"I understand." He rose from the chair and moved behind her. "And now that you cleared your conscience, I'll clear mine. I can't have any loose ends. You understand." Then he placed his cold hands around her skinny neck and squeezed.
Her hands flew up to her neck as she tried to pry his away, but she knew she was no match to his strength so she let them fall to her lap. She noticed the soil beneath her fingernails from constantly digging in her garden for her mojo bags and healing spells, and she was ashamed that her children would see it on her corpse. She would've cleaned them had she known.
As he choked the life out of her, her gaze drifted to the wedding portrait, a surge of joy filling her as she realized she'd see her François again. Then the pictures of her children and their families danced in front of her, and a heavy sadness weighed on her. She'd hoped to be around for a few years longer.
Dark spots shrouded her gaze.
The clawing panic of not being able to breathe began to dissipate until it was all gone.
Chapter Fifteen
They parked in front of a nice two-story brick house in a neighborhood where everyone had well-maintained lawns and shrubbery. Before he turned off the ignition, Isa and two children ran down the concrete walkway toward him. He grinned and his eyes sparkled when he saw his niece and nephew.
"Rock, you're really here," Isa said as she threw her arms around him and kissed him on the cheeks. "I kept telling Charlie I wouldn't believe it until I saw you in the flesh. Let me look at you." She pulled back and gave him a quick assessment, then threw her arms around him again.
"Mom, let us in," a young boy said as he tried to squeeze between Isa and the Harley.
"Hang on." Rock chuckled. "I gotta get off the bike." He swung his leg over the leather seat, then wrapped his arms around Isa and her children in a big bear hug. From the corner of his eye he saw Clotille standing off to the side, watching the family reunion . She'd done a great job traveling the long distance from Colorado to Louisiana on the back of his bike, and, to his surprise, he'd fucking loved her warm arms clinging around his waist. The way her tits pressed against his back was a major bonus. He normally liked riding solo but every once in a while, if a chick was an especially good lay, he'd reward her by taking her for a spin on his Harley. In his experience, chicks were suckers for that kind of thing. But having Clotille hold on to him was something entirely different. It was like they fit together, their bodies molding as one.
Don't start these pussy-assed observations. It would have felt good if any chick's tits were against you for that long. Remember, she's lying to you and keeping too many damned secrets. Not fuckin' interested in figuring it all out.
"Is that Clotille?" Isa whispered in his ear.
"Yeah." He turned to her. "Clotille, get over here and say hi to Isa. These two hoodlums are her kids." He picked up a giggling child in each arm. "Maybe we need to go shopping to get you some presents."
His niece's and nephew's eyes lit up. "Did you bring us anything from Colorado? Are the mountains really as big as they are in movies?"
"Michael! That's not polite." Isa's brows knitted.
"It's perfectly okay to figure out what kind of loot you're going to get. Yeah, I got you something, and yeah, the mountains are big as hell." He laughed and set the two kids down next to Clotille, who had sidled up beside him. "Isa, you remember Clotille."
Isa nodded as her eyes scanned the other woman. "Yes. It's been a long time. How've you been?"
Clotille smiled. "I've been okay. It has been a long time. Look at you-a house, family, husband. It must be nice."
Watching her children rifle through the saddlebags on the Harley, she shoved her hair out of her face. "It can be, and sometimes not so much, but I don't know what I'd do without these two petits." She ruffled Michael's and Aline's hair. "Vite alors! Let your Uncle Rock come into the house."
Rock pulled out a multi-colored stone with an acrylic dome over it and a tarantula sitting on it, immortalized forever. He handed it to Michael. "You can find these creeping around in southern Colorado. The rocks are found in the Rocky Mountains where I live. See all those gold streaks?"
Michael's eyes opened wide as he took the gift in his small hands and tapped on the dome. "Cool. Uncle Rock gave me a spider. Look, Mom. Is that real gold?"
Rock nodded. "Real gold flecks." He handed Aline a doll with long blonde hair in ringlets dressed in prairie clothes with several other outfits.
Aline's hazel eyes sparkled. "Thank you, Uncle Rock." She shyly took the doll he handed her and hugged it tightly.
"Let's go in the house. Charlie's still at work, but he wants to take us all to dinner when he gets home."
Clotille's eyes darted to Rock. "Yeah, well, we're kinda bushed. It's a damn long ride, you know?" he told Isa.
"I didn't even think about that. I'll call Charlie and tell him we'll go out tomorrow. We can have pizza tonight."
"Pizza! Yay!" The two kids jumped in the air and then dashed up the walk to the house.
Rock laughed and slipped his arm around Isa, pulling her to him. "I've missed you. Your kids are pretty fuckin' cute. It's good to be back."
She looped her arm around his waist and they went inside as Clotille followed behind.
When Isa and Rock were alone at last-Clotille had lain down for a nap and the children were playing-he sat at the kitchen table, guzzling a bottle of beer. "You mind if I smoke in here?"
"I don't want you smoking pot around the kids." She brought over a pitcher of lemonade and placed it on the table.
"The kids aren't around."
"I know, but the smell and all." She poured the lemonade in her glass. "Charlie wouldn't like it."
He slipped the joint back in his pocket. "That's cool. I can smoke later in the open."
A worried frown crossed her forehead. "Be careful. It's not legal here. I mean, if you really want to, we could go out on the patio."
He stood up. "Let's go." He ambled out back and lit up his joint, the mellow effect taking hold as he smoked. "Clotille doesn't want her family to know she's back in town. She really doesn't want anyone to know right now, so don't tell anyone, okay?"
"Okay, but why?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. She's got some shit going on with Armand and her mom. She wants to lay low for a while before she tells anyone."
Isa smoothed her hair off her face. "I never would've recognized her. But then I didn't really know her. She never came to the house when we were growing up. You always went to her. I just remember seeing her when I started high school and she was a senior. We never even talked. Are you two back together?"
He shook his head. "Nah. I'm just helping her out, that's all. She got herself in a bad situation in Colorado, so I'm just trying to make things smooth for her. She feels awkward being here ‘cause she feels like she's imposing since you two didn't really know each other."
"Tell her I love having her here. And it would be great if you two got back together, especially since it seems like you both have been miserable without each other all these years."
He sniggered. "I don't remember being all that miserable."
"I'm talking about a real relationship, not sex. You know there's a difference. Henri is close to marrying. He and Suzette have been going out for over a year. Her family owns Petries, the department stores."
"I'm sure Henri loves her money."
She tapped his arm. "Oh, you. He's very much in love with her." She lowered her voice. "And her money." She covered her mouth with her hand and laughed.
"I'm done smoking. Let's go inside. It's too damn humid. I forgot how awful it can be."
After they settled on the kitchen chairs, she poured them both some lemonade. He took a deep breath and finally asked, "How's Pa doing?"
Her fingers touched her parted lips as she looked at him with wide eyes. "Not so good. He's in the prison infirmary. He was getting better, but he fell ill again. I'm real worried he's not going to make it." He jutted his chin out, his jaw clenched. "I was planning to see him. Do you want to go with me?"
"I'm not sure."
She licked her lips. "Think about it and let me know."
He shoved his chair back. "I'm going to check on Clotille."