The Ceo's Contracted Mistress
The Ceo’s Contracted Mistress Chapter 56

Bobbie stared at her reflection in the mirror and noted her pale skin, her wide eyes still reflecting some of the terror and horror she’d just gone through and most importantly the b***d on her face.

Nobody had been able to stop Veronique. The best anyone could do was Walt taking the kids to the stables and for a horseback ride. Even the horses were glad to get away from the proximity to the house when two chickens had been released into the yard.

She’d shown up with chickens and a knife she insisted carried the soul of her dead husband, which Levi protested wholly saying the man had been Catholic and no way would he have agreed to possess a blade meant for voodoo rituals.

When she grabbed a chicken and killed it on the spot Bobbie had been horrified and instantly reduced to tears, but it hadn’t stopped Veronique from drawing in the sand with the b***d, spitting and drinking rum, making Bobbie drink some rum and then coating Bobbie’s forehead cheeks and abdomen, which she’d bared by using the blade to cut her t-shirt half off, in the warm red substance.

When it was all said and done and Veronique was confident the health of Bobbie’s womb was restored, the woman disappeared into the house as if nothing grotesque had just happened, and demanding lunch be served shortly.

Bobbie had raced up the stairs and locked herself in the bathroom where she now stood staring at herself incredulously. Olivier was on the other side of the locked door calling her name and she wasn’t quite sure how long he’d been there, but he was begging her to let him in.

The sound of Meri and Levi approaching caught her ear.

“Bobbie, love, why don’t you let us in. We just want to see you.” Meri put on her most soothing voice.

“This whole family is nuts,” she called back. “Do you think I didn’t notice how none of you flinched when she killed the chicken?”

Levi spoke right against the door, “only because she’s been doing this even before I was born.”

Bobbie yanked the door open. “This was some weird f****d up s**t. What is her deal? I’m covered in chicken b***d. She asked me for my tampon. What the hell, papa? Your mother is nuts!”

“Her mother was, at a time it was not socially accepted, especially in these parts, half-white and half-black. Her mother’s mother, Veronique’s grandmother was a well-known priestess and had been in a love affair with a white married man. My grandmother came of the union and swore she inherited her mother’s abilities which were passed down to Veronique.”

Bobbie plunked down on the closed toilet seat. “This isn’t normal.”

“It kind of is, around here.” Meri shrugged. “Veronique has been waiting for whichever granddaughter will inherit her skills since both Fiona and Elise show no signs of prophecy.”

“She’s off her rocker,” Bobbie complained and then g*****d when a terrible cramping hit her abdomen.

“Are you okay?” Olivier asked curiously.

“Menstrual cramps. I’m fine. I need a shower.” She looked to the group. “I can shower and wash this off right? It won’t cause some kind of curse if I wash?”

Levi chuckled, “you are fine to wash. The kids will be back soon from their ride and lunch will be ready. Come join us.” He pushed past Olivier to k**s her temple. “The mess outside is already cleaned up, my little daughter. You have nothing to fear now.”

He and Meri stepped away and she growled as she heard Meri’s chuckled “she looks worse than I did when she got me.”

She glared at Olivier, “is this a hazing ritual?”

“No. Veronique believes strongly the Villeneuve men carry trouble with them and she is put on the earth to help their wives get through it.” He scratches his temple, “she mentioned Max is going to be a handful with the ladies and Lark will need multiple rituals performed.”

“Lark?”

“Mm seems she had a vision of them together after a lot of trials and tribulations. She called our son a man-whore.”

“Max? My sweet innocent Max who protects me and the girls and –”

“I said the same thing, but she said he’s already obsessed with s*x and reproduction, and it will worsen in his teenage years. She joked we should buy stocks in condoms because he will single-handedly boost sales.”

Bobbie held her hand up, “No. We are not talking about my eight-year-old like this. He’s a baby.” She held her stomach and then felt the gush every woman knows and pointed to the door. “You need to leave.”

“You are in pain. I can help,” he offered with a gleam I’m his eye.

“No. Whatever that witch did it’s like day one all over again. Leave.”

He backed up at the clipped tone of Bobbie’s voice. “I will go replace red wine and chocolate.”

“And a heating pad.” She called after him as he left the bathroom closing the door behind him.

Never had a shower felt so good and Bobbie found herself inexplicably sobbing partway through it. “You’re just freaked out Bobbie. You’re fine.” She whispered to herself as she brushed her teeth ignoring her reflection in the mirror.

When she finally made her way downstairs, she felt moderately better and the happy screams of the kids talking about seeing eagles on their horseback ride carried into the foyer. Bobbie followed the excited chatter to the patio and noted the empty seat next to Olivier with a glass of wine already poured and she sat down.

He pulled her close and kissed her forehead. “I love you. Thank you for coming down. I wasn’t sure you would.”

“I’m fine.” She whispered unable to look in Veronique’s direction without hearing the squawk of butchered chickens ringing in her ear. “Please tell me we aren’t having chicken for lunch.”

He gave a laugh at her question, “no. Pasta and meat sauce. Nothing too extreme.”

“Bobbie, you look like you had a good cry.” Elise teased her.

Veronique cut in, “it is the last of the toxin leaving her body. All the poison Olivier deposited in her is now vacating. By her wedding night she will be a new woman. Do not let him soil you before your vows or it could be problematic.”

Olivier’s head snapped in Veronique’s direction, “define problematic?”

“Her body won’t be receptive.”

Olivier glared at her, and Bobbie patted his arm. “You’ll survive a few more days. Please change the subject since little ears are around.”

Veronique wasn’t done, “Bobbie should wear my wedding dress.”

“There’s no way it will fit,” Olivier cut her off. “I have a selection of dresses arriving this afternoon”

“Cancel the order.” Veronique shrugged. “My dress is a blessing.”

“How come you never offered us your dress?” Elise winked at Bobbie to let her know she was teasing.

“You have my b***d in your veins, yet you know nothing. Bobbie has a pure heart clean of the tainted b***d of our ancestors, yet she sees everything. She has dreams. She just doesn’t remember them in the morning. She will. When she’s ready. Her daughter will be more powerful than any other in our family.” She c****d her head to one side, “I believe your mother descended from the Salem witches.”

“My mother was from Houston.”

“Your grandmother relocated there in the fifties. She was from Massachusetts.” Veronique corrected her. “She had your mother late in life, correct?”

Bobbie felt the eyes of every person at the table staring her down and she shifted uncomfortably. “Yeah, it’s true.” She whispered. “This is weird. Can we eat?”

“She will wear my dress,” Veronique’s tone offered no chance for argument

Olivier whispered in her ear. “Try it on after the others. She will see it won’t compare. I had a favor called in from a friend who owns a shop in New Orleans, and he is bringing a good selection.” He looked her up and down, “I very much want to see you in a sweetheart neckline and an A-line shape.”

“Have you decided on flowers yet, Bobbie?” Fiona asked.

“She will carry a mix of red and white roses. Everly and the girls will carry white ones.” Olivier interjected.

“Does she not get a choice? She is the bride.” Fiona chastised her brother.

“She loves roses.” He shrugged, “I know her.”

She felt wicked and looked at him, “they aren’t my favorite. I prefer lilies.”

“When I was in New York, we had a conversation about flowers, and you told me you loved white roses because they reminded you of your mother since she loved them and red ones because you and Rosamunde used to steal them from a shop and it made you happy to remember the shenanigans you two got into.”

Bobbie frowned as she recalled she had told him this. She’d forgotten. As everyone looked expectantly at her she shrugged, “its true but you don’t need to be so damn smug about it.”

He laughed at her, “you need only show up on Saturday and repeat after the priest.”

Veronique scoffed, “priest. Why not have Prue do the ceremony? She’s a judge and it would be more personal. I’m sure with all your money and influence you could get her a permit in minutes.”

Levi protested, “a priest won’t require special permits. No need to waste money.”

“You want the priest for your silly religious beliefs,” Veronique scolded, “but Bobbie does not share your same religion nor views on who God is. Her words will be more heartfelt and genuine if they came from a place which does not make her uncomfortable.”

Bobbie watched as Levi’s mouth opened in protest and waited for his rebuttal, but Olivier cut him off, holding up his phone. “Prue says she still holds special license in Louisiana as she was often called in to fill in on the family court circle here when there was a shortage of judges. She can do it with no special permits. We need only our marriage license which is coming today. A magistrate from the local county clerk’s office is coming here so we can avoid the press hounding us at the office and causing a spectacle.”

“You’ve thought of everything!” Elise said sarcastically.

“I have. Your dresses are coming with Mauricio. The men’s suits will be tomorrow. I already have Grady, Riggs, Henri, and Soren’s measurements. Timon, Walt, Papa, I, and Max will be fitted tomorrow. Gael refused to be fitted.”

“He’s going to wear a white cowboy suit. You know he will.” Meri sighed loudly thinking of her father

Bobbie giggled. “I hope he does. So far, this wedding sounds very traditional. I like a little pizazz.”

“Good thing.” Veronique commented, “because if there is anything the blowhard Gael Moreno knows how to do it’s show off with pizazz.”

Bobbie looked at her and grimaced, “after what you just did in the yard you have something to say about his antics?”

“I’ve never killed a boy’s dog or a man for that matter. His hands aren’t stained with the oil of his fields.”

“Enough in front of the kids,” Fiona warned Veronique. “He is their grandfather as much as you are their grandmother. Stop the feud for the sake of the wedding please.” She grinned suddenly, “Olivier is going to be cranky enough as it is since he can’t sleep with his fiancée until the wedding night now.”

Levi’s laugh was loud, “too true.”

“I feel I am safer sleeping on the banks of the river than with the snakes in this room,” Olivier looked to his father and grandmother. “I am believing you’ve plotted against me.”

“Olivier,” Bobbie touched his arm. “Do you believe in this?” she waved to Veronique.

“Let me say it to you this way. I will not be sleeping in our room until our wedding night.”

“You’re a man of science and numbers,” Bobbie stared at him.

“I’m also a descendant of a witch. I know better than to mess with voodoo magic.”

“Huh,” Bobbie looked to Veronique in awe. “Impressive. You have them all spellbound.”

“I will make a believer of you,” Veronique smirked.

“Mom, am I a witch too?” Ollie ran to her chair and stared at Veronique excitedly.

“You all carry my b***d,” Veronique winked at Ollie. “I can teach you a special incantation.”

“No!” the entire group of adults spoke at once.

Mireille appeared and spoke loudly, “I need help getting lunch out here. You boys get off your bottoms and come help me.”

“Yes ma’am.” Levi pushed his chair back.

Bobbie almost laughed at how fast he was moving, and she knew it was because he was going to corner Olivier away from Veronique. Evidently, he was not in agreement with the change of officiant. She met Veronique’s eyes over the table and saw her knowing smirk. She smiled back.

“Bobbie,” Meri interrupted her thoughts. “I wanted to check with you whether you were truly okay with how fast things are going. Are you okay?”

She nodded at her, “I am good with everything. It’s what I want. We have wasted too many years. I am ready for the life I deserve to have with Olivier to begin.”

“This makes my heart happy.”

Bobbie gripped her hand across the table, “and you and Levi are all good?”

“Yes. We prayed a lot together.”

“It wasn’t the only reason she was on her knees,” Veronique cackled at Meri’s blush

“Terrible,” Meri cursed her.

“Am I wrong?”

Fiona gave a shriek, “do not answer. We do not need to know.”

Elise nodded vigorously. “I agree. Enough. Are you excited for the spa thing tomorrow?” She asked Bobbie

“What spa thing?”

“The mad groom booked you a spa day. It’s a traveling spa. She’s coming tomorrow with her entourage to pamper you. He didn’t tell you?”

“No.” She shrugged. “I’m just going with the flow at this point. I’m happy to let him handle everything. It’s making him happy. I think he’s dreamed of a wedding far more than I did.”

“Did you make him eat crow?” Veronique asked with a gleam in her eye. “I hope you made him beg.”

“He was stubborn, so she sent him to sleep with kids in the tent!” Meri exclaimed with unbridled glee. “Ollie puked all over him at three in the morning. Timon threatened him within an inch of his life if he woke her to help clean them up”

“Timon did?” Bobbie questioned.

“Yes. He told him you’d done enough over the last eight years, so it was his turn to do it on his own.”

“I love the men in this family are teachable,” Bobbie grinned

“They are but sometimes it’s fun to screw with them.” Elise smiled.

“It sure is!” Bobbie enjoyed the feeling of being included in this family. “Everly and the group will be here Friday evening. I can’t wait for her to be here. She likes to push Olivier’s buttons.”

“You will be having babies at the same time again,” Veronique waved at her and Fiona.

“Is my mom going to have a baby?” Ollie openly eavesdropping on the adults.

“I’m not pregnant,” she glared at Veronique who laughed.

“I’m seeing three babies.” She didn’t back down

Bobbi shot her a look. Of course, she saw three. Fiona. Everly and then if whatever the cleansing thing worked then her. She tried to hide her smile in the glass of wine, but it was hard. She was excited to try for a baby. Where she had been terrified the first time around, with Olivier and the Hoffmans and the Villeneuve families as her supporters this time would be different.

Max approached her suddenly ducking under her arm. “Maman, if you have a baby can we pick the names? I want to pick the boy’s name.”

“What if I have a girl?”

He made a face, “you can’t. There are too many girls already. The odds have to work sometime.”

Bobbie and the women at the table laughed at his expense. Something told Bobbie her son was in a world of disappointment based on the grin on Veronique’s face