Haunted On Bourbon Street Part 26

"This has got to stop!" I jumped up and paced. "We can't wait around until Bea and-or Ian shows up. We don't even know if they can help."

"I've been thinking about that," Pyper said. "I wonder if Lailah might know someone or be able to do anything."

"I don't know. When we asked her about it she said our best bet was to ask Bea." I flopped back onto the bed.

"It's worth a try," Pyper said.

"It is. In the meantime, why don't the two of you stay here? I'll take the other room." Kane got up to leave.

"Won't work. My ghost dog likes to bark at Pyper. He's doing it right now. I won't get any sleep." I glared at the door where Duke stood.

"I guess it's the couch for me then." Kane kissed me on the forehead and left.

Back in Kane's room alone, it took me a long while to go back to sleep.

The next morning, Pyper and I walked the short distance to The Herbal Connection.

"h.e.l.lo," Lailah sang from the back of the store. "Are you here to get your auras read?"

"Thanks, but not today. We're here about something else," I said.

"The black thing still following your friend?" Lailah frowned, studying Pyper.

"Yes," Pyper said.

"We haven't been able to get a hold of Bea, and things are getting out of hand. We were hoping you might have some suggestions for what to do, or know someone else who might be able to help us."

Lailah focused on Pyper. Her white light energy took on a gray hue, and then shone bright white again when she looked back at me. She bit her lip. "I don't know. That shadow is really strong, and it's not going to be easy to get rid of. I know a way, but I'd feel a lot more confident if Bea were here to help me."

"Do you know when she's coming back?" I asked.

Lailah shook her head. "No. In fact I haven't heard from her at all, which is really weird."

Pyper stepped up next to me and put her hand on Lailah's arm. "Please try?" A small twinge of desperation seeped from Pyper.

Then something odd happened. Lailah seemed to absorb it, change it somehow, and sent it back as a stream of calmness. She'd physically changed Pyper's distinct energy. I could siphon energy, or send my own as a sort of suggestion, but I couldn't change it.

"How did you do that?" I asked.

"You felt that, huh? Just one of my gifts. I'll show you sometime. Right now I need to prepare for getting rid of this jacka.s.s tormenting Pyper here."

"Yes!" Pyper pumped her fist in the air.

"Don't get too excited. It won't be pleasant. So be prepared." Lailah turned to me. "I'll perform the ritual, but we'll need a fourth person. A female. Females have more power with this kind of thing. Do you have someone you trust?"

"Sure." I knew Kat would come if I asked. "But she doesn't have any powers."

"If she's female, it's enough." Lailah grabbed a note pad and started scribbling. "We need to do this as close to midnight as possible, and outside. Do you have a place we can meet for this?"

"Yes," Pyper said. "We have a courtyard between Wicked and The Grind. You know where they are, right?"

Lailah nodded, still writing.

I handed her my cell phone number. "Give us a call when you're out front, and one of us will come get you. Do we need to do anything special to prepare?"

"Nope. I'll take care of everything."

When we got back to our building, Pyper headed to her apartment and I went to mine. I called Kat and invited her to a girl's night in, leaving out the part about needing her for a ritual. Okay, so I felt a little guilty, but I wanted to feel her emotions while I told her about it in person. If she had any hesitations, I'd have an easier time navigating how to convince her.

My heart sank. Talk about being a hypocrite.

Chapter 17.

Kat showed up right before nine. "Where's Pyper?"

"Working down in the club. She'll be here before eleven." I poured two gla.s.ses of wine. "Did you eat?"

"Yes, but snacks are expected on girlfriend night." She took a gla.s.s. "So chop up the cheese and whip out the olives or whatever it is you have stashed aside."

Laughing, I pulled out a cheese plate from the fridge. "I'm way ahead of you."

"Gouda!" She put a piece in her mouth, closed her eyes and groaned in ecstasy. "Man, this is good."

"Glad you like it. And here's dessert." I set another tray next to it.

"Oh my G.o.d! I want girlfriend night at least once a week. Dark chocolate, strawberries, and what are these?" She held up a small round chocolate ball.

"Chocolate-covered blueberries."

"d.a.m.n, Jade. You'll never get rid of me now." Kat filled a plate and sat back.

"Good, cause I have an ulterior motive for bringing you here."

The cheery contentment surrounding her faded to suspicion. "What? What are you gonna make me do?"

"Not me. Lailah." I grabbed my wine gla.s.s and told her about the day I'd met Lailah, my confession to Pyper and the upcoming exorcism.

When I finished my speech, Kat cast a sideways glance as she popped a few chocolate covered blueberries in her mouth. "Now that Pyper knows you're an empath, did you tell Kane?"

After everything I'd just told her, that's what she focused on? "No."

Kat washed down her chocolate with a gulp of wine. "You better do it soon before someone else does."

"What? Are you going to tell him?"

"No. But word spreads. You know that."

I frowned, knowing she was right. "Fine, I'll tell him. Happy?"

"Yes. Now, what exactly have you signed me up for? An exorcism?" Her expression told me she thought I'd lost my mind.

"Lailah said she might be able to get rid of the ghost. She needs three other women to help with the ritual." Feeling her questions rise, I raised my hand in a stop motion. "I don't know what or how. She did say it wouldn't be pleasant, so if you don't want to do it, I need you to tell me."

Her suspicion faded to weariness. "Is she a witch?"

"I really don't know. What I do know is Pyper is willing to try just about anything to be free. Kat, it's horrible. I can feel her pain when she gets attacked." I shuddered and whispered, "It's awful."

Kat sighed, still filled with weariness, but she said, "All right. If it helps Pyper, I'll do it.

I grabbed her and gave her a hug. "Thank you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you on the phone."

"Don't worry about it." She refilled her wine gla.s.s. "Let's get down to the really important stuff. Like where exactly is tall, dark and yummy this evening?"

I smiled. "He's working at the club. We can go down there if you want."

"Uh, yeah! Let's go."

We ran into Charlie at the bottom of the stairs. When I told her we were headed into Wicked, she shuffled us through the employee entrance and led us through the crowd. Once we reached the bar she waved a couple of dancers off the bar stools, making room for us.

"You didn't have to get up," I said to the tall, gorgeous, barely covered blonde in front of me.

She winked, smiling. "When the boss says move, you move. Enjoy yourself." She turned and sat in the lap of a man sitting at a nearby table.

"You got promoted!" I stood on the bottom rung of the stool, leaned over the bar and wrapped my arms around Charlie.

"Yep, and a nice raise, too." Charlie hugged me back, holding on a little longer than really necessary. Her eyes sparkled as she released me, and I laughed.

Kat reached over and gave Charlie a quick hug. "Congrats!"

Watching them, I jumped off the stool, lost my balance and stumbled backwards, cras.h.i.+ng into someone. Mortified, I turned to apologize and stopped midsentence. Hate crept up my spine, shattering my defenses. I took a step back.

"Dan," I said.

Kat whirled in surprise. "Hey! I thought it was poker night." She put her arm around Dan's waist and kissed his cheek.

His eyes went wide with shock and then he scowled. "What the h.e.l.l are you doing here? I told you I didn't want you hanging out with that freak."

"Dan." Kat warned and backed away. "Don't talk about Jade that way."

Ignoring her, Dan glared at me. "Why did you have to bring her to this s.l.u.t palace? Again."

"She wanted to come," I said.

"Like h.e.l.l. You talked her into it, you cheap b.i.t.c.h."

Kat leaned in, poking Dan in the chest with her finger. "Do not call her that. And don't you dare tell me who I can and can't hang out with, Dan Pearson." She took a few steps forward, forcing him back. Her anger, mixed with confusion, took over, pus.h.i.+ng all of Dan's hatred right out of my awareness. "What the h.e.l.l is wrong with you?"

Dan grabbed her wrists and yanked her aside. As he moved toward me, Kat regained her footing and jumped between us, stopping him.

"I'm warning you, Kat, get out of my way," he said.

"Or what?"

"Or you'll get what's coming to you." He grabbed her shoulder, trying to yank her sideways, but Kat swung her forearm up and knocked his arm away. Before he could say another word, she reached up and slapped him. Hard.

"Don't ever touch me like that again," she seethed.

"Excuse me. Is there a problem here?" Kane suddenly appeared next to me.

"It looks like Kat has it under control," I said.

Kane glanced at Kat, and then focused on Dan. "That may be true, but I recall banning this individual from the premises." He stepped around Kat and dodged the swing Dan threw his way. "You'll want to calm down now."

"f.u.c.k you. I won't stand for a pimp telling me what to do," Dan yelled and lunged forward.

Kane sidestepped him and kicked. He caught Dan in the rear, sending him sprawling into a couple of stools. Dan crashed to the ground and groaned as he rolled to his side.

Kane signaled to one of the bouncers. When his backup appeared and hauled Dan to his feet, Kane leaned in and said, "I thought we had this conversation before, but let me inform you one more time. Stay away from these premises. Stay away from Jade, or I'll find a way to have you arrested."

"I never touched you. Good luck making that stick." Dan winced when the bouncer yanked his arms back.

Kane shrugged. "True, but I have a bar full of witnesses who'll say you attacked one of my girls. Now move."

Kat turned to me, holding her wrist. Her face was etched in disbelief. "What just happened here? Who was that?"

My anger at Dan turned to sympathy for her. It was the first time she'd seen that side of him. Worse, it wasn't just that she'd found out her boyfriend had turned into a first-cla.s.s a.s.shole, but he was also one of her closest friends. I knew exactly how she felt.

"I don't know," I said sadly. "But he behaved in much the same way the last time he showed up here. I tried to tell you."

She furrowed her brow. "d.a.m.n, Jade. I'm so sorry. I was pretty drunk that night. I didn't remember a lot of what happened, just that you and Dan were arguing and then he told me...well, it doesn't matter what he said. He obviously lied about it."

"I'm sorry," I said. But thank you, Jesus! She'd finally seen Dan at his worst.