Deal with the Devil

by Ali Vali

  “Don’t ask for something I’m not going to give you.”

  “Why? I’m ready and you know it.” This time Juan picked up his glass and threw it into the pool. “I put that fucking operation together, and I should get the chance to protect it.”

  “Remember two things.” Rodolfo stood and buttoned his jacket. “When you use language like that, no one will respect you. Act like a common thug and that’s all you’ll ever be.”

  He started toward the house, but before he walked ten paces he heard a splash. When he turned around, the pitcher of lemonade had joined the glass in the pool.

  “That was one thing. You said to remember two,” Juan said, his chest heaving from what Rodolfo assumed was rage.

  “Keep acting like a child and I’ll send you back to your mother. I don’t have time for theatrics and the mistakes that spring from men who act without thinking.”

  “I am a man, Papa, and I want you to let me prove it. If you do, I swear you won’t be disappointed in me.”

  The sun was beating down, and not even the breeze was helping Rodolfo stay dry. All his life the sun had motivated him to grow his business. No way in hell was he going to spend his time sweating and working in someone else’s yard like his father.

  “A week, Juan, we leave in a week. That’ll give you time to think, and once we get there we’ll see.”

  As he strolled back to the house he heard another splash. He wasn’t interested enough to turn around, but he figured one of the house servants would have to fish out the glass he’d been using, along with the rest of the service. Juan hadn’t been the same since they’d returned from the States, but no matter how many times he’d asked, the boy had refused to tell him.

  “Whatever it is, hijo, it’s time to let it go,” he said as he climbed the stairs to the house. His eyes landed on Juan, who’d gone back to his lounge chair and his sun worshipping. “Now’s the time for cool heads who can strike back at anyone who dares mess with our livelihood. If I can’t count on you for that, then I can’t count on you for anything.”

  *

  Annabel Hicks, lead FBI agent in the New Orleans office, entered the conference room and threw a thick file onto the table before she sat at its head. Shelby Philips didn’t need a rundown on what was in it, since her team had compiled most of the information. It contained a mixture of good and bad, but mostly it consisted of page after page of Cain’s brilliance at avoiding being caught doing anything wrong. There was a lot of speculation about what she’d done, but prosecutors couldn’t get convictions from theory.

  “In case you missed it.” Annabel opened the folder, pulled out the pictures on top, and handed them to her assistant to pin to the board behind her. “The New Orleans police added these to the unsolved pile today.” Six photos were tacked up in the section marked “Bracato.” “These men were found dead, along with the biggest cache of drugs since this housecleaning began.”

  “No leads?” Joe Simmons asked.

  “Of course there’s a ton of leads,” Anthony Curtis whispered. “That’s why we’re in here wasting time.”

  “Do you have something you’d like to share with the rest of us, Agent Curtis?” Annabel asked.

  “Not officially, ma’am.”

  “Then, unofficially, let’s hear it.”

  “We have these meetings, ma’am, and while they’re insightful we don’t really get anywhere. We all know that the left side of the board,” he pointed to the Bracato side, “is a dead subject. And we all know who brought that about.” He pointed to the right where the top picture showed a smiling Cain Casey. “Sitting here is a waste of time.”

  “Gosh, Tony, if you’ve solved the case I’ll be happy to buy you a drink,” Shelby said, aggravated with the surly Anthony. “What’s a waste of my time is your more-than-hashed-out grudges, but not one shred of anything that’ll help us. Are you sitting on a mountain of evidence I don’t know about?”

  “If anyone’s holding out, it’s you. Aren’t you screwing her—”

  Annabel slammed her hand on the table. “Curtis, in my office now. Shelby, finish this up, then I’d like to talk to you,” she said, and promptly left the room.

  “Take a seat, Agent Curtis.”

  “You know I’m right about Casey, and I know you’re aware of who Shelby is seeing socially.”

  “Shut up and sit down. If I have to repeat myself, I’ll have you escorted from the building and have to send out one of those irritating official letters in lieu of this meeting.” In no way did she mean for her tone to convey humor. “No one in that conference room is an idiot. They’re professionals who are more than aware of what and who is responsible for our recent crime wave.”

  “Thank you for that, at least.”

  “I meant what I said about shutting up.” She pulled a file from a desk drawer and opened it. “We still live in the United States, Agent, and we have to abide by those pesky little things called laws. We cannot hound and hang a person on speculation.”

  “What we’re doing isn’t working. You have to admit that too.”

  “You’ve got a real problem with authority, don’t you?” She looked at him directly, daring him to open his mouth. “When you asked for a spot on Barney Kyle’s team you showed tremendous promise, but somewhere along the line you’ve let your personal feelings about Casey cloud your judgment. You have a month to realign your priorities, starting now. I suggest you use this paid leave to delve deep and find that idealistic young agent who was an asset to his team. The agent who helped bring down his mentor Kyle, who wasn’t afforded this opportunity, so use it wisely.”

  “You think I’m going to turn out like Kyle?” He came close to springing out of his chair but stopped as soon as his butt came off the seat.

  “Only you can answer that, Anthony, but as your supervisor I can’t take the chance. For now, I’m stating in your file that you’re taking voluntary leave.” She slid the papers across the desk for him to see.

  “What if I wouldn’t like to take voluntary leave?” He closed it and pushed it back at her.

  “Then I’ll replace that page with this one.” She held up a page but didn’t offer to show it to him. “Take the gamble if you want, but others have lost careers for less.”

  “Even if they can counter with the fact that their supervisor hasn’t handled the situation in a professional manner?”

  “Then I guess I have my answer.” She ripped the top sheet out of the file and was about to tear it when Anthony did come out of his seat.

  “All right, I’ll take leave.”

  “During your time off you can pick where you’d like to be transferred. That would be your smartest next career move.”

  “If that’s it,” he spat at her.

  When Anthony walked out, Shelby was talking to Annabel’s secretary. He opened his mouth but closed it so violently Shelby heard his teeth click together. Then she noticed Annabel standing in the doorway of her office.

  “Shelby.” She waved her in. “Pick someone to take Curtis’s place on your team.”

  “Yes, ma’am, but can I ask why?”

  “He’ll be on leave so you need to fill the slot. Do you have anything new on all this?”

  Shelby referred to her notes. “We talked to the two lead detectives the police commissioner put on this case. Twenty gang-style slayings in such a short time makes this situation eligible for federal help, but this is the NOPD we’re dealing with. They’re not inviting us in without a court order, and even if we had one, they still wouldn’t be highly motivated to work with us.”

  “What was their take?”

  “Detective Oscar and his partner are busy slapping each other on the back for all the drugs they’ve gotten off the streets, along with a laundry list of bad guys whose combined rap sheets could circle the globe a couple of times over.” She shook her head and sighed. “These guys being taken out aren’t exactly high priority.”

  “Nothing that ties them to Casey?”

  �
�You’ve been chasing her longer than I have. What do you think?” Shelby said and laughed, making Annabel join her. “Nothing on that, nothing on the Bracatos—nothing on top of nothing doesn’t add up to much.”

  Annabel nodded and rested her elbows on her desk. “We have to talk about Muriel Casey.”

  “We’re friends, ma’am, nothing more, and this isn’t the armed services.”

  “I don’t care that it’s a woman, Shelby,” Annabel said, sounding like she found the conversation distasteful. “But I have to care that she’s the closest advisor and family member of your main investigation’s target.”

  “Trust me. I’m fully aware of who Muriel is, and who’ll fall out if I shake her family tree. But sometimes fate chooses for us, doesn’t it?”

  “Just be careful I don’t want to have to make your personal business my official business. We understand each other?”

  Shelby stood up and gathered her things. “Yes, ma’am, we do, and thanks for your latitude on this.”

  “Your team members are aware of this situation, and while I don’t think they concur with Curtis, they are aware. I’m not the only one who can make this difficult for you.”

  “I’ll keep you updated on the investigation,” Shelby said, hoping Annabel accepted that the rest was off-limits. “And please feel free to join our regular meetings. We can use all the insight we can get.”

  “Have fun tonight then.”

  Shelby whipped around as she started to leave. “Thanks,” she said hesitantly, not knowing how Annabel had found out about her plans for the evening.

  “Remember that while I shuffle a lot of papers all day, I’m still an FBI agent.”

  Chapter Seven

  “Can I have one more cookie, Mom? It’ll make me not miss you later.” Hannah Casey stood on Cain’s feet in the kitchen and hung on to her pant legs, trying not to smile. “Please?”

  “Let me know if that works for you, Hannah, because I’d love to borrow the car this afternoon,” Hayden Casey said. “I doubt I can pull off that face, though. So I’d better go back to that hot-wiring how-to page I found on the Internet.”

  Emma took the open cookie container out of Cain’s hands. “Before you complain about anything our son says, remember that your mother told me you were much worse than this. Hannah, you’ve already had two, and that face rarely works on me.” She looked at Cain while she spoke to their daughter. “Hayden, did you decide what you want to do for your birthday?”

  “Wet T-shirt contest and beer bash are high on my wish list.”

  “Ha,” Cain let out, and Emma glared at her. “See, we’re nothing alike,” she teased.

  “I bet that was on your wish list growing up.”

  “I didn’t say it wasn’t, lass, but I was a good fifteen before I started asking.”

  Hayden laughed and Emma shook her head.

  “Last year’s plans will be good enough, Mama,” Hayden said. He picked up the sandwich he’d made and started out of the room.

  When he heard Emma take a deep breath he stopped. The joking atmosphere bled from the room, and her trembling lip made him put his plate down. Emma and Hannah hadn’t been here for his birthday last year. “I just had dinner with Mom then, but this year it’ll be better with you and Hannah here.”

  “That sounds great,” Emma said, her voice cracking on the last word.

  “You’re coming, right?” Hayden asked Emma.

  “I wouldn’t miss it.”

  “Then stop feeling bad.” He moved closer to her and put his arms around her. “Of course the wet T-shirt contest and beer bash would go a long way to cure my bruised emotions.”

  “Go do your homework, and I’ll think about getting you a pony for your past trauma.” Emma held him tighter before letting go. “Thanks,” she whispered into his ear, her voice still sounding raw with emotion.

  “You’re my mom, and I love you,” he said before kissing her cheek. Hayden took his snack and books and left to go upstairs.

  Emma stared at the door he’d walked out of, wiping her face before she turned back to Cain and Hannah. When she did, Hannah was nestled in Cain’s arms eating her third cookie of the afternoon. It was useless to fuss since she didn’t have a chance in hell of changing Cain’s attitude toward their children. After Emma and Hannah had moved in, it didn’t take her long to see that, as ruthless as Cain was on the streets, she was equally wrapped around Hannah’s little finger at home. Hannah always went to Cain first when she wanted something.

  “I’d tell you something about spoiling your kids, mobster. But you did such a great job the first time around, I don’t think I could pull it off,” she told Cain.

  Carmen, their housekeeper who’d moved with them to Jarvis’s, came in and took Hannah, shaking her head when she saw the cookie.

  Since the kids were gone, Emma fell against Cain and enjoyed the way Cain was running her fingers through her hair. “Maybe I’m pregnant already, since I’m an emotional wreck.”

  “You just need a nap before tonight.”

  “I spent most of the day napping, thanks to you.”

  Cain scooped her off her feet. “And thanks to me that’s what you’ll be doing this afternoon as well.” She started for their room. “I’m done with meetings for today, we’ve been to the cemetery, and all we have left is a party tonight. Let’s enjoy the quiet while we still can, before things heat up again.”

  “Bite your tongue, baby. No more hot times for you for a long time to come.”

  “I’d rather suck on something than bite, and please tell me there’s more than my share of hot times in my future.”

  “That’s a given, as long as they center around me.”

  When they closed the door to the bedroom, Emma pointed Cain to the chair near the window instead of the bed. She was in the mood to be held. “How’d it go today?”

  “Good. This casino deal is a great opportunity for us and gives us a better advantage in the future.”

  Emma nestled herself into Cain’s lap and rested her head on her shoulder. “How so?” These talks were becoming more common as she tried to understand Cain’s world better. After all, it would be her son’s future, and she was through being sheltered.

  “To be strong takes more than just good leadership—it takes money. The more money we make, the bigger the wall I can erect around us when it comes to scum like Bracato,” Cain said as her hand rested on Emma’s abdomen.

  “Big Gino’s not our concern anymore, baby.”

  “There’s always someone just like him ready to fill the void.”

  Cain stopped when she heard Hannah’s laughter as she ran down the hall. Carmen had obviously caught her before she reached their door.

  “I plan to beef up our muscle so we become the eight-hundred pound gorilla in the room. Our enemies can still pick a fight if they want to, but they’ll have to live with the consequences.”

  Emma ran her hand up Cain’s arm and paused behind her neck. She was almost through asking questions and wanted to begin more pleasurable business ventures. They kissed until her nipples tightened at the way Cain’s tongue pushed into her mouth. “And you trust Remi and Ramon enough to get this done?”

  “It won’t be long before Ramon takes a more advisory role in their business. He’s earned it, and like me, he knows Remi’s ready. I trust her since we want mostly the same things.” Emma started to unbutton Cain’s shirt and slipped her hand inside.

  “What things?” Emma asked.

  “To take care of our families and exterminate the vermin when necessary. Remi and I may come from different places, but we’re alike in our thinking and in our positions. I grew up with her, Mano, and Vinny, so it’s not exactly a new friendship, but our main alliance will be with Remi.

  “What about tonight?”

  “Tonight she’ll introduce the world to the new owners of Gemini Studios. The main studio production will stay in California, but the management offices will be here. With the incentives the state’s offerin
g to film in New Orleans, we’ve become Hollywood South. It’s the perfect vehicle for us to launder money so it’s a good investment.”

  Emma could tell their talk was almost over, because Cain was breathing differently under her wandering hand. “Has anyone figured out who owns the other forty-nine percent?”

  “Not yet.” Cain laughed. “When they do they’ll just think your father’s finally decided to spend some of that milk money he’s been hoarding.”

  “You’re a riot, mobster,” Emma said as she pinched Cain’s nipple. “Anything else we need to talk about?”

  “I see a long discussion about how many orgasms you’ll have before we need to dress for tonight.”

  “What are the odds it’s more than one?”

  “Let’s just say that’s the safest bet you’ll ever lay,” Cain said as her hand went down the front of Emma’s jeans. Emma stiffened when Cain stroked her clitoris firmly. “See, there’s one already.” Cain chuckled.

  *

  “Mano, cut the third degree. I met the woman on the way back from Florida and that’s it. I don’t have time for anyone in my life right now, thanks to all we have going on.” She finished pouring the last drink and handed it to him. “I’m giving this venture a year or two. That’s how long it’ll take to turn Gemini around and hand it off to someone we trust, or sell it.”

  “In life anything’s possible, Remi. You just have to want it bad enough.”

  Remi puffed her cigar and for some reason thought of Dallas Montgomery and how impossibly blue her eyes were. “Maybe, but I’m not looking for anything here. I’m just curious.”

  She picked up the tray and headed out to her parents’ patio to join the rest of the group. When she saw Molly, Lisa, and Mano’s wife Sylvia sitting together with an empty space for her, she almost turned around.

  “Come sit by us, lover,” Lisa said.

  “I don’t know, who’ll protect my virtue?” Remi asked. Her brother as well as her partners knew their women were safe from Remi’s considerable charm, but the girls liked to exercise her wit when they had the chance.