Page 37 of Bayou Sunset

ROMEO SEETHED WITH frustration upon learning that Daisy Mae had concealed a dangerous secret. He felt a pang of anguish, realizing his absence had left her vulnerable and unable to shield her from harm. Impatient, he leaned closer to her. “Go ’head.”

“Well,” she said, her voice quivering slightly as she wet her lips, a telltale sign of nervousness. “There be a note left on mebateauthe morning we went out with mefrères.”

“What kind of note?” he growled through clenched teeth, the frustration evident in his voice. Why hadn’t she informed him? He had made it clear that he would always be there to protect her.

Daisy Mae shrugged. “At the time, I no thought much ’bout it.”

Grits inquired, maintaining composure in a way that Romeo wouldn’t have. “What did it say?”

“Something like ‘Leave the treasure alone or die.’”

“Where is this note?” Grits asked. “Do you still have it?”

Daisy Mae shook her head. “Non. I crumpled it up and tossed it.”

Romeo’s hand moved slowly and deliberately as he wiped his palm across his face. A sense of relief washed over him as he realized it was just a note, but the content of the message left a sour feeling in his gut. While he was around, no one would “or die.” “Why did ya no tell me? We could’ve gotten prints or DNA from it, and this would be resolved.”

Her back stiffened, indicating that he had said the wrong thing. “Mais, ’cuse me, Mr. Special Agent Man, I took it as a jest. It be before the bullets flew, and I’d forgotten ’bout it by then.”

His pride was wounded, and he let out a heavy sigh, causing his chest to rise and fall pronouncedly.

“Is there anything else?” Grits asked, eyeing her curiously.

“N—Non.”

Romeo caught that stutter.

“Daisy Mae?” Grits said in a question. “We need to know everything.”

She fidgeted. “Mais, someone broke into me home the first night we went out. They tore up me office, but I cleaned it up. Nothing be missing.”

The men groaned almost simultaneously. It was another opportunity to eliminate prints and DNA, but it was done. Romeo wouldn’t criticize her for it. She hadn’t realized that every aspect was intricately intertwined. Despite receiving a menacing note, being targeted with gunfire, and experiencing a break-in at her home all in one day, she still failed to recognize the seriousness of the situation. What had her life been like while he’d been away that she’d brush these things off as she had?

“Well,” Casper said, “someone is definitely after this treasure and doesn’t want Daisy Mae taking the twins out for it. Which reminds me, we need to meet these twins and see if they’ve had any threatening notes or break-ins.”

Romeo stared. He had never witnessed Casper string together so many words in one go. The team’s ghost was known for his brevity, so when he did choose to speak, it always carried weight and significance.

“Right,” Grits agreed. “Daisy Mae, Romeo, when can we meet the twins?”

“They be here now,” Daisy Mae said. “This be their bar, and dey be waiting for me to go out again.”

“Fantastic,” Grits exclaimed. “Could you please make the introductions for us? It’s important that we meet with them before you leave.”

“Mais oui.” Daisy Mae stood, leading the men to the bar. “JP, would ya have Pierre come out? There be people I want yato meet.”

After introducing Grits and Casper to her brothers, the men requested privacy for a discussion, leaving Romeo and Daisy Mae together.

He cleared his throat with a slight raspy sound, breaking the silence. “Would ya like another cup of coffee?” he inquired, a hint of warmth in his voice.

Daisy Mae shook her head, her blonde ponytail swaying gently, as she replied, “I be good. I need to prepare mebateau.”

Romeo gazed across the room, where four men were engaged in an animated discussion. He acknowledged Grits’s likely advice to avoid going out until the situation was resolved. However, Romeo knew that Daisy Mae and the obstinate twins were unlikely to comply with such a directive. Or, the twins were consumed by greed and showed no concern for their sister’s safety. That one sat uncomfortably in his crawl. “Let’s go.”

Romeo guided them away from the bar, his hand gently resting on her lower back. With that subtle touch, waves of passion surged through him. He had to have her again. His first task was to solve a significant problem that proved to be more serious than anticipated. The pressing question on his mind was, “What comes next?”

After leaving the bar, Romeo stopped and asked Daisy Mae to do the same. “Daisy Mae, I worry dat this be bigger than we thought.”

Her eyes widened in what he thought was fear. “Can dey handle it?”

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