by Ali Vali
“Because I’d never have to be afraid. If you could keep me safe, you would.”
Emma could see the wounded look her words caused. She had to tell the first part of this memory, though, so she could get to the wisdom that had been Marie.
“You didn’t fail her, love, and no matter her handicap, Marie understood more than you think. She finally said that you couldn’t be everywhere, and sometimes bad stuff happened. When it did, you still loved me and didn’t want it to occur. It just did sometimes.”
“But she didn’t deserve what happened to her.”
“No, she didn’t, but it wasn’t your fault, and it wouldn’t have taken place if you’d known about it. That’s the important thing here, love. If you’d known. You didn’t, and it’s time to stop beating yourself up about it. What happened to Marie happened because Danny was a sick bastard.”
Emma rested her head on Cain’s and sighed. “I almost wish he’d taken out his need to hurt us on me. Maybe that would’ve saved her.”
In an instant their positions reversed, and now Cain was doing the holding. “Don’t ever say that. Even though I lost Marie, I thank all that’s holy you don’t have to live with the pain of what he could have done that night.”
“Thank you for feeling that way, but I want you to forgive yourself for Marie.” Emma straddled Cain’s lap so they could look each other in the eye. “Will you at least try?”
“I’ll try.”
“And will you promise me something else?”
“Name it.”
“Heap on Gino Bracato the same pain he gave Marie. She was your sister, but she was my family too. I don’t know what happened to Danny, and I don’t care to know exactly what happened to Stephano, but Gino deserves to suffer.”
Cain put her hands around Emma’s hips and pulled her forward in a hug. “Thank you for that, but I don’t want you to say or know things you’ll have a hard time living with later. I treasure your compassion and the fact that you haven’t had to make any pacts with the devil yet. Because, believe me, he exacts a heavy toll at times.”
“Don’t patronize me, Cain.”
Cain smiled. “I’m not patronizing you, love. I’m just looking out for you.”
“But I can live with this wish.” Emma pushed herself up so Cain could see her eyes and the sincerity in them. “No one lives a complete life if they don’t learn from their mistakes. I adopted my mother’s perspective and considered everything either black or white, right or wrong, in its place or out of it. When I met you, I fell in love with you, but part of me thought what you did to earn a living was wrong.”
“But I am. Wrong, I mean, in the eyes of the law.”
“So what? Special Agent Kyle was supposed to be the law, and look what happened. I know now that you don’t go out of your way to hurt people, and what you do and how you do it isn’t hurting anyone but the IRS.” Emma pressed her fingers to Cain’s lips to keep her quiet for a while longer. “There’s something else. You know when to avenge a wrong done to someone you love, and just because you do, you’re not a horrible person.”
“That’s a change of heart,” mumbled Cain, the fingers still pressed to her mouth.
“It’s just the truth, sweetheart. Marie’s life meant more than Gino’s, so it’d be wrong to let him get away with what he did.”
“And he won’t. I’ll swear to that on a stack of Bibles.”
Before Cain could continue, the phone on the nightstand rang. It was one of the only secure lines in the house. “Casey,” she said. “No, it’s not too late, don’t worry about it.” She pulled Emma closer and listened to whatever the caller was saying. “I’ll try and make it in the morning.”
“Anything wrong?”
“Just a strange invitation. Nothing to worry about.”
“Good. Now we can go to sleep.” Emma snuggled up to Cain’s side. They would have many of these talks, she was sure, especially once Hayden came of age, but they’d get through them if they just said what was in their hearts. That and love would keep them whole.
Chapter Thirty-Two
“What happened tonight?” Merrick looked as if she couldn’t wait to hear the answer to her question.
Katlin stared at her over the rim of the glass of whiskey she’d just poured. After dropping two cubes of ice into the crystal tumbler, she poured another two fingers. “Do you usually talk to other people about the jobs you do for Cain?” She gulped the whiskey, and though she wanted another one, she shed her jacket and sat down. “If you do, you’ve got a problem.”
“Why do you insist on being so impossible?” Merrick asked.
“Look, lady, as much as I enjoy pushing your buttons, I don’t have the energy to fight with you. If you have an issue, take it up with Cain. I’m going to bed.” Katlin got up and headed toward Jarvis’s small guesthouse near the pool.
“Fuck me, man,” Katlin mumbled when she heard the echo of Merrick’s footsteps right behind her. “What?”
“I’m worried about Cain, so I’d like an answer to my question.” Merrick followed Katlin inside and stood with her hands on her hips.
Not caring what Merrick did, Katlin hung up her jacket and put her shoes in the closet. If the next day was going to be anything like this one, she needed some sleep. With a sigh she lay down and closed her eyes.
“Are you just not going to answer because it’s me, or is it just an annoying habit of yours to ignore people?” Merrick asked.
“Look, I don’t know why Cain chose me for this position instead of you. I don’t question my employer. If you have any complaints, problems, or concerns, Cain’s upstairs just waiting for you to bother her. But you and I aren’t friends, and I’m not into heart-to-heart discussions.”
Merrick watched Katlin rub her neck as if trying to work out a knot. “This isn’t getting us anywhere, so how about we start over?”
“Look, like I said, I’m sorry if I usurped your position with Cain, but I didn’t ask to be here, so starting over sounds good. Unless it means using knives and guns instead of words, or something equally drastic,” Katlin quipped. “I have a water bazooka, and I’m not afraid to use it.”
“Duly noted.” Merrick tried to sound bored, but she couldn’t stop her smile. “I know why our positions changed so quickly. I’m just not happy about it.”
The rubbing stopped, and Katlin opened her deep green eyes and hiked her brows in Merrick’s direction. “Like she said, she wants the best person taking care of Emma.”
“Yeah. I can’t be everywhere at once, so I’m glad you were available to pick up my slack,” Katlin said, and had to laugh when Merrick blew on the tip of her index finger, her hand in the shape of a gun.
The firm mattress barely budged when Merrick sat on it, and because she did, Katlin kept her eyes open.
When Merrick asked, “Will you tell me what happened tonight?” Katlin was tempted to knock out another smart-ass comment, but instead, with an almost technical detachment, she recapped everything Stephano had done and said before the end. She was almost shocked to see tears welling up in Merrick’s eyes.
“When I first came to work for Cain, I’d never dealt with somebody like Marie and I tried to avoid her. Thing was, though, Marie had a way of breaking through and making you like her. When Cain found her all broken like she was, I begged her to let me be the one to take care of Danny. I wanted to skin him slowly, but I never would have guessed he’d invite the Bracato boys to be there.” She tilted her dark head back and blinked furiously to clear her eyes. “Did killing him bother you?”
“Why would you ask me that?”
Merrick’s hands went up in a gesture of ignorance, then just as quickly dropped back down. “You just seem like something’s wrong.”
“I had a hard time standing there listening to him go on like that about her. When he bragged about burning her nipples with his cigar, I got so mad I wanted to vomit. Killing him didn’t bother me at all. What did bother me was that he only got to die once.”
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“Thanks for telling me.” When Katlin started rubbing her neck again, Merrick hesitated. “You want help with that?”
“Thanks, but you don’t have to.”
“Is it the guns I wear that intimidate you big Casey/Patrick types?”
Katlin laid her hand flat on her chest. “You know the answer to the Casey side of that equation, but the Patrick part doesn’t scare easy either.”
“Then get up and take your shirt off.”
The command sent a shiver through Katlin’s long frame, making her laugh. If she was honest, Merrick did scare her a little.
“Need help with the buttons?”
“I think I can manage.” Taking her time, Katlin presented her back, not really caring to see Merrick’s reaction since she couldn’t lie to herself. It never got her anywhere, and she knew Merrick was obviously infatuated with Cain. This was just a massage, because when it came to her heart, Katlin wasn’t willing to be a substitute for anyone who couldn’t give her everything.
When Katlin first removed her shirt a little past her shoulders, Merrick thought Cain was disrobing before her. The cousins had the same strong neck and musculature along their upper back, but on Katlin’s back, dipping down her shoulders and wrapping around her biceps, was a dark blue intricate design of a warrior whorl. The tattoo, composed of small lines, looked like an old armor design.
As Merrick started at the middle of the design and worked outward, Katlin shivered and said, “In ancient Ireland, the warriors painted on their clan’s design before they went into battle so they could carry their fighter spirit with them. Every man willing and brave enough to pick up arms against his country’s enemies had the right to apply the paint.” Merrick ran her fingers along Katlin’s upper arms, but she still wouldn’t budge. “I’ve never found that exact story in any book, but my Granny Casey told it to us as kids all the time.”
“Your grandmother’s very wise, and you’ve carried on your traditions well.” With very little pressure Merrick turned her around but didn’t try to look at Katlin’s naked chest. “I’m sorry for being such a bitch before. I can see you’re taking good care of Cain.”
“An apology from the mighty Merrick?”
The question was light, and Merrick didn’t try to break the hold Katlin now had on her neck, surprised at herself for being so docile.
“Tell me, what do you see when you look at me?”
“What do you mean?”
“What do I mean?” Katlin pulled Merrick closer and grasped her sweater. “Do you see a copy of what you can’t have?”
“No, I just see you,” Merrick said.
“Go telling lies like that, darling girl, and you might find yourself someplace you don’t want to be.”
“Like where?”
“In my bed,” Katlin said. “Then where the devil will that get you?”
When Merrick touched Katlin’s waist, she felt a scar there. Katlin was tall like Cain and built as solidly, but Merrick noticed subtle differences. Her hair was dark, but not jet-black like Cain’s and her children’s, and she was a few inches shorter. The deep voice was similar, though, and made Merrick breathe faster.
“Someplace safe, I suppose—someplace I’ve been seeking.” Katlin reeled her in a little more, and Merrick could feel the heat emanating off Katlin’s body.
“What have you been looking for, Merrick?”
Merrick stroked higher along Katlin’s back and responded when soft lips came up to meet hers. “An ally and an equal.” Merrick pulled away, but only enough to form words. “Just how tired are you?”
“I’m fresh enough for whatever you have in mind,” Katlin answered readily and stumbled only a little when Merrick pulled her forward by her belt.
“Then let’s go.” Merrick handed her the shirt she’d just taken off.
“I see you’re a tease,” Katlin said as she slipped the garment back on.
“Tease?” Merrick walked up to her slowly this time, jerked her belt open, and unzipped her pants. Without losing eye contact with Katlin, she pushed past the Jockeys and down to Katlin’s sex, chuckling at the moan and the involuntary hip thrust that came when she pinched her hard clitoris. “I never tease when I want something. Try and remember that.” She squeezed harder and Katlin closed her eyes.
“What do you want?” Katlin asked.
“I want to take care of this for you slowly until you beg me to fuck you.” With that she pulled her hand free. “But first I want you to help me give Cain a present.”
“Now?”
“The quicker we finish our business, the quicker we get back here for more pleasurable pursuits.” When she slid the fingers she’d just had in Katlin’s pants into her mouth, Katlin finished dressing in record time.
“Let’s get going.” Katlin strapped on her guns and opened the door for her. “In this condition, I’ll kill anyone who slows us down.”
“Good to know, darling, because it just might come to that if we’re lucky.” Merrick grinned, ready to lead Katlin to hell and then back to her warm bed. Tonight would be the beginning of new alliances.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Cain sat at breakfast drumming her fingers on the table, her plate full but untouched. From the set of her jaw and the even, strong beats of her fingers, Emma knew this was the calm before the storm.
“Did I ask you for this?” She raised her hand from her lap and opened her clenched fist so the others could see what she was holding.
“No,” Katlin answered, putting her hand on Merrick’s arm and keeping her in place when Cain leaned forward a little and cut loose.
“Then why the fuck did you do it?” All the dishes on the table clattered when she shouted and pounded her fist. Emma righted Cain’s coffee cup, stood behind her, and put her hands on Cain’s shoulders, trying to calm her.
“We just thought—” Katlin started before Cain lit into her again.
“No one, especially me, is paying you to think. I expect you to do what I tell you to, when I tell you to. That’s it. If that’s not working out for you, then get out of my sight.”
“Cain, we meant no harm, we just thought—”
Merrick stopped when Cain’s hand went up.
“Whose idea was this?”
Again, she held up her hand as if the two guards hadn’t seen what was in it, even though they’d presented it to her when they arrived.
“Mine,” Katlin and Merrick answered together.
Emma noticed something that hadn’t been there before, something sweet, if not ludicrous. Katlin stood slightly in front of Merrick as if protecting her from any threat, even if it was Cain. But if anyone in Cain’s organization could take care of herself, it was Merrick Runyon. Emma didn’t have time for any more speculation, though, because Cain slammed her hand down again. Only this time two matching rings lay in front of her.
“Emma, would you please take Merrick and excuse us.” As Cain spoke, her eyes never left Katlin’s. Cain smiled faintly when Emma bent and kissed her before she left. She didn’t say anything else until the door closed.
“What’s this about?” Cain pointed to the rings on the table.
“Michael and Francis Bracato were a liability to you. Now they’re not, and no one’s the wiser.” Katlin kept standing since Cain hadn’t invited her to sit down. “They weren’t part of the main business we’re after, so Merrick and I took care of them for you.”
“Without consulting me first. If you don’t see this as a problem, then I want you gone today.”
Experience kept Katlin’s mouth shut because she knew Cain was deadly serious. A wrong comment now would land her on the curb so fast it would take it a minute for her shadow to catch up.
“This isn’t exactly what I had in mind when I brought you in. Having more responsibility was something you asked for, remember?”
Katlin took a deep breath, but still didn’t say a word.
“Remember?” Cain repeated, with a little more heat.
“I
remember, but anything I say here’s going to piss you off more than you already are.” Trying to appear calmer than she felt, Katlin ran her hand through her hair and kept eye contact with Cain. “If this is too big for you to ignore then I’ll clear out, if that’s what you want.”
Cain glared at the door when someone knocked. “What is this, no one wants to listen to me anymore?”
Cain clearly didn’t expect an answer, and Katlin prudently stayed quiet.
“What?”
“I know you didn’t want to be disturbed, honey,” Emma said, having heard Cain’s comments about being disobeyed. “There’s an Agent Curtis here to see you. I put him in the solarium to wait. Since it has glass walls, I figured the men outside could keep an eye on him.”
“I keeping telling you, you get any smarter and I’ll give you my job,” Cain whispered into Emma’s ear.
“No, thank you. Taking care of you is my job and my first priority. Should I tell him you’ll be a little longer?”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll see what he wants.” Cain left her food forgotten and strode out of the room with only a small nod for Katlin. As Emma passed her, she patted Katlin on the arm and smiled reassuringly.
*
Anthony sat in a wicker chair and stared out on a yard that resembled a well-maintained park. It pissed him off that criminals like Jarvis and Cain lived so well while people like him worked hard for peanuts. Just the furniture in the room probably cost more than he made in a year.
“Anthony, to what do we owe the pleasure?”
Cain’s voice from the doorway broke through his anger-induced haze, and he cut his eyes her way.
“I’d appreciate if you addressed me as Agent Curtis.”
Releasing a deep breath slowly while trying to get over her anger, Cain centered herself. The quickest way to end up where she didn’t want to be—in trouble with the law—was to enter a meeting angry and out of control. In this case, having Katlin and Merrick hand her Michael’s and Francis’s rings that morning after having killed the two Bracato brothers the night before had left her in a foul mood. She expected her staff to be obedient.
