Page 17 of Saving Salem
Jean-Luc pointed to a chair. “When I talked with cousin Chance, he said you were at the cabin when Tarik was killed. Tell me what you remember.”
“Let’s see. I was visiting Rafe, as I recall. He, Antonio, and Chance were meeting to discuss the Amir situation. Salem was stashed at an out-of-the-way-location on the Boudreau ranch. Your aunt and uncle had been giving her shelter there, where Tarik couldn’t find her. She was completely off the grid.”
Jean-Luc grinned. “Uncle Douglas is almost as good at staying off the grid as our dad is if and when the need arises. Stick around here long enough, you’ll find Gator Boudreau is almost a legend. Nobody better to have at your back.”
“Good to know.” Jack had heard an earful about Gator Boudreau already from Rafe and especially Douglas, who’d wanted to make sure Jack knew his older brother could be trusted if he needed any help protecting Salem.
“Bro, let him finish or we’ll be here all day.”
“He’s right. Go ahead.”
“Okay. While we were meeting, Rafe’s deputy pulled in a woman named Jennifer Baptiste. Beautiful but cold, an ice princess. She’s related to Tarik. Illegitimate half-sister. Father had an affair. The rest of the family spurned her, but Tarik and Jennifer became close. Turns out, Tarik sent Jennifer to Shiloh Springs looking for your sister. He figured, correctly I might add, that if he found Gabi, he’d find Salem.” Jack studied the two men closely, before he shrugged. “I’m sure you already know this information, having coordinated with Rafe at the time.”
“Told ya he was smart, bro.” Etienne’s grin held a whole younger brother rubbing it in to an older brother vibe. “I’m guessing since Tarik did show up in Shiloh Springs, this Jennifer found Gabi?”
Jack studied Jean-Luc, watching him closely, since he seemed to be the one running the questioning. Etienne seemed content to lean back and let his brother handle the meeting, so he directed his inquiry at Jean-Luc.
“She did, and she told Tarik that Gabi was in Shiloh Springs. From what we were able to glean, Tarik followed Gabi from the Boudreau ranch to the cabin where Salem was, intent on taking her back to the U.A.E. Held a loaded gun on them. Held a gun on the woman he swore he loved, who was seven months pregnant with his unborn child. When we arrived, and yes, all five of us went to the cabin, Tarik grabbed Gabi, using her as a human shield.”
Etienne grinned at his brother. “Bet that went over well. Gabi’s had self-defense training from the best; a father who is a Vietnam vet and former CIA spook, and four big brothers who never let her get away with anything. Tarik never stood a chance, did he?”
Jack chuckled, storing away the tidbit of info Etienne had provided. “Nope. She went dead weight in his arms. I shot him.”
Jean-Luc quirked a brow. “You shot him?”
“Well, if you want to quibble, there were four gunshots, all of which hit. You can take your pick of who fired the actual kill shot, but I think you’ll find it was me.”
“Damn, bro, I like him. Can we keep him?”
Jean-Luc shot a glare at his brother. “Can you be serious for five minutes, please? We’ve got a lot of ground to cover, and not a lot of time.”
Etienne straightened in his chair and raised both hands in a gesture of surrender. “I know. Sorry. It’s just, this whole case makes me so angry. Salem is a great mom. Chloe is the sweetest kid, and she deserves to stay with the woman who gave her birth, who loves her more than anything in the world. Not get shuttled halfway around the world, where women are treated like possessions.”
“On that we agree.” Jack nodded. “I’m not letting anybody take Chloe away from her mom.”
Jean-Luc walked to stand beside one of the larger whiteboards. “Let’s summarize. Salem got the paperwork from the Amirs’ lawyers a little over two weeks ago. She immediately left New Orleans and went to Shiloh Springs, where she consulted with Chance.”
“Chance recommended she hire Ivy McNamara-Barnes. Apparently, she has a pretty good track record when it comes to high profile and difficult custody cases.”
“Good point, Jack.” Jean-Luc quickly added the information to the board. “In addition to hiring Ms. McNamara-Barnes, Salem also married Jack.”
“It was agreed by everyone involved that Chloe having two loving parents involved in her care would look good for her case.” Jack leaned forward in his chair, resting his forearms on the table. “Salem’s already working two jobs, plus taking classes. With me working here, she’ll be able to spend more time with her daughter, avoiding the need for extra caregivers or daycare.”
“It’s a good idea, I’ll admit, but aren’t you afraid the Amir’s lawyers will see through your plan as a tactic to try and skirt around and pretty-up the facts? Could do more harm than good to Salem’s case.”
“We talked about that. We think we can play the angle that Salem and I have been having a long-distance relationship, taking things slow. The court case simply moved up our timeline, and I proposed, willing to relocate to a new job to be with Salem and Chloe.”
He could see Jean-Luc pondering his words. Before he could ask another question, Samuel walked into the room, a gorgeous woman by his side. Her vivid green eyes held a mischievous sparkle, and she held out a hand toward him.
“You must be Jack Sutton. I’m Andrea Carpenter. I don’t have long, but I wanted to welcome you to Carpenter Security Services and personally thank you for everything you’re doing for Salem. She’s a special woman and deserves to be treated like the jewel she is.”
It was easy enough for Jack to read between the lines. He got the feeling if he hurt Salem in any way, he’d wind up with a Valkyrie warrior more than willing to remove his balls with a rusty blade.
“Nice to meet you, too, Mrs. Carpenter. And I agree, Salem is certainly special.”
Giving him a final once over, she nodded as if she’d made some kind of decision. “Gotta run.” She leaned forward and kissed Samuel. There was nothing simple or chaste about the show of affection. By the time it ended, Jack was almost ready for a cold shower.
“You’ll get used to it,” Etienne whispered sotto voce. “Those two can’t keep their hands off each other.”
