Page 77 of Knife in the Back (New Orleans #4)

The Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana

“I have to wear a damn tie,” Burke grumbled.

Naomi knew that his grumbling was due to nerves and not any real irritation.

He’d been looking forward to the christening ever since little Jonas was born—almost exactly twenty-four hours after Burke had taken Kaleb down at the Mardi Gras parade.

Wearing a tie for such an occasion wouldn’t have made him this agitated.

She put down her knitting and went to the full-length mirror in Burke’s bedroom where he stood scowling, his dress shirt unbuttoned. Standing behind him, she slid her arms around his waist.

“You’ve done this godfather thing before, Burke. Why are you so nervous?”

He sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m just…”

She pressed a kiss to his shoulder. “Just what?” She tugged on him until he turned to face her. “Tell me.”

He swallowed. “I heard from the prison. He still won’t see me.”

No one on their team knew that Burke had been trying to visit Kaleb for two months. He was afraid they wouldn’t understand. But of course they would have. Burke needed closure. He needed to understand why the man he’d called brother had turned into a monster he no longer recognized.

“I’m sorry, baby.” She put her arms around his neck and drew him down for a soft kiss. “You might never know why he’s the way he is, and I’m sorry for that, too.”

He rested his forehead against hers. “Thank you. I need to shake this off. I have to be a happy godfather in three hours.”

“That baby makes you smile like nobody else. I think as soon as you see him today, you’ll be exactly what he needs you to be. You make him feel safe. Just like you do everyone else.”

Some of the tension left his body. “You always seem to know the right thing to say.”

“My superpower,” she whispered.

He grinned lasciviously. “I thought your superpower was the thing you did with your—”

“Excuse me!” a voice bellowed from the open doorway. “Please don’t finish that sentence.”

They turned as one to find André watching them.

“I don’t know,” Burke said. “Seems that you barged in on us, so you aren’t in a position to be making any demands.”

“Your door was open,” André said accusingly.

Because Naomi still hated closed doors. Burke had never pushed her to “fix herself,” and for that she was grateful. Someday she’d tackle that trigger, but she was still getting used to her new life.

She was one of Burke’s full-time investigators and she loved her job. She still filled in at Sylvi’s shop, though, whenever her other employee was sick or there was a holiday. This past Mother’s Day had been a zoo.

She’d rented a larger house so that she could become a foster parent in the near future.

Besides, with Jimmy in prison for perjury and accepting a bribe in exchange for false testimony, Everett now lived with her full-time.

He was over at his old house often, though, caring for his half siblings.

McKenzie was having a hard time adjusting to single parenthood of three kids under five.

Everett wasn’t doing it for McKenzie, of course.

He was doing it for the kids, and Naomi was so proud of him for stepping up.

Naomi and Burke had decided not to live together just yet. Naomi wanted to live on her own for a little while, but she was over at Burke’s mansion in the Quarter whenever she got the chance.

So learning to tolerate closed doors could wait a little longer.

“How did you even get in the house?” Burke asked.

“Everett let me in. Now I know why he was laughing when he told me to just ‘go on upstairs.’?”

Naomi and Burke shared a glance because André was…off. Something was wrong.

“Tell me,” Burke said. “Have you come bearing good tidings of great joy again?”

André shook his head, his broad shoulders sagging. “I’m sorry, Burke. I didn’t want to do this to you today of all days, but I didn’t want you to hear it from someone else or online.”

Beside her, Burke straightened his spine. “Who died?” he asked quietly.

“Kaleb. The prison went into lockdown an hour ago. It’s all over the news. They’re only saying now that an inmate was killed, but we’re not giving his name until we’ve notified next of kin.”

Which would be Juliette, although Naomi knew Burke considered himself next of kin as well.

Poor Juliette. She’d been a mess since Kaleb’s arrest, and Braden and Trent felt so lost. Whenever he saw the boys, Burke was his usual take-charge self, comforting them and giving them whatever help they needed.

But then, when he came home, Naomi was always there waiting, because he’d fall apart. He needed her those times.

He needed her now.

He stood stock-still, his only movement the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, and that was far too shallow.

Naomi led him to the chair, moving her knitting before she gently pushed him to sit. He silently complied, giving her a look of helpless anguish. She kissed his lips, then his forehead before turning to André.

“How did it happen?” she asked.

“Stabbed in the dining hall,” André said, coming into the room.

“Like what happened with you, except it wasn’t just one assailant.

A crowd surrounded him and none of the guards could get through.

When the inmates stepped back, Kaleb was dead.

Nobody will say who did it. At least not right now.

But Kaleb had made a lot of enemies in the gen pop in a short time.

He tried to be a big man. Tried to step in on the territory of the main dealer inside.

He’d already been in at least ten fights.

Spent weeks in solitary. It was almost like he wanted them to hate him. ”

Naomi stroked Burke’s hair because it soothed him. “Does Juliette know?”

“Not yet. I’m on my way to see her now. I didn’t know if you’d want to go with me, Burke.”

Naomi opened her mouth to say hell no , but Burke exhaled quietly and stood up.

“Yeah. I’ll go. She’ll need me.” He glanced at his watch. “I have to go straight to the church afterward. It’s Jonas’s christening.”

“Okay,” André said. “I’ll wait for you downstairs. I’m so sorry, Burke.”

Burke nodded. “I know. Thank you.”

When André was gone, Burke lowered his head to her shoulder and she put her arms around him, rubbing his back. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“Me too. But I’m not surprised. I thought this would happen sooner. I knew he’d made enemies. I don’t think he ever intended to serve his sentence.”

Having taken a plea deal, Kaleb had been sentenced to life in prison without parole.

He’d killed so many people—or had them killed, which ended up being the same thing.

Wayne Stanley managed to cut a deal for forty years with time off for good behavior.

Naomi planned to be at every one of his parole hearings.

If she had anything to do with it, Stanley would never be free.

But he’d told the DA where Kaleb and Cresswell had hidden the bodies.

Most of the bodies were in pieces—the term still made Naomi ill—because they’d tossed them to the gators.

They’d used the bayou around a place Burke owned as their dumping ground.

Just another way Kaleb had “gotten back” at Burke.

Divers had retrieved enough pieces of the victims that the ME had been able to identify fifteen people.

Some of them were teenagers who’d died as a result of Kaleb’s trafficking business.

Some were dealers who’d erred. Retrieving bodies gave their families closure, but it would have come at a steep price if Stanley were ever released.

Naomi kissed Burke’s temple. “Let me help you get dressed.”

“Thank you. I…” He shuddered. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“I’m glad I am, too. Come on. Let me button your shirt. I packed a clean one in case Jonas spits up on you again.” It was a common occurrence, but Burke never seemed to mind. “That way you’ll look good for the pictures.”

He pulled away and steeled his spine. “Button away.”

His eyes were dry. But so sad.

Naomi silently cursed Kaleb for getting himself killed on what should have been a happy day. It wasn’t entirely sane, but she didn’t care.

She buttoned Burke’s shirt and tied his tie and buttoned his cuffs before tucking his shirttails into his suit pants. “There. You’ll be the most handsome man there.”

“Nobody’ll be looking at me. They’ll all be looking at Jonas and Phin and Cora.”

“I’ll be looking at you. I’m always looking at you.”

He swallowed hard. “You know I love you, right?”

She did, but it was the first time he’d said it. “I know.” She cupped his cheek. “You know I love you, too, right?”

He smiled then. “I know. Come with me?”

“Of course. Let me get my purse. I’ll have Everett catch a ride with Jace and Elijah.” The three had become inseparable and Everett was thriving.

Everett was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs. He was already dressed for the service, surprising Naomi. “You look so nice,” she told him.

“Thanks, Mom.” He stepped into Burke’s path, making Burke stop. “I heard. I’m sorry. I know you loved him even though he was bad.”

Burke shuddered again, blowing out a breath. “Thank you, Everett.”

Then Everett surprised Naomi once again when he wrapped Burke in a hard hug. “It wasn’t anything you did,” Everett said. “Sometimes people are just bad, Burke.”

Like Jimmy. Everett was having a hard time coming to terms with his father’s sins, but he was getting there.

Naomi wiped her eyes because she couldn’t stop the tears.

She wasn’t sad that Kaleb was dead, but she hurt for his family.

She wasn’t sad that Jimmy was in prison, but her heart broke for his four children.

Burke heaved a short sob into Everett’s shoulder. “Sometimes they are just bad.” He sucked in a breath and straightened. “Thank you. You helped.”

Everett shrugged. “I’m not a dick anymore.”

Burke choked on a laugh. “Maybe sometimes.”

Everett grinned. “Sometimes. I’ll see you at the church.”

Burke took Naomi’s arm and they followed André to the car.

—

The Garden District, New Orleans, Louisiana

Sunday, June 1, 2:00 p.m.

Naomi had been right, of course. Burke’s broken heart began to mend when he held Jonas Montgomery Burke Bishop in his arms. Phin and Cora beamed amid their entire family and all their friends from Ohio.

There were a lot of Bishops. The reception after the christening was loud and full of laughter. Just what I needed.

Naomi had bonded with Cora and now Phin’s sister Scarlett, which was worrisome. Those three together could get themselves in a pile of trouble, Burke thought. But Naomi shone like the sun. She looked at him every few minutes, making sure he was all right.

He wasn’t really. But he would be.

Juliette was definitely not all right. He’d be leaving the christening to go back to her house, where he’d sit with her and the boys. Braden and Trent were in shock, and Burke had hated to leave them, but he’d needed this afternoon with his true family.

With Molly and Gabe, Val and Kaj, Jace and Elijah.

Antoine and Joy. Lucien, Chelsea, and Harper, whose grandparents’ bid for custody had been squashed like a bug thanks to the attorney Burke had retained.

Chelsea was expecting again and André and his wife Farrah had brought their new baby.

His family was growing all around him and it soothed his heart.

And of course there was Naomi—and Everett. The boy had quickly grown on him once he’d gotten his head out of his ass and started treating his mother right. Now? Burke pitied anyone who said a mean word about Naomi Cranston. Everett was ready and willing to defend her.

He’d even decided to become an attorney so he could help people unjustly accused like his mother. Who knew if he would actually go that route? He was only sixteen. But that he even wanted to was such a change.

Such a relief.

“How are you?” Stone asked, taking the seat next to Burke.

Stone was one of the Cincinnati contingent and Phin’s best friend.

As per tradition in Cora’s church, a male child had two godfathers and one godmother.

Burke and Stone were the godfathers. Stone’s wife Delores was Jonas’s godmother.

She had taken to her role with her customary enthusiasm, but Burke knew it was easier for her to hold an infant now that, after several lost pregnancies, she and Stone had finally welcomed their own son into the world.

Burke couldn’t be happier for them. “I’m okay, Montgomery.”

Stone scowled. Everyone had been calling him Montgomery all afternoon, and he hated his given name. “They could have called the kid Stone. It would have been better.”

“I’m just glad they had a boy,” Burke said. “Cora said if it was a girl, they would have given her Burkette as a middle name.”

Stone threw back his head and laughed. “There’s still time. Phin wants a baseball team for a family.”

“Wonderful,” Burke grumbled, because Burkette wouldn’t just be bad.

It would be horrific.

Stone laughed again and slapped him on the back. “I like your lady friend.”

Burke snorted. “My lady friend? What are you, a hundred and six?”

Phin came over with the baby in his arms and SodaPop at his side. “What are you two plotting over here? You’re having too much fun.”

Burke held out his arms. “Gimme.”

Phin carefully handed over the baby. “Support his—”

“His head,” Burke interrupted. “Yeah, yeah. I know.” He smiled down at Jonas, who’d been named for his grandfather. “Hey there.”

The baby burped and Burke laughed. God, Naomi had been so right. He’d needed his people. He’d needed to hold new life.

Naomi came up behind him and rested her chin on his shoulder. “He puke on you yet?”

“Nope,” Burke said, “but the day is still young, isn’t it, Jonas Montgomery Burke Bishop?”

Stone gave Phin a dirty look. “I really hate you.”

Phin grinned. “I know.” He sobered, squeezing Burke’s shoulder. “We heard the news. We’re here, you know. If you need us.”

Burke looked up and found that his team had gathered behind Phin. He thought they’d look sad, but they didn’t. They just looked like they loved him.

He drew a breath and blinked hard. “You guys are going to make me cry on the baby. Stop it.”

“Little salt never hurt anyone,” Joy said from the front of the line. “Give me that baby, or there will be hell to pay.”

“I’d do what she says,” Naomi said with a laugh. “She’s badass.”

“And don’t any of you forget it,” Joy declared. “Stop dawdling, Burke Broussard. It’s my turn.”

Chuckling, Burke gave the baby to Joy, then twisted to kiss Naomi on the mouth. “You are always exactly what I need,” he whispered.

She pulled him to his feet. “What you need is some dancing. The DJ’s getting ready to start. Come dance with me. It’ll do your heart good.”

“In a minute.” He held his arms out to Molly, who smiled at him. Then Val. Then Antoine, who received a smacking kiss on the cheek. He hugged all his people, one at a time. His family.

And then he danced with the woman who’d healed his heart.