Heart of the Devil

by Ali Vali

  “Agent Kyle,” Annabel said, and Barney mouthed the word “shit.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “In my office,” she said and walked away, since she hadn’t left any option in her request. “Explain why a vehicle worth more than three million dollars ended up in one of the worst neighborhoods in the city?”

  He stood since she hadn’t invited him to sit. “I thought putting one of your experienced guys with North would show him the ropes, but that’s not what happened.”

  “That’s not exactly the way Clifton explained it. You chose to go with the greenest people out there so you could lay out the rules, and North got worked up enough to forget protocol.” She raised her finger when he tried to speak. “One more incident like this and we’ll do fine without your help. I’m still shocked that the damn surveillance vehicle wasn’t completely stripped when we found it.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’ll personally go out with the crew to make sure they follow the rules and procedures.”

  “See that you do, and make sure you put North back in the field tonight.”

  “He obviously isn’t ready.” He twitched his fingers and took a breath before he spoke. “I thought you didn’t want a repeat of last night.”

  “Last night was on you, Agent Kyle. Neither North nor Clifton will have this go in their file unless you’re willing to take the blame, and have it go on your, I’m sure, spotless service record. Is that understood?” Annabel glared at him as if daring him to challenge her.

  “Crystal clear, ma’am, but you gave me total control over the unit. Shouldn’t I decide who to reprimand?”

  “Do you need a week, or maybe four, to review the procedural manual, Agent Kyle?” she said almost menacingly. “You can concentrate on the chain-of-command sections. Once you grasp those parts, you can report back to me and explain them in detail.”

  “No, ma’am.” He stopped before he gave her reason to transfer him. “Is that all, ma’am?”

  “Yes, and keep in mind that Casey isn’t your average criminal. Last night should prove it. One more stunt like that, and the morale out there isn’t going to recover.”

  “A criminal is always a creature of habit. Smart or dumb doesn’t matter—they all eventually can’t help themselves.”

  “And the people charged with bringing them down can also step off the road of proven investigative methods if only to make a name for themselves because they can’t help thinking their way is better. Only then, when you’re in the deep and tall weeds and off that proven road, do you figure out that you’re in danger from all the predators that live in those dark places.” She leaned back in her chair and smiled, but the expression didn’t soften her appearance. “Once you’re in their sights, you’ll wish you had the backing that comes from making good relationships with the people you work with.”

  “I guess only time will tell which of us is right.”

  Chapter Eleven

  “Our father did business with yours for years, Cain,” Shawn Liam said as his brother Royce poured coffee. “I’m glad we made the trip to talk face-to-face. I think with a good conversation we can have the same kind of relationship.”

  “And build on it,” Royce said.

  “I’ve got no plans to change anything that’s not broken, but you’ve got to admit your prices have risen steadily and steeply in the last couple of years.” Cain accepted a cup from Royce and rested it on her knee. “Our fathers had a good relationship built on respect and fairness, but they both stepped away from the everyday running of the business about the same time the prices started going up.”

  “You waited an awfully long time to complain,” Shawn said, shrugging. “You’ve paid the increases without a word up to now.”

  “I haven’t purchased anything since Da died since we had enough inventory, but I’m saying something now before we go forward.”

  Shawn was the eldest brother and, from the sound of it, the most vocal about his new position at the top of the Liam business. “We can’t completely absorb the costs of safe shipments along with the booze itself, and if you were on this side you’d have done the same thing.”

  “The shipments leave your place in my care, so what safe-shipping fees are you talking about?” She put the cup down and sat back. “I paid only because of Da’s request not to insult a friend. If your father really needed the money, he’d pay, but the numbers have nothing to do with your father, do they?”

  “The numbers are the numbers, Cain. I can’t do anything about that,” Shawn said, spreading his hands. “This is, you have to agree, an exclusive business. It’s not like you can call just anyone to supply what you’re looking for.”

  “That’s really the answer you’re going with?” Cain shook her head in Billy’s direction when he moved to stand up.

  “If you want to part ways,” Royce said loudly, “then so be it. We might not need your business if you’re going to be nothing like your father.”

  “Careful, Royce. You wouldn’t want to trip and lose all your teeth,” Billy said.

  Royce seemed to want to move toward Billy, but Shawn waved him off. “This was supposed to be a friendly meeting so we can plan the future, Cain, not a pissing contest,” Shawn said. “I’m sure we can work out something if we put our egos aside.”

  “Ego has nothing to do with how I conduct my business. Your current terms are unacceptable.” She stood up and Billy did the same. “From what Royce said, not accepting your terms is a nonstarter to our future. We’ll be happy to part ways here, so have a good trip home.”

  “You’re seriously thinking of cutting ties with us?” Shawn laughed as if she’d told him a great joke. “Don’t tell me you fell for Jake Kelly’s bullshit.”

  “Shawn, don’t ever give me advice about my business or who I do business with. Concentrate on your own small piece of the world. Don’t take your eyes off what you think is safe.”

  “I’m not the one who’s had their head buried up their ass for a year, so take your advice and stick it up there if it’ll fit alongside your denial.” If he was going to say anything else, he stopped when his hands shot up to his face. The coffee cup on the table had hit and broken over his eyebrow. She’d thrown it hard enough to break skin, and he appeared pissed as blood trickled into his eye.

  “Shawn, don’t do anything stupid like make light of my grief. You do and it’s Billy’s turn next,” she said as Billy put his hand in his jacket. “He won’t bother with the dishes, so keep that in mind.”

  “Get the fuck out, and pray this doesn’t come back to haunt you,” Royce said.

  Billy took a step toward Royce, and Shawn didn’t do anything to stop him. “Another word and your father will spend the rest of his life wondering what the hell happened to you.”

  “If you’re smart, this is where we part ways. You push something that should come to a natural end, and you’re not going to enjoy our next conversation,” she said before walking out the door and having Billy slam it behind them.

  “I agree that those two are assholes, but hopefully you’ve got a plan B,” Billy said when they got into the elevator.

  “It was worth a shot to get them to come down on their rates, but I was expecting Shawn’s response. Royce is a follower with a slow streak, so he shouldn’t be hard to find if it comes to that. He’ll be right up Shawn’s ass, so you might get two with one shot.” She smiled and went out the back through the loading dock. She didn’t have any reason not to test their new friends with the drab suits. “Trust me. You won’t go thirsty.”

  * * *

  Emma walked out of her afternoon class and stared at the bench where she’d found Cain the day before. Unfortunately, two guys were occupying it, so she probably wouldn’t see Cain until she got to the bar that night. This was her late day at school, so she wouldn’t have a nap in her future, but she was too wired to sleep. All she’d done since she’d woken up was relive the kiss she’d shared with Cain and pray Cain hadn’t found some reason they couldn’t do it a
gain.

  “Looking for anyone in particular?” Emma heard someone ask from right behind her. That low-pitched voice slightly tinted with a Southern accent made her smile. Maybe Cain was ready to move forward.

  “You’re late,” she said, turning around and enjoying the thrill of seeing Cain standing there.

  “I’m actually early,” Cain said, reaching for her backpack and kissing her hello. “You just got out.”

  “The kiss was enough for me to forgive you.” She took Cain’s hand and, when they started walking, glanced up at her.

  “Do you need to change?” Cain walked them to St. Charles Avenue, where her car was parked, and the vehicle behind it seemed to be watching them.

  “Even though, compared to you, I look like a bum, this was the most comfortable thing I have to work in.” She waved down her body to the long-sleeved Tulane T-shirt and jeans.

  “You’re fine, so you want to have a snack with me before you go in?” Cain opened the door for her and put her bag in the back before getting in and waiting for her answer.

  “Is this a snack or a date?” She took Cain’s hand again and kissed her palm.

  “I’d think by now, snack is synonymous with date.”

  “Then I’d love to.”

  Cain drove them toward the back of the Quarter to a beautiful old home with a small bed-and-breakfast sign on the gate. The place was gorgeous, but the bed part of the sign concerned her. Cain chuckled when she glanced her way.

  “Don’t look so worried. It’s only for the privacy,” Cain said as she drove up to the front. “If you find you can’t control yourself around me though, there is a bed in the room.”

  “You’re a riot.” She bit the tip of Cain’s index finger before she got out to open her door again. “This is a beautiful place—do you come here often?” She couldn’t disguise the fact-finding question.

  “I’ve had dinner here a time or twelve,” Cain said and winked. “I can’t hide from my past, not that I want to, but if you ask me something, I’m always going to answer you honestly. Especially if you want to know something in particular about me.”

  “I’m sure your interesting past includes plenty of stories involving dinners at places like this, but right now I’m just interested in the fact that I’m here with you.” She walked up the stairs on Cain’s arm and stayed quiet as the woman who greeted them handed Cain a key.

  “You’re not at all what I imagined when it comes to a young woman from Wisconsin.”

  Cain opened the door to the room on the first floor, and Emma wasn’t expecting the large suite on the other side. All the doors were closed, and the table by the windows was set with a large candelabra at its center, even though it was still light outside.

  “What were your thoughts when it comes to a girl from Wisconsin?” She sat when Cain pulled out her chair and glanced at the beautiful garden. The only strange thing outside was the older man seated directly across from them, seemingly staring into their room.

  “I’m not really sure how to answer that, but you seem almost too…accepting, I guess.” Cain held up a bottle of wine and she nodded. “If that makes sense at all.”

  “I grew up on a dairy farm, with a mother who loved the Lord and used her knowledge of the good book to try to steer me in the right direction. That means that I seldom left the dairy farm except to attend the church I was forced to go to.” She stopped to take a sip of the excellent wine Cain had poured, deciding the truth was the best way to begin.

  “If you want, you can stop there,” Cain said, holding up a finger when someone knocked.

  The waiter rolled in a cart and served two small filets and two lobster tails with a variety of sides before leaving with a generous tip from Cain. “Don’t you want to know?” Emma asked. “Or was this about getting me into that bed next door and moving on?”

  “It’s about giving you the option of not telling me. That story doesn’t sound like it has a happy ending. Why would I want to make you relive it if you don’t want to?”

  “I wouldn’t describe it as a happy ending, but my upbringing did give me a sense of…” Emma tried to find the right phrasing. “I refuse to be boxed into something that I don’t choose. I grew up having someone force-feed me someone else’s rules and faith, but for now I’ve decided to have some faith in myself.”

  “So you went from the convent to what a lot of people would consider the devil’s lair? That’s the ultimate of not being boxed in, Miss Verde.” Cain raised her glass and held it in the middle of the table. “To new adventures that will definitely have nothing to do with religion.”

  “And the bed?” she asked after tapping her glass against Cain’s.

  “We’ll see about that since you didn’t say you weren’t interested.” Cain smiled, and she couldn’t help but smile back in reply.

  “You certainly aren’t like anyone I’ve ever met,” she said, and Cain’s smile grew wider. “Which makes me wonder why I’m here. I’m obviously not what you’re used to either.”

  “So much has happened in the last year, not of my choosing either. Pain has a way of making you see things more clearly, and one of the things I happened to see was you.” Cain pointed to her plate as she took another sip of wine. “Maybe we both need something different and should wait to find where that takes us.”

  “I’ll drink to that,” she said, holding her glass up.

  “Not to sound like a spoilsport, but you might want to look outside before you do.”

  The older man was still sitting there and still staring at them. “Who is he?”

  “If I had to guess, he’s an FBI special agent. I’m not so sure what’s so special about them, but they get upset if you leave that part of their title out. They’ve been part of my existence for a long time, but they seem to be my new shadows around the clock now.”

  Emma glanced out at the guy again and tapped the crystal glass with her nail. “Any particular reason?”

  “Maybe my last name, but I doubt that’s going to change any time soon. Think about that fact before you decide anything.”

  When Emma stood up, Cain slouched back in her chair, probably thinking she’d leave. She walked behind Cain and pulled the lever for the plantation blinds, making them come down and block the guy’s view.

  “Maybe we both need something out of our normal. We might just find something better than what we’ve experienced so far.”

  “We’ll take it nice and slow so that the newness doesn’t completely freak you out,” Cain said, taking her hand. “And if you ever want to finish your sad story because you need to talk about it, I’ll be happy to listen.”

  “Thank you, and the same goes for you. You seem to be strong all the time, so I’ll be happy to give you a place to relax.”

  “Only, and I’m guessing here, it won’t be a bed, right?”

  “The farm girl won’t completely disappear overnight, so no beds for a while. Are you okay with that?”

  “I’m disciplined enough to handle it.” Emma lifted her hand and kissed the tips of her fingers. When Emma smiled, Cain added, “With plenty of cold showers.”

  * * *

  “The Quarter is packed tonight, so tell me if you need help in your section,” Josh said when the crew that arrived at four stood by the bar donning their aprons. “Tonight, unless I say so, go ahead and get a credit card for the tabs. We don’t want to be giving free booze away. Anyone have any questions?”

  “The day crew is staying?” one of the girls asked.

  “All but a couple. This place has been a madhouse since noon, so thanks for all the hard work, everybody.”

  The night did get extremely busy, and when the band started, the bouncers began limiting the number of people coming in. Emma had handed her tips over to Cain for safekeeping by nine, glad to have her so nearby. Cain was pouring drinks like an old pro and winked at her as she pocketed the large wad of cash.

  “What can I get for you guys?” Emma asked the group that had just gotten a table
close to the bar. They looked familiar, and then she recognized the guy who’d grabbed her. “Wouldn’t you be more comfortable somewhere else? You’ll find plenty of bars close by.”

  “What kind of place runs off paying customers?” one of the men asked, and the others laughed as if the question was hilarious. “Besides, it’s a free country, and we can drink anywhere we want to.”

  “Ms. Casey asked you not to come back. Did you forget that part?” Emma asked, starting to back away.

  “Ms. Casey can kiss my ass, and I’m back to kiss yours,” the guy who’d touched her said, burying his face in her crotch. “Let’s start in the front though.”

  It happened so fast that Emma had trouble processing it, but just as fast, the guy’s nose was bleeding profusely. He didn’t have much time to recover when Cain hit him again, and he howled. The uppercut seemed to have slammed his teeth together with his tongue in the way.

  He spat a large amount of blood on the front of his shirt as two of the bouncers dragged him toward the office. The rest of his group lost their bravado when Cain grabbed the biggest one of them by the hair and whispered something in his ear.

  “I see you here again, and I’m going to make new earrings for my wait staff out of parts of your anatomy I’m sure you’re particularly fond of.” She pulled the guy’s head down farther, and he went compliantly. “Do you understand?” They all nodded.

  “What about Martin?” another one of them asked.

  “Is that the idiot bleeding in the storeroom?” Cain asked, and they all nodded again. “You’re worried about him now and not when he was sexually assaulting someone?”

  “Come on. It was just for kicks. He didn’t mean anything by it,” the smallest of the foursome said as he backed away from Cain and the guys now holding his friends.

  Cain cracked the bones in her neck before kicking him so hard between the legs she thought he’d throw up. “I see your point. When you do things simply for kicks, it’s pretty liberating.”

  “Do you know who the hell I am?” the guy wheezed out.