The Devil's Orchard

by Ali Vali

“Put somebody at each of the places he loves going every day. This guy’s crazy enough to go back because he can’t help himself. If they see him, call me, and if we lose him again I don’t think I have to tell you what’ll happen to us.”

  “Who is this stupid shit?”

  “I don’t know,” Chico said as he started to walk toward Bourbon Street. Maybe Gustavo had a sudden urge to see naked women. “But Jerome wants him found, so we’re going to find him.”

  Hopefully somewhere along the line he’d figure out who this guy was, which would give him more leverage with Jerome. Or he could just kill the guy and maybe Jerome would assign him to something more important than babysitting duty.

  *

  “Cain, you have a call in your office,” Carmen said as Cain started up the stairs with Emma. “I tell them you were retiring, but he say it’s important.”

  “Thanks, Carmen, I’ll take it.” She kissed Emma and placed the hand she was holding on the rail. “Keep the bed warm for me and I’ll be right up.”

  “Don’t take long,” Emma said.

  She nodded with a smile and wondered what else had happened that couldn’t be put off until morning. It certainly didn’t have anything to do with her, since she was waiting for the first part of her plan to flush Gracelia out to work. Once she had Juan’s mother in her sights, Juan would be easier to find.

  “Hello,” she said into the phone as she stared out the window at the guard on the wall. The man was smoking a cigarette but still appeared vigilant.

  “Señora Casey,” a man said, and she zeroed in on the voice, trying to figure out who it was.

  “Yes, who is this?”

  “It’s Carlos…Carlos Luis now. My father Rodolfo wanted me to take his name.”

  “I remember you,” she said, really confused now. When she’d had to break the news about Rodolfo being found covered in ants and honey with a lot of bullets in his chest and head, she thought she’d seen the last of him. “Can I do something for you?”

  “I have information for you,” he said, his English much more practiced since the last time they’d spoken.

  “Okay,” she said, and stretched the word out.

  “Juan Luis, he is in New Orleans.”

  The strength went out of her legs and she dropped into her chair. She’d looked forward to hearing that statement, yet feared it. She couldn’t eliminate Juan if she couldn’t find him, but having him in the same city as Emma and their family made her want to throw up.

  “Señora, you hear me?”

  “I heard you,” she said, and took a deep breath to try to calm the nausea. “Please call me Cain.” It took effort and concentration to stay seated, since she wanted to get up and run out and find Juan. She opened and closed her fingers to try to release the anxiety. “How do you know Juan’s here?”

  “He call me, and my men don’t get all we need, but we know New Orleans is where he call from.”

  Juan had killed his father, a man who’d admitted who he was to Carlos right before his death, so it confused her as to why he’d share this information with her. She and Rodolfo weren’t friends. “Can I ask why he called you? Rodolfo left everything to you, and Juan went with his mother, from what I hear, so he didn’t have any reason to.”

  “He call to tell how he kill my father, and how he cry before he is killed. Juan say my father has no, how you say, honor,” Carlos said with the Spanish pronunciation.

  “Carlos, may I call you Carlos?”

  “Sí, please.”

  “Your father and I weren’t friends, only because he allowed Juan to disrespect my partner Emma and didn’t do anything about it.”

  “He try to find Juan for you.”

  “He did, but only after he’d realized what kind of man Juan had turned into. But let me finish my thoughts before you think I’m only condemning Rodolfo. We weren’t friends, but after he asked to do business with me and I refused, Rodolfo left me alone. He was not my friend, but he wasn’t my enemy, and I believe he was a man of honor.” It was as if she had a swarm of wasps under her skin, but she couldn’t rush this. Carlos knew something and she didn’t want to scare him away.

  “Thank you, and I don’t agree with my father when he do nothing the first time Juan see your Señora Casey and he talk to her like she a whore. He no do nothing and Juan go more brave to try again.”

  “We talked about what happened the last time he saw Emma and what almost happened. If I’d found him maybe your father would still be alive.”

  “I call you because if he come back, your family no is safe.”

  “Thank you, and I owe you a favor for telling me,” she said, and decided not to worry about what Carlos might want in return.

  “I want one thing from you,” Carlos said softly. “Give me Gracelia.”

  He understood her need to kill Juan, to watch the life drain out of him, taking with it the threat to the safety of her wife. “Not Juan?”

  “When I come to America we talk some more, but Gracelia must pay for what she done. Juan was estúpido as a boy and he never have to grow into a strong man. My father knew this. Gracelia took that weak in him and talk, talk, talk to Juan until he hate my father. Juan kill him, but I blame Gracelia, so he belong to you, but she must give me what I lose in blood.”

  “Is she here as well?”

  “Only Juan call me, but I think you look and you wait for me if you find her.”

  “Call me when you arrive and I’ll tell you anything I find out.” She hung up and leaned forward to rest her head in her hands.

  “Do you know the most scared I’ve ever been in my entire life?” she heard Emma ask before she felt her smaller hands on her back.

  “No, but it’s moments like this that should prove to you why, no matter what happened between us, I could never hate you. You left for something similar, and I never could punish you for it.” She felt like a child afraid of monsters hidden in the closet. Control and ferocity had always been her strong traits, but Juan had gotten in and made her remember what had happened to her sister Marie. If she wasn’t careful she’d look away for a second, and Emma and her children would be gone.

  “The night I decided to fly back here after what I’d done to you in Wisconsin was the longest, most fearful of my life.” Emma pushed her back and sat in her lap. “You were so angry when you’d left, and I thought you’d never see me, much less forgive me. That you’d cut me out was my biggest fear. I couldn’t imagine a life without you.”

  “Maybe you should’ve,” she said, to indulge her self-pity.

  “Don’t ever say that to me again.” Emma framed Cain’s face with her hands and roughly made her look at her. “You are mine, and you are what gives my life meaning. Do not ever disrespect that or me again.”

  “You’re too forgiving,” she said, and smiled even though it took effort. “That animal took you. He took you and strapped you to a table. If I hadn’t gotten there—” She couldn’t finish and she couldn’t stop the tears that fell. No amount of time or cajoling on Emma’s part would ever make her forgive herself for that mistake.

  “You did get there, my love. That’s why what happened wasn’t the most horrific day of my life. You promised me in the beginning that there’d never be a moment you wouldn’t be there for me, loving me, protecting me, and making my dreams come true.” Emma kissed her and wiped her face with her fingertips. “Those promises gave me faith in the future we’d have together.”

  “I love you, but I failed to keep you whole. Twice I’ve let you down, and it kills me to admit it.”

  “Listen to me, okay? The world doesn’t guarantee there’ll be no bad days. What makes them tolerable for me is having you hold my hand, no matter how bad the storm.” Emma kissed her again, only longer and with more passion. “The other thing that makes them easier is that you’re going to find whatever threat is out there and eliminate it. I have no doubt that you’ll kill this guy for touching what belongs only to you. I am yours as much as you are mine. Remember
that you found him once, so find him again and end this.”

  Cain nodded and stayed silent until her emotions were back under wraps. “Sorry I freaked out on you like that.”

  “Do you know what an honor it is that you trust me enough to see you without your armor? To the rest of the world you’re Cain Casey, but here when it’s just us, I simply want you to be you. I want your strength, your tears, and your fears. I’ll never judge you for showing me your vulnerable side because then I know you’re sharing all of yourself with me. Believe me, I’ll only love you more for it.”

  “Can you also promise me you’ll be careful? He’s here, lass, and if something happens to you my life would empty.”

  “Sabana may not like it, but we’re going to be best friends.”

  “She won’t be a problem, believe me,” she said as the helplessness that had momentarily taken over subsided. “So he’s here finally. I don’t know how long or where, but finding him in New Orleans is going to be easier than chasing him through Mexico.”

  “Do you want to postpone our ceremony? Considering this, I won’t mind waiting.”

  “No,” she said forcefully. “Juan Luis has already taken up more of my time than he deserves, and I’m tired of making sacrifices for this fool.”

  “Good.” Emma rested her head on Cain’s shoulder. “What else did Carlos want?”

  “He wants Gracelia, and if I find her first, I’m going to gift-wrap her and deliver her with a bow in her hair.”

  Chapter Eleven

  “What’s going on?” Dallas asked as she got dressed to the sound of the phone ringing constantly.

  Remi had taken every call, giving orders to each caller. “You got in late last night, so I didn’t get to tell you that Cain called and said Juan Luis was back in town.”

  Dallas paused with her lips puckered, ready for the lipstick in her hand. “Is Emma okay? That guy has a lot in common with Johnny.”

  Dallas hardly mentioned her late father anymore, something that might’ve worried Remi had both Dallas and Kristen not gone through counseling about their ordeal. She’d wanted both sisters to talk to a professional so they wouldn’t have any ghouls hiding in their thoughts waiting to ambush them in the future.

  “Juan is going to meet the same fate as Johnny, so you don’t have to worry about it. The excess calls I’m getting are Cain putting extra security in place, so don’t be alarmed when you have more than Emile with you. I’m not taking any chances.”

  “What about Kristen?” Dallas stepped into her arms and gazed up at her.

  “I took care of that this morning while you were in the shower. She left for school with a group of people dressed so they won’t stick out, or as much as a heavily armed group of people can manage not to be noticed on Tulane’s campus.”

  “I love how you take care of us,” Dallas said before she kissed her. This was a rare day off for Dallas, and Remi was enjoying watching her get ready as she went through her morning routine in her underwear. Once the film had started production, Dallas usually threw on a pair of baggy pants and a T-shirt to make it easier for the makeup crew. “I guess this means I don’t get you all to myself today.”

  “My first stop is Cain and Emma’s, so you can tag along if you want. Cain and I have a little business, but then you and I have an appointment with the Realtor this afternoon, so you get me for the rest of the day. I think you might like the location this time.”

  “Am I being too picky?” Dallas ran her hand up Remi’s thigh, pushing her breasts harder into her chest.

  “You can be as picky as you want. We’re not buying this for an investment. It’s going to be our home.” She reached behind Dallas and unhooked the navy-blue silk bra she had on. It wasn’t until Dallas that she’d ever thought one woman would and could be enough to keep her interest and earn her trust, but she had that and more now. Dallas knew every aspect of her life and had never given her a reason to be wary that she was in danger of exposure. Since they’d moved in together, they’d both enjoyed the permanence that came from sharing their lives and waking up together.

  “Do you have a few minutes?” Dallas took a step back so she could strip off her bra and panties.

  Seeing Dallas like this, Remi understood the hundreds of proposals that came via her fan club. Her reps removed the scary ones, but every other person who posted to the page wanted a date with this beautiful woman. They saw the gorgeous façade, but to her, Dallas was so much more.

  “I don’t look stupid all of a sudden, do I?” she asked, a growing throb between her legs.

  “I know we just got up, but I’d really like to go back to bed.” Dallas started on the buttons of her shirt. “This shoot started this week, and I’m already looking forward to every hour I have off because I miss you.”

  Remi helped Dallas onto the bed and simply admired her as she took everything off. “The feeling is mutual.” Usually she enjoyed the time they took with each other, but the world had been banging on her door all morning, so this would have to be fast. She kissed Dallas once before she spread her legs and put her mouth on her.

  Dallas was sweet tasting, hard, and from the way her hips bucked forward, she was ready for her. Her cell rang, muted some by the fact it was in her pants pocket, and she ignored it to slide her fingers into Dallas’s drenched sex.

  “That feels so good,” Dallas said as she gazed down at her through half-opened eyes. To Remi she appeared lush, sexy, and in need. The phone stopped but started again after a second pause. “Do you need to get that?”

  “They can wait,” she said, then put her mouth back. Dallas moved her hips faster and harder when Remi increased the pressure, and she smiled around the hard clit when Dallas shut her eyes as if she had to concentrate on the pleasure.

  “Oh,” Dallas said, sounding out of breath as she clutched the sheets. Her legs fell farther apart, and she dug her heels into the mattress so she could thrust her hips to meet Remi’s fingers.

  She sped up her strokes as Dallas’s movements became more erratic and the walls of her sex squeezed her fingers. In their time together she’d tried to learn everything about what made Dallas feel good and turned her on, so she was sure her orgasm was close. “Don’t stop, baby,” Dallas said, and her hips froze. Remi stilled her fingers as well, and when Dallas groaned, she moved them out and slammed them back in until Dallas told her to stop.

  The orgasm had made Dallas’s skin slightly flushed, and she held the top of Remi’s head so she’d keep her tongue flat against her clit. “I love you so much,” Dallas said when the intensity had passed.

  She moved up to hold her and cursed the damn phone. “I love you, and I wish these windows opened. If they did I’d toss that damned thing out,” Remi said, and Dallas laughed.

  “Answer it and tell the guys you have to turn it off for a little while.” Dallas got off the bed and dug it out for her.

  “Remi,” she said, when she saw it was her personal guard Simon. It took effort to pay attention when Dallas got back on the bed, straddled her at the waist, and cupped her own breasts and held them up to her lips.

  “I know you’re not ready yet, but an agent’s downstairs demanding to see you.”

  “One of the regular guys?” she asked as Dallas made room for her hand between her legs. If she didn’t have to leave the bedroom soon, it would be one of those mornings when Dallas couldn’t get enough.

  “It’s someone named Special Agent Ronald Chapman. He’s with another agent, Brent Cehan.”

  Dallas put a lot of her weight on her knees so she could rub herself on Remi’s fingers. The sight of that along with the way her head was thrown back was enough to make Remi come. “Did he say what he wanted, since he doesn’t have an appointment?”

  “He said it’s urgent and whatever he had to say wasn’t any of my business.”

  “Well, tell him he can either wait or come back when I’m dressed. And not to be rude, but I’m hanging up now.” She threw the phone on the floor and put her ot
her hand on Dallas’s ass to pull her forward a bit so she could reach her nipple. When she sucked it in, it felt rock hard against her tongue. “For future reference, that’s a really good way to get me off the phone in a hurry.”

  “All this time away from you makes me incredibly horny,” Dallas said, grinding her hips slowly now and getting her entire hand wet. “How about you? Does time away from me make you crave me?”

  “Crave is a good word for it,” she said, then hissed when Dallas pinched her nipple. “You want to come again like this or do you want me to lick you dry?”

  “Are you sure you can wait? I don’t want to be selfish.” Dallas moved a little faster when Remi sucked on the other nipple. She always looked forward to touching Dallas, but in the mornings when the room was lit with sunshine, it was even better because she could see every part of Dallas’s body and every expression on her face. This position allowed her to really sit back and enjoy watching Dallas take what she wanted at her own speed.

  “Take your time, querida.” She squeezed Dallas’s ass and added more pressure between her legs, the hard clit amazingly prominent under her fingers. She ran her tongue along Dallas’s neck and opened her mouth when Dallas kissed her.

  “Put your fingers back in and fuck me.” She groaned at the command but did as Dallas asked. Dallas squeezed her shoulders as she came again and dropped her head against her when she was done. “You’re such a giver, baby,” she said, and laughed. “You deserve a reward.”

  Dallas moved back until she was kneeling between her legs and ran her finger from Remi’s throat to the hairline of her groin. The slow, soft touch drove her desire to the point of excruciating.

  Before she had to beg, Dallas moved her finger lower. “Lie down for me,” Dallas said, brushing her hair behind her shoulders to get it out of the way. It was like her first time making love, and Remi felt uncontrolled and inexperienced when Dallas put her tongue under her clit since she knew she wouldn’t last too long.

  Dallas stopped and she came close to screaming. “What?” she said, and had to clear her throat because her voice was so raspy.