In a matter of seconds, Charlotte Mae’s life fell apart. Now her boyfriend’s lifeless eyes haunt her dreams, and she carries the blame for her father’s death.
When she’s forced to return to work in NOLA, it’s under the watchful eye of bodyguard and former Navy SEAL, Carter Fortier.
With the mob determined to tie up loose ends, Carter must make dangerous alliances and depend on his brothers-in-arms to have his back. But the danger Charlotte Mae poses to his heart is one complication he doesn’t account for.
Can two damaged hearts find love while fighting for their lives, or will the forces working to silence them succeed in ending more than just their budding romance?
St. Fleur Series:
Book 1: Widower’s Aura (Sofia and Noah)
Book 2: Always Mine (Lindsey and Marc)
Book 3: Duplicity (Jaime Lynn and Jesse)
Book 4: No Going Back (JJ and Rocco)
Book 5: Taxed by Love (Gabrielle and Andrew)
Book 6: Complications (Charlotte Mae and Carter)
“We have to tell her,” Noah snapped.
“She’s not ready! She’s finally getting better, damn it!” Jaime Lynn snapped in a hushed tone.
Charlotte Mae stopped on the bottom step of the stairs, hearing the words drifting from what she guessed was the office.
“Don’t you think I see that? It’s a disservice to her if we don’t tell her before she leaves. I’ll not have it on my conscience.” Noah was upset, and he sounded exhausted.
The “she” they spoke of was her, that much she could gather. She planned on returning to her apartment tomorrow. Jesse had offered to drop her off, and she’d gladly accepted. Jaime Lynn’s behavior lately had been distant and yet overbearing. A weird combination.
For as long as Charlotte Mae could remember, Jaime Lynn had behaved like a momma bear around her. When their mother died, Jaime Lynn had stepped up and raised Charlotte Mae, even though she’d been only eighteen years old, barely an adult herself. The six-year age difference between them was normal for some siblings, but once their mom died, the gap seemed to multiply.
They’d clung to each other, since they’d had no fathers to speak of and no living relatives who wanted to take them in. They didn’t share the same father. Jaime Lynn’s abandoned her for another family, and Charlotte Mae’s had disappeared. The latter she felt deep within her heart. He’d been the perfect dad until he suddenly left one day.
“You can’t be back here!” Jaime Lynn scolded.
“Who the hell are you?” Noah growled.
Their voices overlapped, but Charlotte Mae heard them clear as day. Who’s in there too? She debated stepping forward and seeing for herself until he spoke.
“We need to talk privately.” The man’s voice was gravelly, and his words shook with power. This wasn’t a person who took no for an answer.
Someone moved—she guessed Noah by the sound of the heavy footfall. “No, you need to tell me who the fuck you are and why you’ve been hanging around here the last few months.”
She noted the similar power in Noah’s words as the man’s. They challenged each other verbally, unwilling to back down.
“And I will, if we can go somewhere private.”
“Shut the door and this will be private.” Jaime Lynn huffed, and Charlotte Mae imagined her standing with her back ramrod-straight.
The man chuckled. There was no humor in it, and his next words flowed in a different direction, her direction. “No, she’ll only step up to the door to eavesdrop.”
Shit. He knows I’m standing here.
“Who—” Jaime Lynn asked until Charlotte Mae stepped around the corner toward the office.
She recognized the newcomer instantly. He’d been at Whiskey’s the day of the accident. “Is this about me?”
The stranger stood at about six four, something she’d never noticed when he stayed across the pub and sat at the bar. He was handsome, but his eyes were hard. He was clearly someone who’d experienced his own share of darkness.
He nodded, and his eyes softened for a split second. Ignoring the others, she tilted her head in the direction she’d come.
“Upstairs is private, and we can lock the door down here to make sure no one is eavesdropping,” she said with a smirk. She should feel ashamed for being caught snooping, but she didn’t. If any of this dealt with her, there wasn’t a chance in hell she’d be left out of it.
“She’s not ready! She’s finally getting better, damn it!” Jaime Lynn snapped in a hushed tone.
Charlotte Mae stopped on the bottom step of the stairs, hearing the words drifting from what she guessed was the office.
“Don’t you think I see that? It’s a disservice to her if we don’t tell her before she leaves. I’ll not have it on my conscience.” Noah was upset, and he sounded exhausted.
The “she” they spoke of was her, that much she could gather. She planned on returning to her apartment tomorrow. Jesse had offered to drop her off, and she’d gladly accepted. Jaime Lynn’s behavior lately had been distant and yet overbearing. A weird combination.
For as long as Charlotte Mae could remember, Jaime Lynn had behaved like a momma bear around her. When their mother died, Jaime Lynn had stepped up and raised Charlotte Mae, even though she’d been only eighteen years old, barely an adult herself. The six-year age difference between them was normal for some siblings, but once their mom died, the gap seemed to multiply.
They’d clung to each other, since they’d had no fathers to speak of and no living relatives who wanted to take them in. They didn’t share the same father. Jaime Lynn’s abandoned her for another family, and Charlotte Mae’s had disappeared. The latter she felt deep within her heart. He’d been the perfect dad until he suddenly left one day.
“You can’t be back here!” Jaime Lynn scolded.
“Who the hell are you?” Noah growled.
Their voices overlapped, but Charlotte Mae heard them clear as day. Who’s in there too? She debated stepping forward and seeing for herself until he spoke.
“We need to talk privately.” The man’s voice was gravelly, and his words shook with power. This wasn’t a person who took no for an answer.
Someone moved—she guessed Noah by the sound of the heavy footfall. “No, you need to tell me who the fuck you are and why you’ve been hanging around here the last few months.”
She noted the similar power in Noah’s words as the man’s. They challenged each other verbally, unwilling to back down.
“And I will, if we can go somewhere private.”
“Shut the door and this will be private.” Jaime Lynn huffed, and Charlotte Mae imagined her standing with her back ramrod-straight.
The man chuckled. There was no humor in it, and his next words flowed in a different direction, her direction. “No, she’ll only step up to the door to eavesdrop.”
Shit. He knows I’m standing here.
“Who—” Jaime Lynn asked until Charlotte Mae stepped around the corner toward the office.
She recognized the newcomer instantly. He’d been at Whiskey’s the day of the accident. “Is this about me?”
The stranger stood at about six four, something she’d never noticed when he stayed across the pub and sat at the bar. He was handsome, but his eyes were hard. He was clearly someone who’d experienced his own share of darkness.
He nodded, and his eyes softened for a split second. Ignoring the others, she tilted her head in the direction she’d come.
“Upstairs is private, and we can lock the door down here to make sure no one is eavesdropping,” she said with a smirk. She should feel ashamed for being caught snooping, but she didn’t. If any of this dealt with her, there wasn’t a chance in hell she’d be left out of it.
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She loves to write steamy romance with suspense and a happily ever after. When she isn't writing or interacting with her readers, you can find her spending time with her family or reading. AJ enjoys traveling, researching family history, and all things New Orleans.
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