Page 26 of Xavier

“I promise I don’t want anything from you,” he said. “And anything beyond platonic is totally up to you,” he said. “That ball is in your court; however you want to play it.”

“I have no intention of playing it,” she assured him.

“Then we have a deal?” He held out his hand.

She hesitated a moment longer and then took his hand in a firm grip. That electric current shooting up her arm again almost made her drop his hand and run.

Instead, she said, “Deal.”

Chapter 5

Residual shocks coursing through his veins should have been his first warning that what he was committing to might be a huge mistake. Still, he’d made a deal, and he wouldn’t renege on the handshake that had sealed it. After all, how much trouble could he get into in a measly week?

Realizing he still held her hand, he released it quickly and stuck his own into his pocket. “Will you be all right alone in the shop until four?”

“Sure.” Lissette rubbed her hand along the fabric of her skirt. “I doubt those men will attack in broad daylight.”

Xavier held out his hand. “I need your cell phone.”

She retrieved the device from under the counter and handed it to him.

He entered his information into her contact list and handed the phone back. “Don’t hesitate to call—day or night.”

“Already ditching me?” she asked, tucking the phone into the pocket of her skirt.

“Just for a couple hours,” Xavier said. “I want to secure backup in case anything happens to me and get our guy Swede and his tech team working on identifying the people who attacked you.”

“And who they work for,” she added. “They were just henchmen. The man who got our family’s reliquary box for me was Nub LeJeune, a local salvager.”

Xavier couldn’t help smiling. “Nub? Is that his real name?”

Lissette nodded. “He’s been the parish's quietest fence for thirty years. He’s also short two fingers after an accident with a winch cable.”

“Thus, the nickname Nub,” Xavier concluded. “I can see if one of our guys can round him up and take him to the sheriff’s office for a few questions.”

Lissette frowned. “Do we have to involve local law enforcement?”

“It’s the right thing to do,” Xavier said.

“It would be easier to get answers from him without the law present,” Lissette murmured. “I’d do it myself, but he’s one of those people my parole officer might have an issue with.”

Xavier narrowed his eyes. “You’re trying to stay out of jail. Roughing him up to get information out is not in your cards.”

“I know I can’t rough him up.” Lissette grinned. “But you can.”

Her smile was sassy and too sexy for Xavier’s own good. “Only if he takes the first swing.”

Lissette gave him an assessing glance. “I like the way you think.”

He shook his head, convinced he was heading into dangerous territory with the woman. “Did you recognize the men who attacked you?”

“Only one of them. Ron Cormier,” Lissette grimaced. “He has connections in the New Orleans mafia. He’s known for doing the heavy lifting for whatever boss pays him enough.”

“Heavy lifting, as in...?”

“Interrogation, kidnapping, torture, erasure.” She shrugged. “The bosses usually call the shots, but they don’t like to get their hands dirty. I got one of them sent to jail based on my plea bargain. I don’t think any of them were happy about that.”

Xavier didn’t like the sound of that. “All the more reason for them to want retribution. You’re a target.”