Xavier (Men of Forbidden Temptation Book 5)

Chapter 8

I’m moreconfused now than I was twenty years ago, just entering basic training on the very first day.

Why did the mayor teach a child defensive driving? Why would she even need to know that while living in a small town?

Nothing today is adding up. The stories don’t align. The events seem sketchy at best. And it all points back to the mayor.

The truth will come out in the end.

I glance toward the front door, surprised that no one has come yet. “We need to go.”

Brianna scoffs and pours herself another shot. “No, we don’t. We have to call the police and wait for them to get here.”

She needs to get home and get the truth from her father about what is happening, but I can’t tell her that. She won’t believe me.

“I’ll call them and wait for them to arrive. You can leave. Go straight home. My buddy Hudson is there and will be waiting for you.”

“I’m not going to go home where some stranger is waiting for me. Do I look stupid? You don’t know what’s going on. Besides, I’m still waiting for my uncle.”

She’s a pain in my ass, but one I don’t mind being around.

A smirk forms on my face. “I know more than you think, Princess.”

Sure, I know it’s not wise to annoy her with the nickname, but the way she gets riled up is sexy as hell.

“Princess? I don’t think so.” She purses her lips before downing her shot. “You’ve got some nerve thinking you can boss me around and talk down to me. I’m not like other women. I don’t need or want your approval.”

My smirk morphs into a full on grin. “I think deep inside you’re more sweet than sour.”

“Keep dreaming because you’ll never find out.”

She’s fiery, stubborn, and unlike anyone I’ve ever met before. I feel drawn toward her, like a moth to a flame.

I’m starting to feel things I have no business feeling. I’m feeling like I want to be around her more and more.

I’m feeling like I want her to keep defying my wants and wishes with her smartass remarks.

A desire is building inside of me and I only want her to stoke it.

She pulls her phone out of her pocket and makes a call. “Hey, Lieutenant, I didn’t want to call the emergency number, but we have a situation at the seafood shack.”

She pauses as he says something to her.

“There’s been a break in and a murder.”

He must be yelling because she pulls the phone away from her ear.

While she’s occupied with the Lieutenant, I grab my phone and check my messages from Hudson.

He sent the phone number I asked for, so I call the one guy I really don’t want to but need to.

The phone rings and rings and rings.

Is Hudson keeping him busy?

Right before it switches to voicemail, he picks up.

“Hey, Xavier, what can I do for you?”

His tone is a bit uncertain, but I don’t pay it any attention. We’re going to have a long conversation as soon as Brianna is safely home.

I let out a deep sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose as Brianna animatedly throws her arm in the air and gestures to the dead body.

“I need your help.” I finally say.

“What do you need?”

“Come to Zach’s Seafood Shack and bring Hudson. It’s a shitshow.”

I hang up the phone, not waiting for his reply. I know he will come, but I send Hudson a text informing him of the situation.

He replies almost instantly.

He’s riding with me. ETA eleven minutes.

I don’t bother replying because Brianna hangs up her phone and heads to the kitchen to retrieve a plate of pie and the pie tin.

“Would you like some?”

How is she eating after everything she just witnessed?

I stare at her to make sure she is feeling alright. “No, I’m fine. Thank you, though.”

She shrugs and digs into the half-eaten slice of pie that’s on her plate.

Paramedics may need to check on her to make sure she’s not having a mental crisis.

She’s deflecting and in denial.

Both of which are understandable given the circumstances.

Footsteps approach the front door and Brianna ducks behind the bar, squatting so whoever is coming can’t see her.

She’s jumpy and on edge despite trying to act like everything is alright.

“Bri?” a man calls as he gets closer to the front door.

She stands up from behind the bar just as her uncle Zach walks through the front door.

His gaze moves from her to me to the dead guy on the floor before finally landing back on her.

She runs around the bar into his open arms. Her breath is shaky and if I didn’t know any better, I’d say she was crying, but she’s not the type to cry in public.

After several long moments, Zach pulls back to look her over. “Are you hurt?”

“No, I’m fine.”

His gaze meets mine, and I shake my head.

She walks back over to the bar. “Would you like pie?”

His expression says it all.

Pie at a time like this? There’s a dead body laying on the floor fifteen feet away.

“No, thank you.”

He sits down on a stool a little away from me. “So, what happened here?”

“Uncle Zach, you know we can’t really talk about it without the police.”

I raise my eyebrow at her, which causes her to roll her eyes.

“Okay, fine. I can talk about it, but why would we? He was shot, and the killers ran away.”

Zach glances at me, and I shrug. “He was shot before I got here.”

Sure, I might know more about the three guys and their warehouse, but I’m not showing my cards until I know more.

“Why was he shot?”

“How should I know? He came in here while I was eating pie, ransacked the place, and then was confronted by his friends.”

Her gaze moves to the floor before meeting mine.

She knows more than she’s letting him know, but why wouldn’t she tell him everything?

Wasn’t she his favorite?

Did the killer say something about her uncle?

I need to get to the bottom of this before they strike again.

In between bites of her pie, Brianna says, “I haven’t looked at the destruction they caused, but it sounded like a lot. I’d be surprised if you still have an office. You might want to check to see if anything is salvageable.”

Zach gets up from his stool and heads through the kitchen door.

My gaze follows his retreating figure before turning to Brianna. “He probably shouldn’t be back there. At least not until the police get here to report the damage and take everyone’s statement.”

“They will be here soon enough. Besides, he has to call his insurance company and start a claim. It will be easier to do that once he sees what damage has been done.”

She shoves another bite of pie into her mouth. She’s subtly fishing for more information from him. But what? I don’t know, yet.

What happened while Everett was ransacking the place?

What was said between the three partners before Everett was shot?

Was Zach mentioned in their conversation? What about the mayor?

How does Zach and the mayor fit in with the cartel?

I need answers. I’m tired of all these damn questions.

Getting my mind off the questions in my mind, I say, “I don’t think insurance agents will come out until after the hurricane is long gone.”

“Maybe. Maybe not.” She shrugs.

“There’s no maybe. The storm is going to hit within the next twelve to twenty-four hours. No one is coming out besides the police and the coroner. So, why are you so worried about him looking at the damage?”

Brianna places her fork down and plants her hands on the bar.

“My uncle has sacrificed a lot in order to keep this restaurant running. It’s not as profitable as we want, so of course, I don’t want to see him struggle to fix the place up after a nonsense crime was committed.”

Her gaze leaves mine for a second as it goes to the kitchen door. I feel bad for sticking my nose in her family’s business, but the cartel wants something from her family.

And if we don’t figure out what it is, someone else will end up like Everett here.

She sighs and picks her fork back up, suddenly looking defeated. “I just care about my family. That’s all. They are the only ones I have.”

“I can understand that. I’m living in my dead father’s house in a town I’ve never stepped foot in before last week. I’m in between jobs and still trying to figure life out.”

Not that I need to work with my retirement pay, but I don’t want to sit at home alone for the rest of my life either.

And as far as figuring out life, well, that one is on the back burner until I sort this situation out.

Her facial expression softens. “You don’t have any other family here?”

I shake my head. “To be honest, I was surprised to find out my dad moved down here. My nearest family is a half day’s drive away.”

Not that they’d open their doors for me if I showed up on their front porch.

She scoffs. “What’s so bad about being down here?”

“Nothing.” If you like everyone in your business. I add, “But my father was close to his family, and this town isn’t close at all.”

Our conversation is cut off when Zach storms back through the swinging kitchen door, looking frantic.

He immediately walks over to the cash register, pushes a button to open it, and pulls out the tray.

It’s obvious that he’s looking for something.

Is it something that the killer took before fleeing? Is it what they were looking for the entire time?

Brianna raises an eyebrow as she watches him tear through the contents in the bottom of the drawer. “Uh, Uncle Zach, is everything alright?”

He closes the register and walks over to the hostess stand. “Uh, yeah.”

Brianna isn’t satisfied with his bullshit answer and her face shows her discontentment straight away. “Are you looking for something?”

He glances around nervously. “I think I misplaced something.”

She eats another bite of pie and tries to act uninterested. She waits a few moments before asking, “What is it? Maybe I’ve seen it.”

Zach’s tone is sharp and a tad aggressive. “You haven’t seen it before.”

Brianna keeps at it, asking one question after the other. “Well, what was it? Where was the last place you had it? If I haven’t ever seen it, who has? Maybe that person has it.”

“It was in my office, but it’s just something silly that I kept for good luck. It’s really nothing important.”

He’s lying. What could his good luck charm be? If that’s really what it is.

Brianna must be thinking the same thing I am because her face lights up and a smile forms on her face.

“Oh, well, if it’s nothing important, I can get you a new good luck charm. I have that one shark tooth we found together. It’s been lucky for me, but you can have it until you find your old good luck charm.”

Damn, this woman is incredible.

My gaze moves to Zach, who tries to cover up his true expression as he turns to face Brianna.

“That’s really nice of you, Bri, but I can’t take your good luck charm. I’ll just have to wait until the old one pops back up.”

He plasters a fake smile on his face, probably hoping it stops Brianna’s questioning, but she and I see right through his facade.

Police sirens make their way closer to us.

I guess we are out of time.

Add this so-called good luck charm to the growing list of things to find out from the mayor.

What is this family hiding? And why are they keeping family secrets from Brianna?