The Isle Of Sin And Shadows - Keri Lake Page 0,105

your future, should you decide to challenge me on it.”

Jaw shifting with his obvious anger, he exits my office, slamming the door behind him.

I push to my feet and swipe up my drink, moving to stand before the wide window, from where I watch him keep on shuffling through the tables on the main floor below.

Whatever Céleste might’ve been worth before our meeting, her value just shot up. If having her stay with me a few days means keeping her from that sorry prick, it’s worth the headache.

As I’ve gathered, Julio is expected to return in two weeks. It’ll give Aric the chance to look completely incompetent, which may offer me some leverage, should I decide to strike a bargain with Julio.

The real question is, can I stand having a woman in my home for that long? It’s not enough that Céleste is a walking disaster, but she’s got an addiction on top of it. One I’ll have to break before she does something stupid after those pills run out. I could easily replenish her supply, I suppose, with the contacts I keep, but I don’t trust the shit they put in them. Could be worse than dealing with the withdrawals.

On the stage below, a few of the dancers rehearse for the evening show. Clad in flesh-colored skimpy tops and bikinis, they’re practically naked, gyrating and swaying in a way that’ll have the limpest of dicks taking notice later tonight.

Unfortunately, my mind is wrapped around a twenty-year-old, with lazy curls and a sharp tongue. One who’ll be sleeping in my bed tonight. That thought alone sends an unwelcomed rush of blood straight to my dick, and the urge to throttle it.

I need to get this woman out of my head. Out of my system. If I don’t fuck something soon, I risk blowing a valuable exchange for freedom.

And a couple of weeks-worth of pent up tension.

One of the girls below, Jackie, looks a bit like Céleste, with her curly hair and small frame. Sort of. Unfortunately, trying to imagine her lips around my dick is like trying to concentrate on a complex calculus equation. My mind keeps diverting to lazier curls, bigger tits, and those wide innocent eyes that make Céleste look like a caricature out of an anime show. I swallow back the rest of my drink, to erase the visual of my annoying little houseguest pinned beneath me, but hell if the drink doesn’t only add a nice burn to the fantasy. That small spike of discomfort paired with what I imagine would be one hell of a good night. A night I’m hellbent on denying myself, because something tells me, once I’ve had a taste of this girl, once won’t be enough. Fucking her would end up fucking me twice as hard.

After mulling all afternoon, I find myself parked outside of the Charpentier Estate once again. Even in daylight, the dilapidated, graffitied exterior makes it look like the kind of house where bad shit went down. Whatever it was that drove Céleste to want to camp out in this place, it must’ve been pretty compelling.

I climb out of my truck and stroll up to the door, but before I can duck inside, the sound of an approaching vehicle has me turning to face the oncoming Lexus idling up the drive. Damn those quiet engines. The car rolls to a stop alongside my truck, and I brush my hand over the gun tucked at my side, when the driver door swings open.

The familiar blonde who exits has me blowing out an easy breath, and I turn to face her, as she makes her way toward me. Jude Bijou. Strange seeing her decked out in khakis, a sharp contrast to the dressier slacks she wears at The Daughters of Mercy hospital, where Frannie stays. Also odd seeing her this far south.

“Mr. Bergeron?”

“Jude. What brings you here?”

“There’s a fundraising event going on this weekend. A charity walk around the island. Trying to raise money for our facilities. Thought we could take advantage of the increased traffic to the island, with the upcoming Festival des Morts.”

“Which is why every hotel is completely booked two weeks before the festival.”

“Yes.” Chuckling, she adjusts her flowy shawl and saunters up beside me. “I suppose I’m to blame. Speaking of which, I thought I saw you last night. Four Seasons? You were with a woman.”

When I don’t answer, she smiles and drags her finger over her lips. “Your secret is safe with me. See, I