by Angel Nyx
“Four years. We moved here when Lexi was two,” Izzy replied. “And you? You don’t sound like you’re from here either.”
Eme laughed. “No, I’m not, but my Mama was. I grew up in Phoenix. I moved here a couple of months ago.”
“Oh? What brought you here?” Izzy asked.
“Like I said, my Mama was from here. She died from a car accident and I decided I needed a change, so I came to the city of her birth.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss,” Izzy said quietly.
“Thank you.” Eme watched her. “What about you? What brought you south? I’m going to guess you grew up somewhere in New York.”
“Good ear,” Izzy replied. “As for what brought us here, Lexi’s father. He moved us all here because his job transferred him here. Things didn’t turn out exactly as planned though.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Eme said honestly.
“Thank you. It’s for the best. He wasn’t really that interested in having a family anyway.”
“I saw in your post that you’re fighting cancer. How are you?” Eme asked hesitantly.
“Depends on the day,” Izzy replied. “Some days are worse than others but its just me and Lexi so I make do.”
In that moment Emelise made a decision. She wasn’t sure what drove her to do it but she wanted to help the other woman. Maybe it was because she saw a bit of her and her Mama in Izzy and her daughter. Emelise knew, first hand, how hard it could be growing up with only one parent. She pulled a pen and notepad from her purse and jotted something on it. Then she tore the slip of paper off and slid it over to Izzy. “Here. If you need anything, and I do mean anything, you just call. Even if it’s just a ride or for someone to keep an eye on Lexi so you can get some rest. I mean it. Please. Growing up, it was just me and my Mama and I remember how hard it was for her to be a single Mama. You have that along with fighting cancer. I want to help.”
Izzy looked at the piece of paper before her eyes filled with tears. Here was a complete stranger offering to help her, something no one, not even Lexi’s father and his family, had done. “Thank you. I don’t...I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything,” Eme replied and gave her hand a quick squeeze. “You just call or text if you need help.”
Izzy slipped the piece of paper in her pocket. “I will.”
“Good. I should get going and let you and your daughter get back to your afternoon. I hope you enjoy the basket. It was really nice to meet you, Izzy.”
“It was nice to meet you too, Miss Rousseau,” Izzy replied.
“Call me Eme, it’s what my friends and family call me and I’d like to think we’re friends,” Emelise replied.
“Okay, Eme. I’d like that.” She had a few people she could loosely call friends, but they weren’t close. She walked Emelise to the door and waved before she closed it behind her.
Eme waved back before she got in her car and headed home to change. She had a dinner date to get ready for.
Caine
Caine looked around and nodded with approval. There was more than one reason why he wanted Emelise to come to dinner. Yes, he missed her, more than he wanted to admit, but he had a surprise for her as well. She still insisted on living in that damn apartment but he was hoping his surprise might entice her to change her mind.
Glancing at his watch he headed into the house to check on dinner before taking a quick shower. A smile flitted across his face as the memory of the last time Eme had stayed the night came to mind. They’d finally gotten around to christening the shower. Fuck, his mate was a wildcat in bed. Her fiery temper was matched by her fiery passion when he touched her. Just thinking about her made him almost unbearably hard and he groaned. He ended up relieving some of the pressure with his hand before he got dressed and headed down to the docks to meet his mate.
Caine watched as she maneuvered the boat up to the docks. He’d recently taught her the route so she could bring herself and the first couple of times she had trouble docking but not today. She’d clearly been practicing. “You did dat like you’ve been dockin’ a boat all your life, cher,” he said as he approached her.
Emelise grinned at him. “Thanks. That’s some pretty high praise,” she said and when he reached her she leaned up for a kiss.
Caine readily obliged her by leaning down and kissing her deeply. “Mm, definitely missed dat,” he growled against her lips.
Eme laughed. “You’re insatiable, Mister.”
“When it comes to you, dat is very true, Angel,” he agreed. “I have a surprise for you but you have to let me blindfold you first. I don’t want you to see it until I’m ready for you to.”
Eme arched a brow at him. “Okay.”
Caine kissed her again before he pulled a strip of material from his pocket. He placed it over her eyes then tied it so it would stay in place. Then he wrapped one arm around her waist and curled his hand around her arm to guide her towards his home.
He carefully guided her around the house toward the back of the property. Once there he moved so he could watch her face then leaned close. “You can take the blindfold off now, Angel.”
Emelise
Emelise was genuinely curious as to what Caine was up to. Whatever it was, it had to be pretty big if he needed her blindfolded first. She tried to figure out where they were as he led her down the path but she didn’t know the lay of the land by heart the way someone who’d grown up there would have.
When they finally stopped and he murmured that she could remove the blindfold she took it off and then stared. “Oh...my Gods. Is this...? How, when did you get this done?” There, in front of her, was a fairly large greenhouse.
“Why do you tink I haven’t pressed you to come for a visit da last couple of days,” he replied with a faint smirk.
“You sneaky bastard!” She laughed, threw her arms around him, and leaned up for a kiss. “This is amazing. Thank you.”
Caine’s arms tightened around her as he returned the kiss. “You’re welcome, Angel. I was hopin' you’d like it.”
Like it, hell, I love it!” She pulled out of his embrace and went inside to check it out. There was a complete watering system as well as overhead misters. Rows of rich soil awaited planting and she turned and gave him a huge grin. “This is...I can start growing my own roses now.”
“Dat’s da idea, cher.”
Emelise turned to look at him. “You really were listening when I told you I’d wanted to build a greenhouse, back in Phoenix.” She knew there was a bit of awe in her voice. “I’m totally not used to that.”
“I will always listen when you talk, Emelise.”
She could hear the honesty in his voice. “You’re something, Caine Bordeaux.” She shook her head and moved toward the back door that led into his home. “Now, feed me, I’m ravenous.” There was a joking tone in her voice and she flashed him a playful grin.
Caine laughed at her playfulness. “Can’t have dat, can we?” He followed her inside and soon they were seated at the table enjoying their meal.
Eme was quiet while she ate, which was unusual for her. She had a lot on her mind including the young woman she’d met earlier in the day.
“You’re quiet,” Caine remarked halfway through their meal.
“Sorry. I’ve got a lot on my mind.” She set her fork down and turned her attention to him. “Remember that jerk in the VIP section who was harassing one of the servers? The one who grabbed my wrist when I went to throw him out and you got all up in his face?” She paused a moment and when he nodded at her she continued. “He got on some website that highlights local businesses and said some pretty awful things about the club. Malcolm stopped by while I was bitching about it and that man worked magic, I swear. In no time he had a plethora of people on there countering all the negative bullshit the jerk spewed. One post really stuck out and I tracked the woman down. She’s got a little girl and something about them reminded me of me and my Mama. I think it’s because it’s just th
e two of them. She’s had it pretty rough from what I can tell. She’s fighting cancer and raising her daughter on her own. I don’t know what happened with the little girl’s father, I don’t know if he’s still around, but considering the rundown condition of their home I’m betting he’s not.” She waved a hand in front of her face. It was a habit she’d had ever since she was little. “Anyway, now you know why I’m so quiet.”
Caine
Caine had watched as Emelise had wandered around the greenhouse taking in everything he’d had done to make it perfect for her. He wanted to see her in there every day while she coaxed the roses she loved so much to grow. He wanted to watch her dig her fingers into the soil with a contented smile on her face.
He loved her. It hit him that the emotions he felt for her went beyond the mate connection. The connection between their animals was different from love. It was a base animal instinct. What he’d realized, watching her in the greenhouse, was that his emotions were much deeper than a base animal attraction. He was in love.
By the time they’d headed inside to eat he was already plotting. He knew Emelise doubted men, he knew her past made her hesitant to trust that he would be there no matter what life threw at them. Would she accept a marriage proposal? Lily had said Eme doubted his desire for commitment, would proposing show her how serious he was?
As the Alpha, he was the one who was supposed to always be in control. Why then did he feel like the world was spinning away from him? For the first time in his life he felt like he had no control whatsoever. It unsettled him. The thought that Emelise might turn him down when he asked her to marry him actually had his pulse increasing and he wasn’t even ready to pop the question yet.
He’d pulled himself from his thoughts when he’d realized she was being more quiet than usual. His mate usually chattered about things going on with the club whenever they were together. “You’re quiet.” That was all he’d needed to say to get her to open up.
He listened intently and his hackles raised at the thought of someone trying to damage her business. “Did he leave a name on da article?”
“I don’t know. I’d have to check. Not that it matters. I know who he is. There was an article about him in the paper not long ago. Why do you want to know?”
Caine shrugged. “Curiosity.” The truth was he wanted to teach the bastard a lesson but he couldn’t do that physically. If he could find out who it was and humiliate them publicly that would appease his leopard. He was going to have to check the papers online archive.
“Uh huh. Why do I get the feeling that’s not all there is to it?”
Caine laughed at that. “Because you know me well, Angel.” It was almost scary how well she knew him.
“True, I do. I should get out of here. I do have a club to run.”
Caine was reluctant to end their time together but he hoped that soon enough she would be there in his arms every night. “I’ll walk you to da dock,” he told her and offered his arm.
“You can be such a gentleman sometimes, Caine. I think you do it just to throw me off balance.”
“Maybe I do,” he teased right back. He winked at her and flashed her a wicked grin. “Keepin' you off balance is a good ting, cher. I wouldn’t be able to surprise you otherwise.”
That made Emelise laugh. “True. Very true.”
When they reached the dock Caine pulled her close and dipped his head to kiss her. “Maybe I’ll stop by later after I finish wit’ work, if I get done before da club closes.”
“All right. You’re still coming Saturday, for Venus’s debut, right?”
“A’course, Angel. I wouldn’t miss it.” He reluctantly let her go and watched until her boat was out of sight before he headed back to his home so he could get his work done. Between his day job and taking care of the Pard, some days there just wasn’t enough time in the day to do everything he wanted to do. He’d learned fairly quickly to take a moment to enjoy himself whenever he could.
Chapter Sixteen
Caine
Despite his desire to get away from work, Caine hadn’t had the chance to head into the city since he’d surprised Emelise with the greenhouse. It was Saturday, however, and he had a promise to keep. He also had a plan to finally convince his mate that he was in it for the long haul. He would show her that not all men were like Sean Scotsdale, the man who’d broken both hers and her mother’s hearts when she was a little girl.
At least he hoped his plan would work. When it came to Emelise, things didn’t always go the way he planned them. Unpredictable and Emelise went hand in hand. In anyone else that quality would drive him to utter madness, but in Emelise he found it endearing. Funny how loving someone could change the way you reacted to things.
On his way to Scarlet Flux, Caine made two stops; the jewelers and a flower shop. At the jewelers he looked over the special piece he’d had made, checked it for any possible flaws, then nodded in approval. “Perfect.” He closed the small, velvet box and slipped it into his pocket then left. At the flower show he picked up a dozen long stem roses in the darkest red he could find.
By the time he reached the club it was already packed. All week, Emelise had been advertising Venus’s debut. New Orleanians were a rare breed in that they openly accepted anyone who was seen as ‘other’ whether that be a medium, a shifter, or a drag queen. He was delighted to see such a large crowd. He knew how much the club meant to his mate.
“Evenin’, Caine. Eme is in her office, she got a phone call she said she had to take.”
Caine cocked a brow. “Surprised to see you here tonight, Julius.” The leopard was one of NOPD’s finest but he had some secrets he was keeping from his coworkers, not the least of which was that he was a shifter.
Julius shrugged. “I like da atmosphere here.” He saw the look on his Alpha’s face. “Okay. Truth, Emelise told me I needed to come to see her friend’s performance. Gage, Mia, and da rest of da family are upstairs but I wanted to be down here in case dere was any trouble.”
Caine chuckled. “Dat’s what I thought. My woman’s good at gettin’ people to do what she wants dem to,” he said with pride. He nodded at Julius and made his way toward the back of the bar where the hallway leading to Emelise’s office was. What could have been so important she would answer her phone so close to Venus’s show?
Caine’s mind raced as he headed for the closed door. The only family she had was already at the club. Well, no, not true. As far as he knew her father and stepmother weren’t there tonight. Had something happened to her father or one of her half siblings?
When he reached the door he paused before he knocked and then opened it and stepped inside. He didn’t wait for her to tell him to come in because he was worried about her. The worry increased when she didn’t even seem to notice his entrance. “Angel? What’s wrong?”
Emelise
As more and more people had come into the club, ordered drinks, and found places to sit, Emelise couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear. All week she’d been using her own flare for advertising to push Venus’s debut at the club. A favorite among their patrons, she’d been told, was the most recent one.
‘Looking for something different for your Saturday Night out in the Crescent City? Come to Scarlet Flux. There you will find yourself surrounded by a dark romantic ambiance that will make you feel like you’ve been transported to your favorite Anne Rice novel. That is only the beginning. The enchanting, alluring, and captivating voice of the ever-seductive Venus will lure you in the way sirens of old lured sailors into their arms. You do not want to miss the debut that will turn the Big Easy on it’s ear.’
She’d thought about the ad and couldn’t help but smile. It was one of her best. She’d done some of the advertising for The Inferno when she’d lived in Phoenix but she’d had to curb her artistic flare. Now that she was the one calling the shots she could be as artistic with her advertising as she wanted to be.
Eme had just greeted her cousins, whom she’d bribed into coming to the s
how, when her phone vibrated. A quick glance at her phone had had her frowning. “I need to take this. Y’all go on up to the VIP Lounge,” she’d told them and headed to her office.
By the time she’d reached her office the call had already gone to voicemail. With trepidation she’d dialed her voicemail and pressed to listen to the new message. “Hi, Emelise, it’s Angie. I’m just calling to let you know we’re going to have to reschedule the family dinner that was planned for tomorrow. I know this is short notice but, well, call me back and I’ll explain.”
Her frown had deepened as the message ended. Something was wrong. She’d heard it in Angie’s voice. She’d ended the call and immediately dialed her stepmother’s number. “Angie? What’s wrong? I could hear it in your voice, something’s up,” she’d said as soon as the other woman had answered.
“It’s your father. He was having chest pains so I called an ambulance. They’re running tests now but it will be a few hours before we know anything.”
“What hospital are you at? I’ll come right away.”
“No, you don’t have to do that. We know you have a big show going on at the club tonight. Just come after it. Like I said, it’s going to be a few hours before we know anything so you don’t need to rush right over. As soon as he’s moved into a room, I’ll text you the information. We’re at Tulane Medical Center.”
Emelise had closed her eyes. “You text me the instant you know anything and as soon as I can get away from here, I will.”
“I’ll text you, Emelise. You have my word.”
It wasn’t until she’d hung up that she realized Caine had entered her office and was standing next to her. She lifted her gaze to him and there were tears glistening in her eyes. “My father is in the hospital, at Tulane Medical Center. He was having chest pains but Angie said not to rush over because they’re still in the ER and it’ll be a while before they know anything.” She was torn between wanting to be there to introduce Venus and rushing off to the hospital.
