*Here's the next part of the story. For those of you just tuning in, please read Part One first. Thanks*
"You mean gettin' married?" he asked, a good natured smile on his face.
The woman nodded, eyes downcast, as if sheepish and ashamed of having brought the subject up.
"Yeah, Remy, jus' a little nervous, Ah guess," she replied, "Can't stop mah mind or mah stomach from doin' flips."
"You wanna call 'dis off?" Remy asked, a very serious note in his voice.
The woman looked over at her man with mock incredulity. Remy's eyes, one the bright blue of a clear sky, the other a brilliant jade, regarded her soberly. There was such love and concern written there, laced with a mild panic that she really might just call it all off and walk away. It made her smile.
"Hell no, you ain' gettin' rid o' me dat easily!" she exclaimed teasingly.
"How's our little guy?" Remy asked, all smiles now that his worst fears had been relieved.
"Kickin' up a storm like his daddy always does," the woman replied as she rubbed her swollen belly affectionately, "Yoah brothers make it out?"
"Oui, most o' dem," Remy replied, "Jacques an' Michel had t'literally hogtie Bobby t'keep him away."
The woman laughed a little at that.
"Ah wish yoah whole family could be here."
That one phrase seemed to hang in the air, a melancholy note straining to be heard amidst the joyous aria that was about to begin. Remy sighed and took his soon-to-be-bride's hand.
"He's all the way down in N'awlins, y'know," Remy pointed out, "He can't make trouble foh us here. He don' even know we're alive, let alone here."
"Don't underestimate him!" the woman said sharply, "You know he got connections. He could still make us miserable."
"Yoah right" Remy said, "but twenty minutes from now, dat ring gonna be on yoah finger an' dere ain' nothin' more he can do t'you, Chere. You gonna be Missus Alexandra LaRose an' dat'll be de end of it."
The woman soon to be known as Alexandra LaRose smiled and gave her man a big hug and kiss on the cheek.
"Y'all're right," she said, her midnight blue eyes twinkling, "Ah'm just bein' a worry wart. Guess it's that whole wedding nerves thing."
Seeing her in such a happy, more relaxed, mood, Remy grinned.
"Yes, you sho are," he said, "but Ah got de cure foh dat."
Reaching behind his back, the young man suddenly produced a single, beautiful red rose and presented it to his lady with a flourish.
"For de most beautiful Latina belle Ah ever laid eyes on," he said, "Every bride's gotta have her bouquet. I'm gonna make you de happiest woman in de world. You'll see. Our baby's gonna have de best o' everything."
Alexandra laughed, pleased.
"Alright, Remy, y'all made yoah point," she said, holding the rose close to inhale its fragrance, as she tossed her knee length blue/black braid over her shoulder, "Let's go get married."
The young couple linked arms and walked slowly into the church where the pastor and four of Remy's eight brothers waited. Being adopted, Remy looked nothing like any of his brothers. Where he was red haired, short, and pretty, they were all handsome, tall, and brunette, all except for Robert, the sole blonde. Jacques, third oldest of all the brothers and oldest of those who had been able to attend, stood closest to the door and grinned when Remy and Alexandra walked in. Jacques's hazel eyes misted slightly and he clapped his brother on the back as the duo walked forward towards the preacher. By the altar stood Louis and Luc, the twins who were two years older than Remy. They were jostling and shoving each other good naturedly while Michel, the only brother Remy's age, looked on in mock disgust. It did both Alexandra and Remy's hearts good to see them so happy, as they took their place before the minister and pledged their vows to one another.
The ceremony was brief but touching. Remy presented Alexandra with a plain gold band engraved with roses connected by a thorny vine and, as Alex placed the twin on Remy's hand, she could not help but wish, not for the first time, that her father could be alive to see this instead of in his grave these past twelve years. Tears welled up in her eyes as she imagined what it would have been like to have had him give her away, instead of Jacques. Alex pushed that thought away as quickly as she could with thoughts of her unborn son and the happy home that she and Remy would make together here, far away from New Orleans and the drama of both of their families. Nothing but trouble had ever lived there for them.
As the minister finished his short but touching spiel, he looked down at the happy, young couple and said, smiling gently,
"You may now kiss the bride."
Remy leaned over and gave his new wife a gentle kiss on the lips, rubbing Alexandra's belly affectionately as he did so. His brothers instantly began to cheer and clap, hooting and giving enough cat calls to do any wedding proud. When they had subsided, the priest grinned and said,
"Then, I present to you, Mister and Missus Remy LaRose."
A slow, measured clapping began, a lone person applauding mockingly.
Both Remy and Alex jerked their heads up, startled. Then, the couple froze in place, their faces going instantly white. A man stood alone, leaning against the last pew. He was dressed in absolutely immaculate white, a deep purple tie and kerchief the only color to bring out the startling shade of his eyes. They were a pale, blue/violet and slanted slightly, like a cat's. He had perfect alabaster skin that was too pale to have seen the sun in months, if not years, and his hair was a handsome auburn, long and straight. It brushed his shoulders and was pulled back in a single, sleek ponytail. His face was an unreadable mask but those fathomless eyes were not. Deep within them was a fury so intense, so unbridled, that there was no way it could do anything but consume the source of its wrath.
'Theo," Alexandra breathed, the name escaping her lips in disbelief, shock, and horror.
"Oui, I am pleased to see that you remember, " the man replied, adding just enough of a sneer to reveal his true feelings, "Indeed, I had thought you'd forgotten the name Theodore Delacroix."
"As if you'd let us forget!" Remy snapped, his face curling into a mask of hate, "What 'choo want here?!"
"Come now, is that any way to treat a guest?" Theo demanded, "I merely wished to come here and wish you both the best of luck."
When neither of them responded to that, the man shook his head sadly.
"Here, let me prove it," he said, "I've even thought of a song for the occasion, after all, what's a celebration without a little music?"
Without another word, Theo cleared his throat and began to sing in a clear, deep voice, like that of a wounded lover.
Every breath you take
Every move you make
Every bond you break
Every step you take, I'll be watching you.
Every single day
and every word you say
Every game you play
Every night you stay, I'll be watching you.
Oh can't you see?
You belong to me.
How my poor heart aches, with every step you take
Every move you make
Every vow you break
Every smile you fake
Every claim you stake, I'll be watching you.
Alexandra's stomach clenched in fear and she clutched Remy's hand as hard as she could, as if by that act alone she could shield them both from Theo's penetrating gaze. Remy's face was iron and the hatred in it was palpable. His brothers stood to the side, cracking their knuckles, waiting only for Remy's word to pounce on the invader. Before he could give it, Theo noticed the effect his song was having and stopped, chuckling darkly to himself.
"What's the matter?" he asked, "Not a big fan of The Police? Oh well. At least I was able to catch the end of the blessed event."
Then, looking both Remy and Alexandra over, Theo's gaze stopped dead when it hit Alex's swollen belly and his eyes went suddenly cold, like the arctic after a storm.
"My, my, Monsieur LeBlanc, you do move fast," Theo said, addressing Remy, "I had only lost track of our dear, blushing bride several months ago."
Remy was about to correct him on the name but before he could, Theo cut him off with a curt gesture of his hand.
"Remy LeBlanc you were born and Remy LeBlanc you shall die," he said, then, scoffing, added, "As if a name could change what you both really are. Please, Monsieur, do not insult my intelligence. The rose has long been our dear Alexandra's favorite flower. Do you think the coincidence escaped me?"
There was something truly dark and menacing in Theo's eyes now, a brooding anger that made Alexandra take a step back.
"Please, Theo, jus' let us be," she begged, "All we want is t'live in peace. We ain' comin' back t'N'awlins and we won't be botherin' you again."
"No, I intend to ensure that you do not," the man said coldly, turning each word into a small dagger that stabbed and turned, "As if mere words could erase the pain and sorrow the two of you have caused me!"
"'Dat's not what Ah intended," Alexandra said softly.
"Vraiment?" Theo scoffed, "Well ,we all know about the road to Hell, yes?"
"She doesn't belong t'you, Theo! She never did!" Remy screamed suddenly, "an' if you really gave a damn about her, you'd leave her in peace!"
"You mean the way she left me? Alone? Wanting? Unrequited?," Theo demanded, "I have loved her since long before she ever dreamed you existed and you dare to stand there and tell me to just let this go? Without even so much as a word? I think not, mon ami."
"Ah tried t'talk t'you," Alexandra said, "Ah wanted t'tell you what was in mah heart so many times but y'all scared me! What was Ah supposed t'do, Theo?"
"How about having a little regard for my feelings?" Theo replied, "Did that ever occur to you? Or did that entire concept simply flee your young, naive little mind when you ran away with this low life?"
Alexandra's face narrowed in anger. Any kind or conciliatory words she might have spoken suddenly flew out of her mind and left her tongue in a hot wave of outrage.
'Dat lowlife is mah husband, Theo, an' whether you like it or not, you jus' better get used to de idea!"
"We shall see," Theo said, eyes penetrating deep into Alexandra's with a feral glint that made her shrink back against Remy's side.
The young Cajun, completely oblivious to the change in mood, glared at the unwanted guest in contempt and cried out.
"Go t'Hell batard! You jus' go straight t'Hell!"
"You first."
The words were spoken so quietly that no one heard them at first. Theodore's face contorted into an evil, demonic smile and he snapped his fingers once. The sound was like a gunshot in the small church. His eyes gleamed with an eerie, violet light, a dark pleasure deep within them. From behind him, several dark shapes morphed out of the shadows, dark figures straight out of some Hong Kong action flick nightmare. They crept towards the tiny wedding party on all sides, their faces hidden by masks, and deadly weapons pointed at everyone inside the small chapel. Staring down the barrels of that many guns, Alexandra's dark skin became ashen with fear and her eyes widened. She glanced over at Theo, horror marring her face, as the true brutality of what was about to happen began to take shape in her mind. Theo's grin widened to reveal his slightly elongated canines and Alex cursed herself for forgetting what Theo really was.
*Well, I hope this wasn't a disappointment. I'll be getting the last little bit up within the next couple of days. As usual, this shorter piece (originally only 12 pages, of which about six have been entered into this blog) has proven to be nothing more than part of a much larger piece. I plan to entitle that larger piece "Blood and Ashes" and will probably use this all for a prologue. It will tie into Alex's first case and give us some time to get used to and play in her world. Well, that's all for now and will see you all soon*
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