Wild Rapture: A Chiasson Story (Book 5) Page 10

  “Why does it feel as if I’ve known you my entire life?” she asked.

  He rubbed his hand up and down her arm. “You mean, like we’ve already spent a lifetime or two together before?”

  “And have found each other again,” she said as she lifted her head to look at him.

  “Yes.”

  She moved to stand in front of him, wrapping her arms around him as she did. “I’m going to tell you something I’ve never told anyone else before, but when I was a little girl of about five or six, I dreamed of a man and a woman deeply in love. I saw them fall in love, have a beautifully long, happy life, and die.” She glanced down at his chest. “Even as a child, I knew the woman was me. All I needed to do was wait for the man who I belonged with.”

  “For me,” he whispered before he kissed her.

  Everything Riley had said resonated with him, striking a chord within his soul that he recognized. It explained so much. And how could he even think of discounting it now that he knew magic and supernatural creatures existed? Why not soul mates finding each other across lifetimes?

  The kiss grew heated quickly, and he regrettably ended it because he knew they didn’t have time to let pleasure overtake them again. He cupped her face, amazed at what he was feeling—and how deeply he felt it.

  “Tell me we’ll have more than one night together,” Riley said.

  “We will,” he assured her. “One night isn’t enough.”

  She grinned. “I’m not sure a million would be sufficient.”

  “Forever wouldn’t be long enough.”

  “I don’t think we should wait for Delphine to find me. I think we should go to her.”

  Marshall considered that for a moment. “It would allow us to set the time and location and use it to our advantage. And we could make her think she stumbled onto you.”

  Riley’s eyes went wide. “I like the idea of tricking her. She’d be focused on me.”

  “And not see the rest of us coming.”

  “No doubt her followers are looking for me even now.”

  Marshall glanced toward the utility room. “Your clothes should be dry now.”

  “No time like the present to get things rolling, right?” she said with a forced smile.

  He didn’t want to let her out of his arms, but if they were going to have a shot at defeating Delphine, they had to take this chance. “Right.”

  She blew out a breath. “You better get Vin while I change.”

  Marshall turned and headed to the back door. If they were lucky, no one had seen Beau and Davena yet. The other Chiassons were coming in separately in secret so Delphine wouldn’t know of their arrival.

  And maybe, just maybe, if everything fell into place, then Marshall’s plan would work—and Riley would be free of the priestess once and for all.

  15

  Her faith was being put to the test. Though it was her belief in herself and not her family—or Marshall.

  Riley’s heart raced, and her blood rushed in her ears as she looked out of the abandoned building into the darkness of the night. Her hands fisted as she wished she could reach over for Marshall. It would be so much easier to carry out her role in the trap if Marshall could stay beside her.

  But she had to do this alone.

  Which brought her back to her faith. She had fought vampires, ghosts, demons, and a number of other supernatural creatures, but none of them terrified her like Delphine did.

  The fact that Riley had lived in the priestess’s house for weeks as a friend sickened her. Actually, the very thought of Delphine made bile rise in Riley’s throat.

  So how was she going to stand there and not say the things she wanted to shout at Delphine? How was Riley supposed to act as if she still didn’t have her memories?

  And how did her brothers and cousins expect her not to try and kill the priestess herself?

  The plan had come together quickly, and all of them had decided to act on it that night instead of waiting and allowing Delphine to discover that the Chiassons had come to the city. Now, her family was in their designated places with Davena and Minka each waiting to use their magic on Delphine and any of the other followers who got involved.

  Riley tried not to glance over at Marshall, who stood beside her, because she might not be able to leave him if she did. She was glad that he would remain behind and take his position on the second floor as a sniper. Marshall’s plan was solid, as was his confidence in her. That would get her through this.

  “I won’t be far,” Marshall whispered.

  God, how she wanted to touch him. “I know.”

  “I’ll remain with you until you tell me you’re ready. Everything is on your time. And you don’t have to do any of it.”

  The more he spoke, the harder it was for her to keep her gaze straight ahead. But if she looked at him, if she touched him, she would never walk out there. “I do. Besides, this plan is the best one. She won’t be expecting any of it.”

  He faced her and raked a hand through his dark, wavy hair. “I don’t think you shou—”

  She broke her rule and looked into his gray eyes while forcing a smile. He was struggling with the plan. And she knew he would stay with her if she asked it of him. That’s how she knew it was time to get things moving. Because to remain with him, to continue living in fear of Delphine, allowed the priestess to win. And Riley couldn’t accept that.

  She started to walk away when Marshall grabbed her hand, halting her. Riley briefly closed her eyes before looking at him over her shoulder. He was the kind of man who would never falter, who would stand beside her in the very worst of times—like now—and during the best of times.

  He was the kind of man who would love her deeply and never let her down. The kind of guy who would always put her first. The kind of male who would love her from one life to the next.

  She wouldn’t let anyone break what she had found with Marshall, and that included Delphine. Riley was going to fight with everything she had because she wanted a life with Marshall more than she had ever wanted anything before.

  “I love you,” she said.

  His eyes widened, but she pulled her hand out of his grasp and walked from the building before he could say anything. With her heart thumping wildly, Riley wrapped her arms around herself and kept her head down.

  It wasn’t an act. She was chilled, bone-deep, from walking away from Marshall. The anger and fear were so intertwined now that she could no longer tell one emotion from the other. And she didn’t think it would get any better, at least until either Delphine was dead—or she was.

  Riley stayed close to the building, making it look as if she were attempting to hide. Every once in a while, she would look over her shoulder or duck into an alleyway and peek around the corner.

  She counted eleven of Delphine’s followers, but no doubt there were others she didn’t see. It wouldn’t be long now before the priestess showed. And since this was the place her cousins had said was the best for battle, Riley walked slowly.

  The streets were never deserted in New Orleans, but this district wasn’t Delphine’s. That made it significantly more dangerous because they were in the djinn’s territory.

  Riley had only encountered the djinn a few times, and quite frankly, they were scarier than the vampires. Still, the djinn were smart. They didn’t kill everyone who walked their streets. Only a few individuals went missing from here. Most were taken from other parts of New Orleans.

  As if sensing something in the air, people hurried away from her. Riley wanted to yell at anyone who remained. The idea of innocents getting brought into this war angered her, but she knew her family would make sure that those who were caught in the crossfire were protected.

  Her thoughts drifted to the Moonstone pack. Tensions had run high since Griffin—the Alpha—and Solomon clashed over Minka. Yet, in the end, the pack had stood beside the LaRues to fight Delphine, even though Griffin had disappeared.

  That battle was when Riley was taken. Not that she bla
med her cousins. They’d all been fighting for their lives. It was no one’s fault but hers that Delphine managed to get her hands on her. But she wondered if Delphine had gotten to Griffin, as well.

  Riley shivered at the thought of how close Delphine had come to getting everything she wanted. While Riley wasn’t entirely sure what the priestess and George had in mind for her, Riley knew it was probably very close to what they had done to Elin.

  She cringed at the thought of her friend’s death. If only Riley hadn’t told her everything, perhaps she and Elin could’ve gotten away together. Maybe even now, Elin would be reunited with her brothers and her pack.

  But thanks to Delphine and George, that was never to be. Just one more crime the priestess needed to pay for.

  Riley was so deep in thought with her head down that she lurched to a stop when she saw the hem of a white skirt. Her head jerked up to find herself staring into Delphine’s black eyes.

  Riley took an unconscious step back while her gaze raked over Delphine’s long, black braids hanging loose. The hatred that rose up in Riley was so powerful that she instantly fought against it so she wouldn’t attack the priestess and ruin Marshall’s plan.

  Delphine could use that loathing against Riley, so she had to be careful.

  “Hello, Riley,” the priestess said in a pleasant tone.

  Riley didn’t answer. Simply took another step back.

  Delphine’s head cocked to the side. “Riley?”

  “He killed Elin,” she finally said.

  Delphine’s lips pressed together briefly. “I know.”

  “What are you going to do about it?” Riley demanded.

  “I’m taking care of it, my way.”

  Riley hunched her shoulders. “I saw him snap her neck. He could do the same to me.”

  “He won’t. George cares about you too much. Riley,” Delphine said, taking a step closer. “You had me so worried. Where have you been?”

  “Wandering the streets, trying to get away from George. I don’t want him anywhere near me again.”

  “He’s part of our family. It’s going to take some time, but it’ll all work out. Come to me, child.”

  Riley stood her ground. “I won’t go back as long as George is there.”

  “He’s family.”

  “And I’m not.” Riley held Delphine’s gaze. “I think it’s best if I go, then.”

  “No!” Delphine bellowed when Riley turned to walk away.

  Slowly, she turned back to the priestess. “You told me I was free to do as I wanted. I’m not a prisoner.”

  “You’re returning with me,” Delphine stated firmly.

  Riley wrinkled her nose as she shook her head. “Actually, I’m not. While your magic worked for a while, your hold over me was broken days ago.”

  Delphine’s gaze narrowed. “You stayed because you wanted to and because you had nowhere else to go.”

  “That’s not entirely true, is it?” Riley asked. “Since my cousins live in the city. You know, the LaRues.”

  As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Solomon, Myles, Kane, and Court stepped from their hiding places to surround Delphine. Even though the bar was being watched, they had snuck out of Gator Bait and made their way to Riley as soon as she walked out of the building.

  “You’re also well acquainted with my brothers,” Riley continued.

  Vin was the first to make an appearance behind Delphine. Then Christian, Beau, and finally Linc as they surrounded her.

  Riley smiled as she watched Delphine’s expression tighten. “Oh, and did I forget Minka and Davena?”

  The two witches came to stand with the men.

  “Is that all you have?” Delphine asked her. “I’m not without my own backup.”

  With a snap of her fingers, Delphine’s disciples made a circle around Riley’s family.

  Riley smiled and raised her hand. Witches and members of the Moonstone pack—in werewolf form—filled the area.

  “You’ve fought my brothers and Davena,” Riley said. “You’ve even battled my cousins on several occasions, as well as Minka and our allies. But you’ve not faced all of us.”

  Delphine’s chin lifted defiantly. “If you’re trying to scare me, you’re not doing a good job.”

  “I’m laying out the facts.”

  “Then let me lay one out for you,” the priestess said. “I was able to kill two powerful LaRues to get them out of the way. I’m more than ready to wipe out not only your cousins but also your brothers and everyone who stands against me.”

  Riley yawned, covering her mouth as she did. Then she widened her eyes as she looked at Delphine. “I’m sorry. Did you say something? Because you keep reiterating the same shit.”

  “It looks like it’s past the time for words,” Delphine said.

  In the back, one of the weres yelped loudly in pain. A second later, the sound was cut short. Riley didn’t need to ask to know that the werewolf was dead. She kept her gaze on Delphine, using every ounce of control she possessed not to show any weakness.

  She wanted to call for Marshall, to run to him and stand in his arms. But he was hiding, waiting for the final part of the plan. Except Riley wasn’t sure she could make it to that finish line.

  Someone who’d been helping her was now dead. She might not have known the werewolf personally, but it didn’t matter. Delphine wasn’t striking out at Riley’s family—yet. But it was coming.

  If Riley was already ready to break, she wouldn’t survive once Delphine turned her brand of evil on the Chiassons or LaRues. Or Marshall.

  Riley somehow stood her ground. Her knees knocked together, and her blood ran like ice through her veins. It was a horrible feeling, and she wanted it to end. Really, she was just ready for Delphine to die.

  “Well?” Delphine asked. “Is this really what you want to do? Do you really want to go up against me and know that it’ll mean the death of your family? Or will you walk away with me now? If you do, I allow them to live. I’ll even take away your memories again. You were happy, Riley. Remember? You had no fear and no worries.”

  “But I wasn’t me,” Riley insisted. “Everyone here has chosen to rise up against you. We all know that this could be our last night on this earth, and we’re all prepared to give our lives. If it means your death.”

  Delphine’s eyes hardened. “Wrong choice.”

  Riley took a step back, and a second later, all hell broke loose.

  16

  F rom his position on the second story of the building across the street, Marshall never took his eyes off Riley and Delphine. His gun was on his hip, but he held a rifle in hand, ready to lift and fire at the priestess.

  All he could think about was Riley telling him that she loved him before walking away. He hadn’t had time to respond, or even formulate a reply before she was gone. He’d wanted to pull her back, to tell her that he felt the same. Now, he had to wait until the battle was over.

  Though he couldn’t hear what Riley and Delphine were saying, he could tell by their expressions that things were heating up quickly.

  Marshall lifted the rifle and peered through the scope. It was killing him not to be down there with the others, but he was Riley’s backup. Because they all knew that Delphine was either going to either try and take Riley again—or kill her.

  As long as he had breath in his body, that wouldn’t happen.

  He turned the gun and glanced through the scope at Lincoln, who was the closest to Riley. Linc was as still as a statue, a Bowie knife in each hand. While Lincoln never turned to look at Delphine’s disciples behind him, he was very aware of them by the way he shifted just slightly in order to see them better.

  Marshall gave a quick look at the rest of the Chiassons and LaRues before glancing back at Riley. Delphine’s face was filled with fury, while Riley was smiling in triumph.

  He lifted his head and glanced around at Delphine’s followers. None had moved, but they were waiting for the priestess’s decision. However, it was the we
rewolves who were crouched low and ready to spring that drew his attention.

  Right about the time a were let out a shrill cry before everything went eerily quiet. Marshall knew the werewolf was dead.

  So, this was how Delphine wanted to play it.

  He once more gazed through the scope at Riley and Delphine. The grin Riley had worn slipped as they exchanged more words. Then she took a step back.

  In that instant, Marshall moved his finger over the trigger. He was prepared to take the headshot on Delphine when the quiet was broken by a low growl before a melee the likes of which he’d never seen broke out.

  He lost Riley in the chaos, and then he lost sight of Delphine. Lifting his head, he scanned the crowd of witches, werewolves, and humans for some sign of the priestess. Though he wanted to keep an eye on Riley, he knew her family would remain close.

  It was Delphine that Marshall truly needed to find. As long as he could keep her in his sights, then Riley and the others had a fighting chance.

  But everywhere he looked, there was no sign of her. It should be easy to pick out the white clothes in the darkness, but the crush of people clawing, slashing, hitting, and stabbing one another prevented him from seeing anything clearly.

  He debated running up to the roof for a better view, but it was time he couldn’t take. Instead, he caught sight of one of Delphine’s disciples coming up behind Kane. Without hesitation, he fired off a shot.

  Kane whirled around and saw the dead man behind him. Then he gave a nod to Marshall before he returned to the fighting.

  Marshall continued looking for Riley and Delphine while picking off more and more of the enemy. Delphine and her people were seriously outnumbered, yet that didn’t seem to factor in their decision to fight.

  All Marshall could be thankful for was that this battle playing out in the middle of the streets of New Orleans hadn’t drawn any policeman, nor had any innocents been affected. Yet.

  But it was only a matter of time.

  * * *