Page 73 of Wildflower and Whiskey
“He never stopped,” Dad said grimly. “Still pulling strings from that garage of his. Cards, drugs, and smuggling through theforest trails into the U.S. He keeps a tight leash on his operation. Doesn’t like outsiders on his turf.”
Becket added, “Marchand entering Bellerose’s territory has made him very unhappy. And when Marcel’s unhappy, people go missing.”
I rubbed a hand over my jaw. “So now we’ve got two sets of criminals sniffing around, one chasing debt, one defending his territory.”
Dad nodded once. “Exactly. And we’re caught in the middle.”
Before I could answer, the mudroom door opened, and Elyna stepped inside holding Braden against her hip. His cheeks were pink from his nap, his little fingers tangled in her sweater. She took one look at our faces and froze.
“What’s wrong?” she asked quietly.
Dad softened his tone. “Just sorting through something from the market, Elyna.”
She gave a small, skeptical laugh. “You all look like you’re sorting through a murder, not leftovers.”
Becket couldn’t help but grin. “She’s got your number, Phoenix.”
“Always,” I muttered.
Elyna shifted Braden higher on her hip. “It’s Riley, isn’t it?”
Becket nodded. “We think so. Or someone connected to him.”
Her throat tightened. “Colette said something about him having friends in town. I thought she was just trying to scare me.”
“She was,” Dad said, “but she wasn’t lying.”
Elyna’s fingers trembled as she brushed Braden’s hair from his face. “What kind of friends?”
“The kind we don’t want in Val-Du-Lys,” Becket said. “Loan enforcers. Dangerous men.”
She swallowed hard. “Dammit.”
I stepped forward, took Braden gently from her arms, and brushed my thumb over her wrist. “You and Braden are safe, Elyna. You have my word.”
Her eyes met mine, watery but steady. “You always say that like it’s a promise.”
“It is.”
Dad cleared his throat, drawing her attention. “We’ve already got eyes around the property. A patrol car will make passes up the lane, and we’ll have plainclothes officers in town. Nothing too visible.”
“That’s not enough,” I said before I could stop myself. “They’re smart. They’ll test her boundaries first.”
Dad’s expression warned me to tread carefully. “We’re doing what we can without stirring panic. You need to let us handle it.”
I exhaled slowly, tamping down the urge to argue. “Yeah. Okay.”
Elyna glanced between us, reading the things we weren’t saying. “You think Riley’s alive?”
Becket’s shoulders lifted in a careful shrug. “We can’t say for sure. But we’re preparing like he’s not the one behind this anymore.”
She went quiet then, her arms wrapping around herself, as if she were trying to hold in the fear. “Who would do something like this?”
Dad’s voice was steady and matter of fact. “People who see opportunity. Riley’s mess brought them here. Now we make sure they don’t stay.”
Elyna nodded, though I could tell she didn’t fully believe it. Then something flickered across her face, a thought catching light. “You said Bellerose,” she murmured. “Harmony’s father?”
I blinked. “Right, you two were close in high school, weren’t you?”
