Page 25 of Xavier

He nodded.

“I have no idea how long it will take to find the lost items and get them back to where they belong.”

“It might take longer with one person. If I help you, you have the added technical prowess of the Brotherhood Protectors. Two heads are better than one, and our IT guy performs magic of his own through the internet.”

He had a good point.

He gave her a glance. “Even if I don’t help you, you’re basically under the same time constraint with a hurricane heading for Louisiana.”

“I don’t like relying on anyone else,” she said quietly. “I prefer to work things out for myself.”

Xavier gave her a single nod. “Okay.” He held out his hand. “Good luck.”

She laid her hand in his, a shock of electricity zinging through her fingers and up her arm.

His eyes widened briefly and then narrowed.

Had he felt the same electric connection?

No, of course not. She pulled her hand free and shoved it into her pocket.

“I guess this means goodbye,” he said. “It’s been...interesting.” He turned and strode for the door.

As Xavier reached for the doorknob, a flash of panic forced a word past her vocal cords. “Wait.”

With his hand on the doorknob, Xavier glanced over his shoulder. “Yes?”

Her cheeks heated as she struggled with what to think, much less say. “You really don’t want anything? Not even a potion?”

“Not a damned thing,” he said.

“How soon could you start?” she rushed out, shocked at her sudden willingness to accept his offer.

He turned to fully face her. “Now.”

“You’re not afraid to be seen with me?” she asked.

“No,” he said. “Considering I’ll be gone in a week, I won’t care what the people of Bayou Mambaloa think.”

“That is an advantage.” Lissette grimaced. “I wish I could leave as well, but that’s not how my parole works. One of the stipulations of my parole is that I have to have a full-time job.” She waved her hand at the interior of the shop. “I run the shop. I can’t leave any earlier than four o’clock in the afternoon.”

“Let’s be clear,” he said, “are you saying you want my help?”

As much as she hated being beholden to anyone, she couldn’t go everywhere. The man had offered. He had the technical support she might need and could go outside her limited geographic area. It was a no-brainer.

Then why did she have the panicky feeling that it was a very bad idea?

Because she was an ex-con, and he was one of the good guys, like oil and water. They shouldn’t do anything together. She’d drag him down to her level. He didn’t need that blemish on his record.

But as he’d pointed out, time could be running out. She needed to find and return the relics before anyone else was hurt or before the hurricane plowed into the coast and destroyed Bayou Mambaloa.

“Well?” he prompted.

She held out her hand. “Yes, I want your help.”

When he reached out to take her hand, she pulled hers out of reach.

“As long as we keep this alliance purely platonic and you don’t want anything from me in return.”