Rue Toulouse (23 page)

“Remi, I’m scared.” Her teeth were chattering so badly she could hardly speak. “What if that man finds me?”

Remi wrapped his arms around her and held her close. “As long as I’m with you, Princess, nobody’s going to hurt you.” He kissed the top of her head. “I promise. Now, let’s get you cleaned up, and I’ll put you to bed.”

“What about you?”

“In case you have a concussion, I’m going to stay up for a while so I can check on you.”

After he got Caterine settled, Remi headed for his small drinks cabinet. Opening the door, he pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniel’s and a fresh pack of cigarettes, then headed for the balcony.

His body beginning to ache, he sat back in a cushioned chair, took a long swig from the bottle, and lit a cigarette. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been in such an explosive rage. He’d never experienced such gut-wrenching fear as when he had seen Caterine lying on the sidewalk. He thought of what could have happened to the two of them if he hadn’t gotten there when he did, then took another swig from the bottle. Here he was doing his damnedest to keep her safe, and what does she do? She ignores him and walks home. Didn’t the woman understand the real danger she was in? If the guy her cousin Charlotte was with tonight was involved in this in any way, this could get really ugly before it was over. He tipped the bottle for another long swallow.

“Remi?” Caterine stood in the open door. “What are you doing?”

“I’m just trying to unwind. Why are you up?”

She stepped out onto the balcony. “I can’t sleep. I keep thinking about that man.” She sat in Remi’s lap and wound her arms around his neck. “I need something to take my mind off him.” She leaned close and whispered, “Kiss me.”

“Caterine, I smell like booze, tobacco, and sweat, and there’s nothing nice about me right now. Besides, you’re hurt. Are you sure you want this?”

She tightened her arms around his neck. “Yes.”

He wasn’t going to ask her twice. A few hours of mind-blowing sex was just what he needed to work off his adrenaline rush. Without a word, he lifted her up, carried her to the bedroom and laid her upon the bed. “I have to warn you, Princess, I’m still a little wired.”

“Show me what you need, Pirate.”

He began to undress. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He gave her a smile that was pure devil. He propped his foot on the chair and, with scraped and cut hands, removed his low boots, unbuckled his ankle holster tossing it on the bedside table, and then hastily removed his shirt. He knew he should tell her just to go to sleep, but he wanted her, and the bad boy in him had a full head of steam. He threw down his shirt and began on his jeans.

Caterine’s breath caught as his shirt hit the floor and the bruises from the fight were exposed. “Oh, Remi.” She rose to her knees to examine him closer.

“I’m all right. Come here to me.” When his mouth covered hers, he poured all his pent-up emotions into a searing kiss. As she wrapped her arms around his neck and hungrily kissed him back, he could feel his self-restraint slipping away.

His mouth left hers, and he looked into her passion-filled eyes. “Caterine, I want you, but I’m afraid with the mood I’m in I’ll hurt you.”

She ran her hand lightly over his bruised face. “When that man knocked me down, I was so afraid, but I knew in my heart you’d come to rescue me. You could never hurt me, Pirate.” She gave him a slow sexy smile. “Love me and make us both forget.”

“Gladly, Princess.” Red-hot fire seemed to flash through his veins as they fell back onto the mattress and his mouth covered hers. As their tongues intertwined, he slid his hand down her side, over her hip, and squeezed and caressed her bottom.

When his hand slipped between her legs, Caterine groaned, moving against his fingers as he stroked and teased.

“Look at me, Caterine. I want to watch your eyes when you come.” He moved two fingers inside her while his thumb rubbed her sensitized nub.

Caterine’s breath was coming in shallow little gasps as their eyes met, hers glazed with passion, his dark with lust.

“You’ve got the sweetest little
cocotte
, Princess.
Mon dieu
, I can’t get enough of you. That’s it, let it come.” He smiled with satisfaction as she shouted his name. “Let’s see if I can make you do that again.” Slowly he began to lick and kiss his way down her body. When he reached the slick bud between her legs, Caterine gave a low moan as he caressed her with his mouth. As her climax built, she ran her fingers through his hair, whimpering his name over and over until her body shuddered with her release.

“Baby, I love making you scream.”

He kissed his way back up her body, lifting her silk nightie as he went.

“I hope you’re ready, Princess, because I’m going for what I want.” He spread her legs and drove his throbbing shaft deep inside her. “Come on, move with me. We’re going for one hell of a ride.”

With his hands under her bottom, he lifted her up, driving himself in again and again, harder and deeper. When he felt her nails dig into his back and her muscles tighten around his shaft, he let out a guttural cry and slammed into her one last time before, covered with sweat and breathing hard, he collapsed on top of her.

“Did I hurt you, Princess?”
 

She ran her hand down his slick back. “No, Pirate, you didn’t hurt me.”

He lifted his head and kissed her tenderly. “Caterine, I . . .”

“What?” she asked breathlessly.

He opened his mouth to tell her that he thought he was falling in love with her, but he couldn’t quite get the words out. So he swallowed them back and instead said, “I think we need a shower. Let’s finish this in there.”

Chapter Twenty

“Noooo!” Caterine shouted as she swung wildly.

Remi was awakened by a fist landing hard on his chest. “What the hell?” He opened blurry eyes to Caterine’s screams. “Hey, baby, wake up.” He gathered her into his arms. “It was just a dream. Hush now, you’re all right, I’m here.”

Caterine clung to him. “Remi, it was that man. I tried to run, but I couldn’t move. He kept getting closer and closer, and he had a gun.”

“Caterine, look at me.” He raised her tear-streaked face. “There’s no one here but us. It was only a bad dream. Nobody is going to hurt you.” He rubbed her back until her sobs subsided. “That’s it,
cher
, you’re going to be fine.” He kissed the top of her head. “If I recall correctly, I was able to make you smile last night. How about if we see if I can do it again?”

She snuggled closer to him. “You certainly have a way of taking my mind off my problems.”

“Anytime, Princess. You know you about caused me to drown in the shower.”

She rolled her eyes. “That was all your idea, not mine.”

“I don’t recall you objecting.”

She wrapped her arms round his neck. “I haven’t wanted to object to anything you’ve done.”

He bent to kiss her lips. “Does your head hurt?”

“Just a little.”

He nuzzled her neck. “Should I stop?”

“I don’t ever want you to stop.”

As his lips found hers, they were interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. “
Merde
.”

“Ignore it,” she said, rolling onto her back and pulling him on top of her.

“It might be important.” He gasped as her hand found his hard erection.

“As important as this?” She slid her hand along his shaft.

“
Cher
, nothing is as important as that.” His mouth found hers for a long kiss. Again, his cell phone began to ring.

Cursing colorfully, he rolled off her. “Where is the damn thing?”

“It sounds like it’s coming from your clothes,” Caterine said, scrambling from the bed.

Remi reached over the side of the bed and rummaged through the discarded clothing, finally finding the phone in the pocket of his jeans. Leaning back against the headboard, he hit the on button. “Michaud.”

“It’s Paul.”
 

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“Well, buddy, I’ve got bad news and more bad news. Which do you want first?”

“Tell me.”

“First, how’s Caterine?”

Remi glanced at her shapely butt as she bent over, gathering clothes. He smiled. “She has a pretty good bump on the back of her head, and she woke with a nightmare, but she’ll be fine. How about Elaine?”

“She held her own, at least until she got punched in the stomach. Thankfully, that’s about the time you showed up. I wish I’d been there with you, man. We haven’t kicked ass together in a long time.”

Remi chuckled. “We’ve had some fun, haven’t we,
cher
?”

“That we have,” Paul agreed. “Now here’s my news. I just got off the phone with Andre, and the guy from last night has already been bailed out.”

Remi let out a long sigh. “I can’t say I’m surprised, especially if he works for Rivette.”

“Yep. And in case you can ID him, Rivette will make sure he leaves New Orleans.”

Remi ran his fingers through his hair. “Well,
cher
, I’m not sure that guy was the same one who originally attacked Caterine.”

“How’s that?”

“Before I put my fist into his face, I don’t recall seeing any other bruises. Caterine is sure she left some marks on him.”

Remi watched Caterine put on a robe and leave the room. “If I had to bet, I’d say that guy from last night was nearby and was sent to see what he could find out. The one we want is still out there.”

Paul cleared his throat. “Now for my other bad news. Miss Dauphine knows you’re not in Atlanta and that Caterine is staying with you.”

“Great. How did that happen?”

“She called here this morning from Thomas’ cell phone on her way to Ma Chérie, and Elaine answered the phone. When she asked Elaine if she’d spoken with Caterine, Elaine blurted out that she’d just seen her and she was fine.”

Remi murmured a few choice words in French. “How bad is it?”

“Miss Dauphine is planning on paying you a visit sometime today. Once the truth was out, I didn’t see any reason not to explain it all to her.”

Remi sighed. “Don’t worry about it. It had to happen sooner or later. What was her reaction?”

Paul was silent for so long Remi thought they’d lost the connection.
 

“I get the feeling this isn’t going to be at all good,” Remi said.

“I’ll put it this way and leave it at that: She wasn’t pleased.”

“Damn.” Remi ran his hand through his hair. “How will we know when she’s coming?”

“She has your cell number.”

“All right,
cher
, tell me about the guy you trailed from the Gumbo Shop.”

“He went into a house on Governor Nicholls. I didn’t want to get too close and be seen. I had Andre run the address through the system and, lo and behold, guess who the house belongs to?” Paul paused for effect. “Our old buddy Martin Tremaine.”

“That low-life scum runs everything from cheap whores to pickpockets. What’s one of his boys doing meeting last night with a highflyer like Rivette?”

“Good question. Another is what’s Charlotte doing with them?”

Remi frowned. “There’s always high-end drugs. You know, he didn’t look like the usual sleazebag associated with Tremaine.”

“I thought the same thing. But it can’t be a coincidence he went into one of his houses.”

“You and I haven’t had any dealings with Tremaine in quite a while. Could he be recruiting a better class of criminal?”

“I can ask Vince. He’d probably know.”

“Give me the address,” Remi said. “I want to follow the guy to see where he goes and who he meets.”

“When?”

“Tonight.”

“Want some help?”

“If you’re offering, I can always use someone watching my back.”

Paul laughed. “Yeah, since you almost got your sorry ass whipped last night.”

“Hey, I didn’t do so bad. I got another call coming in. I’ll see you, what, around six o’clock? We should get there early in case he leaves.”

“I’ll be there,” Paul said.

Remi groaned when he read the caller ID. “Caterine,” he yelled, “get back in here.”

When she reappeared in the door, he held out the phone. “The shit’s hit the fan, Princess. It’s your grandmother. She knows you’re here.”

Wide-eyed, Caterine took the phone Remi held out and mouthed, “
How?
”

“Elaine spilled it this morning. You’d better answer before voice mail picks up.”

Caterine took a deep breath. “Hello.”

“Caterine.”

“Yes, Grandmère, it’s me. How are you?”

“I’m well, Caterine. The question is how are you? I understand you’re not in Atlanta, you’re here in New Orleans.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I was under the impression you had left for Atlanta and were to remain there until this situation was concluded.”

Caterine hesitated. “I couldn’t leave you alone, Grandmère. I wanted to be here in case there was some way I could help.”