Beau (Bayou Brotherhood Protectors #4)

CHAPTER 8

“Well,” Beau said, “let’s go in, get a few of your things and then head back to Bayou Mambaloa.”

Aurelie took a deep breath. “Okay. I’m feeling better about the little house in Bayou Mambaloa. It might take me a little while before I feel safe in my own home again.”

Beau dropped down out of his pickup and came around to open the door for Aurelie. He held out his hand to her.

Aurelie had always considered herself an independent woman, but she was glad Beau had come along when he had. She wasn’t sure what she would’ve done had he not. She probably would’ve drowned in the bayou or gotten eaten by an alligator. She let him help her down from the truck to stand in front of him on the ground. For a moment, she stared up into his handsome face, marveling again at how blue his eyes were. She’d been entranced by them at the masquerade ball. That had to be why she’d let him kiss her on the dance floor.

The memory of that kiss made heat rise up her neck into her cheeks. Aurelie ducked her head and turned toward the house.

Beau cupped her elbow, fanning the flames as he walked with her to her house.

The heat chilled as she climbed the steps onto the porch.

She’d been there the night before, but it felt like she hadn’t been there for a long time. Aurelie pulled the front door key out of her pocket and handed it to Beau. “If you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind,” Beau said. “Like the sheriff said, you’ll need to get new locks installed before you move back in.”

“And a security system,” Aurelie added.

“That would be a good idea,” Beau said

He unlocked the door and pushed it open. “Let me go first.”

Aurelie had no problem with letting Beau enter first. A burglar would be stupid to lie in wait inside a house under investigation by law enforcement. But then, whoever was after her had not been deterred by a chateau full of guests.

Beau entered her home, leaving the door wide open. Aurelie could see him moving around as he checked in the kitchen, the living room and then disappeared into the hallway leading to the bedrooms.

Moments later, he returned and said, “All clear.”

Aurelie crossed the threshold into her home with a sad, sick feeling in her belly. She’d seen it the night before, but in the cold light of day, it still hit her in the gut.

Beau gripped her elbow. “Let’s get your things and get out of here.”

She nodded, squared her shoulders, and marched down the hallway to the master bedroom, refusing to look at the trashed living room.

She hadn’t gotten that far the night before. Her bedroom was as much of a disaster as the rest of her house. The dresser drawers had been yanked out, and the clothes inside had been flung across the room. Her bed, which she had taken pride in making every morning with its beautiful comforter, was a shambles. The comforter had been ripped as if somebody had jabbed a knife into it and flung it across the room. Like the comforter, the sheets had been ripped down the middle. Even the mattress had a big tear down the center. Aurelie pressed a hand to her chest. Had she been lying in that bed when the intruder had slashed the mattress, would he have slashed through her as well?

Beau laid a hand on her shoulder. “Focus on getting the clothes you need.”

Aurelie swallowed hard, nodded and stepped over the mess.

Beau walked towards the closet and grabbed a gym bag that had been thrown on the floor. He unzipped it and laid it down next to Aurelie’s feet.

Not wanting to stay there any longer than she had to, Aurelie picked through the clothes on the floor and shoved underwear, bras, shirts and jeans into the gym bag. Though her natural inclination was to set everything to rights, the mess was so big she couldn’t fathom where to begin. Once the bag was full, she grabbed a pair of tennis shoes, a nice pair of heels and a couple of dresses that had been thrown out of her closet. She jammed them into the bag and zipped it closed.

“Toiletries?” Beau prompted. “How about that conditioner?” he said with a smile.

Aurelie entered the bathroom, her heart sinking to the very pit of her belly. The mirror over the sink had been smashed, and more spray paint had been splashed across the wall, which had the same message as in the living room.

DIE BITCH!

She tried not to fixate on the message and looked around for her shampoo and conditioner.

The bottles had been upended and emptied across the floor, making it a slippery nightmare. Her makeup, brushes, curling iron and blow dryer lay in the gooey, sticky mess.

Aurelie backed out of the bathroom, shaking her head. “I just can’t.”

“Come on, babe.” Beau took her hand. “Let’s go. We can shop for what you need. The store in Bayou Mambaloa might not have exactly what you need, but they should have enough that you can get by until we make another trip to New Orleans.” He led her out of the bathroom, grabbed the gym bag and kept her moving toward the exit.

Too sick at heart to do anything else, Aurelie left her bedroom. On her way back through the house, she paused to scoop up a fuzzy pillow that hadn’t been destroyed and plucked the photograph of her family off the floor. She hugged them against her chest and gave one last look around before turning away. “I’m done,” she said and walked out the front door.

Beau closed and locked the door behind them.

Why he should bother locking the door, Aurelie didn’t know. The intruder had her key. He could come back whenever he wanted and waltz right in.

“I need to call a handyman to have those new locks installed,” she said.

Beau carried her gym bag to the truck and tossed it onto the backseat. He took the items she had in her hands and laid them on the backseat alongside the gym bag.

Aurelie climbed into the truck as if in a trance, struggling to maintain perspective. It could have been so much worse if she had been at her home when the intruder had invaded. He could have burned the house to the ground.

“Things can be replaced,” Beau said as he got into the truck beside her.

“True,” she said. “The violence of the attack at the chateau and inside her house worried her.

She wondered how long it would take for her attacker to find her in Bayou Mambaloa. She hoped not soon. In the meantime, she had Beau. She glanced over the console at the man who’d saved her in the bayou like some guardian angel, who’d appeared when she’d needed him most. How lucky she was he’d come along when he had?

Beau didn’t like the idea that he couldn’t tell Aurelie that her father had hired him. It tied his hands and made his job even harder. He needed to make phone calls to his team to get them working on background checks on the people in Aurelie’s life. Beau sat for a moment, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel.

“What are you thinking?” Aurelie asked.

“I’m thinking I need to get my cousins to keep an eye on your place,” Beau said. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to make a stop.”

“Please,” she said. “I’d appreciate any help I can get.”

“Have you been to Thibodeaux Marina?” Beau asked.

Aurelie shook her head. “I haven’t had that much time to get around to all the places in Bayou Miste. The only people I’ve really met are Ben, Lucy, Alex and Ed. I’m very involved in my father’s philanthropy, so I’m on the road a lot. I’ve been to the general store in town a couple of times and wandered through a festival, but I’ve always been in a hurry. I guess I need to slow down long enough to meet more of my neighbors.” She grimaced. “I had all good intentions of doing that after the masquerade party.”

“Well, when this is over, I’ll introduce you to the rest of the clan.” Beau turned off the main road and drove down a side street. “For now, I need to speak with my cousin Ben.”

“How does he fit in the Bayou Miste hierarchy?” she asked.

Beau grinned. “He’s number one of nineteen.”

Aurelie’s brow wrinkled. “And Alexandra?”

“Number two,” Beau said. “Ben married Lucy, the granddaughter of Bayou Miste’s infamous voodoo queen. Lucy is a sweetheart. She has a twin sister named Lisa. You might want to avoid that one. She’s been known to cause trouble. Although, I think I heard them say something about her having moved to Atlanta. Aunt Barbara said all of Bayou Miste breathed a sigh of relief when she left.”

“Why?”

“She stirred up trouble everywhere she went,” he said. “They were afraid she’d learn too much from her voodoo queen grandmother and turn everyone into toads or mushrooms.”

“Do you believe in all that voodoo stuff?” Aurelie asked.

“I keep an open mind,” Beau said. “I’ve heard of strange things happening in Bayou Miste. Things that can’t be explained away by science.”

Aurelie’s eyebrows twisted. “Like what?”

“My cousin Alexandra swears that Lucy gave her a potion bag that made her dog turn into a man.”

Aurelie eyebrows rose on her forehead. “She seriously believed that?”

Beau raised the hand. “She swears by it—and so does her friend Calliope. I can’t vouch for it. I was deployed to Iraq at the time that happened.”

Aurelie gave him a skeptical look. “I don’t know whether to be intrigued or a little leery of meeting the rest of your cousins in Bayou Miste.”

Beau laughed. “They’re harmless. A little kookie, but harmless.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

“Well, you’ve met Ben.”

“Yes,” Aurelie said. “He’s pretty normal from what I’ve seen.”

“He says that Lucy tried to put a love spell on him once. He also said he would’ve believed it worked, except he’s always been in love with her, even before she said she cast her love spell.”

Aurelie laughed. “I think I’m going to go with intrigued. Your cousins sound interesting. I look forward to meeting the rest of them.”

“I always liked coming over to Bayou Miste to visit,” Beau said. “We had grand adventures. I remember one time, as young teens, we snuck into Charlie Hughes’s watermelon patch. I almost got an ass full of buckshot for the effort.”

Aurelie chuckled. “I can picture a younger version of you sneaking into a watermelon patch.”

Beau cocked one eyebrow and glanced her way. “Oh, you can, can you?”

“I can imagine your hair being a little bit lighter blond and maybe your shoulders weren’t quite as broad. But I can imagine that smirky grin on your face. So, did Charlie Hughes tell your cousins’ mother what you all had been up to?”

“Sadly, yes,” he said. “It’s a small town. You can’t get away with much. Secrets can be hard to keep.”

“Were you all punished?” she asked.

Beau nodded. “She could’ve had us all go pick our own switch for an old-fashioned spanking. Instead, she had us go back to Charlie Hughes’s farm and help pull weeds in the watermelon patch. We had to spend the entire day pulling weeds while our friends went swimming.”

“That had to hurt,” Aurelie said with a grin.

“It did,” Beau said. “But Charlie Hughes worked alongside us. He didn’t say much, but he did tell us enough about raising watermelons, how to plant them and how to tell when they were ripe. Because you see, the watermelon we tried to steal was green. At the end of the day, he had each of us pick a ripe watermelon. He sent us home with the melon.”

Aurelie smiled. “What a nice thing for him to do.”

“After the watermelon patch incident, whenever I visited, we all went over to Charlie Hughes’s and helped him weed his watermelon patch. Sometimes, it was the corn patch or the cantaloupes. Then we’d sit with him on the porch at the back of his house and eat the fruits of our labors. He told us stories of when he was a teenager and got caught stealing watermelon from his neighbor’s watermelon patch. Only his neighbor wasn’t nearly as nice. He’d vowed to handle it differently if it ever happened to him. So, in a way, he was kind of glad to have the opportunity to do it right.”

“I kind of love that story.” Aurelie stared out the window as they drove into Bayou Miste. “I think I’m going to like this town.”

“It is a pretty great place to live,” he said. “Bayou Mambaloa is very much like it. In towns like this, people look out for each other, for the most part.”

He pulled into the parking lot at Thibodeaux's Marina.

“Does your cousin Benjamin work here?” Aurelie asked.

“On Sundays, he likes to work with Joe Thibodeaux, the man who owns the marina,” Beau said. “If he’s not here, we’ll swing by his house.”

Beau got out of the truck. Aurelie met him at the front, and they walked together down to the marina and into the building, which had signs posted outside advertising bait and fishing gear for sale.

As he entered the building, Beau stood just inside the door, allowing his eyes to adjust to the dim lighting.

“Beau Boyette, is that you?” a voice boomed. Benjamin Boyette came out from behind the counter at the far end of the store, wearing a baseball cap and a T-shirt with a faded Led Zeppelin logo scrawled across it. “Man, is it good to see you.” He wrapped his arms around Beau and hugged him so tightly Beau could barely breathe.

Beau hugged his cousin back just as hard. His heart swelled, and his eyes misted. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed his cousin, his family and his home. More than that, he missed the innocence and simplicity of the life he’d had growing up. Seeing Ben brought it all back. But home wasn’t the same. No. Beau wasn’t the same.

Benjamin clapped him on the back several times, pushed him to arm’s length and stared into his face. “How are you?”

Beau dipped his head. “Good. I see some things never change. You’re still helping out here at the marina…?”

Benjamin nodded. “I’m trying to get Joe to bring the place into the twenty-first century. He did get several new bass boats for his boat rental business.”

“I’ll have to check them out,” Beau said.

“He had to do it since the old ones were disappearing.”

“Disappearing?” Beau gave Benjamin a quizzical look.

“Strangers would rent them and never bring them back.” Beau’s cousin shook his head. “They’d give what appeared to be real driver’s licenses, use a credit card and then poof!” He waved his hand as if casting a magic spell. “The men and boats left and never returned. We suspect they were running drugs through the bayou.”

“Damn. And Joe’s replacing them?” Beau’s brow wrinkled. “Why?”

His cousin grinned. “I came up with a plan to put a stop to asset loss.”

“How did you do that?” Beau asked.

“I attached a tracking device to each boat. The tracking application keeps tabs on where it goes and shows the path it took. You can count on the tracker to display exactly where the boat is at any given time.” He grinned. “Just a week ago, we had one of those rent-and-run situations. When the man didn’t bring the boat back by closing time, we brought up the application, closed the marina and took another boat out to find the missing one.”

“Did you find it?” Beau asked.

Benjamin grinned. “We did. It had been abandoned beneath a cypress tree with branches that bent low enough to dip into the water. People just passing by in other watercraft wouldn’t be able to see the abandoned boat behind the veil of cypress branches. We recovered the new boat and have been renting it out since with no problem.”

“Do you tell your clients that you’re recording their routes?” Aurelie asked.

“Joe and I talked about being transparent with our customers and decided it wasn’t worth scaring them away from renting boats at the marina again. Most people who rent are good people looking to have a great day boating or fishing. The trackers are for the dirtbags stealing the boats. We want the good people back to generate more income.”

Beau pounded his cousin’s back. “Glad it’s working out for you.”

“Enough about boats...How the hell are you?” Benjamin’s brow formed a V over his nose. “We heard about the crash. We were so glad you survived.” Ben hugged him again.

Beau didn’t respond. Mention of the crash only resurrected that hard lump in his throat whenever he thought about his team. The men who had been his brothers were now gone. Kemper, Wykowski, Jones, Cortez, Martin, Cooley and Biggs. The men he’d fought alongside. The guys with whom he’d shared meals, drinks, training exercises and missions. All gone. Everyone but Beau had died in that helicopter crash. The heavy weight of loss threatened to overwhelm Beau. He couldn’t let it. He drew in a deep breath and let it out.

Ben stared into his eyes. “I’m so sorry about your team. I know they had to have meant a lot to you. But we’re glad you’re home.” Ben dropped his arms to his side. “So, how’s the new job?”

Ben’s question brought Beau back to the present and what he needed to focus on. “It’s good.” He turned to Aurelie, eager to move Ben away from questioning him more about his job, thus cluing Aurelie into the fact that he was her bodyguard. “Ben, I believe you’ve met Aurelie.”

Ben held out his hand to Aurelie. “Yes, we met at the Raccoon Saloon. You bought the old Dupree place on the edge of town.”

Aurelie nodded and shook Ben’s hand. “That’s me,” she said. “I moved in several weeks ago. I just haven’t had time to get around and meet all the residents of Bayou Miste. I was glad to meet you, Alex and your spouses.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll meet the rest of the crew all too soon,” Ben said. “People around here have a way of getting all up in your business. Before long, you’ll know everyone.”

Aurelie grinned. “I look forward to that. And it’s nice to meet you. Lucy was very welcoming when she came over the other day and brought me the talisman to keep me safe.”

Ben’s brow wrinkled. “I’d be careful with whatever Lucy cooks up. You never know what it is or what it’s going to do. That Voodoo hoodoo stuff can get a little dicey at times.”

“How’s she doing?” Beau asked.

“She’s doing great,” Ben said with a smile. “She’s been working with her grandmother on natural remedies. She’s learned a lot and has opened up a shop in town. It’s been a pretty cool tourist attraction. The shop carries homemade candles, incense, voodoo dolls and the natural remedies that her grandmother has shown her how to make out of plants and herbs you can find in the bayou. It’s pretty popular with the tourists and with the locals. So popular, she’s making decent money—and it keeps her too busy to meddle with casting spells.” He frowned. “At least, I think it does.”

“Sounds great,” Beau said. “I’m glad she’s making a name for herself and found her calling.”

“She’s about to get even busier.” Ben’s grin widened. “We’re expecting a baby.”

Beau pulled his cousin in for another hug, clapping him on the back. “That’s great news. I can’t believe you’re going to be a father.”

Ben blinked. “I know. I’m still trying to get used to the idea.”

“If you have a boy, will you let him run wild in the bayou like we did?” Beau asked.

Ben’s eyes widened. “Actually, I’m a bit terrified. What if he turns out to be just like me? I won’t be able to hold him back.”

Beau laughed. “That is something to be terrified about. We did get into a lot of trouble. I’m surprised we lived through our teen years.”

“Exactly.” Ben frowned. “I barely lived through childhood. How can I keep a mini-me alive to adulthood?”

“I’m sure you’ll do great as a father,” Beau said. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks. I hope you’re right.” Ben looked from Beau to Aurelie. “Did you come to Bayou Miste just to visit me, or can I help you with something?”

Beau’s smile faded. “I don’t know if you heard the news, but Aurelie’s place was broken into last night.”

Ben’s eyebrows rose. “I hadn’t heard that. I’m sorry.” He stared at Aurelie. “Are you all right?”

Aurelie nodded. “I wasn’t there at the time.”

“We were at the masquerade ball at Gautreaux Chateau,” Beau said. “Her father, Senator Anderson, is running for reelection. They were having a fundraiser at the chateau. Aurelie was attacked on the bayou boardwalk outside the chateau.”

“Holy shit,” Ben exclaimed. “What the hell?”

Beau continued, “She’s had several death threats over the last few days. So, she’s kind of hanging with me until they figure out who’s behind them. She won’t be staying at her place until they determine who’s responsible.”

“Wow,” Ben said. “I’m sorry to hear that. I hope they figure it out quickly. What can I do for you in the meantime?”

Aurelie glanced toward Beau.

He held out his hand. She placed hers in his.

“If you could keep an eye on her place every once in a while, that would help,” Beau said. “If you see anybody suspicious hanging around town, get a license plate or something. Let me know. Until we figure out who is behind the threats, she’ll stay elsewhere with me. You have my number. Call me if you notice anything or anyone acting strangely.”

“Will do.” Ben nodded. “I’ll let the family know to keep an eye out, as well.”

Beau grinned. “Nineteen pairs of eyes. Make that twenty, counting your mom. That should help.”

“Speaking of mom,” Ben said. “She’ll want to know when you’re coming to dinner.”

“Tell her I’ll be by when things settle down,” Beau said. “How is she?”

Ben’s lips twisted. “Working on her next project.”

“And which one of your siblings is she trying to match now?” Beau said with a grin.

Ben shook his head. “She’s set on finding matches for Harry and Truman. They’re ready to move to the other side of the world to avoid that nonsense.”

Beau laughed. “Why are they so worried? Didn’t she find Alexandra a husband?”

“She did.” Ben’s lips twisted. “That’s the problem. Now, she thinks she’s got the corner on the market of matchmaking. She’s not satisfied to just concentrate on her own children, she’s been helping some of the other young singles in Bayou Miste. I heard she’s working on Alexandra’s friend Calliope.”

Beau shook his head. “I’ve been gone way too long,” he said. “To me, Alexandra and Calliope are still the little girls with pigtails, following around behind us when we went on our adventures. I have to admit I can’t see Alexandra allowing your mother to find a match for her.”

“Oh, she resisted.” Ben snorted. “But damned if Ed isn’t perfect for her. They found a place halfway between Morgan City and Baton Rouge, so that they didn’t have to give up their jobs.”

Beau tilted his head. “Does Alex still have her gym?”

Ben nodded. “And her husband, Ed, works with the Criminal Investigations Division of the Louisiana State Police Department.”

“I bet he’s got some stories to tell,” Beau said.

“They never would’ve met had he not been here protecting a witness that he hid out in the bayou to keep her safe so that she could testify against a mobster.”

“Sounds like a good guy.” Beau smiled. “I’m glad Alexandra found someone to love.”

Ben nodded. “Yeah. Someone who values her independence and stubborn streak. They are perfect for each other.”

“And I’m happy to see that you and Lucy are back together,” Beau said. “You were so tight when we were teens. I’m glad you worked things out between the two of you.”

“Me too,” Ben said. “Life is never boring with Lucy around.” He turned to Aurelie. “I look forward to getting to know you better. Lucy had good things to say about you after her visit.”

Aurelie smiled. “It was very nice of her to welcome me. Hopefully, this drama will settle down, and I can spend more time getting to know my neighbors in Bayou Miste.”

“It will,” Beau said. “For now, we’re heading out.”

Ben walked with them to the door. “Let me know when you’re ready for a little fishing or frog gigging.”

“Ew.” Aurelie grimaced. “Leave me out of that invite.”

Ben laughed. “I will.” He waved from the door as Bean and Aurelie walked out to the truck.

Beau opened the passenger side door and helped Aurelie up into her seat. He closed the door and rounded the truck, getting into the driver side.

Aurelie smiled. “I like your cousin.”

“He’s a good man,” Beau said. “You’d like their entire family. They can be a little overwhelming, especially when you have them all together at one time. But they don’t know a stranger, and they make you feel like one of the family from day one. I always loved coming to visit.”

Aurelie stared out the front windshield as they drove away. “You really are lucky to have a big family. It must be nice.”

Beau shrugged. “Depends on the day of the week. It can be great, and it can be a pain in the ass. Sometimes, you just want to get away from them.”

“At least you have a choice of being with them or getting away,” she said. “When you’re an only child, you don’t have that choice.”

He shot a glance toward her. “Was it lonely growing up without brothers and sisters?”

Aurelie lifted a shoulder and let it fall. “For the most part, as an only child, you don’t know what you’re missing. It was when I was with my friends who had siblings that I could see how it could be, good and bad. I always wished I had at least one brother or sister. As it was, my mom and my dad were my friends when my friends weren’t around. It’s not the same as having another kid to pay with. I was around adults more than I was around children, except in school.”

“Well, you’re welcome to borrow any of my siblings whenever you get a hankering for a brother or sister,” Beau offered. “Just be aware that they might kick, pull your hair or spit.”

Aurelie laughed. “Nice of you to offer them. They may not agree to being loaned out.”

“They’re all pretty outgoing. They like meeting new people and making friends.” He smiled. “I’m sure they’d love you.”

“Thanks.” The corners of Aurelie’s lips tipped upward in a thoughtful smile.

As he drove into Bayou Mambaloa, Beau made a decision and a detour to the old boat factory. “Remember when I said I have some friends who might be able to help us?”

She nodded.

“I’d like you to meet them,” he said. “They could help determine who’s targeting you.”

“I’ll take any help I can get,” she said. “Are they in law enforcement?”

“Not exactly,” Beau said. He didn’t know how much to tell her, but he wanted to tap into the resources Brotherhood Protectors had available to them. The sooner they did, the better.

“My friends are former military men, like me, from various branches, all former special forces. They belong to an organization called the Brotherhood Protectors. They have special assets available to them that could help us search through the backgrounds of people you’ve come into contact with. They might also be able to keep up with the sheriff’s department. They could tap into information about the case and feed that back to us in a timelier manner. That way, we won’t have to stop at the sheriff’s office several times a day.”

“That sounds good. Anything they can do to help would be great.” Her eyes narrowed. “So, they’re protectors? Is that like bodyguards? Or are they more like private investigators?”

“A little bit of both. They’re also capable of rescuing people in tight situations, like if somebody was kidnapped and held hostage. Those of us who were in Special Operations on active duty performed missions like that. We went in and extracted individuals who were held as prisoners or hostages for ransom.”

Aurelie stared across the console at him. “Are they performing these functions in a civilian capacity now that they’re out of the military?” Aurelie asked.

Beau nodded, bracing for when she realized his connection to the brotherhood and her.

Her frown deepened, and she tipped her head to the side. “Your cousin said something about your new job.” She shot a narrow-eyed glance toward him. “Are you working for the Brotherhood Protectors with your friends?”

The woman wasn’t stupid. Beau wouldn’t pretend that she was, and he wouldn’t continue to lie. “I am.”

“Sounds interesting and exciting,” she said. “Is there much call for that kind of service?”

“More than you think,” Beau said.

“It’s sad to think there’s enough trouble at home that we need a service like that. But I guess I’m glad there are people like you and your friends who are qualified to handle it.”

He glanced in her direction again, trying to read into her expression and body language.

She stared straight-faced at the boat factory as they approached.

He had no clue what she was thinking, which made Beau even more nervous than if she’d blasted him for not telling her that he was her bodyguard.

Whatever was going through her mind, he would weather it when it hit. Right now, he needed his team to work on finding out who had attacked her, who had trashed her home and was continuing to send death threats. If it pissed her off that her father had hired him to be her bodyguard, she’d have to get over it. The goal was to keep her safe. He needed all the help he could get.

He pulled into the parking lot at the old boat factory.

Aurelie frowned. “This is a boat factory. Why are we here?”

Beau parked and turned off the engine. “This is the Bayou Brotherhood Protectors’ headquarters.”

“Then why does that sign say Boat Factory on it?” she asked, her voice sharp, impatient.

He turned off the engine and stared at the building. “Because it’s also a boat factory.”

“Humph,” she muttered.

Based on the tension in her tone, Beau had to believe she knew.

At least now, he could work openly with his teammates.

She could be mad and even hate him. He told himself that as long as he kept her safe and alive, it didn’t matter.

But it did.