Bayou Bishops Box Set: Books 1-12

CHAPTER 5

What the hell! Felix discreetly wiped her tears. Why should she care what the hell he thought? “I don’t want to go to a stupid ball or marry a stupid man,” she muttered. “But you’ll have to drag me away from this place. I’m not leaving. Do what you want.”

“Good, don’t go to the ball. And you’re right, you don’t need a man.”

As the painful seconds dragged, it dawned on her what he was really doing. Being just like her Pah-Pah, keeping her single because she needed protecting from the bad men. That’s why he didn’t want her going to the ball! It was the same reason he wanted her to leave and move closer to town. This had nothing to do with marriage or him wanting her, this had to do with protecting his child-brat Hatchling. He’d said clearly that’s what his stupid job was all along. And he didn’t want to tell her what kind of woman he liked because she was nothing of the sort and he probably wanted to protect her from that embarrassment too.

She lay there, glaring into the darkness as her anger built. She should’ve never told him all that sex stuff. He dug for all of it not for the ball but for building his case to justify bossing her around because he thought he knew so much better than her. Well, he might be a lot older but that didn’t give him the right to dictate when she dated or who she dated. Her mouth dropped open at realizing he’d talked to her parents. Her Pah-Pah! Who still carried on like she was a child. And what was Nitro there for? To get her to do what her Pah-Pah had adamantly tried and failed. Had her Pah-Pah offered him something for this hit job? Not that he’d need anything but a reason to boss people around and play Hatch macho honcho.

“Second thought, I will go to the ball,” she said, firming up her voice while keeping it casual. “And I will surely make sure Hurricane sees me and knows my attraction for him.”

He didn’t say a word, but he didn’t need to. She could practically feel all his plans crashing down at his feet, putting him right back at square one. He’d better get used to it. She would not be bossed around by anybody, even their Hatch leader. Who was in her bed.

Heat burned her face at what he’d said about her thin gown. She’d wanted him to see but now that she knew his intentions, she felt like a cheap, childish, stupid floosy. He probably thought her boobs were kiddie sized. She didn’t have big ones, but she had some. She was sure there was a man who would more than appreciate them.

More heat flooded her at all the private things she’d told him. The sex, the non-orgasm the non-pleasure. How horribly humiliating!

Plans soon formed in her mind. She’d play her own game while making him think he was winning his own—up to a point. To the point that mattered to him. He wanted her to leave her sanctuary, well, he’d get what he wanted. With conditions.

****

Nitro slipped out of bed before the sun came up, careful not to disturb Felix. Still couldn’t believe he’d slept with the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen without touching her. He deserved a medal for the wounds he’d endured in that battle. He put his mind on outstanding business. He’d touch base with his Hatch and Eveque, let him know how well this wasn’t going. He still wasn’t at calling the Belle Eveque but if he didn’t make headway today, he would.

As he headed downstairs, the storm of flapping and chirps grew louder with every step. Bon Dieu, how did she stand it? Could you really get immune to that?

In the kitchen, he looked around and found an old drip pot for coffee then filled a kettle with water. He located coffee in one of the canisters and put it on while mentally going over his must do’s. He must get more information on Felix, something he could use to help move this rescue mission along faster. Especially after how the night ended with her vowing to make everything and his dick hard. The more he imagined her going to that ball, the more he didn’t like it. He’d intended to take every day of the six months to find a woman and date her. And his sweet Felix was at the top of his list for that. After his Gracie disappointment, he wasn’t hurrying anything. He had gotten that one kiss, though. Eveque had hinted that he should show enough interest to get Ruckus into gear and boy did that ever do it. Maybe he did take it a little too far but that fuck got under his skin knowing where he came from and what his kind did.

Pouring a cup of coffee, he headed out to find a quiet place to call Eveque. Turned out anywhere outside was quieter than that house. He inspected the place as he went, admiring how developed everything was, even though a lot was run down and in disrepair. Early morning fog hung in the air as he made notes of what was needed that she’d likely be too proud to ask for. Or stupid enough to try and get on her own. Not only was she too beautiful to be alone, she was too tiny. He recalled her army of devil birds and that falcon of hers. He was glad she had some kind of protection but that was hardly enough. She needed weapons. A fleet of men that wouldn’t likely do a bit of good while tripping over their dicks around her.

He took a sip of the coffee and fumbled his phone out, pressing Eveque’s number while contemplating which male at his hatch he’d trust to watch over her. Problem was, one wasn’t enough. Ten maybe. Fuck, it was all unreasonable while needing them ready for war.

Eveque’s voice mail came on. “Hey, just calling to give you an update. She’s dragging big time and I can’t for the life of me think of how to get her away from here. And having ten men guarding isn’t really feasible but that’s the only thing I’d be half-way okay with. Anyway. I didn’t call the Belle Eveque yet. Will today if I don’t succeed without carrying her ass out. Call me if you have updates I need to know. Or text them,” he said, remembering Eveque’s lack of la-passion for the necessary evil devices. “Should be done with this soon and giving you what I’ve come up with for our Shreveport job.”

He slid his phone in his back pocket and walked behind the house, finding the pond enshrouded in beauty. Wow. They’d turned it into a paradise. His gaze scanned the perimeter, seeing what there was to see. Fences looked intact. Wouldn’t hold the wrong kind of danger out, though.

He considered the ball option again going over the eligible choices she had only to arrive at the same conclusion faster. She wasn’t ready for marriage yet. She had a twenty-year-old body and a thirty-year-old mind, but ever since he’d met her fourteen-year-old maturity where men were concerned, he now had that to guard more than anything. Not surprising being an only child. He headed back toward the house, wondering if there was an age limit for entering this love circus. Or a maturity test. Anything but him telling her she wasn’t ready and to give it five years while she looked at him with those big blue eyes full of humiliation and pain.

Nitro paused on the small pathway, forcing himself to face the other option. Him and her. With every encounter, the idea became more tempting and logical. He’d be the only one he knew that would give her time to be who she wanted to be. Hell, once this was all over, he could marry her and she could have her homestead. He could remain at his Hatch and she could live however the fuck her sweet heart desired. But there was no denying he wanted to do more than watch over her. And he’d told her father that he’d do what it took to make sure no man fucked with her or took advantage but if Nitro had her in that way, that’s what it would be. Him taking advantage of her situation. But these fucking dead ends and the surprise of her and all the other shit colliding—he didn’t see other options. Yet.

The marriage option was a one-time deal. He really needed time he didn’t have to decide something like that. Meanwhile, everything about her was get it done yesterday. She was out to secure her homestead and he understood and respected that. This was her entire life. And all he wanted to do was protect it.

And if he stayed there to protect her, he’d have to always be there. And that wasn’t possible. Where was the magical solution in the middle? He was ready to strap a bomb to it all and blow it up.

He pulled out his phone and hit Belle Eveque’s number then put it to his ear.

“Nitro,” she answered, sounding happy to hear from him. Eveque probably told her to expect a call and by the way she released her breath, sounded like she’d been holding it.

“Belle Eveque,” he greeted before stumbling over awkward pleasantries on the way to his point for calling. “I have an issue with Felix.”

“Oh, right, Bishop told me a little. Such a cute name, Felix. Anyway, what’s the problem and I’ll see what my female radar comes up with.”

“Well…she’s got this entire bird sanctuary here, but it’s located in a vulnerable spot. She can’t stay with what is at our door, but she can’t leave because somebody has to take care of her birds which are more like babies to her. She’s stubborn, Belle Eveque. She has all the wrong things to prove at a very bad time.”

“Awww, she sounds precious,” she said. “How old is she again? I have all the names and ages of the women but not in front of me.”

“Pretty sure she’s twenty.”

“I think that’s what I remember too. And does she have any boyfriends?”

“No, not at this time.”

“And what about the ball, can we maybe sway her with that? I could find reasons we need her on this side of the swamps and you can put some warriors on those front lines? Ones that…know a little about birds or can learn fast-fast as Sahvrin says,” she laughed quietly, like maybe Eveque was sleeping in. The idea was unlikely but maybe Belle Eveque worked a miracle.

“That was my next angle. Talking her into…” He hardened his jaw and muttered a “Fuck.”

“What’s wrong?”

He slid a hand over his head. “I think…she likes me. And I know she likes Hurricane. Has since she was a young girl and didn’t hide it.”

“Ohhhhh,” she said quietly, like things just got possibly interesting, possibly complicated. “How does she feel about you?”

“She thought she wasn’t allowed to like the leader of her own Hatch so apparently she did but kept it to herself.”

“She told you this?”

“Yes.”

“Yesterday?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

“Well… That was quite a confession?”

“I slept here last night,” he decided to say.

She gave an even lower “Ohhhh.”

“I didn’t touch her or do anything, I was just…calling her bluff. She’s a real ball buster but she’s only twenty and has zero experience with men where it counts.”

“What are you saying? Do you like her?”

Yeah that. He sucked in a huge breath. “I do. She wants to use this ball to buy herself time with her parents who would think she’s going to marry. At first I thought that wasn’t such a bad idea. But having her enter that scene means others having a chance and she’s not ready, I know that.”

“And you like her, so that could be a competition disaster.”

“And that.”

“So…how much do you like her?”

He turned in literal half circles with that one. “I kind of just met her,” he said. “The woman version of her.”

“Right. Sounds like you need time.”

“She especially does. But with this war, time is what I don’t have it. We have six months to court but I’m not sure how I’ m supposed to do that when I need to move her out of here and she’s not leaving me many options for being nice about it.”

“Right, right. Definitely not good ingredients for dating.”

He was relieved at how she picked it all up.

“So, let’s recap. You like her. You may want to marry her even, but you need time to get to know her. Which requires dating and…”

He stopped pacing at her sudden breath intake. “What?”

“I think I have it. What if…you stay there and while you’re at it—get to know her?”

“I thought of that. And I would, but I can’t be here all the time.”

“Dammit, you’re right. Let’s look at another angle,” she said, when he’d expected her to dead end it. “What about these birds? They’re very important to her so may be our key.”

“Well, for one, most of them seem to live in her house. Even if she entered the competition and landed a husband, they’d have to live there.”

She gave a hiss. “That bad?”

“It’s outrageous. She tells me I can have her Mah-Mah and Pah-Pah’s old room to sleep in, it’s all cleaned out. I thought I’d just sleep on the couch but that was impossible with the bird racket, so I go find their room and do you know what I found?”

“What?” she wondered, sounding on the verge of laughter.

“Bats! All over the ceiling. Covered!”

“Oh my God!” she gasped. “I hate bats!”

“That makes two of us. So, I go find her in her attic room and guess what I find next? Zerobirds in there. She sleeps there for peace. No shit! Sticks me on the front lines of bird hell while she sleeps peacefully. She got real cute about all of it and offered me to sleep in her room which was just another one of her ball-busting moves, so I called her bluff and did exactly that.”

Her dramatic response would’ve been comical if it wasn’t very fitting. “And nothing happened.”

“Other than me miraculously surviving with my chivalry intact, no. And it could have. Easily. She’s as beautiful as she is na?ve about it. As far as she knows, she thinks I like blonds with long legs and big… you know what.”

She snickered. “I do. Oh dear, what a mess. So, she lives with the birds. How fascinating.”

“She said they protect her. And I know for a fact, Falcore does, her pet falcon. Last I saw him he was attacking me and when I got there, he did the same, only now he’s nearly eighteen inches tall.”

“So Falcore is like a defense bird? I’ve never heard of that.”

“She said she trained them for that among other things. The bats too.”

“How do you think she means they protect her?” she wondered, her tone hinting at ideas.

“I have no idea.”

“See if you can find that out,” she urged.

“Why? What are you thinking?”

“I don’t know. Something’s niggling in my head. Maybe you can use these bats for something in this war. As in you could need them.”

He wasn’t following. “Even if I needed them, how does that help with the other problem?”

“Well, it opens up options. I believe I read something about in times of war, the entire community agrees to contribute in whatever way that may help protect the Hatch. Which means those nasty bats may be the hero of this problem.”

He looked around, rubbing his hand on his head. “I’m not seeing how.”

“Well, first thing I think is them being nocturnal. They hunt at night. Which means they can see at night. Imagine what 8-Bit could do with something like that.”

He paused, remembering his drone cameras. “Shit,” he whispered. “His cameras are small enough to put on a bird that size.”

She gasped. “There you have it! A fleet of frickn bat drones.”

“Assuming that’s even possible, how does that move her out of harm’s way?”

“Well…maybe her birds need to go to Nitro bootcamp for war training. I’m assuming she’d want to go with them.”

All his breath wooshed out at that. “That’s…fucking genius. Excuse my language,” he hurried, getting a giggle.

“I’m used to it.”

He was sure she was with Eveque.

She added, “So, all that’s left is laying the groundwork to make that happen. Find out about the bats, what all can they do, make connections from there. You know what I’m saying.”

“I do. Too bad she’s planning to run to Hurricane just to spite me.”

“Why is she running to Hurricane?”

“I offended her. And I’m learning when that happens, you may as well be shoving her into a corner which triggers her dirty fighting skills.

“How did you offend her?”

“Let me count the ways,” he said dryly.

“Then you’ll need to fix that first before you mention the other or she may suspect you’re up to something.”

“I’m up to protecting her,” he half growled. “And somehow it’s turned into this weird…tug of war.”

“Hmm, yes.”

Hearing her light tone, he wondered, “Is this normal? Because if it is, I’d like to know. Just tell me it’ll pass, and I’ll believe it.”

“It’ll pass. Now, go fix things with her and wait for your opportunity. Then call me and tell me how it went,” she added in a low whisper. “We’re taking that Hatch tour today, but I’ll have my phone.”

Fuck. “Thank you,” he remembered to say before hanging up. “Tell Eveque I’ll call him later.”

“You’re very welcome, and I will.”

She hung up before he could make it weird with his pathetic phone skills.

“There you are.”

Nitro turned to find Felix headed his way all dressed up. “Morning.”

“I was going to the grocery store in the Enclave, did you need anything?”

All his thoughts collided with each other as he took in her outfit. “Uh. I was going too. You need a ride?”

“Not on that loud beast,” she said. “But if you need a ride, you can hitch one with me.”

He nodded, regarding her dress. “Is it church today?” He wasn’t sure but was damn positive the cream crotchet outfit was short enough he could reach under it and discover what else she wore. Fuck, her skin was perfection. He wanted to feel it with his tongue.

“No,” she said, offering nothing more than a smile which made her distractingly beautiful.

“Okay. I uh…was out here checking on things and wanted to see if you needed anything repaired while I was here.” His offer seemed to surprise her, and he hurried with, “I was hoping to get a tour. I see so many new interesting things I have questions about.”

Her instant interest was the jackpot. “Like what?” she asked.

“It can wait. You’re a little dressed up to be giving me a tour anyway.”

She wagged her hand. “As if I care about that. Come on, let’s take a walk and I’ll answer questions. I saw you made coffee. Maybe I’ll grab some before I go.”

“Yeah, sure.” He ditched his need to know everything she was doing that second. “If you lift my cooking ban from the kitchen, I’ll cook. And if you show me what the birds need, I can help with that. The stuff a bird dummy can do at least,” he added, showing he knew it wasn’t a job for just anybody.

More surprise. Pleased surprise if he was being carefully optimistic. “Maybe later I can show you my routine?”

He let himself look at her face. She’d put on makeup but almost undetectable. Just enough to make you wonder if she was an angel impersonating a human. “I’d like that,” he said.

Her facial expressions were like answer keys and they were telling him she was considering changing whatever diabolical plans she’d had for the day.

“I wanted to confess,” he said, going for the homerun as he looked around. “I lied when I said you’re cute and not beautiful.”

He chanced a look at her and found her completely thrown with that. She stood there flustered, looking like the sweet virgin he’d fantasized about all night. “Thank you,” she said.

His cock ached with her soft, delicate answer. The woman hidden inside her was fucking intoxicating to his testosterone. He imagined what it would be like to show her pleasure, what she’d look like in it. How she’d sound in that orgasm she never had. Fuck, yes.

“You’re staring a long time,” she barely said, only barely recovered from what his compliment had done.

“I am,” he said, unable to think of anything to add to that.

“I think I should probably eat something before leaving.” She glanced around, embracing her arms.

“Let me cook,” he hurried. “To make up for being a dick.” He didn’t regret using the term while staring at her and she gave him the sweetest fucking smile that melted everything made of steel in him. “And whatever you needed to do in town will probably be there tomorrow.”

She gave a flustered huff, putting hair behind her ear while blushing. “Well…technically you’re right,” she admitted, looking all around then pointing. “See that dock?”

He glanced behind him. “The one floating in the pond?”

“Yep,” she said, smiling and casting him a glance. “I built that.”

“You?” he wondered, looking back at the small platform.

“I did. Pah-Pah said I couldn’t and obviously he was wrong.”

“Obviously,” he muttered, glancing at her and grinning. “You’re very proud of it.”

“I am,” she nodded. “It’s a swimming platform. And fishing. I do both on it every summer.”

Felix in a bathing suit. Damn what a vision. One piece? Bikini? His brain put her in a two-piece. Black. “Maybe you can show me how to use it later,” he said, getting her laugh.

“It’s a floating dock, not a complex machine.”

“Maybe a demonstration.”

She was back to blushing. He needed to put the brakes on before he went too far. He hadn’t expected groveling to be so fun and come with so many rewards. “Are you asking me on a swimming date?” she wondered, aiming her grinning scrunched face at him.

Fuck, how far was he going? “I mean…” He regarded the floating platform. “Pretty sure it has my name on it. My phone number. Calling me.”

He grinned at her big laugh and how it brought his own without effort. “It’s a deal. Maybe after lunch. Oh, come and see what I built for my owls!”

He followed her, his entire body relaxing at avoiding the near disaster. If she had gone into town dressed like that, he’d have been hard pressed to play nice. Now that he’d cleaned his mess from the night before, it was time to cozy up to those miserable birds then wait for the magical opportunity to present itself.