Angels of Bourbon Street (Jade Calhoun Series: Book 4)

by Deanna Chase

  The thought weighed on me. Would I always feel partially empty? Or would I get used to living with only half a soul? There was no way to know. We had to find my father, because I didn’t want to find out. I squeezed my eyes closed and breathed in more of the fragrant honeysuckle, only to cough as the air turned fetid with mud and mold.

  Jerking back, I opened my eyes and stared at Kane. “What was that?”

  “What?” he asked, glancing around.

  The fog shifted, moving toward us. Dark gray tendrils twisted and reached straight for me. I screamed and jumped behind Kane.

  “Jade?” Kane’s concerned tone barely registered. The tendrils were growing more solid, slipping right past him. One swirled around me then latched on, wrapping around my chest.

  I stumbled back, clutching at the solid fog. “Get it off!” I cried.

  Kane spun, ready to come to my defense, but he stopped and looked around in confusion. He took a step closer, inspecting me. “What is it? Where?”

  A familiar stabbing ice pricked my skin, pushing me deep into my mind. “No!” I try to shout, but it came out more as a whimper.

  “Jade?” Kane gripped me by the arms and pulled me to him, but it was too late. Camille was back and she’d already taken over. I felt as if I were trapped inside myself with a film of haze over my vision, so I couldn’t make out the fine details of his expression

  “Hi,” she said, her voice lower than the high-pitched tone she’d used before.

  “Are you okay?” Kane’s eyebrows pinched together as he studied me. “What happened?”

  “Nothing,” Camille said, now in full possession of me just as she had been before. I could feel Kane’s touch, the cool night air, and even Camille’s excitement, but my mental commands went unanswered. I was trapped, unable to do anything. Somehow in this dream state, she’d been able to penetrate my soul. I wanted to scream, pound on something, but I couldn’t do either. Instead, I prayed Kane would realize I was no longer myself.

  “I wanted this,” she whispered and ground my body into him like a sex-starved teenager.

  A smile blossomed on his face. If I’d had control of my stomach, I would’ve vomited right there. Rage boiled inside my brain. He had to know it wasn’t me. But why would he? We’d just spend the better part of two hours doing exactly what Camille wanted to be doing with my fiancé.

  How dare she? My thoughts pulsed with the burning desire to smash her face in. But knowing that was impossible only made me that much more frustrated.

  Camille placed both of my hands on Kane’s chest and giggled. Giggled, for God’s sake.

  Kane just smiled down at her like we were sharing some private joke. Only there was no joke. This was a nightmare.

  “Kiss me,” Camille tilted my head up and opened my mouth, waiting for him to oblige.

  And the ass did. He bent down and kissed my lips. Only I could barely feel him. I felt her and all her nervous anticipation, mixed with wild sexual desire. The faint image of a man dressed in wool pants and a vest flashed in my mind as Camille’s excitement grew. She flung her arms around Kane’s neck and attacked his face like a mangy dog going after table scraps.

  “Whoa,” Kane whispered against my lips, pushing me away slightly. “What’s gotten into you?”

  He knows.

  The thought bounced through my mind until I realized he was smiling down at me, amused. Panic filled my mind. He really didn’t know it wasn’t me. How far was this going to go before he figured it out?

  Camille answered by placing my hand on his crotch. “Nothing yet. You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting.”

  Kane stilled and then stepped back, putting space between us. His intense brown eyes searched mine. Had something clicked? “I think we should just go to sleep.” The scene morphed around us, and my body was back in Kane’s bedroom, but my mind was still trapped with Camille.

  “Much better,” she cooed and moved to straddle him, lifting his shirt and fiddling with the button of his pants.

  Oh, hell no! I screamed in my mind. Don’t you even think of touching him, you dead slut.

  “No.” Kane’s hands gripped her waist, and he shoved me off him. “Something’s not right. You’re not yourself.”

  Camille swung my hand and knocked him in the side of the head.

  “Hey!”

  When Kane dreamwalked, if anything happened, you tended to feel it the next day. He said wounds didn’t last, but the phantom pain or pleasure did. The mind didn’t know any different. He’d feel that in the morning.

  “Of course I’m not myself,” Camille squawked in her normal tone. “I’m in that witch’s body, trying to seduce you, and you’re not man enough to take a woman who’s throwing herself at you.” She stared at his crotch. “What’s wrong with you?”

  “Camille.” Kane’s eyes narrowed, and Camille’s fear pulsed around me. She didn’t know what to do. She’d only come for Kane. But I didn’t know why. She wanted to have sex with him—not for pleasure, but for something else.

  Oh, Jesus Christ on a cracker. Sex magic?

  At least Kane had figured it out. The storm raging in my mind lessened slightly, even though he’d kissed her the way he was only supposed to kiss me. My head spun thinking about it.

  Then without warning, I slammed back into myself. My limbs tingled as blood rushed to my extremities. I stretched, realizing I was back in Kane’s bed. Awake.

  “Jade?” He was standing a few feet from the bed, keeping his distance. “You there?”

  I sat up, rubbing my head. Possession gave me a headache. “I’m here. Camille’s gone.”

  He peered down at me, not at all convinced.

  “It’s really me, all right? I was stuck in my head while that bitch of a ghost rubbed her…my body all over you. Only I wasn’t really there.” I glared up at him. “Took you long enough to realize it wasn’t me.”

  His breath came out in a whoosh and he sank into the bed, pulling me tight against him. “I’m so sorry, love. I didn’t…well, I knew something was off, I just didn’t know what.” He turned his head in the direction of the guest room. “You don’t think Meri left, do you?”

  I shrugged. “I doubt it. She knows I need her here, but how else did Camille get to me?”

  Kane pulled on a pair of jeans and a shirt that was draped over a chair. “I’ll find out.”

  I jumped out of the bed in my full-on naked splendor and placed a hand over his arm. “No. Better let me go.”

  He raised one eyebrow and swept his gaze from my head to my toes. “Like that?”

  I let out an exasperated sigh. “No. Not like this.”

  A few minutes later, I was dressed in boxers and a tank top, with my robe cinched tightly around me. I headed down the hall and stopped at the closed door of the guest room. I glanced back. What time was it? I had no idea, but the hall seemed lighter than usual, and I guessed it was predawn. Not wanting to wake Meri, I inched the door open just a tiny bit and peeked through the crack.

  The bed was empty.

  “Dammit,” I muttered under my breath. My heart raced. What would I do now? And why would Meri leave? She knew how much I needed her. At least until we found my father. I had to find him before Camille took a permanent hold.

  The door was yanked opened with surprising force, my hand still on the knob. I fell forward into the room.

  A figure jumped from the shadows, followed by a gasp of alarm.

  “Ouch. Son of a bitch!” I cried out as my knees banged against the hardwood.

  “Jade?” Meri’s voice came out skeptical. “Is that you?”

  “Shit.” I pushed myself up and clamored to my feet. “Of course it’s me. Who else would it be?”

  She took a long, steadying breath. “Well, considering I felt you leave, it could’ve been anyone.”

  I turned to face her. “What do you mean, you felt me leave? I’ve been here the entire night.”

  Meri gave me a dubious glance and then strode out the door. “I
need coffee.”

  Trembling slightly with fading adrenaline, I followed her into Kane’s kitchen.

  She moved around as if the place was her own, grabbing the beans from the refrigerator, opening the correct cabinet for the grinder, putting her hands on the sugar without even searching. I sank onto the barstool and buried my head in my hands. My eyes watered from lack of sleep. The world spun as darkness closed in, and I jerked upright, blinking away the film blurring my sight.

  I shook my head. I needed answers.

  Once the coffee pot was brewing, Meri busied herself toasting bagels and setting out cream cheese. I glanced at the clock. Six forty-five a.m. I’d only been asleep for less than three hours. No wonder I was weary.

  A scraping sounded on the counter, and the scent of a rich dark roast filled my senses. I opened my eyes and stared down at the oversized mug in front of me. I wrapped my hands around it and let the warmth seep into my flesh. If I drank any I’d never get back to sleep. Meri picked up the plate of bagels and joined me.

  “Thank you,” I said, keeping my nose buried in the cup, enjoying the rich aroma.

  She shrugged. “I was making some anyway.” A few moments went by with the bagels sitting untouched. “Where did you go?”

  I cast her a sidelong glance. “I already told you, I didn’t go anywhere. I was here the whole time with Kane.” Then I frowned. “What do you mean when you say you felt me leave? Are you talking about the empath gift?” Horror settled over me. Had she felt the emotions Kane and I shared? Could she sense farther than I could? My whole body burned with embarrassment.

  She shook her head. “No, but you might want to clamp down on what you’re feeling now because it’s coming through loud and clear.”

  Shit! Of course it was. My face felt combustible with the amount of heat consuming it. I took a deep breath to settle myself then imagined my glass silo that had become second nature as an empath. The one I used to shut off other people’s emotions.

  “That’s better.” She picked at the edge of a bagel. “I meant I felt your soul leave. I can sense it, you know.”

  I twisted. “You can?”

  She nodded. “You can’t?”

  I shook my head. I’d been aware of a connection when we were sharing the same soul, but now that my soul had split, I couldn’t feel her at all.

  “Interesting.” She dropped a spoonful of sugar in her coffee and stirred. “When you’re around, your soul is like some sort of beacon. I can tell where you are within a certain range. It’s not imposing, just sort of an ‘I know you’re there’ sort of thing. It’s not really a big deal.”

  “Even when you’re sleeping?”

  She shrugged.

  “What does that mean?”

  Setting her mug down, she turned to me. “I’m not consciously aware of your soul while I’m asleep, but I woke up suddenly and you…or your soul was gone. Like it had disappeared.”

  Of course it had. How could I be so stupid?

  “Kane dreamwalked me to Bourbon Street.” It was only a few blocks away. But far enough for Camille to follow me. To try to take me over. How odd that she was able to invade my soul without my body. I shuddered. It was creepy enough when she was using me physically, but to take over my soul completely…that was the worst violation ever. The walls closed in on me. I couldn’t even go anywhere in Kane’s dreams without being in danger.

  “That would do it,” she said.

  Feeling like an idiot, I stood, nearly knocking the stool over. “I’m going to try and get some more sleep,” I said through a yawn.

  “Good luck. And don’t let Kane pull you back into a dreamwalk.”

  Nodding, I stumbled back to bed.

  Chapter 16

  I slept fitfully, and after a few hours, I silently slipped from the bed and headed for coffee. When I couldn’t take it anymore, I grabbed my phone and called Mom. I was done waiting for answers about my dad. Each attempt went straight to voicemail. I gave up and started texting. Camille had found a way to invade me during my sleep, the time I was most vulnerable.

  I shook my head and texted Mom again. When my fifth text in a thirty-minute period went unanswered, I called Gwen. Voicemail. Damn them. What the hell? Did Gwen even know how to turn her ringer off? I sent Gwen a text, demanding she call as soon as possible, and then stormed back into Kane’s room.

  He was laying crossways, the sheet barely covering his firm ass. The sight instantly drained some of my frustration. I blew out a breath and sat next to him, running a light hand through his mussed hair.

  His long eyelashes fluttered and a slow grin spread on his chiseled jaw. “Come here,” he murmured. He looked so damn sexy, I couldn’t resist. He turned on his side, leaving me a space to curl up next to him. With my head resting on his shoulder, he tucked me close to him and deftly untied my robe, splaying his large hand on my naked belly. “That’s better,” he said into my hair. “Where’d you go?”

  “Coffee.”

  “Hmm.” His fingers traced a slow caress on my sensitive skin, sending familiar tingles through my middle. “Coffee. That could be good.” I started to pull away, but his grip tightened. “Wait.” And suddenly I felt his warm lips just below my ear as he nibbled. “I don’t want to get up just yet.”

  I smiled. “We can’t stay here all day, you know.”

  “Yeah.” His lips trailed lower, leaving a hot trail down my neck. I stretched, giving him more access. “But once we leave this room, reality will take over, and I’d rather not face it any sooner than necessary.”

  His lips, combined with his touch on my now-naked torso, were more than enough to convince me. After the dreamwalk, I needed something to take away the memory of Camille trying to seduce him. Thoughts of phone calls and texts vanished from my mind as I turned into him, ready to let the world slip away for just this moment. A moment I desperately needed.

  I buried my hands in his hair and closed my eyes to the outside world, concentrating on nothing but his hands sending sensation after sensation through the most intimate and personal areas of my body.

  Precious moments later, Kane rolled me on my back, my robe discarded. He stared down at me with love and passion radiating in waves.

  The intensity of the moment brought tears to my eyes. “I love you,” I whispered.

  “I love you, too, Jade. More than you know.” Then he lowered himself and slowly, gently, lovingly, he entered me.

  ***

  A shower and two more cups of coffee later, I stood in the kitchen, staring at my silent phone. It was after ten, and I knew Gwen had to be awake, even if Mom wasn’t.

  “Nothing?” Kane asked, placing dishes into the dishwasher.

  I bit my lip and shook my head. “I think we need to go over there.”

  “Okay, give me a minute, and I’ll drive you.” He shut off the water and then dried his hands on a dishcloth. I couldn’t help but smile. He even did dishes.

  “We can walk.” I dropped the phone on the counter. “There probably isn’t anywhere to park anyway.”

  “Right.” I watched him disappear back into our bedroom and then went to find Meri.

  She was curled up on an oversized armchair, surfing the Internet on an iPad.

  “Hey.” I sat across from her. “I need to go to my apartment. Mom and Gwen aren’t answering their phones. I’m worried.”

  She glanced at the clock and stiffened, then uncurled and stood. “Give me a minute.” She disappeared into the guest room, leaving me alone in the living room, fidgeting.

  I held my phone, willing it to ring or buzz or flash a Facebook message, even though neither of them used the application much. I just needed something, anything to let me know they were okay. Hell, with the way my life was turning out, they could’ve been kidnapped by wolves for all I knew. What time had they left last night? The French Quarter was generally pretty safe, but it still had its share of crime. “Damn,” I mumbled and paced.

  Kane emerged and wrapped his arms around me. “I
’m sure they’re fine.”

  I eased out of his embrace, not in the mood to be soothed. “You don’t know that. And Mom left agitated last night. What if she pissed someone off? They both could be bleeding out in a gutter right now.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “That didn’t happen.” He leaned down and kissed me on the forehead. “I know you’re worried, but no use getting worked up until we know for sure where they are. It’s more likely your Mom is just trying to give herself a bit of time before she has to deal with the dad issue.”

  “And Gwen?” I challenged. “She wouldn’t ignore me.”

  He shrugged. “Maybe Hope turned her phone off as well. Maybe she’s in the shower? Maybe she went down to the cafe and forgot her phone? It could even need a battery charge. There are plenty of logical explanations.”

  I bit back a retort. He was right, of course. I knew that. It was just hard to believe.

  Meri appeared wearing a black turtleneck, black jeans, and black boots. Her sleek black hair was pulled into a ponytail. She looked more like she was headed to crack a safe than check on a couple of middle-aged women. Not that Mom looked middle-aged.

  “After you.” Kane pulled the door open for us. Meri went first, and as I passed him he whispered into my ear, “Cat woman.” He nodded at Meri, and I stifled a laugh.

  If only she had the ears. I didn’t know why, but the image managed to settle my nerves for the time it took to walk from Kane’s house to Bourbon Street. But once we rounded the corner, the events from the night before flashed through my mind and all I could think about was Camille trying to take over my soul. I quickened my pace. By the time we stopped in front of The Grind, I was slightly winded. Crap, I needed to work out more.

  Kane and Meri both appeared to be unaffected by the brisk walk. I cursed them both silently. Kane held the door open for us once more, and Meri and I scooted into the cafe.