Deal with the Devil

by Ali Vali

  “Two grandchildren are a great reason,” Emma said, “but three might be the clincher.”

  “You’re having a baby?” Hayden asked. “You are, aren’t you?” He slid his chair back and sprang to his feet and wrapped his arms around Emma before she could do the same. When he turned to Cain he slapped hands with her before giving her a bear hug. “Hannah, we’re getting a brother or a sister.”

  “I want both,” Hannah said as she stood on Muriel’s legs.

  The doors to the private room opened and Vincent carried in a bottle of champagne and the right number of flutes. “Are you going to tell me now why I’ve had this on ice all day?” he asked Cain.

  Cain popped the cork and poured while Vincent did the same with a bottle of sparkling grape juice. “To my beautiful wife,” Cain raised her glass to Emma, “to our children and our family. Those who’ve come before us, those here with us, and those yet to come.”

  “Cheers,” the group said before they drank. The rest of the night was filled with laughter that Nunzio didn’t ruin when he arrived and tried to muscle his way in to see her. The celebration started again when Lou and the others drove them home. Ross had worked hard with a handful of Cain’s men and repaired the damage to the walls.

  The place was spotless and contained only a fraction of their personal belongings, but Cain had wanted it to be a surprise. They’d worry about their clothes and other things in the morning. All Cain wanted was to make love to Emma in their bed.

  “Do you want a boy or a girl?” Emma asked as she lay in Cain’s arms trying to catch her breath.

  “We’ve got one of each now, so this one, whatever it is, is lagniappe. What matters is that it’ll belong to us, a part of our little clan.”

  “Was it the clan chieftain who Nunzio Luca wanted to do business with tonight? He was pretty adamant about wanting to talk to you.”

  “Nunzio’s a shit who needs to learn some manners, and tomorrow’s going to be his first lesson.” Cain yawned and Emma rubbed her hand in a circle on Cain’s stomach, trying to get her to fall asleep.

  “While you’re dealing with him, I’ll get us moved back in here and get Hayden’s party squared away.” She kept up her soft touch and felt Cain’s breathing even out as she fell asleep. Once she was sure, Emma dropped her hand and kissed Cain’s shoulder.

  Emma remembered their first night in this room, but that timid girl who wasn’t sure of her place was gone. This time around, the woman she’d become accepted and welcomed how Cain had dealt with the killers who had destroyed their home.

  Again she whispered a quick prayer to keep her family safe and to protect the life she carried. As long as God granted her that, she’d bear the rest the best she could, no matter what sacrifice she had to make personally.

  *

  “The bastard’s gone too far this time,” Juan said as he paced the new hotel room Anthony had checked them into on Airline Highway, right outside the city limits. It was one of the only places that didn’t rent by the hour to the dozens of hookers walking the strip made famous when televangelist Jimmy Swaggart was caught in a sex-for-hire sting.

  The ranting was starting to get old, and Anthony contented himself with another small taste from Juan’s box. It still surprised him that he’d stumbled on to the one thing in his life that had triggered the addictive part of his brain. He was convinced he was still in control, but he felt so good nothing much bothered him.

  “It was lucky for me you called when you did and I got out before Carlos saw me,” Juan continued.

  “What was he doing at the hotel and how’d he locate you?”

  “My uncle sent him, and I don’t know how the old bastard found out I’m back. But if he sent Carlos—he wants me dead.”

  Anthony unbuttoned his shirt and lay back on the bed. “I saw how he was with you at Ramon’s place the night he first met with Casey. Rodolfo doesn’t want you dead. You’re like a son to him.”

  “You don’t know how Rodolfo Luis works. He isn’t a forgiving man, even if it’s his family, when someone goes against him.” Juan checked the parking lot again before he took the other bed. “I need to get out of here until I can put my own network together, but I want you to do something first.”

  “Are you keeping it to yourself, or are you going to share?” Anthony asked, fighting to keep the eagerness out of his voice.

  “You’re the only one I trust,” Juan said, and told Anthony his plan. After Anthony gave him some ideas, Juan opened up and became more animated.

  “Get some sleep then, because what you want is possible, but it won’t be easy.”

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  The next morning Cain took time to have breakfast with Emma and the kids, then walked Emma to the car Merrick was driving. “Remember, you just point and direct,” Cain said. “No lifting of any kind.”

  “That’s the fourth time you’ve said that in the last ten minutes.”

  “I’d say it again but I told your father, so I think I’m covered,” Cain said as she opened the back door to the car. “Take care, and call me if you need me.”

  “Please be careful today. I don’t like this guy, and I don’t trust him to keep his word about anything.”

  The cameras across the street, Cain was sure, captured how she felt about her partner as she kissed Emma as passionately as if they’d been alone. More than anything she wanted to forget about business and spend her time holding Emma’s hand. The pregnancy caused the over-protectiveness, she guessed, but whatever it was, her heart was screaming much louder than her head for Emma to stay home.

  “I love you,’ Cain said, her lips close to Emma’s ear. There was only so much she was willing to share with the world. “And I’m having a hard time letting you go.”

  “See, when you say things like that you make me think you’re a fraud, mobster.” Emma put her hand just inside Cain’s shirt against her skin. “I love that you show that side only to me, and tonight I’ll prove to you how much. Right now, though, I need you to be the devil I know. No mercy, love, because I’m selfish and want you home more.”

  “Merrick,” Cain said as she still had Emma in her arms. “Make sure the guys keep their eyes open today.”

  “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

  “I feel like we’re standing in the eye of a hurricane, and the stillness makes me antsy.”

  “We’re moving, Boss, what could happen?”

  “Whatever does, make sure you get out of it free and clear.” Cain kissed Emma again and watched the car until it disappeared down the street.

  The feeling of unease didn’t leave Cain as she arrived at the office. She stood outside longer than usual, staring at the row of windows across the street. “Here I am,” she said softly, barely moving her lips. When she walked in she kept heading toward the back. Lou and Katlin followed her as they walked close to the buildings for more than a mile. Unless Shelby had thought to cover the river, which from their own surveillance she hadn’t, they were free to leave.

  They weren’t going too far, though. Simon was waiting at the door of another small warehouse that belonged to another dead man, but Cain paid the bills.

  “Did you have any problems?” Cain asked.

  “Nunzio’s bitched about what he called the cloak-and-dagger shit, but he’s here. Everyone’s waiting inside.”

  “Let’s not keep them waiting then.” Cain entered and quickly made it through the building and into the next one. As they entered the empty space, Nunzio walked over to Cain with his finger up and came close to poking her in the chest. He stopped when Lou grabbed his wrist.

  “Call this fucker off, Cain,” Nunzio said, his voice loud enough to echo against the metal walls. “I came here at your invitation and I’m not going to put up with being treated like this.”

  “What you’re going to do is shut up before I cut your tongue out,” Ramon said as he crossed his legs. “Did your father really give you the go-ahead to kill my child? I’m curious to know i
f you’re just stupid or if it runs in your family?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Nunzio stepped away from Lou and stood closer to Kim. “I’m here to offer my support and help you through this, Ramon. What happened to Remi is tragic, but we had nothing to do with it.”

  “You know that’s true, Cain,” Kim said. “None of our people touched Remi.”

  “I didn’t realize we were on a first-name basis, but I believe you.” The way Kim exhaled made Cain take a seat next to Ramon and touch his hand briefly. “None of your people took that shot because I’m sure the only one who could’ve pulled it off was you, and you didn’t do it. Did you?”

  “I didn’t have anything to do with it,” Kim said, sounding like someone trying to distance herself from Nunzio.

  “I believe you too,” Remi said, stepping out of the shadows. “Nunzio kept his hands clean by hiring outside talent.”

  “What’s going on?” Nunzio asked, slumping against Kim at the sight of Remi standing there. “I saw you die.”

  “You saw me get shot, there’s a difference.”

  Cain watched as Kim started to draw her gun. “Simon didn’t disarm you, but if your hand goes up any higher I’ll have Lou cut it off.”

  “Cain…Ramon, come on,” Nunzio said, his palms up. “You touch me and my father’s going to come after you, and that should scare you. Our business has increased his power.”

  “He has the bigger dick, huh?” Cain asked, making Remi and the others laugh. “You took your shot, Nunzio, and now it’s Remi’s turn.”

  “I came here in good faith,” Nunzio said.

  Remi got close to him as Simon moved behind them. “You think we lured you here to kill you?” She laughed and shook her head. “No, I want the answer to the question my father asked you. Who ordered the hit on me?”

  “How can I tell you something we had nothing to do with?”

  “Nunzio, have you met Jorge Cristo? Or have you just talked to him on the phone?” Cain asked. “If you haven’t, you were missing out. We talked to Jorge and he was very forthcoming about who gave him his latest half-million-dollar deposit.”

  “It was business, Remi. I’ve got nothing against you, but me and my father needed Cain and Ramon to come back to the table.” He backed up some more and ran into Simon. “You and Ramon would’ve done the same thing.”

  “That’s true, Nunzio, we would’ve done the same, but ask yourself this. If we’d missed, what would’ve it cost us?” Remi asked, but Cain wasn’t watching Nunzio. Her eyes were on Kim as she again tried to reach for her gun, only to have Katlin stop her. Cain knew why she was starting to get nervous.

  Cain had known that kind of fear only one time—when she was on the floor of her warehouse after Kyle shot her. Death was something they were familiar with, but Cain would never consider it a friend. Watching Emma’s face fade from her consciousness had terrified her. Even though on that night they were still estranged, what she felt for Emma and her children was what had made her fight back. Did Kim have that kind of motivating force in her life?

  The phone in Remi’s hand rang and only Nunzio glanced down, looking as if the thing was about to blow up.

  Remi put it on speaker. “Hello.”

  “It’s done, and my debt’s paid,” Jorge said.

  “Just remember the rest of our deal,” Remi said, putting the phone to her ear. “There’ll be no forgiveness next time.”

  “What’s he talking about?” Nunzio asked.

  “Jorge did a job for you, and now he did one for us,” Remi said. “He paid your father a visit, only I asked him to make the shot through the head. Junior’s dead.”

  “You’re dead,” Nunzio screamed and lunged toward Remi. “You’re fucking dead,” he said again from Lou’s arms.

  “Actually it’s my turn to hit back,” Remi said.

  Nunzio stopped struggling and watched as Simon took a blade from her belt and sunk it into Kim’s chest as if she stabbed soft butter. Kim let out a small gurgle and coughed, which sprayed her white shirt with blood.

  She dropped to her knees and Simon took her knife back before Kim fell forward, dead before her head hit the ground. Simon wiped the blade on Kim’s back before putting it back in her sheath.

  “It might be hard to hear this, Nunzio, but it’s important for you to understand,” Cain said, making Lou tap Nunzio’s face to make him stop staring at Kim’s limp body. “The casino is ours. We’re letting you go, but if you return to Mississippi with thoughts of causing problems, that’s where you’ll end up.” She pointed to Kim. “You tried and it didn’t work out.”

  “The casino’s mine,” Nunzio said, his voice despondent.

  “Richard was who we needed,” Remi said. “That was your last strike.”

  “If it takes me the rest of my life you aren’t getting away with this,” Nunzio said. “Why Kim?”

  “Why Remi?” Cain asked in return. “We all have our reasons and we have to live with the results of our decisions.”

  “This has you written all over it, so I’m coming for you first,” Nunzio said to Cain. “When I’m done, you’ll lose people you—”

  Katlin’s phone rang and Nunzio shut up. “What? Slow down,” she told whoever was calling.

  Cain’s phone rang next, followed by Lou’s. “Cain, hurry, it’s Emma,” Carmen said when Cain answered. “They took her.”

  Cain felt like Simon had stabbed her through the heart. The panic rose so fast she came close to throwing up. Lou stopped her from running out the front door, but they sprinted the entire way back to the office where Nick already had the car running.

  “What the hell happened?” Cain asked, part of her afraid to hear, and she didn’t expect answers—not yet.

  *

  “Do we have enough escorts for the movers?” Emma asked Merrick. They were in the den at Jarvis’s house and Emma had her date book out. “I made that mistake already and I don’t want a repeat.”

  “I took care of it. Since we’re only moving small stuff, we didn’t need to hire that many guys.”

  “If that’s the case, let’s go pick up Hayden’s gift.”

  “The gunsmith called about that already?” Merrick asked, sounding surprised as she pulled her jacket on to cover her double holster. “He must’ve put in some time to finish so quick.”

  “One of his assistants called this morning after Cain left and said he worked late last night to get it done. I would’ve thought all that engraving would take more time too, but I guess he wanted to make Cain happy.”

  Emma followed a foot behind Merrick as they walked around the workmen, her hand on her stomach the entire time. The morning sickness hadn’t kicked in until she’d actually eaten something, making her regret she’d chosen waffles.

  “It’s Hayden who’s going to be thrilled.”

  Emma laughed. “I think my boy’s thrilled most days just with the fact that he’s Hayden Casey. The shotgun’s an added bonus—lagniappe, as Cain likes to say.”

  The hunting trip Cain was taking him on was only part of Hayden’s gift for his thirteenth birthday. They had ordered a twelve-gauge shotgun identical to the one Cain owned, with a vine of Irish roses engraved along the barrel and the Casey family crest carved into the stock. Cain’s had been a gift from her father on her fifteenth birthday.

  “True, but it’s nice that it’s ready a few days early,” Merrick said.

  They turned right out of the drive, and Merrick glanced in the rearview mirror.

  “Why do you suppose these guys are always so interested in our little shopping trips?” Emma asked when she saw Merrick’s attention still behind them.

  “Shit,” Merrick said, speeding up.

  “What?” Emma asked, squeezing the armrest to brace herself. The car rammed them from behind, making Merrick sideswipe a parked car. She righted them and punched the accelerator, but the car hit them again as they crossed an intersection.

  In the more open space they were rammed h
ard enough that the car Merrick was driving turned sideways. The attacker then slammed his brakes on and threw it in reverse to give him more room to speed up and hit them again. This blow to the driver’s side pinned Merrick behind the wheel and broke her left arm.

  Even though she was hurt, Merrick tried to get to her phone as Emma lay unconscious beside her. The last impact must’ve slammed Emma’s head into the window, because Merrick could see her blond hair was dripping with blood.

  “Emma,” she yelled, trying to revive her. “Open your eyes,” was all she was able to say as her window shattered beside her from the force of Juan Luis’s gun butt.

  “She’ll be easier to move if she’s out, bitch,” he said as he placed the gun correctly in his hand.

  Merrick forgot about the phone and went for her weapon instead, as someone flung the passenger-side door open.

  Anthony Curtis unbuckled Emma and jerked her from her seat and over his shoulder. Merrick framed the word “No” on her lips, but Juan pulled the trigger before she could get it out.

  All Juan could do was laugh and stare at Emma in the backseat as they sped away. Anthony’s plan had gone off flawlessly, and he had what he’d most wanted from Cain.

  “I’m going to enjoy this,” he said to Emma, even though he knew she couldn’t hear him. “And I promise it’ll be slow and long.”

  “This is the beginning of Cain’s end,” Anthony said and laughed. “If that bitch had a weak spot, it’s ours now to do with as we please.”

  “Are you sure you know where we’re going?” Juan asked.

  “I got the address from the file before I quit. It’s the last place Casey will look, which will only prove she’s not the big shit everyone thinks she is.”

  “Let’s go have some fun then.”

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  The police had barricaded the intersection where Merrick’s car sat mangled. An ambulance was screeching away, and the police had to hold Cain back to keep her from chasing it down.