broken or lost.
She lost her first love, Lewis Jr., when she was fifteen. He was playing baseball and got hit in the head with the ball, which cracked his skull. Her second lover was shot trying to break up a fight at a bar. After the third one went crazy, Shou Shou stopped letting men get close to her. And poor Belle, one of her nieces, had only ever been with a man long enough to break her heart. Marjorie never did let love in. She died before it even got close. But Marlowe? Oh, that Marlowe. That girl had a head as hard as a rock and a heart as big as the world. Her first husband ended up on drugs, and nobody had heard from him in years. This next one, the one she called Eddie, just up and disappeared out of the blue one day.
There was another man, though, circling that girl like a shark. And that was the one who worried her most. Shou Shou had managed to convince Marlowe to create a cross-me-not barrier in front of her house, telling her that it would keep those reporters from coming up to her door. It had kept away the reporters, but most importantly, it had kept him away, too. The rains were coming soon. Shou Shou could smell it in the air. They would wash away those barriers and leave Marlowe vulnerable to him, and he was likely the type to be ready to pounce on that girl as soon as opportunity allowed him.
Shou Shou could sense him in her spirit, shadowing Marlowe. Marlowe made his mouth water and his palms sweat. He was a devourer, a darkness that could gobble her up and swallow her whole if she wasnât careful, and Marlowe had always been too foolish to be careful. Of all her girls, she was the one who had always worried Shou Shou the most. Marlowe was the careless one, the flighty one too quick to follow her heart and give in to her emotions. Passion flowed through her veins like blood, and it was the passion in her that would be her downfall.
Shou Shou had to try, though. If she could keep that protection over Marlowe and her house, and keep that girl from opening that door and inviting him in, he would leave. He had no ties here. It was only a matter of time before he knew it and moved on. But if he got his hands on her, his lips, then he would do whatever it took to own her, and her dumb ass would let him. Shou Shou had no doubt about this. Oh, he was good-looking, a sensual character, full of charm and charisma that could make a woman lose her good sense over him. He was the most beautiful of all Godâs angels. Lucifer was no monster. No, chile. Not at all.
There was no need to close her eyes. Shou Shou opened up her heart and closed off her own personal thoughts as soon as she began this chant. It was old. It had been born of her ancestors from every corner of this world: French, Pascagoula, and Songhai. She murmured in all the languages from her ancestors, calling out for help, for each of them to rain down their powers of protection over Marlowe. Shou Shou rocked in slow circles on the floor in front of those candles, channeling the power of her heritage and casting it out into the universe, guiding it to Marloweâs house.
He was strong and powerful. And he had her in his sights. He wanted her, and she was too dumb to see it. Dumb? Or did she want him, too? He was beautiful, the most beautiful, and there wasnât a woman alive who could resist him. But Shou Shou held on to her hope that Marlowe would open her eyes and come to her senses before it was too late. That she would resist the magic he would weave with his mouth and hands, and turn from him. He couldnât come inside without an invitation. And she had to be the one who let him in.
Donât let him in, girl! Heâll go away if you refuse him! Heâll have no choice but to leave you alone and to leave you whole!
The power of her murmuring soon engulfed Shou Shou in a cloud of the spirit world. She and her ancestors had become one. They wondered about her.
Why are you here, girl? they asked.
Iâm fighting for the
She lost her first love, Lewis Jr., when she was fifteen. He was playing baseball and got hit in the head with the ball, which cracked his skull. Her second lover was shot trying to break up a fight at a bar. After the third one went crazy, Shou Shou stopped letting men get close to her. And poor Belle, one of her nieces, had only ever been with a man long enough to break her heart. Marjorie never did let love in. She died before it even got close. But Marlowe? Oh, that Marlowe. That girl had a head as hard as a rock and a heart as big as the world. Her first husband ended up on drugs, and nobody had heard from him in years. This next one, the one she called Eddie, just up and disappeared out of the blue one day.
There was another man, though, circling that girl like a shark. And that was the one who worried her most. Shou Shou had managed to convince Marlowe to create a cross-me-not barrier in front of her house, telling her that it would keep those reporters from coming up to her door. It had kept away the reporters, but most importantly, it had kept him away, too. The rains were coming soon. Shou Shou could smell it in the air. They would wash away those barriers and leave Marlowe vulnerable to him, and he was likely the type to be ready to pounce on that girl as soon as opportunity allowed him.
Shou Shou could sense him in her spirit, shadowing Marlowe. Marlowe made his mouth water and his palms sweat. He was a devourer, a darkness that could gobble her up and swallow her whole if she wasnât careful, and Marlowe had always been too foolish to be careful. Of all her girls, she was the one who had always worried Shou Shou the most. Marlowe was the careless one, the flighty one too quick to follow her heart and give in to her emotions. Passion flowed through her veins like blood, and it was the passion in her that would be her downfall.
Shou Shou had to try, though. If she could keep that protection over Marlowe and her house, and keep that girl from opening that door and inviting him in, he would leave. He had no ties here. It was only a matter of time before he knew it and moved on. But if he got his hands on her, his lips, then he would do whatever it took to own her, and her dumb ass would let him. Shou Shou had no doubt about this. Oh, he was good-looking, a sensual character, full of charm and charisma that could make a woman lose her good sense over him. He was the most beautiful of all Godâs angels. Lucifer was no monster. No, chile. Not at all.
There was no need to close her eyes. Shou Shou opened up her heart and closed off her own personal thoughts as soon as she began this chant. It was old. It had been born of her ancestors from every corner of this world: French, Pascagoula, and Songhai. She murmured in all the languages from her ancestors, calling out for help, for each of them to rain down their powers of protection over Marlowe. Shou Shou rocked in slow circles on the floor in front of those candles, channeling the power of her heritage and casting it out into the universe, guiding it to Marloweâs house.
He was strong and powerful. And he had her in his sights. He wanted her, and she was too dumb to see it. Dumb? Or did she want him, too? He was beautiful, the most beautiful, and there wasnât a woman alive who could resist him. But Shou Shou held on to her hope that Marlowe would open her eyes and come to her senses before it was too late. That she would resist the magic he would weave with his mouth and hands, and turn from him. He couldnât come inside without an invitation. And she had to be the one who let him in.
Donât let him in, girl! Heâll go away if you refuse him! Heâll have no choice but to leave you alone and to leave you whole!
The power of her murmuring soon engulfed Shou Shou in a cloud of the spirit world. She and her ancestors had become one. They wondered about her.
Why are you here, girl? they asked.
Iâm fighting for the
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