Bayou Sunset (Agents of HIS #4)

Chapter Twenty-One

ROMEO SEETHED WITH frustration upon learning that Daisy Mae had concealed a dangerous secret. He felt a pang of anguish, realizing his absence had left her vulnerable and unable to shield her from harm. Impatient, he leaned closer to her. “Go ’head.”

“Well,” she said, her voice quivering slightly as she wet her lips, a telltale sign of nervousness. “There be a note left on me bateau the morning we went out with me frères .”

“What kind of note?” he growled through clenched teeth, the frustration evident in his voice. Why hadn’t she informed him? He had made it clear that he would always be there to protect her.

Daisy Mae shrugged. “At the time, I no thought much ’bout it.”

Grits inquired, maintaining composure in a way that Romeo wouldn’t have. “What did it say?”

“Something like ‘Leave the treasure alone or die.’”

“Where is this note?” Grits asked. “Do you still have it?”

Daisy Mae shook her head. “ Non . I crumpled it up and tossed it.”

Romeo’s hand moved slowly and deliberately as he wiped his palm across his face. A sense of relief washed over him as he realized it was just a note, but the content of the message left a sour feeling in his gut. While he was around, no one would “or die.” “Why did ya no tell me? We could’ve gotten prints or DNA from it, and this would be resolved.”

Her back stiffened, indicating that he had said the wrong thing. “ Mais , ’cuse me, Mr. Special Agent Man, I took it as a jest. It be before the bullets flew, and I’d forgotten ’bout it by then.”

His pride was wounded, and he let out a heavy sigh, causing his chest to rise and fall pronouncedly.

“Is there anything else?” Grits asked, eyeing her curiously.

“ N — Non .”

Romeo caught that stutter.

“Daisy Mae?” Grits said in a question. “We need to know everything.”

She fidgeted. “ Mais , someone broke into me home the first night we went out. They tore up me office, but I cleaned it up. Nothing be missing.”

The men groaned almost simultaneously. It was another opportunity to eliminate prints and DNA, but it was done. Romeo wouldn’t criticize her for it. She hadn’t realized that every aspect was intricately intertwined. Despite receiving a menacing note, being targeted with gunfire, and experiencing a break-in at her home all in one day, she still failed to recognize the seriousness of the situation. What had her life been like while he’d been away that she’d brush these things off as she had?

“Well,” Casper said, “someone is definitely after this treasure and doesn’t want Daisy Mae taking the twins out for it. Which reminds me, we need to meet these twins and see if they’ve had any threatening notes or break-ins.”

Romeo stared. He had never witnessed Casper string together so many words in one go. The team’s ghost was known for his brevity, so when he did choose to speak, it always carried weight and significance.

“Right,” Grits agreed. “Daisy Mae, Romeo, when can we meet the twins?”

“They be here now,” Daisy Mae said. “This be their bar, and dey be waiting for me to go out again.”

“Fantastic,” Grits exclaimed. “Could you please make the introductions for us? It’s important that we meet with them before you leave.”

“ Mais oui .” Daisy Mae stood, leading the men to the bar. “JP, would ya have Pierre come out? There be people I want ya to meet.”

After introducing Grits and Casper to her brothers, the men requested privacy for a discussion, leaving Romeo and Daisy Mae together.

He cleared his throat with a slight raspy sound, breaking the silence. “Would ya like another cup of coffee?” he inquired, a hint of warmth in his voice.

Daisy Mae shook her head, her blonde ponytail swaying gently, as she replied, “I be good. I need to prepare me bateau .”

Romeo gazed across the room, where four men were engaged in an animated discussion. He acknowledged Grits’s likely advice to avoid going out until the situation was resolved. However, Romeo knew that Daisy Mae and the obstinate twins were unlikely to comply with such a directive. Or, the twins were consumed by greed and showed no concern for their sister’s safety. That one sat uncomfortably in his crawl. “Let’s go.”

Romeo guided them away from the bar, his hand gently resting on her lower back. With that subtle touch, waves of passion surged through him. He had to have her again. His first task was to solve a significant problem that proved to be more serious than anticipated. The pressing question on his mind was, “What comes next?”

After leaving the bar, Romeo stopped and asked Daisy Mae to do the same. “Daisy Mae, I worry dat this be bigger than we thought.”

Her eyes widened in what he thought was fear. “Can dey handle it?”

Indeed, they could do it, but they required her to approach it more seriously. It appeared that someone was intent on causing her harm or preventing her from reaching the island. At least, that’s what they presumed was the motive behind the actions. It had started that fateful morning of the first treasure-hunting excursion.

Romeo nodded. “ Mais oui , dey can handle it. Unlike me, their focus be on ya safety.”

Daisy Mae’s brows furrowed. “Why not yours?”

“Because,” he said, moving closer, “I can’t keep me eyes off ya.” Reaching out, he pulled her into his arms. “I want ya, Daisy Mae Robichoux.”

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she smiled coyly. “Ya do? How much do ya want me?”

“Enough that I could take ya right here in front of God and all of Duke’s.”

Daisy Mae looked around. “How about we sneak back to me bateau and have a quickie?”

His love for his woman knew no bounds. This thought reverberated through his mind with unwavering clarity. Leaning in, his warm and tender lips embraced her in a possessive kiss, a silent declaration of his ownership. His blood rushed south with lightning speed, leaving him a bit light-headed. Damn, he needed this woman in his life. He had to persuade Daisy Mae to relocate with him.

“Gross,” JP said, walking up to them.

“Get a room,” Pierre said.

Romeo reluctantly broke the kiss, his breathing heavy and labored, and he noticed the blush spreading across Daisy Mae’s cheeks before he turned his attention to the men.

“Real mature,” Romeo said with disdain as he slipped his hand down to hold Daisy Mae’s. He defiantly looked at Grits and Casper. Let them tell him that he couldn’t do the job. “What be the verdict?”

“They’ve also had threats and break-ins,” Grits said grimly.

Merde . Why would this family choose to keep these things from him? Was it possible that they believed he was just there for amusement? Of course, he hadn’t disclosed to them that his purpose for being there was to safeguard Daisy Mae so he could somewhat understand their actions.

“What be the plan?” Romeo asked.

Grits stretched his neck side to side. “We strongly recommend taking a day’s break from treasure-hunting and going out on the boat. We have a few crucial things to check out first. We’re worried about what will happen next—because there will be a next.”

In moments, they grasped the grim reality of what was “next.” The dock trembled violently as a colossal explosion tore through the air, engulfing the boat, Seas the Day , in a fierce inferno.