Close Cover (Masters and Mercenaries #16)(89)

Remy’s grandparents.

Guidry’s Bar and Grill was founded in 1957 by LC and Glendola Guidry. LC fought in World War II and when he came home, he wanted nothing more than to build a place like the ones he’d seen in Europe, a true family pub. Glendola’s parents had left her the bait shop and wharf, so they expanded and soon Guidry’s was as much a focal point of Papillon society as the local church. Always holding fast to the idea that this was a family business as their personal family grew, they did it at the restaurant. Children have always been welcome and a generation of Southern Louisiana bébés grew up at the wharf. Guidry’s became a place to celebrate at and to gather when the community mourned. It is a true American business, dependent on family and giving back to the community it serves. Though LC and Glen have departed this earth, their love lives on in the spirit of the business they built and passed down to the grandchildren. Welcome to Guidry’s where we hope you pass a good time.

There was another picture, this one in color. LC and Glen were much older and surrounded by family, including a heartbreakingly handsome teenaged Remy. They all stood together smiling in front of the Guidry’s she was standing in now.

Tears blurred the words. Once there had been two people who took a chance on each other. Had neither of them hurt the other? Were they utterly blameless and mistake free? She doubted it. They were human and hurting each other happened. No, she was sure there had been very bad times for that smiling couple. What they hadn’t done was let it break them. She was mistaking stubbornness for strength.

Two people had taken what they had and built something great. They’d built a family that hadn’t existed before—first through the children and then through this bar. They’d built something that lived on after they were gone.

She was never leaving this place. She had found her home and she would fight for it. She would work her hardest to maintain and grow what Remy’s grandparents had given into his hands. She would learn from them and grow a family, her love for Remy expressed in new human beings, boys and girls she would love unconditionally, and this would be their birthright. This place and town, the bay and bayou would be theirs.

She loved her family in Texas but she would always be the baby, the one who needed help and protecting. The family she created here in Papillon would look to her for strength.

And one day, it would be her and Remy on that menu. Older, wiser, even more in love.

A loud knock from the front of the house made her start. She wiped away the tears on her cheeks. They were good tears, happy and relieved because she’d made her decision.

The knocking started again. How late was it?

She crossed the space with absolutely no intention of opening that door. There was a security monitor that would show who was out there and then Remy could deal with them. It was after midnight and if this was someone come looking for a drink, he would have to go somewhere else. Maybe Remy would drag him away and toss him back into the bayou like Otis.

“Remy? Remy, it’s Armie. I need to talk to you,” a deep voice said.

She glanced at the security station. Sure enough, the sheriff was standing at the front door and it looked like he’d brought some friends.

She couldn’t keep the sheriff out. God, what if something had happened to Zep or Seraphina? Or Remy’s mom? Her heart started to race and she found the keys.

“Remy, the sheriff’s here,” she called out. She wasn’t sure he could hear her from his office. Her hands shaking slightly, she managed to get the door open.

Armie stood there, a frown on his face. “Lisa, these men are here with a warrant to take you into custody.”

She looked at the officers behind him and knew her time was up.





Chapter Thirteen


Remy jogged into the office, thinking of all the ways he could murder his brother. No one else would call this damn late. Once Zep was gone, there would be no one to interrupt his playtime. Well, no one except all the other members of his family.

He would have ignored them all for Lisa, but his girl wouldn’t have it. Of all the things that might tempt a woman to marry him, his insane family hadn’t even been on the list. How odd that it might be the exact thing to push him over the top. Someway, somehow, his Lisa had fit right in as though they’d been missing an important piece, the piece that made them functional, and now that it was slotted in, they were back in motion. Unstuck. Sera smiled more, had matured into a good mother. His momma adored Lisa and she’d softened up. Even Zep was more tolerable while Lisa was around.

He picked up the landline and looked over to his cell. He’d forgotten to charge it earlier and had plugged it in when they’d closed. The screen glowed in the dark of the office and fear crept up his spine.

Ten messages. Why would someone leave him ten messages?

“This is Guidry,” he said as he tried to see who’d called his cell.

“Thank freaking god,” Ian Taggart said over the line. “I swear you’ve been gone for a week and you forget all our fucking protocols, one of which is to carry your phone at all times. Finding this number was insanely hard.”

That answered his question. His hand tightened around the receiver. “What’s going on?”

“Maia called about thirty minutes ago. The feds filed to put Lisa under custody as a material witness. They got a judge to sign off on the warrant outside of the courtroom. Maia only found out because she’s got a mole over at the federal office. The fact that they did this in the dead of night scares the shit out of me. They’ll be down there tomorrow morning to pick Lisa up. It’s best we avoid the whole thing. They can’t take her in if they can’t find her. Get her out of there now. I’m sending someone else down so you can take shifts.”