by Ali Vali
“That means I’ll be waiting for hours.” The sight of her street was somewhat depressing, but it was getting late, and classes in the morning would be a challenge with so little sleep.
“You’ll survive, and I also promise not to keep you out this late,” Cain said like she had insight into her thoughts.
Cain walked her upstairs and kissed her in the hallway close to her door. Her body was flushed and hot when Cain’s tongue entered her mouth and her hands squeezed her butt. The sensation of wanting to rub herself against Cain was new and different, but she couldn’t help herself. Cain must’ve noticed because she squeezed harder, making her moan, so she broke the kiss to regain some control over herself.
“Thanks for tonight,” she said, glad that Cain took the subtle hint and let up.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Cain’s next kiss was gentle before she opened her door and waited until she’d locked it. This was harder than she thought, but her gut told her that giving in would be a mistake if she wanted a future with Cain that lasted longer than a couple of weeks.
“I want her to see me, but hell if I don’t want her to strip me bare and touch me too,” she said aloud, putting her hands over her rock-hard nipples. “Patience and virtue totally suck.”
Chapter Fifteen
Annabel Hicks decided to arrive an hour early so she could sit in on Barney Kyle’s briefing with his team. The ambitious agent Washington had saddled her with thought he could get away with not including her by scheduling his meetings with his handpicked team either extremely early or after hours. He must’ve thought she was a strictly nine-to-five law-enforcement kind of agent.
“Let’s get down to it,” Barney said, coming in without really looking up at anyone. He had a thick folder under his arm, so maybe after all the expense of constantly watching Casey, he finally had discovered something. “Did anyone get anything after Casey went home last night?”
“The house went dark, and the team on Billy said he stayed put with the woman he was with,” Agent North said as he put more photos on the board.
“Who’s the girl Casey’s been after for days now?” Kyle tapped the blonde’s picture before taking it down.
“We pulled her file from Tulane, sir,” one of the young women in the room said. “Her name is Emma Verde. She’s an English major from Wisconsin and is working for Casey at her pub in the Quarter.”
“That’s it?” Barney said, barking at the woman.
“All we could piece together was she’s starting her senior year and lost her campus job. It was simply luck that landed her at the pub, but she seems to have only wanted a job.”
“So you’re saying she’s not some cleverly disguised assassin Casey hired who also happens to like poetry?” Annabel asked, making Barney whip his head in her direction.
“No, ma’am,” the woman said as a smattering of laughter circulated around the room.
“If you all would put together what you have so far, I’d appreciate it.” The agents took her not-so-subtle hint and cleared the room. “From what I can see so far, you’ve got the makings of a good scrapbook for the lovely new couple,” she said as she took down a picture of Cain and Emma holding hands. “The stepped-up surveillance doesn’t seem to be having quite the effect you anticipated, does it?”
“You can’t think it would just take a week.” He laughed and tossed the photo into the trash when she handed it back.
“No. Good investigative work revolves around a team working together to build a solid case one brick at a time. That has been my experience, and it’s gotten me plenty of convictions in my career. That is, after all, the goal of what we do.”
“Are you saying you don’t agree with my methods?”
“It’s too early to see if they will bear fruit, Agent Kyle, but I’m not especially optimistic.”
He took the kind of deep breath that telegraphed how pissed he was that she was questioning him and his work. Barney Kyle was a typical alpha male agent the FBI produced like IHOP produced pancakes, but she hadn’t climbed this high by letting men like Kyle bother her.
“Then why are you here, Annabel?”
“Agent Kyle, if I need to remind you that I’m not some starstruck flunky here to fetch your coffee, then you might find yourself trying to make cases in the middle of the bush in Alaska. You will give me the respect I’m due, even if you have to hold your nose while you’re doing it. Is that clear?” He nodded, but the smug smile was enough to make her want to drive his nose toward his left ear and then reassign him. “Before you pat yourself on the back for thinking you’ve gotten to me, know that I have your transfer order at the top of my stack on my desk.”
“I hate to argue with you, Agent Hicks.” He said her name with the same contempt she reserved for the people they apprehended. “But I’m not going anywhere. I was sent down here to try to curb the problem you’ve let go way too long.”
The insubordination was stunning, but Kyle knew he had the support of her deputy director. “I’m sure you believe that, but shall we review? Let’s begin with the towing of one of our vans, losing the subject in a very public park practically empty at the time, and having the same subject mock you every chance she gets. From my perspective, your surveillance sounds humorous and amateurish, and will go over like a comedy with your good buddies that sent you here.”
Her threat seemed to hit its mark when he lost his bravado and went on the offensive immediately. “You know the van was a rookie mistake, with one of your guys along for the ride.”
“Agent Kyle, you have a short period of time to prove yourself, or you move on. If all you have to show, let’s say in two months, is how well Casey romances someone she’s interested in, then this isn’t going to work out. To me it’s not worth the expense.”
“So it’s all about the money?” He laughed as if she’d given him back the upper hand. “If you decide to remove me from my post, I’ll make sure that motive is included in the report as well.”
“It’ll be twenty-four-hour surveillance with someone else in command. Money isn’t my motivation—results are—and from what I see here, you’re far from achieving any of those. My suggestion is to clear the board and start over.”
“And then will you leave us alone to do our jobs?”
“Then I’ll continue to sit in to see if you get anywhere or if you need help clearing out your desk.”
* * *
Emma stopped with the rest of the crowd at a barricade they’d set up at Tulane.
“It should be clear by tomorrow, but they’ve shut the campus down for the day,” a security guard told them.
“What happened?” Emma asked since she was the closest to him.
“A classroom was destroyed last night, and the fire department’s trying to figure out what caused the blaze. They don’t want to chance it happening again with students in the building.”
Since she had the day off, she called the house number Cain had given her, guessing it was early enough that she’d catch her before she left for work. “I’m sorry, Miss, but Ms. Cain is at the office already.”
“Do you think she’d mind if you gave me the address?” The Hispanic-sounding woman told her without any more prompting, so she started walking. St. Charles Avenue was the best place to hail a cab to save herself the at-least-two-mile walk.
The driver stopped in front of the warehouse with no signage in front, but when she spotted the man patrolling the roof with a rifle in his hands, she knew she was in the right place. She wasn’t sure why Cain needed constant protection, but Cain didn’t seem the type to answer that kind of question, so it would remain a mystery for another day. The large man at the gate stopped her, but when she gave him her name he let her right in.
When she spotted Lou at the large entrance, she waved and walked a little faster. Seeing a familiar face settled her nerves somewhat, since the only times she’d seen Cain was on Cain’s terms. In her mind, this was a test.
“Hey, Emma. The boss didn�
�t mention you were coming by,” Lou said, taking her bag like Cain did every time she saw her with it.
“She’s not expecting me, but I have a rare day off so I thought I’d surprise her. Do you think that’s a bad idea?”
“Do you honestly think that’ll be a bad idea?” he said, leading the way inside. “She’s right through here.”
After the façade of the old brick building, Emma didn’t expect the posh office. Cain sat behind a large wooden desk with carved panels along the front. When she moved closer, she noticed the carvings were of small harps. The rest of the room contained dark wooden paneling, nice paintings, and a series of family photos on the shelves against one wall. The space almost appeared out of place, like it belonged in a grand home instead of here.
“Muriel, let me call you back,” Cain said when she turned and noticed her. “Hey. You’re a good surprise.”
“Do you like surprises?” She suddenly felt like the room wasn’t the only thing out of place.
“If it’s a guy holding a subpoena, then no. But I can get used to having you come by.” Cain stood and circled the desk to hug her. “You aren’t playing hooky, are you?”
“There was a fire…maybe this wasn’t a good idea. I shouldn’t bother you at work.” It was probably silly, but it suddenly occurred to her that Cain was way out of her league. The clothes, the guards, the fancy office were all signs of money and privilege she had no clue about.
“Hey,” Cain said, not letting her go when she pulled back. “What’s wrong?”
Of all the times for her not to be able to control her tears. “Nothing. I just think I’m bothering you, and I didn’t mean to.”
“Darling girl, you’re not bothering me, and that would be true even if I was in the middle of a meeting with God himself.”
“I’m sorry.” The tears flowed faster, and now she came closer and buried her face in Cain’s chest. The starch of her shirt felt stiff and rough against her cheek.
“Emma, you’re going to have to explain, but from where I’m standing, you don’t have anything to apologize for.”
“You probably think I’m some kind of nutcase.” She followed Cain when she walked to the room next door with a long, beautiful conference table. One wall was dominated by an antique map of Ireland and the other by a bar.
“How about you start from the beginning,” Cain said, helping her into a chair so she could sit next to her. “First off, are you okay?”
She told Cain about the fire and her day off. “I thought I’d come by and see you.”
“And the sight of me made you burst into tears?”
“No,” she said, and her brain seemed to freeze. No words were coming to explain what she was feeling. “You keep telling me what a bad idea it is to be with you, and seeing this place makes me wonder if it’s because we’re so different.”
“It’s not that I don’t want you in my life, but I’m trying to save you from the bad parts of it. We are who we are, Emma, and changing something that’s an important part of who we are to make someone else happy doesn’t work.” Cain caressed her face and smiled.
“Maybe I don’t want to be saved, but it doesn’t mean I belong with you either.”
“So this is a visit to say good-bye?”
“You want me to be safe, and I want to be something better for you. I think you deserve someone you can be proud of.”
“What happened to you, lass?” Cain asked, holding both her hands.
The question was like a sharp rake that ripped through her heart. She was tired of not being enough. “It’s a long story and really not your problem.”
“It can be, but I won’t force you to share it with me if you’re not ready.”
She nodded, grateful Cain had given her an out, but to give up now meant losing her place with Cain. “So what does that leave us with?”
“One afternoon to see if there’s something about each other that’s worth knowing.” Cain stood and pulled her to her feet. “So you have the whole day off?” She nodded again, glad for the contact. “Spend the day with me then.”
“I’m not keeping you from anything?”
“The world can wait, but my curiosity can’t.”
Cain took her jacket out of her office and stopped to talk to the attractive African American woman who seemed to always be around. Whatever she said didn’t make the woman happy, but Cain didn’t appear upset.
Cain held her hand out and smiled. “You ready?”
“Lead the way.”
They left with Cain driving, but they weren’t alone. From her count at least three vehicles were following them. The attention didn’t seem to faze Cain, so it must’ve been so engrained in the fabric of who she was it was a given, like having blue eyes. However, she couldn’t take her eyes off the company behind them.
“Can I ask you something?” she said, still staring at the side mirror.
“Your friend Beatrice was mostly right.”
“Excuse me? What do you mean by that?”
Cain glanced at her and winked. “No one outside my family really knows me, Emma. The rumors and stories are always funny and fantastically overblown, but they’re simply that—stories.”
“Is that why they follow you around?” From all the movies she’d ever seen, the federal government never followed without just cause.
“They follow me because they think I’m the head of a vast criminal empire.”
She laughed at Cain’s almost casual answer. “Do you run a criminal empire?”
“That’s sort of like asking me my weight and age. From what I hear, it’s just not done,” Cain said and winked again. “So let’s stick to other subjects for now.”
“And later?”
“Later isn’t something I worry too much about.”
They stopped at an old cemetery with a large stucco wall around it. “We’re going in?”
“If you want to take those baby steps, then yes. We’re going in.”
Cain opened her door, and they walked along the broken and cracked pavement until they reached a tomb with the name “Casey” written across the top in marble. The flowers were fresh, and the bench in front was free of leaves and moss.
“Is this where your father’s buried?”
“Quite a few generations are in there, but he’s the most recent to find his eternal rest here. That’s what his good friend the bishop tells me anyway. If you notice the space around it, my family is good at planning for the future. They figured we’d need to expand eventually, and that’s how we plan our business as well. Nothing is left to chance.”
“Hopefully you won’t have to expand here for a long time,” she said, not really knowing why they were here.
“Hopefully not,” Cain said, then sighed. “But for today, I wanted you to meet the greatest man I ever knew. He was also my teacher, my best friend, and my safety net. You always feel invincible when you know you have someone there to catch you no matter what.”
“He sounds like a wonderful man. I’m really sorry for your loss.”
“True, but that’s not why we’re here.” Cain took a deep breath and put her arm around her. “My father was the alleged head of our alleged criminal empire. He traveled with that entourage you were looking at, and even with that, someone gunned him down and killed him.”
“That explains why you have all the interesting people around.”
“No. That explains what I’m trying to protect you from. Some scum got to him even with the interesting people.”
“So you really do want me to go?”
“I want you to listen to me and then make up your mind. My family comes with a certain warning label, I guess. I don’t let people in easily, not because I’m suspicious, but because of things like this.” Cain pointed to the tomb.
“My father’s family came from France two generations ago to farm here. He makes his own cheese and butter, and he believes in tradition. He married my mother, and some or all of that gave way to her need to be a good Chr
istian.”
“They did something right,” Cain said, pulling her closer. “They made one perfect child.”
“One is exactly what they had, but I’m far from perfect.” She rested her head on Cain’s shoulder and stared at the name on the tomb. “Maybe we belong together so we can heal those parts of ourselves that’ll fester if we’re alone.”
“Are you sure? If you get any more into my head, I might not be able to let you go so easily.”
“You’ll come to see that you won’t be able to let me go because, more than anything, I don’t want you to.”
* * *
“Everything is quiet,” Oliver said when Billy stopped at Mendel’s, walking through the back. “I got Pops sitting on the corner as our first line of defense. Ma appreciates him being out of the house for a couple of days.”
“How’s Pops?” Billy asked, remembering one of his da’s favorite crewmen that even Dalton called Pops. Pops had helped build their network in the neighborhoods behind the French Quarter.
“Pops never changes much. He’s enjoying retirement and spends most of his days tending his garden and lecturing me on how to act at work.”
“Da was a good one for that too, so I completely understand.” This was his fifth stop of the day with nothing to show for it, so he was starting to get frustrated. “Keep watching, and call if there’s a change.”
“Will do, and Mendel mentioned a few folks talking about what happened to Big Chief. There’s gossip and some worry about that, so I thought you’d want to know.”
“Thanks, and let me know if someone’s really interested in that situation.”
“That fat bastard had it coming, but I’ll pay attention to anyone too curious.”
“Where to, Boss?” Ian Evers asked Billy when he got back into the car.
“Let’s head to the office and regroup. Maybe Cain will let us bust some heads to get some action going.”
He glanced in the side mirror and noticed the black sedan two cars behind them. If they were tailing him, there was another car somewhere else, since he hadn’t seen this one behind Mendel’s place. “This is going to get old real fast.”
