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

by Deanna Chase

  I moved to the door, cursing myself for pushing away the one person I knew without a doubt I could trust. But could I trust myself? My reaction to his touch had been too visceral. I needed time. I wasn’t ready to face him.

  Not until the trembling stopped.

  I pressed my shoulder to the door. “I’m okay.” I sucked in another breath, trying to control the quaver in my voice. “I’m getting in the shower. I’ll be out soon.”

  He was silent so long, I wondered if he’d left. Finally he answered, “All right.” His footsteps echoed off the wood floors as he retreated from the room.

  In a trance, trying very hard to not think about the last time I was naked, I stripped my clothes off and stepped into the steaming shower. The scalding water seared my skin, turning my flesh bright red. A dam broke, and imaginary hands twisted in my hair. His pale blue eyes smoldering with passion. His heated skin pressing against mine. And my hands running over his lean muscles. My lips eagerly seeking his. Touching him intimately…in places I should only ever touch Kane.

  A sob broke from my throat and I grabbed a wash cloth, frantically scrubbing away the fear and shame clinging to what was left of my soul.

  When the water turned tepid, I forced myself to step out of the shower and wrapped my raw body in an oversized bath sheet.

  Shit.

  I hadn’t brought any clothes into the bathroom. I glanced at the pile on the floor and winced. No. Even the clothes Pyper had brought me earlier were tainted now.

  At least my heart wasn’t racing anymore. The scalding water had managed to chase away my panic attack. Still, I didn’t know what to say to Kane. How could I tell my fiancé his touch caused me to run? That when I felt his fingers on my skin, I was reliving a horrible nightmare?

  I sighed and slowly opened the bathroom door, peeking into the room. The muscles in my shoulders eased as soon as I realized Kane had left. And on the bed, my favorite and most modest jersey pajamas and a pair of fuzzy socks were folded neatly, waiting for me.

  My eyes misted. Kane.

  I snatched the clothes, hurried back into the bathroom, and took my time dressing. Then I engaged in a marathon teeth-brushing session. When there was nothing else to clean or groom, I tiptoed back into the bedroom and crawled into bed, praying I’d go to sleep before Kane returned.

  The door creaked, and he appeared, closing the door with a soft click.

  I eyed him through lowered lashes, my pulse quickening. Would he want to talk? To touch me? I wasn’t sure I could handle it.

  “Hey,” he said softly.

  The sound of his voice seemed to melt a tiny piece of my anxiety. “Hey.”

  He leaned against the door, keeping his hands tucked into his pockets. His expression downcast, he appeared hesitant. Unsure. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  Keeping eye contact, I shook my head.

  He nodded. “I understand.”

  Something loosened in my chest and my breathing became easier. If he didn’t try to force anything, I could get through this. “Thank you,” I whispered.

  Kane blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair. “Every instinct is screaming for me to crawl into that bed and hold you in my arms for the next week.”

  I closed my eyes, wishing…praying I could let him do just that. I wanted him to. More than anything. To feel him beside me, to lose myself in his familiar scent. And sleep soundly, safe in his loving arms.

  What if I freaked out?

  No. I can’t take it. Not tonight.

  I couldn’t turn him away, either. I was frozen in fear of the unknown and my own irrational reactions. This was Kane. My best friend. The love of my life.

  “I want that, too,” I finally said, my voice trembling with emotion.

  Kane didn’t hesitate. In three steps, he was next to the bed, but instead of undressing, he crawled right in and pressed up against my back, wrapping those strong arms around my middle.

  I tensed.

  “It’s okay, love. It’s just me. I’m only going to hold you.” He pressed his cheek to mine. You’re safe now. I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.”

  We lay there like that for what seemed like hours, him reassuring me and me concentrating on breathing. Eventually, my body started to relax, and my world faded as I drifted off into oblivion.

  I awoke to the sun streaming into my eyes and a very warm Kane still plastered to my back. My neck and shoulder ached from sleeping in the same position for eight hours. I slid my hand over Kane’s resting on my stomach and reveled in the joy of having him near, wrapped around me, keeping me safe.

  He shifted, and cool air seeped between us, chilling me. I shivered and gently slid out from under his arm. He reached for me, pulled me back. “Too early,” he mumbled and tightened his arm around me.

  I sucked in a breath, fighting the rush of anxiety trying to set in. Dammit! He’d held me all night without incident. Was I going to forever flinch every time he grabbed me?

  He awoke with a start, tearing his hand from me. “Jesus. Sorry, Jade. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “What?”

  “You were trembling again.”

  I took a moment to collect myself, consciously letting go of the anxiety and forcing myself to relax. I had nothing to be afraid of. This was Kane in my bed, not an enemy. He would never, ever hurt me. I turned and smiled as I pushed a lock of his dark hair out of his eyes. “No, I wasn’t. I was shivering. It’s damn cold in here.”

  He blinked the sleep from his eyes and scanned my pajama-clad body. “You’re cold?”

  “Yes.” I forced a laughed. “My heater rolled away and stole half the covers.”

  He pulled the blankets up to my chin and tucked them around me. “Can’t have that.”

  I snuggled in next to him, grateful I was able to overcome my freak-out.

  “We’ll work it out, you know.”

  “I know.” I raised my chin and stared into his determined gaze.

  His expression softened and he moved in, his lips gently brushing over mine. “I’m never going to let anything come between us. You know that too, right?”

  I returned his kiss and murmured against his lips, “I’m counting on it.”

  ***

  An hour later, Kane’s small house filled with voices. I’d just emerged from the shower and finished getting dressed when Lailah barged into my room.

  “You ready?”

  I frowned. “For what?”

  “Wedding planning. Come on. They’re waiting.” She grabbed my hand and pulled me to the door.

  I clutched the doorframe and planted my feet. “Whoa. What? We can’t go out.”

  “Sure we can. I called Ms. Bella, and she squeezed us in. She’s waiting at her shop. I also made appointments with the caterers and a wedding planner to get everything else done. Bea, Pyper, Meri, and Kat are waiting. Your mom and Gwen, too.”

  “Wait. A wedding planner?” What was she talking about? Kane and I hadn’t discussed that.

  She flashed me a silver credit card. “Kane gave this to me. He said with everything going on, he didn’t want you to have any more stress than necessary. Now come on. The mimosas are waiting.”

  I let her tug me out of the room, but instead of following her to the living room, I took a detour to the kitchen, finding Kane leaning against the counter with a mug of coffee.

  He smiled at me and grabbed a paper coffee cup from the counter that had The Grind logo scrolled across it. “Pyper brought you chai.”

  “That was kind of her.” I moved to stand next to him. “I hear you orchestrated some planning today.”

  His hand grazed my wrist and when I didn’t pull away, his fingers twined with mine. “I know you said you didn’t need a wedding planner. And you know I don’t care if we get married by a justice of the peace or by Elvis. I’d marry you anywhere, at any time. Right here right now, if I could. But you want something a little more traditional.”

  “Is that a problem?” My forma
tive years hadn’t been rich with friends and family. It was now, and I really wanted the fancy dress and big day to share with them. Though, when it came down to it, I’d marry Kane anywhere, anytime as well. I just wanted my fairy tale day. I hadn’t had many of them.

  “Not at all, love. Lailah has my card. Use it with Mamaw’s blessing. She’d have loved to have been here for this.”

  “I wish I could’ve met her.”

  Kane leaned down and brushed a light kiss over my lips. “Go with your friends. Let them plan this with you.”

  “I don’t want to leave you,” I said staring at his chest. Fear started to seep its way into my heart. In six days, I had to go before the angel council. As much as I tried not to think of what the consequences of that visit might be, the fact remained that the last time I asked them for help, they tried to give my soul to Meri. What if they did it again?

  He pressed his cheek to the top of my head. “And I don’t ever want to let you go, either. But for today, let’s pretend our life isn’t a supernatural roller coaster and plan for the future. Isn’t that what you’ve always tried to live by? To look in the direction you want to go?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Then let’s look to our wedding day and our future.”

  I hugged him, letting his scent fill my senses, and then pulled back and smiled up at him. “I love you.”

  A slow grin spread over his face. “I never get tired of hearing that.”

  Chapter 27

  “How’s this going to work?” I asked Bea. “I know with Meri around I should be okay, but what about Pyper and Kat? Is Camille going to come after them again?”

  “I don’t think so.” Bea picked up her Ralph Lauren handbag and rummaged around until she pulled out two tiny dolls.

  I raised my eyebrows. “Voodoo?”

  She smiled. “Not exactly. I’ve been talking to some colleagues and a contact in Salem recommended these. They’re similar, but only because they represent a person. I’ve infused a protection ward on them. All Kat and Pyper have to do is keep them on their person. It should be enough to keep Camille out.”

  “How can we be sure they’ll work?” I tried very hard to keep the skepticism from my voice. The solution couldn’t be that simple, could it?

  “She’s very experienced in this sort of thing.” Bea patted my arm. “Don’t worry. I trust her. She says the ward is temporary. They should be good for the next three or four days, at least.”

  I sucked in a breath. “Okay, as long as you’re sure they’ll be safe.”

  Bea waved a hand, her perfectly manicured pink nails pointing toward the living room. “They’re fine now, right?”

  I eyed them both. Kat was busy texting someone, and Pyper was grilling Kane on wedding flower preferences. I almost laughed at his deer-in-the-headlights look. “Yeah, I guess so.”

  “Okay then. Grab Meri, and let’s get this celebration back on track.”

  ***

  Ms. Bella’s shop was in downtown Cypress Settlement, the small town that was home to Summer House. As we neared her gingerbread Victorian shop, I started to fidget. Even if we managed to get my soul fixed, would we still be able to hold the wedding at the house? Would Camille be a major nuisance? Would Kat and Pyper be safe?

  “What’s bothering you?” Kat asked, sending another text while eyeing my ruined fingernail polish. I’d picked most of it off during the trip from Kane’s to Cypress Settlement.

  Pyper steered Kane’s Lexus down a side street and glanced back at me. “You okay?”

  “Yeah. I’m just worried about holding the wedding at the house. It’s Camille’s home. Even if we do solve the soul issue, there’s no guarantee she won’t ruin the wedding with her antics like she did at the Christmas party.”

  “Don’t worry,” Kat said as her phone buzzed. She frowned and typed in another message. “Bea already said we could banish her once your soul is solid again. Right now, she’s too attached to you.”

  Bea, Lailah, and I had banished a ghost to another dimension once, with the help of our friends. If we could do it once, we could do it again. I nodded. “Who do you keep texting?”

  Her face flushed as she bit her lip.

  “Lucien?” I guessed.

  “Uh…yeah.” She gave me a tentative smile.

  “Is he okay?” I’d been really hard on him the other night, and I, more than anyone, should know how awful he felt. While I’d never almost killed anyone, I’d certainly had my share of fuck-ups.

  Kat put her phone in her purse and turned to me. “No. Not really, but Bea and Lailah are researching a solution to his curse.”

  “That’s good.”

  She nodded then blew out a breath. “Listen. You need to talk to him and apologize. I’m not mad at him, and you shouldn’t be either.”

  I took her hand and squeezed. “You’re right. He didn’t deserve the way I treated him.” My voice hitched. “I was scared, and I lashed out. I’ll talk to him. I promise.”

  Her shoulders relaxed, and she gave me a small smile. “That’s the girl I know and love.”

  Pyper pulled into a parking space in front of La Bella’s. “Enough of that. It’s time to see Jade in that gorgeous dress of hers.”

  I grinned as we filed out of the car, meeting Bea, Gwen, and my mom on the sidewalk. Finally, we were going to tackle the wedding planning. A day with the girls and all things bridal was just what I needed.

  Everyone was in high spirits, chatting and laughing as Ms. Bella greeted us at the door. Except Mom. She hung back, quiet and withdrawn. I didn’t even know what to say to her. She’d lied to me. If I’d known about my angel father when she’d been taken, maybe I could’ve found help for her sooner. And not felt so abandoned half my life. Keeping me in the dark was not okay. But now wasn’t the time, so I gave her a tight smile and let my friends usher me into the shop.

  Ms. Bella directed Kat, Lailah, and Pyper to their dressing rooms. She also had dresses lined up for both Mom and Gwen to try on. Then Ms. Bella’s assistant hurried over and grabbed my hand. “We’re ready for you, too,” she said with a bright smile.

  I waved at Bea and let Judy pull me to the oversized dressing room, where my pale silver gown waited for me. Five minutes later, Judy led me out of the room and onto a raised platform in front of the three-way mirrors. I stared at the misty-eyed woman gazing back at me in her intricate silver dress, the bodice adorned with delicate crystal beads. Elegant and strong, the girl who’d lived through the last few days had transformed into someone entirely different. I didn’t even notice the pale bruising on the left side of my face. All I saw was a radiant bride who would knock Kane to his knees. He was going to love it.

  “You look beautiful, shortcake,” my mom said quietly from behind me.

  I twisted to find her beaming at me with tears in her eyes. “Thank you.” I turned back around and swallowed. I didn’t know what else to say to her.

  When I looked again, she was gone. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the waves of emotion crashing through me. I didn’t want to be mad at her. But we needed to talk before we settled anything. I scanned the room and found her standing next to Gwen as my aunt pulled out dress after dress, holding them up to Mom. Armed with four of them, Mom headed off into a dressing room.

  Gwen met my eyes, and the understanding there almost broke me. Aunt Gwen was so much more my mother figure than Mom was that it was heartbreaking. Would Mom and I ever reach a place where we didn’t feel like strangers?

  Ms. Bella arrived with a pincushion strapped to her wrist. “Oh, lovely!” She clasped her hands together, inspecting the dress, pulling and pinching as she pinned.

  Slowly, my wedding party started to gather around me, Lailah and Kat wearing deep plum dresses and Pyper in her feminine tux. My heart swelled. This was really going to happen.

  Ms. Bella stepped back, inspected her handiwork, and nodded. “Yes. I believe that’s it.” She turned to my friends and gestured toward my dress. “Ladies? What d
o we think?”

  Pyper let out a catcall, while Meri and Lailah grinned.

  Kat’s eyes misted. “Oh, my. It’s just…” She wiped away a tear.

  “You look pretty good yourself,” I said, blinking back tears of my own.

  “You need a veil,” Pyper declared and moved to a rack to pull some samples. We spent the next ten minutes debating veil length and style, until I was sure I’d gone through every one in the store. I frowned, totally confused.

  “I like the piped one with the lace,” Bea said.

  I glanced at it and tried not to grimace. Lace wasn’t really my thing.

  “No, the one with all the tulle,” Kat said.

  I liked that one, but it really didn’t go with my dress.

  “She needs a beaded one,” Lailah said.

  I nodded. “I think she’s right.” I glanced at the two that would go nicely with my dress, but one was entirely too voluminous and the other seemed four miles too long. I sighed. “Ms. Bella, do you have any that are a little more understated?”

  “Judy, can you check in the new shipment?” Ms. Bella asked, adjusting a strap on Kat’s dress.

  Her assistant scurried away, and everyone went back to chattering.

  “Jade?” Mom asked, holding something behind her back.

  “Yeah?”

  “How about this?” She produced a low-profile tiara, adorned with the same beads that decorated my dress. “I know it’s not a veil, but I thought…well, I wore one similar when I married your fa—I mean, Marc.” She climbed up on the raised platform and settled it on my head, adjusting my hair into a stylish bun.

  Before I turned to the mirror, everyone stopped talking. I stared at them. Kat clasped her hands together. “That’s it, Hope. It’s perfect.”

  “I agree. It’s gorgeous, but not too over the top,” Lailah said.

  “You don’t think I look like Cinderella?” I asked.

  “Hell no,” Pyper said. “In that sexy dress? No way.” She grinned.

  I turned to the mirror, taking in my elegant gown, the fitted mermaid skirt and the understated tiara. I loved it. No veil needed. “It’s perfect.”