even before her accident. She came into herself today. His duty was to make sure she didn’t disappear again. This was new territory for him. He spent years trying to knock Bell down off her self-made pedestal. The women of the Underworld were born with an extra dose of self-esteem, building someone up was going to be different.

  He loved her dark hair cascading around her face. Untying the black band holding her hair, he grinned, watching her shake her hair loose from the ponytail. Playfully, he threw her to the mattress, rolling on top of her. The sparkle in her smile softened him like a soothing melody. He trapped both her hands above her head, kissed the base of her neck, and tasted the skin along her collarbone.

  “Let me go.” She squirmed.

  “Make me.” His tongue lapped the swells emerging from the deep V-neck of her tee. He gathered both her hand in his left and used the right to slide her shirt up over her head, exposing perfect breasts shielded by thin purple lace. He flicked his tongue at her right nipple through the material, watching it harden instantly.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  A small moan escaped her lips. Traces of electricity lingered behind when his lips moved on to their next target. It was blissful agony to be in Jacque’s arms again. He pinched her nipple between his lips, causing her to arch against his mouth. Angel wanted to resist him. Her body committed mutiny against her reason. The loving expression in his eyes as he gazed upon her face, even with the hideous scar, caused her defenses to shut down. She neither wanted nor needed his pity. His love, she craved like a junkie needing a hit.

  Her mind teetered on the brink of ecstasy and self-doubt. Angel closed her eyes, not wanting to recognize fear or disgust if she searched his face. Large, rough hands traveled down her body, coming to rest between her legs. He worked his thumb along the seam of her jeans. The friction sparked her desire and her hips to roll in response. She wished the fabric would disintegrate under his fingers.

  She opened her eyes and watched him pop the latch of her bra, allowing her breasts to spill out of the lace. He suckled the round mound into the lush warmth of his mouth. The fury of his fingers working through the seam of her jeans caused an insatiable throbbing between her legs. Jacque maneuvered expertly around her body, never once looking into her face, eliminating the need to be repulsed.

  Her body tensed. She wanted to stop; she was too far gone. She needed this release, even though her mind dreaded the surrender. It would never be the same between them. He would always view her with remorse and sympathy. A charity case she was not. She didn’t want him staying with her out of misplaced obligation. Unconditional love was Angel’s goal, and she wasn’t settling this time.

  Jacque unfastened her belt and unzipped her jeans. Her hips pushed off the bed, allowing him to shimmy the denim down her legs and throw them on the floor. The hardness of his manhood pulsed inside the dark denim of his pants as his eyes roamed her body, drinking in her long bronze legs and purple lace thong. The pressure of his fingers kneading their way up her thighs made her wetter with each touch.

  A finger slipped under the lace thong and ran down the scalloped edges lying against her pelvis, meeting the moist heat of her passion. His knuckle skimmed her folds, making her melt into the bed. When his fingers trailed back to the top of her thong, Jacque ripped the thin lace from her body and tossed it aside. Angel lay exposed in every way possible.

  “Oh God, I’ve missed you so much,” he grunted as he nibbled on her neck. “I would face death a thousand times if this was my prize at the end.” He circled his thumb over her center. She bit the inside of her lip to keep from crying out.

  Angel recovered from the writhing agony of his touch and lifted his chin to meet her gaze, wanting to see the words on his face. Jacque pushed up to kiss her lips. Smiling, she answered, “I missed you, too.”

  His mouth slanted over hers, and her tongue darted through eagerly parted lips, tangling with his, in untamed lust. The sweet taste of mint surged through her. She allowed her mind to give into the moment, wanting to savor his pleasure and release her worries for now.

  His body ached for her. The undulating throb of his shaft beckoned to be inside her moist folds, yet he waited. This was about Angel, not him. She lay splayed before him on the bed with her dark hair haloing around her, the color a stark contrast to the ice-blue of the duvet. Her smooth honey-brown skin glowed under the light. He traced a trail between her breasts, over the taunt muscles of her stomach, to the patch of fine hair between her legs. When he slid two fingers into her wet core, his shaft grew harder, threatening to explode.

  As his fingers caressed within the hot moisture, his lips followed the same trail his hand forged earlier. He relished her shuddered when he placed a kiss just above where his fingers stroked a steady rhythm inside her. For too long he imagined the taste of her, wanting to bring her the pleasure she deserved. Angel’s cry, as his tongue found her spot, echoed in his head, sensuous and ardent. When her leg wrapped around his neck and her hands fisted his hair, drawing him farther into her, his mind succumbed to elated delirium.

  The intensity of her reaction encouraged him to continue. He slid Angel to the edge of the bed and went to his knees on the floor. She tried to push back against his shoulders with her feet. Jacque locked his arm across the narrow expanse of her waist, trapping her in place. Her hips rolled with each thrust of his fingers and flicker of his tongue. Her moans were as mesmerizing as a siren’s song, enticing him to finish his mission—his mission of delivering her undeniable satisfaction.

  Her plea was low and sultry, like a hot breeze. “Jacque. P-please!”

  He stopped ravaging her to ask, “Please what? Tell me what you want.” His stroking fingers never missed a beat.

  “You’re driving me mad. I need you inside me. Now.” Angel’s delicate hands gripped the covers, heels dug into the mattress, and the dark lus
t in her eyes lured him to her.

  His shaft jerked at her words. He slid out his jeans and pulled his shirt over his head. Jacque positioned himself between her legs and rubbed the tip of his cock against her swollen sex, fighting the urge to thrust deep into her wetness. Her hips tilted, coaxing him to take her, the torment almost unbearable.

  “Is this what you want?” he teased, pulsating against her.

  Her head sank deeper into the covers. “Oh God, yes.” The throaty hunger in her voice ended his baiting. He could no longer resist penetrating her.

  He guided himself into her tightness. Her sex melded around him like a velvet glove. The hot, wet chasm of her desire enthralled him. He slid in and out, increasing his pace, as she met his thrust with force, begging for more each time. Unable to control himself, he held on to her hips and sank his full length into her body, faintly hearing her scream as she came for him.

  “Oh shit, Ang....” His words faded into his climax.

  Jacque’s weight grounded Angel as he collapsed on top of her, his breath heavy in her ear. His heart pounded so hard it vibrated against her chest. She ran her fingers through his burnished curls, brushing them away from his face.

  She wiped the sweat from his brow and kissed him on his forehead. He held on to her as if she might fade away.

  Angel longed to give in to the temptation of this moment, to stay frozen in bliss, never to wake. Angel refused to have her heart broken again. Too many obstacles stopped her from building a life with Jacque. He might not see them today. It was left to her to save them both from the pain and agony of a bad break up down the road.

  The beautiful chiseled lines in his face showed his Egyptian heritage as he lay with his head between her breasts. He laced his fingers through hers and kissed the back of her hand. He rolled to his side and lazily traced his index finger across her body. He explored every nook and cranny of her body, always avoiding her face. Only once during their lovemaking did he bring his eyes to meet hers, the moment inevitable. Blame was not a viable option in this situation. Most days she could barely stomach her own reflection. Why should she expect him to?