Leopard's Prey
Page 92
He confessed in a rush and gratefully took the glass of water Saria handed to him, drinking it down almost in one gulp. He almost sounded relieved to be telling someone, anyone. “They’re crazy, you know. But smart. Real smart. They have eyes and ears everywhere.” He shivered. “Maybe they really have demons looking out for them. I swear, they’re the devil on earth.”
“They masterminded the gang robbing and beatings of the elderly,” Remy stated.
Robert nodded. “We all had to participate. I joined not knowin’ what I was getting into. It seemed like a party at first, the initiation and all. They promised huge amounts of money and great kicks. Ryan Cooper and Brent Underwood both told me I’d make tons of money. So I went with them.”
“Went where?” Remy prompted.
“They have this place in the swamp where they conduct their rituals.” His entire body shuddered, and he lifted the glass to his mouth, not realizing it was empty. “They took me out there blindfolded the first time. We were all drinkin’ and then Jean and Juste began to undress and got naked except for loincloths. Both drew intricate symbols in the dirt. I laughed, thinkin’ it was all part of the party until I noticed no one else was laughin’ and the others looked scared.”
Robert shook his head and drew his hand over his face as if wiping the memory away. “They cut the throat of a pig and watched it bleed out, dancin’ around and invokin’ some demon, and then they painted us with the blood of the pig.” He looked at Remy with stricken eyes. “Once in, you can’t ever get out.”
“Did Ryan Cooper want out?” Remy asked.
“Coop was always talkin’ like he was goin’ to get out if Jean and Juste didn’t give him a bigger cut, but it was all talk. He didn’t want to chance crossin’ them any more than the rest of us. He didn’t want the money to stop, but he thought he should get more than the rest of us because he did a lot of the beatings. Brent and I kind of hung back most of the time. Juste and Jean liked hurtin’ people and every single time it seemed to get worse. I was afraid they’d kill someone. It was almost as if they each tried to outdo the other.”
“Your leopard could tear both of them apart,” Drake pointed out.
Robert shook his head. “They’re demons. The devil. No one can stop them. I’ve seen them do things no one can do.”
“How is it we don’ catch the scent of anyone but the Rousseau brothers in the break-ins?” Remy asked.
Robert ducked his head, refusing to meet Remy’s eyes.
“You gave them Charisse Mercier’s experiment that masks all scent, didn’t you?” Remy prompted.
“I had to contribute somethin’,” Robert burst out. “I had to. I wasn’t beatin’ up old people. And if I didn’t do somethin’ to help, they were goin’ after Dion.” He looked up at his leader. “That’s the gospel truth, Drake. I was in way over my head.”
“You should have come to me,” Drake stated. “You have a responsibility to this lair as well as to your brother and the community.” There was no sympathy in his voice and no back up in him. “The Rousseau brothers clearly are a threat to everyone in your community. There’s no excuse for not coming forward.”
Robert pushed his forehead into the heel of his hand. “You don’ know them.” His voice was filled with loathing and despair. “They’ll kill Dion and me. They’ll use their voodoo magic and kill us both.”
“Is there a stash of stolen articles somewhere?” Remy asked.
“In the swamp where they conduct their rituals,” Robert said. “But you’ll never stop them, Remy. They really have made a pact with the demons, and they’re protected. They can get away with anything.”
“Have they been to Europe?”
Robert blinked several times. He frowned. “Why? What has that got to do with anything?”
“Just answer him,” Drake snapped.
“They’ve mentioned traveling in Europe,” Robert said hastily.
“Is Bijou a particular favorite of theirs? Do they listen to her music a lot?” Remy demanded.
Robert nodded. “They’re kind of obsessed with her. They play her stuff all the time.” He ducked his head to avoid eye contact again. “They’ve been tryin’ to get onto the crew workin’ on her new apartment so they could put in cameras and maybe a few ways to get in without anyone knowin’.”
Remy turned away to keep from leaping on the man. Robert was leopard. He knew Bijou was. It had become evident to all of them in the club, and yet he hadn’t immediately come forward to report a threat toward one of their women. Fingertips burned. His jaw ached. He was close, so close. His leopard was strong and territorial. Also protective. All his life he’d had to work at keeping his leopard in check. Robert was making it very difficult. Any threat to Bijou could not be tolerated.
He took several deep breaths to keep control, breathing away his leopard’s rage. “Have they gotten onto the work crew?” It helped that Bijou rubbed the middle of his back in a soothing pattern. He could hear her breathing and it hadn’t changed. She was used to threats, he realized. Threats were a daily occurrence for her. That was why she hadn’t gone to the authorities when her stalker had escalated his behavior. She was just too used to threats.
“Not yet,” Robert answered. “But they were arrangin’ an accident so that the contractor would be shorthanded. Tom and Ryan were supposed to help them with that.”
“They masterminded the gang robbing and beatings of the elderly,” Remy stated.
Robert nodded. “We all had to participate. I joined not knowin’ what I was getting into. It seemed like a party at first, the initiation and all. They promised huge amounts of money and great kicks. Ryan Cooper and Brent Underwood both told me I’d make tons of money. So I went with them.”
“Went where?” Remy prompted.
“They have this place in the swamp where they conduct their rituals.” His entire body shuddered, and he lifted the glass to his mouth, not realizing it was empty. “They took me out there blindfolded the first time. We were all drinkin’ and then Jean and Juste began to undress and got naked except for loincloths. Both drew intricate symbols in the dirt. I laughed, thinkin’ it was all part of the party until I noticed no one else was laughin’ and the others looked scared.”
Robert shook his head and drew his hand over his face as if wiping the memory away. “They cut the throat of a pig and watched it bleed out, dancin’ around and invokin’ some demon, and then they painted us with the blood of the pig.” He looked at Remy with stricken eyes. “Once in, you can’t ever get out.”
“Did Ryan Cooper want out?” Remy asked.
“Coop was always talkin’ like he was goin’ to get out if Jean and Juste didn’t give him a bigger cut, but it was all talk. He didn’t want to chance crossin’ them any more than the rest of us. He didn’t want the money to stop, but he thought he should get more than the rest of us because he did a lot of the beatings. Brent and I kind of hung back most of the time. Juste and Jean liked hurtin’ people and every single time it seemed to get worse. I was afraid they’d kill someone. It was almost as if they each tried to outdo the other.”
“Your leopard could tear both of them apart,” Drake pointed out.
Robert shook his head. “They’re demons. The devil. No one can stop them. I’ve seen them do things no one can do.”
“How is it we don’ catch the scent of anyone but the Rousseau brothers in the break-ins?” Remy asked.
Robert ducked his head, refusing to meet Remy’s eyes.
“You gave them Charisse Mercier’s experiment that masks all scent, didn’t you?” Remy prompted.
“I had to contribute somethin’,” Robert burst out. “I had to. I wasn’t beatin’ up old people. And if I didn’t do somethin’ to help, they were goin’ after Dion.” He looked up at his leader. “That’s the gospel truth, Drake. I was in way over my head.”
“You should have come to me,” Drake stated. “You have a responsibility to this lair as well as to your brother and the community.” There was no sympathy in his voice and no back up in him. “The Rousseau brothers clearly are a threat to everyone in your community. There’s no excuse for not coming forward.”
Robert pushed his forehead into the heel of his hand. “You don’ know them.” His voice was filled with loathing and despair. “They’ll kill Dion and me. They’ll use their voodoo magic and kill us both.”
“Is there a stash of stolen articles somewhere?” Remy asked.
“In the swamp where they conduct their rituals,” Robert said. “But you’ll never stop them, Remy. They really have made a pact with the demons, and they’re protected. They can get away with anything.”
“Have they been to Europe?”
Robert blinked several times. He frowned. “Why? What has that got to do with anything?”
“Just answer him,” Drake snapped.
“They’ve mentioned traveling in Europe,” Robert said hastily.
“Is Bijou a particular favorite of theirs? Do they listen to her music a lot?” Remy demanded.
Robert nodded. “They’re kind of obsessed with her. They play her stuff all the time.” He ducked his head to avoid eye contact again. “They’ve been tryin’ to get onto the crew workin’ on her new apartment so they could put in cameras and maybe a few ways to get in without anyone knowin’.”
Remy turned away to keep from leaping on the man. Robert was leopard. He knew Bijou was. It had become evident to all of them in the club, and yet he hadn’t immediately come forward to report a threat toward one of their women. Fingertips burned. His jaw ached. He was close, so close. His leopard was strong and territorial. Also protective. All his life he’d had to work at keeping his leopard in check. Robert was making it very difficult. Any threat to Bijou could not be tolerated.
He took several deep breaths to keep control, breathing away his leopard’s rage. “Have they gotten onto the work crew?” It helped that Bijou rubbed the middle of his back in a soothing pattern. He could hear her breathing and it hadn’t changed. She was used to threats, he realized. Threats were a daily occurrence for her. That was why she hadn’t gone to the authorities when her stalker had escalated his behavior. She was just too used to threats.
“Not yet,” Robert answered. “But they were arrangin’ an accident so that the contractor would be shorthanded. Tom and Ryan were supposed to help them with that.”
