Chapter Eight
Waking up in Luke’s arms had been wonderful. As Dominique drove to the café the next morning, she still felt the warmth of his body close to hers and his arm wrapped around her waist. She’d felt so safe…so protected and warm.
The kidnapping attempt that had occurred the day before now seemed oddly distant, as if it had taken place days ago. She knew it was because of so many things that had happened after the attack.
Making love with Luke and having him next to her all night long had taken away the rough edges of fear that the assault had left behind.
However, Luke couldn’t be there all the time. She had to be there for herself, and that meant staying vigilante. She had to watch her surroundings and couldn’t allow any mind lapses to make her an easy target again in the future.
As she parked behind the café, a nervous energy fluttered through her as she thought about waiting on her regulars. Was one of them responsible for the kidnapping attempt? Beneath the flirty words and easy smiles, did one of them have some sort of a dangerous obsession for her?
You will belong to me.
The words now definitely had an ominous meaning. Was it possible that one of the men she served breakfast to had written it? For the first time she could ever remember, she was dreading going in to work.
However, it was time she get her butt inside. She looked all around the parking lot before getting out of her car, and then she hurried in through the back door.
Things were wonderfully normal as she walked into the warm kitchen that smelled of frying onions and eggs, of bacon and ham and other breakfast items. Annie greeted her, as did Ed Slavoie, Annie’s right-hand man, and several other members of the staff.
She walked into the break room where Cindy Lawson and Glenda Wright, two other waitresses, were getting ready to clock in.
Sunny wasn’t working this morning, but Dominique was friendly with the other two waitresses.
There were three more waitresses scheduled to work and they should be rolling in at any time.
Once again, she dreaded seeing her regulars today. How would they all react when Daniel spoke with them? Would they be angry with her for giving him their names? Appalled that she would believe any one of them could be behind the attack on her?
By seven o’clock, the café was filling up and Dominique and the others were busy taking orders and running food. By eight o’clock, Luke walked in, looking handsome as the devil in a pair of jeans and a blue polo shirt that emphasized his broad shoulders.
His presence immediately made her feel less jittery about seeing her regulars when they came in. Luke offered her a huge grin as he sat in one of the two-tops in her section.
She walked over to the table to take his order. “Oh, you again,” she said teasingly. “Could you please tip me more than your usual five percent today? My babies are hungry and they all need new shoes.”
He laughed. “We’ll see,” he replied. “Of course, it will depend solely on the service I receive.”
“Then I’ll see if I can get it right today,” she replied.
The twinkling in his eyes dimmed a bit. “Anyone interesting in here?”
“Not yet.” She knew he was referring to the three men she’d told Daniel about. “They should show up any minute now.”
“When they do, point them out to me and let me know who is who.”
She nodded. “Okay, now what can I get you to eat?”
“I’ll take a number four special,” he replied.
She raised a brow. The number four was the largest breakfast on the menu. “A bit hungry this morning?”
Once again, the twinkle was back in his eyes. “Yeah, I worked up quite an appetite yesterday afternoon.”
She laughed. “Okay, a number four it is. Coffee?”
“Definitely.”
“I’ll be right back with that.” She left his table, her heart warmed by the brief interaction with him. She served his coffee and then a few minutes later returned with his large platter of food.
By that time Burt had come in and had taken a seat in her section. She walked back by Luke’s table. “Burt Stanfield,” she said softly and then headed toward him. She knew Luke probably knew Burt since he worked for the city.
“Good morning, doll,” Burt said in greeting.
“How are you doing this morning?” she asked him with what she hoped looked like her usual, friendly smile.
“I’m doing just fine,” he replied. “And speaking of fine…you look mighty fine this morning.”
“Thank you, Burt. Now, what can I get you?”
“I’ll take the number two special with coffee.”
“I’ll be right back with your coffee,” she said.
She wondered if he’d picked up on the fact that she really didn’t want their usual flirty banter this morning. She served his coffee and then a few minutes later returned with his food order.
“Everything okay this morning, Dominique?” he asked her. So, he had sensed the difference in her.
“Everything is just fine, Burt,” she replied with what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “I’ve just been really busy this morning.”
“Then don’t let me hold you up,” he replied.
“Thanks, Burt, I’ll check in with you a little later,” she said and then left his table.
About fifteen minutes later Austin came in and the scene repeated itself. She walked by Luke’s table and let him know who Austin was and then went to wait on him.
Luke stayed until just after ten. The only regular who didn’t come in was Jacob Benoit, who she usually saw in the afternoons. Once Luke left, she felt oddly bereft.
Thankfully, the café stayed busy until almost eleven and then there was a lull. The breakfast crowd had left and the lunch crowd hadn’t come in yet.
Annie sent her on break and this time—rather than stepping outside—she sat in the break room and played on her phone and tried not to think about what was going on in her life.
Still, her thoughts couldn’t help but go back to the kidnapping attempt. How close was danger now? Was the person right now someplace plotting and thinking about how to get her?
Given the note and the attack, she was sure the person wouldn’t just give up and go away. So, from what direction would danger come at her again? She could only wait and hope that she would survive whatever might happen.
IT WAS JUST after noon when Luke pulled up behind the police station and parked. He was eager to check in with Daniel and let him know his impressions of the two men he’d seen at the café.
He found his boss in his office. “Hey,” he said as he sank down in the chair opposite Daniel’s desk. “I had breakfast this morning at the café and saw two of our suspects in Dominique’s attack case there.”
“Which two?” Daniel asked.
“Burt Stanfield and Austin Colbert,” Luke replied.
“I know Burt because he works in maintenance for the city, but I don’t know Austin. Tell me your impression of him.”
“Austin is about six feet tall and rather thin. I would say that physically he doesn’t look like he would have the strength to carry a woman off somewhere, but I could be wrong.”
“So, Burt is a much better candidate. I know he’s burly and strong and could easily carry a petite woman like Dominique through the swamp,” Daniel said.
“Right,” Luke replied.
“I also don’t know the other two men Dominique mentioned.” Daniel flipped through the small notebook on his desk. “Jacob Benoit and Oliver LeBoeuf.” He looked back at Luke. “Do you know either of them?”
“No, but I’d definitely like to get a look at them.”
“Dominique said they were both fishermen. In fact, I was just about to get Clay and head to the swamp to interview them both. Want to tag along?” Daniel asked.
“Absolutely,” Luke replied. He wanted…he needed to know who all the players were in Dominique’s life.
Of course, it was possible that none of the men she’d named was the guilty party.
But he thought it was highly likely that one of them was the person who had tried what they now were sure was a kidnapping attempt on the woman he cared about.
It wasn’t like he was in love with Dominique, but he considered her a close friend and he definitely cared what happened to her.
Fifteen minutes later, Luke was in the back seat of Daniel’s car while Clay rode shotgun as they headed toward the swamp. As Daniel and Clay small-talked in the front seat, Luke stared out the window and thought about the men they were about to interview.
He was particularly interested in meeting Oliver LeBoeuf, a man Dominique had dated. Even though, according to her, their relationship hadn’t lasted long, he still wanted to see the type of man Dominique had chosen to go out with.
Then he wondered why he was interested. It wasn’t like he and Dominique were dating.
As far as their lovemaking, it had been based solely on the very hot physical attraction that had simmered between them almost from the very beginning of their friendship.
Don’t get weird about it, he reminded himself.
So, they were friends with benefits, but he was determined there would be no more benefits between them in the future.
The last thing they needed was to complicate their friendship.
All he wanted now was to keep her safe, both from her nightly sojourns following Pierre and now from this new dangerous threat.
As Daniel parked in front of the swamp entrance, a rush of adrenaline flowed through Luke’s veins. “Do you know where these men live?” he asked.
“No, I figured we’d stop by George’s place. He seems to know where everyone lives in the swamp,” Daniel replied.
George was George Trahan, a gator-hunter.
It had been his new girlfriend who had tried to kill Angelique.
Angelique and George had briefly dated. After they stopped, George had fallen in love with a woman named Desiree Augustine.
Desiree had hated Angelique and was filled with a deadly rage.
She believed George wouldn’t truly be hers unless Angelique was dead.