Bayou Sunset (Agents of HIS #4)

Chapter Thirty-One

ROMEO WAS ACUTELY aware that the brothers would not launch the signal flare unless the situation were dire, as they were keen on keeping their location concealed. Acting instinctually, he swiftly dropped his sidearm and tore off his shirt before considering Daisy Mae’s safety.

When he turned to her, he saw her one-piece swimsuit, from which she had already removed her top and shorts. “I be coming,” she said.

Torn between exposing her to potential danger or leaving her to face it alone, Romeo ultimately decided to bring her along. He believed that by staying together, he would have a better chance of protecting her. Additionally, he considered the possibility that someone might be injured and need assistance rather than facing imminent danger. These thoughts gave him hope as they pressed on.

Daisy Mae grabbed the boat key and then turned to him. “Let’s go.”

With a warm smile, Romeo gestured for her to dive into the water ahead of him. He couldn’t help but admire her grace and elegance as he extended his arm. He needed to keep a close watch on her every movement as they made their way to shore.

Upon reaching the island, Romeo felt grateful for wearing aqua shoes, as the terrain was densely covered with lush vegetation. They briskly followed the partly formed trail created by those who had ventured through the island before them, allowing Romeo and Daisy Mae to navigate the island easily.

Going further than he’d been on the previous excursion with the brothers, Romeo’s insides began to knot, and his gut tightened. Something was wrong, and he only hoped to keep Daisy Mae from running headlong into trouble.

As he mulled it over, he became increasingly aware of the magnitude of their problem. His certainty grew when he heard a boat swiftly approaching in the bayou. Merde. How could he ensure Daisy Mae’s safety with his firearm on the boat? He had been so concerned about what had happened to one of the crew onshore that he hadn’t taken the time to put his weapon in a waterproof bag like Alice had done to bring ashore with him.

He longed to have the time to return to the boat and retrieve the weapon, recognizing its crucial importance. Although the danger to Daisy Mae appeared to have dissipated in the bayou, he couldn’t shake the feeling that another threat loomed ahead. “ Merde ,” he muttered under his breath, feeling the weight of the decision ahead as he stood at a crucial crossroads.

Romeo reached out to Daisy Mae. “Stop.”

“ Mais, why?” Daisy Mae asked as she turned to him, concern for her brothers etched on her face.

“Something be wrong.”

“I know. Dat be why we rush.”

He shook his head. “No, something be wrong with dis situation.”

“We need to find me frères before that bateau stops at the island.”

He found himself filled with increasing uncertainty. Despite his misgivings, he could only cling to hope that his suspicions were unfounded and that a member of the crew had indeed suffered an injury and not a threat to their life.

“Let’s go,” she insisted and was off before Romeo could stop her.

He hurried behind Daisy Mae to catch up to her jog through the brush to where the flare had been launched. She tripped and fell, and he helped her up.

“You be okay?” He knew the vegetation could be sharp.

Daisy Mae wiped her hands off on her swimsuit and nodded. “Let’s go.”

However, Romeo noticed her limping a bit as she hurried and saw spots of blood where she had stepped. He wanted to stop and wrap her wound to protect it from the sand but knew she was single-minded and focused on getting to her brothers. They were close, so he could bind it when they checked on her brothers.

As they neared the area, they exited the vegetation to a sandy inlet where Alice met them with her weapon pointed at the brothers while Marie tied Pierre up, JP lying on the ground with blood on his head.

Merde. He could have avoided putting Daisy Mae in this dangerous situation if he had only trusted his gut feeling and followed his instincts. It seemed likely that JP had been struck after he fired the flare to warn them, but rather foolishly, they misinterpreted it as a distress signal of a different kind.

“JP!” Daisy Mae cried and began toward her brother.

“Stop,” Alice ordered, turning her gun on Daisy Mae.

“You no shoot me,” Daisy Mae said and continued forward.

Alice turned the weapon fully on Romeo. “ Mais, I would him.”

Daisy Mae suddenly stopped, her eyes filled with anguish as she grappled with the impossible choice between saving him and meeting her brother’s urgent need. The torment in her eyes was unmistakable as she weighed the options. Finally, he let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding when she decided to spare his life, fully aware that Alice might not have shown the same mercy.

“Why ya do dis?” Daisy Mae asked.

Romeo was convinced that Daisy Mae’s friend held them at gunpoint out of sheer greed. He believed Alice and Marie were solely interested in keeping the treasure for themselves, leading to this extreme and dangerous situation.

“’Cause we deserve it for staying in dis town,” Alice said.

Romeo vented his frustration, harshly condemning himself and the other men for not targeting the women as potential suspects first. The exhaustive investigation covered virtually every town resident except Alice, Marie, and Shelly. They could not fathom the possibility of betrayal from Alice—the law—considering her close bond with Daisy Mae. He still couldn’t comprehend it from Shelly, who he was sure to be arriving shortly.

“Do something. Da bitches be crazy,” Pierre said before Marie backhanded him, and he fell over in the sand.

Romeo found himself in a precarious situation, with Alice holding a weapon. He couldn’t afford to underestimate the danger she posed, especially considering the potential risk to Daisy Mae. Despite the stakes, Romeo was relentless in his determination to take action. He deliberated meticulously, considering every possible course of action in search of the best approach to maximize their chances of success. However, now, Alice had the upper hand, so he had to follow orders.

Alice waved the gun toward JP and Pierre. “Over dere, both of ya.” Then, to her sister, “Tie dem up.”

“Daisy Mae, too?” Marie asked as if in disbelief.

“She be hurt,” Romeo said, hoping that would free her from being tied up, leaving someone to untie them when they were left on the island.

Alice’s expression briefly shifted to one of concern as she scanned Daisy Mae, her eyes catching the sight of blood on the sand around her. After a moment, Alice reassuredly remarked, “She be fine.”

Daisy Mae swayed, and Romeo could see that she was struggling. He was particularly concerned about the sand that had gotten into a cut on her foot, as it posed a serious risk of infection. Romeo was afraid that if they immobilized her and left her alone, as he suspected they might, Daisy Mae’s condition could deteriorate rapidly.

He urgently needed to find a way to free them before Shelly arrived. Hope was fading fast as Alice turned her head to talk to Marie. Suddenly, Romeo launched himself at Alice, and in the chaos of the struggle, the gun fired as they tumbled to the sand.