Everyone has a Weak spot (15 page)

After a few minutes, he slipped from her body, rolling to the side against the back of the couch. He pulled her against him so that her head rested on his shoulder. He stroked her cheek.

“Thank you,
chéri,
” he whispered into her hair. “I don't deserve you.” She kissed his chest and said nothing. She ran her fingers through his chest hair until they both dozed off.

When War woke up a few hours later, Lorelei was still sleeping. He propped himself up on an elbow and watched her for a few minutes.

She was so delicate, he thought, and so beautiful. He inhaled deeply. He couldn't get enough of her scent. He loved when she was aroused, but he loved her scent no matter what.

While he watched her she turned her head and opened her eyes.

“You have to go, don't you?” she asked.

“Maybe I should,
chéri,"
he agreed reluctantly. “Maybe one day, I won't have to.” Her eyes darkened at this, but she didn't respond.

“Would you like some coffee to get home with?” she asked him.

“No,
chéri
. I'd like a kiss, though,
s'il te plaît.
"

She leaned up to him, and he kissed her deeply. When they broke apart, he asked, “
Chéri
, will you trust me to give you space tomorrow and not get ugly anymore?"

“I'll trust you, Warrick,” she told him. “Will you trust
me
?"

“I promise,
chéri."

He hugged her close and kissed her forehead. He got up and started to dress. He gave her a sweet, lingering kiss on the mouth, and then he was gone.

* * * *

It was killing War, but a promise was a promise. He felt that how he behaved today might be just as important as how he'd behaved the last time they'd made love.

He'd gone home the night before and found Renaud asleep on the couch. The TV was on to a televangelist promising the sleeping Renaud everlasting life.

War flicked the TV off and Renaud woke up. The two men looked at each other without speaking. Renaud ran a hand through his hair and reached into his collar and pulled out the chain and amulet that he always wore. He wrapped his fist around it.

“You okay, son?” War asked him.

“Mostly,” answered Renaud. He stood up.

War stuck out his hand with a lifted brow, silently asking for forgiveness. After a moment, Renaud grasped his hand. War tugged and the men embraced quickly and stepped apart. They nodded at one another and went up to bed.

That morning, Renaud went off to his job at the lumber mill, and War went into town to keep the Parish safe for its citizens. He resisted the urge to leave a note on Lorelei's door—just barely. At least his men weren't afraid to speak to him any more. He hoped Lorelei wouldn't be afraid, either.

* * * *

Right before two o'clock, Lorelei had to run to the store down the block. She had students coming in at two-thirty, so she had to hurry. She was out of floor cleaner and she had to take care of that, or it would be hard to move on that floor.

Besides, the idea of students getting dirt on their tights from her floor was abhorrent to her. She'd pay the ninety-seven dollars and fifty cents at the convenience store around the corner.

She paid for the cleaner and was reading the bottle on the way out of the store when she ran into a solid object. This solid object, however, had two strong arms, which immediately wrapped around her. She had been so engrossed in reading the label that she hadn't seen War on his way in the door. He'd seen her and evidently couldn't resist stepping in front of her.

“
Bonjour, ma chéri,"
he purred in her ear. She shook her head to clear it and looked up at him. She couldn't control the smile that bloomed on her face.

Last night had been so amazing. How could someone so wonderful and sexy and handsome want me?

“Good afternoon, Warrick,” she said shyly. There went her face again. He was sure to think she had a disorder. She couldn't help but turn her face into his chest. His chuckle rumbled through her. He had moved them from in front of the door.

“What engrosses you so?” he asked her reaching down to take her purchase for a closer look. Then he threw back his head and laughed out loud drawing even more stares than he already had.

The local Sheriff embracing the dance teacher was always good for a second look. Her face flushed and, with difficulty, she resisted hiding it in his muscular chest. She was sure everybody was staring at her. He drew her flaming face toward him with a finger under her chin.

“I'll return your favorite reading for a small fee,” he said with a devilish grin. He lowered his head and placed his lips on hers. She let out a tiny sound, and he deepened the kiss with a growl. His tongue stroked hers until her knees almost gave way. He groaned.

He pulled back a fraction and spoke into her lips, “I think I should buy you a second bottle,
chéri
, you've overpaid."

Lorelei took a step back and nearly stumbled. She just couldn't think straight around him.

How is it he doesn't think I'm a complete imbecile?

With a crooked grin, he reached out and steadied her.

“Okay?” he asked. She nodded. She gave him a quick smile and scurried from the store.

* * * *

He chuckled and shook his head as he poured his coffee. He felt better than he had in so long. This accidental meeting had reassured him more than he would've imagined. She wasn't running from him.

She not only let him touch her in public, she'd kissed him and smiled at him. It was the smile that sealed it for him. He'd known she would kiss him back if he began kissing her.

That beautiful smile had been purely spontaneous. She'd been glad to see him. To War, it was as if the sun was shining through the clouds.

Chapter 21

Lorelei didn't have time to clean and wax the floor after her collision with War. She got the spray cleaner out and sprayed the dust mop and did her best. She had to warn all the little dancers to be careful. She decided to clean the floor when everyone went home.

When she was done with the floor, she ran into the apartment and took a shower. It had been a hot and sticky day and she had been busy every minute. It was a wonder that War didn't comment on her ripe smell, she mused.

It was nearly eight o'clock when she moved to the sink and absently began washing dishes from the night before. She was moving on autopilot because her mind was on everything else from the night before.

Suddenly, her scalp began to tingle. She got goose bumps on her arms. She heard her Papa's voice again.

"Danger, Lorelei,"
he whispered in her head.

She looked around, and nothing seemed wrong. She clasped her medallion. It felt warm. After a moment, the feeling went away. She decided that it was cooling off outside.

She rubbed her arms and turned back to her kitchen counter. After a few minutes, she shook herself and picked up another dish.

* * * *

War had almost decided to go over to see Lorelei when he saw his nephew's truck pull up to the front of the building.

The young man stepped onto the curb and stopped.
Did he bend down to pick something up?
He saw Renaud raise his hand to knock and then test the doorknob.

The scent of fear hit War in one solid wave. What was Renaud so afraid of? He saw Renaud go into the studio and sprint to the apartment. He heard the door slam open.

Then War heard something he knew he'd never heard before. Renaud didn't just raise his voice or shout, he bellowed.

“RORY!” he roared.

She dropped the glass she'd been holding. It shattered. Now the smell of anger mingled with the fear.

“GODDAMN IT TO FUCKING HELL, RORY! I could have fucked you three times on a boat in open water halfway to Budapest by now. Why the fuck are the doors unlocked? Has the Louisiana heat made you so fucking stupid you can't even use your common sense? Why don't I just fuck you now and give the baby to the nearest Slav who looks like they give a shit? Then I'll kill us both and be done with the whole fucking thing!"

Waves of anger washed over War. He wanted to go pound the hell out of his nephew, but some part of his brain told him to pay attention. What he was seeing and hearing was important.

Renaud was bellowing like a gelded bull. War realized he had never heard language like that come out of his nephew's mouth either, come to think of it.

War was at the window now, but couldn't see all that was happening across the street. He could hear every breath, though.

Lorelei strangled a sob, and Renaud rushed to her. He scooped her into his arms and carried her to the corner window. While War was glad he could see them, he had a real problem with his nephew carrying his woman around like that.

“Goddamn sonofabitch, Boo. I'm sorry."

Not much of an apology as far as War was concerned, but he continued to listen closely.

“Boo, this was outside your door."

Lorelei took what he handed her and gasped. He could see her chest was heaving but she shed no tears. She was shaking her head in denial. Renaud smoothed her hair and clutched her tightly.

“Do you know what I went through in Nice, Rory? Nothing has ever hurt me worse than seeing you in that hospital bed covered in tubes and wires. And the year before last in Venice? Three broken ribs, Rory, you had three broken ribs and a punctured lung. If they get you, they get us both, Boo. You know that."

Renaud kicked his shoes off and swung his feet up onto the cushions. War had a better view of both of them now. He was frantically taking notes as his nephew talked.

“If they want the Legacy, Rory, let's make ‘em steal it,” he implored her. “Please let's don't just give it to ‘em."

Lorelei sat up and scrubbed her eyes with the backs of her hands. War caught his breath. No doubt, he loved that woman. He released his breath slowly and leaned on the windowsill with his clipboard in front of him.

“I'm so sorry, Renaud. I risked us both because I was distracted and thoughtless. When they tried to take you that first time, I nearly went out of my mind.” She reached over and stroked his cheek. “I did go out of my mind the next time. I let them all know that if they didn't get us both, they'd have to kill us."

They leaned together and touched foreheads. Then Renaud spoke again.

“What's up with you and Oncle War?” he asked.

With his lupine vision, War thought he could see Lorelei's blush. He was anxious to hear her answer.

“That's what had me distracted and thoughtless, I guess. What's up with you and that little Lolita?” she countered. Renaud laughed.

“Touché. Her name's Zierra, by the way,” he told her. “She's what had me so sure I'd let you get taken, ‘cuz I wasn't paying attention."

“
That's
her? She's beautiful, Renaud.” Lorelei responded reverently. After a few minutes, she looked hard at Renaud.

“We can't do this, can we?” she asked him.

“No, I guess we really cain't. Whaddaya wanna do, Boo?” he took her hand.

War felt the ice run in his veins when she answered, “I wanna run like hell, Reni—far and fast. I want it to end.” She reached over and took his other hand. “I can't do this to him, Ren. You can't do it to her."

He said, “My oncle, he was elite forces in the army.” Renaud took a deep breath and added, “Think he could help, Boo? Think he'd believe us?"

Lorelei considered the question long enough to make War squirm.

Then she replied, “Oh, Ren, I wish he could. I so wish he could help us. But what happens when they realize...” her voice cracked “...when they realize I've made love with him? Or what happens if I got pregnant?"

War was amazed and confused when he sensed the gripping fear and desperation in both Renaud and Lorelei. He saw silver streaks on both sets of cheeks when Renaud put his arms around Lorelei and gathered her against him.

He heard his nephew say, “I guess it's the same thing that'd happen if I mated with someone and got her pregnant. We have to leave tomorrow, don't we?” War saw Lorelei nod. “I wish we'd never been born,” Renaud moaned.

It took War a minute to realize that the two were shaking with sobs. He ran both hands through his hair.

What the hell was going on?
He stared at the couple in their window seat for a few minutes. He knew Renaud had meant it when he wished neither he nor the tiny dancer had ever been born. It seemed that she agreed with him.

He couldn't believe it, but Lorelei had just told Renaud that she'd had sex with him. No, she told Renaud that she'd
made love
with him. Apparently, Renaud also was afraid to embark on an intimate relationship. For some reason they both felt that something bad would happen if they pursued anything lasting.

Standing at that window, his fists tangled in his hair, Dekon Warrick Martine had a true epiphany. That was his family over there clinging together like two storm-tossed kittens. There they were being battered and, it looked to War, being beaten. They needed him, but they loved him—or in Lorelei's case, they wanted to—and they were afraid for him.

For some reason, they thought they could protect him by shouldering their burden alone. For over a decade, the two of them had learned to count on each other and no one else. He hadn't been there when they needed him. He hadn't even known they needed anyone.

Now he knew. His mate and his nephew—the son of his heart—were being threatened and were in pain and they needed him. It was time for him to be a man. Not an army man, not a policeman, but a family man. It was time to be there for his family. He reached over and closed the window.

Chapter 22

“Beaudine!” War didn't even move from his chair. “BEAUDINE!” he shouted again.

“Right here, Boss,” came the out-of-breath voice of Officer Beaudine. He'd hit the ground running when he heard his boss call him. “Whatcha need?” Beaudine was careful this time. He saw War staring out the window and he did not intend to put his life at risk again.

“What's going on tonight?” the Sheriff asked.

“Nothing going on tonight, Boss. It's slow so far."

“I need you to do something for me tonight."