Page 12 of Beau

She glanced down at her soaked clothing. “I think we’re beyond formalities. You can call me Aurelie or Auri.”

“Aurelie, it is.” He took her hand. “When I’m not Robin Hood, I’m Beau Boyette.”

“Beau Boyette,” she said, trying his name out on her tongue and liking it. “A very Cajun moniker.”

He nodded. “I come from a long line of Cajuns, born and raised in the bayou.” He continued to hold her hand. Not so tightly she couldn’t easily pull away.

She liked the way his big fingers curled around hers. A little too much. Aurelie let go and clasped her hands together, the warmth from his hand lingering. “Since you were born and raised in the bayou, swimming with the alligators is nothing new.”

“I prefer swimming in the daylight. It’s easier to spot them.” He glanced in the direction of the chateau. “Should we go break the news to your father that someone attacked you and threw you in the bayou?”

She was shaking her head before he finished the sentence. “Absolutely not. It’s a fundraiser. I don’t want people leaving early because someone attacked me.”

He tilted his head. “What if the attacker goes after other guests?”

Aurelie frowned and started walking back to the chateau. “You have a point. Although, so far, the attacks lately have only been targeting me. I’ll notify the security detail and ask them to keep an eye on people coming and going. They can place someone at the entrance to the boardwalk to keep anyone from wandering out in the dark.”

“Law enforcement should be made aware of the attempt on your life,” he said, falling in step beside her.

“I’ll contact the local sheriff and let him know what happened.”

“Before or after the event?” Beau asked. “The attacker could be one of the guests.”

Another good point. She tapped a finger to her chin, thinking. “I can hand over the guest list to the sheriff and let him check into the backgrounds of those who purchased tickets.”

“You really don’t want to let your father know?”

“No.”

“Then we’ll have to leave without checking in with him first,” Beau said.

“I’ll have the event coordinator pass the word onto my father that I had a migraine and went home to bed.”

“You get migraines often?” Beau asked.

The chateau came into view, lights shining from the windows, the hum of music warring with nature’s symphony.

As she arrived on the platform where she’d started her walk that evening, she turned away from the door she’d used to exit the building and walked toward the front. She came to a stop at the second platform that marked the other end of the boardwalk. “My attacker had to have exited the boardwalk here.” She studied the side of the chateau, spotting what appeared to be a camera mounted near the eaves. “I wonder if the video camera caught him. If he was still wearing the ski mask, it wouldn’t do much good.”

“Unless he removed it so as not to draw attention from security or the guests,” Beau said.

“I’ll ask the event coordinator to let me see the footage tomorrow morning.”

“Have security guard that footage. You don’t know how sophisticated your attacker might be. He might be one step ahead of you and erase it.”

“True.” She looked at him through narrowed eyes. “What did you say you do for a living?”

“I didn’t,” he said and hooked her arm. “Come on. We can get the valet to bring your car around.”

She stopped, forcing him to stop as well. “Damn.”

“What?”

“I rode with my father.” She shook her head. “Not that I would get into his Porche as wet as I am. It might ruin the leather.” Her lips twisted. “I could call Uber.” She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and glanced down at the black screen. She tried to reboot it. Nothing.

“Dead, right?” he asked, pulling his phone from his pocket. “Mine, too.”

“God, I’m sorry. I’ll replace it.”