Soul Catcher (23 page)

Chapter Thirty-Four

The hardwood floors felt like concrete against Angel’s back. Her spine quivered, and her lower back throbbed. The excruciating agony radiated down her legs. She lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling, regrouping, hoping Xavier released her hair. Death was never something she wished upon a person. At this moment, she prayed for it.

The crisp snap of bone breaking rang in her ear. The hand trapped in her hair released its grasp. Angel dragged her body across the floor out of Xavier’s reach. Marie and Isis ran to her aid.

“They’re gonna kill each other,” Angel choked.

“They’re a close match.” Isis slid under her arm, placing it over her shoulder, as Marie did the same on the other side. Together, they lugged her to the far side of the room.

“Can’t we stop it?” Angel’s head pounded. Lighting struck outside the window.

“Sometimes we need to let men be men.” Isis lowered her into the rolling chair.

Angel’s head swam; splotches of light filled her vision. The lightning intensified outside, and the wind began to howl.

“You have to control your emotions.” Marie combed her fingers through Angel’s hair, trying to calm her down.

“What?” Angel cast a glance out the window as thunder rumbled in the sky.

“The storm. You’re causing it. If you don’t control it, it will soon be in here.”

Breathing deeply, Angel pushed the storm away.

Jacque picked Xavier up and slammed his knee into the small of Xavier’s back. Dumping the limp body to the floor, he stumbled after the sword lying next to the rubble of wood in the middle of the room.

Xavier twitched, rolled on his side, and lifted on all four. Each of his vertebrae crackled as they rippled down his back. He arched as black fur replaced his bronze skin. Angel stared in amazement as the sleek, black panther prepared for attack. The massive cat pounced, sinking its teeth in Jacque’s neck. Jacque fell forward from the momentum, dropping his sword.

Jacque’s eyes burned blood-red. His body trembled under the panther ,and his joints popped as they shifted under his skin. White and black fur grew in place of the glistening olive skin Angel loved.

The magnificent white beast released a fierce roar.

The women backed into the corner of the room. The two creatures circled one another. Another bolt of lightning flashed across the sky. Angel swallowed hard and exhaled the breath she was holding.
Must calm down
.

The white tiger leaped, clawing into the back of the panther and tearing down its side. The black cat snarled, latching its canines into the tiger’s chest. The red of blood defiled the white fur. Long white incisors locked onto the panther’s neck as they rolled on the broken scraps of the table.

Angel sprinted from the corner of room and secured Jacque’s sword. She watched for her opportunity to send Xavier to his death. Her gazed locked with the white tiger. It silently pleaded with her, for what she didn’t know.

Its roar shook in her chest.

The animal rolled on top of the panther, piercing its sharp claws into the beast’s flesh. Angel weighted the sword heavily in her hands. Sweat dripped down the side of her face. She resisted the urge to wipe it on the back of her arm, instead stood ready to plunge the sword into Xavier’s panther form.

The tiger took on a familiar form.

“Throw me the sword!” Jacque leaned the full weight of his body against the panther.

Angel tossed the sword in his direction. With one hand, he snatched it from the air. The animal swiped at Jacque, clawing him on the side of his face, four red slashes appeared. As Jacque leveled the sword, the panther shifted and Xavier lay in its stead. Jacque used the sword like a spear and drove it through Xavier’s chest, pinning him to the ground.

“I underestimated you.” Xavier choked, shrill and haunting.

“I told you I wasn’t the same boy.”

“There are times I wished things had been different between us,” Xavier announced, bringing a look of surprise to Jacque’s face.

Jacque’s knuckles whitened around the leather hilt. “It could’ve been. You never allowed it.”

“Finish it, brother.”

“Where’s Elise?” Jacque gritted through his teeth. He kicked his brother in the ribs and walked away in frustration.

Xavier’s smile was cool and easy. “You asked the million dollar question.”

Running out of her corner, Angel screamed, “Even in the end you’re an asshole.” She glared down at Xavier, twisting the sword in his chest, causing him to writhe in pain. “Don’t fuck with me. Where’s my mother?”

“Fuck you.” Xavier closed his eyes, shutting them out.

With all her strength, Angel yanked the blade down Xavier’s chest to his abdomen, gutting him. He opened his eyes, meeting her glare. His eyes were the same shade as the man she loved with all her heart. They were the same eyes except a deep sorrow lay trapped beneath Xavier’s.

“Where’s my mother?” she demanded. Her knuckles taut as she griped the weapon. Tears burned as they tumbled down her cheeks. Thunder clapped outside and the skies opened to the rain.

“Fuck you, bitch.”

Angel pushed Jacque off Xavier. Lightning crashed through the window and hit the sword like a lightning rod. Electricity ravaged Xavier’s body. As Angel concentrated, the power of the energy surging through him increased.

“Stop,” Marie yelled. “If you kill him, we won’t find your mother.”

“Babe. You got to stop it.” Jacque pulled her away from Xavier, burying her face in his chest.

When Angel turned back around, Xavier was gone. The only thing left was the sword stuck into the wood floor.

“Where the hell did he go?” she questioned.

Jacque walked to his sword and plucked it out the floor. “Fuck!”

“It smells like Lucifer’s work. He saved him.” Marie took her place beside Angel, placing an arm around her waist.

“How’re we going to find Momma?”

“We’ll figure it out. Let’s see what’s going on with the others. We’ll go back and search the house. She might still be there.” Jacque sheathed his sword.

Angel picked up her .9mm and Xavier’s sword off the floor. Isis and Marie headed into the main ballroom with the others. The destruction was unimaginable. They were definitely going to lose their deposit.

Jacque towered behind her, his strong arms wound tightly around her shoulders. He smelled of heat and musk with a faint lingering of the feline. She collapsed into his broad frame. The hot moisture of his breath tickled as he nuzzled her neck. His soft lips grazed her cheek. Reaching back, she pressed his face against hers, the stubble rough and scratchy against her cheek. His touch was like fire and ice, awakening a savage desire.

“I thought I was going to lose you again.” Her lips skimmed the line of his jaw. His big hands traveled down the front of her body, making her shiver with anticipation.

“I told you I wasn’t leaving you.”

“He’ll come back for you.” She shivered as he cupped her breast, brushing his thumb across her nipple. She ached for him, desperate for his closeness, yearning for their union.

“I’ll be ready.” His tongue danced along the back of her ear. The pressure of his teeth on her earlobe sent chills down her spine. His strength and power was an aphrodisiac, seducing her to want him more. Heat ruptured inside her, remembering the magnificent white beast.

“We can’t do this now.” She prayed he ignore her words.

“I can’t stop.” He kicked the door closed and spun her to face him. His lips consumed hers. His tongue forced its way into her mouth, greedily exploring. She returned his enthusiasm, tasting the small traces of metallic saltiness of blood.

Jacque’s hands trailed down her back and under her shirt. His fingers passed over her navel and fluttered over the flat expanse of her abdomen. Her hand played with the lavish curls falling at the base of his neck as the kiss deepened.

As they stumbled backward, she hit the wall. Her shirt and bra landed on the floor with Jacque’s assistance. His lips tickled her collarbone. He lowered his head, taking her breast into his mouth. His tongue flickered over her nipple. They hardened under his wicked touch. He worked his magic, extracting a moan from her.

Angel pressed further into the wall as Jacque worked his way down her body. His moist tongue teased her navel as he worked the button on her jeans. Once he unzipped them, she wiggled to help get them past her hips.

She drew in a breath when his thumb rubbed the center of her desire. He ran his tongue along crease of her thigh and groin. His fingers slipped inside her wetness and his mouth replaced his thumb. He consumed her with his sinful kiss. She ground against his palm, needing to be filled.

His mouth and fingers played her with agonizing ecstasy. The rhythmic pacing of his fingering and constant teasing of his tongue drove Angel to the brink of insanity. When she thought she could take no more, Jacque pushed her legs onto his shoulder and delved deeper into her sweetness.

She stifled her cry, her mind hazed in the delirious rhapsody as she rode the crashing waves of her climax. Jacque lowered her legs to the floor. He placed his hands on either side of her, trapping her into a kiss. Angel tasted her pleasure in his mouth.

As Jacque held her in the kiss and massaged her breast, she worked the buckle of his belt and unzipped his jeans. His shaft pulsed under the dense material, rejuvenating her desire. She pushed his jeans to the floor and folded her hand around the bulk of his manhood. As she moved along the length of him and rubbed her finger over the slickness of the tip, Jacque groaned into her hair. “I want to be inside of you.”

She quickened her movements, her hand not fully circling his cock, stroking the length of it with the precise rhythm of her wrist. Jacque braced himself against the wall. Angel took his hand, guiding it back between her legs. His fingers entered the fiery abyss, matching her pace. His body compressed, bearing down on her. She answered his call by guiding his thickness along the liquid heat between her legs.

“Now,” she pleaded.

Her legs encircled his waist as he entered her. Her body accepted the full length of him as he filled her completely. His hips ground into her, each thrust pounding harder, releasing the frustrations of the night. She moved with his strokes, gliding along his manhood, clenching herself around it. He built up sped, carrying them to their rapture.

With each thrust, her back crashed into the wall. She bit into his shoulder as she reached the height of her pleasure. Her release raked throughout her body as Jacque spilled his seed into her, the warm fluid mingling with her juicy aftermath.

Ironclad arms clasped her to him, so secure she could barely breathe. They stayed clinging to one another not moving, appreciating the moment.

Angel shook her head, dropping her leg, and murmured, “We got to go, baby.”

“I know. But just stay like this for a second longer.” If he pushed her any more, she might bust through the other side of the wall.

“We can pick this up later. People are waiting on us.”

“I guess.” He stole another kiss. His tongue begged her not to leave. Angel broke the kiss, brushed a wayward curl out of his face, and smiled up at him.

He let her go and tossed her clothes to her. “Come on. Let’s go find your mother.”

Chapter Thirty-Five

The ballroom resembled a field hospital. Supes healed faster than humans, although some wounds took longer than others to repair. Silver worked a number on most supernatural species. The smell of blood and dying flesh permeated the air, nauseating Angel. She scanned the room searching for her friends and found them helping a couple of vamps on the stage.

“I see they got you up and going.” Angel hopped onto the stage.

Nat pushed the hair out of her face and wiped her brow. “Yeah. If you ever make me drink blood again, I swear I’ll never talk to you again.”

“Has Laurent and Etienne come back yet?”

“I haven’t seen them. You should ask Marie and Isis. They’re in the other room with the more injured ones.”

Angel’s nails dug into her palms. “Shit, this isn’t everyone?”

“Naw. They’ve been sending more out to help and more come back hurt.” Nat wiped the sweat from her forehead.

“Okay. I’ll find Jacque and get back out there.”

“What happened to Jacque’s brother?”

Angel shrugged. “The hell if we know. He was there one minute then gone. Luc probably got him outta there.”

Nat went back to Steri-stripping the gash on the vamps side. “That’s jacked.”

“Yep, but we got to go get this fight over with and find my mother. We’ll look for Xavier later.” Angel handed Nat some gauze and tape.

“You
sure
you wanna find her and bring her back?”

Angel shook her head at her friend. “Yes, Nat. She’s my mother. I gotta bring her back.”

“I’m just saying. I know there’s been many days we wished she would disappear.” Nat’s quiet chuckle reminded Angel of when they were girls, whispering stories about her escape from Elise.

“Not this way. And I don’t want
her
gone, just her attitude.”

Jacque waved from across the room, motioning for her to come. She jumped off the stage and darted toward him. Her sword bounced against her back and rubbed the base of her neck. The injured watched as she traveled to the other side of the room. She quickened her steps to remove herself from the center of attention. Her heart broke to know she caused their pain.

“How’s your friends?” Jacque asked as they walked out the ballroom.

“They’ll be fine. I’m worried about Laurent and Etienne.”

“Yeah. Me, too.”

“We got to go back and help them.”

She grabbed the keys from him since his driving was still a little unsteady. “Let’s head out.”

***

Body parts lay sprinkled all over the lawn. Blood tinted the green grass a gruesome shade of crimson. She hoped most of these men belonged to Xavier. Angel forced herself to try to identify them. Jacque stalked behind her with his sword drawn, cautious of her every move. She used her own sword to poke and prod the bodies in her path.

The battle was over. Only the grunts and groans of the wounded disturbed the calm. A hand grasped Angel’s ankle as she stepped over a body. Her high-pitched scream pierced the silence. Jacque raised his weapon to strike. Angel grabbed him before he could administer the blow. A familiar voice called out to her, and she dropped to the ground to comfort him.

“Hey.” She smiled at Damon. “You look like shit.”

“It’s been a bad day all around.” The wet gurgle in Damon’s chest distorted his words.

“Yeah, you look pretty banged up. We should get you back to Le Fleur.”

“There were a lot of them. We held our own.” His breathing was heavy. Angel propped his head on her lap and held his hand.

“I can see. Y’all kicked ass.”

“Did Laurent and Etienne make it back?”

“We haven’t seen them.”

“They were in the house the last time I saw them.” The light dulled behind his amber eyes. She brushed back his dark brown hair, caressing his temple.

“We’ll look for them once we get you to a vehicle.”

Damon looked away into the night. “It might be too late.”

“You’re full of shit, Damon. You’ll be fine.” Her throat closed as she swallowed her fear, knowing he might be telling the truth.

Jacque bent down, picked Damon up, and hauled him over his shoulder. “Let’s get him back to the SUV. Someone can drive him to Le Fleur. Mother and Marie will patch him up.” He gave Angel his hand and helped her from the ground.

They sprinted to the house once they turned Damon over to the group headed back to the vehicles. The lights in the house blazed bright against the night sky. Angel remembered how out of place the lights seemed the first time they arrived. It was an ambush. One they readily walked into. This time Angel refused to be caught off guard.

The house held the stench of death. The body count was high. Jacque kicked limbs and other parts out of the way as they navigated through the front hall. The pit demon still blocked the narrow walkway. Angel gagged from its fumes as they climbed over its body.

Shadows shifted in the kitchen at the end of the hall. Jacque maneuvered in front of Angel to shield her from danger. She slid the .9mm out of the holster, changing to a full clip.

“Who’s there?” Jacque called out.

No one answered. The thud of wood hitting the floor caused Angel to peek from behind Jacque. He pushed her back.

“Who the hell’s back there? Answer or we’ll start shooting.” Jacque inched his way forward.

Cans clanged on the table. Muttered curses flowed from the kitchen. “Jacque, is that you?” Laurent yelled.

“Yeah,” Jacque huffed as he hurried toward the noise.

Laurent leaned on the kitchen table, a foot missing from his right leg. He used his sword as a crutch. Etienne sulked, exasperation etched in the lines of his face, behind Laurent with her mother draped over his shoulder.

“Where the hell did you find her?” Angel scrambled over to assess her mother’s condition.

Etienne shifted her mother, allowing Angel to better evaluate the situation. “She was tied up and locked in the old slave quarters out back.”

“What did they do to her?”

“I’m actually the one who knocked her out. She was hysterical and trying to fight everyone when we untied her.” She understood the reason for the expression on his face.

Her mother always bit the hand that fed her. “Sorry about her. She’s a piece of work.”

“I’m fine. Laurent’s the one with the problem. She whacked off his foot with a machete. I didn’t realize how strong she was. I wrestled her down to the ground before she hurt anyone else.”

Angel suppressed a giggle. “Oh, shit! I’m sorry, Laurent.”

“I’m okay. It’ll grow back. You owe me big time!” Laurent limped down the hall, holding on to the wall.

“Anything you want, babe. I got you.” She laughed. His drama was in full effect.

He glanced back with a devilish grin. “You can start by getting me a date with Natasha once my foot grows back.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

The moon smiled down on them, casting a silvery shadow on the group. Angel reveled in the stillness of the night. It was a welcomed break after the chaos of the battle. The trek was slow going since Laurent refused Jacque’s help.

Exhaustion crawled into Angel’s bones. She wanted a hot bath, a warm bed, and to curl into Jacque’s arms. She played with his hair as she drove. She shivered when his fingers caressed the bumpy ridges of the scar running down her face.

The madness of the day managed to make her forget about her looks. Not once did she stop to think about what someone thought and not once did anyone mention her scar. The people with her tonight appreciated her for more than just her appearance. They cared about the person who lay beneath the surface. Angel’s heart warmed at the thought. Other than Nat and Jazzy, she never had real friends before.

Several cars were leaving Le Fleur as they pulled into the drive. Isis and Leviathan poised on the steps of the porch, bidding everyone goodnight. They exuded royalty. Angel waited, admiring Jacque’s interaction with his mother, always respectful and caring. Even with Jacque towering over her, Isis maintained her regal presence.

She squeezed Jacque’s arm. “I’m glad everyone arrived safely.”

“Yeah, except Xavier got away. And he’ll be back.” Jacque kissed his mother’s cheek.

Jacque’s father smacked him on the back like a proud papa. “I heard you had the best of him, until he disappeared.”

“I guess, but he gave as good as he got. He’s strong.”

“You’re stronger, son.” Isis eyes shone with pride. Something Angel never saw in Elise’s eyes, not even when she got the contract with one of the top modeling agencies in the country.

“I hate I have to fight him. He’s my brother and he’s hurting.” Jacque met his mother’s gaze. “I felt his pain.”

“I felt it also. He channeled his pain into hatred. I doubt anything will ever be able to break through to him, especially us.”

“You have to admit, we’ve never really accepted him into our family.”

“He has always been welcome in our home. Your father knows I tried.” Her tone was stern, defensive.

“Being welcomed in the house and being accepted as family is different, Mother. You know you never accepted him as one of us.”

Isis crossed her arms over her chest. “Because he was not one of us. Even as a child his hate ruled him.”

“And he’s always sensed your distance. You’re not the only one to blame.

We all did this to him.”

“I will not take responsibility for Xavier’s choices.” Isis spun on her heels and stomped away.

Angel recognized the hurt in her eyes. Isis had the same expression she observed in her own mother’s features—guilt.
Our parents relive the regrets of their decisions as we children suffer the consequences. It’s a fate we can’t outrun
. Angel’s mother made it a mission to find a way to admonish her accountability in Angel’s flaws, never quite succeeding.

Angel pushed Jacque toward the front door. “Go after your mother.” He reluctantly followed her orders.

The ballroom was almost empty. A few more seriously injured needed to be moved. Nat and Jazzy sat on the edge of the stage, chatting with Etienne. Marie bandaged Laurent’s leg, in tears as he retold his struggle with Elise. Angel smiled as she took in the scene. This was her new family. Jacque returned, disrupting her moment of accomplishment. She had stood admiring her situation longer than she realized.

Jacque’s lips grazed her forehead. “You ready to go get some sleep?”

“I’m ready. I need a hot shower and a soft bed.”

“I can help you with your shower.”

Giggling, she nudged him with her elbow. “I’m sure you can, but I need sleep and you helping would interfere with the whole sleeping thing.”

“Who needs sleep?” He gave her butt a playful tap.

“All right, let’s round it up and head out,” Angel yelled, flagging her friends. She slid under Jacque’s arm, melted into his side, and headed for the door. She wasn’t sure whether to put this one under the win column. At least everyone was still alive. The war wasn’t over; they still had to find Xavier. As long as he was free, they wouldn’t be safe.