Page 34 of Embrace
The action was performed to perfection. A few of the reporters looked after the limo as if something of value might be inside, but none of them followed up on their suspicions.
“It worked,” Kirk said. “Where to now?”
I glared out the window as we passed storefronts of closed businesses. New Orleans wasn’t my home. If we were in New York or Rhode Island, I would have plenty of places to hide. But there, I was a sitting duck. I couldn’t go to the hospital either. The most sagacious reporters would be camped out there, pretending to be patients. But none of them were loitering in front of the place I had just left.
“Shit,” I said under my breath.
Penina and I would have to sleep in the same building tonight.
* * *
I askedKirk to let me out in front of the Popeye’s chicken place on Canal Street. The sun was down, but the night was still as muggy as hell as I walked up the avenue. It was late, but a lot of rabble-rousers were still out, stumbling out of the French Quarter, intoxicated and searching for their next bit of excitement.
Sweat rolled down my back and covered my skin when I made it to the boarding hold. Even though air conditioning would’ve been nice, I had to stand out in the humidity a while longer to make sure the coast was clear. I kept out of sight under an awning of Barba’s Salon across the street.
My attention kept veering toward Penina’s apartment on the third floor. The one Si had given me the keys to was on the opposite side of the building and a floor up. The distance between our apartments would help me battle my craving for her, but still, it would be hard getting through the night without knocking on her door. I doubted I would be able to do it.
“Jake, is that you?” a woman with an English accent asked.
I flinched and turned to see a pretty raven-haired woman who very much resembled one of my surgical mentees jogging in my direction.
“Zara? Are you out jogging at this hour?”
“Yeah,” she said as if my concern didn’t faze her.
“It’s pretty late for that, don’t you think?”
She pressed her hands onto her hips then bent over to catch her breath. “I’m running because I needed the exercise to clear my head.” She made a high-pitched sound when she sighed. “Although it’s as humid as hell out here. What the hell was I thinking?”
“Are you okay? Do you need water?”
She raised a hand as she dragged herself up to stand tall. “I’ll be fine. But what are you doing standing in the dark? Are you spying on Pen?”
“No, but you’re aware of how dangerous it is for a woman to be out this late jogging alone, don’t you?”
She pressed her hand onto the brick wall next to me and hiked up one of her legs to stretch it. “Okay, Mr. Money Bags, you’re not my father or my man, so cool the concern.” Her eyebrows fluttered upward twice. “I’m also self-defense certified.”
“You’re right. I’ll cool the concern, especially since you’re self-defense certified.”
She stretched her other leg. “That’s right, and you never answered my question. Are you stalking Penina?”
“No.”
“Then what are you doing out here in the dark?”
“I live here.”
“The fuck you do.”
“Yes, I do. But don’t tell anybody.”
“Why not?” she countered. “You have secrets up to here, Jake Sparrow. And you have my friend keeping them for you. It’s driving her bonkers, but I’m not keeping your secrets.”
I wanted to laugh at her. I could see why she and Penina were so close. They both had bold and honest traits about them.
“I understand. Listen, I’ll tell you what she knows about me if you don’t rat me out.”
She shook her head as if my words stung her. “Rat you out to who exactly?”
