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I forced myself to turn around, trying not to imagine myself in the portrait. But damn if the girl didn’t look an awful lot like me, complete with red hair.
I backed away, forcing myself to turn around, pressing my fingers across my lips as I thought about how much I missed Francois. Even when grumpy he was sexy as hell.
Another big, empty house. That’s what it felt like, as if the gorgeous space was devoid of all emotions. I roamed from room to room, constantly checking my phone to see if Francois had called. My stomach had remained in knots the entire time he’d been gone. He’d told me I could feel safe, but I wasn’t certain if I could feel anything but terror and sadness.
My life had certainly become fucked up in a short period of time. All because my father had become friends with the wrong family. Or maybe the right family. I laughed nervously, pulling the third glass of wine to my lips.
Daniel remained like a constant shadow, walking behind me as I headed from one end of the house to the other. The only time he’d said anything had been when I’d tried to go outside. That’s when I’d become so irritated that I’d snapped at him.
“Don’t you care that Sadie hasn’t gone to the bathroom for hours?”
He’d looked at me as if I had grown a second head, then down to the dog before his upper lip turned up into a smile. Then he’d texted someone on his phone, a soldier walking in moments later, taking the dog out for me. The way the burly dude had held the leash had been a clear indication that he’d never had any experience with animals.
Not that I had a clue what I was doing.
I’d been told nothing about Sadie’s food or drink. Thank God for Cecily, the lovely older woman who’d shown me how much food the pup needed. She’d been very nice when I’d asked her a few questions about Francois, answering them politely before shutting down when I continued to dig. After that, she’d acted like my mother, insisting she make me something to eat. When I’d requested spaghetti, she’d made homemade sauce.
The moment had seemed surreal. She’d even made certain I had fresh towels before leaving for the night, also lighting a candle in my room so I’d walk into the amazing scent of vanilla.
Even though she’d tried so hard to make everything seem homey, I remained on edge, the waiting killing me.
“Do you need anything, Ms. Baxter?”
“Why do you work for him? Aren’t you ex-military?”
Daniel seemed surprised at my question. “Yes, a Marine. I work for Thibodeaux Holdings because it’s an excellent job.”
“Killing people?”
He laughed. “Is that what you think Mr. Thibodeaux does?”
“Yes.”
“He’s an entrepreneur, a consummate businessman, a corporate mogul. He consistently gives to charity and the corporation has some of the best benefits of any in New Orleans.”
“You forget, Daniel, that I’ve known the man for years. I’m well aware of his family’s reputation. You don’t need to sugarcoat anything.”
The brawny soldier seemed amused with my statement, allowing me to see a smile.
“Then I’ll just say my employer does what he needs to in order to protect his own. But he has never harmed an innocent person in his life.”
“You’re so certain of that?”
“I am. I’ve worked for him long enough. My father knew his father, so we traveled in the same circles until I went off to the military. You can trust him with your life.”
What about everything else? It felt as if the bubble I’d lived in for the first fourteen years of my life had been burst, never to be replaced. Maybe that was what my mother had been trying to avoid by removing me from my life. Or maybe she’d been selfish. Either way, I’d thought the two men I’d looked up to the most were superheroes in disguise. Now I was questioning everything I thought I knew. I took a deep breath, able to see such genuine respect in Daniel’s eyes. That did say something about Francois’ character.
“As he reminded me, trust is earned. I’m not certain I’m ready for that yet. But I appreciate your candor.”
“You need to ask yourself why he put a stop to everything to protect you. He could have asked any one of his men or ten of them to do so. We wouldn’t have hesitated to place our lives on the line because he’d ensure that our families were protected against any enemy. Hell, when the wives of one of the soldiers developed a rare kind of cancer, he made certain the entire family had a place to stay near the Mayo Clinic while she was being treated. He paid for it. I just thought you should know.”
He waited while I absorbed the information then nodded, turning around and leaving as if I’d dismissed him as lady of the house.
Something I would never be.
Maybe Francois was a true hero after all.
I took another sip of my wine, watching the last rays of the afternoon sun slowly dipping below the horizon. After placing the glass on the coffee table, I walked closer to the set of doors, unable to get the man off my mind.
