by Ali Vali
“What about upstairs?” Cain asked Emma.
“The maid hasn’t made it up there yet, since this part took so long after I left here this morning,” Emma said. “I’m sure it’s the same mess.”
Cain smiled finally and kissed her. They stood outside the house now, but the bugs inside were undoubtedly operational. The agents in the van were probably testing them.
“Let’s get going then. I wouldn’t want you to come down with something,” Cain said.
As soon as they were back in the car Emma said, “His name is Jimmy Pitre, if you remember, and I told him you’d call when I had the sweep done. This is going to set us back some.”
“I’ll take care of it, lass, even if I have to make a trip to Home Depot and fix it myself. What kind of deal did you offer this guy?”
Emma told her about the five-thousand-dollar penalty for every device they found.
“You should’ve set an extra charge for every one you found after a hundred,” Cain said.
*
“Thanks for inviting me tonight.” Dallas held Remi’s hand as they walked down Bourbon Street toward her house. “I really like Emma and Cain.”
“They’re a great couple who’ve already had their share of heartache. It’s good to see them together again.”
“Together again? Were they separated?” Dallas took her key out of her small evening bag and handed it to Remi.
“It’s a long story.” She unlocked the outer door and held it open for Dallas. “Maybe next time I’ll get into it more. I don’t like to talk about my friends out of turn.”
They stopped at the door to the house, and Dallas placed her hands on Remi’s shoulders. “It’s still early. You have time now if you want to come in.”
“I have some meetings in the morning so I have to get going.” She unlocked the next door. “I’ll call once I’m done.”
Dallas moved her hands up until they were behind Remi’s neck. “Why does that sound like a brush-off? Did I do or say something to upset you?”
“I have a lot on my mind, and I’m not brushing you off. As soon as I’m done I’ll give you a call.” Remi kissed her, then waited for her to slide the deadbolt on the door into place. When Dallas’s expression had turned to one of sadness, she’d almost given in. That’s something I can’t allow myself to do until I know all your secrets, Dallas Montgomery.
*
“Where in the hell have you been?” Bob said menacingly as he dug his fingers into Dallas’s arm when Remi’s footsteps faded away.
He’d been waiting for her inside the door in the shadows, she was sure, so he could keep out of sight if Remi had accepted her invitation to come in. She didn’t answer and tried to pull away, not in the mood for Bob’s games. “Answer me, or do I need to remind you who owns you, sweetheart?” he asked, tightening his hold. “I’ll put the bruises where no camera will ever find them.”
“You remind me so much every day, I’d think you’d be tired of it by now.” Dallas winced as the pain got worse right before he let go. Taking no chances that he’d touch her again, she moved around him and put as much distance between them as possible. “I had dinner with Remi Jatibon. It was a spur-of-the-moment invitation, so I didn’t have time to call you. Since you told me to be nice, I thought you wouldn’t mind.”
“You’re finally using your head and appealing to her more basic needs. I’m glad to see you’re not playing hard to get. We both know better. But make sure you check with me before you go making any stupid moves.”
“I leave all the move-making up to you,” she said, suddenly feeling tired. Now that Remi was gone, she just wanted to be alone.
“Think you can smart off now? What, you get one dinner invitation and you believe you’ve found a guard dog to protect you from me? Do I need to remind you she didn’t even make it through the door?”
“Not everyone is out to get something. This was dinner, and unlike most people I have to deal with, Remi wasn’t expecting me to pay for it on my back.” She glanced at the rock on her coffee table and took a deep breath. “Those days are over, if I can help it.”
“I’m out to get all I can, and we’re taking another step next week. The studio called, and we have an appointment. Let’s hope your little girlfriend hasn’t moved on to a newer flavor by then, and you end up with a more lucrative contract than before.” He crossed the room and stopped in front of her, then ran his finger down her cheek to her neck. “Whatever happens, don’t start thinking this perverted bitch can help you get rid of me, because that’ll never happen. We’re partners for life, baby. I’ve seen to that.”
When Bob left, the air in the room seemed to return. Dallas slumped against the chair she’d been standing by and gave in to the tears she seldom shed in front of anyone, not anymore. Bob was an ass, but he wasn’t wrong about a whole list of things. She belonged to him; he wasn’t going away voluntarily, and Remi had already moved on.
Something had happened while they were in Pescador’s that had changed Remi’s demeanor toward her. If she’d ever had a chance with Remi, something had snatched it away before anything came of it. Too tired to climb the stairs to her room, she stretched out on the sofa and cried.
Dallas had learned early that life wasn’t fair. Fate showed her glimpses of what was possible, then just as quickly took them away. She would’ve done better never to know any kind of happiness was possible, because then she’d have nothing to compare the misery to. She wouldn’t have any memories of her mother singing her to sleep, picking wildflowers in the meadow near their house, or how good it felt when Remi held her on this same couch.
That’s all they were, memories so fleeting she could almost convince herself they were simply strings of fantasy.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The mansion off the road in Long Island had been in the same family for three generations. Guards carrying machine guns and large dogs roaming the grounds dissuaded unwelcome guests from impromptu visits. The beautiful gardens and buildings were purchased with blood, drugs, and no conscience.
Junior Luca sat on a bench that overlooked the water, the one place on the property where he felt comfortable to talk freely because of his staff’s constant sweeps for listening devices. “Nunzio, you in New Orleans yet?”
“I just got back from dinner with Rodolfo and Juan. I thought I’d call before I take a shower. After spending the night listening to that idiot Juan, I can use one.”
“Yeah, well, while Rodolfo’s making nice with you, he’s breathing down my neck about money. We’re tapped out, and I can’t bleed any more cash out of the East Coast operations. What kind of timetable are you looking at down there?”
“I ran into Remi and Cain at dinner tonight, and they said they’d sit down with me Tuesday. They acted pretty chummy, and they’re both holding the line that they’re negotiating some other deal.” He stood at the window peering out at the night sky. “I talked it over with Kim, and she’s ready to go when it comes to what we talked about before.”
“Boy, the last fucking thing we need is to get into a pissing contest with Cain Casey. Tell Kim to rework her plan and get back to me, but I can tell you right now, Tuesday’s too late.”
“I think you’re wrong there, Papa. Tuesday will give me all the time I need to put things into motion not only for this deal, but for our future dealings in the South.” The glass felt cold against his hand, but he’d flipped the air conditioner on. He couldn’t sleep unless it was cold.
“What’s on your mind? Or should I say who?” Junior Luca asked.
“If I move, it’ll be with the help of the Colombians.”
“I don’t want to owe anyone any favors after this plays out.”
“Look at it this way, if they help us they’re going to be doing us a favor. But if I let them take care of business when they’re here, then what they’ll owe us in return is going to be so much more. We have a lot of enemies in common, and letting them get involved on our terms will drive our price down
in the end.”
“Don’t forget to keep me in the loop, and if not Cain, then who?”
“Remi. That’ll make Cain and Ramon see it’s in their best interest to talk to me,” Nunzio said.
“We’ll see.”
Nunzio threw his phone on the bed and took one last look at the view before he closed the curtains. The phone landed near Kim, and she placed it on the nightstand as she turned up the volume on the television. “He doesn’t agree with you,” she said.
“He doesn’t trust me. That’s different than disagreeing with me.” He sat down so hard the mattress bounced.
“Give him a few days to fully appreciate how this plays out. When Junior gets everything he wants and is making more money than he ever dreamed, he won’t take you for granted again.”
Nunzio laughed and scrubbed his face with his hands. “This is Junior Luca we’re talking about, right? He’s not about to give in that easily, no matter how successful I am.”
Kim pointed the remote at the TV and turned it off. “Then how about if I take your mind off it some other way?” She rolled toward him, put her hand on his crotch, and squeezed.
The blatant come-on made him forget his father, Remi, Cain, and, most importantly, his wife.
*
“Am I too early?” Remi asked when she was led back to the dining room to find Emma and the children having breakfast. “Or is Cain just sleeping in?”
“Cain’s meeting with our contractor this morning, but she said she wouldn’t be long, so please join us.” Emma was cutting up a waffle for Hannah, who was doing a good job of shoving bacon in her mouth. “Hannah, slow down before you choke and Remi thinks we’re not teaching you any table manners.”
“Cain tells me you’ve got a birthday coming up, Hayden,” Remi said. “What’s on your wish list?”
“A Corvette, but Mama says I have to wait a few years,” he joked. “Think Emil would consider helping me out with some boots?”
Remi crossed her feet at the ankles and gave him a good view of her black alligator boots, polished to perfection. They’d been a gift from her father’s personal guard Emil, who knew as much about trapping gators as he did about keeping Ramon safe. “I’m sure if we ask him real nice, he’ll put you in some new footwear.” Remi opened her arms when he came around the table and hugged her.
“Thanks, Remi, and if you’re not busy, come to the barbeque Mama’s putting together. You can meet my Grandpa Ross. He’s making the trip down from Wisconsin.”
“I wouldn’t miss it.”
Hayden kissed Emma next and waved to Hannah before he walked out.
“He’s getting tall.” Remi smiled at Hannah, who’d moved on to filling her cheeks with waffle. “And this one just gets cuter. I can see why Cain talks about them all the time.”
“They’re beautiful, but they’re a handful since they don’t just look like Cain. She keeps telling me it’s the strands of bad Casey grass running through them.”
When Hannah lost interest in her plate, Emma wiped her mouth and put her on the floor. Hannah stopped and gave Remi a hug as well before she followed Carmen out.
“If you’re good enough for Hayden,” Emma explained. “That’s her litmus test.” She stood and poured them a cup of coffee. “It gets a little more complicated once we get older, doesn’t it?”
“That’s because the older we get, the better we get at hiding who we are.”
“Can I be honest with you?” Emma sat down across from her and added cream to her coffee. “This is decaffeinated,” she said when Remi nodded. “I hope you’ve had a real cup already.” Her attempt at humor worked and Remi laughed. “I had lunch with Dallas, and I noticed something about her.”
Emma sounded so serious Remi hesitated before answering. “If she made you feel uncomfortable—”
“Remi, she didn’t make me feel uncomfortable. I felt sorry for her. Dallas is running from something, and the last thing she needs is for you to disappear.”
“What makes you think I’ll do that?” Her coffee sat forgotten, but Remi did run her finger along the cup handle to have something to do while she lay under Emma’s microscope.
“How do I know? Are you kidding?” She laughed, and some of the hair in her ponytail pulled loose. “I might have graduated from Tulane with a degree in English, but I have a doctorate in life when it comes to understanding Derby Cain Casey. You two are at different points in your lives, but in here,” Emma stood up and placed her hand over Remi’s heart, “you’re the same. It’s this,” she tapped the side of her head, “that gets in the way when it comes to situations like this.”
“You sound like you do know about it.” Remi stood and followed Emma to the sunroom. Outside Hannah was running around chasing the last of the falling leaves.
“If you just change where we’re from, Dallas and I aren’t that different either. In the end we’re all running from something. If you care even a little about her, you need to find out what it is and make her want to run toward something.”
Remi smiled as she gave Emma a quick hug. From the time Cain had introduced them, Remi had liked the little firecracker. Suddenly she saw the allure of having only one woman in her life. “My mother could take lessons from you.”
The teasing comment made Emma chuckle. “How do you know I haven’t taken some from her? I’m just practicing. With a true-bred Casey upstairs and another one coming up right behind him,” she pointed to Hannah, “I can use all the experience I can get. Once all those hormones kick in, our house is going to be a zoo.”
“I’m sure you’ll do fine.” Remi opened the door to the yard and waved her through. “How about if I get some practice with a four-year-old until Cain gets back?”
“If everything works out you could use that.”
Emma was kidding, but is that what she wanted? She had a home, but she had never considered filling it with a wife and children, like Cain had. And if she did consider it, was Dallas the one who, like Emma, could make the perfect partner?”
The answers were like a fortune cookie, wrapped in secrecy. She just had to crack through what Dallas was hiding.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Jimmy Pitre stood in Cain’s office breathing like he’d sprinted a mile. His eyes darted from Cain’s face to the multitude of holes in the walls. This room had been gutted first during the renovations because of all the bullet holes, and Cain was sure the FBI had taken full advantage of the missing drywall to wire the room in which she most likely did business.
“Beautiful day, don’t you think?” Cain asked him after fifteen minutes of silence. She gave him credit for keeping his mouth shut since he’d arrived. Usually the sobbing started five minutes in.
“I guess,” Jimmy said, his voice wavering.
“When you were dealing with my wife, she said you were always certain,” Cain said, staring at him until he dropped his eyes to the floor. “You remember my wife, don’t you? The cute blonde who gave you some pretty straight-forward directions.”
“I did my job, Ms. Casey. The house is almost finished. I fulfilled Emma’s wishes, and I didn’t leave any room looking like that.” He pointed to the holes.
“I see.” Her leather chair creaked when she sat back. In the quiet house it sounded even louder than usual, but still she could hear Jimmy’s breathing. “Do I look stupid, Jimmy? May I call you Jimmy?”
He whipped his head up and nodded vigorously. “No, ma’am, you don’t look stupid.”
“Then maybe when Emma hired you she misunderstood exactly what kind of work you do, or maybe you forgot to tell her about all those little things that set you apart from the other guys she could’ve gone with. Which do you suppose it was?”
He spread his hands out in front of him and smiled. “I do go that extra mile to make sure you’re satisfied. But don’t worry—there’s no charge for that.”
“I see,” she repeated and pulled away the kitchen towel she’d grabbed before he’d arrived, then rested her hands on the
edge of the desk. “I imagine, then, that the main control for these is somewhere in the house. When you submitted your final bill, I didn’t notice any mention of them, so now that you’re here, explain them to me.”
“Those aren’t mine, and I don’t know anything about them,” he said, his voice going up an octave.
“We’ll get to who they belong to and how they got here in a minute, but first let’s talk about your last chat with Emma. Do you remember the fine she mentioned?”
“She said five thousand per infraction.”
“Right here then we have five hundred and eighty thousand dollars worth of infractions.” She had laid every bug Katlin had found in neat rows on her desk. “And we’re talking the first floor only.” She stopped and picked up two that lay to the side of the others. “Do you know where we found these?” She held them up and Jimmy shook his head. “On the new playground equipment I put up for my daughter. I realize some people consider me a monster, but do you really think if I were, I’d show that side of myself in front of my four-year-old?” She slammed the devices back down on the desk.
“I don’t know who did that.” His lip trembled as he spoke.
“We have a problem, Jimmy. My math tells me that you owe me over a hundred grand at the moment.” She went on talking over him. “Did you bring your checkbook?”
“No.” His eyes were glassy now, but the tears were holding steady.
“That’s okay, because I’m not finished tabulating.” Cain saw Lou’s chest shake in quiet laughter when Jimmy appeared so relieved he took a small step forward. “Like I said, these were downstairs, and once I start on the second floor, the fine will be the same unless I find any in the master bedroom.”
“What happens then?” He sounded as if he had to choose between being disemboweled or burned alive.
“Are you married, Jimmy?”