SEALs of Summer 2: A Military Romance Superbundle (66 page)

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W
hen she parked
in her driveway, she moved the driver’s seat forward so Luke could get out. Their faces were almost touching. Their eyes met. What she saw in his shockingly blue eyes was bewilderment and a touch of anger. She didn’t blame him. Grann had no right barging into his thoughts like that, none at all.

“What’s going on?” Luke asked.

The blue aura flashed brilliantly about his head. Ysabeau took it as a warning to not hurt Luke again. Ysabeau stepped back. Sadly, she agreed with the spirit. All of Luke’s trauma and suffering over the past few days had been her fault. Gran, Deo, and Tico wouldn’t have bothered him if it weren’t for her.

“Nothing,” she whispered, sadly. “I’m just sorry.”

“Ysabeau, you need to stop saying that.” He cupped her cheek and the warmth from his hand flooded through her skin.

She turned her head and kissed his palm. If she’d known what the Great Mambo Priestess of Light had planned, she would never have taken Luke to the Rec Centre. She’d have told him to go home and never come back. He could’ve been killed.

Gran’s voice came up behind them. “Mr. Carter, your body is tired. Go inside and give it de rest it needs.”

“Dat’s right, keep moving, Guardian man. Give our girl some fresh air.” Deolina was suddenly next to them, her nose dangerously close to Luke’s face.

Anger flushed Luke’s cheeks. “Ysabeau is my only dance partner, Deolina. I suggest you find someone else to go toe-to-toe with.”

Before a brawl broke out on her driveway, Ysabeau said, “Gran’s right, Luke. Go inside and rest. I need to talk to the priestesses before they leave.” She gave Deolina a pointed look. She and Grann had some explaining to do.

He searched her face for answers. “We will talk about this later.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes. I promise,” she said.

They all watched him walk into the house.

“We are not leavin’ you two alone. No way, no how. Dat’s like askin’ de devil into your home and feedin’ him supper.” Deolina plopped back against the car. “Grann and I are
not
feedin’ no devil white man spicy-Ysabeau soup. Right, Gran?”

Grann looked scared. And something Ysabeau hadn’t noticed before—she looked old. “We can’t leave you two alone, Ysa.”

Ysabeau paced her driveway. “You forced your way into his thoughts, Gran! You told me you’d never do that again!”

Deolina cupped her mouth and spoke conspiratorially, “She means after what we did to de bad man.”

“I know what she means. We had no choice, sweet girl. Something horrible is coming.” Grann bit her lip. “None of us, not Gochi, Deo, nor I can see it. We’re too close. Whatever it is, affects us all.”

Ysabeau stopped walking and faced her grandmother. “You think Luke’s wife knows what the horrible thing is? How is that possible?”

“In my vision, I see a woman, a bald-headed woman, with dark wounded eyes. Dead eyes. When I look at your American, I see dat woman hoverin’ over his shoulder, watchin’ me like a vulture.” Deolina shivered. “A hungry vulture.”

Ysabeau gasped. “She won’t hurt Luke, will she? Please tell me he’ll be okay.”

Deolina’s long braids danced in the wind. “She’s de protector who is keepin’ lover man safe from harm. Never mind dat his harm rubs off on us.”

“The horrible thing?” Ysabeau whispered. “What is it?”

Grann took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Don’t worry, child. We’re figuring it out.”

But Ysabeau saw nothing but fear in Grann’s face. Nothing but fear.

*

Luke went to
the refrigerator for a cold beer. Twisting off the lid, he tried to piece together what had happened in the Rec Centre. It was all a big screwed-up haze. The drums, the chanting, the confusion, getting all hot and bothered dancing with Ysabeau, and boom! Hitting the floor. Damn, it was the second time in less than a week he’d been knocked unconscious. He couldn’t remember what happened, but knew it had something to do with Gran. Every time he thought about her, he got pissed all over again. Really, really, pissed.

Why can’t I remember?

He pressed the cold bottle to his forehead and opened another.

*

Ysabeau came into
the kitchen and found Luke sitting at the kitchenette, a beer in his hand, another pressed to his head. The blue aura flashed brightly as she came closer. She decided to ignore it.

“Do you have a headache?” she asked.

He didn’t lift his head. “No. I have World War III in my brain.”

“Oww. Let me see if this helps.” She rubbed his shoulders, slowly, intimately.

He leaned into her. “Definitely helping.”

She kept going, massaging up his neck and into his scalp. Her fingers worked to ease away his tension and stress. His hair was so thick, soft. It was all she could do to keep herself from tightening her grip, tipping his head back and kissing him silly.

“Oh, sweetheart, that feels good.” His soft moan of pleasure made her legs weak.

She kneaded his tight, muscular shoulders, while trying to block out how wonderful his arms would feel around her. Sweet mother, she wanted him to hold her, but now was not the time. She shook her head and forced herself to do what she had to do.

Bracing herself, she said, “I’m ready to answer your questions.”

He swiveled in the chair toward her. Putting his hands on her waist, he pulled her closer and rested his head on her belly. He breathed in deeply, as if inhaling her fragrance. “Questions can wait.” His voice was deep, sexy. “I can think of other things I’d rather do.”

So could she. Running her fingers through his hair, she memorized everything…the feel of his big, warm hands around her waist, his lips pressing into her stomach, the need burning inside her. Closing her eyes, she tipped her head to the ceiling and imagined him taking her on the kitchen table. Pounding into her, making her cry his name.

No!
She yelled at herself.
Don’t get lost in the moment, not yet.
“Luke, we need to talk about the Voodoo ceremony. Tell me what you remember. What happened after the dancing?”

He rubbed her back. “It’s a screwed up mess. Did I pass out?”

“You probably did, most people do during a ceremony as intense as that one was. Especially when Gran…did what she did.”

“Good news, I guess. That doesn’t explain what I heard.” When he looked up at her, she saw worry in his blue eyes. “Listen, you aren’t going to believe this but during the ceremony I heard voices in my head. Real voices. Two women yelling at each other. Inside my brain! Please tell me that’s a side effect of being kicked in the head by Tico’s boot.”

Her fingers froze in his scalp. “Um, no. That was Gran. I can’t believe she forced her way into your thoughts. It’s very dangerous.”

“Gran.”

She nodded.

“And the other?”

“I would guess it was your wife.”

“Bullshit.”

She wished it was. “Soli was there.”

“That’s not possible. I watched them bury her. I shoveled in the last bit of dirt. She’s gone, Ysabeau.”

She rubbed his cheeks. “You know the truth in your heart. She can’t leave you.”

The change occurred before her eyes. The darkness in his face lifted, his eyes widened, his lips turned up, and little by little he started to believe.

“Soli was at the ceremony? In my drugged dreams, I understand, but I was awake. How is that possible?”

His wife was in his dreams? Her heart sank. The connection between them was stronger than she wanted to believe.

She noticed his hands on her back were gripping harder, holding on as if she was his only link to the truth. He wasn’t the only one who needed the truth. “Gran’s very powerful. Not many Voduns can do what she does. Please Luke, tell me what Soli said to you. Is she moving on?”

“A piece of her…” His smile was euphoric. “…lives? My Soli?”

Her heart tore. “As long as you hold on and love her as much as you do, her spirit is bound to you.”

“This is…strange shit. I can’t wrap my brain around it. Soli was protecting me and I was the man on the ground.” He shook his head. “Mind-blowing. Would Grann perform another ceremony and let me talk to her this time? Just the two of us?”

Her jaw dropped. “After what happened today? What Grann did to you was very dangerous. People have gone insane and worse during that sort of ceremony. I won’t allow her to do it again.”

He wrapped his arms around her waist again. “I’m too tough for insanity, otherwise, I’d already be there.”

Resting her arms on his strong shoulders, she gazed into those deep blue eyes. She swallowed hard. “What would you say to her? Soli?”

“I don’t know. But I’d give anything for the chance to talk to her one last time. Will Grann do it?”

Anything? Would he give me away in the process?
Ysabeau sighed. “I’ll ask her.”

He shook his head and stared at the floor. “I thought I’d lost her forever. Soli was really here?”

“Yes.”
She is always here.
The blue aura pulsing around him was a constant reminder. Would he ever let Soli go? “Relax, Luke. You need to rest.” As she pressed her lips to his temple she lifted up a silent prayer.

Lord help me. Keep me from falling for a man who still loves his wife.

*

Grann stood in
the driveway and watched Ysabeau disappear inside her house. “She’s not happy with me.”

Deolina grinned. “You do have a way of tickin’ folks off.”

“You deserved it,” Grann snapped.

“Me? Okay, maybe I did a little. Well, I’ve got to get on home.
Baywatch
is about to start and I love my Hasselhoff.” Deolina hugged herself. “Yummy, yummy man. And you’d better get yourself inside. You know what dat spirit said. We’ve got to keep dem two apart.”

“Before you go, tell me. Did you have another vision during the ceremony?” Grann asked.

Deolina shivered in the steamy night air. “It’s de same. Blood. Destruction. Babies cryin’. De air reekin’ up to Heaven’s gate of dead, rottin’ bodies—”

“Deo! What about Ysa?”

Deolina shook her head. “I still see him, de American devil, carrying her lifeless body through the streets. Swearin’ he’s never lettin’ her go.”