Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Lyam
I think Cosette would stay all night long if she could, but we have an informant to confer with. Still, I’m glad she talked to Savannah. Thayer was a harder sell, but there’s no one more dedicated to family than he is.
“You gonna propose?” he asks discreetly when Maman says something about giving them goody bags of baked goods to take home and the girls go with her to the kitchen.
“Of course I am. You know it. She’s having my kid, brother.”
“Mmm. It’s soon, though. She’s got a ways to go yet. Take it slow, Lyam. I know you aren’t always the one to do that.”
I know he’s right, but I don’t want to wait. “I know I love her. She’s having my baby. It’s the right thing to do.”
He nods and shrugs. “Maybe, but it’s important to find out everything you can. Do you even know her history?”
He’s right, I know he is, but I also know there’s nothing that’s gonna hold me back from marrying Cosette.
Before I can respond, they come back into the room, both Savannah and Cosette carrying massive containers filled with baked goods.
I stand. “We have to go.”
“So soon?” Maman asks, her face falling.
“I promise we’ll come back soon but we’ve got a few important things to do.”
Savannah and Cosette hug, and before we leave Savannah reaches for me, too. I give her a hug and she whispers in my ear, “Be good to her, Lyam. She’s had a hard life.”
What does she know about Cosette’s life?
Does she know more than I do? I know she was raised by a single mom north of Paris, that her mother hated the city, and her father left them.
I know that her mother died when Cosette was in college, and she and Nicolette became friends when they worked at La Maison.
I know that while she studied cosmetology she was more called to work in nursing, but after she found her place at Le Luxe, she never went back to school.
And I know that I love her.
“I will.”
As we head out, Cosette looks over her shoulder. “Thayer, did he ask you about Princess?”
Thayer snorts. “Yeah. I’ll have her sent up.” He shakes his head. “No goddamn way I’m bringing her back. Snakes don’t travel so well.”
I kiss her at the bottom step, then again outside our car, holding her to me.
I kiss her when I buckle her seat belt, and before I shut the door.
We kiss at a red light, until finally she giggles and says, “Lyam, we can pick this up later. You have an informant to talk to.”
I do. Fucking duty.
“Shouldn’t be too long though.”
“Where are we going?”
“Remember I mentioned several safe places we have? The warehouse is south of the city. We’ve got a stack of secure locations, and that’s one of them.”
“Gotcha.”
I turn and look at her. “Why do you stare at me when I drive?”
She reaches a hand out to stroke my biceps. “Because you’re sexy as fuck and I love watching how competently you drive. It’s a turn-on.”
I groan. “Cosette.”
“No, for real. All that alpha male commanding authority.” She fans herself. “My God. It’s sexy as hell. And you’re just so good at everything you do.” She sighs. “I want to see you shoot again.”
I shake my head. “You’re strange, woman. And you might get your wish sooner than later, we’ll see.”
Her eyes widen comically. “You think we’re gonna have a shoot-out?”
“Not now, or I wouldn’t be bringing you here.”
“Okay, you don’t have to growl.”
“I didn’t growl.”
“See, growling is such a natural part of what you do that you didn’t even realize it. But you were one hundred percent growling. There you go again!”
“Okay, alright, I was growling. So sue me if I hate the idea of bringing you to a potentially dangerous situation.”
“You’re so romantic in your own way,” she says on a sigh.
I love her quirky ways.
“So tell me about your conversation with Savannah.”
She tells me everything and finishes just as I pull down the long, windy drive that brings us to the warehouse. “And you were right,” she says happily, her pink cheeks nearly glowing. “You were so right.”
I’m glad she’s put this to rest. I squeeze her hand. “I’m proud of you.”
She looks at me in surprise. “I don’t know if anyone’s ever said that to me before. Thank you.”
God, I can’t imagine no one ever saying that to her.
“Okay, listen. This is an informant, and I want you safe, so I want you to stay as quiet as you can. Don’t talk to her. At all. Got it?”
She nods. “Got it. Wait, her?”
I give her a stern look. “Yeah. And I mean it, Cosette. I swear to God, if you talk to her, you’re in big trouble. I will literally bring you right back here and put you over my knee and then no more palmier.”
“Lyam,” she says, abashed. “You wouldn’t!”
“Oh, I would.”
I check my gun and slide it into a holster, fill a second and check that as well.
“Also hot,” she says on a moan.
“What?”
“All those guns. Please promise me you’ll take me shooting again soon.”
I shake my head. “Done. Hawaii, guns. Got it.”
Cosette may be perfect for me.
Camille Rousseau sits at a table in a darkened corner of the room. She joined the police force at thirty years old, a late bloomer. Her father knew ours, and the rest is history. She’s been working for us ever since, and we pay her well.
“Mr. Gerard,” Camille greets. I’m glad she’s in civilian clothing. I hate what the sight of a uniform does to me. “And to whom do I owe this pleasure?”
“No names,” I snap. Camille smiles. She’s a professional liar so I don’t trust her.
“Alright, then. How do I know I can trust her?”
“Because you trust me, and where she goes, I go,” I tell her. I take out a wad of cash and put it on the table, careful not to bother hiding the metal I’ve got packed.
She takes the cash eagerly and shoves it in a black duffel bag.
“I have no more details on who was behind your abduction. I wish I did. All I can tell you is that the chase earlier did not involve any actual police. They were impersonators with a mission, and I suspect they were hired by a politician. I’ll get you more information as soon as possible.
I’m sorry,” she says with a grimace. “They’ve hidden their tracks so well. ”
Which makes them actually fucking impossible to track.
“But I do know that someone in Montague’s office was behind it. For all I know it was Montague himself but I can’t say for sure. Whoever it was wanted you to think it was the police, but I can assure you, it wasn’t.”
“Right. So you know for a fact Montague or one of his cronies is behind this?”
“Yes.”
“I figured as much.”
She gives some more pertinent information. Cosette looks pale and wan.
“You okay?” I ask her.
She shakes her head and clutches her belly. “I feel sick.”
I stand. “We’ve got to get her home. I need to know all the details you can find. What you’ve told me is a good start, but not enough. Get me more, and I’ll double what you just got.” Her eyes gleam like full moons.
“Tomorrow morning. Come tomorrow morning and I’ll have more answers for you.”
I nod and take Cosette’s hand.
I reach for my gun and check outside before we leave.
“What was that all about?” she asks.
I blow out a breath. I tell no one anything, but I’m going to ask this woman to marry me. It’s about time I tell her more of what makes me who I am.
“You know I was taken prisoner. Abducted.”
She nods as I open her door and let her in. I reach in and on instinct buckle her belt.
“And you know why.”
“Right.”
I go to my side of the car and give one more look around. The back of my neck prickles like we’re being watched, but I see no signs at all that anyone else is here. Just to be safe, I pull out my gun and take a stance.
Leaves stir in a bush behind us, but no one’s there.
The warehouse is eerily silent. A part of me wants to check on Camille, but she can handle herself.
I look down to where the ground is muddy from last night’s rain and see no telling footprints but ours, and we’re secluded enough that no one would’ve made it here without a car or some mode of transportation.
Then why do my instincts scream at me to go?
Why do I want to toss my body over Cosette’s and protect her from whatever or whoever would threaten her safety and the safety of our unborn baby?
I trust her. I know I do.
What is it that I don’t trust?
No one’s here. Still, I slide into the driver’s seat and turn the key in the ignition quickly. I want to get the hell out of here.
“I was telling you about my abduction,” I continue, once our doors are shut and locked.
“Everything okay?” Cosette asks.
“I think so.” I still can’t shake that feeling. “Why?”
“You look guarded. I saw you draw your weapon.”
“It feels like someone’s watching us.”
She’s quiet as I peel down the road, dust kicking up behind us.
A part of me wants to take her to America, to a place that’s safe and away from all of this until it all blows over.
The other part of me wants to arm myself to the teeth and start picking off would-be enemies one by one until there’s no one left to threaten us.
Neither is an option.
“Do you feel like that often?” Cosette asks. “Like someone’s watching you?”
I sigh. “I do.”
Anyone who’s looked down the barrel of a sniper’s rifle with the intent to kill as many times as I have develops that skill. Once you’ve been the predator enough times, you begin to imagine there’s a larger predator with even bigger teeth threatening your survival.
“What are you thinking?” I ask Cosette. She seems pensive and troubled.
“I liked that your mother was so excited. She’ll be an awesome grandmother.”
“Yes.”
“I’m happy I was able to make peace with Savannah. I like her a lot.”
“I agree.”
“And Mario seems pleasant enough, but Sergio… I don’t know about him.”
“He’s dangerous as fuck. I don’t want you near him unless you’re with me.”
She nods. I know Sergio Montavio and I know I don’t want her anywhere near him.
“Those kids were adorable.”
“Mmm.”