schooling and doing right.” His story wasn’t as painful as Odalia’s. Sure, his family history was tarnished, but he’d known what his family was from a young age and stayed away from it.
“She sounds like a good woman.”
“ Mamère was. She helped people until the day she died.”
“I’m sorry—”
“Don’t be. She had a long, happy life and passed in her sleep, surrounded by the family she chose.” He could still remember the hymns sung on the porch as her last breath left her body. It was as if he could see the light snuffed out, her soul traveling to the great beyond. He missed her, but her spirit was with him.
“I never knew my grandparents.” Odalia glanced up at him.
They were two lost souls.
“Ready?” she asked him.
For her? Never, but he wasn’t about to let go of a good thing.
Oh wait—
The café waited at the end of the block.
“When you are,” he replied.
They picked up the pace, weaving through people, led by Creature. He was glad she had the dog for extra protection. Chances were she was packing some heat as well, as was he. There were some things that were the same, regardless if you were a cop or a bounty hunter.
At the threshold of the café, Jacques wrapped an arm around her and pulled Odalia up against his chest. He dug a hand into her hair and took her mouth in a savage kiss. She clenched the front of his shirt, lifting up on tiptoe to get closer.
He broke away from her before he lost it and shoved her up against the nearest car to fuck in public. With one last glance at her kiss-swollen lips, he ducked into the building.
The café had two walls of windows and was busy for a Saturday. He dug his bounty hunter badge out of his pocket and strode straight into the kitchen.
A chef turned toward him, brandishing a spatula. “You can’t—”
Jacques flashed his badge. “In pursuit of a criminal. Back door?”
The chef pointed toward the marked exit. Jacques hurried through the kitchen and slipped out the door into an alley. He sprinted as fast as he could down the block, his boots hammering the damp pavement, cool, humid air burning his lungs.
If Odalia continued at the same pace down the street, he had five minutes from the time they’d parted to circle behind where the car would be. That was also five minutes where anything could go wrong.
The alley let out on a side street. He skidded to a stop, peering at the main street beyond.
No car.
That didn’t mean it had moved yet.
He crept toward the street, keeping his back against the wall.
The blue sedan rolled past his position, the driver’s side window down and a black male in the driver’s seat. The jacket collar was turned up, and he wore a baseball hat pulled low, obscuring his features.
Jacques stalked toward the car as it eased past him. He rounded the corner in time to catch the brake lights flicker on and pull into a metered spot.
He wanted to run toward the culprit, yank him out of the car and beat his ass, but he was too far away. Going with the foot traffic, he watched the blue sedan.
Odalia meandered down the next block, pausing to study another storefront while Creature wound around her legs.
The man in the car glanced to the right then left, surveying the field. His gaze snagged on Jacques’ in the driver’s side mirror, and the car’s engine revved.
Jacques broke into a run and flung himself at the door as the car peeled out onto the street, cutting off a truck and veering around pedestrians.
Adrenaline pounded in his veins, useless and wasted.
“Fuck.” He fisted his hands and gritted his teeth.
So close.
But now they had another license plate and a face.
I’m going to find you, capon , and when I do, you’ll wish the gators got you first.
* * * * *
Odalia paced the office of Bayou Hunters, back and forth, Creature curled in the corner watching her. How was it Jacques rated an actual office, and she, a police officer, had only a desk at the station?
“Yeah,
“She sounds like a good woman.”
“ Mamère was. She helped people until the day she died.”
“I’m sorry—”
“Don’t be. She had a long, happy life and passed in her sleep, surrounded by the family she chose.” He could still remember the hymns sung on the porch as her last breath left her body. It was as if he could see the light snuffed out, her soul traveling to the great beyond. He missed her, but her spirit was with him.
“I never knew my grandparents.” Odalia glanced up at him.
They were two lost souls.
“Ready?” she asked him.
For her? Never, but he wasn’t about to let go of a good thing.
Oh wait—
The café waited at the end of the block.
“When you are,” he replied.
They picked up the pace, weaving through people, led by Creature. He was glad she had the dog for extra protection. Chances were she was packing some heat as well, as was he. There were some things that were the same, regardless if you were a cop or a bounty hunter.
At the threshold of the café, Jacques wrapped an arm around her and pulled Odalia up against his chest. He dug a hand into her hair and took her mouth in a savage kiss. She clenched the front of his shirt, lifting up on tiptoe to get closer.
He broke away from her before he lost it and shoved her up against the nearest car to fuck in public. With one last glance at her kiss-swollen lips, he ducked into the building.
The café had two walls of windows and was busy for a Saturday. He dug his bounty hunter badge out of his pocket and strode straight into the kitchen.
A chef turned toward him, brandishing a spatula. “You can’t—”
Jacques flashed his badge. “In pursuit of a criminal. Back door?”
The chef pointed toward the marked exit. Jacques hurried through the kitchen and slipped out the door into an alley. He sprinted as fast as he could down the block, his boots hammering the damp pavement, cool, humid air burning his lungs.
If Odalia continued at the same pace down the street, he had five minutes from the time they’d parted to circle behind where the car would be. That was also five minutes where anything could go wrong.
The alley let out on a side street. He skidded to a stop, peering at the main street beyond.
No car.
That didn’t mean it had moved yet.
He crept toward the street, keeping his back against the wall.
The blue sedan rolled past his position, the driver’s side window down and a black male in the driver’s seat. The jacket collar was turned up, and he wore a baseball hat pulled low, obscuring his features.
Jacques stalked toward the car as it eased past him. He rounded the corner in time to catch the brake lights flicker on and pull into a metered spot.
He wanted to run toward the culprit, yank him out of the car and beat his ass, but he was too far away. Going with the foot traffic, he watched the blue sedan.
Odalia meandered down the next block, pausing to study another storefront while Creature wound around her legs.
The man in the car glanced to the right then left, surveying the field. His gaze snagged on Jacques’ in the driver’s side mirror, and the car’s engine revved.
Jacques broke into a run and flung himself at the door as the car peeled out onto the street, cutting off a truck and veering around pedestrians.
Adrenaline pounded in his veins, useless and wasted.
“Fuck.” He fisted his hands and gritted his teeth.
So close.
But now they had another license plate and a face.
I’m going to find you, capon , and when I do, you’ll wish the gators got you first.
* * * * *
Odalia paced the office of Bayou Hunters, back and forth, Creature curled in the corner watching her. How was it Jacques rated an actual office, and she, a police officer, had only a desk at the station?
“Yeah,
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