Angels of Bourbon Street (Jade Calhoun Series: Book 4)

by Deanna Chase

  “Then?” I prompted.

  She snapped her head back in my direction, her eyes hard and cold. “You don’t want to know, Jade. Trust me. It was awful. If I tell you, you’ll never think of Lucien the same, and I don’t want that. It’s not his fault.”

  “This happened before, Kat. How can you say it isn’t his fault?” My chest ached. I didn’t want to be angry with Lucien. I liked him. But he’d almost killed my best friend, the one person who knew everything about me.

  “I know. And he’s really beating himself up about it.” She rolled onto her side and propped up on one elbow. “You have no idea the level of self-loathing he experiences for what happened to his friend. After she”—Kat gulped—“passed, Lucien was in a dark place for a very long time. Therapy and counter spells got him to where he is today. He swears he thought the spell died with her. He was only trying to help me.”

  “But why did he use the same spell? What was he thinking?” I couldn’t imagine ever again using a spell that had gone so terribly wrong.

  “Please let it go,” she said, her eyes pleading with me. “I don’t blame him, and I don’t want you blaming him either. It happened. It’s over. Now we need to find out why and what we can do to help him through this.”

  Those damn tears were back, burning my eyes again. This had always been one of the things I loved most about Kat—her absolute compassion for those she loved. She saw the best in us and took us for who and what we were, despite the fact that she didn’t have one magical bone in her body. She came along for the ride and helped in any way she could. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” She smiled through the tears swimming in her eyes. “Now go home and talk to your mom. She might at least have the last known address of your dad.”

  “What makes you think he’ll even agree to see me?” I hadn’t spoken to my dad or heard from him since I was ten years old. I couldn’t imagine calling him up and saying, Hey, Dad. Just in case you didn’t know, I’m a witch, and my soul’s in danger. Can you come down to New Orleans and help Mom put me right?

  Oh, jeez. Yeah, that would go over well. I lowered my voice. “What if he thinks I’m nuts?” Everyone I’d grown up with had. I’d been the class freak. I didn’t want to face my dad and feel like that again.

  Kat sat up and squared her shoulders, putting on her practical face. The one she wore when she was trying to talk sense into me. “You won’t know until you ask.”

  “Shit. I hate when you’re all logical and crap.” I grinned, grateful that she seemed to be perfectly okay.

  Maybe she was right. I was still furious at Lucien, but I’d try to put it behind us for her sake.

  And my dad… I sighed. I really, really didn’t want to call him. I’d had enough rejection in my life. I wasn’t eager for more. But if it meant living with Meri for the rest of my life or sucking up my pride and talking to the ass who walked out on us, then I’d do my best to track him down. She couldn’t stay by my side forever, especially if she had some weird connection to Dan. My relationship with Kane deserved more.

  I kissed Kat on the cheek. “I’ll talk to Mom.”

  “I know.” Her lips quirked up into a mocking smile. “Get out of here so I can get some rest.”

  Laughing, I headed for the door. “Call me if you need anything.”

  ***

  I turned Pyper’s Bug down the narrow Garden District streets and glanced in the rearview mirror. Kane was following us back to his house. Beside me, Meri was slumped in the passenger seat, staring out the window into the darkness.

  “Everything okay?” I asked.

  She turned tired eyes on me. “Fine. I was just wishing for my own bed is all. It’s been a trying day.”

  “I’m sorry. I know it’s hard to be in other people’s spaces.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” She reached over and turned on the radio, loud enough to make talking difficult.

  I took the hint and drove on in silence. When we hit a red light, I turned down the radio and faced her. “Did we need to stop by your place to pick up anything? Toiletries? A change of clothes?”

  She shook her head. “Dan’s going to bring some stuff by.”

  Right. Great, I got to see my ex…again. I suppressed a sigh and turned right onto Saint Charles. Ten minutes later, we pulled up in front of Kane’s shotgun double. And sure enough, there was Dan waiting for us on the porch.

  Meri’s face lit up, and once again, I wondered exactly what kind of relationship they had. Not romantic, but it almost seemed magical, as if something mystical was holding them together.

  Dan, dressed in faded jeans and a black T-shirt, met us on the sidewalk. His light brown hair needed a trim, and he probably hadn’t shaved in a week. If it hadn’t been for the stubble on his face, he would’ve looked exactly as I remembered him in high school. An intense desire to hightail it into the house clutched at my stomach, but I couldn’t leave Meri’s side. Instead, I was forced to invite him in. And then I felt terrible for not wanting to. Dan was a decent guy. It wasn’t all his fault we’d broken up, nor was it his fault he’d almost been possessed by a demon or that he’d spent time in Hell.

  I shook my head and marched up to the front door. “Dan, did you want to come in?”

  He turned from Meri, surprise clear in his pale emerald eyes. “You sure?”

  I’d certainly never invited him in before, not that he hadn’t been in the house a number of times. I’d just never personally invited him. “I know you and Meri need to talk. Come on in so you can get some privacy.” Under one roof, they could go into another room where I wouldn’t be forced to witness whatever it was they had to say to each other.

  Kane pulled his car to a stop behind Pyper’s and then came up the steps just as I was opening the door. “Hey,” I said as he placed a hand on the small of my back. Once inside, he ran his hand the length of my spine. I closed my eyes for a second, trying to wish everyone away. Too bad I didn’t know a spell for that.

  Meri and Dan followed us in. I waved them toward the guest room.

  “Jade?” Gwen emerged from the back of the house with a plate and a dishtowel. She absently dried it while searching my expression. “How’s Kat?”

  Gwen took me in after Mom had disappeared into Hell, only a few days before I’d turned fifteen. From the first week I’d moved in with her, Gwen had loved my friend just as much as I did. “She’s fine. With Bea’s help, we managed to reverse the spell. Bea’s keeping an eye on her overnight just in case.”

  “But is she okay? Really okay?” Gwen’s eyes shone with genuine worry.

  I searched them, wondering if she’d had a premonition. No, she was usually much more stoic after she saw the future. “Really. Good as new. Bea’s just being cautious.”

  Gwen let out a relieved sigh. “Thank the Goddess.” She ran a hand down my arm, then turned and disappeared back into the kitchen.

  My steps slowed as I followed the sound of my mom’s voice.

  “It’ll be okay, you know,” Kane whispered. “No matter what. I’ll give you my soul if I have to.”

  I stopped and gazed up at him. “You would, wouldn’t you?”

  His chocolate-brown eyes turned molten with emotion. “It’s no less than you’d do for me. And if your deadbeat dad can’t be bothered, I’ll personally hunt him down and set him straight.”

  A smile tugged at my lips. “You’re too good to me.”

  “Don’t you forget it.” He leaned down and brushed his firm, warm lips over mine.

  I placed my hands on his broad chest. “I love you.”

  “I know.” His eyes crinkled as he smiled down at me.

  “We’re going to get through this with both our souls intact. Got that?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I won’t have it any other way.” Because the alternative was unthinkable. I wouldn’t take his soul anymore than he’d take mine.

  “Me neither.” He bent down, his lips gently brushing over mine again. He hesi
tated for just a moment, but when I gently clasped my teeth over his lower lip, his tongue darted, tasting me. I opened to him, and our tongues met, tangling in a slow waltz.

  I pressed against his lean frame, wanting to feel every inch of him. It had only been a few days since we’d been together, but after the recent events, it seemed like weeks. Running my fingers up his arms, I stopped when his broad shoulders filled my hands. He was tall, lean, and powerful in his own way, beautiful and all mine, forcing that exquisite ache of desire deep in my center. Strength exuded from him, demanded to possess me with his gentle yet commanding kiss.

  I nibbled, biting the corner of his mouth as he turned to trace kisses along my jawline. His sure lips possessed my neck, sucking and teasing until I swayed and my knees weakened. The things he did to me… It was a wonder I didn’t combust right there in his arms.

  “Jade,” he whispered, “I want you.”

  My breath caught. Goddess, I wanted him too. Wanted to rip his clothes off, make him mine right there in the living room. Feel his touch on my stomach, my thighs as he pulled me to him, as he entered me, claiming me as his, again and again.

  “Jade, honey?”

  “Shit,” I mumbled, reality crashing back down on me.

  Kane smiled, his lips still pressed to mine. His tongue darted into my mouth for one last tantalizing taste of his coffee flavor. Then he pulled back, holding me at arms’ length with his hands still on my hips.

  “Oh!” Mom yelped as she stepped into the room and pivoted to walk back out. “Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt.”

  Kane laughed.

  “Stop it.” I swatted his chest and giggled as my face heated. “Mom, nothing’s going on. Come back.”

  “Um, honey, why don’t you join me in the kitchen?” she called. “I cut up strawberries.”

  Kane’s eyebrows rose. “I bet she made homemade whipped cream too.”

  “Probably.” Tingles slid through me as I recalled the last time we’d had whipped cream in the house. Yanking him to me, I crushed my lips to his, pouring my heart into the kiss and running my hands through his hair until I had to pull back to take a breath. Winded, I took just a moment to refill my lungs. Then I smiled sweetly. “Consider yourself lucky. No one has ever ranked above homemade whipped cream before.”

  I left him leaning against the living room wall, his body taut and eyes brimming with desire. Glancing over my shoulder, I whispered, “I’m sending Mom and Gwen to my apartment since Meri’s here. I’ll meet you in our room in one hour.”

  “That had better be a promise,” he replied, his voice husky.

  I gave him a slow nod and forced my feet to keep moving forward. I’d give almost anything to fall into his arms and block out the rest of the world right then and there. And Kane as a distraction would do just that. For as long as I needed.

  Liquid heat sent sparks of desire everywhere, and I had to stop in the hall restroom to splash water on my face. I could not have a conversation with my mother until I cooled off. She’d already walked in on us groping at each other like horny teenagers. That was bad enough.

  “Hey.” I scooted into the kitchen. “What’s up?” I glanced around and found Mom at the table with a bowl of berries, whipped cream, and a crock pot of melted chocolate. “Looks like you went all out.”

  Mom shrugged and lifted her hands in a vague gesture. “I wanted to do something nice after the awful day you had.”

  Gwen pulled the full coffee pot from the counter, gesturing to a mug. “Coffee?”

  I’d already had a few cups at Bea’s, but if I was going to gorge on Mom’s offerings, I’d need it. I nodded and headed to the refrigerator, nervous energy pulsing through my body. Mom and I never talked about Dad. What would she say when I asked about him?

  Mom stood. “What do you need, Jade? I’ll get it. You just sit.”

  I waved an impatient hand. “I’ve got it, Mom. You’ve worked hard enough.”

  Gwen passed me a cup only three quarters of the way full. I smiled. She knew exactly what I wanted. After a quick search behind the orange juice and milk, I pulled out the bottle of Irish cream. Without asking, I added a shot to Gwen’s mug and took the chilled bottle to the table. I lifted it in offering. “Mom?”

  She glanced at Gwen and then back at me. “I’d better not.”

  I raised an eyebrow in question, but Mom shook her head. “Okay, then.” I set the bottle on the countertop. “I’ll leave it out if you change your mind.” She might need it after she heard what I had to say.

  Mom dished up generous helpings of strawberries and whipped cream, while Gwen and I settled into our chairs.

  “Bea knows how to fix my soul,” I blurted.

  Startled, Mom dropped a dollop of whipped cream on the table. “Oh, shoot.” She grabbed a paper towel and went to work on the mess as if it were a red wine stain on white carpet instead of some cream on plain wood.

  “Mom.” I placed a hand over hers, stopping her from smearing the cream all over the table. “It’s fine. I’ll get it later.”

  She pursed her lips at the film still stuck to the table but dropped the napkin and looked at me. “How can she fix it?”

  “We need to call Dad.”

  Chapter 12

  Mom didn’t even flinch. She just stared at me, her mouth agape.

  Gwen glanced between us then stood. “I’ll give you some privacy.” She brushed a reassuring hand over my shoulder as she retreated to the living room.

  I propped my elbows on the table and rested my chin in my hands, prepared to wait Mom out.

  After a few beats, she closed her mouth and swallowed. “You know that’s impossible.”

  “Why?”

  “You know why.” Her tone was hard with an impatient edge to it.

  I reached across the table and grabbed her hand. The one that was picking at Kane’s linen placemat. “No, Mom, I don’t know why. We haven’t talked about Dad since the last time he failed to show up for his visitation.”

  “Yeah!” Her eyes were wide open now, blazing with anger. “Seventeen years ago, he abandoned you. We never heard from him again.” She sucked in a breath. “You didn’t…I mean, he didn’t get in touch while I was…gone?”

  Gone. That was one way of putting it. Mom spent twelve years in purgatory after being kidnapped by a demon. It would have been nice if Dad had shown up to check on me when she’d disappeared, but that never happened. The state hadn’t been able to find him at his last known address.

  “No, he didn’t get in touch, and I didn’t know how to find him. But we have to now. It’s important.”

  She pushed her dessert away and shook her head, her mouth clamped shut in that tight line again.

  I suppressed a frustrated sigh. If she didn’t cooperate, my entire existence was on the line. “You haven’t even asked me why we need him.”

  “It doesn’t matter. No one knows where he is, and even if we did, he’d be useless. His work was always more important than we were.”

  She must’ve been thinking that he’d run out on her, too, left her alone to raise a child on a healer’s self-employed income. No child support. Nothing. He’d hurt her so much, she’d shut men out of our lives completely. I’d never even seen her date after that.

  I took a long sip of the spiked coffee, grateful for the soothing burn sliding into my belly. Then I softened my tone. “If we had a choice, I wouldn’t ask you to do this. But if we don’t find him, I could end up permanently possessed—or worse, stuck to Meri’s side for the rest of my life.”

  “Good God, don’t let that happen,” Meri said from behind me, horror in her husky tone. “I’ll track the bastard down myself if you want. I knew him once, too.”

  “Meri!” Mom scolded.

  “Sorry, Hope.” The angel took a seat next to Mom and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “But if it makes you feel better, I know a few ass-kicking spells that don’t leave any marks.”

  Mom let out a surprised huff of laughter and leaned
back to take a look at her longtime friend. “You’d do it, too.”

  Meri grinned. “With the way he left you two? It would be my pleasure.”

  I glanced behind her. “Did Dan leave?”

  She nodded and as Mom and Meri chattered about ways to enact revenge on my father, old memories of him surfaced. A tall, sandy-haired man with a quirky half-smile played like a film reel in my mind. That was one of the few images that had stayed with me through all the years.

  I stood at the edge of a creek, holding on tight to a sapling fishing pole while he baited the hook, his eyes twinkling in the morning sun. Clear, kind, blue eyes. That was my most vivid memory. I was eight years old, and Dad was teaching me to fish. The next time he’d come around, I was ten. I’d been engrossed in some cartoon and barely noticed when Mom went to answer the door. Five minutes later, she came back into the room, holding an envelope, her face pinched in anger as if I’d ignored her request to clean my room one too many times.

  “Sorry! I’m going.” I jumped up and skirted toward the hall.” It’ll only take a few minutes.”

  “Huh?” Mom sat on our shabby faded blue couch and glanced at me with confused eyes. “What will only take a few minutes?”

  I paused. That fear of getting in trouble vanished at the odd look on her face. She wasn’t angry at all. She was acting different, though, and for some reason, her emotions were closed to me.

  “Jade?”

  I shuffled back into the room and stood in front of her, not sure what to think of her quiet, unnatural tone.

  “Come sit with me.” She held out her arm, coaxing me over.

  Snuggling next to her, I placed my head on her shoulder as she caressed my hair. “What’s wrong, Mommy?”

  “Nothing, sweetheart. I just wanted to hold my baby for a minute.” She breathed deeply, her chest rising against my cheek.

  I stared out the front window, and after a moment, I noticed a man leaning against a green truck, his head bowed. Then, almost as if he felt my gaze on him, he turned and raised his gaze to mine. Dad. My heart did a funny flip-flop in my chest because I hadn’t seen him in so long. Why was he waiting outside?