by Deanna Chase
Together, Lailah and I mentally grabbed hold of Roy and ripped him from Pyper. He screamed in anger and lashed out, trying to invade me.
“Now!” Lailah yelled.
Roy spiraled toward the portal. Then something changed. My emotional radar was cut off, and I drifted into a hazy fog.
Chapter 23
A steady stream of beep, beep, beep entered my consciousness. It took me a moment to realize the sound wasn’t an alarm clock. It was the monitors in the hospital. All at once the scene at Wicked flashed through my mind. I jerked up but was stopped by something gripping my hand. Through blurry eyes I traced the source of my entrapment. Pyper sat next to me, both of her hands clasped over my right one.
“Hey,” I said, my voice cracking from lack of use.
“Hey yourself,” she said with a huge grin. “How are you doing?”
“Water?”
She held out a paper cup.
I sipped the liquid through the straw and cleared my throat. “It’s over?”
Pyper nodded.
“It was all real, right?”
“Yes.” Tears filled her eyes and she gripped my hand harder. “Thank you,” she whispered.
My eyes filled, and I reached out to her. We held each other for a long moment.
“Where is everyone?” I asked. Then panic flared. “They’re all okay, right?”
“Everyone is fine. They’re at my apartment. That’s where they were meeting to sleep, so Kane could bring them to you. Except Bea. She was physically in the club.”
Relief flooded through me. “I figured that last part out. Was that Roy’s chair?”
“Yes.” Her fingers twitched, and a small spark of her surprise tickled my hand. “How did you know?”
“I sat in it once while I was in the storage room. Some of his residual energy clung to it. It’s awful. I made the connection when I saw her in it. I assume that’s how she tapped into his energy.”
“You’re good.” Pyper said, her eyes wide and eyebrows raised.
I smiled and tried to sit up. “Oh, God. How long have I been here?”
“A week.”
“What?” No wonder I could barely move. “It didn’t seem that long.”
“I know,” Pyper said quietly. “I suppose that’s a good thing, considering all the pain he put us through.”
“Oh, Pyper. I’m so sorry we didn’t think of a way to get to you sooner.”
“Huh? You got to me after two days. We took a week to get you out.” She frowned, and shame seeped from her straight into my heart. “I’m the one who’s sorry. I wanted to come. I wanted to go right back, but Kane wouldn’t take me.”
“Good!” I sat up straight and waited for my spinning head to clear. “I wasn’t in pain. I have the ability to block him out. Didn’t Kane tell you that?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. He might have tried, but I got angry and stopped speaking to him for a few days.”
“Pyper…” I wanted so badly to take away her guilt and shame, but I knew I wasn’t strong enough. Instead, I gathered all my appreciation and pushed it toward her.
The tension in her face eased. “I know that didn’t help, but I was the only one who knew how bad it really was. It drove me insane, knowing Roy had you.” Her eyes clouded. “I wanted to rip his eyes out.”
I smiled at that. “Thank you. But I think sending him to hell was a better choice.”
“Is that where Lailah sent him?”
“I think so. If not, it was close to it. That portal had some seriously bad juju vibes coming from it.” I shivered. “Plus, she told me and Kat that she’s some sort of angel.”
Pyper jerked back. “Angel? That seems sort of crazy, don’t you think?”
“That’s what I said. But who knows? Look at what we just went through. It could be true.”
“I guess you’re right.”
I shifted my body, trying to swing my legs out of the bed, and caused an alarm to go off.
Pyper laughed.
“Crap.”
The door opened, and a nurse bustled in. “You’re awake!” She clapped her hands. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine. I need to get up and move. My body aches.”
“In due time. First the doctor needs to check on you.” She pushed me back down, and checked my temperature and blood pressure. After asking my name and other identifying questions she seemed satisfied and said, “Looking good. I’ll send the doctor right in.”
The nurse left, and I returned my attention to Pyper. She held her phone out to me. “You have a message.”
I read the text. Tell Jade I love her and not to move an inch. I’ll be right there. Kane.
I laid back and closed my eyes, imagining the feel of his arms around me, and then sat straight up. I’d been lying here a week. “Give me a mirror!”
“I told him you’d be fine when you woke up.” She held out a brush and mirror for me. “I was the same way. As if I’d only been asleep for an extended amount of time.”
I went to work, trying to tame my hair. Someone had braided it in one long plait to the side. I undid it, gently combed it out and fixed it up into a relaxed bun.
“You look pretty like that,” Pyper said.
“Ugh, if I wasn’t so pasty white.”
She handed me a compact and some lip gloss. “This will help.”
A few minutes later I surveyed myself in the mirror. Better. At least I didn’t look like death. “Thank you.” I handed everything back to Pyper and patted the bed for her to sit down and wait with me.
“So, have you been sleeping okay this week?” I asked.
“Not really.” She caught my panicked expression and continued. “Just because I was worried about you, not because I was being tortured. That’s over. But I did see someone else in my dreams. A fair-haired man and a golden retriever. Anyone you know?”
“Did they have white light shining around them?”
“Yes.” She smiled.
“Crap. Why are they bugging you?”
“They aren’t. They appeared the first time I slept after I woke from the coma. The man waved and walked off. I think he said goodbye.”
“Weird.”
“A little, but it doesn’t bother me. They seemed harmless.”
“To you, maybe,” I mumbled. Then, to change the subject, I asked, “Do you know why Roy was after you?”
“Yeah. He thought it was my fault he died.” She frowned.
“What? Why?”
“You know he got all that money from selling Kane the club.”
I nodded.
“Well, he took it all to the casinos and started hanging with the wrong crowd. Seems he gambled most of it away and ended up crashing at some dope dealer’s house. There was an altercation, and he got caught in the crossfire. That’s how he died.”
“And this is your fault why?” I didn’t see the connection.
“Because we forced him to sell out. If we hadn’t, he’d still be here, running the club.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“I know. But he’d hated me for a long time now. Ever since I rejected him.”
“Ick.” A shudder ran through my body at the thought of Roy asking her out.
“Yeah.” Her shudder mimicked mine, and we both laughed.
“What’s so funny?” Kane stood just inside the door.
My eyes found his. My heart swelled at the emotion I saw there.
Pyper cleared her throat. “Nothing. It’s about time you got here. What took you so long?”
“It only took me ten minutes.” He shook his head and rounded on her. “What the hell do you think you were doing, showing up in my dream?”
Pyper stiffened. “Stop it. You didn’t see her.” She nodded to me. “Her body started flinching, and I felt what she was feeling.”
“You did?” I asked, more than a little shocked.
Pyper turned to me. “Yes. I felt him mentally attacking you. I couldn’t let it happen. So I curle
d up next to you and willed myself to Kane’s dream. It wasn’t hard. I’d been there before.”
I clutched her hand and mulled over what she said. “Can you sense anything about me now?”
She chuckled. “Just that you want some time with Kane.” She squeezed my hand and let go. “And no, it isn’t a psychic thing. It’s just obvious. I’ll see you two later.”
She disappeared and Kane sat next to me. “Are you all right?”
I nodded and pulled him closer.
He planted a kiss on my forehead and hugged me tight. “I thought I might have lost you.”
I shook my head, too afraid to speak.
He shifted and looked into my eyes. I didn’t need to explore his energy to feel the love flowing from him.
“Just hold me a while,” I choked out.
“I’ll hold you forever.” He lay down next to me and wrapped me in his arms. I snuggled in and rested my head on his shoulder. After a moment he undid my bun and spent a long time running his fingers though my hair.
***
Later that day, the doctor had just left when Charlie and Holly came to visit. They brought flowers and sat with me for a while. I asked about the café and the club, and they filled me in on the craziness of being short-handed. Charlie talked about a new girl she had her eye on, and Holly told me she signed up for my glass beadmaking class.
“You did?” I asked, surprised.
“Yes. I just knew they’d find a way to bring you back. I figured planning a future with you in it could only help. You know, positive cosmic energy and all that.” She tilted her head, hiding her face with a sheet of long blonde hair.
“Yes, that does help. Thank you.” I tapped her arm. “But did you really want to learn?”
She looked up with a huge grin. “Absolutely. I’ve wanted to since I met you. It just looks so cool.”
We chatted for a few minutes more until Kat showed up.
“We’ve got to go. See you soon,” Charlie said and grabbed Holly’s arm to escort her out.
“Bye.” Holly waved.
I watched them go and turned to Kat. “What took you so long?”
She sat down next to me. “I had to call Gwen back. She’s been frantic ever since she felt you disappear.”
“Oh my God, Gwen!” I reached over and picked up the phone. After leaving a short message, I turned back to Kat. “What did she say? Is she all right?” Damn it. That must have been hell for her.
“She’s fine. She felt you come back to the land of the living. But I think she’s planning a visit soon, so prepare yourself.”
My heart swelled. “I’d love to see her. But—” I stared at the door as if she would walk in any minute, “—crap, I won’t have any secrets after she gets here.”
Kat laughed. “True. That woman can’t keep anything behind those bright red lips of hers.”
I groaned, but was still smiling. “Have you seen Bea? I want to thank her.”
Kat’s smile faded. “Yeah. I just came from her house. She nearly collapsed with exhaustion after holding Roy in a binding spell for so long.”
“Oh, no. Is she okay?” I inched up on the pillows.
“I think she will be. Ian’s going to stay with her until she feels better.”
“Ian’s staying with her? I didn’t know they even knew each other.” Then something hit me. “Bea is Ian’s aunt, isn’t she?”
Kat nodded. “Yes. I didn’t know either until this week. They were together at some ghost hunt. That’s why we couldn’t reach either of them.”
“Ian could have told us he was leaving,” I said, slightly annoyed.
“They’d only planned to be gone one day, but things got a little wild, and they got stuck. Anyway, I’ll let him tell you all about it later.”
“Is he coming by?”
“No. He said to tell you he’d call. He doesn’t want to leave Bea alone.”
“That’s good.” My heart filled with gratitude at what everyone had done to help me. I reached out to Kat and grabbed her arm. “Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. I’m not letting you go that easily.” Her tone was light, but relief mixed with residual fear pressed at my consciousness.
“Help me up,” I swung my legs off the side of the bed. “I need to get out of this bed and into a shower.” I’d been up a couple of times already. Once to use the bathroom and once to take a short walk. After lying down for a week, it wasn’t easy.
Kat helped me shower and to my delight had a bag full of fresh clothes and toiletries waiting for me. “You’re an angel,” I said.
She laughed. “That’s Lailah’s thing. I’m just a good friend.”
“The best,” I agreed.
***
The doctors kept me one more night for observation and by the next morning I was ready to leave. I’d taken to pacing the halls just to get out of bed and move my muscles. When they couldn’t find anything after poking and prodding me, they released me into Kane’s care with strict instructions to take it easy.
I eyed Kane and chuckled.
“Stop that,” he said.
“What?” I asked innocently as I imagined getting him naked.
“Never mind. Behave.”
I muffled another laugh as he pushed my wheelchair down the hall.
Kane drove me home in Pyper’s Mini Cooper.
“You don’t have a car?” I asked.
“Nope,” he said. “I used to have a jeep, but a few months back a buddy of mine totaled it. I haven’t replaced it yet. I walk almost everywhere I go and when I need a car, I just borrow Pyper’s.”
“That makes two of us without wheels.”
“I know.” Kane pulled up in front of the club. I spotted the sign I’d read the first night I’d moved in. Hundreds of Beautiful Women, and Three Ugly ones.
“Kane, what’s with the sign?”
He glanced at it then back to me. “What?”
“The sign, what’s the story behind it?”
He laughed. “You’re kidding, right?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“I can’t believe after all of this, you didn’t know.” He moved his hands around indicating us, the club, and all that had happened.
“Come on, who are the three ugly women?”
“You’re gonna love this.” He smiled. “They’re ghosts, of course.”
“Ghosts!” I shouted. “What? Who? Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
“You never asked. Besides, it’s common knowledge. Most likely everyone thought you knew.” He shrugged.
“Why haven’t I seen them?” I wondered aloud.
“You will,” he replied.
“How do you know?”
“You’ll see.”
He got out of the car and came around to my side to help me out.
“Kane–”
He put a finger to my lips. “Shhh. Right now I have other things on my mind.” He walked me to the side door of the building, pulled me inside and pressed me up against the wall. His eyes darkened to deep pools of melted chocolate and seconds after his lips and body touched mine, all other thoughts and questions vanished.
When he finally pulled away my heart hammered, and my legs had turned to jelly.
“C’mon,” he said, pulling me up my stairwell behind him. When we reached the top, I was panting.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yes. Just out of shape after my week-long hiatus.” I smiled and opened my door. “Now, what was it that was on your mind?”
His eyes clouded over and his desire mixed with concern reached me.
“Stop worrying. I’m perfectly fine.” I maneuvered closer to him.
He put his arms around me and turned his head toward the bed. “I’ve been imagining getting you into that thing ever since I brought it up here.”
“That’s odd. I’ve been imagining it ever since I saw the headboard in storage.”
He pulled me closer. “My grandmother would be so pleased to know that
bed is now in the possession of the woman I love.”
“It’s your grandmother’s? You said you were going to give it to a restoration place.” I jabbed him in the shoulder.
He shrugged. “I wanted you to have it. I knew you’d take care of it. And I knew you’d never take it otherwise. It’s my curse to love headstrong women. Grandmother would be proud.”
I shook my head and tried not to laugh at the triumphant look on his face.
“Forget my grandmother.” He pulled me down onto the bed, and for the next two hours I focused on all things Kane and the pleasure we gave each other.
When we finally drifted off to sleep, Bobby appeared, highlighted in a warm, pale glow. I watched as he smiled down at me. After a moment he waved, and the light faded into darkness. Still dreaming, Kane appeared and wrapped me in his arms. Bobby was gone, and finally it was just the two of us.
About the Author
Deanna is a native Californian, transplanted to the slower paced lifestyle of southeastern Louisiana. When she isn’t writing, she is often goofing off with her husband in New Orleans, playing with her two shih tzu dogs, making glass beads, or out hocking her wares at various bead shows across the country. For more information and updates on newest releases visit her blog at www.deannachase.com.
Witches of Bourbon Street Excerpt
I sat cross-legged in Bea’s cheery, yellow living room, trying not to scowl. White witch, my ass. After two hours of trying to manipulate my so-called power, I was ready to tell Bea and her nephew, Ian, exactly what they could do with their magic lessons.
Only, I couldn’t.
While battling with an evil spirit three months ago, Bea’s energy had been compromised, and she’d never recovered. For some ungodly reason she was convinced I was a witch and the answer for a cure.
I took in the dark circles rimming her eyes and her pale, waxy skin. The vibrant southern lady I’d come to admire had been replaced by a tired shell of an elderly woman destined for a retirement village.
All my irritation vanished. I had to do something. Anything.