by Ali Vali
“Do any of the players have enough muscle to wage a turf war?” Lionel asked, still searching the floor for any sign of Cain’s or Ramon’s voices.
“If brains are the deciding factor, then Cain, Ramon, or Vincent could end up running the rackets for years to come,” Shelby said. “My money’s on Cain.”
“Are you up for this?” Joe looked at her, wanting to see her face when she answered. “If she goes to the mat to destroy those who tried to hurt her family, we have to put her away. I don’t care how much you like Cain and Muriel. No one’s above the law.”
“Don’t worry. This isn’t personal. I know what my job is, and I intend to do it.”
*
“Señor Jatibon, it’s so nice to see you again,” Emma said when he stepped into the sunroom and handed her a bouquet of flowers. “Thank you so much. I’m sure Cain is going to love them.” She handed them to Lou at the door and followed Ramon to some chairs by the windows.
“Please, Emma, call me Ramon.” He kissed both her cheeks, showing no surprise at her being there. “How is the patient?”
“Much more of this place, and she’s probably going to plan an escape. You know Cain as well as I do. She can’t sit still for long, so thank God she’s back on her feet and able to move under her own steam. She just had to run back to the room for a minute. She shouldn’t be long.”
“She can take all day if she wants, my dear. This old man never misses the opportunity to spend time with a beautiful woman,” Ramon said. “How are you and the children after what happened at the house?”
“Hayden says he’s okay, and I hope there’s no lasting effect.”
“He’s a good boy. I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
“Hannah is too young to really understand, so I’m hopeful it won’t be a problem, but getting out safe is enough to be thankful for. Cain has good people working for her, and they handled things flawlessly. Though I never want to go through that again. Cain and the children are my life.”
Ramon leaned forward and put his hand on her knee. “Never forget that, Emma. Cain and I are from two different cultures, but in here”—he tapped two fingers over his heart—“we are the same, and we feel the same when it comes to our children and our wives. You have my oath that I’ll do whatever it takes to keep the peace and all of you safe until this is over.”
“Thank you, Ramon. That means a lot.”
“Yes, it does, and I owe you a debt for coming to our aid,” Cain added, from the door. “Are we ready?”
“My plane’s waiting for you, Cain.” Ramon stood and offered his hand. “No one will be the wiser until it’s too late. I’ve also made arrangements for Muriel and the other people you want to take. Vincent and I’ll keep an eye on things until you get back.”
“I’m thinking two weeks.”
“It can be two months, amiga. Everything will be waiting for you when you return. Then we will sit and discuss what needs to be talked about.” He was glad to see Cain up and walking around, but she looked tired. “Is there anything else you need?”
“Just time to heal.” Cain looked at Emma before finishing. “But now that I’ve found my strength, I don’t see that being a problem.”
“Then we will be unbeatable.”
“Count on it, Ramon.” She held out her hand to Emma, who readily took it. “Count on it.”
It was plain to Ramon as he looked on that the missing piece of Cain’s fractured soul was back and appeared ready to take her place in Cain’s life.
Chapter Fifteen
“I’m not going anywhere without my parents,” Hayden said. He was standing next to the car Mook had used to get them to the Lakefront Airport, holding Hannah’s hand and refusing to board the plane about twenty feet away.
“Then get in here before we leave without you,” Emma said from the door of the plane.
It had taken some coordination, but they had apparently managed to get everyone to the airport without picking up a tail along the way. Merrick and Mook would be traveling with them in Ramon’s plane, and the rest of Cain’s crew was already en route.
“Mama!” Hannah yelled, clapping her hands. “Where’s Mom?”
“She’s inside waiting on you, sweetie. Are you ready to take a trip?” Emma hurried down the short flight of steps so she could pick the little girl up and hug and kiss her before giving her son the same treatment.
The greatest gift, aside from getting Cain back in her life, was having Hayden not flinch when she touched him. He had actually initiated some of the contact in the last few days, and Emma had to fight the urge to sob every time he did.
“Do we get to find out where we’re going, or is this a game of twenty questions?” Hayden put his arm around her waist and followed her back to the plane. He was joking, and at the moment they could have just been flying around the city and back. She knew he didn’t care, that it was just nice to all be in the same place at the same time.
“What, you don’t like surprises?” Emma said, trying to keep a straight face. “I’m sure the burden of being taken out of school will be worth your while when we get there.”
“You don’t know, do you?”
“You think you’re so smart, don’t you?”
He arched his brow, resembling Cain so much it took Emma’s breath away. “Oh, all right. Cain knows how good I am at keeping secrets, so no, I have no idea.” She laughed as she bumped hips with him and cocked her head in the direction of the plane. “Go on. She’s been looking forward to you getting here.”
“Thanks, Mama.”
That was new too, and it made Emma sigh.
“You’re very welcome.” She kissed his forehead before sending him on his way. “Let’s go get you strapped in, Miss Hannah.”
The crew closed the door behind her and continued their preflight checklist.
In the back of the plane Cain sat in one of the leather chairs, trying to get as comfortable as possible for the two-hour flight. Dr. Elton wasn’t thrilled that she was getting on a plane or leaving his care, but he understood her dilemma. He’d felt a little better when Emma told him Cain had arranged for medical care once they arrived at their destination.
“Hey, pal, how’s it going?” Cain asked Hayden as he stepped closer. They took turns looking each other over, making sure the forced separation, which had been much longer than Cain would have liked, had done no harm.
For Hayden, the too-few trips to the hospital were as much about making himself feel better as they were about visiting Cain. His mother was such a huge part of his life that the thought of losing her made him ill. “I’m better now. How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay, Hayden. I want you to stop worrying. I’m going to be fine. There isn’t any reason for you to think about this anymore. We’re going away so I can finish healing. Then I’m coming back to take care of this just like I always do.” She waved him closer and whispered the last part. “Only now I don’t have to do it alone.”
“You don’t think she’ll leave again, do you?” he asked.
“I wanted to talk to you before now, but haven’t had the chance.” With the hand of her uninjured side, Cain waved to her chest. Just behind their son she could see that Emma was having a hard time keeping Hannah in her seat, the little girl obviously wanting to be with her and Hayden. “Are you all right with everything that’s happened? Your mother being back in my life also means she’s back in yours, and I don’t want you to feel like I’m pushing you aside.”
“I’m just glad you’re happy. I talked to her a lot when she came home from the hospital every night to have dinner with us. You were right that night we went out before you got shot. She’s my safe haven, and I’m glad to have one again. I was so mad at her I didn’t realize how much I missed her.”
He needed some contact with Cain, but was afraid to hurt her so he put his hand in hers. “That doesn’t mean I want our relationship to change, but I do want a chance to get to know her better. No matter what, Emma’s my mom, and I’
m glad she is.”
“You’re the best kid I could have hoped for, Hayden.” Cain pulled him forward and put her arm around him.
“Just wait till you get to know Hannah. That kid is a riot.” He kissed Cain’s cheek and looked back at the little girl. “You should be glad I’m not the jealous type, or this could get ugly.”
“Mama, please. I wanna see Mom and Haygen. Please.” The little girl kept looking back at the two talking. “Please.”
“Mom did a really good job when it came to telling her about us,” Cain said. “Hannah’s going to be fun to have around.”
Hayden went to the little girl and picked her up, causing Emma to shake her head. Having Hannah exposed to the rest of the Casey clan was going to spoil the little girl rotten. In only a short time she’d come to love being with Hayden, who often carried her around the house, showing her family treasures and telling her the same stories about their family that Cain had told him through the years. The adventures of the Casey clan were much better than any book, and Hayden seemed to love retelling the tales as much as he liked hearing them.
“You want to tell Mom hi before we take off?” he asked Hannah.
She nodded and pressed her forehead to Hayden’s, glad to have a brother who understood what she needed. “How’s your owie, Mom?” Hannah asked when she took a seat on Cain’s lap. “You stay with us now?”
The engines kicked on, and Emma urged them all into their seats before they took off. To keep the peace Cain moved so that they could all sit together for at least a little while. As the navigator came out to tell them they were getting ready to start their taxi to the end of the runway, someone started pounding on the door of the plane.
“Late as usual, and for that I apologize.” Cain shook her head as she explained to the man in the cabin, who looked a little shocked. “I know you just closed it, but could you?”
With quick efficiency the crew opened and closed the door so they could admit their last passenger. Merrick was the first to wonder what the woman was doing on board, but now wasn’t the time to start questioning Cain about anything.
The late arrival walked over to Cain and kissed her cheek. A well-tailored jacket hid the two Glock 9 mm pistols she always wore but did nothing to conceal her athletic body and long legs. Katlin Patrick had worked for Cain since her graduation from college with a business degree, an education her benefactor had insisted on and paid for. Having worked her way through Cain’s business, she now was in charge of security for their shipments and also the day-to-day operations of Cain’s legitimate entities.
They were seldom seen together, and Cain doubted anyone other than Muriel and Jarvis knew they were kin. Their family ties had been kept out of the police files for good reason. Cain had trusted Katlin on more than one occasion to represent her at various meetings and never feared betrayal at the hand of the woman, who, like Muriel, shared her blood.
“Sorry I’m running late, Cain, but there was a problem at the warehouse, then at the hospital, that I had to take care of.”
Cain nodded and pointed to an empty seat. “And is it a problem still?”
“You know better than to ask.”
“Emma, do you remember the black sheep of the family?” Cain pointed to Katlin.
“I think we’ve met, but I’m sorry…I can’t recall the name.”
“Not to worry, Mrs. Casey. Cain keeps me well hidden among the grunts. Helps to keep a low profile when I’m the designated watcher.” The plane had started to move, so Katlin just smiled and waved. “I’m Katlin, Cain and Muriel’s cousin a couple of times removed.”
“You know everyone else, so let me introduce you to the newest member of our family.” Cain took Hannah’s hand in hers. “This is Hannah Casey, our daughter.”
“Pleased to meet you, Hannah,” Katlin said with a smile.
Emma looked on, amused. Katlin might have been a couple of relatives removed, but once again the Casey genes had won out. She had the characteristic dark hair and height, but one difference made Emma think she might be able to give Cain something she’d wanted from the time they’d met.
Instead of being the same incredible blue as Cain’s, Katlin’s eyes were a shade darker green than Emma’s. When they’d started talking about having children, Cain had told Emma she wanted to hold a baby with her shade of blond hair and beautiful green eyes. Perhaps that would be possible since here was the proof.
The flight ceased to fascinate the kids, and they drifted off to sleep before they were over Tennessee. Cain doubted the other passengers were sleeping, but all of them had their eyes closed and their breathing was relaxed. To her surprise Emma hadn’t said anything after greeting Katlin and asking Hannah if she had to go to the bathroom. Unless they’d been apart for so long she’d forgotten Emma’s moods, she was thinking about something pretty hard.
“What’s making that frown line appear in the middle of your forehead, love? Is something wrong?”
With a sigh, Emma folded her legs under her and rested her head on Cain’s shoulder. “You never forget anything about me, do you?”
“We’ve only been apart four years, but it could’ve been forty and I’d still remember all those little things that make you who you are. Or at least I’d like to think so.”
The line Cain had spoken of disappeared with Emma’s smile. “Nothing’s wrong. I was just thinking about something.”
She kissed Cain before the question of what could pop out. “Would it be all right if we talked about it later?”
“It’s nothing I can help you with?”
“Oh, it’s definitely something you can help me with.” She laughed when Cain smirked and leered at her. “Trust me, I’m looking forward to that too, but what you’re thinking about right now isn’t it.”
“Then you take your time and leave me to my lascivious thoughts.” With a slight bend of her neck Cain placed a kiss on the tip of Emma’s nose. “But if you need to talk to me about anything, you know where to find me.”
“Actually I have one question. Where can I find you for the next couple of weeks? We’re in the air, so it’s safe to tell me now.”
“I didn’t tell you because I wanted to surprise you, not because I didn’t trust you with the information.” She twirled a strand of blond hair around her finger, loving the way Emma smelled. It wasn’t often that she ran across anyone with the same scent.
Hayden’s head shifted away from the window at that moment, and he woke up without either of his mothers noticing. It was a good opportunity to study the reality of the love the two shared and compare it to the memories he relived late at night when he was alone in his room. Not since Emma had left had he seen Cain’s face so relaxed or anyone sitting that close to her. He was glad to see he hadn’t just made up something unrealistic to help him accept what had happened. Here before him was the love he remembered seeing for as long as he had memory of being alive.
“Will you promise me something if you can?” The injury was an inconvenience since Emma wanted to sit in Cain’s lap and be as close to her as possible.
“Sure.” The thoughts of the gunshot wound were going through Cain’s mind as well. “I’ll give you anything I can if it’ll take that frown off your face.”
“Tonight, when we get to wherever we’re going, will you sleep with me?”
“I’d like that.” A pain from moving her arm made Cain grimace, but she brought her hand up anyway and cupped Emma’s cheek. “You haven’t gotten used to sleeping alone, have you?”
“I could be sleeping in a single bed, and it’d still be too big without you lying next to me. Four years’ worth of nights is a long time to do without you.” She didn’t mean for the tears to come, but they filled her eyes anyway. “I missed you so much, and I’m so tired of crying.”
Cain rubbed her thumbs along Emma’s face until she’d wiped away the few tears that had actually fallen. “There’s no need for that, lass.” She took a deep breath and released it. “I’m so sorry.”
>
“For what?”
“I shouldn’t have let four years go by. I’m just glad you had the courage to come back and show me what a jackass I’ve been because of pride.”
“You want to make a deal with me, boss?” Emma rubbed the back of Cain’s neck as she tried to get the sad look off her partner’s face. “We both agree we were a little wrong, a lot sorry, and we’ll move on. How does that sound?”
“Like a deal I can live with.”
Their conversation died as they felt the plane start to descend and the landing gear come down. Unable to contain her curiosity, Emma leaned over and looked out the window. The familiar landscape made her laugh, then kiss Cain.
“Does he know we’re coming?”
“Yes, your dad knows we’re coming, and he’s thrilled to hear we’ve set things straight between us.”
Emma kissed her again and couldn’t resist joking. “Not too straight, I hope.”
When Cain laughed, the knot in Emma’s stomach loosened and she almost forgot it was there. The more things relaxed between them, the more she was convinced that they would regain what they’d thrown away and build from there.
Chapter Sixteen
“We’re staying with the Raths for a while, lass,” Cain said when they landed. “Your mother’s leaving in a couple of days to visit her brother and his family in Illinois. Once she’s gone we’ll move over there, so I hope you don’t mind. Or we could just stay with the Raths and have Ross come over and visit.”
Emma nodded as she stepped down to greet her oldest friend in Haywood, who seemed even more excited to see the children and their resemblance to Cain and each other than she was to see Emma. Maddie was a couple of years older than her, but their friendship had started years before in high school and had grown until they knew each other’s secrets.
When Emma had come back four years earlier, it had been Maddie who had held her as she cried over the decisions she’d made in leaving Cain and Hayden and having Hannah alone. Maddie had also been a huge help after Hannah’s birth and loved the little girl like she was a part of her family. She had done it without ever judging Emma for her decisions and for the fact that, given a choice, she would run back to Cain just as quickly as she had run home.