Illeanna (13 page)

* * * *

Illeanna sat on the couch in the living room along with her sister Angelique, the Lafont brothers, Louis, and Julien. Before Angelique arrived, Illeanna was feeling quite calm and content not being left alone. If it weren’t for Julien and his brothers, she was certain that she wouldn’t feel so calm and her mind wouldn’t be on other things instead of solely on the attack.

“We can stick around for as long as you two need if there’s something you have to do,” Armand offered as he sat on the other couch alongside Angelique and Remi.

“Thanks a lot. We appreciate the help. I think once the Feds get here and we go over whatever they need, then Franco will be here with Illeanna,” Julien replied as he clutched Illeanna’s hand and brought it up to his lips. He kissed her knuckles softly, and she smiled shyly at him.

“Well whatever you need, just let us know. Aside from Eloi the rest of us are working on the construction site,” Marcel said.

“It’s nice being able to conquer some of my cravings by visiting Ellena and Angelina’s restaurant,” Angelique teased as she rubbed her small belly. Armand gently pushed a stray hair away from her cheek as he smiled at her.

“Been having a lot of cravings, honey?” Illeanna asked, filled with excitement. She was so thrilled that the Auberts were going to have their first set of babies. To think that the youngest was going to be a mamma first was amazing.

“I sure have been, but I’m smart enough to fight off some of the cravings. If I entertained them all, I would gain too much weight, and that won’t be good for the babies. Since I’m having more than one, the doctors recommended a diet for me to follow. But I stray from it now and then,” she added as she winked at Eloi.

“Yeah, and I’ve put on a few pounds helping her finish off some of those cravings,” Eloi stated, and they all chuckled.

“Yeah, we’ve all gained a few pounds. She thinks that by ordering what she’s craving she’s satisfying the urge she had. But all that does is leave all this good fattening food around that tempts a man,” Marcel said.

“Oh you all look perfect. You’re burning it off doing all that physical labor anyway,” Angelique said then looked at Illeanna and winked. Illeanna laughed. It was so amazing to see her sister teasing her men. She couldn’t help but wonder if she could have such a strong and fun relationship with the Boudoux brothers. The men were so different and rather demanding, plus she was used to her independence. There was a lot to discuss and work on, but right now she was glad that she had their support. Plus last night was simply amazing. If their lovemaking was any indication of what their love life could be like, she was definitely game.

Louis walked into the room closing up his cell phone. She looked him over. His shoulder-length hair brushed over his muscular shoulders. The blue shirt he wore clung to his chest, emphasizing his muscular physique, biceps and all. He was gorgeous but also looked kind of serious right now.

“Well, Agent Mertoff and Agent Barkley will be here in about fifteen minutes.” Louis looked at Illeanna and held her gaze.

“They’re just going to go over what happened the other night and also where they are at in their investigation. It shouldn’t take long, and if at any time you feel uncomfortable, you just say the word and they’re out of here,” Louis stated firmly.

“It’s okay. I’ll be okay,” she stated as she held his gaze.

“We’ll get going then. Remember to call if you need us,” Angelique stated. Then she rose from the couch and gave Illeanna a hug.

“Love ya,” she whispered.

“Love ya back,” Illeanna replied, and they smiled before Angelique, Armand, Remi, Marcel, and Eloi headed out the front door.

* * * *

Louis leaned down and gave Illeanna a soft kiss on her lips. They held gazes as he smiled then winked. As he stepped away, he felt the knot in his stomach. To think that somehow Illeanna got caught in the middle of an investigation he and Julien were conducting was mind-boggling. The measures these people were going through to get rid of a witness who could only identify the gunman were peculiar. Obviously more was at stake here for the bad guys. Was Phillips truly financially supporting terrorist groups? God, he just wanted to keep Illeanna out of danger. Now that she was allowing them to be part of her life, he didn’t want any other disturbances. As far as their part in the investigation was concerned, they were finished. Phillips’s wife got the answers she was looking for. Her husband cheated on her multiple times, he frequented upscale hotels and restaurants in the city, and now he was dead. She paid them for their investigative work, and now she was left with three kids and no husband. If he was involved with illegal activities, she would suffer that pain publicly as well. He felt bad for her, but it also made him think about how lucky he was to have Illeanna.

She was their life, and one day she would be carrying their baby and starting their family the way they dreamed about.

The sound of the doorbell ringing interrupted his thoughts as he walked toward the door to let the agents into their home.

* * * *

“So, you believe that Illeanna is still in danger at this time?” Louis asked as he stood behind the couch where Illeanna sat. He was having a hard time keeping it together, and one look at Julien and Franco and he knew that they were feeling the same way.

Agent Mertoff and Agent Barkley looked at Illeanna. Their expressions were firm, and Louis felt as if they were untrusting. But he and his brother weren’t the bad guys. They were ex-military and now they dabbled in a bit of private investigating and bounty hunting when the price was right. That’s how they made most of the money they lived off of.

“The guy you shot, the one who attacked Miss Aubert, has a criminal record. Through tracing his cell phone and numbers he’s called we’re looking into any connections to the case. We’re hoping that this may lead us to the mastermind behind this whole case. He is completely uncooperative, so we have to do things this way,” Barkley told them.

“That sounds promising,” Illeanna stated as Louis smiled at her and Julien caressed her knee. The agents watched them a moment and were silent.

“Which one of you is in a relationship with her?” Mertoff asked. Louis and Julien were shocked by the question.

“What does this have to do with you answering my question on whether she’s in danger still?” Louis asked as he placed his hands on Illeanna’s shoulders. He felt her tighten up, and he knew she wasn’t ready for this type of public examination on her personal life.

“It could have a lot to do with the investigation. If Phillips’s killers know that you and your brother were investigating him and that you may or may not have come upon other evidence to pin Phillips and his potential accomplices with something, they very well could attempt to abduct her or even kill her. So I think that the question is relevant and deserves an answer,” Mertoff stated obnoxiously.

“Agent Mertoff, I have known the Boudoux brothers for many years. Each of them has a very special place in my heart. Whether that place is a romantic one or not is none of your business. If in fact the killer or killers wants to attempt to take me or kill me again, they will have to get through these five very well-trained men,” Illeanna stated, holding the agent’s attention.

“Miss Aubert, I don’t think you realize what you’re getting into here. These men could have possibly stumbled upon various acts of treason. We’re talking illegal arms dealings with known terrorist affiliates and organizations out of the country. The one man who escaped the restaurant, the one you identified, was killed before police could question him. He was in a secure location at the time. After evaluating the information Julien and Louis had given us, our organization found some money trails leading back to top officials. These killers may want to sever loose ends, and you and your close friends are definite targets,” he stated in a tone that was meant to scare the crap out of Illeanna. But surprisingly to Louis and the others, she snapped right back at the agent.

“They will protect me. I suggest that you take their information that they gathered from their own investigation and track down these pieces of crap that dare place our country in jeopardy. Orchidea is a close-knit community. Filled with all types of individuals that will aid in my safety as well as that of the Boudoux. How come a man like Phillips, who worked with Senator Millan Pierre, would be involved with such crimes? Maybe looking further into his friends and his dealings may lead you two in the right direction. Instead of sitting here trying to make me more frightened than I already have been, you should be telling me, the victim in this outrageous case, that you, as government agents, are going to do everything in your power to catch the bad guys and help me to get back to a normal life. How about that?” Illeanna asked, raising her voice just slightly to get her point across.

Both agents stared at her a moment then shared a silent exchange between one another.

“We’ll do our best, ma’am,” Agent Barkley replied as he stood up. The other agent followed.

“We’ll be in touch,” Mertoff stated.

“Aren’t you interested in discussing what else we found and our input into the case?” Julien asked.

The agents continued toward the door.

“We’ll call you if we need you,” Mertoff replied. Then they exited.

“What the hell was that all about?” Julien asked as he looked at Louis and Franco.

“Like two assholes that don’t want to risk letting two PIs solve a major case,” Franco stated then walked over toward Illeanna.

“You did great, sugar,” Franco told her as he sat down next to her and pulled her onto his lap.

* * * *

Illeanna was shaking. She was worried about the men.

“I’m concerned, Louis and Julien. What if they’re right? What if these people come after you next? I don’t want anything to happen to either of you,” she told them. They both moved closer to her. Louis placed his hand against her cheek, and Julien took her hand into his own and brought it to his lips. He kissed it as Louis spoke to her.

“Don’t you worry about anything. We’ll take the proper precautions. With the Feds on the case now, the bad guys have more to worry about then two PIs.”

“Franco is going to stay with you, honey, while Louis and I take care of some things with work.”

“No! Don’t go. Stay here with me, where you’ll be safe. You heard the agents. He said that your lives could be in danger as well. Please, Louis, don’t leave here.” Immediately both Louis and Julien joined her on the couch.

“We can take care of ourselves. There’s no need for you to worry about us. Franco is here, and Johnny and Gustave will be stopping in throughout the day. Maybe Franco could take you for a drive by the construction site to see how the store is coming along?” Louis brushed his thumb over her bottom lip.

They were awfully confident about their abilities to remain safe. Was it just her who got the agents’ message loud and clear? The agents didn’t seem to want Julien or Louis involved at all.

“We’ll be okay. We’ve been involved with pretty intense situations before, Illeanna, this is no different,” Julien whispered as he placed her hand back down onto her lap then leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek. She pulled back.

“This is different, Julien. They killed a man inside of a high-security prison”

“We know what we’re doing,” Louis stated firmly as he stood up from the couch. Julien did the same thing.

“Maybe you shouldn’t be doing it right now,” she scolded.

“This is our job. It’s what we do, Illeanna. The sooner you understand that and accept it the better,” Louis stated firmly. She cringed from his abrupt attitude. She wasn’t trying to tell him to switch careers. Was she?

“No. You should stay here. Do your work from here,” she told them, feeling the tears reach her eyes and the anxiety she felt get the best of her.

“Are you going to make Johnny, Gustave, and Franco remain here, too, and not go to work? Their jobs are just as dangerous if not more so,” Louis told her, and she knew that he was stubborn and had a bad temper whenever he got pissed off. Their relationship was too new. Who was she to tell them what they should or should not do?

“Please, baby, don’t let us leave here with you angry at us,” Julien stated as he knelt down on the floor in front of her.

She held his gaze. Julien with his sexy smile and light-brown eyes. She couldn’t give them a hard time just because of their professions. She would always worry about them and even more so now that they were lovers.

“Fine, go ahead and go to work,” she whispered, and Julien pressed against her, causing her to part her knees as he hugged her fully to him.

He kissed her then ran his hands along her thighs as he stood up.

She glanced at Louis, and he still looked pissed off at her. She raised her eyebrows at him, and he shook his head. “We’ll call you in a little while to let you know that we’re fine.”

Louis bent down and kissed her softly on the lips. When she went to pull away, thinking that he was giving her a short kiss good-bye, he drew her in closer, ravaging her mouth, tasting and teasing her until she moaned. That was when he released her lips and placed his hand against her cheek. She closed her eyes and absorbed the feel of his hand against her skin.

“Take good care of our little chef,” Louis teased. Then he and Julien left the house.

The second they were out the door Franco leaped over the couch all sexy and macho. “Finally alone with my woman,” he teased then pulled her onto his lap so she could straddle his thighs. He placed his hand under her hair to cup her head and draw her closer to his mouth. She kissed him fully on the lips, and their making-out session began.

She absorbed everything she could about Franco at this moment. It was odd at how keenly aware she was of their surroundings, the deep emotions, his sex appeal. Her eyes were closed as they kissed deeply, exploring one another’s mouths as their hands roamed over one another’s bodies.

He wore dark blue jeans, a black thick belt, and a dark-colored T-shirt. His waist was trim, his arms solid muscle, and he had thick wrists. On one wrist he wore a watch. It was thick and silver, and she thought that it made him look sexy and stylish. She ran her hands along his wrists up his forearms, toned and solid all the way to his shoulders. He in return cupped her breasts, causing her to gasp and part from their kissing.

“I love your breasts, sugar. How ’bout we take off this top so I can play a little?” he asked with his thick accent, and she decided to play along with him.

“I’ll take off mine if you take off yours.”

His eyes widened, and a big smile appeared on his face.

He pulled his shirt off then reached for hers and began to remove it.

“Somehow I think I’m getting the better end of this deal,” he said then leaned forward, pressing her breasts together then licking over the cleavage.

She rolled her head back and moaned at the sensations his mouth caused against her skin. She was hot, on fire with need straight to her pussy, but she held her cool.

“Oh, you don’t think I’m getting the better deal?” she teased then reached out and tugged not so lightly on Franco’s nipples.

“Ohhh, someone’s feeling a little frisky huh?” he asked then licked into the cup of her bra and tapped her nipple. It was such a teasing thing to do. She nearly grabbed his face and shoved it back up against her breasts to finish what he started. Instead she pulled again on his nipples.

Franco pressed his hands along her sides away from her breasts and unclipped her bra. She let go of him to catch the material but Franco pulled the bra forward and tossed it onto the coffee table.

“Franco!” she exclaimed, and he smiled as he stared at her breasts. She felt so sexy and aroused at his stare and at the way his intense brown eyes absorbed the rise and fall of her chest as her breathing grew rapid. He knew he had her aroused. Her damn panties were soaking through her shorts.

He blew a warm breath over her right nipple and then her left. She held her breath and closed her eyes as she reached for the buckle of his jeans. He stopped her by grabbing her hands and holding them against his waist.

“Not just yet, baby. I’ve got some plans for you this afternoon.” He leaned forward and suckled on her breast. She moaned and tried to pull her hands from his grasp, but he held firmly. She was entirely turned on by his control. Every part of her hummed with awareness and need to be touched.

“Please, Franco,” she whispered.

“Please what, sugar? What is it that you need?” he asked before he licked along her other nipple, playing with the areola then sucking in a mouthful of breast.

“Oh God!” she moaned as a series of small, wet spasms rocked her pussy.

“I have an idea, sugar. Why don’t we go into my room so I can spread you out on my bed all soft and naked and I explore this body of yours?” he asked as he pinched her nipple and pulled. The pleasure pain turned her on as she nodded her head, unable to talk.

“Good girl.” He stood up and tossed her over his shoulder to carry her to his bedroom.

She practically creamed in her pants.