9. The Eye of the Gator
Chapter nine
The Eye of the Gator
Emily
Back in Moscow, I would read books about lions to Paolo, hoping to warm him to Kaz.
I had no idea if the kids’ books helped, but I had damn sure learned a lot about lions.
First, lions were apex predators and often sat at the top of the food chain. Therefore, instances of them being scared were relatively rare.
Second, when a lion felt threatened or scared, it often resorted to a show of aggression.
Growling.
Baring its teeth.
Swiping with its huge paws.
And even charging.
Of course, one could never forget the lion’s roar, which could be heard up to five miles away.
And here we go.
I was dripping wet, and not just from the hose.
I was still fucking horny.
Somehow, I pushed through the lust and raced after Kaz.
What was in those damn strawberries?
We searched all parts of the garden.
Or more like, Max and I sprinted after Kaz as he ran around like a madman, eager to kill Delphine. His eyes were wild with rage. He bulldozed his way through shrubs and herbs, trampling over plants and crisscrossing left and right.
“She is not here!” Sweat trickled down Kaz’s face. “Maybe, she is hiding in the house.”
He stalked off.
“Eh! Wait a minute!” Max lowered and swept up dirt with his hands, trying to hide stepped-on plants like that would fix the damage to the garden. “We’re not even here for a full hour and shit is fucked up!”
“She can’t be drugging us though.” I frowned.
“Em, if she is jumping in people’s dreams, then she can do whatever the fuck she wants!”
Kaz raced off toward the house.
“Shit! Give me a gun.” I held out my hand.
Max hit me with a skeptical look. “For what?”
“Hurry.” I snapped my fingers. “Kaz is several feet ahead of us.”
Max pulled out one of his guns. “I’ll give you the gun if you shoot him in the leg.”
“Word.”
“Liar.” Max sucked his teeth and gave it to me.
“Damn right I’m lying!” I rushed off and gripped the gun hard. “I can’t shoot my baby.”
Adrenaline pumped in my veins.
I could not let him get too far from me. “Kaz!! Hold up!”
My heart boomed in my ears.
Max raced on my side. “This motherfucker is full speed when he is mad.”
Somehow we got up to him, before we all rounded the house.
Our people greeted my eyes first. Confused expressions covered their faces as they watched us looking like a frenzied mess—Kaz and I half-wet, Max completely terrified with dirt all over his hands and jacket.
At least, Harlem Crew and the Brotherhood were all out of the SUVs with their guns out.
Will we have to shoot our way out of here? Shit!
I quickly scanned the space. “Where are the kids?!”
“I don’t see Baba and them.” Max grabbed Kaz’s arm. “Yo, you need to calm the fuck down. Okay?”
Kaz shoved him away. “I just want to talk to her.”
“Listen, man.” Max got back in front of him, stumbling a little. “You are about to put everyone in a whole shit load of a mess. Think!”
“He is right, baby.” I took his arm with my free hand.
Kaz growled and slowed down but did not stop his pace. “I do not appreciate being fucked with, mysh .”
“Yes. Yes. I get it, baby.” I tried to tug him back.
It didn’t work. He basically pulled us both forward.
A minute later, we were in the front of the house to only see Delphine, peacefully rocking back and forth in an old wicker chair. She had a yellow pipe in her mouth. Streams of smoke rose from it.
All of her men lounged on the porch. Some played cards. Others held their machetes and/or guns and glared our way.
Max called out to Tisha, “Eh, help me keep him back!”
Tisha rushed over. “Keep who back?”
“The fucking Lion.” Max got in front of Kaz. “Eh, man. This isn’t Brotherhood shit. This is something else.”
Kaz shoved him away. “We will see about that.”
I hit Kaz’s arm. “Baby, just chill the fuck out for one minute.”
Kaz roared Delphine’s way. “You think that was okay?!”
Tisha jumped in front of Kaz. “What is going on?”
Out of nowhere, Lemon made it to my side with her guns out. “Who do I shoot?”
“No one yet, but watch the guys on the porch.” I helped Max and Tisha with keeping Kaz back, but it was a fucking struggle. They grunted under his weight.
“Delphine!” Kaz battled against Tisha and Max, dragging them a foot forward. “Let me explain something to you!”
Jesus Christ!
Trembling, I yelled in the other direction. “Get over here, Harlem Crew!”
They rushed forward forming an odd circle around us.
Finally, we were able to keep Kaz several feet away from the porch. Stubborn as hell, he continued to push men out of the way.
Maybe, they will tire his ass out.
Meanwhile, Delphine puffed on her pipe, completely unfazed by the commotion.
I stepped to the side and caught my breath.
Lemon remained next to me.
I wiped sweat off my forehead. “Where are the kids?”
“As soon as you all went off to the garden, Baba took them and several men to the hotel.”
She knew what was going to happen. Thanks a lot, Baba.
Kaz struggled against Tisha, Max, and at least six of Harlem Crew. His angry gaze was fixed on Delphine. “You think you can just mess with my mouse and me like that?”
Delphine took a long drag from her pipe and blew out a thick cloud of smoke. “That was a harmless lesson, Kazimir. Nothing more.”
I scowled at her. “What lesson?”
“When you are down here in the bayou and someone offers you something out of their garden, do not eat it.”
Several men on the porch nodded in agreement.
Another one muttered, “That’s right. And don’t eat out of their house either. Unless you know them well.”
“Sure enough, Billy. Listen to us. You just might get something that you don’t want.” Delphine gestured with the pipe. “Kazimir, you will be out here messing with bad people, you need to be on guard. Just cause the strawberry is small and looks ripe, don’t mean it won’t show you something.”
“Let me show you something!” Kaz snarled and lunged forward, pulling Tisha and Max with him.
More men hurried over.
“Calm down, baby.” I lowered my gun to my side. “Delphine, we don’t need lessons. We need answers to questions.”
“And what answers are those, Emily?”
“When is this healing going to begin?”
“Today. Soon as your lion gets himself together.” Delphine raised her free hand.
All the men on the porch turned her way and left one by one, gathering up cards and weapons, and then leaving the porch.
The scene appeared less dangerous, although we knew Delphine was nothing to fuck with.
I swallowed and turned to Kaz.
Thankfully, he calmed a little and stopped straining against our men. Still, anger decorated his face.
Delphine tapped the end of her pipe and then brought it to her mouth. “What else do you want to know, Emily?”
My heart raced. “What are you going to do to heal me?”
She blew out smoke. “Now that’s a long answer.”
Kaz roared at his men, “Let me go. I am fine now.”
“Naw, Tisha.” Max remained holding Kaz. “We’ll wait a little.”
I looked back at Delphine. “We have time for the long answer. Please, tell me.”
She rubbed her chin with her free hand. “Your healing will not just require physical remedies. You must shift your spiritual energy, and then you will have to. . .”
I waited on the edge. “Yes?”
To my shock, Delphine’s face twisted in horror. “Well. . .you will have to face her .”
I tensed. “Lunita?”
Delphine didn’t look happy about that at all.
I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing.
“Emily.” Delphine’s gaze softened. “This is your mission. It’s time to face and integrate your other self, your alternate personality, Lunita.”
The mention of Lunita sent a chill down my spine.
“She has been locked away for so long and gets out every now and then, but. . .it is time to confront this embodiment of rage and fear.”
I gulped down a whole ton of dread. “O-okay.”
To my shock, somehow, Kaz got to my side. I had no idea when everyone let him go. Still, Tisha and Max stood next to him, appearing ready to hold him back.
Instead of roaring or charging for the porch, Kaz grabbed my hand and tightened his grip. “We do not have to do this, mysh .”
“I want to.” I looked at him. “I have to.”
“Even after the berries and Paolo’s dreams?”
“If anything, that tells me that she really can fix me.”
“You aren’t broken.”
“Tell that to the people that have needed to be buried due to dying by Lunita’s hand.” I gritted my teeth and turned back to Delphine. “I’m ready to start today.”
“You must remember, Emily. These battles will be intense, a psychological war,” Delphine warned. “Sometimes. . .you will be navigating a dreamlike landscape inside your mind, and I will not always be able to come with you.”
Her words filled me with a deep sense of dread, but also a strange resolve. I had to do this, not just for myself, but for Kazimir, Max, Emilio, and Paolo.
With Lunita gone, they would be safe.
Kaz tightened my grip. “If you must do this, then I will be with you, mysh .”
My heart ached. “Thank you, baby.”
Delphine took a puff off her pipe and blew out more smoke. “Unfortunatly Kazimir, you will not be next to her this evening.”
Kaz’s grip on my hand tightened. “What do you mean? I will not leave her side—”
“Emily will need a certain ingredient that only her lover can get. That is the way the healing spell goes. Plus, she will need the first ingredient in her hand before the sun comes up in the sky tomorrow morning.” Delphine gave him a sad smile. “And this item cannot be bought from your usual markets.”
Kaz appeared uncomfortable. “What if I ordered someone else to do it, would it still—”
“ You must do it, Kazimir. No one else. It must be a man that loves her with all of his heart. I believe that is you.”
He scowled at her. “You think I would trust you to watch over my mouse?”
“Maxwell will be here as well as the rest of her people. I have plenty of room. It is just one night, Kazimir.” Delphine pointed at him with the pipe. “But, you must understand that the person that has this item has a deep distrust for outsiders, especially someone with your reputation.”
Her words hung heavy in the air, emphasizing the daunting path he would have to embark on.
Kaz put his view on me. “ Mysh , what do you want?”
I turned to him. “I’m going to be okay. I’m more worried about you, baby.”
“I am not scared of a bunch of swamp gangsters. I am worried about my fiancé. I want to make sure that I do not have to raise my sons on my own.”
“I will be fine.”
Max got closer to me. “Yo, I don’t want to stay here. I think I should go off and get this thing.”
I sucked my teeth. “Are you serious? I’m trying to heal my mind, thus healing us .”
“Can’t we just heal from the hotel?” Max held out his hands. “This place will be bugged out at night. It’s already scary during the day.”
Tisha looked at Kaz. “I will help you get whatever item you need and then have you back early. Trust me, cousin. Together, it will be easy.”
Kaz blew out a long breath, looked up at Delphine, and spoke through clenched teeth, “What do I have to get?”
“The Eye of the Gator.” Delphine took a puff from her pipe.
Kaz frowned. “Any alligator?”
She shook her head. “You need to get the Eye of the Gator. It is in the possession of a man named Thibaut Leclair. Most call him the Alligator Don.”
Kaz loudly groaned.
Tisha held out his hands. “Who is this?”
She scowled at him. “Thibaut grew up in the swamps. He knows the bayou better than anyone. Because of that, he was always able to excellently navigate the waters for smuggling goods and also outrun the authorities.”
Sighing, Kaz looked back at me. “Are you sure you will be okay, msyh ?”
“Yes, baby.”
Delphine continued, “Today, he rules the bayous.”
Tisha shrugged. “Alright. We get this eye from the Don. Sounds simple.”
“However. . .” Delphine raised one finger. “No one crosses the Alligator Don’s path and comes out unscathed.”
“We will see about that.” Kaz narrowed his eyes at her. “And this Eye of the Gator? Tell me more. How will I know I have it?”
Delphine paused, probably taking a moment to choose her words carefully. “It’s not a symbolic relic, Kazimir. It’s a literal eye of a white alligator, specifically an ancient creature from the Louisiana bayous. The Eye has been carefully preserved for centuries in this jar, and the Don keeps it next to his throne. There is no other eye in a jar near him, so that part will be easy.”
Tisha chuckled. “The Don has a throne?”
“And several alligators around it.” Delphine shook her head. “Be polite when you talk to him because he will not want to give you the eye.”
“He will give it to me, or he will die.” Kazimir glared. “But, why do we need this eye?”
Sighing, Delphine directed her gaze towards me. “The alligator embodies a delicate balance between the physical and spiritual worlds. This specific eye will easily get you into the world inside of your head.”
“Yo, this is getting a bit paranormally crazy to me.” Max shook his head. “I’m more comfortable with regular day-to-day shooting people stuff. Are we really going to do this shit?”
I shook my head. “You’re not tired of cleaning up Lunita and washing blood out of my hair?”
Max still didn’t look pleased, but he didn’t push further.
We must do it. That’s that. There is nothing else to say.
As daunting as the task ahead seemed, the promise of a potential cure—a chance for me to integrate my divided self—gave me the courage to do whatever it took.
Kazimir’s jaw set, the muscles in his neck tensing. “I get this eye and then I return to be at my mouse’s side?”
“That is correct.” Delphine puffed on the pipe.
I shivered.
Kaz snapped his view to me. “What do you want, mysh ?”
“To heal so that Lunita doesn’t cause any more problems between us. I want to keep you and our kids safe.” I swallowed. “But most of all, I want to lay next to you in bed at night, and not worry that I will wake up the next morning to the news that I’ve killed someone that I love.”
Kaz put his view on Lemon and then Max. “Make sure there are more men watching my sons. Also, get Boris here for added protection for my mouse, and call for more of Harlem Crew. Do not let Emily out of your sight. Delphine is not to be trusted. And I believe at this point, I do not have to explain to you what will happen if Emily is harmed.”
“Man, I’ve had Em’s back all our lives. Relax.” Max gazed at the house. “I just don’t want to have a fucking mental breakdown in this motherfucker.”
Delphine spoke from the porch, “Grandnephew, you too will need healing and must be next to Emily during this evening’s process.”
“And this is what I’m saying.” Max shook his head. “Shit is going to be fucking weird.”
“It’ll be good for us, Max.” My bottom lip quivered. I looked back at Kaz. “Now I have orders for you.”
“What is that, mysh ?”
“You are the Lion. That means that you do not have to fight with a man named the Alligator Don. Your anger is expensive so spend it wisely. Also, take your sister with you and more men, but try not to kill everyone and make new enemies while we are here. Most of all. . .stay safe.”
“I will do my best.”
I gathered up as much courage as I could. “What do you think, baby? Can we do this?”
Kaz lifted my hand and kissed it. Determination filled his eyes. “We can do anything we want, mysh .”
I gave him a weak smile. “You’re right.”
He kissed my hand again. “Do not worry, mysh . I’ll be back very soon.”
My heart swelled. “I know you will.”