Page 7 of Shadows Redeemed
He shrugged. “Just what I’ve heard from my brother. He works for your family. Jacob Franklin. Maybe you know him.”
The man’s eyes widened for a quick second before he schooled himself into a mask of neutrality. “You’re Jacob’s brother, huh? Well, I’m guessing you haven’t talked to him lately or you wouldn’t be here.” He lifted his drink and took a slow sip before setting the glass back on the bar and turning to face Parker more. “Not smart to come in here. We’re not real big fans of your brother right now. You could get yourself hurt just to send him a message.”
Parker reached out and pulled his glass closer as he looked over his shoulder for any muscle who lingered in the shadows. Luc was not the type to go without protection at his beck and call. “I know what you think he did, but he didn’t do it. I’m trying to prove that. If you know anything that could help, it would be greatly appreciated.” He turned back around, picking up his drink and taking a slow sip as he watched the man in the mirror behind the bar.
The man snorted and took a sip of his drink. “Sorry, pal, but I got nothin’ to say to you except tell your brother when we find him it won’t be pretty. You see, your brother owes us a lot of money, and we intend to collect. One way or another. And if you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay the hell out of our way or suffer your brother’s fate.”
Frustrated, Parker slid his hand off his glass as he opened his mouth to argue, but before a word slid out of his mouth, someone grabbed his arm from behind, jerking him upright, his stool scraping against the wood floor.
“You got a problem, mister?” a gruff voice asked from behind him.
Parker glanced over his shoulder once more to see a large, burly man snarling behind him. He must have been hiding in a shadow because he wasn’t there a minute ago. At least it proved Parker was right about Luc’s need for protection. “Um, no problem.” His heart raced as he tried to remain calm. It had been too long since he had been in a bar brawl. “Just having a friendly chat here. That’s all.” He held a hand up. “My mistake. I’ll just be going now.”
The man leaned in closer. “That might be the best idea you’ve had today. You don’t want to be disturbin’ Mr. Broussard’s quiet time.”
Parker’s stomach twisted as he jerked his gaze back to the younger man still sitting at the bar, acting as if there wasn’t a struggle happening right beside him. “Look, Jacob’s innocent, and I’m going to prove it. Tell your father that. Tell him Parker Franklin always makes good on his promises. He doesn’t need to go after my brother. I’ll find who took his drugs. I swear it.”
The man shook his head as he lifted his glass into the air, a cruel smile playing on his lips. “Too late for that, I’m afraid. Your brother’s made his bed, and now he has to lie in it.” He then turned to Parker and sneered. “Perhaps you should lie in it as well.” He gave a quick uplift of his chin and the man who had Parker in his grip jerked him the rest of the way off the stool and dragged him toward the front door.
“Let me go! Look, listen to me. I’ll find your drugs. It wasn’t my brother!” But his pleas fell on deaf ears.
The thick-bodied brute slammed Parker into the door, tossing him roughly to the dirty sidewalk outside. Parker landed with a thud, the wind knocked out of him. As he lay there, gasping for breath, he heard a car door slamming, but couldn’t move to see who it was.
“Well, this looks familiar.”
He rolled to his hands and knees, the grit of the sidewalk digging into his skin even through his pants. Looking up, he noticed the familiar smirk of the redhead he had thought his brother was too good for. “Sage?” A quick glance behind her showed several others, most with arms crossed or their hands on their hips as they stared down at him. He turned his gaze back to the fiery redhead. “You came.” He looked behind her once more. “And you brought help, it seems.”
She crossed her arms over her chest as she thrust a hip out, smirking once more. “Yeah, and from the look of it, you need it. What the hell were you doing in there?”
He groaned as he pushed himself to his feet, brushing off his pants as a low chuckle rumbled out of him. “Oh, you know. Just getting the lay of the land.” With a deep breath, he stood, stretching his back. “The Bayou Bar is a well-known hangout for the Broussards. I wanted to know where they stood on Jacob.”
“And?”
He looked at her. “It’s not good, and I’m not sure how much longer he has. I need to figure this out. And fast.”
She sighed, dropping her arms to her side. “Then I guess it’s a good thing I’m a big softie, huh? Come on. Follow us back to our hotel and you can figure us out.”
He tilted his head. “Hey, how did you even know I was here?”
She laughed as she pointed to one of the men behind her. “Meet Blaze. He’s great with computers, and every phone is a just little computer. Now let’s go.” Without another word, she spun on her heel and headed to an over-sized van.
Parker stood there for a moment, his gaze fixed on her ass as it swayed back and forth.Jacob, you were an idiot for letting her get away from you.
He sighed as he headed to his own car.
CHAPTER FIVE
SAGE SAT ACROSS FROM Parker in the hotel lobby, her eyes narrowed as she studied him intently. There was no denying the physical resemblance between him and his brother Jacob—the dark brooding looks, the intense eyes, the chiseled jawline. But as she listened to Parker recount his recent interactions with Luc Broussard and Jacob’s friend, Dominick, it became increasingly clear the similarities ended there.
Where Jacob had been reckless, unpredictable, a true wild card, Parker exuded a quiet, steady sense of purpose. He measured his words, his gaze unwavering. Even in the face of his brother’s mounting troubles, he remained grounded, almost stoic, and Sage couldn’t help but wonder how the two could be so different, despite sharing the same DNA.
The rest of her team had gone up to their rooms, giving her space to talk to Parker first and get the lay of the land, which she appreciated. But sitting there, across from him, she suddenly wished she had asked one of them to stay with her, if only for emotional support.
As Parker finished relaying the details of his conversation with Dominick and his run-in with the young Broussard, Sage leaned back in her chair, arms crossed over her chest. “So,once again, your brother is in deep shit, huh? Why am I not surprised?”
Parker nodded, his brow furrowed with concern. “Yeah, he got himself into a real mess from what I know. Between the cops thinking he killed one of theirs, which I just found out about, and the Broussards believing he lost or even stole their drugs, the whole town’s after him.” He paused, his gaze meeting hers. “I’ve got to find a way to prove his innocence, but I’m running out of options. That’s why I called you.”
She gave a slow bob of her head, her mind racing as she considered their next move. She was sure Dane would have some ideas, but he didn’t know New Orleans like she did, especially the underbelly. Or Jacob. Parker was just a simple teacher, after all. He did normal, mundane things. Still, she couldn’t just turn her back on Parker, not when he needed her most, even though every instinct inside of her screamed at her to do just that.
