Shadows (Bayou Magic 1)
“Andy feels the same way, of course. And I agree. I just wanted to make sure I have your permission to make decisions and get things set up for her.”
“Felicia, you know I trust you. Just keep us posted. And please tell Mom I love her.”
“Will do. I’m going to take her to get her hair done and out for lunch today. We’re having a girls’ day.”
“She’ll love that. Thank you.”
“Are you kidding? This is a vacation. Talk to you soon.”
She ends the call just as Brielle walks out of the shower, wrapped in a fluffy, white towel.
“Was that Felicia?” she asks.
“Yes, she’s at Mom’s. It’s good she’s there. She will take care of things.”
“She’ll be great,” Brielle says with a smile, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. Her hand clutches her chest, and she scowls. “Why do I keep forgetting my pendant?”
She stomps back into the bathroom and calls out to me, “Have you seen my necklace?”
“You had it on this morning.”
She pokes her head into the bedroom. “I know, and I took it off for my shower. Now, it’s gone.”
“Did you ask your sisters?”
She disappears again, and I hear her talking with her siblings.
“They haven’t seen it,” Brielle says as she bustles back into the bedroom and starts tearing the bed apart. “Maybe it came off while you were rocking my world.”
“So, you’re saying I rock your world?”
She rolls her eyes and looks at me like I’m ridiculous. “Maybe.”
“On a scale of one to ten, where would I rank on the world-rocking scale?”
“Your ego is big enough without me feeding it, you know.”
“Is my ego the only big thing I have?”
She barks out a laugh, the levity finally reaching her eyes. “You’re silly.”
I tug her to me and kiss her long and slow, reveling in how she fits against me as if she were made just for me.
“You two are disgusting,” Daphne says from the doorway. “Millie and I are going to check out our respective businesses to make sure the sky hasn’t fallen in either of them.”
“We’ll be back later,” Millie calls from the hallway.
I kiss Brielle on the nose, and Daphne rolls her eyes then disappears down the hall.
“Bye!” Brielle calls with a laugh. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you enjoy taunting my sisters.”
“Oh, I enjoy it very much,” I confirm and nod. “I don’t have to be in the office until around one today. Asher’s working on a different case this morning.”
“Perfect. Mallory called and asked if we’d like to have lunch with her and her husband, Beau.”
I quirk a brow. “Beau Boudreaux? The tycoon?”
“One and the same.” She nods and wanders to the closet to choose some clothes. “I haven’t seen him in a long time. He’s a busy guy.”
“What with being a billionaire and all.”
“And the owner of a massive company. He also has a big family. He’s a nice guy. You’ll like him.”
“Okay,” I reply and take her hand once she’s dressed and ready to go. “Lead the way.”“I admit,” Beau says an hour later as we wait for our lunch to be served, “I’m fascinated by your career.”
“It’s not always as exciting as they portray it in the movies,” I reply. “A lot of it is boring deskwork.”
“But a lot of it isn’t,” Mallory replies. “And, I will say, I can’t imagine having that much knowledge of how horrible human beings can be is an easy job. It must weigh heavily on you.”
“Sometimes,” I agree. “It depends on the job, of course. But you’re right in that I don’t necessarily work with the best of society.”
“And now you’re here, on your vacation, doing it again,” Brielle says, taking my hand in hers and linking our fingers. “I’m sorry about that.”
“I think I’m in the right place at the right time.”
“That’s a lovely way to think about it,” Mallory says with a wide smile.
Our meals are served, and right after I’ve taken the first bite of my shrimp gumbo, my phone rings.
“I’m sorry. It’s my boss in Dallas. I’d better take this.”
I step away from the table, move out to the sidewalk, and accept the call.
“This is Winslow.”
“It’s Peters,” he says, his voice brisk and all business. “I have news that you’re not going to like, Cash.”
I narrow my eyes. “What’s up?”
“Simpson won’t be going to prison.”
There are moments in movies when the protagonist receives bad news, and the camera spins around them quickly as if everything is spiraling out of control.
This is that moment for me.
My stomach roils.
“Why the fuck not?”
“He’s been found not guilty by reason of insanity. So, instead of a cage in prison, he’ll be in a mental hospital for the rest of his life.”
“Unacceptable. He’s not fucking insane. I’ll sit on the stand and testify.”
“Too late,” Peters says.
“Why wasn’t I notified that this was going to trial? And how in the fucking hell did it happen so fast?”