Illeanna (6 page)

* * * *

Just as Julien thought that he and his brother were making progress with Illeanna, she burst his bubble and dismissed both him and his brother.

“What do you mean never happen again? You were enjoying every minute of that, Illeanna. I heard your moans. Julien couldn’t keep up with the flow of your excitement,” Louis stated with anger as he rose from the couch and adjusted his crotch from his dick being hard as steel in the confined space.

“Go to hell, Louis. That’s exactly why this can’t happen again. I’m not one of your many whores. I won’t throw myself at you and your brothers to use me then toss me aside.”

“You watch your tongue, Illeanna. I don’t ever want to hear you say such a thing, you’re special to us,” Julien chimed in, and she looked confused at his statement. He knew she would continue to fight this attraction but they couldn’t wait much longer. They wanted her. He wanted her. She wanted love and commitment, and for some strange reason she must be thinking that they couldn’t offer her that.

“Just get out. I know how this works. I won’t be another notch in the Boudoux belts.”

“Another notch. What the hell, Illeanna? We care about you. I’ve cared about you and we—”

“Don’t say it, Louis. Don’t you dare bring up something that happened a year ago. That meant nothing to you, and I don’t ever want to hear you talk about it. You have no right!” she yelled then stood up, ready to leave the room. The moment she turned, the front door opened, and Johnny entered.

“Great! Don’t even bother to knock anymore. Just make yourselves at home and show no respect toward me whatsoever.” She began to hobble from the room when Julien lifted her up and carried her toward her bedroom.

* * * *

“What the fuck was that all about?” Johnny asked as he leaned his hand on his holster. His brother Louis looked wild as he ran his hand through his hair and paced in front of the couch.

“Fuck, that woman makes me insane,” Louis stated firmly.

“Join the club. That ain’t nothing new. What the hell just happened?” Johnny asked. When Louis explained, Johnny was shocked.

“So ya made some progress, that’s good.”

“That isn’t good. She thinks that we don’t really give a shit about her. She said she didn’t want to be one of our whores! Can you fucking believe that shit?”

“What? She said that and referred to herself as one to us?”

Louis nodded his head, and now Johnny felt just as ticked off as Louis.

“We need to go in there and straighten her mind out. We need to make her see that she’s special.”

“Yeah, we tried that, and she threw in my face about a year ago and how it meant nothing to me. She was the one that snuck out of the house after we made love. She was the one who ignored my calls and flipped me off every time she saw me in town.”

“You were with other women. Your idea about making her jealous thinking you were with other women backfired. She thought you were sleeping with them.”

“Fuck! It seemed like a good idea at the time since she wasn’t giving me the time of day. I haven’t slept with any women since Illeanna. How the fuck do you like that!” Louis stated, and Johnny was shocked.

“Did you tell her that?” Johnny asked.

“She cut me off and stormed out of here. You saw the rest. I’m fucking fuming right now, man. One minute I’m kissing her and feeling triumphant and the next she’s stomping on my heart and kicking me out the door. I need some air. I’ll see you later,” Louis stated then headed out of the house.

* * * *

Illeanna didn’t want Julien, Louis, or any other man next to her right now. Her head was pounding, and she was annoyed with Louis. She wouldn’t be caught up in some kind of game just because he decided he wanted to play with her again.

“Please, Julien, just let me down and leave me here,” she said as Julien held her in his arms and stared at her a moment. He gently laid her down on the bed and leaned one arm over her so he could be closer to her face.

“I don’t like seeing you upset like this. What happened back there, what we shared meant something—”

“No, Julien, don’t say anything. Right now I have a migraine, I’m exhausted from lack of sleep, and I can’t even differentiate truth from my own weakness right now. I can’t deal with this. I don’t want the trouble, the heartache, and the leftover, used feelings I’ll be left with when you all disappear. Now please just leave me alone.” Her voice cracked, and the emotion caught in her throat. Julien, with his puppy-dog brown eyes that hid his “my way or the highway” motto, just stared at her, appearing shocked.

She tightened up when she felt his fingers trace along her jaw to her lips. She felt him lean closer.

“That back there meant something to me, whether you want to hear or believe it or not. I thought we were making progress and then you explode like that. What happened?” he asked, and she heard the sincerity in his voice. She felt guilty, but then she reminded herself that he was an experienced man, used to seduction and games. He was also a private eye and bounty hunter. He had to be slick.

“Please, Julien, just leave it alone.”

“Fine, but I’m not leaving you alone. I’m staying right here, maybe you can get some rest if you know that one of us is right here holding you.”

She looked at him, and her eyeballs throbbed with pain.

“Whatever. It hurts too much to argue.”

She rolled to her right, and Julien snuggled up next to her, pulling her into his arms. She tried to resist his hold and the feel of his muscles against her body, but it was no use. He was determined, and she was susceptible to his assets.

“So you didn’t finish the job?” Bennitto Flores asked Mickey as Mickey stood in the doorway to the main office at Bennitto’s estate.

“No. The place was swarming with Feds and then some private investigators. It was amazing that the shooter was able to get the hell out of there alive.”

Bennitto looked up, and his facial expression made Mickey uncomfortable. Mickey knew he’d get paid a lot of money for doing this hit but not if he left loose strings.

“They were identified. Someone saw you and the other shooter that escaped and gave a description. Now what are your plans?”

“I’m working on eliminating that problem.”

“The woman you mean? She’s friends with those two PIs that Phillips’s wife hired. Man, what an asshole he turned out to be. To think that his wife could bring down this entire operation is absurd.”

“She didn’t have a clue about our business dealings with Phillips, and this woman who saw me can be eliminated as well. It’s the two PIs that we need to worry about. While they were investigating Phillips, they could have seen him doing some things that looked suspicious. I’m going to get a closer look at them and find out where they were in their investigation, and then I am going to look into this woman to determine if she’s a threat. I’m also going to take care of the other ones involved so there’s no chance of a snitch.”

“Don’t make any moves without my okay. I don’t want the Feds breathing down my neck and investigating my business. Oh and I took care of Allen.”

Mickey raised his eyebrow in question.

“He never made it to his holding cell. The poor guy was stabbed before he could be questioned by the Feds,” Bennitto stated then smirked before he looked down at his desk and some paperwork.

Mickey chuckled then left the room. He knew Flores wouldn’t hesitate to get rid of him just as easily. He pulled out his cell phone and made a call.

“You watching her place?”

“Got it covered but it’s a real close-knit community. I’ve been dodging any people whatsoever but I’m not confident in remaining unnoticed in any position close to the house. She hasn’t left but the two PIs and three other men—all cops—keep coming in and out. I think a sister or two came around, too.”

“Okay, I don’t want you taking any chances. If you think it’s too hot and you might blow your cover, get the fuck out now. The last thing we need is you, Mark, one of my top guys, getting picked up by the locals and eventually the Feds. Use your head and keep me posted.”

Mickey hung up and thought about what his guy said. Why were there so many cops around her? Could she be under some kind of law enforcement protection because they were onto his business dealings? They couldn’t be. The majority of the shit was taking place thousands of miles away from New Orleans in a piece-of-shit village filled with terrorists. But despite his own precautions that he took as well as the ones he knew Bennitto took, he was still uneasy. He began to get concerned as he exited the building. He immediately put on his sunglasses and got into his black BMW. Mickey couldn’t understand why Bennitto didn’t just have him kill the senator, too. Why did he want to frame him so badly? He wondered and then reminded himself that he was a hit man, a guy who did the dirty work firsthand and for the right price. He could do whatever he wanted as long as Bennitto paid him.

Before he put the car in gear he logged on to his account through his cell phone and saw that the money transfer went through. Fifty thousand to get rid of Phillips and plant the evidence at his office.

* * * *

Illeanna awoke with a jolt, clutching the blanket and wondering where she was. She felt as if her cheek was against a solid wall as her eyes fluttered open.

She was shocked to find Julien smiling down at her and caressing her back.

“Hey, you’re all right. You’re home in bed and I’m right here,” he whispered, and she realized that she was clutching his shirt against his belly. She had fallen asleep against his chest and saw the wet spot on his blue shirt. Damn, she must have been drooling in her sleep. She tried to shake the fog from her brain as Julien placed his hand against the back of her head and told her to lie back and rest a little longer.

“Franco, Johnny, and Gustave will bring supper over.”

“That’s really not necessary. You’ve all done enough.”

He squeezed her by her rear, pulling her closer against him.

“Now, now, sugar, don’t you fret over such things. We like taking care of you.”

She had to admit that it felt good in his arms and she had slept well, but somehow was still tired.

“What time is it?” she asked him, and he glanced at the military watch on his wrist.

“Just about seven.”

“Seven? I’ve been asleep for three hours?”

“We’ve been asleep for three hours. I can’t remember the last time I took a nap this long. But I’ll tell you something, sugar, I’d do this anytime with you in my arms. You’re so soft and like to cuddle in your sleep.” She felt her belly quiver. He sounded so damn sexy and in control. It was his military background. It had to be. He still kept his hair cut very short, and it showed off some tiny scars and evidence of his injuries from the war. Louis had told her Julien had been involved with multiple hand-to-hand combat situations. She swallowed hard, and he winked at her.

She closed her eyes and felt embarrassed by his confidence versus her lack of confidence.

Then she felt his fingers under her chin, tilting it up toward him.

“Illeanna, you know I’m sweet on you. We all are,” he whispered then rolled her to her back, placing his thigh between her legs as he shifted his weight to one side.

He cupped her face between his hands.

“Please, Julien. I thought I made it clear,” she began to say, but then Julien hushed her by placing his finger over her lips as he stared into her eyes. She felt flushed and a bit nervous lying in her bed with Julien between her legs. She could feel his hard cock against her hip and belly. He was aroused and so was she.

He leaned down closer to her lips.

“Sugar, you’ve got the most beautiful light-green eyes I’ve ever seen. Your long black hair and deep-red, plump lips make them stand out even more. I love these lips,” he whispered then softly kissed them. He gently pecked at her lips, kissing her softly then deepening his caress. He trailed kisses along her chin, her neck, and then back up again, and she began to relax in his embrace.

“You taste so sweet, sugar, I could make out with you all day long,” he admitted, and she blushed under his words. When he covered her mouth again, this time kissing her more deeply, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders best she could. He shifted his hips, causing her to straddle his waist. Her thighs shook as her heels hit his rear.

In the midst of their kissing she felt him shift again and lightly thrust against her thin shorts, his jean-covered cock hard against her pussy.

“Oh God, Julien.” She panted when he released her lips and kissed along her neck again before leaning on his left arm so he could run his hand along her thigh then up her shirt.

He cupped her breast and squeezed while he plunged his tongue into her mouth, destroying the fight to resist his abilities. She found herself rubbing her mound against him, countering his thrusts.

“Oh damn, baby.” He released her lips and licked along her neck to the cleavage between her breasts.

Illeanna grabbed ahold of his short hair, trying to pull him away yet loving the feel of his whiskers chafing her sensitive skin. She could only imagine what those whiskers would feel like against her pussy. She moaned at the thought, felt her clit tingle with anticipation, and Julien took it as a sign to explore her body more.

He pushed the bra to the side and released her breast from confinement then nibbled on the tip. She grabbed him tighter and tilted her head back as he tried to swallow as much of her breast as he could. When he finally released it slowly, he blew warm air across her nipple, sending her into a frenzy of emotions.

“Oh please, Julien, stop. I can’t take it,” she told him as they held gazes.

He fixed her bra and shirt then placed his hand on her hipbone as he held her gaze.

“You are one sexy, responsive woman, Illeanna. I’ll never get enough of you.” Before she could respond, he kissed her deeply then rolled to the side of the bed.

He held out his hand to her, and she hesitated before taking it. When she got up, he pulled her to him and hugged her. It felt so good to be held in Julien’s arms, and the scariest part was that it felt so right.