2. Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Present day
“So when are you and Fleur tying the knot?” Ezra asked as he and Tiago paused at the crosswalk.
“No way, not changing the subject. Seriously, how the hell did I not know you were from here? How have you not told anyone that?” There was a hint of hurt in Tiago’s voice. “We’ve all been living here for the better part of the year. Not to mention I’ve known you for seventeen years.”
“I’m not from here here.” He shrugged, annoyed at himself for the slipup. He’d always told them he was from Ponchatoula, which was technically true. He’d been born there, but then his mom had died and his piece of shit dad had moved closer to the Gulf Coast for work. They’d ended up on the outskirts of New Orleans for a job his dad had managed to hold on to for about a year.
Tiago just grunted and looked away from him as they stepped up onto the sidewalk. They’d just finished a job and Tiago wanted to look at different homes. They were supposed to meet up with a real estate agent tomorrow, but he’d wanted to do some research on his own first, visit some open houses.
As they walked past a little vegan diner, then an old Victorian that had been turned into a bed and breakfast, his heart skipped a beat. They were way too close to some of his old stomping grounds .
To the home of the girl who’d broken his heart. The girl, now a woman, he’d never gotten over. No matter how hard he tried.
“I’m sorry, man,” he finally muttered when it was clear Tiago wasn’t going to talk to him.
Tiago stopped on the sidewalk, turned to face him, his expression surprised as he cupped his hand around his ear. “What? Can you say that again?”
“Man, shut up,” he grumbled, nodding at incoming joggers.
He and Tiago stepped off the sidewalk as two women raced by them, expertly jumping over an uneven section in the cracked sidewalk where a magnolia tree root had busted up through the concrete.
“Oh no, I’m gonna need to hear the words again.”
Ezra started walking again, knowing they were close to the address Tiago wanted to look at. There were a few places for sale around here so they’d parked and had been eyeballing the homes from the road. Some had walls, some fences and gates, and some just open gorgeous green yards.
Tiago fell into step with him. “One day you’re going to have to accept that you’re good enough, all by yourself.”
Nearly tripping on absolutely nothing , Ezra shot his friend a sharp look. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Tiago shoved his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket as they approached a Queen Anne-style house.
And the only reason Ezra knew the type of architecture was because the girl he’d once been in love with had told him. She loved everything about this city and architecture in general. Which made sense since she’d been like third or fourth generation here and her parents had been rich as Midas from hotels and real estate. Something he wasn’t going to think about. But being back in New Orleans was messing with his head. There were too many memories of her here.
He knew he should just look her up, maybe get a visual of her and get it out of his system. But he refused to do that. Not after the way she’d ended things. In seventeen years, he’d never looked her up.
Not after… Just not after.
He rolled his shoulders once, still waiting for a response from one of his best friends. He’d known Tiago since boot camp, had been lucky enough to be stationed with him in some of the shitholes of the world. And now they worked for Redemption Harbor Security, had just opened up a new branch in New Orleans, a city that desperately needed their help.
“You keep a little bit of yourself locked away from all of us, always have. And I know what I sound like right now and I don’t care. I was talking about you with Fleur—”
“You’re talking about me now?”
“Yep. Because I’m worried about you. And she’s really insightful so I can’t take credit for any of this, but she’s right when she says that you always hold yourself apart. The fact that we literally just found out that you grew up here, not Ponchatoula, is basically Exhibit A.”
“We’re not in a courtroom.”
“Whatever, you know what I mean. And I’m just saying that whatever bullshit voice in your head is holding you back from, I don’t know, accepting who you are and where you come from, is a liar. You deserve all the good things that come your way and I hope you put down roots here.”
“You sound like a shrink,” he muttered, his friend’s words striking far too close to the truth.
“That’s not the insult you think it is.”
“Oh my god, Tiago. I love you like a brother, but enough.” He scrubbed a hand over his face as they approached the big FOR SALE sign in front of the pristine lawn. It was an open house and a couple were currently walking down the driveway, holding hands and smiling at each other.
“Fine, but I said what I said. And I mean it.” Tiago held up his hands. “I’m done.”
Ezra shoved out a breath, the tightness in his chest easing only a fraction since apparently Tiago was done. But he knew his friend, knew this wasn’t over. “I’m gonna hang tight while you head inside.”
Tiago looked as if he wanted to argue, but just nodded and strode up the long driveway to the pink and white two-story house. Ferns hung from the top and bottom porches despite it being December. It was a relatively mild one but still chilly enough to wear a jacket.
Which was a plus for him because it was easy to tuck away his pistol from sight, but still keep it close while working.
Two more couples walked out of the front door, laughing and talking to each other, so he turned away, headed back to the sidewalk. He should have just gone home today. Or to the condo he didn’t think of as home. More like a place he laid his head at night.
He didn’t think of anywhere as home. Never had. Though at one time he’d dreamed of making one with Magnolia.
But that was another lifetime ago. One he sometimes wondered if he’d imagined or dreamed up because his own life had been shit. No way had that year with Magnolia been real. But it had, and it had set the stage for everything in the future—and nothing and no one had ever compared to her. To the way she’d made him feel.
She’d seen him, the real him. And…he thought she’d accepted him.
He slid on his sunglasses as he made it to the sidewalk, mainly so he wouldn’t have to make eye contact with anyone who happened to walk by.
A champagne-colored luxury SUV pulled to a stop on the curb when another car pulled away. Someone else coming to look at the house, no doubt. Someone had died inside it, so it was being marked down. That didn’t seem to stop anyone, not in a city as purportedly haunted as this one. No, he had a feeling there would be a bidding war.
A woman with chestnut-colored hair stepped out and his breath caught in his throat. Then he ordered himself to calm down.
She was just a woman with dark hair. Not Magnolia.
But she had the same slim, elegant build. In fitted, dark jeans, four-inch heels and a short-cropped tweed jacket, she had her head down as she fiddled with something in her big purse. And all that hair was covering her face.
Jesus, the woman had no self-awareness. Sure it was a good neighborhood, but anyone could come up and rip her bag out of her hand, shove her back. Grab her keys and steal her car.
He glanced around, looking for any potential threats out of habit born long before he’d joined the Marines.
A dark SUV was slowly cruising down the cobblestone street, likely someone who lived here, was sightseeing or just wanted to see the house for sale. But then he saw it. Just a peek, but that was enough.
A suppressor slightly easing out of the driver’s side window.
He didn’t think before he moved into action, sprinting down the sidewalk in the woman’s direction. “Get down!” he shouted even as he flew through the air, tackling her behind her SUV right as glass exploded around them.
Pop. Pop. Pop.
A giant potted plant nearby shattered, soil flying out everywhere as he covered the woman’s body with his.
But he shoved up, withdrew his own pistol and aimed at the retreating SUV. The back passenger window shattered on impact and the driver took off, tires squealing as they escaped.
“Ma’am, are you—” He froze as he turned to find Magnolia pushing up from the ground.
“Ezra,” she rasped out, big blue eyes blinking in pure shock.
He was aware of footsteps thundering their way, turned, ready to draw his weapon again, but stopped when he saw that it was Tiago racing toward him.
“I already called the police,” Tiago said. “And told everyone to stay put inside the house.”
He nodded, then turned back to Magnolia to find her simply staring at him, her face pale.
As if she’d seen a ghost.