Illeanna (7 page)

* * * *

Julien walked out of the bedroom as Illeanna went into the bathroom to freshen up. He was adjusting his shirt as he walked into the living room knowing that one of his brothers was already there. He heard the front door creak open and then the movement around the room. He prayed that whichever brother it was they didn’t interrupt him and Illeanna. He was making progress and truly enjoying their intimate time together. Damn, his cock was throbbing as he adjusted it in his pants.

“Nice nap?” Johnny asked with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Julien chuckled as he shook his head.

“It was the best nap I ever had.”

“Sounded like it when I came in.”

Julien shot his brother a look then glanced over his shoulder as Gustave came to the front door.

“Don’t say a word. Illeanna is shy and unsure about this. I was trying to calm her down from her upset with Louis. I don’t think either of them truly faced the truth about the night they shared,” Julien stated as he opened the door for Gustave. He was carrying a large box of takeout food.

“Oh my God, who is going to eat all that food?” Illeanna asked as she emerged from the back room limping.

“Damn, woman, let me help you. You shouldn’t be hobbling around. The doc said stay off it as much as possible,” Johnny said as he crossed the room in three strides and lifted Illeanna into the air. She squealed but held on to his shoulders.

“Damn it, Johnny, enough with the caveman routine. I can handle it fine. You can’t be carrying me around everywhere,” she stated as he walked closer to the couch. Before he released her, he locked gazes with her.

“Sugar, I’d carry you around sprained ankle or not just so I can feel ya in my arms.”

She shook her head and harrumphed. “Please, Johnny, just let me down.”

He complied but not before letting his hands caress her ass and thigh as she slid down his body. Her feet hit the carpeting, and his thigh stuck between her legs. He held one hand against her backside, and the other cupped her left cheek.

“The cut by your temple and forehead is beginning to bruise. I don’t like the way that scratch looks. We should put some ointment on there.”

“Later, I’m starving,” Julien stated as he and Gustave pulled the coffee table closer to the couch and Johnny released Illeanna so that he could help add a few more chairs. Illeanna sat in the middle of the couch, and Julien and Gustave sat on either side of her. As they began to open the well-wrapped po’boy sandwiches, most likely from her sisters’ restaurant, Franco arrived and everyone greeted him.

“Hey, honey, did you have a good nap?” he asked as he placed his hands on her shoulders from behind the couch.

Illeanna snuck a peek at Julien, who winked then took a bite of his sandwich.

“I did. I’m sure I will sleep fine tonight.”

“One of us will stay here with you,” he informed her then walked around to the kitchen to wash his hands.

* * * *

Illeanna felt as if her nerves were about to snap. She barely could keep her hands off of Julien when he napped with her, and now one of them was going to spend the night? She would never get any sleep. Were they purposely trying to make her lose her mind? She was panicking.
Think, Illeanna.

She looked at Gustave, and he smiled softly at her as if knowing what was going on and sympathizing with her. But she also knew that as quiet as Gustave was, he also was a Boudoux and they were all in this together. She glanced at Franco as she took a bite of the oyster po’boy sandwich realizing just how hungry she was. But she also missed cooking. Getting up every day to head to Carlile’s was fulfilling despite having to stand second to Jacque. She wondered how he was doing and whether she should call her boss to find out about him. The nervous feeling and almost-anxious feeling began to come back again at the thought of one of these men remaining here for the night. She swallowed hard and almost choked.

“Hey, sugar, you got awfully quiet over there, something wrong?” Johnny asked.

They heard a car door, and she wondered if it were Louis. She knew he was pissed at her, but so be it. Then of course she was a hypocrite since she had her little rendezvous with Julien after all that “I ain’t interested” spiel she gave earlier in the living room. She released a sigh as Louis opened the front door and entered the room. He looked a little disheveled but in a sexy, “I don’t give a shit” kind of way. His shoulder-length black hair was messy, and his shirt had a few buttons open in the front, revealing his tan skin. His face showed his need for a shave. The room was silent, and she quickly peeled her eyes from Louis and focused on the group in the living room.

“I was just thinking about work. I was wondering how Jacque was doing.” She took a sip of beer the men offered. She was trying hard not to stare at Louis.

“He’s fine. It was just a flesh wound,” Louis stated as he washed his hands in the kitchen then took a piece of sandwich and sat down by the island instead of near the rest of them.

She felt a bit uneasy and, yes, guilty as Louis exchanged glances with his brothers. She could have sworn she saw daggers in Louis’s eyes as he stared at her. She sucked it up, knowing that perhaps she was a bit tough on him, but she felt out of control between Louis and Julien before and had lost almost all self-control. She wasn’t used to that, and it scared her. She just wasn’t ready to admit that quite yet.

They talked about their day of work and the investigation over what took place at Carlile’s. She remained quiet as she watched them and tried to eat half a sandwich. The remoulade sauce was delicious as she licked her finger then took a napkin to wipe her mouth. The sight of all five men in her small home was odd. She hated to admit that in the past she wondered about ménage relationships and whether she could handle one. Her main concerns were about commitment, loyalty, and respect. Was it all about sex and being dominated in the bedroom? Not that she saw herself as aggressive in the bedroom, but her one and only time with Louis had been sensational despite the alcohol that initiated the union that night.

The five minutes she was with Louis and Julien challenged her control and weakened her to their charms. They were just too appealing. All of them.

She swallowed hard as she thought about that night with Louis. It had been amazing, and she knew a lot of that interpretation had to do with him being her first. She never had sex ever again. Not that the opportunities didn’t present themselves, but she just wasn’t into it when it came to that moment. Sure she fooled around a bit, but she always compared other men to Louis and to his brothers. Then of course she had her career to worry about and focus on and was trying to make a name for herself. She had hopes and dreams of her own, and she didn’t want others dictating her future. Her sisters depended on her just like she depended on them. Now that they were getting older and establishing themselves, she wondered what was holding her back from these men. Shaking the thoughts from her head, she heard her cell phone ring and snapped out of her daydreaming.

“Welcome back,” Julien stated then handed her the cell phone.

She shyly lowered her head then answered the phone as she placed a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Hello?”

“Hi, honey, them boys get ya in the sack yet?” Mikayla asked, and Illeanna knew that the men heard her sister. They chuckled but kept their eyes glued on her as she spoke.

“Very funny. So are ya still sleeping over tonight?” Illeanna asked, hoping that her sister got the hint.

“Ya still need me to with those five big, strong, sexy Boudoux men hanging around? Damn it, Illeanna was going to wring Mikayla’s neck when she saw her. Illeanna looked at the men, and they pretended as if they hadn’t heard her. Did they have sonic hearing or what?

“Yeah, come on over. I’m going to pick out a movie, so be sure to bring over the praline ice cream from the restaurant.”

“Oh, honey, I can bring over all the dessert ya like, but it ain’t gonna get those men off your mind.”

“Mikayla, I’ll see ya soon,” Illeanna stated then hung up the phone.

“When did you make plans for Mikayla to stay here with ya?” Johnny asked.

“Oh I mentioned it this morning when she left. I told ya that there’s no need to worry about me,” Illeanna stated then began to stand up to start cleaning up the mess. It was a habit but apparently not one the men wanted her to do at the moment.

“We had plans for you tonight,” Louis stated firmly.

She refused to make eye contact with him and those damn dark eyes of his that could make any person feel guilty.

She shrugged her shoulders. “Things change. I told ya that I could take care of myself.”

Johnny stood up and wrapped an arm around her waist. She looked up into his big brown eyes and waited for the bombs to go off. He was a hard-ass, bossy man, and most people knew not to mess with him.

“Are you afraid of us?” he asked, and she was shocked. Where the hell did that come from?

She shook her head as he pulled her tighter against him and lowered his head closer toward hers as he held her gaze.

“Ya sure?” he challenged. But before she could answer he kissed her fully on the lips, surprising her by his brazenness.

She felt a whirlwind of emotions as Johnny thoroughly explored her mouth. She was keenly aware that the others watched and it actually stimulated her senses even more. She felt lost in his kiss, lost in the moment, and lost in her emotions until he lifted her thigh, rubbed his hand up her shorts, and cupped her ass cheek.

Immediately she tried to separate from him, but it was no use. Johnny Boudoux was determined to end the kiss when he was good and ready.

* * * *

Johnny had been on fire from the moment he entered the house and suspected that Julien was making out with Illeanna. He was immediately aroused and very determined to taste a bit of Illeanna before the night was through. He and his brothers had tossed coins over who would get to stay with her tonight. It had been a battle, but he had won. Now that Mikayla was staying over the plans would change. Slowly Illeanna was trying to push them away.

He loved the way she felt in his arms. He loved the taste of her lips and the feel of her sexy body beneath the palms of his hands. The shorts she wore were driving him wild. The sight of her long, sexy thighs as she sat on the couch, the shy way she reacted to them catching her staring at one of them, her gorgeous green eyes, and the smell of her perfume were intoxicating. She was all woman, their woman, and he wanted her.

Johnny didn’t want to scare her. He just wanted to make his intentions known. They all needed to make Illeanna know that they were ready for a commitment. Slowly he released her lips, and he noticed that she clung to him, eyes closed and breathing hard. Good. She felt the attraction, the chemistry between them, just as he had thought.

“We’ll give you some time with your sister, but you understand this good, Illeanna, we want you. All of us want you and have for a long while. You gave us a scare, and we’re trying to recover, and the only thing that calms us down is having you close. We’ll give you time tonight, but tomorrow things are gonna change,” he stated firmly then reached up to gently push a stray strand of black hair from her eyes. Her beautiful face stared up at him, holding his gaze. Her plump lips were parted, her cheeks rosy, and her eyes glistening, but damn it, he saw something else that he couldn’t quite label.

“Johnny, let me go,” she whispered.

Slowly he released her.

She placed the palm of her hand gently against his chest, and his entire body burned with desire. She looked at her own hand, and damn, he wished she would move it and caress him further. He felt his cock press harder against the zipper of his uniform pants, and he was grateful they were a bit baggy in hopes that she wouldn’t notice.

“I’m not sure how to respond,” Illeanna began to say when they heard a car door slam outside. Illeanna went to pull away, and Johnny grabbed her hand to stop her. He placed his finger under her chin as he spoke to her.

“You think about what I said. You think about it and know that we mean it.” He released her just as Mikayla knocked on the door.

“You were supposed to be in the kitchen when they escaped, ensuring that they had a quick getaway,” Luther told his brother Jacque as he stood in their small apartment. The sounds of jazz music echoed in the background as tourists walked through the neighborhoods. They were in the center of town where Jacque rented an apartment above a large bar.

“The senator was impressed with my shrimp-and-sausage étouffée. I am a chef and trying to make a name for myself,” Jacque replied with a thick French accent.

“You are an idiot! I was paid good money to ensure their escape, and you worried about impressing the senator? He’s the one they want to destroy,” Luther stated as he looked at his fat, obnoxious brother.

“I am a chef, not a criminal.”

“No, Jacque, you are not a chef. Your cooking is decent but nothing like that little woman you worked with, the one who fucked up our plans.”

“Illeanna? She is nothing. Your guy should have shot her instead of me.”

“She was the one who should have walked out of the kitchen since she was the one who made the étouffée,” Luther stated firmly. He knew that his brother hated the female chef because she was a better cook than him. The fat bastard lied about studying in France and faked his thick French accent to boot.

“What’s done is done. The restaurant is closed for now, I am out of work and so is she.”

“She caused us problems. She can identify the shooter that escaped. She can identify Mickey and he’s the one that hired us.”

“What about the one the cops caught? They can interrogate him and he’ll be the rat.”

“Allen? He’s dead. Was killed before he had a chance to speak to his lawyer.”

“What?” Jacque asked, looking shocked and a bit paler than before.

“Yeah, Jacque, these guys mean business. We fucked this up, and sooner or later Mickey is going to be tying up loose ends, and we’re loose ends.”

“No! Why? We did as we were told and as you were paid for.”

“No, we let the bitch get in the way. Now she has to be eliminated in order for us to be in the clear. You were supposed to clear the kitchen and create a diversion so the shooters could escape. She saw the shooter. She’s a witness that must be killed.”

“How do you figure? So she saw the gunman that escaped? Allen is dead and Mickey is a professional hit man. He’s probably out of the country by now. Illeanna probably couldn’t identify Mickey since he escaped so quickly.”

“The hit man hired me to get two men to take care of this. I have no idea where Mickey is and probably never will, but if we can get rid of the witness, then there’s no way the Feds can connect us to the murder whether they find him or not. Plus the ones who are setting up the senator have more in store for him. We don’t want them to add us to some list of loose ends. This is a total fuck up, Jacque. Our part is done once we eliminate the woman.”

Jacque shook his head.

“Fuck her. She was trying to steal my limelight anyway.”

“Good. I’ve got men on it now. We’re going to see what she knows then do the job.”