Nurses came back twice more after that and woke me to ask my name and birthday. Devon stirred when they came in, but he’d made it very clear that he wasn’t leaving me, so they didn’t even bother to ask him to leave.
The sun woke me the next time. That and the pitiful sounds coming from my stomach. My mouth felt like the Sahara and ice chips weren’t going to cut it anymore. A new nurse came in and laughed a little at poor Devon’s huge body hanging off the side of the bed. I motioned her over to my side of the bed, and with her help, I was able to get up without disturbing him.
The dizziness was less as she led me to the bathroom where I found the most amazing prize. Someone had brought me my toothbrush and paste and even my hairbrush! I sighed and the nurse said she’d stand guard while I took care of personal needs. It was the greatest tooth-brushing ever experienced by womankind.
When I stepped out of the bathroom, I smiled at the sight of my beautiful man sleeping ridiculously sound for being in what must be a totally uncomfortable position.
The nurse giggled and said, “I wanted to ask for his autograph, but I didn’t want to disturb y’all. Watching him sleep is just as amazing.”
I took a closer look at the nurse. She was probably a couple of years younger than me and she obviously recognized Devon. I smiled at her.
“He is pretty amazing when he sleeps.”
She put her hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. But you are so lucky.”
I laughed and this caused him to stir. “I am unbelievably lucky,” I said to her and I gave her a wink.
“Are you ready for some breakfast,” she asked me from the doorway.
“I would kill for something to eat right now. I’d literally kill something to eat if it would make my stomach stop growling.”
She laughed and left the room as Devon opened an eye.
“Wow, chère. The colors on your face are even more fascinating today.”
I rolled my eyes at him, which hurt considerably less than yesterday, and crawled back into bed next to him. I looked into his eyes trying to determine where things stood.
“I’d really like to be doing this in my own bed with you. And with fewer clothes.”
He smiled and tried to stretch a little. “The sooner the better. My back is killing me right now.”
I felt so bad. “Oh, baby. You didn’t need to...”
His eyes flew open, daring me to finish that sentence. “I only meant I hate it that you didn’t sleep well. Is that ok?”
He frowned. “No. But at least you didn’t say sorry again.”
We looked at each other for a really long time without speaking until throat clearing at the door broke apart our gaze.
“I brought your breakfast, Miss Charles. Doctor said only toast and juice first. Your stomach needs to rest a bit more.”
I nodded. “This is great, thank you.”
The nurse nodded, her eyes bugged out at Devon, and then she hurried out of the room.
“You’re going to need to leave an autograph for her. The poor girl has been beside herself all morning.”
He shook his head and sat up. He ran his hands through his hair and I envied how easily he achieved his look in the morning.
“I also really, really want to take a shower and wash my hair. Think maybe you might want to help with that?” I was only sort of teasing. I knew I needed help but I didn’t know what he was feeling right now. “I understand if you need to go, though.”
He stood up and stretched and I heard his back pop and crack. Then he sat back down next to me and reached to roll the tray with my lame breakfast on it closer to me.
Devon broke a piece of toast off and held it up to my lips. I raised an eyebrow at him and took the food. He was watching me closely as I took another bite from his fingers. The third bite his fingers lingered over my lips. By the fourth bite, he was caressing my face and by the fifth bite, he was kissing my neck in between.
“As soon as they give you clearance I am going to drive you home and caretake you like nobody’s business. I am going to bathe you, wash your hair, feed you, watch over you, maybe even paint your toenails again. I am not leaving your side.”
I looked up at him and the love in his eyes was so powerful it took my breath away. “That would be pretty damn wonderful. But what about...”
He shook his head. “Marcus and I had a long talk yesterday and he called Scott, the producer. We told Scott we weren’t able to come out to L.A. right now and he was fine with it. He actually had another band that was ready this week, so they are taking our time with him. That gives us another month or so to fine-tune what we’ve got and come up with some better stuff. So I’m not going anywhere. I even told the guys I’d be staying with you until you were better and they were pissed because they all want to come take care of you, too.”
I laughed at that and tears spilled down my cheeks. He kissed them away and held more toast up for me. I pointed at the juice and he gave me a sip. I was a little over attentive to the bendy straw on my juice box causing Devon’s eyes to narrow and a growl to sound in his chest. He pulled the juice box away and kissed me deeply, his tongue gliding along mine, stroking and caressing. I moaned softly and he pulled me to him, crushing me against his chest. A soft tapping at the door interrupted us and we both looked over to find Dr. Franklin smiling at us.
“Well, I see things are progressing in here. How do you feel this morning, Miss Charles?”
I smiled at Devon. “Better. Much better.”
Dr. Franklin chuckled. “I can see why. Mr. Boudreaux? Would you mind if I examine Miss Charles? It will mean getting her home that much quicker.”
Devon smiled his devastating smile, my favorite of his smiles, and I felt like things just might be going right in the world.
Epilogue
The guys’ reprieve lasted two more months. During that time I was in and out of the St. Germaine tattooing them and just hanging out. They decided on the drawing of the angel cradling a fleur de lis, just like Star described. When I finished the drawing, Jade just HAD to have it done first. I worked on them each over a couple of weeks and learned even more about them during that time. Mage was insanely ticklish and his tattoo took the longest since he wanted it on his rib cage. I tattooed Devon last, when he was ready, and it was a moving experience for both of us. He decided to have it placed on his back under his last name. It was a perfect fit.
I made sure I spent plenty of time hanging out with the other guys as well. We watched more cult classics together, played more Trivial Pursuit, and we finally made it out to their old paintball stomping grounds in Houma. I was victorious! Most importantly, they wrote some amazing music together. Much of it was very different from where they had started and a huge departure from their earlier albums. All of it related to losing Maggie and finding their way back to life, wherever that journey led them.
The guys went back to L.A. in early July to go into the studio with Scott Cross and wrapped recording in mid-August. They returned to New Orleans for a couple of weeks in September and Devon and I spent almost every single minute together. He hung out at my shop, we went out to listen to music, and we spent lots of time with Marie, Daryl and the rest of the family. Daryl fully recovered from his heart attack and started working with a personal trainer. He lost 50lbs and looked even scarier now that he was starting to tone and build muscle.
Business was booming at the shop. Mackenzie and I decided to hire another tattoo artist and a shop girl so that she and I would be able to travel from time to time together to see the guys. She and Star hit a few bumpy patches, including the night he knocked on my door in his birthday suit because Mackenzie had gotten angry and kicked him out. All he could figure out was that she went to use the bathroom and he’d left the toilet seat up. The next thing he knew she was hitting him with a pillow and screaming at him to get out. Devon gladly lent him a pair of shorts and he crashed on the couch after we ate a pint of ice cream together. When Devon and I aw
oke the next day Mackenzie was curled up next to him on my couch and he was snoring happily.
October was filled with a series of shows in major cities. They played more intimate venues than usual and Devon loved it. He called me everyday from the road, sometimes twice or three times, and he said he felt like the new stuff they’d written had invigorated him. It was hard with him gone, but the extra time we’d had together further solidified our feelings. My confidence in us was growing. The short tour ended in New Orleans for VooDoo Fest the week of Halloween. It was my first time seeing them perform in a regular setting and I was completely awestruck. They had a stage built, pyrotechnics, film running on three screens and they performed with such aggression and power it blew me away. They played a few songs from the new album, which they titled Haunted. As Marcus suggested, they used my original drawing. Rock radio stations everywhere picked up ‘Heavy’ as the first single. It immediately went to number one on the charts and stayed there through November.
The album release was set for December and, in poor taste, the label had planned a release party the same week as the anniversary of Maggie’s death. This time it was held at the Key Club on Sunset in Hollywood. Devon and I talked a lot about it ahead of time, and by the time the night arrived, he was feeling more comfortable with the idea. Things were very different this time. The guys were all sober, Sherry did her best to be sure any bad influences wouldn’t be around them, and he felt like he could do it if he was holding my hand. The plan was they would play three or four songs from the album, we would toast, with Martinelli’s, and that would be that.
But Devon had something else in mind. After they played their set, they lingered on stage and Devon stepped up to the mic.
“Before we finish up here, I have one more song to sing. It’s called ‘Branded,’ and I would like to dedicate this to my beautiful Jaylene.”
I feel your needle on my skin, marking me as you’ve marked my soul
The buzz like the feeling I get whenever you are near to me
The lines and colors you etch into me like the memories of holding you close
The moment you touched me you branded me
You branded me
And I’ll never be the same
My life before you left marks and scars I never thought would heal
My life before you was an endless drone that left me numb and cold
My life before you was broken lines and muted colors
But the moment you touched me, you branded me
You branded me
And I’m forever changed
From now on I’ll share my soul with you
From now on I’ll hold you close whether near or far
From now on we’ll make the lines and colors more vivid than ever before
Now that you’ve branded me
You’ve branded me,
Part of me you’ll always be.
When the song finished he gestured for me to join him onstage. Mackenzie elbowed me and Sherry pushed from the other side. I walked up to the stage, careful not to stumble in the gorgeous deep red gown Devon had bought for me and on the heels I was so not used to wearing. Marcus took my hand and helped me up the steps to Devon, who took me in his arms and kissed me. He got down on his knee and my world tilted on its side. He still held the mic in his hand.
“Beautiful girl, you’ve held my hand through these many months and made me the happiest man alive. I told you shortly after we met that I was going to ask you to marry me, and well, I’ve wanted to do this since that day. Jaylene Renee Charles, would you do me the most incredible honor of becoming my wife?”
He held out a breathtakingly beautiful platinum ring with a large black diamond in the center surrounded by smaller white diamonds. I was shaking a bit and had some trouble breathing. He looked concerned but the smile never left his eyes. After all we’d been through, I didn’t ever want that smile to leave his eyes again. I said a silent prayer of thanks that those eyes continued to smile. When I didn’t answer right away he cleared his throat and said, “I dare you.” His devastating smile almost did me in.
When I answered, I had never been so sure of anything in my life. “Yes, Devon. I would love to be your wife. You don’t even have to dare me.”
The guys in the band sarcastically played the wedding march and the applause from our friends and family in the club was heartwarming. I wasn’t just marrying my best friend. I was marrying into the family who had already adopted me. I felt safe, I felt cherished, and I felt loved. And though we would always be haunted by those we’d lost and by the tragedies of the past, we were all closer than ever. Maggie’s Bones were about to reconquer the world.
Devon slipped the ring on my finger and made sure it was snug before rising to his full height and cradling my face in his hands. “I love you desperately, chère. I can’t wait to be married to you.”
I shook my head. “I can’t wait to be Mrs. Boudreaux.”
We both laughed and he pulled me into a tight embrace. I barely heard the congratulations that were given by all of the partygoers.
Her eyes our lens
Her smile our light
Her laugh our applause
Her death our tragedy
Acknowledgements
I would never have been able to write this novel without the support and patience of my husband and my children. Haunted would never have been published without the talents and dedication of my good friend Christina Schlaegel Martinez and my fantastic editor, Lindsay Thibodaux.
I also want to thank the amazing women I’ve had the pleasure of being tattooed by. Amy Justen, Karen Roze, and Natasha Pritchett have all imparted their tattoo wisdom to me over the years and I tried to be true to these artists in the creation of Jaylene.
Thank you to Neil Schwartzfarb for his inspiring photography. His roses gave me a renewed inspiration for the cover.
To my newest friends and mentors: Ellay Branton, who also designed my beautiful cover, Kimberlie L. Faye, Cynthia St. Aubin, Tiffinie Helmer, Kerrigan Byrne, and T.E. Ridener… You always responded to my frantic cries for help in the night, so thank you, ladies, from the bottom of my heart!
Thank you to my new support system in the San Francisco Area Romance Writers of America chapter for your wisdom and positive encouragement! I count myself lucky to be amongst accomplished and generous women and men like you! It’s an exciting time to be a writer, and I look forward to learning from and supporting you all!
And thanks to those who have been there to remind me throughout my life that I need to do what is right for me and who have encouraged me when I felt like I wasn't strong enough, skilled enough, or smart enough to do the job.
R.I.P. David Charles Merrill 1944-2012
Connect With R.L. Merrill
I would love to connect with you on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/rowritesrocknromance
or via email at [email protected]
Reviews
Reviews are incredibly important to authors. If you enjoyed Haunted, please leave your review for others at Amazon, GoodReads, or whichever rooftop you’d like to shout it from!
Table of Contents
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
ding books on Archive.
Haunted Page 46