Page 63 of Landry

He checked the area again, then made his move, sprinting across the opening to the SUV, but finding it unoccupied. From there, he darted to the side of the house. Staying in the shadows, he moved toward one of the windows and peered into the living room. His heart sank.

The cute little cottage Camille had filled with items to make it a home she and Ava loved had been destroyed.

Furniture had been overturned, cushions slashed, drawers emptied and thrown. Gaping holes marred the walls. He slipped through the front door and hurried through the house.

Every room had met the same demise.

Ava’s pretty pink comforter had been shredded, her pillows torn apart and every stuffed animal ripped into pieces.

The house was empty of people and full of hopelessness.

Landry hated the thought of Camille finding it this way.

The back door stood open, leading out onto the porch and the path down to the bayou.

As he stepped out onto the porch, he noticed a dark lump of something in the backyard that hadn’t been there before.

After checking all around, he descended the steps and closed the distance between himself and the dark lump.

The lump was a man lying on his side, facing toward the bayou, a black ski mask covering his head.

Landry rounded to the other side and knelt to feel for a pulse.

He didn’t find one, and if the dark stain on the ground around him was what he thought it was, the man had bled out.

He pulled the ski mask off the man’s head.

He’d found Harlan Mark Sanders.

Straightening, his heart pumping hard in his chest, Landry realized Mark’s killer was still out there and he’d left Camille alone.

Chapter 12

Camille stayed low in the truck seat just like Landry had instructed. The last thing she needed was to be discovered while Landry was checking her house for burglars. He’d have enough to deal with if he found someone there and wouldn’t have time to come back and rescue her.

She worried about him. What if he did run into someone? Or worse, what if there were multiple bad guys there with multiple weapons?

Her pulse kicked up with the instinct to go after him. He should have waited for his team’s backup. Going in alone was dangerous. Who would have his back and check behind him?

Staying low, she reached for the door handle, her fear for Landry greater than her fear for herself. Yes, she was the only real family Ava had, and her daughter would be devastated if something happened to her mother; however, she wouldn’t be alone, unlike Billy Ray.

As soon as Camille had earned enough money, she’d purchased life insurance and hired a lawyer. With Gisele’s consent, she’d had the attorney draw up documents designating Gisele as Ava’s guardian should anything happen to her. Along with the rest of her honorary aunties, Ava would be loved and cared for.

Landry, on the other hand, had no one looking out for him at the moment.

After several long minutes had passed, Camille couldn’t take it anymore. She had to be the eyes in the back of his head, or whatever it was that meant having someone’s back.

She tightened her grip around the door handle, drew in a deep breath and?—

Something tapped on the window.

The sound was so sudden and unexpected, Camille let out a startled screech and bolted upright, fear like a fist clutching her lungs.

She stared through the window into the darkness. At first, she didn’t see anything or anyone. Then a hand reached up and tapped the window again.

Camille clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming and shifted her gaze downward.

In the little bit of starlight edging through the canopy of tree branches, she could just make out a boy crouched low beside the truck.

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