A whistle sounded, and he looked around. Cass stood with her hands on her hips, grinning. He jogged over to her then pulled off his tee and began wiping sweat from his face. “Well?”
“You are looking at the newest hire at Black Knight Security.”
He whooped and reached out to pick her up, whirling her around in a circle until she smacked at his shoulders. “Put me down, idiot. You stink!”
When he set her on her feet, he gave her an exaggerated look of hurt. “I stink? Damn, I better do something about that.” Then without warning, he rushed her, bending to shove his shoulder gently against her abdomen then lifting her in a fireman’s carry and taking off at a slower jog—heading straight to the pool.
She must have divined his destination, because she smacked his ass. “Don’t you dare, Trigger Matthews!”
When he reached the pool, he leapt as far as he could toward the center. They plunged into the deep end. Cass came up sputtering when she surfaced. Trigger laughed at her expression—partly crabby and smiling.
“Idiot!” she said, splashing water at him.
“Did you drive a hard bargain?” he said, waggling his eyebrows.
She chuckled. “No. He knew he had me. I got the same as I make at RIP, plus a resettlement bonus.”
“You happy with that?”
“Yeah. It’s plenty. I don’t need a pool or a walk-in closet full of expensive clothes to be happy,” she said, swimming closer.
A hoot sounded from above, and they both turned to see Eliana and Gabe standing on the balcony outside Eliana’s bedroom, smiling.
“Good news?” Eliana called out.
Cass gave her a thumbs up.
* * *
After they showered and changed again, they headed back to the main house. Cass hadn’t been amenable to spending any longer than necessary getting ready…
“They’ll be timing us to see how long it takes for us to appear.”
“You’re worried about them thinking we might have had sex?”
“No… Yes. I just got hired today.” She aimed a pointed look his way. “I don’t want Justin to think I’m so easily distracted. He might not assign us to the same details.”
That his own worry was also on her mind made him smile.
Once inside, Cass headed upstairs. Gabe was in the living room, a tumbler in his hand as he stared out the window at the grounds out front and the street beyond.
“Hey, you get everything packed?” Trigger asked.
“Yeah. Ready to go,” he said, not looking his way. “Wheels up tomorrow night, and I still don’t know where the fuck I’m headed.”
“Eliana didn’t tell you?”
“We’re not…conversing.”
“Oh?”
Gabe gave him a glare. “And we’re not fucking, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“It’s not my business, man. But if you want to talk about it…”
“Nope. I don’t.”
“Fine.” Trigger headed to the bar to pour himself a whiskey. He figured Gabe would be ready to unload by the time he saw the bottom of his glass.
“I mean,” Gabe said, “there’s no point.”
“In…conversing?” Trigger asked casually, throwing an ice cube into the bottom of the glass.
“Right. She’s from this world,” he said, aiming his tumbler around the room. “It’s not for me. Would never be for me. I don’t fit.”
“Have you thought that maybe she doesn’t either?” When Gabe gave him a frown, Trigger shrugged. “From everything I’ve seen of the girl, she’s pretty down-to-earth.”
Gabe shook his head. “I couldn’t afford this living room.”
“She doesn’t seem hung up on money.”
“Because she’s never had to do without. If she had to spend a day…”
“I think when she was here before, she tried to live a normal life. You should ask her about it. Things she lets slip… I don’t think she’s the way you picture her.”
“Since I don’t know shit about her, maybe I’m wanting something that doesn’t even exist.”
“Someone, Gabe. She’s as real as you and me.”
A throat cleared.
Trigger turned toward the doorway and saw Cass standing there beside Eliana. Eliana’s eyes glittered with tears. He hoped like hell she hadn’t heard everything, but from her expression, she had.
“We were just going to tell you that dinner is ready,” Cass said then turned on her heel and left, Eliana giving Gabe an enigmatic look before following her.
Trigger glanced at Gabe.
The man’s head was bent, staring at the floor. “It’s for the best,” he said, his tone even.
And maybe it was.
* * *
Dinner was delicious. Shrimp boiled in spices that hinted at mint and heat, but didn’t overwhelm—from everyone’s comments. A chicken breast was served for Cass. She didn’t know how Cook had known not to serve her shellfish, but she was grateful. Seasoned rice and beans, grilled asparagus—and bitter oranges in syrup for dessert.
When Cass groaned, Eliana smiled. “Told you. I don’t know how my father did it, but that’s my grandmother’s recipe.”
After dinner, the group settled into lounge chairs around the pool. Conversation flowed as moonlight silvered the grounds.
“I’ll miss this house,” Eliana said.
“You lived here throughout school?” Cass asked.
“Yes. My father bought the property so that I wouldn’t have to live in the dorm.” She wrinkled her nose. “I would have preferred the dorm.”
Cass noted that Trigger and Gabe shared glances at the comment. Was Gabe surprised? Cass wasn’t. Eliana yearned for freedom.
“I lived at home,” Gabe said. “Saved my parents a ton of money. Then they nearly had a conniption when I told them I was enlisting in the Navy after I graduated. They felt like I’d wasted my degree.”
“What was your degree in?” Eliana asked.
“Civil engineering. Came in handy in the SEALs. I knew just where to set charges to blow a building to hell.”
The men chuckled.
“Bet that looks good on a resume,” Trigger said, waggling his eyebrows.
“Justin seemed to like it,” Gabe said with a crooked smile. “But they aren’t complaining these days. Sure, Mom wishes I wasn’t working in another dangerous profession, but I do get paid well. Did a stint with a contractor in Afghanistan before I hired on with Justin. I socked it all away.”
Cass knew how lucrative those contracts were.
“So, any ideas who Justin is going to put in charge here in the New Orleans office?” Trigger asked.
“I don’t think he’s in any hurry to pass the reins. Told me once, he likes it here.”
Silence fell around them. Eliana pushed up from her seat. “I guess I’d better get some sleep. Tomorrow night’s going to be a long one.”
Gabe pushed up as well to follow her inside, which left Cass and Trigger alone.
He reached between their chairs for her hand. “You ready to turn in, too?”
She gave him a sideways glance. “You know, if we get different assignments, even ones in far-flung places, I’ll always come back here.”
He squeezed her hand. “When I was a SEAL, I avoided…entanglements. I saw too many marriages end badly during a long deployment. However, you and I know what that’s like. We’ve sacrificed before. Someday, it’d be nice to sink roots and stick closer to home, but in the meantime, we’ll survive separations.”
“You think so?”
“Do you have any doubts?”
The deep timbre of his voice caused her chest to fill. He wasn’t sure about her. “Trigger, I’m all in.”
When he pulled her from her seat to straddle his body, they held each other for a long time, sharing deep kisses and caresses, murmuring sweet nothings.
When he pulled away, he framed her face between his palms. “We fit, baby,” he said. “You and me. We’re going to make it.”
> Chapter 11
The next evening, they left the mansion well after dark in a convoy of three vehicles. Justin had confirmed there was no chatter on the dark web regarding anyone hunting for Eliana. For all the world knew, she was still ensconced in her heavily guarded mansion, spending her final hours of singledom with her handsome bodyguard.
The plan was to allow the decoy to be seen somewhere along a route through the French Quarter, as though she was heading out for a little night on the town. Along the way, she’d remain in the back of the limo this time, only glimpses needed to ensure someone noted she was there and on the move. Since Trigger’s face was now recognizable, they only had to make sure he was seen in a dinner jacket, looking too handsome and happy to be fully on guard against any threats.
At the same time, Eliana’s limo and a support vehicle took a circuitous route to the airport, making sure they weren’t followed. The plane was already at the private airstrip and Justin was waiting with it, along with a team of operatives to guard it, including snipers atop hangars and camouflaged men hidden in the long grass leading to the strip to ensure no one got past them.
Cass and Eliana had given each other tearful goodbyes. Cass truly felt she’d made a new friend in Eliana, and she wished her the best for her future, no matter how it turned out. As they’d hugged, Cass had whispered, “I wish you happiness, Eli.”
Eliana squeezed her tight. “I wish the same for you.”
“All is not lost,” Cass whispered. “Fight for yourself.”
Eliana pulled away, and their gazes locked. “I’m not sure I’m that strong.”
Cass shook her head. “You are strong and smart. Be sure about what you want from this life. You only have one.”
Then Gabe stepped forward and tapped his watch. “Time to go, Princess.”
Eliana scrunched her nose. “I wish you wouldn’t call me that.”
Gabe arched a brow and waved his arm toward the door.
Eliana gave Cass a wink and departed with her own handsome bodyguard.
“I hope Eliana is okay,” Cass said, watching through her window for any threats, as were the driver and Trigger sitting up front.
“I’m sure with the amount of firepower Justin has covering her that she’ll make it to the plane all right.”
“Not what I’m talking about.”
“I know,” Trigger said and glanced back at her. “So, where do we start this act of our play?”
“How about drinks at O’Malley’s?”
Trigger grimaced. “Too busy and bright. Might seem like we want to be seen.”
“Maybe we should stroll along Bourbon? I’ll wear a scarf and sunglasses.”
He chuckled. “And everyone will know you’re some celebrity trying to remain under the radar.”
“Isn’t that the point?” She smiled and kept her gaze on the passing buildings. She really did love New Orleans. A lot of it was dirty and dilapidated, but the hints of French architecture, the tiny brightly painted houses, were a feast for the eyes. The closer they drew to Bourbon Street, the more crowded were the streets and the livelier the energy emanating from the city. “Let’s do Jackson Square. I want my palm read.”
“How about you get it done on Bourbon in one of the shops. It’s be easier to cover you from the doors rather than wandering around in a wide-open space.”
They’d talked about this earlier, already. Cass was just enjoying one last “performance” as a spoiled heiress. From Trigger’s raised eyebrows, he was onto her. “All right,” she said, dragging out the words and sighing.
He shook his head as the operative posing as their driver found a parking space near Bourbon Street.
“Okay, now, Eliana. Game time.”
Cass had done her hair in a high messy bun before leaving the mansion. Now, she put on a light scarf to cover most of her hair and a pair of sunglasses to hide her eyes—no contacts needed. She wore a silver, spaghetti-strap blouse over black palazzo pants—the legs wide enough to hide the fact she’d strapped a weapon to her ankle.
They turned onto Bourbon Street and began strolling leisurely down the street, the operator accompanying them falling back to trail them so as not to be spotted as added protection.
They paused at a storefront to look at harlequin masks and voodoo kitsch. When they passed St. Anne’s, Cass glanced down the street and spotted a neon sign, advertising Madame Josette’s House of Voodoo. She tugged on Trigger’s arm and pointed. “Let’s go there!”
They made their way down the bustling street and stopped to look through the plate-glass window. Inside, the shop held all the usual voodoo dolls, candles, beaded Mardi Gras necklaces, and beyond the shelves was a long, glossy, Chinese-red counter with old-fashioned apothecary-style shelving behind it, filled with glass jars. Another smaller sign was in the window stating, “Tarot Readings.”
Cass grinned and pulled Trigger inside the shop.
A bell tinkled above the door when they entered, and a young woman moved a beaded curtain to step out to greet them. “Good evening,” she said, her voice holding an almost musical quality. “How can I help you?”
Cass smiled. “Can I get a reading?”
The woman looked at both of them and grinned. “Do you really need the Tarot cards to tell you that your future holds bright promise?”
Trigger chuckled beside her. “If you have time, she’d love one.”
“Follow me,” she said, then turned toward the curtained room, “Tante, I’m doing a reading.”
“I’ll watch the shop,” came the voice of an older woman as though from a distance.
“I’m Amelie,” the woman said as she led them to a small alcove, also separated from the shop by strings of red, purple, and gold beads. Inside the room was a small table with three chairs, a satin bag sitting in the center beside a candle and a dish filled with incense sticks standing in the sand. “Do you mind if I light one?” the woman asked.
“Go ahead,” Cass said.
“I have to ask because so many people have allergies these days.” She lit a stick and waited for the end to glow, then blew out the flame and placed it in the sand. Waving a hand at the two chairs opposite the one she stood beside, she said, “Please, be seated.”
When they sat, she drew a deck of tarot cards from the satin bag and handed them to Cass. As she did, her gaze narrowed on Cass, and then on Trigger. “Shuffle them, please. I think we have a mutual friend.”
Cass raised her eyebrows as she pulled off a rubber band holding the worn cards together and began shuffling them.
“Detective Remy Cyr,” Amelie said softly.
Trigger tensed beside her. “You know him?”
“My fiancé is his brother, and also with the PD.” Her gaze went back to Cass. “You don’t need the sunglasses in here. I know you aren’t who others think you are.”
“Because of something Remy said?” Cass asked, surprised the detective had been talking so freely about his investigation.
Amelie laughed and shook her head. “No, Remy has been…discreet. But we know he’s working the attempted kidnapping.”
“Then…how?” she said, pulling off her sunglasses and setting them on the table beside her.
Amelie’s grin stretched across her lovely face. “I’m psychic.”
Cass grinned and narrowed her own eyes. “Well, the less said…”
“I know. Your secret is safe.”
Cass studied the woman sitting across from her. Her mixed heritage was evident in the dark brown corkscrew curls that ended at her jawline. Her eyes were a greeny-hazel. A light smattering of freckles dusted her nose and cheeks.
After shuffling the cards one last time, she handed the deck back to the woman.
Amelie laid the deck on the table then drew cards from the top, placing three on the tabletop.
She tapped the first one that depicted a blindfolded warrior holding a sword in each hand. “This is the two of swords and represents your past. You stood at a crossroads trying to choose
a new path. The old path was rife with conflict, and you wanted to find some…peace. Something to ground you.”
Cass figured that was generic enough anyone might be able to draw a parallel to their life.
Amelie tapped the center card labeled “The Hanged Man” with a picture of a man hanging upside down by a rope fixed around one ankle between two trees.
“That can’t be good,” Cass muttered.
“The card isn’t good or bad,” Amelie said. “It simply says that, right now, your way forward is blocked by something you will have to overcome.” She frowned as her finger rubbed the card. “It’s good you’re both armed,” she said.
Trigger and Cass shared a glance.
“Maybe we should leave,” Trigger said softly.
Amelie shook her head and moved to the last card. “This is your future.”
Cass stared at the knight, sitting astride a horse and waving a stick.
“The knight is a passionate figure,” she said, glancing at Trigger. “With him, you will encounter new adventures, together. He will be your protector, although you have your own strengths, I know, but he will stand at your side.”
Amelie shrugged. “I see good things, if you can get past what’s blocking you now. I wish I could be more specific, but nothing’s popping,” she said, tapping her temple.
Cass sat back. “That was cool.”
Trigger nodded and turned to Cass. “It’s funny she drew that knight card, considering who you’re working for now.”
Black Knight Security. Cass smiled. “So, we just have to look for a hanged man along the way.”
Cass reached into her handbag and pulled out a hundred—more of Eliana’s blow money. “Thanks for the reading. And it was nice meeting you.”
Amelie reached for her hand and held it for a long moment while she looked into Cass’s eyes. A sweet smile stretched across her face. “Drop by anytime. I think we were meant to be friends.”
Cass felt the same, gazing into the woman’s eyes. From no female friends to two in the space of a day made her feel light-spirited. “I hope so.”
“Don’t forget the sunglasses. Blue eyes will be a dead giveaway,” Amelie said.
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