Page 83 of Xavier

Lissette pounded on the marina’s back door on the off-chance Mitch had stayed. When no one answered, she found the spare key, thankful Mitch was a man of habit. Inside the building, she located the keys to a four-hundred-fifty-horsepower fishing boat, grabbed a lifejacket and ran back out into the rain.

She didn’t take long finding the boat, got in and started the engine. With the pin on the map of her cell phone, she maneuvered her way through the bayou, the wind and rain lashing at her every step of the way.

An hour and a half after Étienne had made his call, Lissette arrived at the first coordinates. A text pinged on her cell phone with another pinned location.

Lissette prayed her cell phone battery lasted long enough to get her to Étienne’s camp in the bayou. Already it was getting dangerously low.

She picked up the pace, glad for the bigger boat as waves splashed over the sides.

After what felt like forever, she neared the second pinned spot. A metal building appeared to materialize through the driving rain.

This was it, the place where a crazy mafia kingpin held her grandmother hostage.

It wasn’t until she tied off to the dock and was greeted by two burly men in tactical gear that she realized Étienne expected her to prepare and render a reliquary.

Lissette had nothing...no supplies, no candles, no spellbook to follow, and no components with which to make that happen.

How the hell was she going to make a trade when she had nothing to barter with?

Chapter 15

By the time Remy gave everyone a direction and a grid to search, Xavier was itching to get the hell back out on the bayou and find Madame Gautier.

He looked around for Lissette. She’d said she was going to help out in the kitchen, and he hadn’t seen her since. As Xavier hurried toward the kitchen, Danny came out, carrying a large tray of burgers and fries.

“Danny, is Lissette in the kitchen?”

The redhead’s brow twisted. “Why would she be in the kitchen?”

“She wasn’t helping out?”

Danny shook her head. “No, but if she wants to, I could use the help.” She moved on to serve the plates to a table of hungry bikers.

Xavier glanced around the room, a knot of dread sinking into the pit of his belly.

Remy stepped up beside him. “Something wrong?”

“I don’t know,” Xavier said. “Do you see Lissette?”

Remy looked around the room, his forehead creasing in a frown. “No. Could she be in the bathroom?”

“I’ll have Danny check,” Xavier said.

When Danny came back from the table with a load of empty mugs, Xavier waylaid her. “Could you check in the ladies’ room for Lissette?”

“Sure,” she said. “Let me set this down first.” She backed into the swing kitchen door. A moment later, she was out and headed toward the back of the building, where the bathrooms were.

Xavier followed and waited in the hallway.

Danny was in and out in seconds. “Empty.”

The wailing wind rattled the roof.

“Jesus. What’s it doing out there?” Danny walked to the end of the hall where the rear exit was and opened the door a crack. It was nearly yanked out of her hand. “Wow, the wind’s getting stronger.”

Xavier worried they were heading into danger going out into the bayou to look for Madame Gautier. The sooner they got out there, the sooner they could find her and get back.

“Son of a bitch,” Danny yelled. “My Jeep.” She walked out into the rain.