Big Easy Temptation (The Perfect Gentlemen #3)(111)

“Lara should hide,” Holland said. “Connor, can you find a sniper position somewhere?”

They all looked at Morgan.

“Head out the back door,” he said. “You’ll have to follow the path around the swamp. It will take a few minutes, but you’ll be right behind them. They’ll never see you coming. If you simply walk out the front, they’ll make you for sure.”

“On it.” Connor gripped the knob of the back door. “Keep the cops out of the house. I won’t be able to see them in here. Use the dark. My night vision is excellent. And whatever you do, don’t let them know anyone is here but you and Dax. You’re not suspicious of him at all.”

Dax nodded. “We got here and Morgan was gone.”

“Right. Take care of Lara.” Connor gave his friend one last look and disappeared.

“She should hide in the closet,” Morgan said, nodding toward the only room with a door. “It’s back there. I’ll show you the way. I don’t have any weapons. I always knew if they found me, I would die. I really don’t care anymore except it will hurt my mother. She’s all I have left. I lost Judith when Hal died. So many friends gone. That was the horrible part. I found out everything was meaningless without him.”

Morgan might lose his mind before his life.

Holland heard a car pulling up, saw red and blue lights stream in through the thin curtains.

Her uncle. It hurt more than she could process now, but she couldn’t explain away the evidence. She should have seen it so much sooner and she could have saved Dax heartache.

“They’ll see my car. I couldn’t hide it. I didn’t have time once I realized they were on their way. I’m assisting you in this investigation and trying to cover NCIS’s ass,” Gemma said. “Your uncle will understand that.”

When a hard knock sounded on the door, Holland realized her time had run out.

“New Orleans PD. Open up.” Her uncle’s voice resonated through the portal.

She certainly wasn’t going to hide. She would talk to him, get him to go away, and begin to build her case against him.

Holland opened the door before Dax could stop her. “Uncle Beau? I’m surprised to see you out here. Are you looking for Peter Morgan?”

Her uncle stood there, his big body illuminated in the porch light. Behind him she could see he’d brought along Chad and three other cops, all familiar.

This was her uncle’s pack, the ones who would know where the bodies were buried because he’d ordered these men to do the burying. They were mutually complicit, and it made her sick.

“I was looking for you, Holland,” her uncle replied. “And Dax Spencer. He’s wanted for questioning down at the station.”

Was that how he intended to play this, all aboveboard so he could separate the two of them and later inform her of Dax’s untimely but shocking accidental death or some such nonsense? Her heart sped up because this tactic made everything more dangerous—and difficult.

Keep the cops out of the house. That was what Connor had said. Was he close to making his way around the swamp so he could circle around and position himself behind the cops?

That was when she remembered the camera. Peter Morgan didn’t keep a gun around, but he had a camera on the front door that her uncle had either not seen or thought he could handle.

“Questioning about what?” Holland stood her ground, not giving her uncle an inch.

Beau’s eyes narrowed. “I have enough evidence to prove he hired the assassin who tried to kill you. I’ve seen his bank transactions. Very damning. You know I told you that boy was trouble. He’s going to use your death to shine a light on his father’s death and get NCIS to reopen the case. That family is ruthless.”

“He doesn’t have to do that. I’ve already reopened it.” She glanced over to the left, where Dax had his back to the wall, just out of her uncle’s line of sight.

Connor might have joked about Dax and the gun range, but he handled his sidepiece like a pro. He might not do this kind of thing every day, but he would be competent. He wouldn’t waver. Gemma moved behind her.

“Lieutenant,” Gemma said with a nod. “What seems to be the problem? My partner and I are working a case. We came out here to speak to a witness.”

Her uncle’s head tilted as though he was trying to see inside. “You’re here to talk to Morgan?”

He must be desperate, because he’d forgotten he wasn’t supposed to know where Morgan lived. It was time to get him talking.

“He’s not here.” Holland frowned, pretending confusion. “How long have you been working for the Bratva?”

Beside her, Dax closed his eyes. When he opened them she saw how furious he was.

Holland had to keep him talking, had to keep that camera rolling. If she let her uncle take Dax in, he would very likely be thrown into a cell where some paid asshole waited to take him out. And her uncle would get to keep his hands completely clean.

She couldn’t let that happen. That meant getting her uncle to talk so when Connor found a position and made his move, he didn’t get charged with murdering a police officer.

Because there was no way this wouldn’t get bloody.

“What are you talking about?” Her uncle crossed his arms over his chest and towered over her. “Holland, everything I’ve done is to protect you. That boy has been dragging you down for years. Now he’s using you to prove something when he should just have accepted his father’s crimes. You can’t trust these rich boys. They’ll do whatever they need to when it comes to protecting their money.”