Tempt Me (22 page)

SHE WOKE UP A FEW HOURS LATER, LISTENING TO GABRIEL’S
slow, steady breathing, trying to calm her own.

She couldn’t; something was wrong. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. It was so strong she had to extricate herself from her lover’s grip and get out of bed.

Walking over to her clothes piled in a small heap in the corner, she saw it. The locket, glinting with unnatural light.

She put it on without thinking, feeling its warmth against her skin.

Her mother needed her? Was that the foreboding that had woken her out of a sound sleep? She didn’t question it. She threw her clothes on and walked out of the room, knowing there was no time to wake Gabriel. No time to tell him what was wrong. She had to go now.

Stepping outside just as dawn was breaking, Angelique started to walk. She was heedless of the sounds and movements of the waking city. Of the men sleeping in alleyways along her route.

She had to get home.

How could they not know? It was so obvious to her now. It was why they’d always watched her so closely, always worried. They knew what was inside her. That she was just like him.

She stopped in the street. Shaking her head as if to clear it. She was nothing like her father. Her family knew that. She knew that. Why was she thinking this way? Maybe Emmanuel was nearby. Could he find out if her mother was safe? “Manny?”

He hadn’t said that he loved her. Not once. She’d seen something in his expression; she knew she had. It felt like love, at least the beginnings . . . but he had never said it out loud.

She
was
cursed. Or her family was. Why had she thought she’d gotten off scot-free? Her father’s crimes had been too ugly. He’d gone too far. Her brother had spent years suffering for it. Her mother had spent most of her life alone, with no love for herself. Angelique was no different. She was worse, because she hadn’t understood. Hadn’t helped to ease their pain.

She crossed the street and saw the same man from the bar last night. The one she had seen before. Bloodshot eyes stared unblinking. He made no move to follow her, just watched her as she walked swiftly away from him. Why was he watching her?

She made it to her apartment, though she wasn’t sure how. As she walked up the steps, she felt different. As though she wasn’t in charge of her movements. They felt jerky. Alien. Like a dream.

The door was unlocked. When she opened it she could see her mother sitting on the couch, a cup of coffee in her hand.

Theresa Rousseau stood up as soon as she came in, looking relieved. “I was wondering where you were, Angelique. I know I shouldn’t have used the old key; you deserve your privacy. But I haven’t seen you much these last few weeks and I thought I’d surprise you with breakfast.”

She narrowed her eyes as she studied her daughter’s wrinkled dress and wild curls. “Are you all right? What happened?”

Angelique wanted to reassure her mother, but the words wouldn’t come out. Instead she walked over to her and hugged her. Too tightly. Why was she holding her so tightly? She focused on relaxing her arms.

“Baby, what is it? What’s happened to you? Did someone hurt you?”

Angelique’s mouth opened and words she hadn’t planned to say came out. “They tried, but I’m protected; you know that. Remember when I was little, when I was scared you told me you’d made sure nothing could hurt me? Why am I protected, Mommy? Why can’t Daddy’s darkness touch me?”

Theresa looked at her oddly, but she patted her arms and nodded. “I can’t believe you remember that.”

“Why am I protected?”

“Your cross. The priests at the Catholic church blessed it.”

“Not just the priests.”

Theresa was trying to move from her arms now, obviously unsettled. “How did you know that? I never told you your aunt Cecilia blessed it as well. She insisted . . . just to be safe.”

Angelique stepped back swiftly. “Aunt Cecilia. The Santeria priestess? She’s nowhere near powerful enough.”

“What?”

“I don’t think it’s working. I’m scared. We need to go see the Mambo. I’m worried something dark is after me.”

“Angelique, my dear, please. What is it? What is after you? Why do you sound so strange?”

She turned around and felt a vague sense of horror when she caught her expression in the mirror. Her expression, but not
her
. As if someone else was watching through her eyes. Something else.

Her arms reached up behind her neck and she unclasped the cross she’d never taken off before. “Call them all, Mama. Michelle and Allegra and Mrs. Adair. Tell them we’ll meet them at the Mambo’s house. It’s an emergency. Trust me. I think my life is in danger.”

She wasn’t sure how her mother responded. The last thing she remembered was looking at the cross in her hand, watching her fingers uncurl, and feeling the chain slide across her skin until it slipped, tumbling to the ground.

After that she started to scream until everything went dark.

GABRIEL SLEEPILY SLID HIS HAND ACROSS THE SHEET,
searching for Angelique’s soft form. He’d had another nightmare. The darkness that had been chasing him was after her as well. He needed to feel her press against him, hear her heartbeat. He needed her.

His body stirred as the scenes of the evening replayed in his head. She’d been incredible. He may have been fulfilling her fantasies, but she’d surpassed his. And she’d done something more. She’d gotten past his defenses. The young, sassy Angelique had gotten to his heart.

“Morning, Sugarpants. Did you sleep well?”

BD’s syrupy drawl was the only warning he got before he was dragged out of the bed and slammed against the wall so hard the wind was knocked from his lungs.

“What the—”

“Rousseau, you agreed to restrain yourself.”

Gabriel kicked Celestin’s kneecap, then pushed him away when his grip loosened in surprise.

Gabriel put his hands on his thighs, bending over to catch his breath. This was
not
how he wanted to start his morning. “Damn it! BD? Rousseau? What the hell are you two doing here?”

And where was Angelique?

He looked up. Celestin Rousseau was a big man. The tattooed and dreadlocked older brother of the woman he’d spent all night defiling. With her permission, of course.

But obviously not Celestin’s.

“Not happy to see me, you bastard?” Celestin snarled, taking a menacing step in his direction.

BD stepped in front of him, keeping a firm hand on his shoulder. “Rousseau, calm down.”

“Fuck you, BD. I trusted you to have my back, my family’s back, but you just couldn’t resist bringing my baby sister down to your level. And
Bethany
. I can’t believe she knew and didn’t—”

“Enough.”
BD’s expression changed dramatically. So dramatically Celestin took a step back. “No one, not even you, my friend, speaks disrespectfully about my wife.”

He turned a gaze like amber fire on Gabriel. “You should probably put your pants on before the interrogation. Angelique’s friends are in the other room, but I don’t think they’ll be kept at bay for long.”

He reached for the khaki pants at the foot of the bed, grumbling. Her friends, Ive and Kelly. Where had they stayed last night? And how had they gotten in? “What did she do, send out morning-after invitations?”

Celestin growled at his muttered words, but he kept his distance.

BD sighed, still watching Celestin through his lashes. “They spent the night with Bethany and me, and now they refuse to go home until they find out what you did to Angelique. They also, it seems, called her brother. Who called Benjamin. He should be here any minute. There is something going on Gabriel. More than you are aware of.”

Gabriel felt his face heat. Jesus, he had to get out of here. And what did BD mean, what he’d done to Angelique? Did they want a blow-by-blow? “Why don’t they ask her? Isn’t she out there? What the hell
is
going on?”

“Would we be here if she was out there?” Celestin’s expression was grim. “You shouldn’t have been here with her in the first place. Ben told me you were reckless, not stupid.”

BD rolled his eyes. “Of course, Benjamin is the perfect role model for sanity in matters of the heart. And you’ve
never
behaved like an ass for love. Bah. I can name five instances now off the top of my head.”

“Love?” Celestin gritted through his teeth, glaring at BD. “She’s just a baby. An innocent. None of this ever had to touch her. All this time he’s been making everyone miserable, making us feel
sorry
for him and causing his mother pain. But he’s been too busy fucking around with my little sister to worry about that.”

Gabriel stood and zipped up his pants. Celestin was right. He’d been a grade-A asshole to his family. An asshole to repay the kindness Rousseau and the others had offered by sneaking around behind their backs. They deserved better; that wasn’t news.

He’d take any lumps they gave him; he deserved it. But he wasn’t going to apologize for Angelique. Not when he knew that, given the chance, he’d do it again.

Celestin wasn’t done listing his sins. “Last night he dragged her out of the club like a Neanderthal, away from you and her friends without a word. Now while he’s sleeping peacefully, she won’t answer her phone and no one has seen her.”

“Wait. What?” Gabriel was awake now. He pushed past the two men and stalked into the front room of the suite, searching for some sign that she was here.

Ive and Kelly were standing by the window. They both jumped when he appeared.

“Where is she?” Gabriel knew he sounded gruff, knew he looked angry, but he couldn’t help it.

Before they could answer the hotel door opened and Gabriel whirled around, heart in his throat. It was Ben Adair and Bethany. They both looked worried. Shit.

“She’s not at her apartment. All I found was a cup of cold coffee and this on the floor.” Bethany held up the small cross that Gabriel had never seen Angelique without.

BD swore and reached for the necklace. “Blue Eyes, this is not good.”

“None of this is.” Bethany noted Gabriel’s half-naked body and sleep-tousled hair and sighed heavily. “I don’t mean to join the mad mob here, but I have to ask. Angelique is too important. Did you black out again?”

He felt the others staring in judgment. Angelique’s friends no doubt thought he was a drunk, or a lunatic. But he just avoided them and shook his head, his expression earnest. “No. I had total control of it this time. I swear to Christ, Bethany. I fell asleep with her in my arms. That’s the last thing I remember.”

The doubt coming at him from all sides was taking an almost physical form. More shadows. It ate at him, made him doubt himself. What if he had hurt her? How could he have taken that kind of chance, being with her after having taken in even the smallest amount of darkness?

Maybe he’d been too rough and she hadn’t said anything, leaving after he’d fallen asleep. Or maybe she hadn’t liked what he’d let Emmanuel do to her.

Or had his nightmare come true?

“Emmanuel. He was here for some of last night. He could tell you.” Gabriel looked around, expecting to see the guardian who’d shared in Angelique’s pleasure appear in the already crowded room.

Celestin sneered. “Blackouts? Has he been drinking again along with everything else, BD? And why the hell is he calling for Emmanuel? What—does he think he can see ghosts now?”

Gabriel refused to acknowledge Angelique’s brother. “Manny, you get your ass in this room right now.” His voice was hoarse with worry. “Don’t fuck around. This isn’t about you; it’s about her.
Where is Angelique?
”

He felt crazy. He was crazy. He’d pushed her away again and again. Wanting to save her from what he’d become, wanting to save himself from having to watch her crush turn to disgust when she saw him for what he really was.