29. Chapter 27
Chapter 27
Evie
I t’s the first week in February, one week from Alec and M.J.’s wedding, and a little over a month until ours.
We have been stalking my brother and his family for weeks, proving that they are actually normal, and seem to be working very hard to figure out who, and where I am.
Christian has put the word out to everyone who matters, asking about his long-lost sister. I’ve watched him constantly, learning about him and his family. Not just the one that he grew up in, but the one that he created for himself.
The family that he created is loyal to a fault. I watched his best friend and brother drive him and his wife to the hospital, where I got to see my little nephew and his mother put on a gurney, and quickly wheeled into the emergency room.
She looked dead. I have watched many people die over the years, and the way her arm fell off the side of the gurney as they wheeled her into the E.R reminded me of every movie that someone of importance dies in on the way into the operating room.
Brix told me about when he met Christian the first time, and how Savannah didn’t look much different then either. She is one tough bitch. He said he knew then that my brother was a good guy.
I realized in that moment that I wanted to know them more than anything in this world. The fact that I even have a sibling that grew up in that world, yet didn’t, makes me feel a little bit better.
Watching the way my brother would protect his family at all costs. The way he gives his wife, and the other women hurt by my parents’ evil deeds, the closure and retribution they so rightly deserve.
I can’t wait to meet them and show them that I really do exist. The problem is, my visions haven’t changed, other than the dress. Now, when I die, I’m wearing my favorite color, which helps Brixon see my eyes stay vibrant a little longer before they cloud over and become lifeless.
The thought brings me peace as Lily drives us to Shelbys bridal shop to pick out my wedding dress. We also have to get the bridesmaids dresses and our dresses to go with the Cinderella themed ball. The Devereaux’s are throwing Alec and MJ’s reception as a ball for the ages.
I love how the Saints put a theme with every wedding to try and top the last. Apparently, they are extravagant. Darius gave me his credit card and told me to have a blast and make everything exactly how I want it to be, as a gift from him.
“You know, I love that you are marrying the man of your dreams, but there’s still time to bolt. We can take a nice long vacation and wait it out to see if the curse truly breaks. Hell, we can bolt after the wedding if you are dead set on it.” Lily looks back at me in the rearview mirror while Emily chuckles next to her. “No? Hey, I wouldn’t be a good bridesmaid if I didn’t at least let you know the option stands.” Lily winks at me.
“I do have a shit ton of frequent flyer miles. We could go anywhere, and I could probably pay for most of it with my miles.” Emily joins in, teasing me. I think?
The thing is, I would say the same thing to them if I thought it could save their life. I’ve just accepted my fate, one of us has to die.
If our plans don’t work, it will be me. I will not sacrifice another to save myself. I love them for wanting to help, but if all goes well with the plans we have, everything will work itself out with little repercussions.
“Girls, we have a plan. No one is going to die. I mean people will die, but we are all going to fucking live happily ever after. Do I make myself clear!” I try to use a stern voice to let them know this is the last time I’m going to listen to their nonsense.
“Chill bitch. Put the claws away, we just want to protect you. You can’t fault us for that.” Emily shoots me a look with her eyebrows raised and her hands up.
“I know, I’m sorry. I just need you guys to ease up okay. I am not just preparing for a wedding, but a family reunion, with a brother I had no idea I had. Thankfully he seems normal. I mean, as normal as a Saint can be.” I shrug, letting out a breath, finally letting my emotions out on my friends.
“Geeze girl, I’m sorry! We won’t say anything else about it. Promise! Just cheer back up.” Emily can feel the vibes I’m throwing at her and gets it.
Lily parks her red Ford Bronco in front of one of my oldest friends bridal boutique, turns the car off, and undoes her seatbelt. She turns in her seat to look back at me, “I’m sorry I have been pushing my beliefs onto you. Noah has been pushing for us to spend more time together than we already do and it’s getting to be a lot. I’m sorry I’m projecting how I’m feeling onto you. I also want to protect you, and the offer will stand, but I won’t mention it again.”
“Thank you. Now, be nice to Shelby, she has been through a lot and just finally opened her shop back up. Let’s show her she has friends in us, okay?” I smile, making sure they remember what we learned about her recently. Her shop was closed down indefinitely before she had a grand reopening two weeks ago.
I refused to go to any other shop. Especially when I noticed that Shelby had become the new fiancé to one of my brothers lead men. Their engagement photos were in the paper two days after her grand re-opening. I recognized him as the man from my vision carrying her out of Jeffs apartment, the day we handled Jeff and Brook.
I got to see my brother and his family toast with a woman, who used to be someone I was close with before my mom died. I watched them through the big window, looking directly into her shop, and was honestly jealous at the life I was missing out on.
Shelby went to Tulane as well. We lived in the same dorm our freshman year, and we became friends quickly, realizing how close we lived to one another. We ultimately went in different directions when she got engaged the first time and my mom became bedridden.
I found out about the men that she had been engaged to, and I’m fairly certain she had something to do with their untimely deaths, which makes me like her even more now.
It’s crazy the amount of information you can get on people when your fiancé and best friends are the head of the biggest crime organization in north America.
I let Emily open the door to the shop. We all enter, and I can’t help but smirk at the chiming of the multiple bells above the door. A known witch’s talisman to ward off evil from entering her space. I have them on the front door to my shop as well. Probably should put them on the back door to now that I think about it.
I hired a sweet new graduate from Tulane, Avery, who has been working overtime and loves creating new things. My old professor said she shows a lot of promise but needs guidance. She is a young witch who was never taught but knows who she is.
I have discovered that teaching is something I’m really good at, and surprisingly, something that I really enjoy doing. Avery has picked her studies up so quickly that I have been able to spend more time with Brixon.
Stalking my brother and his family has become our obsession.
“Hi, Genevieve, it’s so nice to see you again. I was so excited when I saw your name down for this appointment.” The bubbly red head that I remember looks so much more vibrant every time I see her.
She hugs me and greets the girls, gushing a little when she realizes who Lily is.
“Oh my God, you’re Lily James! I know this is inappropriate and probably bad for business, but my friend is getting ready to open a new bookstore in the quarter and she loves your books. My entire friend group has read all of your books and, well, if I gave you her card, I know she would love to have you for a signing.” Shelby speaks a mile a minute, barely taking a breath, before Lily puts her out of her misery.
She looks at me, smiles, and turns back to Shelby, “Of course, that would be amazing. I don’t really do a lot of signings or event things; it might be fun though.” She agrees without having to hear another word, knowing whose bookstore Shelby is referring to.
I know I should feel bad, spying on people, and weaving a web in my favor for when the time comes, but I don’t. Shelby has the blood of the witch, same as my sister-in-law, and Cami. They have access to the covens where I don’t.
Once we make it to the wedding and we finally get everyone on the same page, it will make a difference, and we can quit with all the stalking bullshit. Mama said that Rosie will help us. I have to believe that all of us coming together will change things. It has to!
The more Saints and witches we have on the right side of things, the better off we will all be.
“Savvy is going to absolutely die when I tell her I got the pleasure to style you today. I have you all down for a few fittings. Your wedding dress of course, your bridesmaids’ dresses, all three of your reception/ball gowns, and you all need dresses for another wedding. Which one? I can match you to the color scheme if it’s one of my clients, or I know of it.”
“Savvy? That’s an interesting name.” Lily replies.
“Yes, Savannah Devereaux, I have dressed her for every special occasion she has had, along with her extended family. If you need a wedding coordinator our friend Mia is the absolute best. She will be doing my wedding in September.” Shelby gushes about her friends and I find it absolutely precious. They love each other.
“I actually have a meeting with her tomorrow afternoon. What a coincidence.” I act as though I’m pleasantly surprised.
“Oh, the wedding we are attending is for Alec Landry and MJ Devereaux, they wouldn’t happen to be related to Savannah Devereaux, would they?” Emily pipes in.
I smile at the fact that this couldn’t be going better if we had rehearsed the whole thing.
“Yes, crazy story, but M.J is actually both Christian and Savannah Devereaux’s niece that they recently took in. She is a lovely girl who deserves the most beautiful wedding and ball in her and Alecs honor. He seems to be a really good guy. I assume you will be sitting on the groom’s side?” She asks sweetly, not giving away too much information, but just enough to confirm everything we already know.
“Yes, Alec, and my soon to be husband go way back. I believe he was a year or so younger than me, and I have to admit, I don’t remember much about him.” I confess.
“Who is the lucky groom to finally land Genevieve Lablanc? The boys in college went nuts for this girl and she never gave them the time of day. It’s almost as if she was waiting for her prince charming to come and wake her from a long sleep. None of the college guys, no matter how esteemed or mature they were, Evie never acted like she noticed any of their attention.” She reminisces, telling my friends what they already knew about me.
“Girl, we have watched the same thing over the years, until a hot guy and his buddies bought the old Victorian mansion next door. Took him all of a month to get our girl to notice him. She has been dickstracted and in a love bubble since.” Emily confirms my wretched history with men, making us all cackle in the process.
“There was one guy who got her attention, but she was too good of a girl, with her head so far into her studies, she didn’t even give the hottest professor on campus the time of day. She did think about it for a split second though.” Shelby chuckles, smiling as she bites her bottom lip.
“Girl, you want stories of Evie brushing off hot guys, we got stories.” Lily jokes back, keeping everyone laughing at my expense.
“None of that matters now. I finally got my prince. I can’t wait to be Mrs. Brixon Blaze.” I hold out my left hand and look at my beautiful ring.
I watch Shelbys demeanor change slightly as her eyes widen, just enough for me to know that she knows who Brixon is. What he is.
“It’s not every day we get to style royalty.” She gives a small smile to let me know she knows.
“Oh, the boys have come back to New Orleans to help fix a few of the kinks our amazing city has seemed to be having. Emily here is actually dating Liam Vandever. I’m sure wedding bells aren’t too far from their future. Lily is Noah Jerricho’s… Close friend.” Lily gives me a side eye and I can’t help but smile wider as I continue, “It’s perfect for us to know who to trust with the most special days of our lives. Thank you for letting us know who to use for all the parties and events we plan to throw in the future. We prefer to keep our money local.” I give her a morsel to take back to her friends, which will ultimately land in my brother’s ear.
Lily tries to put a smile on, but I can tell she is still having trouble with learning that she is a lost Saint baby. She feels like they threw her away. Why would she want to know who they were. Noah has been trying to help her through it, but she resents him for being a Saint himself. She just needs time.
Everything is going according to plan. We will find answers for her as soon as she gets onboard to wanting answers. She just isn’t there yet.
“The Delamere brothers believe that she is their long-lost cousin. She won’t do a DNA test to prove it. So, the brothers want permission to check her chip and see if it matches the log for their aunt’s baby, who they say died the day she gave birth to a baby girl.
“I’ll bring out several options for all of you, along with mimosas, if that sounds alright with you ladies?” Shelby stays professional and carries on with our appointment as if she didn’t just get the business of the Deities themselves.
We try on dress after dress while getting a good buzz going.
I put on the last dress I have chosen to try on and stand up straight, looking in the mirror as Shelby tightens the corset back. I feel like a princess in this dress. The top has thick silk straps that hang loosely off my shoulders. The corset top makes my waist look smaller, while pushing my small boobs as far up as they can go.
I move side to side in the dress when she finishes and adds the beautiful, diamond, vine-looking crown attached to a veil lined with silver vined out sparkles.
I walk out to step up on the platform surrounded by mirrors, watching my best friends in the world facial expressions. I know I have found the dress when Emily and Lily are both at a loss for words.
“I think this is the one!” I say excitedly as I sway my hips, looking back at all the mirrors, watching the little vines of silver shimmer beneath the lights, as my fluffy skirt swishes.
“You look absolutely beautiful Eves.” Emily boasts with tears in her eyes.
“I cannot imagine you in any other dress when you walk down the aisle. Yeah! Brixon will not be able to contain himself when he sees you in that dress.” Lily says as she wipes a tear away, trying to hide her feelings with a small laugh.
“Okay, how about you guys? Have you decided on your bridesmaid dresses? I want you to be comfortable. I love the emerald-green dress I found for the reception. Are you guys happy with everything we have picked?” I ask, making sure that we are really finally done after three hours.
“Yes, we told you we love everything we have picked. Now we just have to focus on letting the wedding planner, if you finally hire one, do her job. We are down to the wire, and I don’t know if we will be able to get one to say yes now!” Emily says loud enough to where she knows Shelby will hear from the back of the store.
“You have an appointment with Mia tomorrow, right? We are having family dinner tonight; I’ll mention talking with you today. Do you have a caterer? If not, I’ll make sure she has that taken care of as well if you would like. Mia won’t say no, us covenants have to stick together.” Shelby replies, winking at us.
“Oh, thank you Shelby! We actually have a caterer; Noah Jerricho will be taking care of all of the food and the cake. We have decided a Mardi Gras ball for the reception. Lily here, has given him a reason to stick around New Orleans. He actually has a new restaurant in the quarter opening in May. Thank you so much for any help you can give. I’m just having a hard time deciding on anything.” I reply, looking at Lily with a smirk.
“Oh, Noah would be here anyway. He wants to be close to his family. I’m just the lucky girl who gets the benefit of having him around.” Lily says, shaking her head, looking down, giving her best fake smile.
“Well, then, I guess we have said yes to a dress! I’ll go change, then I need food.” I reply, excited that what people say is the hardest part of the wedding is done. I picked the dress, and everything is falling into place, exactly how we have planned.
What could go wrong?