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Thorn sighed and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
“My choice would be to eliminate him, but Rorie seems to think that would only cause more trouble.”
“He’s too visible.” She bit her pretty little lip. “Too many people would notice if he just disappeared. Someone might even call in the government to investigate.”
“I don’t like the sound of that,” he agreed.
“Neither do I, but what if we can use the government against him instead?”
“How?”
“He’s committing illegal activities. If he could get caught in the act…”
He would have preferred his uncle’s solution, but a long prison sentence was almost as good.
“What do you have in mind?”
Two nights later, he waited at the bend in the river, trying to calm his racing heart. There were a number of things about this plan that he didn’t like, but being separated from Aurora was at the top of the list. All he could do was to put his trust in his uncle - words he’d never thought he’d say.
A slight whisper of sound made him look around as Jimmy’s boat silently approached - a wide, flat-bottomed skiff mainly used for night fishing.
“You’re almost as quiet as one of us,” he said as he climbed aboard, and Jimmy grinned.
“A boatman has gotta be good at moving silently.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked as they glided out onto the water. “You were the one who warned me that he was dangerous.”
“True enough. But while I’m willing to let a lot of things slide, running meth ain’t one of them. Especially by a two-faced bastard who brags about how much he contributes to the Widows and Orphans fund every year.”
“I still appreciate it.”
“Yeah, yeah. Don’t be gettin’ mushy on me. Where’s that pretty wife of yours?”
Jimmy had met Aurora after they decided to recruit him and Marsh had brought him back to the house. The two of them had hit it off immediately, while he’d still been frowning about the fact that Jimmy hadn’t needed any directions to find the house.
“How did you know?” he demanded finally, pulling him aside.
“I notice things - like a strange wind that blows one way down the bayou then suddenly goes in a different direction or an entire cypress grove that’s magically ringed in cottonwoods. After a while, it adds up.”
“Does anyone else know?”
“I doubt it. Most people don’t pay much attention to the world around them, and I ain’t told anyone.” Jimmy spit a stream of tobacco and grinned at him. “Don’t worry. I can keep my mouth shut.”
He’d believed him and he hoped his trust hadn’t been misplaced.
“Aurora is on her way,” he said now, trying to push aside his worries.
“Then we’d better make sure we’re waiting.”
CHAPTER 13
Rorie stared up at the big house as Thorn tied their boat to Harold’s dock. It looked even larger than she remembered, the long shadowed columns on the porch giving it a foreboding air.
“I will not allow any harm to come to you,” he said gruffly.
“I know. Thank you.”
They waited in the shadows of the big oak at the bottom of the garden until Jimmy appeared. He gave them a cheerful wave, then made his way up to the porch. The door opened and he and Harold exchanged a few words. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but Harold was clearly in a towering rage, his voice loud and angry. Her heart pounding in her chest, she slowly edged out from under the tree.
