Shadows Redeemed (Garrison Security Innovations #4)

Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

THE HUMID NEW ORLEANS air clung to Parker’s skin as he stormed down Bourbon Street, fury radiating off him in almost palpable waves. The usual cacophony of jazz and drunken revelry seemed muted, drowned out by the blood pounding in his ears. How dare they? How dare Jacob and Sage conspire to keep him off the case?

He stormed the streets as neon signs flickered overhead, casting garish colors across the worn cobblestones. Tourists stumbled past, clutching oversized novelty drinks and laughing too loudly at jokes only they understood. Any other day, Parker might have found the scene amusing, even joined it. Now, however, it just grated on his already frayed nerves.

He didn’t care what the others said. He was the one who called Sage, after all. There was no way he would allow them to push him off this case. He would get the answers he needed to prove his brother wasn’t the scoundrel they all claimed he was, and it didn’t matter that Jacob didn’t want him on the case. Parker refused to sit on the sidelines while everyone else did the heavy lifting. Not by a longshot.

A prickle ran down his spine, and he faltered mid-step. Someone was watching him. Following him. He could feel it. No one stood out, however, when he took a quick glance around.

Turning back around, he quickened his pace, weaving through the crowd with practiced ease. A flash of movement in his peripheral vision confirmed his suspicion. Whoever it was, they were good. But he was better. At least, he hoped he was.

He ducked down a narrow side street, the raucous sounds of Bourbon Street fading behind him. Ancient buildings loomed on either side, their balconies adorned with intricate wrought iron, and in the distance, a cat yowled. Parker’s footsteps echoed off the weathered bricks as he sprinted, taking sharp turns at random, ducking behind dumpsters and turning back around, darting down another alley.

After a few minutes of doing that, he paused to catch his breath. Had he lost them? He leaned against a graffiti-covered wall, listening intently. Nothing but the distant thrum of music and the occasional car horn filled his ears. Maybe he’d been paranoid after all.

A hand clamped down on his shoulder.

He didn’t hesitate. Instinct took over as he called upon years of wrestling with his brother when he would sneak up on him. He spun, grabbing his assailant’s wrist and using their momentum to slam them against the wall. However, his opponent was just as skilled. They twisted out of his grip, sweeping Parker’s legs out from under him. Both tumbled to the hard ground, groans ripping from their throats.

They grappled on the grimy pavement, neither able to gain the upper hand. Parker managed to flip his attacker onto their back, pinning them down. He raised his fist, ready to strike—and froze.

“Jacob?”

His brother glared up at him, breathing hard. “Get off me, you idiot. This is New Orleans. Do you know what’s on these streets?”

Parker scrambled back, a mix of emotions churning in his gut. Relief that Jacob was alive warred with lingering anger and a hefty dose of confusion. “What the hell are you doing here? Were you following me?”

Jacob stood, brushing dirt from his clothes and then checking the bandage on his shoulder. “If you got this bleeding again…” He winced with the pain, but otherwise seemed all right. “And I’m making sure my little brother doesn’t get himself killed. I knew you wouldn’t let it go.” Taking a slow breath in, he shook his head. “Go home, Parker. Better yet, go play footsie with Sage. Go back to Biloxi with her, even. It’s not safe here.”

“Not safe?” Parker scoffed. “That’s rich, coming from you. They’re accusing you of murdering your handler, Eric Fontaine. But you knew that?”

“Yeah, I knew that.” Irritation flashed across Jacob’s face. “Which is exactly why you need to stay out of it. This goes deeper than you know, and you poking your nose around will only get your nose shot off.”

“Then tell me!” Parker took a step forward, frustration bubbling over. “Stop shutting me out. Two days ago, you asked for my help. You said I was the only one who could help you, so stop pushing me out of the way now. I’m not some damn kid.”

“You’re right, you’re not a kid.” Jacob’s voice softened as he slipped his hands to his hips. “But you’re still my little brother. I won’t let you throw your life away in some crazed attempt to save my ass.”

Parker glanced at Jacob’s shoulder, noticing it held a different bandage than the one he had put on it last night. “Who patched you up?”

Jacob’s expression hardened. “Mind your own business.”

“Damn it, Jacob, this is my business! You’re my brother. Everything that happens to you is my business. You need my help. What if whoever is after you goes after our parents? We need to solve this now.”

A tense silence stretched between them, and Jacob seemed to be wrestling with something internally. Finally, he sighed, a smirk slipping across his face. “So, you and Sage, huh? I noticed you didn’t return to your room last night. Plus, she answered your phone call and not mine, so…”

The abrupt change of subject caught Parker off guard.”What? I’m not—we’re not—” He stammered, feeling heat creep up his neck.

Jacob raised an eyebrow. “Come on, Park. I saw that kiss she gave you, and how she came to your room in nothing but a robe. At least, I’ll bet there was nothing under that robe but pure Sage. Plus, I saw the way you looked at her. And how you raced after her when she left in a huff. I’m not stupid or blind.”

Parker looked away, unable to meet his brother’s gaze, guilt filling him. “It’s not like that. We’re just… I needed her help to clear you. That’s it.”

“But you want something else from her, don’t you?”

He didn’t answer right away as he stared off into the distance. Then, after a couple of pounding heartbeats, he blew out a breath. “Yes, actually, I do.” He then turned back to Jacob, running a hand through his hair, frustrated. “But what does it matter? She’s part of the team now investigating you. Plus, she’s made it clear she wants nothing from me but my absence.”

Jacob’s expression softened. “Look, if you want a future with Sage, then you need to stay away from this mess that’s got me jammed up. You need to be alive to have that future and walking this path will see you dead sooner or later. Trust me. I know these people.”

Parker felt a flicker of hope. “You think I’ve really got a chance with her? You wouldn’t care?”

Jacob shook his head. “She deserves to be happy. You both do. I think you’d be perfect together. But you have to trust me and stay out of this. Let Sage and her team handle the investigation. I did some digging into them, and they’re good—damn good—at what they do from what I hear, so let them do it.”

“But what if they don’t find the truth in time? Someone’s already taken a shot at you. I don’t think they’re going to miss a second time.” He pointed at his brother’s shoulder. “Can you at least tell me who did that?”

“No, I can’t. Just be happy knowing I’m not completely alone out here.” He clenched his jaw. “As for the rest, that’s on me. I won’t have you going down for something you didn’t do.”

Parker opened his mouth to respond, but the words died in his throat as he caught movement at the end of the alley.

Three men approached, their postures radiating menace. Parker recognized the one in the lead, as well as the brawny goon behind him. Broussard and his goons. A sinking feeling filled the pit of his stomach.

“I told you we’d find Jacob if we just kept to his baby brother.” The man shook his head, chuckling. “Too busy playing detective without knowing what the hell he’s doing. Too busy looking ahead, he missed what was behind him.”

Jacob tensed beside him. “Luc Broussard,” he growled. “What got you out of that dive bar you live in?”

Guilt filled Parker as he cursed himself. He had led them right to his brother! It hadn’t been Jacob following him, but Luc. What a damn fool!

“I must say, Jacob, you’re a hard man to find. I thought for sure the old man would have taken you out at that rundown cabin of yours, but you have more lives than a cat. He wasn’t supposed to do that, by the way. I wanted you alive to tell me where my money is.” Luc shoved his hands into his front pockets. “You’re resourceful, though. I’ll give you that.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Parker saw his brother shifting, subtly positioning himself between him and the newcomers. “This doesn’t concern my brother. Let him go.”

Broussard’s smile widened, revealing too-white teeth. “Oh, I’m afraid it does now. You see, young brother here has been asking far too many questions. Sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong. That’s a dangerous habit in this city.” He made a disapproving tsk-tsk as he shook his head. “And then he brought some investigative team in to poke around? Not good at all. My pops, he doesn’t like strangers digging into his life. He’s kind of private that way.”

Parker’s fists clenched at his sides. “Leave Sage out of this.”

“Parker,” Jacob hissed. “Shut up.”

But Broussard just laughed. “Oh, I might have misjudged this one. He’s got fire.” His expression hardened. “But fire can be extinguished all too easily in the bayou. You’d do well to remember that, Franklin.”

One of Broussard’s men shifted, and Parker caught the glint of metal beneath his jacket. They were armed. Of course, they were. His mind raced, assessing their options. The alley was narrow—an advantage in close quarters, but it also limited their escape routes. If they could just?—

Jacob’s hand closed around his wrist, squeezing once. A signal. Parker barely had time to brace himself before Jacob was moving, launching himself at Broussard’s men with explosive speed.

Chaos erupted in the confined space. Parker ducked a wild swing from one of the goons, using the man’s momentum to send him crashing into a pile of discarded crates. He spun, narrowly avoiding a knife thrust from the second man. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jacob grappling with Broussard himself.

“Parker, run!” Jacob shouted, his voice strained as he struggled to keep Broussard’s gun hand pointed away from them both.

For a split second, Parker hesitated. Then he darted to where his brother wrestled with Luc, grabbed them both, and jerked them apart, sending Luc into a wall. He shoved Jacob toward one end of the alley as he made his way down the other. “We both run!”

With a frustrated growl, he turned and sprinted down the alley. Behind him, he heard Luc and his men regaining their feet, but he didn’t turn around to see which way they charged. His only focus was to get the hell out of there. Jacob knew the area better than he did, so he had no doubt his brother would get away. Now he needed to focus on his own survival.

The narrow passage opened up onto a busier street, and Parker burst out onto the sidewalk, nearly colliding with a group of tourists. He mumbled a quick apology as he pushed past them, scanning the area frantically.

As he ran, weaving through the crowds with single-minded determination, his mind whirled, churning over everything he knew about what was happening. Now the Broussards were actively hunting them both. And who was the old man who went out to the cabin to kill Jacob? Who else knew about the place?

One thing was certain—he couldn’t stay out of it the way Jacob expected. No matter what his brother said, no matter how dangerous it was, he was completely in this now. He would find the truth, clear his brother’s name, and maybe—just maybe—have a chance at the future Jacob had hinted at. The fact his brother was even all right about him and Sage being together had shocked him.

The sounds of Bourbon Street faded behind him as he ran, the humid New Orleans afternoon clinging to him like a second skin. In the distance, a jazz band played a mournful tune, the notes seeming to echo the turmoil in Parker’s heart. He sent up a silent prayer to whatever powers might be listening, hoping it wasn’t already too late.

For Jacob. For Sage. For all of them.

The investigation into his brother's alleged crimes had just become personal in a way he never could have imagined. And he was damned if he would let anyone—not Jacob, not Sage, and certainly not Luc Broussard—keep him from uncovering the truth.

As he disappeared into the labyrinthine streets of the French Quarter, he made a silent vow. He would see this through to the end, no matter the cost. No matter how badly Jacob wanted him to leave it alone. Because that’s what family did. And in New Orleans, family was everything.

The neon signs of Bourbon Street flickered in the distance, a garish reminder of the world he was leaving behind. Ahead lay uncertainty, danger, and the faintest glimmer of hope. He squared his shoulders and pressed on, the echoes of the confrontation with Broussard still ringing in his ears as he clutched to that hope.