Page 65 of Rafael

“There.” Gisele pointed to a narrow, one-lane gravel road.

He left the highway and drove the length of the gravel road beneath a canopy of interwoven limbs of the giant oak trees lining the drive. The road opened onto a sweeping lawn surrounding a two-story colonial with wraparound porches on both levels.

Rafael didn’t voice it, but the house wasn’t what he expected of a Voodoo Queen.

Gisele chuckled. “Not what you expected? Too often, people stereotype Voodoo practitioners as flamboyant and over the top with makeup and facial tattoos.” She grimaced. “Flamboyant like the grand-mère you saw this evening. That was all for show to play to what the audience expects. She works in her kitchen wearing leggings and oversized T-shirts, looking like an aging college coed.” She smiled softly and looked around. “Her car is here. Come on. Let’s get inside and warn her about what might be headed her way.”

Rafael slid from his seat onto the ground and hurried around to help Gisele alight. “The sooner we locate the money, the sooner we can get it away from here.”

“If it’s even here.” Gisele leaned up on her toes to press her lips to his. “Thank you for insisting on staying in Bayou Mambaloa to protect me.”

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her hard. “I couldn’t walk away and leave you.”

“You could have had one of your other team members babysit me,” she said.

Rafael thought of Valentin and Landry staying with Gisele and shook his head. “No.”

She grinned. “Look at you committing to more than a day or two with one woman. You’re making progress.”

A frown settled across Rafael’s forehead.

Gisele touched his arm. “I’m just kidding. This is different. I’m a client. Once the threat is gone, I’ll be gone.”

His frown didn’t lighten. He didn’t want to think about what would happen after Gisele’s threat was neutralized. He’d move on to the next project or bodyguard assignment. She’d go back to her gift shop. They’d pass often since he lived next door to her. Maybe they’d become friends.

The problem was, he couldn’t see her as just a friend. He’d made love to her, experienced the magic of her passion and the beauty of her spirit. Walking away from all that she was would be harder than he could imagine.

She reached for his hand. “Come on, let’s find the stash.”

They walked up the steps to the wide wooden porch. Rafael knocked on the front door.

“Grand-mère!” Gisele called out.

Silence.

She peered through a window. “Her car is here, but I don’t see anyone moving inside.”

Gisele walked around the side of the house.

Rafael followed.

She paused at the back corner, staring out at the bayou and the dock, bathed in silvery moonlight. The dock was empty. Her grand-mère’s pirogue wasn’t where it was usually tied. “She’s out on the bayou. Let’s go inside. I have a key to her house.” She led the way to the front door.

She pulled her keychain out of her purse, thumbed through the various keys and selected one. Moments later, the door was open, and they entered the house.

Gisele led Rafael straight into a room with an odd collection of antique furniture and modern art. On the far side, tucked into a corner, stood the brass cash resister perched atop a wooden cabinet, pushed up against the wall.

They hurried across the room and stopped in front of the antique.

Rafael hit the button that made the cash drawer pop out. It was empty except for an old bobby pin and a paper clip. He felt around the drawer and tugged on the dividers, looking for secret panelshidden beneath. When the cash drawer didn’t yield answers, Gisele worked her way down the front of the cabinet.

One by one, she pulled the drawers all the way out, inspected the slots and then slit them back in. When she reached the bottom drawer, she tried to open it, but it was stuck. No matter how hard she pulled, it wouldn’t open.

“Let me try.” Rafael worked on it for a few minutes and frowned. “We might need tools to dislodge that drawer.”

“Grand-mère keeps tools in the storage room beneath the servants’ staircase at the back of the house. What do we need?”

“I’ll find something that will work.” He hurried to the back of the house, where he located the storage room with built-in cabinets and a huge metal toolbox loaded with a variety of tools. He didn’t take long to find a hammer, chisel andcrowbar.

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