His parents exchanged a look and then his mother smiled as if he’d just answered the ten-million-dollar question. His mother continued the interrogation. “If they aren’t a couple, why is Rob with Marie at this time of night?”
LD took a deep breath as he started toward the door. He didn’t want to answer her question because his father requested he not tell her about Black. Unfortunately she wasn’t easily sidetracked and LD needed to leave quickly. “She’s in some trouble. I’m not sure what she’s mixed up with yet, but I know it’s not good because Black’s involved.”
As he passed his parents and headed for the stairs, he heard her sharp intake of breath. She knew enough about Black to know how bad it could be. “Rob is watching her house for me,” he added.
“LD.”
“What?” LD snapped over his shoulder to his father as he started down the stairs.
“Don’t you want your gun?”
His father’s words stopped him in his tracks. He reached behind him to the small of his back where his gun normally rested.
Cursing, he turned around to head back to his room, passing his father on the stairs. He was losing it, totally losing it. Never before had he forgotten his gun.
As he reached the top of the stairs, he noticed his father had continued to the bottom. His mother, however, was waiting for him and followed him back to his room, talking the whole way. “I know you’re worried about your girlfriend, but that’s no reason for foul language.”
“Sorry,” LD answered as he retrieved his gun and started back down the hall. Maybe this time he would actually make it out the front door, but only if he ignored his mother’s “girlfriend” comment. He might be losing it, but he wasn’t so far gone he’d take that particular bait.
Running down the stairs two at a time, he hurried toward the front entrance. His father stood in the entryway casually loading a pistol and waiting for him. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“With you.” Kevin Carmouche slipped the pistol into his shoulder holster before pulling on his lightweight jacket.
“No way.”
“I have a permit to carry this and you know I can use it.”
“That’s not the point. You’re the governor—I can’t let you do this. Not to mention your bodyguard won’t let you out of his sight.”
Kevin arched an eyebrow. “I’m also your father and this is family business. I’m going with you alone, Mr. Wilson can stay here and guard your mother.” He turned and walked out the door as he called back to LD, “Are we going to check on your girl or are we going to stand around all night arguing?”
LD hesitated, and then ran to catch up. There were times it was best to simply accept things were out of one’s control. Not to mention, he couldn’t afford to waste any more time. Maybe once they got there, he could convince his dad to wait in the car while he checked on Marie.
LD stopped behind Rob’s car and cut the engine. There was no need to turn the headlights off because he’d done that four blocks back. He removed his gun and checked to see if a round was chambered. Out of his peripheral vision, he saw his father do the same. “I want you to wait here for me.”
His dad gave him a look that only days ago would have caused LD’s blood to boil, but at the moment he was glad to have his father there.
“I’ll wait for the all clear signal, but I’m not going to wait here in the car like a sitting duck.”
A slight smile tugged at the corner of LD’s mouth. “Okay, but be careful. I would hate to tell Mom you shot yourself.”
Without giving his father time to respond, he signaled for quiet and opened the door. He’d removed the dome light the night he started watching the house, so he didn’t have to worry about it glowing in the dark.
The car door closed quietly behind him. He couldn’t see anyone inside Rob’s sports car and a quick walk-by confirmed it was empty. Which didn’t mean a thing, he reminded himself, again. Rob could be checking out a suspicious vehicle, walking the grounds or having coffee with Marie. Yeah, when pigs fly, LD thought as he stepped onto the grass and headed toward the house.
Using the neighbor’s hedge as cover, he walked the length of Marie’s drive until he stood directly across from the gate leading to her backyard. Staying in the shadows created by the waning moonlight and garage, he crossed the open distance. He crouched to one side, opened the gate and quickly moved inside the fence. The moonlight cast long gloomy shapes across the yard, concealing his movements as he made his way to the porch.
The motion-detector security light remained off as he passed within its range. Not good. At the base of the steps, leading to the back porch, a large dark form lay unmoving. Gun ready, LD approached the figure. When he was close enough to identify it was a body, he slowed his approach. He leaned down and jabbed the figure hard in the back with the toe of his shoe. No movement. Going down on one knee, he rolled the body over.
Blood roared in his ears as he got a good look at the blood-matted hair covering one side of Rob’s head. He placed two fingers against Rob’s throat and felt relief sweep through him as he found a pulse.
“I’ll take care of him.” His father’s softly spoken words came from behind him.
“Thought I told you to stay in the car,” LD whispered as his father knelt beside him.
“You did. Now go, check on Marie.”
LD didn’t hesitate as he moved quickly up the back steps, remembering to skip the first one, which squeaked. Reaching the back door, he tried the knob and made a mental note to remind Marie to lock her doors. Of course, he hadn’t locked it earlier when he left. He moved to the side and then, with one hand, pushed the door all the way open.
When he was met with continued silence, he stepped inside, taking a quick inventory as he crossed the room. The chair was where he’d left it earlier, along with the spilled beer. The only difference he could see was the puddle of beer had grown larger.
The realization she left the spilled drink jacked up his awareness to another level. Either something happened to stop her from cleaning up the mess or he’d upset her so much she didn’t care. Neither thought pleased him, but he prayed it was the latter. He could deal with a woman mad enough to do bodily harm to him, just not a…
Don’t think like that, he told himself as he moved into the hall. Heading toward the stairs, he checked each room as he passed. He’d become familiar with the house earlier, while waiting on Marie to return. Now he saw nothing out of the ordinary.
An eerie silence filled the house. The kind of quiet one hears when you’re the only living soul around. That thought sent him racing up the stairs two at a time. When he reached the top, he stopped at the landing to listen. No sounds drifted down from any of the upstairs rooms. Not even the sound of Marie’s soft breathing.
LD resisted the urge to run for the master bedroom. Instead, he fell back on his training and cautiously moved toward the open doorway. When he looked inside, he saw a still form on the bed. His heart pounded faster as he moved into the room. Before he allowed himself to check out the body, he performed a quick search of the closet and adjacent bath.
He was tempted to slam a door, kick a chair, or yell, anything to wake her. Yeah, it would scare the hell out of her, but at least she’d be moving. Plus, his fear wouldn’t be increasing exponentially with each step he took closer to the bed.
She was face up with her arms beside her in a natural sleep state. Deciding it wouldn’t be a good idea to scare her, LD whispered and gave a slight nudge to her side. “Marie.”
She didn’t move. Thinking she might have taken a sleeping pill, he spoke normally and nudged her harder than he intended. Truthfully, he was terrified she wasn’t going to wake ever again.
When she didn’t respond, he turned on the dim bedside lamp, then, placing one knee on the mattress, he leaned over her. He resisted the urge to take her by the shoulders to shake her and yell her name. Instead, he called to her in a calm voice.
“What’s wrong with her?”
his dad asked from the doorway.
“I don’t know.” He brushed aside the hair from her neck, then unsuccessfully searched for the pulse point. “I need more light. How’s Rob?”
“I’m here.” From beside Kevin, Rob’s voice sounded as if he were fighting to keep the pain at bay.
LD started to turn to check on Rob, but at that moment, his father found the overhead light switch. LD’s hand was shaking when he looked back down at Marie. Her hair was tangled about her neck, preventing him from finding her pulse. Placing his gun on the bedside table, he used both hands to move the matted hair aside and expose her neck.
His stomach rolled over. “Marie, please wake up, baby. Please.”
Chapter Seventeen
Early morning sunshine streamed through the kitchen windows as Marie fidgeted with her coffee mug. She’d been taken to the hospital after she’d come to, and then LD brought her back here, to his parents’ house, after the hospital released her. Terrified for her brother and sister’s safety, she’d begged LD to bring them here too, so she could see them for herself. Now she waited, unable to relax until she knew they were safe.
Three large men burst through the back door of the Carmouches’ house, disturbing the tranquility. They each kissed LD’s mother on the cheek before turning their attention to LD and Marie.
LD introduced the cousins and then each man grabbed a coffee cup and disappeared toward the governor’s study to join the others. Over the course of the last half-hour, this scene repeated itself every few minutes. It was mind-boggling.
“Is your father having a business meeting in there?” Marie finally asked, despite the soreness of her throat.
“No.” LD glanced in the direction of his father’s office and frowned.
“Then why are they all here, so early?” Marie couldn’t imagine what kind of family gathering started at this time of the morning.
“To help.” One would have thought help was the foulest four-letter word by the way he said it.
“Play nice, LD.” His mother said as she slid a plate filled with bacon and biscuits in front of Marie. “Try to eat something, honey.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Carmouche,” she replied out of habit.
“Call me Linda, please.”
“I’ll try.” LD’s Mom smiled and turned back to the stove, giving her and LD a semblance of privacy. Marie returned her attention to the stubborn man seated beside her. “Your dad needs help?”
“No.” He rolled his shoulders before continuing. “Me. You. Us.”
“Why are they helping us?” Even though her nerves were already worn thin by the events of the morning, she would get the information out of this silent man. Even if she was forced to pull it from him piece by piece.
“It’s a family thing.” LD sighed like a man who’d just lost the greatest battle of his life. “When one Carmouche is in trouble, the family pulls together for support.”
His hands were busy toying with the coffee cup in front of him and she finally understood. This group made him nervous. Here was a man who could stand face to face with a cold-hearted killer, but was intimidated by his own family. Reaching out, she took his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together, giving a gentle squeeze. He returned the gesture and in that instant she knew what he was feeling.
“You don’t like their help.”
“I don’t like them running my life.”
Marie managed a hoarse laugh. “You actually think they’re trying to run your life?” When LD frowned at her, her smile broadened.
“Yeah, I do, and I don’t think it’s funny.”
She wiped the smile from her face when she heard his tone and couldn’t help but think what she wouldn’t give to have a family like his. “You don’t have a clue how fortunate you are to have a family who is willing to come to your aid when needed.”
Before she could finish her lecture, the back door opened and Timothy walked in with the man who’d been assigned to watch him. Marie was out of her chair and across the room in a heartbeat. Throwing herself at him, she wrapped her arms around his waist and held tight as the tears started. She felt his hesitation and knew he was confused about what was going on. Slowly, he enfolded her in his embrace.
For several minutes they stood there, her brother comforting her with his soft gentle words, before she brought her fear under control.
“Hey, what’s wrong with my favorite big sister?”
At Timothy’s words, she pulled back so she could look up at him. She felt him go perfectly still as he got a look at her face. Then his jaw clenched and she saw a hard glint in his eyes that she had never seen before. In one swift move, she was standing behind him.
“I don’t give a damn who your father is LD, I’ll still make gator bait out of you for hurting her.”
She frowned at the coldness in her brother’s voice and in that instant, realized he was no longer a boy. At some point in time, he’d grown up. From behind Timothy’s back, she heard LD’s chair scrape lightly across the floor and was sure he was standing.
“I would never hit your sister.” LD’s voice was low and calm.
“Then who the hell did?” Timothy’s voice was hard as steel.
“Ask your sister. She seems to want to keep the information to herself.”
Timothy pulled her back around to face him and the look on his face let her know he wasn’t going to be happy until he knew the answer. Thankfully, at that moment, the back door opened and Tammie entered in her usual whirlwind fashion.
Her sister was asking questions before the door was closed behind her and the woman bodyguard accompanying her looked extremely frazzled. The constant nonstop chatter that normally drove Marie straight up the wall was now nourishment to her injured soul. Then Tammie got a good look at her and froze. She expected Tammie to fall apart at any moment. Her little sister wasn’t known for handling stressful situations well.
Knowing she looked frightful, Marie lifted one hand to her face. One cheek and a large area of her neck were bruised and the colors would only get worse before getting better.
Without a word, Tammie moved to stand in front of her and gently ran a hand down her cheek. Then the girl took her hand and squeezed it before turning to face LD and Timothy. “I want some answers and I want them now.”
* * * * *
“That’s all the information Rob and I have at this point and a lot of it is speculation.” LD, with Rob’s assistance, spent the past forty-five minutes telling his uncles and cousins what they knew and trying to answer their many questions. The more they talked, the more LD realized how few facts they actually knew. It was frustrating, a lot like the woman who was waiting for him in his parents’ kitchen.
Timothy stood at the back of the room, leaning against the wall with one shoulder. There was an awkward moment when the young man first entered, but then he simply nodded for LD to continue. Now LD could question him without Marie’s interference. “What’s your opinion, Timothy?”
“I can assure everyone here my sister is not a criminal. If your theory that someone is threatening to harm Tammie or myself is true, then she’d probably do anything to keep us safe.”
“The day I returned home, you were attacked. Is there anything you can tell us?” LD asked.
“I was beaten and dumped on the back stoop of the store. They took nothing from me. I do remember one of the men saying it should teach her a lesson, but I never understood what was meant—until now.”
“Why doesn’t she ask for help?”
The question came from his uncle and was directed to Timothy, but LD answered it instead. “She’s so used to doing everything for herself, she doesn’t realize there’s anyone she can ask.”
And that hurt, because he wanted her to trust him. Maybe if he wanted her trust, he needed to start trusting those around him. His family was here, offering their emotional support as always, and willing to do whatever he requested without question. All he needed to do was ask. He ran a hand through his hair. It was ne
ver easy eating crow. “I could really use some help with this.”
Three hours later, LD rubbed his forehead where a stress headache was forming and listened to his father finalize a press release stating the Carmouche family would make no comment about the attack on Ms. Bernard. Apparently, a reporter had been hanging around the hospital in hopes of grabbing a story. The correspondent hit the jackpot and learned LD was there with a lady friend. From there, it was only a short time before the news reached the press and the phones started ringing. He sighed. His years of staying out of the spotlight were over. There seemed to be a lot of firsts for him today.
“What was that sigh for?” his father asked as he hung up the phone.
LD looked up from the untouched sandwich tray his mother sent in an hour ago. It was just he and his father now. Rob and five other well-armed men were escorting Marie and Tammie to Marie’s house so she could pack some clothes. The others were off doing their assigned tasks. “I was wondering if it was smart asking the family for help. Black is dangerous and I don’t want anyone hurt.”
“They all know, LD. Believe me, the first thing they’ll do is make sure their families are safe. Now, why don’t you tell me what’s really bothering you.” His father leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms over his chest.
“I need a safe place to take Marie.”
Kevin opened the top drawer and tossed him a set of keys. “Take her to the fishing cabin. No one will find you there. Now, answer my question.”
LD stood and crossed to the window, putting his back to his father. He wasn’t sure he wanted to talk about what he was feeling with anyone, not to Rob and especially not to his father. “I almost lost her today and that terrified me.”
The words came out on their own, surprising him as much as he was sure they surprised his father. He turned around, expecting to see disappointment and censure in his father’s eyes. Instead, he saw understanding and compassion.
“I’m sure it did. If that had been your mother…” His father blinked and looked away for a moment before turning back to face him. “I don’t think I would have handled it nearly as well. You were amazingly calm.”
Bayou Treasure Page 15
