Cajun Protection by Whiskey Starr Page B

my gran’s house.”
    “Wow, okay then. I definitely think it’s time
for fun girly time and then we can pick up dinner and have drinks.
What do ya think?”
    “I think, for once, I’m enjoying myself.”

     
Hawk
     
    Even though Zoey is out with Shay, I’m still
on edge. I felt like a shit when Zoey walked in the back and saw
her case on the board. It could have been avoided, but I didn’t
think. I have never thought about it from her perspective, I mean,
we have never had anyone in the office who was a victim, or part of
a case. It was just stupid of me, and to top it off, I made her
cry. I feel like a bastard. My mother use to cry to get my father
to stay or help her with money, it made him sick then, knowing she
was faking it. But it was different with Zoey, she made me feel
more things, things I never felt for a woman. Sure I had sexy with
them all the time, but an emotional connection was something I
never had time, nor wanted to have happen. I really need to sit and
think about what all this shit means. I’m the one who doesn’t feel,
I’m the heartless jerk with the fucked up ideas on relationships.
Sure Wolf’s parents were amazing, but they were the only thing he
saw of love. And what a stupid word that is too, love. Who needs
it, not me. But damn it if Zoey doesn’t make me actually think of
fucking hearts and flowers. Damn it.
    Now she’s gone shopping and Wolf and I have
work to do. I open a drawer to my right that houses various markers
and grab a red one. Earlier I had marked the areas that have levees
too high to actually cross via boat or pirogue, so if Andrew did
get out, he did it via foot. Wolf walks in the back and in his hand
are two coffees. I look at him in confusion.
    “Zoey made it. Said it’s fixed now, but it
seems she is the only who knows how to use it. You know, even
though she will be here a short term, she has some great
ideas.”
    “We’ll see.” I don’t want to get my hopes up,
but shit tends to happen and roll downhill. And looking at the case
closer, it’s easy to see she is the one who is always at the bottom
of shit hill. She had a better upbringing than me, but at least
people didn’t burn down my house, they just kicked me out. Maybe we
have more in common than I want to believe.
    “‘Kay, well let’s look at everything.” I take
and drink the coffee, finding it to be amazing and perfect, the way
coffee should taste. I take a few minutes and savor the true taste
and bitterness from the coffee beans as they wake me up out of my
grumpy mood. What is it Shay calls us? That’s right: Doom and
Gloom. Now I can see it. Oddly, I find it amusing. I look at the
map once again after Wolf flipped the board over.
    “We need someone on the inside of town.
Someone who hasn’t been seen and can find the ins and outs. Think
Zoey knows anyone who might help her?” I have to ask, but I think I
already know the answer. From the house fire last night and seeing
her work and apartment, I would venture to guess the whole town is
in on it. Then a name comes to mind.
    “What about Eddy?”
    “Maroon? He’s still deployed, isn’t he?” Eddy
Maroon was in the Marines with us, but I remember him saying he was
from Bostwick. It was amazing how all the boys from the Bayou of
Louisiana ended up in the same unit. But it didn’t matter, because
in the Marine Corp you looked out for each other, but that was also
the same code when in the swamp. Eddy was the new kid who came in
later when his platoon got hit. Half went home in body bags, the
other split into different troops. Needless to say, we all took him
under our wing and the rest was history.
    “He got out last month. Sent me an email
asking if we had any openings. I said I would let you know, so what
if we send him in town, have him do some snooping, maybe play town
hero and such. He might be our secret weapon.” Hell, it was a shot.
I don’t know what to expect really. I do know one thing though, no
matter what, he is