Twin Souls (The Guardians: Book 2)

by D. M. Mortier

  “I am sorry, Rico. You were right. I was being arrogant because I knew I had the greatest weapon of protection on the planet.”

  Rico raised angry eyes to her. “What weapon did you think could possibly win against these guys and keep you safe?”

  She held his dark gaze with hers. “I have you, Rico,” she said solemnly.

  “Hell no!”Rico turned his back to her. “You’re not getting away with feeding me that line.”

  Cherone followed him, moving closer to him. Her heart despaired as his body stiffened at her touch. “I have always had you to protect me, to look out for me, and to keep all demons at bay,” she whispered.

  Rico moved away from her and stood in front of the closed bedroom door. He placed his hand on the doorknob, ready to escape her.

  “You’re my knight, Rico.” She moved closer to him. “How could I possibly think this time you wouldn’t be there to save me? How could I not arrogantly assume you would save me again?”

  “Ah, querida, you scared the shit outta me today,” he said softly.

  Cherone stood behind him with her pride and confidence frayed. Reaching toward him, she tenderly caressed his back with the tips of her fingers. “Will you kiss me, Rico?”

  He shook his head.

  She moved around him and squeezed between him and the door. The imprint of his shirt and hard jeans scraped against her naked skin. “Rico?” She looked into his dark eyes, but he refused to meet her gaze. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she rose up on her toes and brought his lips down to hers.

  Rico didn’t open his mouth or bend to give her better access.

  “I’m sorry, mi amor,” she whispered against his lips. “Say you forgive me.” Nibbling on his lower lip, she snuggled into his warmth and ran her tongue along the seams of his lips. She pulled his lip between her teeth and sucked it into her mouth. “Te amo mucho, Rico.”

  Groaning in surrender, Rico covered her mouth with his and deepened the kiss. He picked her up and anchored her against the door.

  She buried her fingers in his silky hair as he trailed his lips down her neck and chest and settled over her throbbing nipples. He curled his tongue around her beaded tip and sucked her hungrily in his mouth. She held him to her breast as she ground her clit against thick length.

  Rico palmed her ass, digging his fingers into the round cheeks as he impaled her with his hard shaft.

  Her cries echoed throughout the room, reveling in the feel of his thick length sliding sensually into her heat.

  He captured her lips, swallowing her wails as he thrust deeply up into her.

  She shivered violently in ecstasy as the love for him overwhelmed her. His scent, his touch, his absolute masculine virility spiked her lust to an unbearable stratosphere. The granite ridges of his cock tormented the sensitive flesh of her clit as he powered into her over and over again. She splintered in passionate surrender as an irrepressible orgasm overtook her.

  Rico roared as her pulsing heat closed around him sucking him in deep, catapulting him into a searing release.

  He slumped against the door, his breathing fractured, and his limbs quivered in the aftermath of the overwhelming emotion between them. “I swear you’re going to be the death of me.”

  Cherone giggled at his breathless confession.

  “You had better tell the guys I beat your ass for disobeying me, no grinning or looking like I fucked your brains out.”

  “Would it help if I stayed in here crying like I hate your guts?” She giggled again.

  “Yeah, that will work. Because no one looking at you would possibly believe you were disciplined properly. Especially Dom. He will expect some kind of disciplinary action, preferably me taking a switch to you.”

  “Contrite and beaten, got it,” Cherone teased.

  Rico picked her up and laid her on the bed. He stretched on the mattress beside her. “I have to go,” he murmured.

  “Well, I hope you clean up before you do, because the guys will know immediately what you’ve been up to.”

  He kissed her hard before climbing from the bed, crossing the room and disappearing into the bathroom.

  When he returned a few minutes later, Cherone stood and intercepted him. “Rico, would you please check on Nic? I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to him.”

  Rico stared at her silently for a brief moment. “I will send something up for you to eat.” Before she could protest, he slipped through the door and was gone.

  I love you, Rico. Please let me know when the guys are home safe.

  Get some rest.

  I will now that you’re leaving my ass alone.

  Chapter Twenty

  “NO WONDER CHERONE’S so damn disobedient,” Sean observed drily. “You’re pitiful, man.”

  “What the hell are you going on about?” Rico asked as he entered the kitchen.

  Ray, Sean, Neo, and Dominic sat around the small kitchen table eating grilled beef, fish, roasted potatoes and vegetables as Clara buzzed around them dishing out more food as soon as they cleaned their plate. Chilly bottles of beers were placed on the table in front of them.

  “You didn’t even last an hour. Man, you’re worse than Dom.” Sean shook his head in disgust.

  “Sean, shut the hell up,” Dominic muttered. “Rico, we’re rolling in an hour. Ray will stay here with Dave to guard the women.”

  “We have a location for this bastard?” Rico asked.

  “Yeah.” Neo looked up from his plate. “He has her friend, Nic at an apartment off of Blue Lagoon Drive.”

  “Clara, can you take some food upstairs for Roni?” On the affirmative nod from Clara, Rico took a seat and dug into the plate of food Clara had placed there for him. He looked at Neo. “Is he alive?”

  “From what we can tell, yes, but he’ll probably need medical attention,” Neo said.

  “So what’s the plan?” Rico asked Dominic as Clara left the room with a tray of food for Cherone.

  “Is Roni going to be a problem?” Dominic asked.

  “No, it’s fine. She will follow orders.” Rico almost felt as if he should cross his fingers or something. When has Cherone ever followed orders? What the hell am I going to do if she disobeys me? Rico looked up and noted that all of the guys were staring at him in amusement. “What?”

  “You don’t have a chance in hell of controlling her if she gets wind of how bad off her friend is,” Neo said.

  “Well, you’d better not tell her then,” Rico said.

  Two hours later, Rico looked around at the men on the floor of the Samir’s rented apartment. “Are you guys thinking what I’m thinking?”

  Dominic did another sweep of the room for explosives. “Yeah, this was too fucking easy.”

  Neo and Sean nodded

  Rico quickly untied Nic from a chair and removed the gag from his mouth. Bloodied and badly beaten, the guy was barely conscious. “We need to get him to a hospital.”

  “Roni…Roni…” Nic mumbled.

  “Yeah, she’s very worried about you, buddy,” Rico said.

  “No, get Roni!” Nic mumbled again before he passed out.

  “What the hell do you think that was about?” Sean asked.

  Cherone had just stepped out of the shower and pulled on a cotton dress Clara had brought from the house for her. With no clothes of her own at the apartment, she was grateful for Clara’s thoughtfulness in bringing a packed suitcase for her. Cherone diligently lotioned her skin with her favorite coconut body cream, brushed her long hair until it shone down her back, and applied pink lip gloss and dark eyeliner.

  Cherone returned to the bedroom and wondered if she should call Clara to keep her company. Staying in the bedroom with no computer or television, she was bored out of her skull. If I just poke my head into the kitchen, would that be disobeying Rico? She sighed and settled down on the bed to wait for Rico’s return. There was no way she would jeopardize him coming home early to find her out of the bedroom. I’m going to try being obedi
ent for at least today. How the hell am l going to do this going forward? Rico is going to have to change his Neanderthal attitude about me staying locked away. Where did he disappear to anyway?

  The sound of gunshots shattered the quiet, and Cherone was so stunned by the sudden threat of violence that she took a few seconds before springing to action. Picking up the gun and knife she had discarded earlier, she eased open the door of the bedroom and crept on her hands and knees down the hall.

  Another round of gunshots and a terrified scream from Clara sent Cherone rigid with fear. Moving a little closer, she looked over the banister to see what was going on.

  “Go get my pigeon!” Samir ordered as he put another bullet into Dave, the guard the guys had left stationed in the apartment. Ray lay on the floor, bloodied and motionless.

  Cherone placed her palm over her mouth to prevent the scream lodged there.

  Rico! Rico are you there?

  Yes, querida. What is it?

  Samir is here in the apartment!

  What the fuck? Where are you?

  I’m on the stairs. He has a gun pointed at Clara’s head. Both Dave and Ray have been shot. Cherone shivered with shock and fear.

  You have to prepare yourself, querida.

  Prepare for what?

  Prepare for Samir to take both you and Clara.

  Oh my God!

  He will use Clara to control you.

  Yeah, well, he hasn’t gotten me yet! Cherone quickly crept back down the hall and re-entered the bedroom.

  Don’t do anything heroic! We’re on the way!

  Cherone was too busy barricading herself in the bedroom to answer him. She ran to the balcony and climbed out onto the ledge twenty floors from the ground.

  Cherone, answer me!

  Kinda busy right now trying not to fall to my death.

  What the hell are you doing?

  Why do you have to live on the top floor?

  You’re not … You can’t—

  You’d better get here fast, then!

  Cherone, don’t do anything to encourage him to hurt you.

  Just get here Rico!

  Fuckin’ stubborn woman!

  Cherone decided against playing Spiderwoman, zipped back into the bedroom, went into the walk-in closet and struggled into Rico’s tan trench coat. When she came back out of the closet, two massive men, both well over six-feet and two hundred and fifty pounds, stood in the middle of the room with guns drawn.

  “Come with us,” one of the men demanded in a deep French accent.

  Cherone extended her hands to both men. “Good evening, gentlemen,” she said as she grabbed both of their hands. “Let’s go speak to my friend, Samir.” She made her voice as breathless and seductive as she could manage. Cherone would have laughed at their stunned looks if she didn’t know her and Clara’s lives depended on her ability to delay their abduction.

  The tan trench coat floated around her as she glided along between the men. As they descended the stairs, Cherone saw Samir was just as stunned as his cohorts. Cherone smiled brightly as she stepped away from Anton and Luc. Touching their palms, she had gleaned what she needed from both men. With a silly blank look on her face, she floated across the room and approached the other two gunmen Samir had brought with him.

  “Hello, gentlemen,” she said as she shook both men’s hands. Ah, Eric and Marc, got it! She next glided toward Samir. “Hello, Samir,” she said in the same breathy, seductive voice. She grabbed his free hand as the other still held the gun pointing at Clara. Cherone briefly met Clara’s frightened gaze.

  “Cherone, finally we meet,” the Algerian said smoothly.

  Cherone walked away from him, her movements lithe and sensual. “Oh Samir, I have been longing to meet you. I have heard how wonderfully strong and smart you are. Any man who can evade America’s finest is worthy of admiration indeed.” When she was well across the room from him, Cherone threw her head back dramatically, almost bending back to the floor. After opening the coat to float out around her, she sprang back upright with high theatrics. A trick she had learned as a child, she rolled her eyes back in her head until only the whites of her eyes were visible.

  Ensuring she faced Samir, she said in a deep, loud voice, “Yes, Samir, I’ve been eager to meet you ever since I saw you hit my Rico over the head with your gun!”

  “What the hell is this?” Samir exclaimed.

  Cherone dissolved into an evil cackle. “You don’t know, Samir? Didn’t my sister, Tamara, tell you that I am a Creole priestess?”

  “A what?” Samir demanded.

  “A Creole priestess. I hold your future in my hands.”

  “I would love to hear about all of this,” Samir laughed nervously, “but we have to get the hell out of here before your protectors return.”

  “Ah, but they are not my protectors. I protect them.”

  Samir snorted.

  “Oh, but I do. You haven’t been able to get at them yet, have you?”

  Samir laughed. “Your boyfriend may disagree with you.”

  Cherone smiled, her eyes twitching in their sockets. “With a house filled with your armed guards, he was naked, weaponless, and still he was able to escape. How do you explain that?”

  “Luck!” Samir snarled. “Pure, dumb luck!”

  “You don’t believe in my powers?” Cherone laughed. “How would I know that Marc and Anton were not with you in New Orleans, but Eric and Luc were?” Cherone cackled loudly. “Men don’t live long around you, Samir. Luc here lost his only remaining brother Francois in that raid. You have a habit of making a man an only child.”

  “You can stop with these cheap parlor tricks,” Samir said angrily.

  “What about your men, do they believe that this is some parlor trick? I know Marc wants to return home to his wife and son.” She rolled her eyes back in place. That crap was beginning to hurt! Looking directly at Marc, she shook her head. “Unfortunately, you won’t make it back to Joséphine and little Eugène if you stay here with Samir.”

  The stunned look on Marc’s face was priceless. Cherone wanted to laugh in delight, but things were too serious for her to lose her concentration. Ray could bleed out and die if she didn’t keep distracting Samir. When Clara moved toward her husband and cradled his head in her lap, Samir didn’t blink because he was so focused on Cherone.

  But how long can I keep his attention?

  Rico and Sean rappelled from the roof of the building down to the balcony of his apartment. Rico smiled as the French doors easily slid open. He shook his head at Cherone’s forethought in leaving the door unlocked. They moved stealthily through the bedroom and fanned out into the hallway. Once they were in place, Rico whispered into his microphone, “We’re at the mark.”

  He looked over the banister and saw Dave and Ray unconscious on the floor, Clara kneeling beside Ray with tears running down her face, Samir looking as if he was about to blow his top, and his men transfixed by the striking figure of Cherone in his trench coat. “Remind me to tan her ass,” he muttered into the microphone.

  “Hate to tell you, man, but you’re fucked,” Sean whispered.

  “Thanks man, love your vote of confidence.”

  “Girl’s quite an actress. Is that your trench coat?” Sean asked.

  “Yeah. So?”

  “Didn’t know you owned one. I like it.”

  “Cut the chatter,” Dominic’s voice crackled into Rico’s ear. “We’re in position outside, and we are a go in ten seconds.”

  Rico looked down at Cherone. I like that trench coat, too, but only if she wears it … and nothing else.

  “With another baby on the way, are you sure you want to follow this man to your death?” Cherone asked Anton.

  Anton seemed about to bolt. “How do you—”

  “Stand your ground!” Samir barked. “Don’t move a fucking inch!”

  Cherone puffed out her lower lip. “Ah Anton, decisions, decisions, to move or not to move? To listen to a Creole priestess who you
’ve never met who knows your wife’s name is Amelia or listen to the boss who doesn’t want you to see Amelia ever again? How do I know so much about you, if I’m not a priestess?”

  “Enough!” Samir yelled. “Grab her and the other woman. We need to get out of here!”

  As Luc and Anton started to move toward her, Cherone threw her head back and rolled her eyes back until the whites were visible again. “Grand-mère Bouchard, come to me now!”

  “What the hell?” Samir roared.

  The other men stiffened and froze in their tracks.

  “Grand-mère Bouchard, please come join us now!” Cherone chanted.

  “Ignore her!” Samir shouted. “Get her now!”

  “Grand-mère Bouchard, get your asses in gear and join us now!” Cherone cried as she dove behind an armchair for cover,

  The explosive sound of shattering glass filled the air. Dominic and Neo flew through the broken window spraying bullets while heavy steps thundered down the stairs. Reaching between her thighs, Cherone gripped her knife in one hand and the gun in the other.

  Samir, with blood dripping from a wound in his arm, dove next to her and pulled her violently to her feet. “Enough!” Samir held a gun to her head as her four rescuers stood in the middle of the room, their guns smoking.

  Cherone looked around at the carnage. She was not surprised to see all four of Samir’s men lying dead on the floor because she had seen their fates when she had read their palms.

  “Come any closer and she’s dead!” Samir threatened.

  Duck when I tell you to, Rico whispered in her head.

  I will.

  I like you in that coat.

  You like me out of it better, right?

  “So it was you who killed my brother?” Samir asked Neo.

  “If you mean, that rapist and murderer Andrè, then yes, I killed his ass,” Neo drawled. “Your brother cried like a bitch, too. He was a pussy, just like you.”

  “Motherfucker!” Samir raised his gun toward Neo.

  Duck!

  Cherone dropped to the floor.

  The men riddled Samir with bullets before he was able to fire, and he fell in a bloody heap next to Cherone.