Page 4 of Voodoo Plantation

The rumble of engines gets my attention. Grabbing my purse, phone, and keys, I quickly exit, knowing that if Diesel comes up here, we will end up in the bedroom all night.

The guys don’t bother shutting the bikes off, as they spot me right away. Reaching the small group, Diesel pulls me to him, laying a kiss on me that causes me to blush. Pulling away since we have an audience, he chuckles as he hands me my helmet then puts my purse in the saddle bag. Diesel told me the first time he took me out that Louisiana has a law that lids, or helmets, are mandatory.

Climbing on the back, the guys pull out of the parking lot as soon as I am settled.

Chapter 6

Ma’dam Austeen

Staring through the shadows at the deteriorating house I once shared with Clovys, my heart weeps. Memories of its grandeur flash through my mind. Excitement grows as thoughts of what it will look like. “Soon,” I mutter under my breath.

The evening air surrounding us is cool as we stay out of sight. Only the rustling of fallen leaves and the creaking of old tree limbs can be heard.

A rushed gait breaks the silence, all of us on immediate alert, ready to defend ourselves, as the noise stops abruptly. Cloaked figures enter the clearing, bending at the waist, hands resting on their knees, attempting to catch their breath.

“The Scorpion, Eskòpyon, is on the way, Ma’dam Austeen. We have everything prepared,” a nervous voice says between pants.

Engines rumble in the distance, growing louder as they get closer.

“Good, make sure that nothing goes wrong. It will be years before we get another chance, and I don’t want to wait any longer,” I say flatly.

“The scarabs have predicted this. Nothing will go wrong.”

“Let’s hope that stays true,” I say wistfully.

Chapter 7

Angevyn

We stop at a little out-of-the-way place for something to eat. Brier orders dessert, pulling candles out from somewhere, and they all sing Happy Birthday to me. I blush in embarrassment as we gain a lot of attention from the other patrons.

The evening is enjoyable, but I don’t know where we are. After the guys settle the bill, we make our way outside. Both Torque and Diesel light up a cigarette.

“Where are we?” I ask as the two of them as they smoke.

“We are near Baton Rouge,” Diesel says offhandedly.

“Are we heading back now?” I ask, still not sure what they have planned. It got dark hours ago, and riding through some of these areas has spiked my anxiety.

“Not quite yet. There is a place we want to check out. Rumors are that the place is haunted.” Brier says, bouncing on the balls of her feet in excitement.

I let out a groan and shake my head wildly.

“Come on, Brier, you know how I feel about this shit.” Gearing up for a long rant, Diesel grabs me by the waist, pulling me to him.

“Come on, babe, it will be fine,” Diesel says coaxingly. “If you get scared, you can wrap yourself around me.”

“How can you not like Halloween? It’s your birthday and one of the best party nights around,” Torque asks incredulously. “Tonight is a bonus with it being a full moon.” Torque bounces his eyebrows in excitement.

Of course, something howls in the distance on cue, causing me to shutter.

“Let’s get this over with,” I mutter. Yanking the helmet on my head, I approach Diesel’s bike and wait for him to give me the okay to climb on.

Torque got his road name because he beat some guy, almost to death, with a torque wrench. He is not a man to piss off. Having seen him in action firsthand, Torque doesn’t discriminate against gender if he feels you have somehow wronged the MC.

Diesel’s reasons aren’t much better. While he has somewhat of an affinity for working on diesel engines, some guy once came after him at a gas station. He accused Diesel of fucking his wife. When the guy wouldn’t leave Diesel alone, he used the diesel fuel he was pumping to set the guy on fire. The guy had more chemical burns than burns from the fire since diesel fuel is less combustible. It turned out that Hound had slept with his wife, not Diesel. It’s how Hound got his name, honestly. He chases after every female he comes in contact with.

The bike slowing down brings me out of my head. The trees soak up any light the moon may be putting off. There are shapesin the shadows but not much else. Once we are off the road, Torque and Diesel park their bikes. They grab flashlights for each of us out of their saddlebags. I immediately turn mine on, setting my helmet on the bike seat. I move the light around, trying to figure out where we are.

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