saved me tonight.”
“Lincoln phoned earlier to tell me. I still can’t believe something came after you.”
She sighed wearily. “Maman, you know everyone in this parish. Who do you know that would have a grudge against the Chiassons?”
“Sha, you shouldn’t get mixed up in that.”
“I wasn’t given a choice, since I was attacked simply because I happened to speak to Beau at the store.”
Her grandmother let loose a string of Cajun French that was mumbled too low for Olivia to comprehend. “Once you start digging, sha, you’re liable not to like what you find.”
“You mean like the Hoodoo symbols on the house?”
“Exactly like that,” her grandmother grumbled. “I know the things that are out there, Olivia. I did what I had to do to protect you and myself.”
Olivia rubbed her neck. “I can understand that. Right now we need to stop whoever is after Vincent and his brothers. They’ve already killed three girls. I was almost the fourth, and I seriously doubt they’ll give up so easily on seeing me dead.”
“I won’t lose you,” her grandmother vowed solemnly through the phone.
“Then tell me what you know.”
There was a long pause, and then her grandmother said, “When Vincent’s father chose Yvonne as his wife, she wasn’t the only woman he had been dating. Once married, however, he was faithful, no matter how many times others tried to lure him away from Yvonne.”
“Who was the other woman he dated?”
“Years went by, and no matter the rumors, Yvonne and Bran remained happy and devoted to each other. They brought four sons and a daughter into the world, all while keeping the parish safe.”
Olivia drew in a calming breath. “Who was the woman?”
Instead of answering, her grandmother asked, “Did Vincent tell you about your parents?”
“Yes.”
“I should’ve done that years ago, but when you moved away I didn’t see the point.”
Olivia looked down at her thumb to see her nail broken to the quick. She pulled off the rest of the nail and toyed with it. “Did you know that Vincent –”
“Followed you home all the time? Yes. I’ve also known of his love for you. Whether you’ve known it or not, you’ve held a good man’s heart in your hands.”
Olivia let the nail drop to the floor. “I know it now.”
“What are you going to do about it?”
“Well, I’m not walking away if that’s what you’re asking.”
She could practically see her grandmother’s smile through the phone as she said, “That’s my girl. We Breaux’s are fighters.”
“Yes, we are.”
“The woman you need to look for is Patricia Hebert.”
Olivia nearly dropped the phone.
“Listen to me carefully, sha,” her grandmother said. “There have been stories of Pat practicing a mixture of Voodoo and witchcraft for a long time. She’s powerful, powerful enough to call forth a golem. The boys are going to have their hands full.”
Her eyes grew wide as understanding dawned, just as Vincent and Lincoln walked into the kitchen.
CHAPTER NINE
Vincent saw the shocked look on Olivia’s face and was at her side in an instant. “What is it?”
She held the phone out to him. “My grandmother wants to talk to you.”
He took the receiver and put it to his ear. “Maria?”
“My granddaughter is in your hands,” Maria said. “You’ve always watched over her. Don’t stop now. I can’t lose her as I lost my son and daughter-in-law. Do I have your word, Vincent Chiasson?”
“You do,” he answered without hesitation.
“I knew I could count on you. Olivia called looking for information. I think you’re going to be interested. All I’ll tell you is to be careful, and try your best to keep Olivia out of it.”
The line went dead before he could respond. Vincent replaced the receiver in its holder.
“Did she give you an earful?” Lincoln asked with a smirk.
Vincent looked from his brother to Olivia. Beau and
“Lincoln phoned earlier to tell me. I still can’t believe something came after you.”
She sighed wearily. “Maman, you know everyone in this parish. Who do you know that would have a grudge against the Chiassons?”
“Sha, you shouldn’t get mixed up in that.”
“I wasn’t given a choice, since I was attacked simply because I happened to speak to Beau at the store.”
Her grandmother let loose a string of Cajun French that was mumbled too low for Olivia to comprehend. “Once you start digging, sha, you’re liable not to like what you find.”
“You mean like the Hoodoo symbols on the house?”
“Exactly like that,” her grandmother grumbled. “I know the things that are out there, Olivia. I did what I had to do to protect you and myself.”
Olivia rubbed her neck. “I can understand that. Right now we need to stop whoever is after Vincent and his brothers. They’ve already killed three girls. I was almost the fourth, and I seriously doubt they’ll give up so easily on seeing me dead.”
“I won’t lose you,” her grandmother vowed solemnly through the phone.
“Then tell me what you know.”
There was a long pause, and then her grandmother said, “When Vincent’s father chose Yvonne as his wife, she wasn’t the only woman he had been dating. Once married, however, he was faithful, no matter how many times others tried to lure him away from Yvonne.”
“Who was the other woman he dated?”
“Years went by, and no matter the rumors, Yvonne and Bran remained happy and devoted to each other. They brought four sons and a daughter into the world, all while keeping the parish safe.”
Olivia drew in a calming breath. “Who was the woman?”
Instead of answering, her grandmother asked, “Did Vincent tell you about your parents?”
“Yes.”
“I should’ve done that years ago, but when you moved away I didn’t see the point.”
Olivia looked down at her thumb to see her nail broken to the quick. She pulled off the rest of the nail and toyed with it. “Did you know that Vincent –”
“Followed you home all the time? Yes. I’ve also known of his love for you. Whether you’ve known it or not, you’ve held a good man’s heart in your hands.”
Olivia let the nail drop to the floor. “I know it now.”
“What are you going to do about it?”
“Well, I’m not walking away if that’s what you’re asking.”
She could practically see her grandmother’s smile through the phone as she said, “That’s my girl. We Breaux’s are fighters.”
“Yes, we are.”
“The woman you need to look for is Patricia Hebert.”
Olivia nearly dropped the phone.
“Listen to me carefully, sha,” her grandmother said. “There have been stories of Pat practicing a mixture of Voodoo and witchcraft for a long time. She’s powerful, powerful enough to call forth a golem. The boys are going to have their hands full.”
Her eyes grew wide as understanding dawned, just as Vincent and Lincoln walked into the kitchen.
CHAPTER NINE
Vincent saw the shocked look on Olivia’s face and was at her side in an instant. “What is it?”
She held the phone out to him. “My grandmother wants to talk to you.”
He took the receiver and put it to his ear. “Maria?”
“My granddaughter is in your hands,” Maria said. “You’ve always watched over her. Don’t stop now. I can’t lose her as I lost my son and daughter-in-law. Do I have your word, Vincent Chiasson?”
“You do,” he answered without hesitation.
“I knew I could count on you. Olivia called looking for information. I think you’re going to be interested. All I’ll tell you is to be careful, and try your best to keep Olivia out of it.”
The line went dead before he could respond. Vincent replaced the receiver in its holder.
“Did she give you an earful?” Lincoln asked with a smirk.
Vincent looked from his brother to Olivia. Beau and
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