Page 16 of Saving Salem
“Good night, Jack.”
“Night, Salem.” He gave her a rueful smile. “Things will look different tomorrow. We’ll get through this, one day at a time, right?”
“Right.”
Climbing between her sheets, she pondered that thought. One day at a time. Maybe that should be her new mantra.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Jack walked intothe offices of Carpenter Security Services the morning after arriving in New Orleans, and the whole fiasco at Salem’s apartment. Guess it was now his apartment too. He was grouchy and tired. Usually a night on a sofa was no big deal; he’d slept in worse places. But last night had been rough. Emotions were rattled and running high the whole time Max, Remy, and Carpenter had been there. Remy had called the police department to request a CSI team do a thorough check of the apartment, gathering what little evidence they could muster, and taking fingerprints, including his own, since he was now neck deep in this whole investigation.
He understood their reluctance to take him at face value. He was a stranger, an unknown element who’d been thrust into the life of their friend. Didn’t matter that he had excellent credentials, his work history spotless. Being a Texas Ranger didn’t mean anything where their friend was concerned. The closeness of the Lamoreaux brothers and the Cajun Boudreau branch of the family seemed as close knit as the Texas branch. He had yet to meet Gator Boudreau, but he had a feeling it wouldn’t be long before he had the pleasure of meeting the older patriarch of this brood.
This morning, he was slated to meet Jean-Luc Boudreau and his brother Etienne, who’d give him the lay of the land as far as Carpenter Security. Rafe had spoken highly of the two men, of all the Boudreau cousins really. He’d heard about Ranger Boudreau, being a former Navy SEAL, and helping to find a missing woman at the request of his old SEAL teammate. The request had included assisting the missing woman’s sister, who was searching for her. Turned out, the college student had been kidnapped and was being held against her will by a deranged psychopath. It had ended badly for her stalker/kidnapper, but they’d managed to save her before it was too late. Ranger ended up married to the woman who’d been looking for her sister, so they’d ended up with a happily ever after. Fate was a funny thing.
A perky blonde sat behind a desk wearing a headset as she typed on the computer, her fingers flying across the keyboard before her. She smiled and held up one finger, the universal sign she’d be with him in a second. While he waited, he looked around, taking in the professional yet casual atmosphere of the place. He’d done his homework, knew Samuel Carpenter owned the building, and had done extensive repairs to the old brick structure, on both the interior and exterior. The upper floors had been converted into luxury apartments, where most of the C.S.S. team lived. Carpenter himself occupied the entire upper floor with his new wife, Andrea.
“Sorry about that. Sometimes it’s impossible to get people to stop talking.” The blonde stood and walked around the edge of the desk. “I’m guessing you’re Jack Sutton. I’m Stephanie Barnes—oops, Stephanie Boudreau.” She grinned and Jack found himself smiling back, her outgoing personality infectious. “Still haven’t gotten used to the new name. We’ve only been married for two months, and I occasionally forget. Don’t tell my husband.”
“I won’t. And, yes, I’m Jack Sutton. I’m supposed to meet Jean-Luc and Etienne Boudreau. I’m going to assume one of those Boudreaus is your husband?”
“Etienne. I know they’re in the conference room, getting some stuff ready. If you want to have a seat over there,” she waved toward a cozy-appearing waiting area, “I’ll let them know you’re here.”
“Thanks.”
It was only a couple of minutes later that two dark-haired men strode into the waiting area from somewhere in the back. Both had similar looks; tall, military posture, and casual dress. The older of the two stepped forward, hand outstretched.
“Jack, glad you’re joining us. I’m Jean-Luc and this is my brother, Etienne. I hear you married Gabi’s friend, Salem.”
“Wait, what? Hold on a second. Salem got married? How did I not know this?” Stephanie’s glare speared her husband, who held up both hands at shoulder height.
“Don’t blame me, baby, I only just found out myself.”
She walked over and placed a kiss against Etienne’s cheek. “Forgiven.” Leaning against him, she looked at Jack. “Congratulations. Salem is a wonderful woman. I hope you’ll be very happy. Maybe once you’re all settled in, we can have dinner together.”
“Sounds great, I’ll let Salem know and y’all can work out the details.”
“Come on, Jack, let’s give you the grand tour.” Jean-Luc spun on his heel and headed down the corridor past the reception area, Etienne and Jack trailing behind. He pointed out several rooms, briefly noting their function, before finally ending up in what looked like a huge conference room. Large whiteboards dominated several of the walls, with various rows of information scrawled across them.
“Most of our group meetings take place here. There’s a kitchen area, fully stocked just past here, if you need anything. Coffee, drinks, and snacks are available at any time. Usually, you’ll find some of the guys hanging out either there or in here, depending on whether they are out in the field locally or working here in the office. This is kind of a catch-all room. Lots of brainstorming cases takes place here, as well as official meetings with clients when we need larger spaces.”
“Looks like a good setup. Hopefully, I’ll fit right in.”
“Samuel will meet with us in a little while, but he wanted Etienne and I to talk with you in depth about Salem’s case. Get your take on the Amirs, anything you know, and we’ll fill you in on what we’ve found thus far.”
A thrum of anticipation raced through Jack. He’d been looking forward to this, delving deeper into helping Salem. After all, that was the reason he was here, to keep her safe. She and Chloe were his top priority now.
“Samuel told me you were a Texas Ranger.”
He nodded. “I worked with the Rangers for the past ten years, after I graduated from the University of Texas.”
“I’m sure you’ve got lots of stories, and I’d love to hear them. For now, let’s focus on the task at hand.” Jean-Luc pointed toward one of the whiteboards covered with writing. “This is a bit of what we’ve got. More info is pouring in. We sent a couple of our guys over there, and they’ve set up eyes on the Amirs. You probably know the Amirs aren’t really welcome on American soil.”
Jack nodded. “I was surprised that Tarik hadn’t been banned, but his passport cleared. He was pretty much the only one in the family allowed to travel within the States, right?”
“Yeah, though that might change if his mother is able to push through the custody suit against Salem. Talking to the State Department, it may become necessary to allow them, or at least their representative, into the United States to be in person in court. We’re trying to cut their legs out from under them before it gets that far.”
“What can I do?”
