Rougarou II

by Judith Ann McDowell

  “How dare you cast aspersions on my grandfather! He went there to honor the dead! As monarch of the Hindel name, it is his right to do so!” Lawrence lashed out at them. “Before my father’s death it was he who held that title. No one gave more to the people than he did!”

  “I agree with all my heart, Lawrence.” Jack laughed. “Your daddy had to be the most givin’ and most takin’ man in this whole damn parish. When it served his purpose he gave to every charity the people of our little parish could come up with. When it served his greed he took advantage of every trustin’ soul he could feed upon!” He leered into the hostile eyes staring back at him. “Don’t bother to pardon the pun!”

  “Someday, Jack, you will go too far. I hope I am here to see it. My grandfather is not someone you want to anger. Trust me on that one, Jack.

  “Listen, you little prick!” Jack reached out snatching him forward. “You don’t threaten me! You don’t and your grandpa don’t! You got that straight, you little puke?”

  “You don’t scare me, Jack. You can beat me until I am black and blue and I still will not fear you.” He refused to drop his gaze.

  “Oh, now what? You gonna tell your grandpa on me? You slimy little bitch!” Jack threw him back away from him.

  Donavan stood watching this show of bravery and felt surprise. “I see you’re getting some backbone of late, Lawrence. Mind telling us why?”

  “I don’t have to tell you anything, Detective Hays. You are standing on my property. How I behave in the privacy of my own home is my business.”

  “You have a valid point, Lawrence. This is your home and you are entitled to say what you want. Just try not to get too comfortable with your newfound power. If you do it could land you in a lot of trouble. Remember the Hindel name is not what it used to be. For sure after we learned about your daddy being a werewolf.”

  “You would do well to remember the real Jonathan Hindel! The greatest man this town had the privilege to know.” Lawrence looked beyond the two men standing before him.

  “You’ve just proven our point, Lawrence,” Jack told him. “The people of this parish never knew the real Jonathan Hindel. They just saw what he wanted them to see. You forget Detective Hays and I had the privilege of seeing the face behind the mask so to speak. When we did, we destroyed him. You might want to remember that!”

  Lawrence gazed up at him and his light eyes took on a look of venom. “And if I were you, I would be thinking about all I have to lose. You both have families you love. I warn you now, keep them very close and never trust their well-being to anyone, other than yourselves. You never know who might wish to do them harm.”

  “You worthless piece of piss!” Jack grabbed him by the neck. “If you or any of your kind even comes close to one of our loved ones I swear to Christ, right here and now, I’ll cut your filthy heart out and stuff it down your fuckin’ throat! You got that, you evil son of a bitch!”

  “Jack, turn him loose.” Donavan came forward to loosen his hold on Lawrence’s neck. “We came here to talk with Rafael and we can see now he isn’t here. Let’s go.”

  For a long moment, Jack stood with his hand on the butt of his gun glaring at the man who had him shaking with anger. “Stay outta my way, or I swear one of these days I’ll blow you straight into hell!”

  Donavan slammed the door on his side of the car and started the engine. “Let’s get the hell out of here, Jack. I hope I’m wrong, but I think Junior has joined the ranks of the undead.” He drove around the circular driveway then down the lane and through the open gate.

  “What makes you say that?” Jack turned in his seat, giving Donavan his complete attention.

  “He has no fear of us anymore. You know yourself that before, if anyone even came close to threatening him he would cower down like a whipped animal! He don’t do that now! Something has happened to take away his fear!”

  “I’m worried, Donavan. He was too open in his threats towards our families. He don’t care we know he’s out to destroy us.”

  “Why do you think that is? Think god-damn-it! Rafael has made him into the same evil scum he is!”

  “All right. I’m not arguing with you.” His voice shook and he did nothing to stop it. “We can’t let Barbara and Jenny know what the hell’s goin’ on. They would be scared shitless. And I don’t even wanna think about what this kinda stress could do to Seelah.”

  “I know you want to protect her by keeping all this quiet, but right now her safety is more important. Starting tonight, you and Seelah are moving in with us. And before you start, it ain’t open for discussion!” He gave him a side-ways glance.

  “You’re not gonna get any argument from me. I just want what’s best for her. Right now there’s safety in numbers.”

  “I don’t know how I’m going to tell Barbara either, but between the two of us we’ll come up with something. I just hope they believe us.”

  “Why the hell wouldn’t they? They both know about Jonathan bein’ a werewolf. Stands to reason his kin could be too. Seelah’s pretty good ‘bout listenin’ when I tell her it’s important. ‘Sides, she can tune in and see for herself if we’re tellin’ her the truth.”

  “If you don’t think it would put too much pressure on her, I’d like her to do just that.” Donavan looked over at him. “Then we would know for sure if we’re just imagining all this or if Lawrence is a threat.”

  “I can ask her. Sometimes I get so worried about her I feel like grabbin’ her and movin’ the hell outta this whole god damn state!”

  “Funny you should say that because I’ve been thinking along those lines myself. I thought when we got rid of Jonathan the evil was done for. Now, here we are again facing the same exact problem.”

  “They’re like a god damn nest of vipers!” Jack watched as Donavan pulled a cigarette from the pack sticking out of his shirt pocket. “Too bad we can’t get them all inside the mansion at the same time then lock the door and blow the whole fuckin’ place right off its foundation!”

  “Would solve a lot of problems.” He lit the cigarette, went to put the pack back in his pocket.

  “Hand me one of those. And don’t give me any shit ‘bout it.” He eyed Donavan waiting for him to argue. When he tossed the cigarette across the seat, Jack snagged it in mid-air. “Thanks. My nerves are on overload.” He put the cigarette between his lips, lit it and drew the nicotine into his lungs. “Seelah’s just gonna have to understand that right now, I need all the help I can get. I’ll go outside to smoke that should be enough to satisfy her.”

  “You can always use the old ‘it’s better than chasin’ women’ argument. That works for some men.” Donavan chuckled as he watched Jack turning over his advice in his mind. “It was a joke, Jack. Don’t even go there.”

  “Speakin’ of chasin’ other women, not that I ever would, I wonder what Chandra thinks ‘bout all this shit? We already know she’s still at the mansion.”

  “Good question. But since she’s just a spirit now, I don’t know how much she can do about all the goings on out there.”

  “You know, it still boggles my mind to be sittin’ here discussin’ werewolves, ghosts and psychics. Two years ago, we would have laughed about all this.”

  “Two years ago we would have been welding nets!”

  “Thanks, Donavan.” He slapped him on the shoulder. “I don’t know if it’s havin’ a smoke or what, but it feels good to be able to laugh.”

  “It does, but we still have the problem of what to tell the girls about all this.” He stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray.

  “I hate like hell to bring all this fear back into our lives. And now with Seelah `bout to give birth, it just don’t seem fair.”

  “Life’s not fair, Jack. Just when you think you got everything under control something comes along to let you know you ain’t even close.”

  “Are we gonna tell them right off or wait ‘til later on this evenin’?”

  “No sense in putting it off. You and Seelah will nee
d to pick up what you’re going to need. Might just as well get on it.”

  “Hit it head on, right? I was just hopin’ we could wait at least until after the baby is born.” He reached into Donavan’s pocket and took out a cigarette.

  I gotta feelin’ we’re in for a long night.”

  “Yep and once again, it’s all thanks to the Hindels.”

  “Makes you wonder why God doesn’t send down his angels and wipe them off the face of the earth.”

  “Maybe someday he will. In the meantime, all we can do is depend on each other.”

  “Here we go again, partner.”

  Chapter Twenty

  The Gentlemen’s Elite Club was one of the few places in the parish that called for a membership-card to step foot inside the prestigious club’s heavy oak doors. The club catered to male members. The females allowed inside the posh establishment worked there. Although rumor had it the girls did more than serve drinks and strip no one could prove the rumor. Although many wives in the small parish, tried.

  Seated at a private table near the back, a tall, middle-aged man sipped from a glass of white wine while he waited for the reason he was there, to emerge. She was all he could think about.

  He looked around the dimly-lit room, his gaze taking in the plush, blood red carpet and the dark oak-wood paneling. His steel-gray eyes moved over the girls moving about the room to interact with the men waving them forward. Their scanty outfits leaving little to the imagination. His steady gaze fell on a tall girl with raven black hair. Almost as though she could feel him looking at her she turned and with an inviting smile broadening her lush red mouth, she walked over to his table.

  “Is there something I can offer you?” Her voice was soft and pleasant to the senses. Dark brown eyes crinkled with knowing as she watched his gaze linger on the full breasts spilling over her low-cut dress.

  “What is your price?” he whispered his eyes snapping upward.

  “Ain’t we curt and to the point?” She smiled as her long red nails skimmed down the side of his face.

  His hand shot out to curl around her slim wrist. “Your price.”

  For a moment their eyes locked, then she purred low in her throat. “You like it rough, don’t you, baby? That’s fine, but I have a few rules.” She waited to see his reaction.

  He continued to stare at her.

  “You are allowed to leave bruises where they won’t show. My face and body are my living. Do you understand what I am telling you?”

  Her answer was a curt nod.

  “Good.” She leaned forward to nip his ear with her pearly white teeth. “I will meet you upstairs.” She nodded towards a wide staircase. “The room number is 223. I’ll be ready for you in ten minutes.” She bit down hard on the lobe of his ear. “Don’t be late,” she warned him. “I don’t like to be kept waiting.”

  He could feel warm blood trickle down his neck, but he made no move to wipe it away.

  She had already walked away when she stopped, turned and then delivered, “My price is one I am quite sure you will be willing to pay. I have never had a complaint about my services.”

  He motioned one of the girls to refill his glass as she continued on her way up the stairs. When the glass was again filled with sweet wine, he lifted the glass to his lips. No, she was not the one he wanted to be with this evening, but she would have to do, he told himself. The thin cheroot he held between his fingers complimented the taste of the wine and he leaned back in his chair to relax and wait out the minutes.

  The room went dark and he looked around trying to see in the dim light of a single candle sitting on his table. He could hear loud snickers and guffaws filtering throughout the room, then loud applause as a bright light clicked on to illuminate a large stage

  She stood in the spotlight, a tall statuesque beauty. A long, low-cut black dress clung to every inch of her firm curvaceous body and she knew without a doubt she held the eye of every man in the room.

  He heard his breath catch as he allowed his eyes to feast on her beauty. He leaned forward in his chair not wanting to miss a moment of her performance.

  The music played soft and provocative and she moved to its seductive beat. Every move had a purpose, from the shy unzipping of the dress to the teasing smile she bestowed on her admirers.

  He could feel the heat of his arousal spread throughout his body. He could not take his eyes off her as she began to disrobe.

  The music flowed through her veins like molten lava and she allowed its magic to consume her. To shut out everything else around her until the beat is all that remained. Of an instant, her eyes moved to the back of the room. Although she couldn’t see him she could feel his eyes caressing her, sliding over her like a lover’s touch and at that moment she danced for him alone.

  His hands ached to touch the long, silken mane of dark auburn hair cascading down her back and he pushed back his chair to get to his feet. Like someone in a trance, he made his way towards the stage when he felt someone yank on his arm.

  “You think you can make a fool of me? That I will wait until you are ready to come to me?”

  He turned to look down on the dark-haired woman scowling at him.

  “I do not wait for anyone!” Her dark green eyes came alive with fire. “You will come with me now, or pay me for the time I’ve wasted on you!”

  Her screeching voice grated on his already, taut nerves and her body blocked his view of the one his eyes longed to see. “Leave me,” he told her.

  “How dare you speak to me in that tone!” she screamed at him, drawing the attention of the other men nearby.

  He stared into her eyes and in a voice that she alone could hear, replied. “You will go to your room and wait for my arrival. Now!” His leashed anger warned her not to argue.

  Without a word, she turned towards the stairs. When she glanced back she saw him staring at the stage and knew she was already a forgotten thought. Anger, for the one who had replaced her, burned without letup inside her mind and she vowed her revenge.

  For a brief moment, Christina stood in the spotlight in all her natural glory then disappeared into the darkness. The lights came up on an empty stage.

  Rafael felt his breath explode from his chest. He had to find her and hold her in his arms. But first, he had something to do. He turned towards the stairs. Each step he took seemed to sooth the anger churning through his mind. He walked up to room 223 and taped on the door.

  She pulled open the door a slow smile etching her full mouth. “I knew you could not stay away.” She stepped back to allow him to enter the room. “I will prove to you who is the better woman for you.” She unbuttoned his shirt, all the while rubbing herself against him. “All the men think she is so hot because she shows off her body. But that is all she will do.” She raked her long, red nails over his bared chest. “Christina will get their juices flowing then walk away. She is just a tease. I,” she ran a pink tongue over his hardened nipples, “will finish what she has started and when I am through, you will keep coming back for more.”

  Her spiteful words soothed his tortured soul. Already he could not allow himself to think of his beautiful Christina being with any man except him.

  She stood back allowing the skimpy robe to fall from her luscious body. She watched lust leap to his dark eyes and laughed deep in her throat. When he reached for her, she came to him. “In a few moments, I promise you, she will be but a memory.”

  Rafael yanked her against him. Telling himself to take it slow and bide his time with her. She would serve his purpose for the moment and when the time proved right the one who would be a memory would not be the woman who filled his heart, but the one, right at that moment, dowsing the fires his Christina had ignited.

  Chapter Twenty One

  All through dinner, Donavan tried to correlate his thoughts on how to tell Barbara about what they might be up against with the Hindels.

  “My, you two have been quiet this evening.” She glanced around the table. “In fact, everyon
e, except me, has been very quiet this evening.”

  “I’m sorry, hon. Guess I got a lot on my mind.” Donavan picked up his fork to continue eating.

  “Would you like to share with us?” She looked over at Seelah. “We’re pretty good listeners you know.”

  “Maybe later.” He looked to Jenny, then back at his plate.

  “That’s fine, because Seelah and I have something we want to discuss with the two of you later this evening.”

  “‘Bout what?” Jack watched as Seelah squirmed in her chair.

  “We’ll discuss it later. Let’s just enjoy our dinner.”

  “Aunt Seelah thinks I have a bad teacher,” Jenny piped up. “All because he isn’t from around here, she thinks he’s dangerous.”

  “Where’s he from?” Jack talked around his mouthful of chicken.

  “New Orleans,” Jenny told him, then jumped from her chair as Jack spit food across the table. “Good grief, Uncle Jack. What’s wrong with you?”

  “Sorry, Jenny,” he apologized, wiping his mouth on a linen napkin. “Guess I shoulda taken smaller bites.”

  “Well, duh!” She wiped the food from the front of her dress.

  “Myself, I think Jenny’s new teacher is very nice,” Barbara spoke up on the man’s behalf.

  “I think we should order dessert. Looks like everyone is finished with their meal,” Donavan said, not wanting to discuss anything heavy right at the moment.

  “Sounds good to me,” Barbara motioned the waiter to their table. “I’m going to have a large slice of your German Chocolate cake with a large scoop of chocolate ice cream and I want you to smother it all in whip cream. What about you, Donavan?”