Page 25 of Shadows Redeemed
“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 tellme 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 ofthe 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.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
SAGE STARED OUT THE window of Marissa’s car, her thoughts a tumultuous storm that threatened to blow through like a hurricane, causing all kinds of damage in its wake. The morning’s events played on repeat in her mind—Jacob’s stern warning, the frustration of dead ends, and the lingering heat of Parker’s touch the night before. She barely registered the scenery passing by as Marissa navigated the bustling New Orleans streets.
“Earth to Sage,” Marissa’s voice cut through her reverie. “We’re here.”
