him. He had to play this cool like he didn’t have a care in the world, even if his fingers itched to call Aaron this very second to clear it all up. He had a feeling that he was worrying over nothing. His security would probably be laughing about his suspicions tomorrow, but if not...
Janson abruptly left Katherine’s car behind in the distant shadows to catch up to Mollie as she switched directions to go up Spring Street, and, with a courage born of desperation, he claimed her hand. “Hey, let’s not go to the catacombs just yet.” No way would he want them to get stuck there if this was serious. He couldn’t stand the thought of getting trapped anywhere, but tunnels burrowed under the city would be especially bad. “Are you going to show me the night life or what?”
“I don’t exactly look, uh... you really want people to see us like this?”
“What? You’re ashamed of me? You don’t like my shirt?”
She was laughing now. “I love your shirt, but I’m wearing Mother Renee’s cheetah-print bomber jacket.”
“You look lovely in Mother Theresa’s jacket. Rawr.” She smiled in embarrassment. “Plus you don’t want to make me think Charlize is a liar. She said you know this place like the back of your hand.” He was pretty sure he knew how this cute little firecracker worked, but if challenging her didn’t get her to take him to some packed party, he’d play with her hair next. Her big blue eyes softened on him. She was already falling for the bait, and he added to it. “You’re going to have to prove she wasn’t trying to talk you up.”
“Excuse me?” But she said it with a flirtatious edge, so she wasn’t truly mad. “Nobody has to talk me up.”
“You’re right... maybe that’s why I want to stretch this night out.”
She was silent a moment. “Okay, but I don’t want anyone to freak out that I came with a guy. People talk a lot around here.” Her gaze lowered to their clasped hands.
He slid his hand away from hers. “I can keep it casual. What?” he teased when he saw her stern expression. “You don’t believe me? I can control myself around you.”
Her cheeks flamed. If things weren’t so dire, he’d be tempted to find more ways to make her blush. “You’d better.” She stuffed her hands into the deep pockets of her mother’s ’80s jacket. “I’m only showing you the town. Don’t think this is something more.”
Her walls were going up again. He’d worry, but he had other things on his mind, like being chased down by a desperate stepmother. If Janson couldn’t get to Mollie’s phone without Dwayne and Vin the wiser, he’d drop the idea. He didn’t want her involved in this drama, too.
The New Orleans Hotel reminded him of a modern day saloon with its wrought iron pillars and balconies. The warm glowing lights from the party made a brilliant beacon into the night, shining through its many windows. It was three stories high—at least from the front—though he suspected since the hotel was built on the hill that the back of the building was twice as tall. The alleyway between the hotel and the deserted old mortuary with the stuffed bears had steep, rickety wooden stairs that led to Center Street below. He peered down them to see if his stepmother had followed him here too, but so far she was out of sight.
Mollie led him into the front door where her ex-boyfriend had disappeared about an hour ago. Had she mentioned the guy’s father was the sheriff? If Janson’s worst suspicions were true and his stepmother’s stalking had to do with those death threats, he might have to rest his fate in that goofball’s hands.
They entered a lobby that took him straight back in time to a New Orleans’ heyday with its embellished tin ceiling and elegant French woodwork walls. Unbelievably, it was louder inside than outside. Everyone was having a great time, some in costume, others in street clothes, a lot of rednecks—of course, that might’ve been a costume too. Tomorrow was their zombie crawl and as Mollie explained, there would be quite a few people dressed up as zombie hunters.
He scanned the bar to the side of them with the rowdiest patrons. His heart thudded painfully against his ribcage when he didn’t catch sight of Scooby. He might’ve been their best way out of this. A server approached them. “I’m so sorry. There’s an