Voodoo Unleashed

by J. N. Colon

  My eyes flicked below his waist. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

  When my gaze lifted, Etie was staring at me with a knowing smirk as he twirled the lollipop around in his mouth.

  Oh damn. He knew what I’d been checking for.

  “Oh, I liked it, cher.” He winked the glimmering blue eye.

  Heat sizzled around me hot enough to fry an egg. I wanted to die of embarrassment.

  Etie turned and motioned for me to follow. “Come on, Angeline. I need to cool off some more.”

  His idea of cooling off was stripping down to his boxers and walking down a dock into a nearby lake.

  “What are you doing?” I squealed, cringing at the high pitch tone of my voice.

  Etie had already kicked off his shoes. In one swift motion, he yanked his shirt off and discarded it on the sunbaked dock. “I’m going swimming. You joining me, yeah?”

  My eyes raked over his ripped torso slick with sweat, watching his fingers unbutton his jeans. “I-uh-what?”

  Chapter 18

  My heart slammed against my ribcage while my lungs shrank three sizes too small. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Etie as he undressed. Those shredded abs had me hypnotized.

  A deep chuckle resonated from him. “Are you coming, or you too good to swim in a lake? You prefer that fancy pool of yours?”

  His insulting words snapped me out of my lusty daze, and I shot him a scowl. “I’m not some spoiled brat.”

  He wiggled his eyebrows. “Prove it.” He slid his jeans down his muscular legs, revealing a pair of tight black cotton boxer briefs. With one more crooked smirk, he spun around, diving off the dock and giving me an impressive shot of the snake tattoo.

  I swallowed hard and weighed my options. He was teasing me, I was well aware. But what did I have to lose by joining him—except my clothes? In less than a week my life could belong to the voodoo king. Did I really want to leave this world with a bunch of regrets and what-ifs?

  To hell with it.

  I unlaced my boots, my fingers trembling. The heat was making me dizzy.

  That was a lie. The Cajun Casanova was making me dizzy.

  Etie emerged, shaking water out of his dark locks. He looked wild and untamable. Dark and sinful.

  I was in so much trouble.

  “You coming, cher, or are you too scared of the lake monster?” A crooked grin twitched his lips, the scar beneath glinting in the sun.

  I was more afraid of him.

  “Just give me a second,” I hissed, my voice uneven. I tore my ponytail holder out of my hair, letting the dark strands fall free. With one deep breath, I yanked my t-shirt over my head.

  Just pretend you’re in a bathing suit instead of a bright pink bra.

  At least I wore matching panties today.

  I bit my lip against the nervous laugh bubbling up. I quickly shed my jeans before I lost my nerve and edged toward the dock. Etie was there, wading in the water and looking up at me with two burning eyes. They seared right into my soul and rendered me helpless.

  I jumped.

  Cold water cascaded over me as I plunged deep into the lake, my heart pounding from the rush. When I resurfaced, Etie was right next to me, grinning.

  “Nice underwear.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Real cute.”

  “That’s what I’ve heard about me.” He winked.

  I splashed water in his face and ducked under before he could do the same. When I emerged, he was in the same spot, the humor gone from his expression. “What’s wrong?”

  “Did I hurt you back at the house?” His voice was so gentle it threw me off.

  “No.” I treaded closer, drops of water glistening on his sooty eyelashes. “I’m fine.” I chewed my bottom lip, hesitating. He always seemed so reluctant to talk about his magic. “Why do you want to get rid of your powers?” The question had been burning on my tongue.

  Etie sighed and averted his eyes to the water, running a hand over the surface. After a lengthy pause, his deep voice filled the space between us. “My father was a terrible man. Bastien told you some of it.” He swallowed hard. “But what Bastien doesn’t know—no one knows—is what his dark voodoo did to me.” He rubbed his chest. “The scars it left behind inside me.”

  I wanted to reach out and touch him, but I was afraid he’d stop speaking. So, I quietly listened to his painful words.

  “Every bokor has light and dark magic. With a pouvior bokor like me, it’s magnified. But the things my father made me do…” He shook his head, his voice faltering. He took a deep breath. “He caused the darkness in me to grow stronger than the light. He made the balance so much harder to maintain.” Etie’s hand scrubbed his face, scratching at the faint stubble coating his chin. “It’s a battle every day to keep the dark in check.”

  “It’s not like this for Bastien?” I asked.

  “No.” Shadows of memories and heartache flickered in those mismatched irises. “I can’t remember the last time I had an entire day of peace without feeling the evil trying to creep up.” A deep, shuddering sigh left his mouth. “I’m just so tired of fighting.”

  The back of my throat burned, and tears blurred my vision. I couldn’t stop my hand from reaching forward, gently brushing wet strands of hair back from his face. His lids drifted closed as he leaned into my touch. “I understand, Etie.”

  I understood he wanted relief. If this was the only way to get it, then so be it.

  “I’ll still help you find the bokal,” I whispered. “We can look through my house after work.” It was the only thing I had to offer. The only way I knew how to comfort him. “I don’t care if my family’s there.” My laugh was humorless. “I’m almost eighteen. They really don’t have a say in who I hang out with.”

  “Six days and”—his lids opened, and he glanced up as if he could tell time by the sun—“six hours.”

  So maybe he could tell time by the sun.

  “We should try looking—” My voice was cut off as something brushed the bottom of my foot.

  A girly squeal pealed from my mouth, and I jumped into Etie’s arms, wrapping myself around him. “Something touched my foot!” My legs twisted around his waist, terrified of letting them dangle.

  Laughter vibrated through his chest as he held me. “It was probably just a fish, Angeline. This is a lake. It’s where they live.”

  My head was on his shoulder as I glanced over the dark water. “Or a snake.”

  “Not all snakes are bad, cher.” His voice dipped to dangerous levels.

  My eyes drifted to the large tattoo on his back. The delicately drawn scales glistened in the sunlight. It looked so real, so alive, that when my fingers brushed over the lines, I expected to feel the thick, leathery coating of a reptile. Instead, smooth, warm skin glided beneath my palm.

  That intoxicating herbal blend swirled up, mixing with the sun and heat. It filled my senses, dulling my inhibitions like a drug.

  Étienne Benoit was as intoxicating as he was addictive. After a few weeks, I was hooked, and there was no replacement for this habit. We were wrapped around each other, thin scraps of material separating us from complete nakedness, and all I could think about was how much closer I wanted to be.

  His fingertips slowly traced my spine, heat radiating from each delicate touch.

  He was so easily undoing me.

  My heart crashed in my ribcage while his tapped out a similar beat. When I’d drawn him away from Bastien, I hadn’t expected this. I hadn’t expected to be swept up in his dark, otherworldly embrace.

  I traced the center of the snake’s head, his reptilian eyes boring into mine, and there was nothing cold-blooded about them. Energy shimmered off the tattoo, the scales coming to life as Etie’s muscles coiled and stretched.

  A rumbling moan vibrated through him, and his arms tightened. I’d struck a chord.

  My pulse spiked as blood flooded every region of my body. I swallowed hard and slowly backed away, peering into his face.

  His eyes wer
e scorching, burning me from the inside out. “You really like playing with fire, yeah?”

  “Oh yeah,” I breathed. My cheeks stained crimson. “I mean, no.”

  Etie’s chuckle was low and sensual, making my lower belly quiver. “I think you had it right the first time, Angeline.”

  My bottom lip snagged between my teeth. Voices warred in my head over our precarious situation. Etie was dangerous. Sexy. And sinful. He was the last guy I ever wanted to get involved with. And the first guy that made me forget why.

  He was fire, and if I stuck one toe in, I’d get burned.

  Hell, I was clinging to him with no desire to let go. I was already in the fire.

  His finger plucked my bottom lip from my teeth, running over the sensitive skin. “Hmm. So soft,” he murmured.

  Shivers racked my body and my skin puckered against his. The air crackled around us, filling with a heat so intense steam sizzled from the water.

  Etie’s eyes dropped to my mouth, tracing the lines of it as he drew closer. His warm, cherry-scented breath dusted my lips. My tongue licked them as if I could already taste him.

  He was going to kiss me.

  Those blue and green irises began to glow as his lids lowered. “Angeline.” It was a husky, desperate plea that had my entire body trembling with anticipation.

  Our noses brushed, and the softest featherlight touch of warm silk skimmed across my lips. Electricity zapped between us. It didn’t hurt. In fact, it set my blood ablaze.

  Etie’s body suddenly tensed.

  My lids lifted as his head snapped around. A pair of glowing gold eyes watched us from the edge of the dock. Those eyes belonged to a wolf.

  I didn’t think I could get any closer to Etie than I already was. I was wrong.

  With a gasp, my arms tightened around him, as did my legs. I was surprised he didn’t complain about losing circulation. “T-There’s a wolf. On the dock.”

  “I see that.” Etie’s hand soothingly rubbed my back. “Don’t worry, cher. He’s a friend.”

  My brows knit. “Like a pet?”

  A deep chuckle rumbled through his chest. “Not quite.”

  Etie’s gaze was locked with the wolf’s, as if having a silent conversation. Its midnight coat shined in the sun, as glossy as polished onyx.

  “Ce soir?” Etie murmured.

  The wolf nodded in response and turned around, trotting down the dock with a lithe gait.

  When Etie shifted back to me, shadows filled his eyes. “We won’t be looking for the bokal tonight.”

  My chest tightened. “Why?”

  “We’re going to a voodoo shop.”

  Chapter 19

  A cold chill slithered down my back, and I glanced over my shoulder. The sensation of being watched was heavy, but it wasn’t coming from the tourists traveling the sidewalk in Shreveport. Dark shadows slithered between them; the faint echo of rattling bones and drums vibrated in the air.

  “You okay, cher?” Etie followed my line of vision.

  I nodded and turned back around as he opened the door. To a pharmacy. Bright fluorescent lights were blinding after the darkness of the street. I glanced around the aisles of over-the-counter medicines, first aid supplies, and other miscellaneous items. “I thought we were going to a voodoo shop,” I whispered.

  “We are.” Etie motioned me forward.

  My lips turned down. “They sell voodoo supplies in a drug store?”

  “Not exactly.” Etie grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the back. He pushed open the door marked Employees Only and tugged me through.

  We had stepped into another world. A voodoo world.

  The low hum of fluorescent bulbs was gone. Incense and burning herbs scented the air while smoke curled above our heads in the dim light. My fingers skimmed the dark stained wooden shelves where merchandise was stored. The atmosphere was dark and mysterious. Intoxicating and foreign.

  A few people milled about, browsing the aisles. When they spotted Etie, they quickly shifted out of his way. Could they sense his power or was it simply the man himself and the dangerous aura around him?

  Two older women sat at a table, their wrinkled hands drifting over the objects spread across a scarlet cloth. One began gingerly placing items on a leather square, hair, bone—animal, I hoped—and a few other unfamiliar things.

  Etie leaned closer. “They’re making a gris-gris bag.”

  “What’s that?” I whispered.

  “It’s a charm given to someone as protection, or it can be hidden in someone’s house for darker, benevolent things.”

  Cold fingertips trickled across my back as the image of Baron Samedi and his spirits flashed through my mind. “What kind are they making?”

  Etie’s lips pursed. “It looks like a charm to chase away nightmares.”

  “I could use one of those,” I mumbled more to myself than him.

  His gaze lingered on me as we stopped at another door. “I’ll make you one.”

  My heart fluttered at his gesture. It didn’t seem like much until you figured in his turbulent relationship with magic. “Thanks.”

  A set of stairs was behind the door.

  Etie dropped my hand as he descended them, my pulse spiking with each step. The sense of foreboding hung heavy in the air. I licked my dry lips and choked back the urge to run.

  Exotic aromas tickled my nose, and the temperature dropped a degree or two. I shivered and rubbed my arms for warmth. A polished wooden door so dark it sucked the light in appeared before us. Etie gave it a specific set of knocks.

  After a few moments of thick silence, it creaked open of its own accord.

  My feet stuck to the ground. My body had no intention of entering that room. Images of what happened at Dumarsais’ shack flickered behind my eyes.

  Etie wasn’t letting me off that easy. His hand slipped into mine again, and he pulled me through.

  Blood. It was all I could think.

  Crimson walls surrounded us. Candlelight flickered across black lines of symbols anointing them. The intricate swirls continued to the floor, weaving through a painted circle in the center.

  My throat tightened, recalling the powdery concoction I had inhaled the other night.

  “Étienne, it’s been a while.” A man peeled himself from the wall, his deep red suit blending into the background.

  Etie shook his hand, and they embraced in a half hug. “Good to see you, Marcus. You’ve been well, no?”

  “Not as good as you, I see.” A pair of honey brown eyes lingered over me. The edges of his full lips tipped, revealing pearly whites.

  My feet shuffled in place as he slinked closer, his predatory movements prickling my nape.

  He lifted my hand in his, kissing the back of it. The candles danced across his midnight skin, the deep, rich color reminding me of the wolf from the dock.

  “The pleasure is all mine, beautiful Angel. It’s nice to officially meet you.” His voice was velvety and too smooth.

  “Uh… thanks.” Etie’s grip on my other hand tightened. “I think,” I muttered.

  A finger trailed down my arm before Marcus released me. “You have beautiful skin, Angel, like decadent caramel and cream.” He winked. “You ever get tired of the Cajun persuasion, just let me know. I’d jump at the chance to taste that sweet nectar of yours.”

  Etie stepped between us, every muscle in his body taut. “Back off,” he growled, power crackling around him.

  It only widened Marcus’s smile. “Oh, Étienne, this one’s got you all twisted.” He chuckled. “You even threatened me with magic. I like what she’s doing to you.”

  My cheeks heated. “I’m not doing anything to him. He’s an arrogant ass all on his own.”

  Etie shot a withering look over his shoulder. “Angeline, now is not the time to get feisty.”

  “Yeah, I think Etie wants you to save that for the bedroom.” Marcus wiggled his eyebrows as he sauntered over to a potted plant, picking up a pair of delicate scissors.

&nbs
p; I sputtered at his insinuation and expected Etie to protest. “Nothing is going on between us.”

  Those couple of near kisses didn’t count.

  Marcus licked his lips like an animal about to pounce on a tasty meal. “From what I saw at the lake this afternoon, I’d say there was definitely something going on between you two.”

  My head snapped back while blood flooded my cheeks. “Excuse me? Were you watching us?” My high-pitched voice bordered on hysterics.

  Etie gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. “I sent him a message. He was looking for me.”

  “And I found you—with Angel.” He inspected a leaf before clipping it off. “That was quite the show.”

  Etie cleared his throat, interrupting him. “Marcus is a loogaroo.”

  I shot him a droll look. “Am I supposed to know what that means?”

  “He’s a voodoo caster that is able to shift into an animal—a wolf specifically.”

  My jaw hit my chest as I pictured the black wolf on the dock. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  Marcus’s eyes glowed a brighter shade of gold. “It’s one of my many talents. Perhaps you could stick around and enjoy some of my other—”

  Etie’s growl pierced the room followed by a spike of energy. “Just start the spell, Marcus, before I lose my temper.”

  Marcus held his free hand up in surrender. “Yes, pouvior bokor, sir.”

  Etie was not amused, his eyes hardening to shards of blue and green gemstones.

  I tugged on his hand before he could lunge at the loogaroo. “Down, boy,” I muttered, earning a scowl. “We came here for help, remember? Unless you don’t think we need…”

  His lungs expanded as he inhaled a deep breath, slowly blowing it out. “Let’s start this.” His gaze fell to me, softening. “Are you ready?”

  His question set a tremble off in my knees. “Is this barrier around me going to be a problem?” I really didn’t want to feel as if my chest was caving in again.

  “Nothing like that.” Marcus leaned over a table, dumping the leaves he’d pruned into a large stone bowl much like the one Dumarsais had.