Inside were only three other people, two heavily armed. If he had come here without the guide, he likely wouldn’t have left alive.
His guide turned back to face Jay after greeting the others. “Says here you’re due a collection. Is that what you want?”
Jay drew in a deep breath. “Later. First, I need a meeting.”
The young man chuckled. “You sure? You’re already in debt. They might not like you asking for more.”
Jay half smiled. “Positive.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Jay followed his new guide back out into New Orleans. She took his arm with a slender hand and began nattering nonsense like most of the other couples he could see, going on about one of the many events soon to fill these streets with music and dancing. Jay smiled. Her nonsense was actually carefully concealed information, and she was doing a damn good job at it. In five days, parties would sweep the streets. Rivals often tried to make use of the tourist influx to get to The Serpent Brothers, not that it ever worked. Essentially it was a fair warning call, telling him he’d do best to conclude his business and leave New Orleans before those parties began. He let his gray eyes shift over her dark skin with undertones of gold that matched the bright flecks in her intelligent eyes. She was definitely a step up from the usual guides he had dealt with in the past. Her body language, gestures, and facial expression all told a story of a girl in love out for a stroll with her man. Yet the slight pressure he could feel from her delicate fingers along with the bump of her hip against his let him know she was armed. Her careful words told him that she was not to be messed with.
He made a casual comment about how loud music gave him a headache, and she smiled and moved on to other news. He felt his stomach bottom out as she mentioned the Salisbury fires that had been headlining the news lately. He glanced at her sideways as she asked for his opinion. Did that mean that if he hadn’t asked for a meeting, they would have called him in anyway?
His guide suddenly pointed out an upcoming window display. They both turned and entered the store. The elderly man behind the counter looked up then called to someone in the back.
“You go blind from here.” Her smile went from friendly to calculating.
Jay smiled ruefully at the exchange going on between the elderly man and the two younger men that had emerged. “I see they were expecting me.”
The woman chuckled, following his gaze and waving them over. “My cousins like to keep their assets under watch.”
Jay gave a little resistance when a blindfold was tightened across his eyes. He resisted the urge to remove it and talk to her some more. He followed the guidance of the two strong hands that had now taken his arms but couldn’t stop his relief as her cinnamon and honey scent stayed with them as they entered a car.
He had never known that The Serpent Brothers had any other family. Given the help he had offered in the past, and the inner research that had required, it was a strange feeling to find something he’d missed. It was also laced with a tinge of fear. If he could miss something as obvious as a birth record for a cousin, he could have missed more. Perhaps, he had not known Elliot and Joe as well as he thought.
He heard a soft laugh and realized that some of his thoughts must have been showing on his face.
Idiot. he told himself. They’ve never shown themselves to be bad people.
“Let’s go,” she said as the engine cut off.
Jay nodded and let them lead him. Jay concentrated on his feet and the sound of his walking. At first, he could feel and hear the crunch of gravel beneath his boots, then the echo of wood and the sounds of water tinkling, then a duller sound harder than the wood.
“I should have guessed you’d never just collect your car and leave,” boomed a familiar voice.
“You know me, Elliot,” Jay smiled, obeying the pressure on his arms to stop walking. “Can’t pass up an afternoon with old friends.”
Elliot’s laugh filled the air as the blindfold was removed. Jay blinked a few times to help his eyes adjust to the sudden brightness. They seemed to be at the center of a large greenhouse, various non-native plants surrounding them. Ahead was an ornamental pond with a delicate collection of Indian Lotus, the pink-tinged flowers in full blossom. Beside this was a table, already laid out for an early lunch. Joe smiled slightly and gave Jay a small wave as he met his eyes.
The woman gave a small nod as he glanced at her. Elliot raised a hand, and Jay resisted the urge to tense automatically. He had seen this silent command used too many times to not be fearful about what came next. If Elliot curled his finger, Jay would be dead before he had time to register the danger.
Elliot’s hand shifted so that two fingers flicked outward. Jay heard the sounds of the men who had helped bring him here retreating.
“You sure he’s safe? Doesn’t seem very trusting,” mused the woman, apparently having caught whatever tiny signals Jay had been unable to squash.
Jay raised an eyebrow at her before anyone could respond. “If I simply trusted you, I wouldn’t be me, and you would be disappointed.”
“It would also render you of no value,” chimed in Joe. “I see you already have a good grasp of Keira, but be careful, she’s pretty good.”
Jay chuckled and
