Page 32 of The Soul Never Forgets

“I’m sure the bastard will. And you’ll face whatever bogus charges they bring against you.”

They aren’t all bogus. “There’s something I haven’t told. I pulled a gun on her father and threatened to kill him. But it was only to protect her from him.”

“That complicates things.”

“I’m sure Mr. Lebeau will use that against me.”

“Yes, he will. Without doubt.” Mr. Le Blanc runs his hand over his whiskers. “We must talk about how this is going to play out. You should expect the law to take you to jail for a little while and question you about what happened tonight.”

“Oh, I fully expect to be taken in.” I would bet every cent I’ve ever won on it.

“They’ll try to scare you into telling them where she is. Lie. Lie. Lie. Tell them you put her on a bus and sent her away. Tell them she ran off and left you. Tell them anything you want as long as it isn’t the truth. This is over if they get their hands on her. They’ll take your wife so far away that you’ll never see her again.”

I don’t doubt it for a second.

“I would die before I tell them where she is.” Those aren’t empty words.

“The law will lie to you and try to make you believe they’re on your side. Don’t fall for it. It’s a trick so you’ll tell them where she is. After a while, they’ll have to let you go. They can’t hold you forever and they can’t charge you with kidnapping a woman who willingly married you.”

“Her family knows people in powerful positions who can and will have our marriage annulled.”

“You got a marriage license, don’t you?”

“We do, but it’s hidden inside her bedroom at her parents’ house, and we can’t get to it.”

“You’re sure they won’t find it?”

“I don’t think so. It’s well hidden.” But dammit, I’d feel a lot better if our marriage license was in our possession instead of theirs.

“The Lebeaus’ time at that house will end in a few weeks and they’ll go back to wherever they came from. They aren’t the kind of people who’ll sully their appearance by staying around to search for their daughter who ran off with a boy they see as beneath them. They’ll come up with a creative lie to tell their friends about where she is. And after they’ve left Pascagoula, you’ll go into the house and get your marriage license.”

Mr. Le Blanc has a lot of advice to offer, good advice, and I wonder how he became so well informed. “How do you know so much about the best way to handle this?”

“Son, I went through something similar with Sable when we got married. She came from a wealthy family and I didn’t. Her parents wanted better for her than me. But none of that mattered because I was the one she wanted. I see a lot of myself in you. And now I see a lot of Sable in August.”

“I bet that Mrs. Le Blanc’s father didn’t try to strangle her on the front lawn because she had married you.”

“He tried a lot of different things, but that wasn’t one of them thankfully.”

“I’m not sure what the Lebeaus are capable of.” If he’d kill Gussy, then I can be certain he’d kill me.

“Well, the Lebeaus have no idea whatI’mcapable of. I know people too, and they don’t wield pens and paperwork to get their point across. All men can be made to see the error in their judgment, including Benjamin Lebeau. All it would take is one word from me, and I can have someone there tonight if that’s what I asked for.”

Not only does Mr. Le Blanc protect what’s his. He protects those he loves. And he loves me like the son he never had.

“I don’t want it to come to blows with the Lebeaus. They’re still Gussy’s family. I wouldn’t want her to be upset with me because someone did something to them.” Even if they deserve it.

“That’s understandable. We’ll see what their next move is, give them the chance to act right, and then we’ll act accordingly.”

We’ll act accordingly.Mr. Le Blanc has my back in this.

Mrs. Le Blanc comes out of the house. “Sorry that took me so long. I couldn’t remember where I put the key to the house.”

I nod toward the motorcycle. “Should I take my bike around back to the shed?”

“Let me take it for you. You and August need to leave now in case they come here looking for you.”

They will. I’m certain of it. And I’m also certain Mr. Le Blanc will tell them nothing.

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