Wild Flame (10 page)

“You’re fucked then,” the eldest LaRue brother, Solomon said.

“The woman we’re protecting didn’t sell her soul,” Beau explained.

Christian sighed as the weight of what they were trying settled over him. “It was Ivy’s mother. Ten years ago, she sold her soul to help Ivy beat a terrible illness.”

“Then what’s the problem?” Kane asked.

“Ivy’s mother died a year ago. It was ruled a natural death, but we need to know for certain,” Beau explained.

There was a string of curses. Then Court said, “We haven’t done that much research on the Hounds, but we’ll see what we can find.”

“We don’t have the time,” Christian said through clenched teeth.

Beau put his hand on Christian’s arm and told the others, “Davena spelled Ivy so that she was hidden from the Hounds. It gave us a few days to do our own investigation, but the spell is wearing off. The Hounds are near.”

“You should’ve called earlier,” Solomon said.

Christian hung his head. Their cousins had been a last resort, and it was turning out to be a bust.

“Call Minka.”

Christian jerked his head up at the voice. His gaze pinned Beau, but his brother wasn’t at all surprised to hear Riley’s voice on the other end of the line. “You knew.”

He wasn’t sure whether to be furious with Beau for keeping their sister’s location a secret, or at Riley for staying away.

“Yes, he knew,” Riley said. “I asked for some time, Christian, and Beau gave it to me.”

Beau shrugged. “It was the least I could do after what we did.”

“We’ll talk about this later,” Riley said, her voice growing stronger as if she walked closer to Kane’s phone. “Minka might be able to help.”

Christian frowned, wishing his sister and cousins were with him instead of on the phone. “Who the hell is Minka?”

“A witch. A powerful one at that. She might be able to help.”

“Then get her on the phone.”

“Give me a sec,” Riley said.

A moment later, Kane’s voice came over the phone. “Riley is calling Minka now. The witch has surprised us in the past. She very well might have the answers you seek.”

“Don’t get my hopes up,” Ivy said.

Christian frowned and walked to her. “I’m asking you not to lose hope.”

“I won’t have you sacrifice your life or put the lives of your family in jeopardy to protect me. The Hounds will get me one way or another. You and your family have given me a few days. I wouldn’t have had that otherwise.”

Christian shook his head. “There’s a way out of this. We just need to find it.”

“Don’t lie to her,” Solomon’s voice said. “It’s the worst thing you can do.”

Christian ground his teeth together and looked back at Beau and his phone. “I’m not lying. There is a way, and we’ll find it.”

“Hoodoo,” Riley said through the phone. “Minka said to use goofer dust around Ivy.”

Beau’s forehead furrowed deeply. “That’ll only last for so long.”

“It’ll give Minka time. Do it!” Riley shouted.

Beau tossed his phone at Christian and rushed from the shed. More howls sliced through the night. The Hounds were getting closer. They usually ran in packs of two, but there were instances where three Hounds went after a soul.

Two was bad enough. Three would mean that two would keep them occupied while the third went after Ivy.

Christian hated the fear that filled his belly. Is this what his father had felt the night their mother died, when he couldn’t find her?

“Christian?”

Riley’s voice pulled him out of his dark thoughts. “Yeah.”

“Ivy couldn’t be in better hands.”

Ivy smiled up at Christian as she replied, “I agree.”

Beau stormed back into the shed with Lincoln and Vincent. Christian gave Ivy a quick kiss before he stepped back so Beau could pour the dust around her in a circle.

“It’s done,” Beau said. “How long do we need to wait, Riley?”

Christian watched his brothers frown while Riley told them it would take as long as it took for Minka to find what she needed.

“She’ll work fast,” Kane said.

Vincent took a step toward the phone, but Beau put a hand on his chest and shook his head. Vin and Linc exchanged looks, but neither said a word about discovering that Riley was in New Orleans.

“So,” Riley said, a smile in her voice. “I can’t wait to meet you, Ivy.”

Ivy tried to laugh, but her fear was too great. “Same here. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Don’t believe everything Christian says. He tends to forget things.”

Beau snorted. “Always.”

Christian glared at Beau. “Hey.”

“The truth hurts,” Riley said with a laugh.

“Y’all can both kiss my sweet ass.” Christian appreciated what Riley was trying to do, but he understood that it was a life or death situation for Ivy.

Ivy’s eyes crinkled at the corners as she gazed at him. “If I don’t get a chance later, I wanted to thank all of you here and in New Orleans for your help.”

“Anytime,” the LaRues said in unison.

Vin nodded his head to Ivy. “It’s what we do.”

“Amen,” Linc said as he shot her a wink.

Beau rested his shotgun on his shoulder. “As if we could turn away the one woman who managed to capture Christian’s attention.”

There was a loud boom as something slammed against the side of the shed. Ivy squatted, her hands over her ears as the Hell Hounds barked incessantly.

“Riley!” Christian bellowed.

“Hang on! Do you hear me? I’m going to be so pissed off if the four of you get yourselves killed!”

Christian set down the phone inside the circle with Ivy and turned around to take his position. He and his brothers fanned out around Ivy with their weapons at the ready.

As suddenly as the Hounds came, the noise ended. The only sound that broke the quiet was Ivy’s harsh breaths. No one said a word, not even Riley or the LaRues on the other end of the phone.

The seconds turned to minutes. Finally, Christian said, “Riley?”

“Hang on,” their sister said.

Christian could hear her talking to someone else as her voice grew dimmer and dimmer.

“She’s on the phone with Minka,” Court explained.
 

Christian prayed that the witch had found something. He couldn’t lose Ivy. It would break him as nothing else could.

He realized at that moment that he hadn’t been the strong one of the family. He had been the weakest, erecting a barrier around his heart because he had known this day would come.

Just as he knew he wouldn’t survive losing Ivy.

“Tell us you have good news, Court,” Lincoln said.

Court was silent for a moment. “I can’t tell. Riley has her back to us, but she’s writing something down.”

“You really should’ve called us sooner,” Solomon said. “We could’ve been there with you.”

Christian wished they had called them, but it was too late now. All the research in the world hadn’t given them the answers they needed.
 

Davena, as powerful as she was, didn’t know magic like a witch who had been raised using spells did. Without her, however, Ivy wouldn’t have had time to prepare. Then again, that might be worse. It might have been better if she hadn’t known what was after her.

“Where the fuck are the Hounds?” Christian ground out.

Beau adjusted his rifle. “I like that they stopped their barking.”

“I’m with Christian. I’d rather get the show on the road,” Linc said.

Vin lowered his machete and turned toward the phone. “Solomon, I’d ask you and the others to continue looking after Riley and to come and get Olivia, Ava, and Davena if the worst happens.”

“You have my word,” Solomon said.

Christian should have known his brothers would stand with him whether he wanted them to or not. They were Chiassons, defenders of the innocent, slayers of the supernatural.

They were blood, family.

Those ties went too deep for them to let him face the Hounds alone.

CHAPTER TWELVE

To take her mind off of what was happening, Ivy listened to Christian and his brothers. It was only when Vincent asked Solomon to come for their women that she understood.

They planned to put themselves in front of the Hounds to keep her alive.

It boggled her mind. They didn’t know her. Sure they protected the parish, but that didn’t mean they should sacrifice their lives and leave behind the women they loved just for her.

She was no one. She was worth nothing and left no one behind. The Chiassons, on the other hand, were the one thing that kept the parish safe. They were needed.

Ivy looked at Christian. Her heart ached for what could’ve been – what should’ve been. She saw him for what he was – the man who would cherish her, love her, protect her. No longer could she deny what had been building since the moment she’d met him.

Love. The one thing she had kept at arm’s length for years.

But it had found her despite her precautions. How sad that she only had a few hours of it. Yet, those few hours had been truly wonderful. To be in the arms of a man who was willing to risk his life for her, a man who always put others before himself.

A man who made love to her with exquisite tenderness and thrilling command. A man who knew the meaning of friendship, family, and love.

Ivy picked up the cell phone. Christian and his brothers began to talk strategy. She took the opportunity offered to her and switched the speaker off.

“Riley?” she whispered into the phone.

Christian’s sister answered immediately. “I’m here.”

“I know what Christian plans to do. I know that the others will stand with him, but I can’t let that happen.”

There was a brief pause before Riley asked, “What do you intend?”

“When Christian first brought me here, I didn’t understand what your family does. During my time here, I discovered the full extent of things. Christian won’t stand down, and neither will your brothers. I can’t have them die for me.”

“Christian won’t let you face them alone,” Kane said.

Ivy watched Christian. His black hair was disheveled, his face set in hard lines. “I don’t have magic to stop him. But Davena does.”

“Oh, God,” Riley said in a strangled voice.

Court said, “You’ll die, Ivy.”

“I’m going to die either way. Why should Christian, Beau, Lincoln, and Vincent join me?”

She knew when no one spoke up that they agreed with her. Now all she needed to do was convince Davena to use magic to stop them.

“I’ll call Davena again.”

Ivy heard the sadness in Riley’s voice. “Thank you. Take care of your brothers, Riley. They regret their actions where you’re concerned, but please understand that everything they did was to protect you because they love you so dearly.”

Riley sniffed. “I know. The big louts are my world.”

“Tell them that, will you?”

Ivy didn’t wait for a response. She turned the speaker back on and set the phone down before she stood. When the time came, she would have to act quickly.

The door to the shed flew open. The sliding door behind her began to rattle before it flew open as if a giant had flung it.

Ivy closed her eyes because she knew the Hell Hounds were there, waiting to take her. She sent up a silent prayer that Davena would hurry and set the spell in place to keep Christian from stepping between her and the Hounds.

“They’re here,” Lincoln said.

Ivy took a deep breath and opened her eyes. Death. That’s what stood just a few feet from her. She might not be able to see it, but it was there.

She was thankful the beasts were invisible, or Christian would’ve already attacked. Not to mention, Ivy couldn’t see the Hounds coming for her. It would happen quickly, of that she was certain.

Vincent’s machete fell from his hand. He blinked a few times as if disoriented. A moment later, Lincoln’s Bowie knives clattered to the floor a heartbeat behind Beau’s shotgun.

Christian turned and looked at her, confusion marring his gorgeous face and clouding his eyes.

“It’s for the best,” Ivy said. “You’re needed.”

“Ivy,” he began as he fought to keep hold of the crossbow.

A tear fell down her face when he lost the battle and the crossbow fell from his lax fingers. He looked from the weapon at his feet to his hands.

“You wanted to save me,” Ivy said. “Well, you did. More than you can imagine. Now it’s my turn to save you.”

She stepped over the line of black dust encircling her and walked to Christian. Ivy cupped his cheek while his blue eyes burned into hers.
 

“Ivy, please.”

“The only way I can do this is knowing that you’ll still be around.” She forced a smile as her vision swam with tears. “Can’t you see, Christian Chiasson? I fell in love with you.”