Page 1 of Pierre (Voodoo Guardians #40)

Pierre Robicheaux didn’t start out with a wonderful life, living in a house with a white picket fence, a sibling, a dog, and a cat. He had no special relatives, no real friends, and in his mind, no future. Even a child knew that to be true.

In fact, he was fairly certain his life would end before he turned ten. His native country, Haiti, was in the midst of one of its many crises. It seemed there was always a crisis in Haiti.

Gangs, drugs, volcanoes, hurricanes, starvation, political overthrow. It never ended.

While Jak Robicheaux was in Haiti with his team trying to solve a mystery, he met the love of his life, Mattie.

Mattie Smythe, the daughter of an English aristocrat, was teaching at a school that had a number of orphans, and Pierre was one of them.

When the team asked questions about the children and a strange man who tried to hurt Mattie, Pierre had the luck of sitting beside one very large, very handsome, very brave, and very, very Robicheaux man.

“What’s your name?” asked Jak.

“Pierre,” said the little boy with a huge smile of insanely white teeth.

“Mon père, c’est Pierre,” said Frank. My father is Pierre .

The boy’s face lit up with a huge smile. His coffee-colored skin shone in the warm light, his huge dark eyes smiling at the man beside him. Suddenly, he decided to open up. He began chattering away with Frank, Remy, and Robbie in French.

“Pierre is very bright for his age,” said Francoise, one of the locals they were helping. “He is only six and already knows how to spell, read, and write. He’s also learning math and is quite good at it.”

Dom, Remy, Robbie, Garrett, and Jak stared at Frank. He and Lane were unable to have children of their own but always wanted a family. They knew what Frank was rolling around in his head. It couldn’t be coincidence that the boy’s name was Pierre.

“Frank, what are you thinking?” asked Garrett.

“I’m thinking I need to call my wife later,” he said, frowning. The boy laughed at his serious face, and Frank shook his head. “I’m so screwed.”

When things quieted down for the evening, Frank found a place where he could sit and have a very important conversation with his wife, Lane.

“Listen, I know this will seem really odd, but the kid’s name is Pierre, and he’s the cutest damn thing ever. He’s smart and sweet, and he’s alone. We said we wanted a family, baby. I just feel like this is a sign,” said Frank.

Lane stared at the screen, tears in her eyes as her sweet, big, tough husband gushed about the little boy.

“I’m not sure what you thought I’d say, but it’s obvious he was meant for us,” she grinned. “Should I come there and meet him?”

“No. Not right now. I’ll bring him back with me if Francoise agrees. If he doesn’t like it, we’ll find somewhere for him.”

“I think it’s great, brother,” smiled Eric.

“Do you think it’s weird? I mean, I know nothing about raising a black child,” said Frank.

“Brother, it’s not much different than raising a white child. Love them, feed them, nurture them. The rest we can figure out as a family. There are things you should teach him about his culture and how to manage his hair,” laughed Eric, “but we’ll help with all of that.”

“He’s just so damn cute. He latched onto me right away,” said Frank. The others all smiled, laughing at him. “Hey, don’t tell Mom and Dad yet. I want to surprise them.”

“I’ll start making his room in the spare bedroom. Find out all the things he loves. Cars, planes, bicycles, everything!” smiled Lane. “Frank? I love you.”

“I love you, too, baby.” Frank ended the call and turned to face the others. “Well, I guess I’m about to be a father.”

After that conversation with Lane, he began to make arrangements to bring the child home where he belonged. They thought it could be a difficult transition for the boy, but his exceptional intelligence made it easy for him.

His intelligence and his desire to be loved and wanted by a family who loved and wanted him as much as he wanted them.

For Lane, it was love at first sight. Fluent in English and French, Pierre fit right in with all those around him.

After being rescued and taken to Belle Fleur with other children, he spotted his beloved teacher, Mattie, telling her all of his adventures and his first-ever plane ride.

Lane looked up to see Miller and Titus walking in. Frank’s father and her father. Always the first to greet new children, to make them feel more comfortable with all the big men, they wanted to meet this special group that had arrived. They kneeled beside the boy and smiled.

“Who do we have here?” asked Miller.

“My name is Pierre,” he announced proudly. Miller swallowed, staring at the boy. “This is going to be my mama.” Titus looked at Lane.

“We were going to tell you. It’s just all happened so fast. Frank found him in Haiti, and they got attached to one another. Then, when he found out his name was Pierre, it seemed obvious what we should do. Are you angry?” she asked. Miller and Titus both stared at her, shaking their heads.

“Angry?” said Miller. “How could I be angry about becoming a grandfather?”

“You’re going to be my grandpère?” asked the boy with big eyes. The two men laughed.

“Both of us,” said Titus. “Isn’t that wonderful?”

“I’ve never had a grandfather. Do I have grandmothers as well?” Titus stood, waving over Olivia and Kari.

“Pierre, I’d like you to meet my wife, Olivia, and Miller’s wife, Kari. Your grandméres.” Kari and Olivia both turned quickly, staring at their husbands.

“Pierre Robicheaux, you had better not be jacking with me,” said Kari. He laughed, kissing her cheek.

“Frank found him in Haiti and became quite attached. When he found out his name is Pierre, well, it just seemed obvious what he should do,” he grinned.

The boy smiled at the two older women, then looked back at Lane. He cocked his little head, then reached up and touched her face and frowned.

“Did it hurt, Miss Lane?” She stared at the boy, tilting her head to the side. “Did it hurt when the men broke your face? It’s a very pretty face.”

Everyone stilled, not understanding how Pierre could have known that.

Lane had been attacked and beaten, her face a far cry from its original beauty.

Thanks to those at Belle Fleur, she’d been stitched back together and healed with a new and improved face.

But no one except a skilled surgeon would have been able to see that.

No one.

“Yes,” she whispered. “It hurt a great deal, but Frank took the pain away for me, and all the good doctors and nurses here fixed my face and gave me a better face.” He kissed her nose, and she nearly broke down in front of him.

“It’s a very good face. Will I get my own bed?” he asked, moving on to the next important item. “I won’t have to share it with anyone?”

“Yes, you will get your own bed. All by yourself,” she smiled with tears in her eyes.

“Did you hear that, teacher?”

“I did hear that,” smiled Mattie. “You’re a very lucky little boy. You’re going to have a wonderful life here and lots of friends.”

“Will you still be my teacher?” he asked in perfect English.

“Well,” she laughed, “I guess I will. Won’t that be wonderful?”

“His English is very good,” said Kari. “Did you teach him that?”

“Some. He already seemed to have a good grasp of the language. His first language is French, but he doesn’t seem to struggle with English at all.”

“We’ll need help with the adoption,” said Lane. “He was living in an orphanage, but we just can’t let him go back there.”

“We’ll make it happen,” said Kari. “Pierre? What do you say we take you to your new home and show you your new room?”

“Is it okay, teacher?” Mattie looked over at Doc, who was talking to another child, and nodded. He’d been listening, as always, to every conversation.

Miller reached down, tossing the boy in the air.

“Let’s go, little man. I start my grandpère ways now!”

It was the beginning of a life his little mind could not have imagined.

The best teachers, schools, clothing, home, and relatives as far as the eyes could see.

He had grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts and uncles, great-aunts and great-uncles, and cousins and friends that filled his heart and his school.

His exceptional academic start seemed to help him thrive in his new environment. Solving high-school algebra problems in the fifth grade, he was immediately put in honors and advance placement classes.

Pierre graduated from high school at just sixteen, finished his undergraduate degree in math at twenty, and promptly joined the Army like his beloved father and grandfather. There was no doubt that he would become a Ranger.

Considered one of the finest in the entire history, he wore the badge of Robicheaux Ranger proudly.

He was handsome, intelligent, kind, loyal, and loved by hundreds, including his own men. But what he struggled with the most were his feelings for a particular young woman who was untouchable.

Until now.

“Just go and ask her to dance,” laughed Joey.

“She’s too young,” said Pierre quietly.

“She’s not too young. She’s twenty-three. She finished nursing school two years ago. She’s been working a job on a hospital ship.”

Pierre stared at one of his closest friends and frowned. Hospital ships were often attacked for their drugs on the high seas. It wasn’t exactly the safest job in the world.

“Fine. I’ll ask her to dance if you ask Bailey.”

Joey stared at Pierre and frowned. Asking the daughters of Ham and Sadie McDonald to dance was risking your life in a whole new way. With Pierre as a Ranger and Joey as a SEAL, you would think they wouldn’t be afraid of anything. And they weren’t.

Except Ham. And even more so, Sadie. She was a terror.

“Okay,” nodded Joey. “Let’s go.”

The closer Pierre got to Ambry, the butterflies became nearly out of control. She looked up at him, smiling with her huge blue eyes and waist-length blonde waves of hair. She wore a dress the color of amethysts, her heels making her nearly six-feet. Perfect for his six-foot-six.

“Hi, Ambry,” he smiled.

“Pierre,” she grinned. “I hope you’re here to ask me to dance.”

“I am,” he chuckled.

“Good. I’ve been waiting.”