Angelina [Orchidea: Love on the Bayou 5] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) (12 page)

“Hey, Angelina, I’m running out of flyers. Can you grab more from the car?” Elle asked.

“Sure, take mine. I have about a dozen left. Jerry is near there right?” she asked because she promised Terrance and Jacque that she wouldn’t venture off alone.

“Yeah, like half a block from where it’s parked.”

“Okay.” Angelina walked down the street, leaving Elle with two of Jerry’s friends. She headed to the car, passing Jerry along the way.

“Hey, I’m going to get more flyers.”

“Okay. Here are the keys. Grab a bottle of water for me, too?”

“No problem.”

Angelina took the keys and walked down the street to where the car was parked. She could still see Jerry and the guys from where she was.

She unlocked the car and reached into the backseat. A few cars were passing by so she closed the door a little so that she wouldn’t get hit by accident.

Grabbing a water bottle and the flyers, she started to get out of the car when she felt someone grab her hand.

“Hey, get off of me!” she yelled, immediately seeing a man with very dark skin. She wasn’t certain if he was Creole or what, but his eyes looked fierce.

“Come with me now.”

“No!” she screamed, and he covered her mouth with his hand, turning her in his arms. Her back was against his chest and the fear of being taken angered her as she went into defensive mode.

She stomped her boot on his foot, but he was wearing boots. She elbowed him in the stomach and he loosened his hold, giving her the opportunity to hit him. She shoved from his body and he backhanded her across the cheek.

She screamed again. “Help!”

But he was persistent as he tackled her against the side of the car and an opened door.

“Get the fuck in. People are coming,” someone yelled, but he was wearing a mask and a baseball hat.

She kept trying to hit him and he tackled her to the ground as they lost their footing. The car sped off, and she continued to fight the man as her blouse ripped and her jeans ripped, scratching her skin. She was going to be bruised all over. He was huge.

“Let go of me.” She continued to yell as he pulled her up and tried dragging her down the street.

“Hey, let go of her asshole!” She heard Jerry’s voice and she was relieved. He knew how to fight. He would help her. Then she heard the others.

The man holding her was persistent as he took out a knife and held it to her throat.

Her boots dragged along the pavement as he backed up down the street. She wondered where he thought he was going to go. He was surrounded and the sound of approaching sirens filled the streets.

“Put down the knife. There’s no place to go. It’s over, man,” Jerry said as he raised his hands for the others to stop approaching the man holding her.

Angelina was so scared she was shaking. This man was going to take her. He could be the one that took Vera, too. She heard tires screech and knew the police were there. He lowered the knife to look over his shoulder and she made her move.

“No, Angelina!” Jerry yelled.

She ducked under then came up, with her fists in fighting position as he slashed her arm. She felt the pain but something came over her as she punched him straight in the nose then kicked him in the groin. As he bent over in pain, she upper cut him again until he fell backward and the police handcuffed him.

She felt strong arms wrap around her and her reaction was to continue to fight until she heard Jerry’s voice.

“It’s me. You’re okay, Angelina. My God, you’re okay.” He hugged her to him. Elle was beside her and then the police. It was a matter of seconds before the adrenaline rush left her body and she realized the intensity of the situation. Jerry lifted her up and placed her on the hood of his car as the paramedics arrived.

She was never so scared. He was going to take her. He held her at knifepoint.

Jerry lifted her hands. Her knuckles were bleeding and beginning to swell.

“You scared the shit out of me.” Jerry pushed a strand of hair from her face. A moment later, Eloi arrived on scene pushing his way through the crowd. He rushed to her.

“Angelina, are you okay? What the hell happened? Shit, you’re bleeding.”

Jerry explained the situation, but Angelina couldn’t even speak. She was in shock.

Eloi moved Jerry out of the way and pulled her into his arms.

“You’re okay. Everything is going to be okay.”

* * * *

Tye, Mike, Terrance, Lucifer, and Jacque stood in the waiting room at the hospital listening to how Angelina fought off her attacker, got cut by a knife, and possibly fractured her hand. Her sisters were there, too, now, along with some of their men.

Leon and Eloi were talking with Lucifer and Mike Fromm.

Lucifer couldn’t stop the worry. He needed to see Angelina. He needed to know that she was safe. He had anticipated being with her tonight and getting to know one another. He knew her the least of his brothers and it made him feel antsier.

“The good news is that because of Angelina’s training, she was able to stop this guy from taking her, and it helped police to capture him,” Michael Fromm told them.

“Who’s going to be the one to interrogate this piece of shit?” Terrance asked.

“My sources say that the detectives that are assigned to the case get first crack at him since he was apprehended by the department. I wouldn’t be surprised if those interviews are monitored by the feds. That guy who was arrested has a major fucking rap sheet.”

“She was amazing. Supposedly, two of the bars nearby caught the whole scene on surveillance cameras,” Leon added.

“Yeah, we made sure those were confiscated by the authorities. We don’t want those getting out to the media,” Eloi said.

“Are you able to get us a copy?” Lucifer asked.

“You’re upset enough, Lucifer. I wouldn’t want to add to your anger and worry,” Michael told him as he placed his hand on his shoulder. “She did good. She was very lucky and did the right things to draw attention to the scene and to divest him of his weapon. She was fighting with pure adrenaline, which is probably why she got so dizzy when the paramedics arrived.”

“Yeah, they said she didn’t need stitches,” Tye added.

Lucifer released an uneasy breath and shook his head.

“How fucking long before we can see her?” he asked.

“Have patience. The poor child’s been through enough the last few days. She’ll be needing some comfort now and not bossing around, Lucifer,” Cherise Laveau stated as she suddenly appeared in the waiting room and pushed her way between the men and toward the hallway.

“Cherise, you can’t go through there,” Leon began to say but she just kept walking, pushing open the doors.

“That woman is scary,” Jacque whispered and they all agreed. Lucifer wondered where she came from. Mike and Tye told him and his brothers about the authentic voodoo priestess. They’d only met her once, but somehow Lucifer felt as if she knew him very well. What did she mean about bossiness anyway? Like he would boss Angelina around or even think of manhandling her? Crazy.

* * * *

Angelina was buttoning her blouse. She had blood on her clothes, a large bandage on her arm and her hands were covered with bandages. Thank goodness she hadn’t broken any bones. She struggled to get her shoes on as the aches and pains were kicking in from being tackled by that monstrous man.

“Sweet child, are you okay?” Cherise Laveau appeared from behind the curtain. Angelina hadn’t even heard the door to the room open.

“Oh God, Cherise, you scared me. I’m okay. I guess.”

Cherise was next to her, caressing her hair from her eyes.

“Been crying have you?”

She nodded her head.

“No more tears now. You’re a survivor you know.”

“So they say. Is everyone out there?”

“If you mean your sistas and your men, then yes, child. They worry much for you.”

“My men?”

Cherise gave her a sideways glance then placed her hands on her hips.

“Ya not be trying to pull one over on me, are ya, child?”

Angelina felt her cheeks warm. She should know better than to lie or pretend she didn’t know what Cherise was talking about. This woman knew everything.

“They’re all out there?”

Cherise nodded.

She helped Angelina to get her boots on and let Angelina lean on her as she did it.

“They need you as much as you need them. You’ll make the right decisions.”

“Oh, I doubt that very much. They’re rich, they’re experienced in everything beyond my experiences, and they’re so successful and good looking. They’re going to be angry at me for this. Terrance and Jacque didn’t want me to go out tonight.”

“Hush now, child. The fates have plans for all of us. You did what you had to. You’ll do what’s needed again and it will all work out fine.”

Angelina didn’t know what Cherise was talking about, and her head was pounding now.

“Cherise, what about?”

Cherise placed her finger over her own lips, indicating for Angelina to stop and not ask the question. She wanted to know if Vera was still alive.

“We all have different destinies. You’ve done your part to help make others aware. Just keep training. Learn to get to know your men and let the need for control go.”

“How? Especially right now, after what could have happened to me, how can I let control go and the fear?”

“Trust your men. These are small bumps in the road. Trouble is not far. Embrace the Bouchets. Claim your destiny and the cards will fall into place.”

“Trouble? You mean more is coming?” she asked as the door opened and the nurse walked in.

“Are you all set, Ms. Aubert? Oh, who is this?”

“My aunt. We’re all set.”

Angelina couldn’t help the surge of emotions she had. It only got worse as she and Cherise exited the hallway and entered the waiting area. Everyone carried on when they saw her, but her eyes focused on the Bouchet men as they absorbed her bandages and bruised cheekbone.

“Oh God, Angelina, did you need stitches? Is your hand okay? God look at your cheek,” Ellena said as she touched her shoulder and gently hugged her.

“I’m okay. Just tired and my head hurts.”

Mikayla and Illeanna hugged her next and then Angelique.

“We’ll help you when you get home. We have a bunch of food waiting. The guys gathered everything together.” Angelique caressed her good cheek. “I can’t believe you fought him off. Everyone is talking about it,” she said as Jerry and Elle approached.

“Scared the crap out of me,” Jerry said then hugged her to him. She cringed a little and then saw the look on Jacque’s face as well as Terrance’s.

“Thanks for your help,” she told Jerry as he released her.

“I guess our lessons came in handy.”

She smiled. “I guess so.”

She sensed someone behind her then felt large hands on her shoulders.

“Let’s get you home,” Lucifer said. Her belly muscles tightened and her heart soared as she glanced up at him.

“I haven’t seen you in a while, Lucifer.”

He leaned down close to her ear. “You’ll be seeing a lot of me from now on.”

“Let’s get her home,” Terrance said.

Lina couldn’t help but smile as her entourage left the hospital.

* * * *

Everyone had left Angelina’s house except for the Bouchet men. Michael Fromm had gotten a copy of the surveillance video from the corner bar that caught the attempted abduction of Angelina. The men watched it as she slept in her room.

They sat in silence, and even as the video ended they were quiet.

“My God, he almost had her. She was fighting for her life,” Tye whispered.

“Her training definitely saved her,” Mike added.

“Why did she make that move when he lowered the knife?” Terrance asked. “The cops were there.”

“Because she knew that he could kill her anyway. He was caught because of her,” Jacque said.

“I can’t take this,” Lucifer whispered then turned and walked quietly into Angelina’s bedroom.

She was lying there in her clothes. One hand was pressed under her chin, covered in bandages as she lay on her side.

The other hand was palm open on the bed. More bandages covered that hand and then the arm where that maniac cut her. Her cheek was swollen and already purple and black. He slowly sat down on the bed and caressed a loose strand of hair from her face.

Angelina looked so fragile and small, as most people were in comparison to his much larger size. He felt the need to protect her as well as possess her. He glanced at her body. Well, more than a glance. He looked it over in appreciation. The way she lay, her breasts were pushed together, showing a deep valley between them, indicating she was well endowed. Her belly was flat, her hips sexy and her skin soft, as he gently caressed his hand over her waist.

She jerked awake, lifted her head, then cringed.