by Ali Vali
“Being that uncurious is like being a two-legged dog in heavy traffic.” Cain reached behind her and picked up Jesus Vega’s wallet, holding it up like she thought it smelled bad. “What upsets me is an idiot in a nice suit who plays at being macho, but the only thing he really controls is his bladder.”
“What?” Rodolfo yelled. “Fuck you.”
Cain had been waiting for that. The control Rodolfo seemed to pride himself on had cracked like a pecan in her fist. “I see you’re no stranger to crude, Señor Luis.”
Her laugh appeared to make him angrier. “That can’t be helped if you brought me here to play games and waste my time.”
With a quick flick of her wrist she threw the wallet at him and it hit him in the middle of his chest before dropping to his lap. “I believe that belongs to you.”
“What the hell is this?” Rodolfo asked, not touching the wallet.
“An example of how you have no control over your people. What I want to know before I take you back safe and sound, realizing as soon as you make it to the hotel you’re at war with me, is what the hell you were thinking when you gave out the orders against my family.”
“I’ve done nothing to make you move against me.”
“Open the wallet,” Cain said, her voice icy. “Jesus belonged to you, so I assume when he killed one of my men he was acting on your orders. I don’t know how you handle this situation in Mexico, but here to kill without provocation invites me to kick your ass.”
Rodolfo looked back at Carlos, who shook his head. “This man was not acting on my behalf.”
“I believe that’s your first admission that you’re just an old man who plays at being the head of his family.”
“I’m willing to put up with only so many insults before you will get the war you want.” Rodolfo sat straighter in his chair and pulled his jacket down. “No woman speaks to me like this.”
“That’s right. You’ve got a unique way of dealing with people who go against you. You tie them to trees and let ants do the dirty work for you. That sounds manly to me. What about you, Lou?”
“Sounds more like chicken shit, Boss.”
“How do you know anything about my business?”
Cain smiled and Rodolfo’s eyes dropped to his lap. “I’m a woman who controls what happens in my family and what’s done in my name. Unlike you, when I take care of a problem, it doesn’t come back to haunt me.”
“I have no ghosts to worry about,” Rodolfo said, flicking his fingers at her as though to dismiss her. “And I still don’t know why I’m here. Is it to listen to you spin tales?”
“You’re here because Jesus Vega and Oscar Cardone, along with a few others, went to the airport recently and killed one of my men. Your men killed mine for no reason other than to hide your so-called ghost.”
“Enough riddles.” Rodolfo’s voice rose higher than Cain found acceptable. “You dare—”
“Do you remember Armando Ortega?”
“Armando Ortega is dead,” Carlos said. “Just like you will be for showing Señor Luis such disrespect.”
“What does Ortega have to do with this?” Rodolfo asked.
“His son is here. What do you think he wants?” Cain finally got the reaction she was hoping for when Rodolfo paled.
“Impossible. I sent him home, and he knows nothing of Ortega.” Rodolfo laughed and Carlos joined him. The wallet Cain had given him dropped to the floor when she handed him the passenger manifest. The circled name was hard to miss. “Hijo de puta,” Rodolfo whispered as he crumpled the page in his hand.
“Juan Armando Ortega doesn’t sound familiar to you?” Cain asked this time, watching Carlos’s reaction to the name. “You’re right, he’s not a ghost, but he’s yours nonetheless. I want to know where he is, because if he harms my family you’re going to pay.”
“I don’t know where he is.”
“Are you sure?” Cain asked, her eyes cut to Lou which made him wrap his hands around Cain’s bargaining chip.
Rodolfo stood up when Carlos grunted as Lou tightened his grip around his neck. “No,” Rodolfo said. “If I knew where he was I’d tell you, but Carlos isn’t at fault here.
He almost sounded anguished and Cain nodded to Lou, who let go but kept his hands on Carlos’s shoulders. “You owe me a debt,” Cain said.
“What do you want?”
“Oscar Cardone and anyone he was with that day. Jesus didn’t strike me as the kind of man who acted alone.”
Rodolfo sat down again, the ball of paper still in his hand. “Done, but I am sure this is not all.”
“I want Juan. It’s time to completely put your ghosts to rest.”
“I’ll deal with my nephew.”
“Unless you plan to bring me Juan’s head in a box, I’ll take care of him. You’ve proven to me that you can’t be trusted to take care of anything.”
“If I give you what you want, will you consider my debt paid?”
“In full.”
Their meeting had ended and Rodolfo stood as Carlos got to his feet. Rodolfo put his hand on Carlos’s arm when he reached for the gun Lou had returned to him, then they found their way back to the car alone.
“Think he can find the little shit?” Lou asked when they were by themselves.
“No, but Rodolfo’s going to use whatever means he can to look for him. He had no idea Juan’s here, and the fact he made it back without detection is scaring the shit out of him.” Cain picked up her jacket and walked with Lou to the car they’d left out back. This meeting had been early so she could make it back home before Emma got up. “Losing control of his men doesn’t scare him as much as losing control of Juan.”
“Both scenarios should scare him.” Lou started the car and followed the wharf as far as he could before turning onto the street.
“His men will fall in line with the right incentive, but Juan’s a whole other animal, and he’s permanently off his leash.”
“What makes you think so?”
It took the tail car a while to catch up, but it was about a half a block behind them. Cain was sure they thought Lou was purposely trying to lose them, but he was playing a game. False conditioning, he called it. Make the feds think they were trying to lose them so they learned the evasion tactics Lou taught them to look for. Then when they were really trying to get away, the feds never saw it coming.
“Because the name on his passport tells me that Gracelia Luis might’ve accepted Rodolfo’s help, but she’s held a grudge for a very long time, and she shared it with her son. Rodolfo might’ve given Juan his name and groomed him to be his heir, but Juan knows he’s also the man who painted his father’s dick in honey and gifted him to the ants.” Cain lost interest in trying to see who was driving the car behind them and put her hand on Lou’s forearm. “Think about what you’d feel like if someone had done that to Lou Sr. Would that desire for revenge ever cool?”
“You’re right, Rodolfo should be scared. If his sister is as good a talker as my mama, I see a big vat of honey in Rodolfo’s future.”
“I’ll be in with Emma for the rest of the day, Lou,” Cain said when he stopped by the front door.
She made it inside in time to visit with the kids during breakfast before they headed out to school. Usually Emma was with them, but only Carmen and Mook were sitting there.
“Miss Emma still sleeping,” Carmen said. “I left her after you say she don’t feel well.”
“Be good, guys.” Cain kissed the kids and headed upstairs. When she opened the door she saw the empty bed and heard the sound of retching coming from the bathroom. Before Emma could heave again, Cain was on her knees next to her holding her and keeping her hair out of the way.
“Sorry, honey,” Emma said, her head falling against Cain’s chest. “This isn’t a sexy way to spend the morning.”
“We’re actually going to spend a sexy day at the doctor’s office.” Cain brought her closer and grunted as she made it off the floor with Emma in her arms. “If this is a bu
g, it should’ve passed by now.”
“I already called.” Emma sat still as Cain stripped her pajamas off. “We have an appointment in an hour.”
As soon as Emma was naked, Cain made quick work of her clothes and carried Emma back to the bathroom and into the shower. Cain knew a warm shower was a good way to make Emma feel better.
“Want me to have Carmen bring you something up to eat?” Cain asked as she washed Emma’s hair. She had no choice but to laugh when Emma threw up on her chest at the suggestion. “I’ll take that as a no.”
Emma laughed along with her, and the sound made Rodolfo and his family disappear from her thoughts. Instead, she concentrated on what was causing Emma’s sudden stomach discomfort.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this, mobster?” Emma asked after she’d rinsed her mouth in the spray. “We’re not in our twenties anymore.”
“My Da always said that babies keep you young.”
“Babies?” Emma asked, then bit down on Cain’s nipple. “I’ve always known you’re an over-achiever, but one at a time, please.”
Cain lifted her off her feet and kissed her, trying to put every bit of how she felt about Emma into it. When they parted, Emma smiled and wiped Cain’s tears away. “It could be a bug, so don’t be too disappointed if that’s all it is.”
“If it’s not, we just try again,” Cain said and kissed her again.
When they parted, it was Emma who was crying.
“However long it takes, lass. We’ll try together until we get everything we want.”
Chapter Fifty
“Papi,” Mano called Ramon from the foyer.
“Something wrong?” Ramon asked, holding on to the doorjamb that led outside to the large patio.
“Somebody tried to firebomb the club, and two of the day crew are at the hospital with burns.”
“Merda,” Ramon said, but he felt weak with relief it wasn’t about Remi. “Cain wanted to wait for Nunzio’s next move. I think he’s made it.”
“You want me to handle it?”
“Not before we talk to Cain and your sister, but this bastard gets no more free shots.”
Mano held the door of the study for him, then sat in his usual spot. “I talked with Cain already, and she asked for us to wait until this afternoon. She also asked for one thing.”
“What?”
“She wants Richard Bowen at the meeting.”
Ramon was about to reach for a cigar but stopped halfway to the humidor. “Richard, for what?”
“She said she didn’t feel comfortable discussing it on the phone because she was on a cell, but that’s what she wants.”
“Take the plane and get him here.” Ramon retrieved his cigar and cocked his chair back. “I’ll stay and see how the search for that bastard Jorge is going. Until we find him, I don’t feel comfortable having Remi or you exposed.”
“Don’t tell Remi until it’s time to meet. If she knows anything’s going on, she’ll leave Dallas’s because she’ll think she’s not doing her share.”
“Be careful, and put Richard in a safe spot until we’re ready for him.”
*
Dr. Ellie Eschete knocked before entering the exam room at the end of the hallway. In Emma’s chart were the results of the various blood and urine tests they’d run and Cain had insisted on waiting for.
“Well?” Cain asked when the door opened. She was sitting on a stool next to Emma, who was on the exam table. But she looked so nervous any thought of teasing her seemed like a bad idea.
“You don’t have the flu,” Ellie told Emma.
“Well?” Cain asked again.
“Honey,” Emma put her palm against Cain’s cheek, “calm down and she’ll tell us.”
“I’d plan to have another guest for Thanksgiving this year,” Ellie said, staying in the doorway to keep clear of Cain’s reaction. “It’s not a stomach bug, sweetie, it’s morning sickness. And if you’re lucky it won’t last as long as mine.”
“She’s pregnant?” Cain asked, sounding disoriented.
“She is, and I can even tell you when you got her that way,” Ellie said, holding the chart up to hide that she was laughing. “Congratulations, and don’t forget to make an appointment before you leave. See you then.”
Cain lifted Emma off the table as if she weighed nothing and let out a whoop so loud the guys in the waiting room could probably hear it. They kissed and cried again.
“I’m so happy it’s almost as if the time we were apart doesn’t exist anymore,” Emma said after she dressed. “That feeling is the best gift you could’ve given me.”
“It doesn’t exist because it’ll never happen again.” Cain held Emma’s hand as they walked out. “We need to celebrate tonight.”
Emma stopped to make her appointment and nodded. “I’ll get this. Go share our news with Lou and the others before holding it in kills you.”
Lou had his arms around Cain when Emma stepped out but let her go to give her a hug as well. “I’m happy for you, Emma.”
“Another one for you to watch over,” Emma said. “That’ll keep you all busy enough, so it’s time to finish what you started.”
“You heard the lady,” Merrick said. “Let’s get to it.”
*
“Señor Luis.” Oscar sat in the seat Carlos had put his hands on the back of and puffed his chest out as if preening. “Thank you for your invitation.” He accepted the espresso Carlos handed him. “My compadres are jealous they weren’t called.”
“It’s you I want, Oscar.” Rodolfo took a sip of his own coffee and tried to even his breathing. “Can I get you anything else?”
“No, Señor, the coffee’s fine. What would you like me to do for you?”
“I want you to tell me where Jesus is.” Rodolfo put his cup down and folded his hands in his lap. “I haven’t seen him, and he didn’t say where he was going.”
Oscar leaned forward to put his cup down as well but couldn’t keep it from rattling before it reached the table.
“Do you think he’s with my nephew?”
Oscar let out a nervous-sounding laugh as he turned around and looked at Carlos. “In Mexico? I don’t know.”
“Don’t worry, Oscar.” Rodolfo spoke in a soothing voice he’d used on Juan many times when he was a boy afraid of the dark after Gracelia had read him a bedtime story. After seeing the paper Cain had given him, he knew what Gracelia had been feeding him before he went to bed. “I already know where Jesus is.”
“Where? I’ve been worried.”
“That’s a waste of your time. Jesus is no one’s worry anymore.”
“Where is he?”
“If I know Cain Casey, he’s probably rotting in a dark hole somewhere.” He delivered the news in the same soothing voice. “Jesus was first on her list, but she wants me to hand over someone else.”
“She killed Jesus?”
“What you should be asking is who she wants next and why. Or do you already have an idea?”
Oscar tried to stand but Carlos put his hands on his shoulders and pushed him back down. “Don’t worry. I’m not about to hand you over to be killed for taking out some guy that worked for Casey, but I do need something from you.”
“Whatever you want.” Oscar put his hands together like he was praying.
“Where’s Juan?” As Rodolfo asked, Carlos pressed a knife to his throat and grabbed a handful of hair.
“At the hotel at the end of Esplanade, and he got back the day Jesus killed Casey’s man. I didn’t want any part of that, but Jesus said you knew about it.” Oscar’s hands were bobbing from his chest to his lap as he cried. “Then Juan ordered me not to tell you.”
“Who’s with him?”
“That guy from the FBI. A few of our men come and go, but Juan seldom goes out.” As Oscar explained in a begging manner, he glanced back at Carlos occasionally.
“Take him downstairs,” Rodolfo told Carlos,” but before you cut him loose, I want to know who else was at the airpor
t that day.”
“Señor Rodolfo, please, I didn’t want to be there.”
“Get him out of my sight.”
“Like we talked about?” Carlos asked.
Rodolfo stood, walked to the window, and merely lifted his hand in response. When he did, Oscar let out a moan that sounded as if someone had shot him. Perhaps that’s what would happen to him, Rodolfo thought, but he wasn’t concerned what Cain did to Oscar once Carlos handed him over. All he cared about was defusing the fire keg Juan had lit.
*
The street in front of Ramon’s club was lined with work trucks that morning when Cain and her group arrived. Whoever had thrown the incendiary device had managed to damage only the very front space, but unfortunately two employees had been standing there. From the number of workmen, Ramon didn’t plan to stay closed long.
Mano was waiting for them by the bar, and before he led them to Ramon’s office on the third floor he embraced Cain and kissed both her cheeks. “Thank you for saving my sister.”
“You’d do the same for me.” The guards hung back until they finished their talk, and Cain took her time with Mano because she, better than anyone, understood what an emotional wringer he’d been through. “I failed when it came to Marie and Billy, but I’m glad you were able to avoid that pain.”
“After seeing how much you care, I can’t believe you failed at all. I can’t replace the loss of your family, but I want you to accept that you’re part of mine. Whatever you need, call me and I’ll treat you no different than if Remi was asking.”
“Thanks, that means a lot to me.”
“Good. Now if you’re ready to go up, I got the package you asked for.”
Richard looked like he was in shock when Cain entered and saw him standing in the corner, his back against the wall. His eyes were on Remi, and he kept blinking like maybe he could clear Remi from his sight if he tried hard enough.
“Good morning, Richard,” Cain said to snap him out of his trance. “Sit down and close your mouth.”
“Why am I here?”
