Deuce (Swamp Desires Book 1)

Copyright © 2015 Caissy Boudreau

All Rights Reserved. This book may not be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission from the author. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. All characters and storylines are the property of the author and your support and respect is appreciated. The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

The following story contains strong and explicit sexual situations. The following story is intended for adult audiences only. Parental discretion is advised.

Edited by Genevieve Scholl

Cover design by Genevieve Scholl – Cover photos purchased from
Dollar Photo Club
.

All information in this book is fiction.  Some of the facts may be real, but they have been twisted to my design.

Acknowledgements

First off, I need to thank my wonderful, amazing editor and cover designer. You are always there whenever I have a question, even if it is a stupid one. I adore you and love you like a sister. Your friendship means so much to me. Thank you so much for making my badass covers. YOU ARE MY GODDESS!!! Genevieve.

Thank you, Julie, for always being there for me. You are a true friend and sister. I love you bunches.

Darlene. What can I say about you my dear? You are amazing. Thank you so much for taking the time and beta reading Deuce for me. Love you to the moon and back my sweet.

Sandra, Thank you, so much for all that you do for me. For hosting the cover reveals and release day blitz for all of my books. You rock my girl!!!! You are such a great friend and always there if I need you. Love you to the moon and back.

To my kids, I still cannot believe I got this book done while you two were home during the summer. Oh well, I love you both more than you will ever know. You are my world. I love you Philip and Mackenzie.

Dedication

This book is not really dedicated to anyone in particular.  Thank you to all of my readers out there. You are what keeps me going.  As long as there are readers who love my stories, I will continue to write them.

Playlist

All of the listed artists below were the inspiration during the process of creating this book. Their music encompasses everything that the characters are.

Brantley Gilbert

Jason Aldean

Florida Georgia Line

Rougarou

(Also called loup garou)

All legends of the rougarou vary from place to place. The one thing that is common is that the rougarou is a type of werewolf. Some say it has a head of a werewolf and body of a human. While others say it is, simply, a werewolf. Legend says that only a witch can make a rougarou, by either turning herself or by cursing others with lycanthropy.

The rougarou is seen as sacred and in tune with Mother Earth. Mothers would scare their children into behaving, saying that if they misbehaved the “rougarou” would come to eat them. The creature is said to prowl the swamps and possibly fields and forests.

Sometimes the storytelling has been used to inspire fear and obedience. According to another legend, the wolf beast will hunt down and kill Catholics who do not follow the rules of Lent. 

It is said that there is a family that was cursed to forever be the rougarou. A witch was so jealous of their happiness that she cursed them; when night falls, they change into the beast.  With each new generation, the curse has stuck. The rougarou also protects the innocent from the criminals in the South.

Albino Alligator

The albino alligator is very rare and are most in captivity. It is said that if you see an albino alligator out in the open, your family will be blessed with good fortune. These special alligators are a sight to behold.  They are twenty feet long and weigh about eight hundred pounds. They are flexible and can have the speed of a snake if need be.

Once upon a time, there was a husband and wife who feared for their sons’ safety. They went to a special tomb and asked for a wish to be granted. The wish was granted and their sons were forever changed.  They would be shifters for all time. Blessed to live an immortal life, shifting into the creature that they hunted. These sons would grow to be men one day, and their secret safe. They keep their other nature hidden from the world around them. Only shifting to stop people from killing each other in the swamps.  They keep the swamps protected from poachers and others who would try to destroy it. 

But, these sons long for as normal a life as possible in their situation. They long to find a love that would carry them through eternity. Are these men capable of loving? Will they find their one true love? Or will they be cursed to live out their immortal lives alone?

Because all wishes come with a price. What will their family’s price be? 

Madame Laveau

It is said that Laveau and her daughter looked exactly alike. Most legends cannot be confirmed on which Laveau it really was. One thing is true: both women were Voodoo Queens. They ruled over the South with firm hands. Some say they were good, while others would say they were pure evil.

Both women would have secret and hidden rituals that were held deep in the bayous. Both women were devote Catholics. They would combine the Catholic faith with their Voodoo. They both had compassion for the less fortunate. Both women were said to have flashing black eyes, and they had the ability to control lives. They would conjure up love spells, spells for fortune, spells to get rid of an unwanted lover; they would cast curses as well.

The police never bothered them, for they feared they would be turned into snakes or toads of some kind if they did. They helped the rich, the poor, and the politicians. They would never charge the less fortunate for their services. There is one place that each woman is buried, but which one is buried where is unknown.

Visitors visit both tombs. It is said that their spirits are still alive and well. Some believe that they never did die. Some believe that their spirits travel around the city this day. Strong believers will go to the tombs on a daily basis, asking for favors and wishes. Sometimes they are granted, and most times they are not. 

Most of their ritual involved orgies and dancing under the moon naked. There would be much dancing and lovemaking at their rituals. These rituals would last all night long until the early hours of the morning. 

Devout believers visit the tombs, asking for wishes. There is a certain ritual to the asking. The person must draw an “X” on the tomb. Then they turn around three times, they knock on the tomb, and speak their wish. If their wish is granted, they must come back to the tomb and circle their “X” and they make an offering, showing their gratitude. These steps must be performed in order to have a wish granted. It is not said if the wishes have been granted. But if you go to the tomb, you will see an abundance of offerings, and many “Xs” circled. So their wishes must have been granted. 

It is also said that both women watch the believers come and go from their tombs. Sometimes you can hear them laughing. Long after their deaths, many people still believe. Since then, no other voodoo practitioners have ever been as powerful as them. No one ever will, for the Laveaus will wreak havoc on them from beyond the grave. 

Are you a believer? Would you go to their tomb and ask for a wish to be granted? 

One family did, and they are now legends.

Chapter One

Deuce

“Hey, bro, it’s time to get your ass up. We have tours to run today, and it is already hotter than a mother out there,” Alexandre says.

“Alright, I’ll be there in about an hour, maybe,” I reply.

Not what I wanted to hear this evening. Shit, I slept all day again. Since that battle seven months ago, my dreams have been crazy as hell, and have been keeping me up all night long. If you are wondering what battle I am referring to… Well, simply put, my brothers and I helped our cousin and her mate’s family defeat the devil. Skylar called to us moments before she descended from Heaven. So we immediately we went into action, not knowing what we were about to face. Thankfully, they handled the demons and the devil without really needing us. But we stayed until the fighting was over to make sure. After all, they are family now. Skylar is one badass chick. I never want to piss her off, and she can kill with just a thought. Our cousin, Joslyn, mated Skylar’s dad, Dean. I have never seen her so happy. I am glad that she went with her gut and sought him out. I, personally, never want to fall in love. It comes with too many complications. 

Who, in their right mind, would want that? I mean, come on. I love being single, although I do get lonely sometimes. But that is no reason for me to go out and look for love. I am a complicated man, to say the least. I have no time for a relationship. I have a business to run. 

I finally decide to get my ass out of bed, and head into my bathroom and grab a quick shower and brush my teeth. Just because I live right on the bayou, does not mean that I have to smell like it. After my shower, I get dressed. There is a nagging inside of my head that will not stop. What the hell?

“Caissy, what the hell are you doing inside my head again?” I ask.

“How did you know it was me, Deuce?” she says.

“I could spot your mind anytime, anywhere. You are so different from anyone that I know. So, what are you up to, sexy lady?” I ask.

“Your story needs to be told, Deuce. So come on, man, get with the program,” she says while she is chuckling at me.

“Caissy, why would you anyone want to hear my story? There are so many other things in this world that are far more interesting.”

“Because you, Deuce, are an extremely sexy, mysterious man.”

“What?”

“Deuce, listen to me. You stand at six feet two inches. You have broad shoulders that are begging for a woman’s touch. Your short, wavy brown hair compliments your brown eyes so well. You are every woman’s dream. I know that you have to long for love. Every man does
.
I
have been following your family for centuries now. You may not remember me, but I used to live down the street from Joslyn when she was younger. Then one day, my life was taken, but I was granted a second chance by Marie Laveau. She wanted me to watch over you and your brothers. Since then, my spirit has been allowed to stay with you and your brothers to help keep you safe. In my life, I was one of the strongest witches, but my own people turned on me and killed me.”

Sadly, I have to agree with Caissy. Her description of me is right on the dot, to perfection. Some women say that they can see into their souls through my eyes. I am not sure if that is true, but it makes for an interesting night for me. I have never looked at myself as a sexy man. I am who I am. I do not need anyone’s approval. If you do not like me, then that is fine with me. 

I live on the outskirts of Mosstown. My brothers and I live in a house that is right on the bayou. Well, we live upstairs, anyway. The downstairs is our business office. We were born and raised in this town, and have been on this Earth for over one hundred years now. I love everything about this town. It has been interesting watching it grow and grow over the centuries. It has changed so much. There are so many new businesses now, and with that, comes a lot more people. It has been so cool watching this town change over the years. But, one thing has remained the same—the swamps. We are drawn to the murky waters.  They drag and pull us in, which could be why we are in the line of work that we do. Each of us has our weaknesses, and each of us has our strengths. 

Behind our house is nothing but woods. There is a driveway that leads up to the main road. At the main road is a sign that leads people to us. Otherwise they would not be able to find us. On the main road you will find Skylar’s house. They only live about two miles from us. In fact, we are always visiting with them.  Sandra comes and works for us during the day, and Dean and Joslyn come and help us out at night.  We are in constant contact with them. Whenever they need us, we will always be there, and the same goes for us if we need them. We are a family. Family is everything. If you do not have family, then you really do not have anything at all.

My brothers and I have lived in this house for as long as we have been alive. We grew up in this house.  After our parents were killed, we decided to stay.

We never knew there were other paranormal creatures out there; not until we met Dean and his family. It still surprises us that we are not alone on this Earth anymore. I wonder what other creatures are out there in the world. I hope that we will meet some of these creatures someday. I think it would be really cool. Hopefully, our personalities, and our natures will allow us to live in harmony.

We tell our customers about so many legends, it would be cool if those legends were actually real. One of the legends we talk about, we know first-hand that it is real. Our parents made sure of that. There is so much about the South that people do not realize. Like, for one, people still to this day practice voodoo. It is one of the main religions down here. 

My family has not had the best of luck when it comes to voodoo covens. There is a lot of bad blood between us.

I have three brothers. We are quadruplets. Our mother was blessed to have four handsome boys at one time. I was born first. 

Pierre is the next in line. He is six foot two inches tall. With shoulder length brown hair and brown eyes.  He has a mustache and a small beard, or what I call stubble. He keeps it trimmed close to his face so it does not get out of control.

Next would be Alexandre. He is practically identical to Pierre and myself. He is a gym nut. When he is not working, he is working out at the gym we have in our house. He is the most romantic out of the four of us. He believes in true love and happily ever afters. He has a heart of gold, but if you fuck with his family then you unleash the beast.

In fact, we all work out in our gym on a daily basis. We have to. We choose to keep ourselves in shape. The majority of our customers seem to really enjoy that we are somewhat buff. We are all loyal, to a fault, would gladly give our lives to protect the innocent, if, in fact, we could die. But we are blessed with immortality. We eat right, sometimes. That is really hard to do when you live in the south. The food is so damn good, and it is rarely good for you. But we still eat it.

Lastly, but certainly not the least, is Sebastien. He also stands at six foot two inches, but he has inherited our mother’s features more. He has long brown hair with stunning brown eyes as well, but his looks are more feminine; less defined and edged. He is the softy of the bunch. He will give you the shirt off his back, but, of course, we are all like this; he is always helping the less fortunate. 

Anyway, we are close. My brothers and I have a close bond that is unbreakable. Nothing will ever come between us. The only other person we have that same bond with is Joslyn, because we grew up together. For one hundred years, we were all we had, until Dean came along. Dean and his family has completely accepted us into the fold that is their family. We could not be more grateful for that. 

We work and play. We never get too close to someone, in fear that they will be taken from us, as our parents were. So we do not let anyone in. Ever. 

I miss my parents so much. My mom was a tiger shifter, and my dad was human. When our mom gave birth to us, we got our dad’s genes. We did not have the ability to shift into tigers. Our aunt, which is Joslyn’s mom, can shift into a tiger. Joslyn took her mother’s genes instead of her dad’s. We were always together when we were little. As we got older, that did not change. When we were in our late twenties, our parents went to New Orleans and visited the tomb of the Great Madame Laveau. They asked for a wish to be granted. The wish was for us to always be able to protect ourselves; that we would be something so special and rare, that no one could touch us. 

Well, little did they know, that their wish was granted. Three nights later, we started to notice a change in our behavior. For some reason, we craved being out in the swamps, especially at night. For a week that went on, until one day, we all shifted. The transformation from human to beast was quick and painless. In the body of the beast, we could still feel our human selves. Looking through the beast’s eyes, I could see my brothers. But, they were not in human form; they were in the form of a white alligator. Each beast was twenty feet long and had to have weighed in at eight hundred pounds. Alexandre was the first to test this new body, to see if it was untouchable or not. He got himself caught by a hunter, and when the hunter shot him in the kill spot, he did not die. He came back to us and told us what he found out. We also noticed that we could only shift at night, never in day time. 

This new information stunned us. We could not believe that we were able to shift into the very animal that we hunted. But, this animal was much bigger than what we were used to hunt. In our human bodies, we decided to test to see if our human bodies were immortal. So I went out and looked for a fight the next night. I found one. I fought this person over something so stupid it made no sense, but I wanted to see what would happen. So the guy throws a few punches and he realizes that his punches are not causing me any harm, so he then decides to stab me with a knife and then runs off. My brothers come out of the bar and run up to me. The stab wound quickly healed, and there was no trace that it ever happened. 

But it was probably not what our parents were thinking would happen to us when they asked for their wish to be granted. We went home that night and told our parents about what had been happening with us. The next night, they went back to the tomb and left an offering, as is customary if your wish had been granted. And, they also circled their “X” they left on the tomb. So anyone who would come to visit the tomb would see that a wish was granted. If your wish is granted, you are to return to the tomb and circle your “X” and leave an offering.  If you do not, then Madame Laveau would then curse you. 

So one hundred years later, we are still here, alive and kicking. We are immortal. We shift when we need to. We help keep the swamps safe from poachers and killers. That night, as well, Joslyn was bitten by a vampire. Her parents went to the tomb, as well, although she does not know about that. We have kept that from her. Her parents did not think she was strong enough with just her tiger shifter abilities. So, they asked Laveau to make her unstoppable. So she did. I have tried so many times over the years to tell her the truth. But something always came up and I never could tell her. I feel so bad, because my cousin is everything to me. I love her so much. She needs to know that she was not turned into a vampire because of anything that she did. 

At one point, we thought our newfound ability was a curse and we thought that way for a very long time.  But, we have come to realize that it is a blessing, not a curse. 

I walk out onto the deck with a cup of coffee in my hands.

The bayou has a unique smell to it. It smells of water, moss, and earth. Along the bayou are smaller channels that take you to other bayous. Down our bayou are many houses, but the majority of them are houseboats. There was a new one brought in earlier last week. I have not had a chance to go and meet the person yet. In fact, I have not seen them outside yet. Whoever lives there must keep to themselves, and that is fine with me. I do not need to know our neighbors’ business. As long as they stay out of mine, things will be alright. 

The heat is horrendous today. It is almost ninety five degrees with the heat index. Man. It is going to be a long ass summer, and it just started. By the time summer is over, the temperatures will probably still be that high, if not higher. Then, we run into the problem of hurricane season. That is the only thing I hate about summer. This winter was not too bad. We did have some cold days, but it never got under freezing.  So I guess we cannot complain. If we have a mild winter, it usually means we will have extreme temperatures during the summer. Oh well. There is nothing I can do about the weather. It just makes our job more interesting. The swamp creatures always come out in the heat. They love it. 

We own a swamp tour business. We have had this business for over seventy-five years now. No one is the wiser on why we do not age. We have started doing night tours recently. The demand for the night tours is extraordinary. So to keep up with the higher demand, we have gone out and bought two more air boats that can hold up to ten people at a time. We officially start night tours tomorrow night. We are super pumped up about this. We already have night tours booked up for eight months. The night tours are by reservation only. Our day tours are booked until the fall of next year. We are one of the better tours, and all of our customers recommend us to everyone. So we stay pretty busy. We are not complaining at all. That is why we have asked Skylar and her family to help us out. Plus, it gives them all something to do. So for each tour at night, we will have a total of four boats. Each tour lasts three hours. We will have at least three tours each night.