Leopard's Prey

Frenchman’s arm and he’s goin’ to go completely ballistic.”
    “No, he won’t,” Bijou denied. “I told him I was goin’ and he was fine with it. He knows I’m friends with Arnaud.”
    “Knownin’ it and likin’ it are two different things,” Saria pointed out. “He’s very territorial where you’re concerned. He always has been. No one could ever say anythin’ about you even when you were a teenager or he’d get upset.”
    Bijou’s heart jumped. “Umm, sweetheart. I love you, I really do, but Remy was gone most of the time when we were teens.”
    “Most of the time, but he visited once in a while and he always asked about you and how you were doin’. Gage and the boys thought you were a little stuck-up and Remy didn’t like that.”
    “Everyone thought I was stuck-up except you,” Bijou said.
    It was strange how the memories of those days still hurt. She knew she was partially to blame. She hadn’t wanted anyone to know just how awful her father and his bandmates and groupies really were. She was embarrassed by his behavior. She didn’t dare take a friend or teacher home for fear Bodrie might seduce them—which of course he had on more than one occasion. She was always the one blamed when he’d refuse to see the person again—not Bodrie.
    “Remy never thought you were haughty,” Saria denied. “He always seemed to be your staunchest supporter.”
    Bijou tried not to react to Saria’s disclosure, but it was nice to know Remy had remembered her even during her teenage years. She’d felt very much alone during that time. Only Saria had ever really been a friend to her. Saria had no desire to meet Bodrie. She understood the concept of growing up on her own. Her brothers were grown and mostly out of the house and her father had stayed drunk most of the time. It seemed natural for the girls to gravitate toward one another.
    It had been the first time in her life that Bijou had experienced true friendship. She’d been leery at first, not trusting Saria’s motives, but Saria had been so laid back, disappearing for days on end into the swamp. She had never pursued the friendship, never tried to push herself on Bijou. Bijou found herself drawn to the girl who seemed the exact opposite of her. Saria was a wild child, defiant and independent. Bijou always tried to fit in and not be noticed. Saria couldn’t care less what others thought of her, while Bijou seemed to be easily hurt by the things her classmates, teachers and the press said.
    “You two ladies ready?” Drake asked and then stopped, whistling. “I get to take out the two most beautiful women in New Orleans.”
    Saria beamed at him. She slipped her hand into the crook of his arm. “You clean up nice, Drake Donovan.”
    Bijou took his other proffered arm. “I have to agree with Saria. You look amazin’, Drake.”
    He flashed her a smile. He looked very different than the man who yesterday had been pacing and snarling and raking claws over Robert Lanoux’s face. No one would ever suspect that Drake was anything but a gentleman. When he looked at Saria, his features softened, his eyes held the light of love and there seemed to be no trace of that dangerous, lethal animal.
    Bijou was caught spellbound by that look. She recognized it on Drake’s face, in his eyes, his expression, so why hadn’t she recognized it on Remy’s face? She memorized every bone, his strong jaw, all that luxurious dark hair spilling so carelessly into his amazing green eyes. Sometimes just looking at him made her feel as if she was free-falling off a cliff, and too far gone to save herself.
    But that look she was seeing on Drake’s face, the intensity when he looked at Saria, was there on Remy’s face when he looked at her. For a moment the breath rushed out of her lungs and she just stood there, frozen, unable to move, shocked at the miracle that had been in front of her all along.
    “Bijou?” Saria’s voice sounded far away. “Are you all right?”
    Remy really was in new territory. He didn’t have a clue any more than she did—well, that wasn’t strictly true. He had a
lot
of experience, obviously, in areas she didn’t, but the emotions were as new to him as they were to her.
    “I’m fine,” she answered. Her heart felt lighter than it had in years.
    “Is Remy going to try to join us tonight?” Drake asked.
    There was a hint of laughter in his voice as if he was teasing her. She did her best to look stern. “I doubt it. He’s