Page 81 of Xavier

I took your Jeep. It’ll be parked at the marina. I’m sorry, but it’s a matter of life and death. Lissette

After another glance toward the kitchen door, she grabbed Danny’s purse, swapped the keys for the note, then put the purse back in the cubby. Only then did she notice the tiny bottles of Everclear stacked on the shelf beside the purse cubby. On instinct, she grabbed one and shoved it into her right pocket.

She stepped out from behind the bar, slipped the keys into her left pocket and crossed to where Xavier stood.

He reached out and took her hand. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. “I’m going to help in the kitchen for a few minutes.”

“We won’t be much longer, and we can head out to look for your grandmother.”

She forced a smile, squeezed his hand and turned toward the kitchen door. Passing it, she kept moving toward the back door.

Once outside, she ran through the rain to Danny’s Jeep and slipped behind the wheel. When she tried to start it, the engine coughed briefly, then died. On her second try, the engine roared to life.

Lissette switched on the windshield wipers, shifted into drive, and pulled out of the parking lot, heading back to the marina, driving faster than she should in the current conditions. It was only going to get worse, and time was running out.

Windshield wipers slapped across the glass, working as fast as they could but not fast enough to clear the water so the driver could see clearly.

As Lissette approached a curve, she pumped the brakes, the Jeep barely slowing. Once she could see the other side of the bend in the road, she slammed her foot to the brakes.

The six inches of water over the road had swelled. On the other side of the water hazard, a sheriff’s vehicle was smashed against a tree with water up to the driver’s door, steam rising from under the hood.

A face leaned out the driver’s window, blood on the forehead. “Help!” A voice called out.

Was it Shelby? Lissette’s breath caught and held.

She was on the opposite side of what now appeared to be a river spreading across the road.

Danny’s Jeep had higher clearance. If she pulled through before it got deeper and faster, she could make it. If she didn’t, Shelby was on her own. Lissette couldn’t swim across. The current would sweep her away.

Moving to the farthest side of the road from the sheriff’s cruiser, Lissette eased into the water, driving slowly and steadily, refusing to stop for even a moment. The current pushed her closer to the swamped vehicle. She reached the halfway point and felt the Jeep climbing up the other side.

As soon as she was across, she parked the Jeep on higher ground and jumped out.

Shelby had pulled herself partway through the driver’s window. “Hurry!” she called out. “Water’s filling the inside.”

Lissette waded into the water, moving slowly to keep her balance.

Instead of climbing out of the cruiser, Shelby ducked back in. Why the hell had she done that? She’d have to get herself out before Lissette could help her through the water and back onto high ground.

Right as Lissette made it to the cruiser, Shelby pulled herself up through the driver’s window again, reached back inside and brought a wiggling toddler up into her arms. “Take Jean-Luc.” She shoved the child at Lissette, nearly falling out of the window in the process.

Lissette caught the boy and steadied herself. “I’ll come back and get you,” she said.

“Just get him out,” Shelby said. “I’ll make it on my own.”

Blood and a bruise marred the deputy’s forehead. The rain washed some of the blood away, revealing a pale face.

“Stay with the vehicle,” Lissette said. “I’ll secure Jean-Luc and come back for you.”

“No, I can do this. Just take care of my son.”

Knowing Shelby wouldn’t stay put, Lissette made her way as quickly and safely as possible through the water, the current tugging at her legs in an attempt to sweep her and the child away.

A slight sense of relief filled her as she emerged from the water and hurried to the Jeep.

Jean-Luc cried as she sat him in a seat and did her best to secure him into a seatbelt that was too big for him but would have to do for a minute or two.