Bayou Bishops Box Set: Books 1-12

CHAPTER 10

Spook had no choice but to get over what he’d done and somehow help her get over it. He couldn’t dwell on it while doing what he needed to. But that was going to be hard while she was so fucked up over it. And that sin was on him. He could burn in agony all day long every day, but he couldn’t do that to her.

“Maggie, I need to talk to you about what happened,” he said the next morning from the outdoor sink.

“Don’t want to talk about it,” she said, wrapping the blindfold around her eyes.

“I need to say things to you.”

“Well say it to a priest.” She tied the blindfold tightly. “I already know. You can’t marry me, you can’t touch me. You can only make me want something I can’t have and now you’ll teach me how to protect myself so I can survive men like you.”

Her words hit him like a sledgehammer. Fuck. “I’m taking you back today.”

“You’ll finish training me like you’re supposed to. You can handle doing that, can’t you?”

The shake in her voice gutted him further. “Yeah, I can handle that.” But the close contact would only make it worse for both. He sure welcomed the torment but not for her.

Before that day was over with, they’d spent eight grueling hours of drills, all of them close contact. He knew her pain drove her and every bruise she gave he took gladly. By the end of those eight hours, she was executing every move with an excellence that satisfied him. And she wasn’t without injury, that was for damn sure. The last hold he’d done, she gave a shriek of pain, telling him he”d damaged something and she hadn’t said a fucking thing.

“That’s enough,” he said, pissed. She’d set the pace and he’d let her, but he wasn’t going to pile wounds on her no matter how much she wanted it. She was just like him, he realized. She solved her pain problems with more pain.

She rolled off with a light grunt and stayed on the ground, unmoving. He eyed her, ready to tend to her wounds while knowing she’d never let him. She’d have to, that was all.

“Where are you injured.”

“Everywhere,” she barely muttered.

“I need to see.”

“No you don’t,” she assured.

“Yes, I do,” he assured back. “Don’t fight me with that.”

“Don’t fight you,” she grunted, making her way to her hands and knees, and crawling to the chair. “Too late. You are now enemy number one.”

She’d spoken in French and for some reason, it made the threat more real to him. “You don’t want me for an enemy,” he said, hating himself.

She gave a laugh that got louder and longer with every second. He knelt before her chair and got a foot slammed in his chest that put him on his back followed by a frantic Maggie hovering over him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to kick that hard!”

He gasped for air and groaned, rolling on his side. “Was a great kick,” he strained.

“I’m…I’m sorry,” she whispered, crying now. “I want you to hurt but I don’t want to hurt you.”

Fuck, those words kicked harder than anything. Maybe not as hard as her sweet lips on his forehead.

“I can’t do this Spook, I can’t be around you. It’s killing me,” she gasped. “And I have to be angry, and I don’t want to be angry at you. Just bring me back, please.”

He turned onto his back, staring at the twilight sky before closing his eyes. “I’ll pack everything and take you back.”

****

“You’re back early,” Eveque said on the phone.

“Yeah, she’s got injuries that need to heal in a less hostile environment.”

Eveque released a long breath before muttering, “I hope you’re having more success than I am. Wait, what kind of injuries we talking about?”

Spook rubbed his hair as he eyed the Birdhouse from the doorway of his little shack. “The good and the very bad kind.”

“Holy fuck, what happened? Oh fuck, Spook. Tell me that didn’t happen.”

“I really wish more than anything that I could. I’m thinking you need to find somebody else to watch her. I’m sorry Eveque.”

“Like who to watch her?” he hissed. “And will she even go for that?”

“She doesn’t want me around.”

“Oh fuck, that bad?”

“Yeah, that bad.”

“What…exactly happened?”

Fuck, he was hoping he’d not ask.

“Tell me you didn’t touch her.”

“I didn’t…at first.”

“Hooooly motherfuck,” he whispered. “How is she?”

“Pretty fucked up over it.”

“Fucked up how?”

“She wants…everything I can’t give her. I really need to step away for her sake.”

“Like fuck you do,” he muttered. “You need to tuck your dick in and find a way. I have nobody else, and I need you watching her, especially now. Do you know what a woman like her might do in her condition? Just imagine anything and everything reckless because that kind of shit doesn’t care about wars, in fact, it welcomes it with open arms.”

Spook shook his head with his eyes closed. “I can’t take hurting her Eveque.”

“You’re talking about the woman you bit and cut?”

“That kind of pain I have no problem with,” he assured. “She bruised the fuck out of my chest bone earlier. Kicked me square in it and knocked me on my back. But definitely not unprovoked.”

“Mon Dieu, what you do?”

“I took what I deserved. She said she wanted me to hurt but didn’t want to be the one hurting me and asked to be brought back.”

“Now she’s a time-bomb. I can’t have her going off right now. You need to find a way to fix it.”

“There’s no fixing this, Eveque.”

“You sure about that?”

“I’m sure I”m celibate!”

“You telling me you don’t want her?” he asked incredulous.

“No, I’m not.”

“Then fix it.”

Spook was ready to vomit his terrified guts out. “Are you telling me to break my celibacy?”

“The celibacy code isn’t in stone, you know the exceptions, Spook.”

“Fuck,” he whispered, pacing now. “I do, but I don’t know if she’s the exception.”

“And what does the code require for that?”

“To learn if she is.”

“Correct.”

“And how do I fucking learn that without hurting her more?”

“It”s a nasty process, not a damn thing clean about it. But necessary.”

“I can”t marry her without marrying her, you understand?”

“I understand all too perfectly. And technically, sex is marriage in our code. You understanding me?”

His cock sure was. “I need to know what I can and can”t do.”

“You can do anything but put your dick in it. But you have to tell her that, she has to know.”

“And...how or when do I know if she”s the exception?”

“Is it in the code?”

“Not that I recall.”

“And you can guess why. There”s no way to know that when every situation is different. That call is all yours to make.”

“Or fuck up.”

“Worst case scenario, you get your dick broken, and your heart crushed.”

“That”s it? What about my soul?”

“It burns like a bitch till the day you die. So… you in or out?”

Spook shook his head, closing his eyes. “I”ve been in since the moment I laid eyes on her.”

“Mon Dieu, the Saints of Heaven be with you,” Eveque muttered.

“Tell me what’s going on with everything else, I need something besides this woman to think about.”

“I’ve got a virtual meeting with the leader of those foreign devils to buy us two weeks. Hoping he wants three since my wife decided to challenge my ex to a public Bat-tie.”

“She what?”

“You heard right.”

“She knows about those?”

“Well now she does thanks to Mah-Mah.”

“And why?”

“Because I was trying to give her a job she hated in hopes of discouraging her from becoming my right hand. What does she do when the putan doesn’t cooperate? Challenge her to a fucking Bat-tie. How stupid can I be to think this woman wouldn’t do whatever it took to accomplish her first directive from me? I spent most of my morning watching my sister train her only to realize she can maybe beat her if she wasn’t an angel up against a devil that plays dirty. She’ll probably let her win because it’s the noble thing to do. She’s just too sweet for this fucking ignorant swamp tradition and I’ve never hated myself more for it. Revelator had a message for me for months and you know what it was? Innocent blood will spill, and it’ll be my fault unless I do something to stop it. That vague as fuck omen has me suspecting death at every hand. What if Katrina hurts her bad? I wouldn’t put it past her. And I’m able to stop it, you see the connection?”

Spook shook his head, amazed. “I do. When shit gets like that, I usually pray whatever needs to happen happens.”

“Really,” Sahvrin said, dryly. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just that when things are vague, I take it to mean maybe I’m not supposed to know and just trust. If you were told to stop something and not told what, then trust you’ll know when it’s time to stop it. These women, though,” he muttered, amazed. “Never met any like them. Not that I’ve met many. Maggie is remarkable too. She’s got some exceptional gifts unlike anything I’ve seen.”

“Shocking,” he said, not shocked. “Tell me.”

“She was able to tell exactly how far away I was from her, in feet, while blindfolded. Said she picked up the skill from being in solitary confinement. Was fucking remarkable.”

“How’d she tell you all that?”

“She’s done nothing but talk with words since I required it.”

“You’re shitting.”

“I’m not.”

“Unbelievable. Uncle Wigs said she could talk but I didn’t imagine she would so quickly. Or liberally.”

“Liberally is an understatement. And she’s sharp. Really amazing to hear what’s in that head of hers. Na?ve to a fault but nothing could be more beautiful to me. Did you know she’s an artist?”

“I knew she painted.”

“Well, her drawing skills are fucking eerie. She’s always tried to touch me since I met her, and I never let her. She tells me she has to touch things to draw them, and she’s been wanting to draw me since we met.”

“What she draw?”

Spook grinned at the suspicion in his tone. “Well, not my dick. I let her touch my face and she immediately drew ten pages of various angles in like five minutes. She talked while drawing like she was just as amazed with her gift as I was. Said she draws the angles she sees then her mind produces one out of all of them. I’ve never wanted to see my ugly face more than I do now. And she’s a fast learner with endless drive. I spent about eight hours straight teaching her hand-to-hand ground combat. She was executing all the maneuvers perfectly before it was over and I’m in a world of hurt to prove it. Worth every bruise.”

“You talk about this woman like she’s your pride and joy.”

He laughed, glad for the needed release. “She’s…. a first everything for me,” he muttered. “And getting my ass handed to me by her for eight hours was the best fucking time of my life.”

“Mon Dieu, that is a very sad statement.”

He laughed more, nodding. “It is. Next to babysitting two elderly people, this is the most action I’ve had since our last swamp rumble.”

“Well, that’s about to change. Glad you’ve remained dedicated to training while on call. You’re one of my best.”

“You say that about all The Twelve,” he laughed.

“I do and I mean it. But I have a top five favorite. You’re at the top of that list.”

“Wow, my heart is fluttering.” The sound of Eveque’s laugh made him grin. “So your Belle Eveque is turning out to be as amazing as we all hoped she would.”

Eveque’s long string of frustrated French was hilarious. “She is definitely being locked up with 8-Bit in his hideout. She doesn’t need to know what’s going on other than blinking dots on a board, but I already know she’ll want in on every detail and then some.”

“Oh damn,” Spook remembered.

“What?”

“You know how 8-Bit is always upgrading.”

“What does that mean?”

“Means those blinking dots now have live camera feed ability that correspond with drones.”

Eveque’s low growl came with, “That bastard genius.”

“Yep. Where are you now?”

“About to call The Revelator. He told me Zeps been talking to Thadeous.”

“You’re killing me,” Spook muttered. “When?”

“Weeks ago, but I need to find out what’s going on. I want Revelator there to remove any wiggle room he’ll look for.”

“How’d he learn that?”

“From one of our parishioners at the Weigh Station. The only one still alive that is. The ink demon perished overnight.”

“What happened?”

“Don’t know, didn’t ask. Too pissed it wasn’t at my hand.”

“What else he learn?”

Eveque gave a sigh. “Luseah.”

“Oh fuck, what.”

“She’s been with a Roulette. I swear I’ll lock her up if I have to, Spook. I won’t let her fall into that.”

“I don’t blame you. Especially not now. Lucas okay?”

“Yeah, as far as I know. Other than being in love with my daughter.”

“Wow.”

“What?” he wondered.

“Just…so much of that happening. Makes me wonder.”

“Makes you wonder what?”

“Remember the last message The Revelator gave The Twelve?” When Eveque didn’t answer, he added, “About the change coming?”

He gave a muttered Mon Dieu. “No disrespect, but can the eerie dude get anymore foo? Change is always coming, it’s constant.”

“I don’t know,” Spook said, sliding his finger along the wood of the old door. “I felt it when he said it.”

“Felt what?”

“Whatever change he saw or sensed. Was almost like it inhabited the words.”

“And you remember this now.”

“Well, first you, now me. Lucas. Maybe Luseah from the sounds of it. We’re two of the least likely men on the planet to fall in love. And it’s not even spring.”

“Spook, I still believe in coincidence,” Eveque said, like he was sorry.

He did too. “Same.”

“Call me tonight,” Eveque said. “Let me know how your situation with Maggie went and I’ll give you an update on the shit here. I’m also calling for The Twelve to stay on land with their Hatchmen. With the bullshit coming, I want every swamp entry heavily guarded.”

“I left BooRay in charge while I’m here, but I can have him and the Hatchmen head to the land house.”

“Good, do it. I’ll put my sane brothers in charge of the land logistics. Any Hatchmen need anything, they can call one of them.”

“Got it. Talk to you tonight.”

****

Spook paced in his shack, his adrenalin at war levels just thinking of how he’d tell Maggie what he’d talked to Eveque about. He wanted to run in there and kiss the fuck out of her for about thirty minutes then explain himself after. She wanted to marry touch him, and he’d never dreamed he’d ever want the same, but sacre bleu, he fucking did. He didn’t want to argue with Eveque or tell him about the dreams he’d had almost predicting what was now happening, minus the war. He’d chalked it up to blue balls. He got them on occasion, especially around the holiday gatherings.

As for his Maggie. His fucking Maggie. All his. There had to be a testing time. And him not sticking his dick in till he was all in was a joke. He was already so far in he couldn’t find his own ass.

He needed to be ready for worst case scenario. Which would be her telling him to go fuck himself. Then he’d have to be ready to watch her without her knowing. He already knew he’d have to.

And then there was the other scenario. If she said yes.

He sat on the chair, putting his head in his hands, and rubbing his face. Holy fuck, he needed thirty days to imagine what that meant, not thirty minutes. And if she said yes, what was the plan to find out if she was the exception to the rule? Was there possibly a test for that?

He considered all the angles, trying to wrestle their situation into some training scenario. He went over the requirements, realizing they were the same as his Eveque’s woman, minus the title. She’d be his Belle Monter or Beautiful Monte. Fuck what was he thinking? She was too beautiful to be his. And yet…she fucking might be.

He stood when the need to vomit rose.

“Where’s the Spook!”

Spook jerked his head right. The fuck? He stepped out of the shack, seeing The Revelator, wondering if he was a vision after having just talked about him. “Revelator?”

The man swung around with a wide grin, quick drawing his finger like a gun the way he always did when they met. Which was rarely.

“What brings you out here?” Spook wondered, his apprehension rising as he headed to meet him.

Revelator looked at the house then back at him. “I’m told you’re watching a young lady.”

“Yeah, who told you?”

“Why The Eveque, of course.”

Spook nodded, curious now while not wanting to say too much. “And?”

The Revelator stretched his hand out toward him with a spreading smile.

Spook regarded it, knowing why he did it. “You looking for something?”

“Looking to see what I can see.”

Spook had a lot to hide but decided the Revelator might be the one he’d want knowing in case he had something useful to see about it. He put his hand in his, shaking it firmly while meeting the bright blue gaze almost level with his. The man’s head began to nod as his smile froze in place, their hands moving slowly up and down like a sideways pendulum in an alternate reality.

He finally released him and glanced over his shoulder then back at him. “You fight her demons lurking in the dark and she’ll cleave to your soul,” he assured with a nod, making the knots in his stomach burn. He again looked over his shoulder. “Can I meet her and see what I can see?”

The idea he would end up helping him rather than dooming sort of sideswiped Spook. “Yeah. Let me go…announce you first.”

“Good idea. I’ll wait on the porch swing,” he said, the cadence in his voice like a sad song. Was it because of what he’d seen? And what was that? What demons did she have he needed to fight? Just point him in the direction so he could do it.

“Maggie?” he called when he entered the house.

“In the bathroom.”

He made his way over, stopping six feet from the door. “Somebody’s here that would like to meet you.”

“Is it the Revelator man?”

He froze in surprise. “Yeah.” He waited a breath. “How’d you know?”

“Well…I did ask about him.”

Spook stepped closer to the door. “Why?”

“I heard about his gifts and wanted to meet him.”

He took another step and his gut twisted at the fucking vision before him. “You going somewhere?”

“I don’t know. If he wants to take me.”

Her ass filling those tight white jean shorts and the red tank top mostly made of strings put dangerous chemicals in his blood. But the bruises all over her from their training hardened his cock with the need to kiss every one of them. His eyes lowered to her fucking black cowboy boots.

“I’m sure he won’t mind taking you,” Spook muttered, raising his gaze to her face in the mirror. Those nearly amethyst eyes sparkled back at him, outlined in black. And her lips covered in blood red taunted him without even lifting a corner. “Why are you leaving?”

“To find my sister.” She got back to staring at herself, smashing her lips together, then touched the corners with red fingernails. “I want to be with her.”

“She’s coming here tonight.”

She eyed him in the mirror again. “Then we’ll ride back together. Would you like to come?”

The surprising offer threw him. “Not really.”

“You sure? I may need pointers when I find a man that wants to kiss me.”

Fuck, she was sill pissed. That was good. It meant she cared enough to be. “Is that what this is about? You want to be kissed?”

She turned, presenting her breasts covered with six-inch strips of red material. Like hell was he letting her leave like that. “You like it?”

He raised his gaze up to hers, letting every drop of his desire show. “I fuckinglove it.”

Her cocky attitude slipped with the unexpected lust-filled compliment. She turned back to the mirror and began throwing things in a small bag.

“You look beautiful,” he said, leaning against the door jamb.

“Like you care,” she muttered, turning and heading out the bathroom. He put his arm across the doorway, and she stopped, looking at it then up at him.

“Trainings over,” she muttered, her eyes cutting him.

“You’re playing very dirty, Maggie. Remember the rule? Eye for an eye?”

She held his gaze for many seconds until he needed to kiss her. “This is playing dirty,” she said, grabbing his cock.

Old reflexes had him snatch her wrist, right when he remembered he didn’t have to. He pushed into her touch, staring into her gaze now surprised and timid. He realized at least one thing he needed to do with her. Make her orgasm. Many fucking times. “Training’s never over. And if you’re feeling brave, I have one more exercise for you.”

He grunted at the sudden flex of her fingers on his cock, while the look on her face said she hadn’t meant to. Fuck, her talented hands were fighting to memorize what it felt.

“Come back with me,” he said, hungry to taste those red lips.

Her brows filled with distress as her fingers moved even more, drawing his moan. “Where?” she gasped.

“To our hideout. Just one more night.”

He decided to have mercy on both of them and lifted her hand slowly off. “Why?” she asked, her voice shaky.

“I have a surprise for you that I think you’ll like.”

“What is it?” she asked, her gaze on his mouth.

“I can’t tell.”

She tore her eyes from his lips and searched his gaze. “You’ll bring me back if I want to come back?”

“If you don’t love what I teach you, I promise I’ll bring you back.”

“Fine,” she said, trying not to appear like a scared lamb but failing.

“Unless you want to go with The Revelator. I won’t stop you,” he so fucking lied.

She lowered her head and headed to her room as he watched her ass. “Tell him I’ll meet him later. I need to change.”

“No, don’t change,” he called, already heading to the door.

“Are you sure? What kind of training is it?”

Spook opened the door only to find nobody there. He spotted a note on the swing and hurried to it.

She’s not ready to meet me yet. And The Eveque needs me.

His breath let go and he closed his eyes, thanking God. Why, he had no idea, other than he didn’t have to figure out how get rid of The Revelator.

Then it hit him exactly what he’d do to be sure with Maggie.

He walked back inside and realized that maybe he didn’t have to go anywhere for this part. He pulled his phone out and texted Eveque.

Can you give me private use of the Birdhouse for the next twenty-four hours?

He sent it and paced in the living room, watching his screen.

A minute later. You sure you just need twenty-four hours?

His breath gushed quietly as he texted back. If I need more, I’ll text you.

“Should I bring clothes to train in?” she asked from the bedroom.

Take all the time you need. I’ll make excuses to Beth.

Thank you. He slid the phone in his pocket and stood at the door. “Eveque said him and his woman won’t be here for another day. Said we can use the Birdhouse for whatever we need to do.”

She turned from the dresser and put her hands behind her, staring at him. “Okay.” She was being his sweet Maggie and he needed to suck her pussy for it. “What…is the last training?”

“Learning how to escape if you’re captured.”

She slowly wet her lips, unaware how fucking sexy she looked as he walked toward the bed, the halfway point between them. “What do I do?”

“First I have to capture you. Then I teach you how to escape.”

She nodded a little. “Should I change?”

“What you’re wearing is perfect.” He let himself stare at her tits then looked back up at her.

She pressed her lips together and leaned on her ankle like a nervous girl in new shoes.

“Now? We’re doing it?”

“Now is good.”

Her eyes lowered over him and stopped at his groin. Judging by the sudden part in her lips, she saw the bulge in his jeans. “Tell me what to do,” she whispered, her eye-lids fluttering as she raised them up.

“Second thought. Change out of those shorts into some more comfortable. But leave your top on. I’ll get everything I need while you do.”