Angelique (24 page)

* * * *

Eloi and Armand met with someone in the District Attorney’s office as well as a few people in the Buildings and Permits department after they informed their parents about the accidents and suspicion of foul play. Their parents were concerned about Angelique and the possibility that someone may go after her to get to them. Their dad, Jack, called in a few favors and was trying to find out who showed interest in the land. Eloi worked his end on the streets to see if anyone was paying guys to cause the accidents on the construction site. They seemed to be making progress as evening time rolled around. None of the Lafont men were happy about Angelique being away from them. By the time they met for a family meeting around eleven in the evening, they were even more concerned.

“So what did you find out during your recon mission?” Eloi asked Marcel and Remy. They had gone into the gator land and paid some money to find info from snitches.

“It looks like we’re definitely being targeted. Took a bit of…negotiating, but Remy is real good at convincing people to answer questions when he asks them. We talked with three guys done been offered money to cause trouble on the construction sites. Said some guy named Williams was doing the offering,” Marcel stated. Eloi could just imagine how his brothers convinced the guys to snitch. Neither Remy nor Marcel looked none the worse for wear, so things must have gone smoothly.

“There’s only one asshole I know named Williams, but we never had any problem with him before,” Eloi told them.

“Not Pierre Williams?” Jack Lafont asked his son.

“Yeah, sir, that’s the only one I know around here.”

“That asshole is nothing but trouble. He hangs out with—” Jack began to say. Then he stood up with his face bright red and his fists by his side.

“What is it, papa? What’s going on?” Armand asked.

“That piece of shit Bruce Zivier, been wanting me to sell to him for years. I should have put this together sooner. He’s been talking to some people about making his own little town where the merchants and artisans have to pay rent and give him half of what they make from the tourists. He’s been eyeing the south side for a while, but I told him that was land for my boys and they decide what goes there. Son of a bitch!” Jack stated.

“Slow down, Papa. We can’t go making accusations like this. We need evidence that can be backed up in the courts. Then I can arrest his ass ’n’ his associates,” Eloi told his dad.

“Well, now that we got names, we can probably get better information and get some of these folks to testify that they been bribed to commit crimes on our sites. I got a list of all the workers. No matter what, if you on the site, you had to be registered. There’s no walk-ons. Even the volunteers had to register,” Armand stated as he opened up his laptop and began to look up information.

“I’m printing out a list. We split it up and head out first thing in the morning for answers,” Armand stated.

“Sounds like a plan,” Remy added as he leaned back in the seat. They were all silent a moment.

“Then we can go get our woman and convince her move in here with us,” Marcel stated. They all agreed, and their father looked concerned.

“You ask Angelique to marry you?” he asked, and they all appeared shocked.

“We love her and want to be with her all the time,” Armand stated.

“Well, that’s nice and all, but she’s a good woman. She’s classy, sophisticated with her own business and home. She seems old fashioned to me,” he told them as he stood up.

“Shit, Eloi! Maybe that’s why she looked so concerned and on the verge of tears,” Remy stated. They all looked at one another.

“She grabbed her belly, too, when we mentioned wanting her to be our wife and the mother of our children,” Eli stated.

“She may be pregnant?” their dad asked. Their eyes widened, and a whole lot of comments went through the room.

“You have her address, Eloi. Let’s go get her,” Armand stated.

“Slow down there, son. You’ll scare the living daylights out of that
fille
and forget about her moving in with you. The four of you are going about this all wrong,” their dad told them, and they rolled their eyes and gave mumbled comments about being men.

“I know a thing or two about women. You fell in love with a fine one. She has a lot to offer you all. She can handle you fine, and she’s tough. But she has her own business. A successful one from my understanding from your mama and it’s about to get even better for her. You need to be supportive now, not putting more pressure on her. She’s making big decisions. Tye and Mike said she’s fabulous with her company and her products. She’s going to have a lot of big decisions to make, and having four overbearing men making unnecessary demands could spell destruction for your relationship. Ease up. Talk with her and build your trust between the five of you. When she’s ready, she will tell you,” he said.

“We go see her tomorrow after we take care of Bruce Vizier and this Williams guy. They mess with the wrong family,” Armand stated, and they all agreed.

* * * *

“So they want you to move into their house with them?” Mikayla asked Angelique over the phone as Angelique continued to sew some beads on a bodice.

“Yes. It was intense, Mikayla. I didn’t know what to do because I didn’t think this far ahead, you know. I mean, I finally come clean about my life, my business, and where I live. I love them so much, and it’s all so crazy right now.”

“You mean with Tye and Mike wanting to go into the partnership and bring Secret Pleasures national?” Mikayla asked.

“Yes. It’s been so crazy. I missed so many orders staying over their place yesterday all day then last night. They didn’t want me to leave. They looked so intense and I didn’t want to leave, but I was scared that it was too many big decisions to make in a breath’s time.”

“That’s understandable. I mean, moving in with four men is a bit out of the ordinary. Plus, you have that great house and your business.”

“I know. I mean, I could transfer all this stuff there. They have a huge house, and it’s so beautiful. But I love Orchidea, and I love my sisters.”

“Aww, Angel, you know no matter where you are that we’ll get together and still be close. Their place is only thirty minutes from here.”

“Twenty-seven minutes and forty-two seconds,” Angelique replied, and Mikayla laughed.

“Well, see, then it isn’t even a half an hour away.”

Angelique was silent a moment as she thought about the voodoo priestess.

“What else is bothering you? You got awfully quiet all of a sudden.”

“It was something Cherise said that night when y’all came over here.”

“What did that crazy voodoo lady say this time?”

“She said there was trouble coming. That five hearts are stronger than one and that the baby needs good fathers like the Lafont.”

“What? She thinks that you’re pregnant with their child?”

“She said so only after the first week I was with them. It’s been about four or so now.”

“And?”

“And I was due a week ago. Not a sign of nothing.”

“Well, you love them and they love you, so are you happy about the baby or what?”

“I don’t even know if I am pregnant or not.”

“Come on, Angel, if Cherise says you are, then you are.”

Angelique covered her belly with her hand and smiled.

“I guess I better get a testing kit and know what I’m dealing with, because I don’t know how the hell I’m going to deal with all these individual life-changing events simultaneously.”

Mikayla laughed.

“You’ll be fine, girl. You’ve been hiding and running a successful lingerie business for over two years and having a love fest with four brothers in New Orleans while maintaining your little-sister façade. I say you’ll handle it fine, and you remember that you are an Aubert and we sisters can handle anything together.”

“I’m going to hold you to that, sister,” Angelique stated then laughed.

* * * *

That evening, Angelique’s sisters arrived at her place just as she was getting off the phone with her men.

“I love you, too, and I promise to come out to your place tomorrow. I just have to get these orders done. Bye,” she stated as she hung up the phone. Her sisters came through the front door carrying in desserts and wine and bottled water.

“Okay, so we got us some food because everyone eats when they’re nervous,” Ellena stated as she pointed to the boxes of cakes and pies that Angelina carried in.

“A couple bottles of wine in case you aren’t pregnant and we want to relieve some stress, and a couple bottles of nonalcoholic wine in case you are pregnant so we don’t fuck up that baby growing in your belly,” Mikayla added.

“And we got a testing kit, because we know you didn’t go out to buy one today. You haven’t left that spot except to pee or eat,” Illeanna said and placed the items onto the table.

She laughed at their parade then swallowed hard as Illeanna passed her the pregnancy test.

“Well, go on. Get it over with,” she told her then pulled her into her arms and hugged Angelique tight.

Angelique tried hard to hide the tears. “I love y’all so much. You are the best sisters ever,” Angelique told them, and they all looked teary eyed as she walked toward her bathroom.

Angelique was so nervous her hands were shaking. Did she want to have their baby? Did she want to marry four men? she wondered. Then it hit her that they hadn’t actually asked her to marry them, just move in with them. They mentioned wanting to marry her and wanting her to have their babies, but that could have been after the heat of passion. The chemistry between the five of them was hot. She looked at the stick. This little thing was going to tell her if she was going to be a mama or not. She thought about her men, Armand, Eloi, Remy, and Marcel, and how much she loved each of them. Not one more than the others, but equally. She wanted them in her life, but she had her doubts and her fears. She took a deep breath and did the deed.
How the hell am I going to wait a few minutes for the results?
she asked as she placed it down onto the counter. Her eyes widened in shock. “I guess I don’t have to wait after all.”

Angelique walked out of the bathroom. Her sisters stood there holding wine glasses and water bottles.

“Well?” Ellena asked.

“I’m having a baby,” she told them, and they all cheered then ran to her hugging her and congratulating her as they gave her a bottle of water.

“What’s all the screaming about?” Mama Cherise asked as she entered from the front door. They all turned to her and smiled.

Angelique placed her hands on her hips.

“You tell me since you know everything,” Angelique stated.

Mama Cherise walked closer to her and eyed her in a way that told Angelique that she better watch her tone. Angelique’s eyes widened as Cherise placed her hand on her belly.

“Babies are well. You be fine and make a great mama.”

“Babies?” they all asked at once then giggled. Mikayla and Ellena grabbed Angelique’s hands and held them.

“Babies. Now don’t worry. Just take care of yourself and be with your men. In their arms or in their presence you’re the safest. So what’s for dessert?” Mama Cherise asked then headed toward the table.

“I sure could use a stiff drink right about now,” Angelique stated, feeling a bit sick to her stomach. Babies?

 “Now, now, honey, don’t you worry. We’re going to take good care of you. We have to plan a dinner menu for meeting your men and help you pack up this place so you can go be with them,” Ellena stated.

“Wait one second. I didn’t say I was going to go live with them right away. I said they asked me to. Now with my company expanding and the baby situation, I’m not sure what I want to do. I mean, I need you all. I can’t do this without my sisters,” Angelique sated firmly.

“No one is saying that,” Illeanna stated, giving her sister Ellena a dirty look.

“You just take it one day at a time. You still planning on that dinner party this Saturday, right?” she asked.

“Of course I am.”

“Well, when are you going to tell your men about the babies?” Angelina asked.

Angelique was quiet.

“Angelique? When are you going to tell them?” Mikayla asked.

“I’ve got a lot to think about first. I need to arrange a few things and see where we stand. They never asked me to marry them, just to move in with them.”

“So you’re keeping this from them?” Ellena asked.

“No. I just need to make sure I am what they want,” Angelique stated then walked into the kitchen.

* * * *

It had been a long, restless night for Angelique. She tossed and turned and made herself crazy with worry over whether Armand, Eloi, Marcel, and Remy all loved her and would continue to love her. She worried about the babies and whether or not the Lafont brothers would be happy about them, and then of course she worried about their safety and the concern over their business. Of course there were her business concerns, her house, and moving away from her sisters. How was she going to work this all out?

Finally, by ten o’clock in the morning, she couldn’t take it any longer. She showered, got dressed in capris and a designer dress shirt that showed off her firm belly and belly ring. She looked in the mirror and knew that that firm belly may not look the same until after having a baby. Soon she would be round and showing and prayed her men would love her. The thought that their baby grew inside of her made her happy. Babies, she reminded herself and instantly had a funny sensation in her stomach. Come to think of it, she had been feeling funny all morning. Her gut instincts were in overdrive. There was reason for concern, but she blamed it on all the changes in her life and knew she needed to see her men and talk things through. If this relationship was going anywhere, then they were going to have to talk things through and figure it out together. She grabbed her keys and called her sister Mikayla on the way out the door.