by Ali Vali
“Shut the hell up,” Jonsie said with an expression that gave Annabel the impression he thought he’d skate no matter what happened.
“One time I could attribute to the thrill of the quick score,” she said, putting down the picture of them handing over the money. “Twice I could almost understand, but you two got greedy, didn’t you?”
“You were buying from an undercover agent so we got you. You need to think fast and make the right choice to save your asses,” Kyle said.
“You bought from Jake Kelly,” she said as the video of their transaction came on the screen. “Who’d you sell to?”
“Don’t say a word,” Jonas said, coming in. “Get out,” he told Annabel and Kyle. “But don’t go far, Agent Hicks. I’d like a word about how I was treated today.”
Annabel walked to the room where Cain and Muriel were waiting. “I apologize for taking so long.”
“What exactly is going on?” Muriel asked.
“A little while longer, Ms. Casey.” She didn’t want to stay and have Muriel bog her down with questions. Kyle was waiting outside, but some of his cockiness had disappeared. “Are you here to knock some more square pegs into round holes? You may not like Casey, but if this is what you have to shut her down, make sure to validate her parking ticket on her way out.”
“Ma’am, the senator is ready for you,” Logan said.
“What’s it going to take to make this go away?” Jonas asked.
“They need to come clean as to who they were selling to,” she said, sitting across from them. “You’re caught, with plenty of tape and evidence to back it up, so the only way out of our net is to serve up a bigger fish.”
“Get on with it,” Jonas said, slapping his son on the back of the head.
“Marty met this guy who wanted in the business but couldn’t get the first part done. We put up the first money and sold it to him, tripling our cash,” Jonsie said as fast as he could get it out.
“Who was it?” Kyle asked.
“I only know him as Big Chief,” Marty said softly, appearing as if he might cry.
“Big Chief?” Kyle asked, sounding as upset as Marty.
“Excuse us,” Annabel said, thinking she wasn’t going to like whatever came next.
“Wait. What did he look like, and where did you meet him?” Kyle asked.
“He was an old skinny guy with a broken nose. I met him at the doctor’s office when I was laid up with the same thing.”
“Okay, what?” she asked Kyle outside.
“Big Chief was killed way before that kid could’ve met him. Whoever was posing as Big Chief has to be working for Casey.”
“Check with the doctor and see if you can find him,” she told Kyle before heading back in. “So you sold to Big Chief. What else?”
“That’s it,” Jonsie said.
“I read the transcripts—you said you were buying for Cain Casey.”
Marty perked up, but Jonsie seemed to deflate. “It was the only way we thought Jake would deal with us.”
“But we totally did it on her orders,” Marty said.
“The concept of the big fish is backup, Mr. Williamson. Do you have proof?” The way his eyes moved around meant he was trying to fabricate some. “Where’s the money?”
“That’s our money,” Jonsie said.
She sighed and stood. “Senator Belson, you might want to retain an attorney and get in touch with Mr. Williamson’s father. As for your money, unless you hid it well, it’s gone. We’ve searched every possible location you two had access to, and it’s not there.”
Annabel took a few deep breaths in the hallway before facing the two Casey women. “Did you get all the nails you’ll need to crucify me, Agent Hicks?” Cain asked as she brushed her pants off as if the office had somehow dirtied them.
“You’re free to go for now, but please don’t leave the city.”
“I’m taking a short trip with my girlfriend, so if you’re going to charge me—go ahead. If not, keep watching and wishing.”
“The two gentlemen in the picture,” Muriel said, taking something out of her briefcase. “Here’s the restraining orders we filed after they made threatening comments following Emma Verde’s settlement hearing. When you talk to them, make sure they give you their copies.”
“You just now remembered this?” She held up the papers.
“I knew there was a reason they didn’t work for me, so thank God for the lawyer in the family. She always keeps me on the straight and narrow.”
The Caseys walked out, and Cain stopped when she saw Kyle. “Sorry to disappoint you, extra Special Agent Kyle. If you need something to cheer you up, come by the pub and I’ll buy your guys a round, since they’re fixated on liquor.”
“This isn’t over,” Kyle said, and Annabel cut him off.
“Keep an eye on this one, Agent Hicks. He might be a problem,” Cain said, smiling at her, and then she was gone.
“Now maybe you’ll understand what I first told you,” she said to Kyle. “She’s certainly unique, and smarter than your average thug, but then thug was your word for her.”
* * *
“Does this happen often?” Emma asked Cain when she finally got home with Muriel.
“Not that often. Agent Barney Kyle wanted to impress his boss with a case he thought would be a cinch, but nothing in life is simple. At least, it’s never been that easy for the federal government when it comes to my family.”
“What did he think you did?” Emma was sitting on Cain’s bed while she finished packing the bag Therese had started for her.
Cain told her the highlights of Barney’s case and who had ended up in custody. Jonas Belson had known better than to try to frame her for his son’s greed without exposing himself, so all he could pray for was leniency for a first-time offender. Marty’s father wasn’t as willing to let it go, but FBI surveillance video didn’t lie.
“Are you sure you want to go? The feds don’t often knock on my door, but it has a way of changing your perspective if you’ve never seen it happen.”
“Do you need to talk to anyone else before I start modeling swimwear?” Emma responded.
“Just Billy. Then I’m all yours,” she said, and she smiled when Emma walked up to her and put her hands on her ass.
“You’re all mine now, but I want you to clear your workload so you’re not thinking about anything but us.”
* * *
They walked down together, and after a small kiss from Cain, Emma went with Therese and Marie to the den. Cain’s main crew was waiting in the office, and she couldn’t remember the last time they were all smiling like this.
“You all look happy.”
“Da would’ve been the first one to be in here laughing his ass off that this worked,” Billy said, throwing his arms around her. “Not that I doubted you, but who would’ve thought the feds were this stupid? It’s not every day you end up with a warehouse full of booze courtesy of the federal government.”
“Not exactly true, Billy,” Muriel said. “All that cost us two Corvettes and a couple of high-priced call girls. Your idea of giving to charity boggles the mind, Cain.”
“I believe in throwing good things out into the universe so good things come back to you. We did teach these young men a new business and bankrolled their success. This time karma was incredibly generous because of all our good deeds.” She poured them all a drink from one of the bottles Jonsie and Marty had bought from Jake after she’d indirectly introduced them. “To a new era, one that’s built solidly on the foundation the Casey family’s built.” They all lifted their glasses and drank.
“Can you break it all down so we can be ready for whatever comes next?” Merrick asked, and Cain knew it was because of her cautious nature, but that beat carelessness.
“Our two charity cases were looking to get back at me for Marty’s broken nose and bruised manhood that he then had to pay Emma for, so Billy and I arranged for him to meet Big Chief. Cousin Colin sent two guys from Calif
ornia to fill the role of that asshole and his driver.” She waved Billy on.
“Marty and Jonsie started small, buying from Jake at cut-rate prices that were too good to be legitimate, and they in turn sold to us. They were smart enough to increase their orders, pumping up their profits, but every shipment came with a little something extra Bryce found for us.”
She nodded and laughed. “We reboxed and kept buying, storing the original boxes in Belson’s warehouse. The real-estate mogul wannabe didn’t keep track of his places, and neither did his son. After our last buy, I had you and Billy go by Marty’s and get our money back. I mean, who in the hell keeps that much money under the bed?” Billy had brought home the ten duffel bags full of cash that represented most of their money, aside from the cars and the guys’ partying.
“Where were the two geniuses when you made a withdrawal from their stash of cash?” Muriel asked.
“Brandi Parrish’s girls were happy to pick them up in a bar and give them enough memories to hopefully last them their entire sentences.” The famous owner of the Red Door in the Quarter hadn’t asked any questions when she’d handed the money over. “Now all we have to do is be extra careful with Barney Kyle and his little band of misfits. I played him, and I wanted him to know it, so he’s going to double down like Marty tried to do.”
“We got this, so get going,” Billy said. “Emma’s waited long enough.”
“Thanks, brother. I’m proud of you, and so is Da. I’m sure of it.”
“You saying that means everything to me, so go be happy. I’ll take care of things while you’re gone. Don’t forget to tell Emma what happened, and since this went so well, I know you’ll come up with the right solution for her.”
“Nothing like a hint that’s like a two-by-four to the face.”
Chapter Twenty-nine
Emma waved to the surveillance team as their floatplane left the Lakefront Airport. It was late afternoon, but Cain promised the trip wouldn’t take that long, and she was right when they landed an hour later on the shores of Alabama.
The beach house was more of a small, isolated cabin, which Emma explored as Cain got their bags. “I love it,” Emma said, glancing out at the perfect beach as their ride took off again. “Is it yours?”
“It belongs to an old friend, but he only likes to use the main house a couple of miles up the road,” Cain said as she started unbuttoning Emma’s shirt. “I like the solitude of this place, but I don’t mind sharing it with you.”
Emma smiled at the subtle message. She was the first and hopefully the last to share this space with her, and it made her want Cain naked as well. Whoever owned the place had cranked up the air-conditioning and lit the fireplace, so that’s where they’d start.
“I think I owe you one from this morning, mobster.”
“Your credit is good with me, lass, so we’ll get to that,” Cain said, picking her up so she could wrap her legs around her. “But right now I can’t wait to touch you.”
She’d gone from inexperienced to someone who got wet when Cain looked at her like she wanted to devour her, and she wasn’t about to complain. Cain laid her down and touched her like she’d break if she didn’t use a light touch. It was maddening, but it was driving up her need to be loved, so she finally pressed Cain’s hand to her breast when she skimmed over her hypersensitive nipple.
“I want you,” she said, barely able to get the words out, and screamed when Cain gave her what she wanted. “So good,” she said when Cain filled her up.
She clawed at Cain’s back as she moaned from the pure pleasure of the tempo Cain had set. It was hard and fast, and she could sense the orgasm starting to build and was desperate for it. “Don’t stop,” she ordered, grabbing Cain by the shoulders.
“Come for me, lass,” Cain whispered in her ear in that low-pitched voice that cut right through her. “I love you.”
That was all it took to make her let go. No matter who Cain was, or how many people wanted her for whatever reason—Emma belonged to her. That truth would last a lifetime no matter what happened.
She reached down and put her hand between Cain’s legs while she was still over her with her fingers still inside her. “I love you too,” she said as she didn’t show the same patience as Cain had and touched her hard and fast. Cain kept her eyes on her face, and she could see how much she wanted her, so she almost laughed when she stopped.
“You’re coming, but not like this,” she said, getting Cain flat on her back.
Emma was tentative at first, but she put her mouth on her and tried to do the same thing Cain had done to her that morning. She almost stopped when Cain said “fuck” loudly enough to be heard outside, but kept going until Cain seemed to melt into the floor.
“Who knew my clumsiness would pay off this big?”
* * *
They got dressed a few hours later and walked the beach under the rising full moon. It was the first time Emma had seen Cain this relaxed in her bare feet and shorts, and she tightened her hold on her arm.
Cain had told her about her busted door and trashed apartment from the FBI’s search for some large sum of cash and liquor. Why they’d think she had it was almost funny. “Did they think I kept that much money in my underwear drawer?” she asked, and Cain laughed.
“They’re trying to make you run to do the right thing,” Cain said, stopping and sitting in the sand.
“What do you think is the right thing for me?” She sat on Cain’s lap and brushed Cain’s hair out of her face.
“Me.”
“Good answer, mobster. It keeps me from having to get rough with you. The door can be fixed, and you can help me put everything back where it belongs. None of that is important.” She could see the blueness of Cain’s eyes even in the dark, and she loved the warmth in them.
“What if I offer something better?”
“Like a maid or something?” she said and shook her head.
Cain reached into her pocket and took out a key. “You might think this is a kneejerk reaction to what happened, but I figured something out this morning.”
“What?” Emma asked, taking Cain’s hand and pressing the key between them.
“I have a finite number of mornings in my life, and I don’t want to waste another one not waking up with you. I want you to move in with me.”
“Like into your house with your family? How are they going to feel about that?”
“They’re going to welcome you into our family and love you, but not as much as I do. You can think about it if you want, but I meant what I said. I want to share my life with you.”
“Yes,” she said, wanting it as much as Cain evidently did. “I’d love to if you’re sure.”
“I’m as sure of this as I am that I’m all yours,” Cain said and kissed her.
“Then let forever begin, my love, and all that comes with it. I’ll take the good and the bad, the happy and the sad, as long as I get you.”
“Wish for something that’s not yours already, lass, because that’s a given.”
“Your mother was right. You’re not one to pass up a good thing,” she said and smiled.
“You can celebrate it with a drink out of those old family glasses you like so much.”
“You’ve got a date,” she said, kissing Cain.
“You do too, for as long as my heart beats.”
About the Author
Ali Vali is originally from Cuba and has frequently used many of her family’s traditions and language in her stories. Having her father read adventure stories and poetry before bed as a child infused her with a love of reading, which is even stronger today. In 2000, Ali decided to embark on a new path and started writing.
Ali lives in the suburbs of New Orleans with her partner of thirty-one years, and finds that residing in such a historically rich area provides plenty of material to draw from in creating her novels and short stories. Mixing imagination with different life experiences makes it easier to create the slew of characters that are engag
ing to the reader on many levels. Ali states that “The feedback from readers encourages me to continue to hone my skills as a writer.”
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