Wicked Unveiled

by J. N. Colon

  The strong scent of fresh paint swirled up my nose as I entered the Leroux house. Etie’s truck was still parked in the gravel driveway. He was alone. I’d already texted Bastien who was with Antoine at Chickarees.

  I took a deep breath and followed my instincts up the stairs. Memories of painstaking hours spent hand sanding the intricate wooden spindles made me shiver.

  Never again. My fingers hurt just thinking about it.

  I turned to the left and headed down the hall. The gwo-bon lyen was pulling me toward my other half. It hated when we fought. I stopped at the second bedroom and leaned against the doorjamb. Etie was carefully painting the wall around the antique crown molding with a small brush. His back was to me and shoulders tense. He knew I was there, but he was refusing to acknowledge me.

  Not for long.

  “Hey.” I rolled my eyes. That was lame.

  “I’m busy, Angeline,” he said without turning around.

  Ouch. His words and the icy tone they were wrapped in stung. This wasn’t going to be easy. “I know you’re still mad at me, but I’m really sorry for not telling you.”

  His only response was an unintelligible grumble.

  Plan B it is. He asked for it.

  I pulled my secret weapon out of my pocket, the plastic crinkling. It was low but necessary. “I brought you a bag of sour gummy worms. All cherry.”

  Etie stiffened. His head slowly swiveled, his gaze narrowing on the bag. “That’s a dirty trick, cher.”

  I shrugged. “Sometimes I have to play dirty.”

  He placed the brush on top of the paint lid and stalked toward me. And I mean stalked as if I were his actual prey.

  I bit my bottom lip as he stopped so close his work boots touched the tips of my flip flops. “Do you want them?” His spicy, mysterious scent floated over me, leaking through my brain.

  “What do you think?” He took the bag, tearing it open with his teeth all the while his mismatched eyes scorched into me.

  Holy voodoo hexes. How could someone look so hot doing something so mundane?

  Etie plucked a scarlet gummy worm out, lifting it to his mouth. But he didn’t just open the hatch and toss it in. Nope. Not the Cajun Casanova. He sucked the sour sugar off first.

  I swallowed hard. What kind of new torture was this?

  “Hmm. It’s good.” He dropped it in his mouth, slowly chewing.

  He was going to hell. I was convinced. And I’d gladly follow him.

  His fingers unexpectedly hooked into my belt loops, and he jerked me forward. A gasp slipped out as the heat from his body swarmed mine.

  “You think you got me where you want me, Angeline, don’t you?” His voice was rough, and the dark glint to his eyes promised trouble. The good kind.

  “N-No.” A fog descended over me, making me forget why I’d been nervous to face him. Wasn’t I supposed to tell him something?

  Etie’s head dipped, his lips brushing mine.

  All thought of talk or anything that didn’t involve touching him slipped from my mind as his sweet, cherry flavor exploded across my taste buds.

  My, my, the Cajun Casanova could kiss.

  My hands roamed over his hard chest. His muscles quivered beneath my touch.

  “I bet that lying brujo doesn’t kiss like this.” His warm breath washed over my face, and I shivered.

  “Who?” I breathed, pressing into him.

  A chuckle vibrated deep in his chest. “Exactly.”

  Another stroke of his tongue and I was in heaven again. Except this was too wicked for a place like eternal paradise.

  Etie’s hand slipped under my shirt, teasing my ribs. “When I’m done with you, the name Lucas won’t mean a thing.”

  Oh hell. The mention of the brujo created a break in the lusty haze wrapping around my mind. I was supposed to tell Etie about the arrangement.

  Against my body’s protesting, I broke the steamy kiss and forced him back. “Wait, Etie.” I was already panting. “I have to tell you something.”

  His brow arched. “Now?”

  I reluctantly nodded. “You’re probably going to be too pissed to kiss me afterward so I’m glad you did now.”

  His body stiffened, and he drew away. “What is it, Angeline?”

  I gulped and righted my shirt. Once again, I felt naked in front of him. Longing still simmered in his eyes, and his hands flexed as if he wanted to reach over and yank me forward.

  Yes, take me now.

  I gave myself a mental slap. This had to be done. “Just remember, I only found out when my dad arose from the grave, and it’s obviously not a thing anymore.” I swallowed. “And even if you and I weren’t soul mates, it still wouldn’t be a thing. Like ever.” I shook my head. “Never.”

  A growl rumbled through him. “Spit it out already.”

  Ugh. Rip the bandaid off, remember?

  Words tumbled out of my mouth, spewing a crapload of crap about the now nonexistent arrangement our parents had sealed between Lucas and me. They thought, as a diffuser, he’d be a good fit for me, a conduit, and blah, blah, blah…

  When I was done, Etie stared at me, an unreadable expression covering his face. His silence was always worse than the French ranting.

  I cleared my throat. “So, um, that’s it. That’s what I found out, and I wanted you to know.”

  He blinked slowly several times like one of those creepy dolls. Then he sidestepped me and marched out the door.

  I bolted after him, jumping in front of his large frame. “Where are you going?”

  His nostrils flared. “I’m going to kick a certain brujo’s ass once and for all.” An unnatural glow converged over his eyes, lighting them up like neon lights on a dark stretch of highway.

  My heart jumped in my throat. “Etie, no. Don’t do that. This isn’t—”

  He cut me off with a dark look. “If you say this isn’t Lucas’s fault, I’ll hit him extra hard.”

  My jaw dropped.

  He pressed a finger to my chin, closing my mouth. “He knew about it and didn’t tell you. You trusted him to be your friend when he was lying the whole time and not just about your father, but about his intentions.”

  I grabbed his hand before he could snatch it back. “You can’t go pummeling someone because they lied.”

  His lips thinned. “Yes, I can.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I’m asking you not to.”

  A deep growl rumbled through his chest, and then the crazy French started again.

  With a sigh, I leaned against the wall, waiting for him to purge it from his system. One day, I was going to learn French so I could argue back when he went all crazy Cajun on me.

  His face turned ten different shades of red, and his hands flailed wildly. I could also feel the light and dark inside him fighting for control. “And that’s why I deserve to kick that witch’s ass!” He crossed his arms over his chest, breathing hard. He stared at me, waiting for a reaction.

  I shot him a wry look. “You were speaking French the entire time. I have no idea what you said except for that last sentence.”

  He cursed. At least, I think he did. He’d switched back to French.

  “You’re doing it again,” I blurted.

  He pulled up short and shook his head. “This is pointless, yeah?”

  “Our relationship?” I screeched.

  He scoffed, and my next breath was stolen as his lips crashed onto mine, burning me all the way to my soul. “No, cher. Arguing with you is pointless.” His body aligned with mine, pressing me into the wall.

  A ragged gasp slipped out. He could have my knees quaking so easily it was embarrassing. Etie’s ever-changing mood was going to give me whiplash. He went from angry to steamy in nanoseconds. There was never a dull moment with the pouvior bokor.

  “There are much better things we should be doing with our time, yeah?” His rough and rumbling voice sent tingles to deep, forbidden places.

  “Oh yeah.” I was surprised I’d managed to form one word much less
two.

  His fingers slowly drifted over my collarbone. “Besides, what better way to get back at that brujo than by doing exactly what he’ll never be able to.”

  “Etie—”

  His tongue slipped over my lip, cutting off my warning. Hell, it extinguished all thought too. I was left with raw, untamed sensations as his mouth devoured mine.

  The Cajun Casanova was undoing me. Soon, I’d be a quivering mess in his arms. Not long ago, I would have fought this. Now, I welcomed it, begged for it. It was as easy as breathing. I’d been stupid to think the only thing between us was the gwo-bon lyen. No soulbind could create a hunger like this. I wanted him more than I wanted to exist.

  Yeah, it was ridiculous and archaic even, but true.

  “You’re not mad at me anymore?” I asked when Etie left my mouth, trailing kisses down my jaw.

  “I’m still pissed, cher.” He nibbled on the sensitive skin near my ear, pulling a gasp from me. “And I intend on punishing you for all your recent bad behavior.”

  My muscles trembled at his dark promise. Before I had a chance to imagine all the wicked things he was going to do, Etie gripped my hips and hoisted me up. My legs and arms wrapped around him, holding on for dear life. He pivoted and marched down the hall.

  “Where are we going?” My words were barely more than incoherent nonsense.

  Etie didn’t speak. He just gave a deep chuckle that sent heat pooling through my belly. At the end of the hall, he opened the door, taking us into the master bedroom. A mattress was on the floor covered in fresh white cotton sheets.

  Did the Cajun Casanova plan this?

  He gently laid me back, the bedding coated in his scent.

  My brows puckered. “What is this?” I motioned to the mattress beneath me.

  An uncharacteristically bashful smile curled his damp, swollen lips. “If I’m not at your house, sometimes I sleep here.” He shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t like to be so far away.”

  My chest squeezed as my heart swelled three sizes bigger. And he’d flipped on me again, turning into that painfully sweet guy not many people knew. “If it were anyone else, I’d say that was pretty damn creepy.”

  His cheeks bunched up as his smile broadened. “Not as creepy as me sneaking into your window at night to watch you sleep.”

  I snorted. “You don’t do that.”

  He arched a brow. “How do you know?”

  I didn’t peg Etie for the stalking type. When he snuck into my window, he generally just crawled into my bed and fell asleep.

  “Enough talking, cher.” His weight pressed down, spreading electricity over my skin. “It’s time to take your punishment.”

  I bit my bottom lip in anticipation. He was making it way too fun to piss him off.

  A low growl rumbled through his chest, and he plucked my lip from my teeth, running his thumb over the soft, wet skin. “You know I hate when you do that.”

  “Liar.” It came out as a breathy whisper.

  Etie’s head dipped forward, covering my mouth with his. My body molded to him, trying to fuse us together. His spicy, herbal blend consumed my senses, filling my brain with that fog again. His hand slipped beneath my shirt, slowly tracing my ribs higher and higher.

  My pulse skyrocketed. He sure knew how to make me squirm.

  His mouth left mine, spreading kisses down my neck. My lids opened a peek. The setting sun streaming in through the windows cast golden light around him. Once again, he looked like an angel. But no heavenly creature could be this damn sinful.

  My fists curled into his t-shirt, drawing it up and over his head. His bronzed flesh was riveting. I could run my hands along it for hours at a time. A deep sigh spilled from me, and Etie peered up, his mouth pressing kisses to my collarbone.

  “What is it, cher?” His mismatched eyes scorched between his heavy lids and sooty lashes. “You want more?”

  Oh, did I.

  My fingers threaded through his thick hair, and I tugged, pulling his face toward mine. “I just want you. Always.”

  “You got me, Angeline.” Etie kissed me, stealing my sanity and everything else. He tasted like cherries and dark paradise. His body shivered. The chandelier began gently swaying, the tinkling crystals creating a soft tune. My muscles trembled.

  He roughly pushed up the hem of my shirt, yanking it off. “I can’t always control myself with you.” His eyes lingered over my nearly naked flesh.

  “So don’t.”

  His gaze flicked up, settling on mine. He swallowed hard. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

  “Yeah, I do.” It came out shaky, but I knew exactly what I was saying. I knew exactly what I wanted.

  A fire spread through his eyes, burning them so bright they glowed through the darkening room. His lips found mine again, the kiss deepening with each maddening stroke of his tongue. My entire being was a blazing inferno begging for more.

  Etie’s calloused fingers were rough against my smooth skin as he caressed my curves. They dipped, running over my stomach. Then they reached the button on my shorts.

  My body tightened in anticipation as he easily flicked it open.

  Someone suddenly cleared his throat.

  Etie cursed and covered me before glancing over his shoulder. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “Didn’t mean to interrupt, but we need to talk.” Henri Benoit stood in the doorway, his form covered in shadows.

  Oh my gawd. How freaking embarrassing.

  A growl slithered between Etie’s teeth. “I’m busy.”

  Henry sighed and stepped out of the darkness. “I found someone that may be able to help us or at least steer us in the right direction.”

  Etie shifted, shielding me from his father. “The right direction for what?”

  Henri’s brows puckered. “To find a way to permanently weaken Baron Samedi.”

  Chapter 8

  Etie grabbed my shirt and gently tugged it over my head, his eyes still clouded with lust. If his father hadn’t interrupted us, all of our clothes might be on the floor at this point.

  “Thanks,” I muttered, sitting up.

  He yanked his shirt on. “We can’t do that, Henri.”

  His father scoffed. “That’s exactly what we need to do. How else do you intend on saving Evangeline?”

  “We summoned Maman Brigitte, and she thinks that’s a very bad idea.” Etie scooted to the edge of the mattress. He glanced over his shoulder and held his hand out for me. “Come on, cher.”

  His deep brown hair was rumpled, and his cheeks flushed. The five o’clock shadow on his chin darkened his appearance. He looked too damn good. The thoughts playing through my head would make a grown man blush. I swallowed hard and took his hand, knee-walking to sit beside him.

  Henri crossed his arms against his chest. “What did Maman Brigitte have to say?”

  “She said without the baron, no one would be there to allow souls to cross over.” Etie’s fingers laced through mine, the hum of electricity crackling between us. “And then Kalfou could make use of the good souls for black magic.”

  The bokor’s brown eyes deepened, turning to hollow pits in his face. “Kalfou? She mentioned him?”

  Chills ran down my spine at Henri’s expression.

  Etie felt my unease and scooted closer. “She thinks Kalfou would be waiting in the wings until Baron Samedi grew too weak to hold his place.”

  Henri’s jaw clenched, and if I weren’t frozen, I’d hide behind his son. “What does Maman Brigitte think we should do then?” He flicked his hand toward me. “She wouldn’t let an innocent girl fall prey to one of her husband’s whims.”

  Etie explained that the loa thought Baron Samedi was off balance, and the key to my salvation was fixing him.

  Henri stared for several long, weighty seconds before laughter exploded from his mouth. His head tilted back, and his chuckles shook the entire room.

  Etie and I traded glances. I barely knew Henri, but it was clear this wasn’t the
norm.

  “Maman Brigitte is playing you, boy.” He wiped tears from his eyes. “She’s trying to protect her husband.”

  Etie’s hand flinched in mine. “She seemed sincere.”

  “She’s a loa. She has many talents. Just because she’s light don’t mean she’s not capable of lying.” He slowly twisted the snake ring around his finger, his expression sobering. “She’s capable of darkness too.”

  I chewed my bottom lip, unable to simply ignore her words. “What if it’s true? I don’t want to give this Kalfou guy any more power than he already has.”

  Henri dismissively waved his hand. “Kalfou’s got enough power and idiot followers to worship him to care about Baron Samedi’s position as keeper of the dead.” When Etie didn’t respond, he continued. “What’s the harm in finding information on this?”

  Etie cracked his neck and released a deep breath. “We should learn all we can even if it is how to weaken Baron Samedi.” When I opened my mouth to protest, he squeezed my hand. “This isn’t up for discussion, Angeline. In the end, I’ll save you any way I can.”

  For just a moment, pain flared through him so I kept my mouth shut. Etie wasn’t convinced by Maman Brigitte’s warnings. Even if he did believe her, he’d still go against her to save me.

  His eyes left mine, settling on his father. They hardened to sharp gemstones. “Why are you so insistent on helping us?”

  Henri’s gaze drifted to the floor. “I’m just trying to make amends with you.”

  A humorless laugh escaped Etie. “I’m never going to forgive you.”

  After everything his father had put him through, I didn’t blame him. I didn’t even know the half of it. Etie probably could have died a dozen times from all the magic he was forced to do as a kid.

  The bokor’s head lifted, something unreadable drifting across his chiseled face. Guilt? Regret? “I know. I just want to help you.”

  Lana’s eyes lingered over the swirling lines of the toujou branded above my collarbone as we strolled down the sidewalk on Main street. I constantly resisted the urge to touch it, especially when Etie wasn’t around. And he’d been gone all day.

  He and Henri went to visit another caster deep in the swamp for information on Baron Samedi. I wasn’t allowed to go. It was too dangerous.