Part 18 (1/2)
Silence reigned after that as the five watchers concentrated on the coffeehouse.
Emma and Cain still faced each other. ”First off, Cain, I'm sorry I didn't believe you about Danny. I brought Marie, a total innocent, excruciating pain, all because I chose to believe someone other than you. You had your faults, but you'd never lied to me about anything. I'm so sorry for Marie. If I could trade places with her, I would do it in a heartbeat.”
”Don't apologize for things you had no control over, Emma. Marie was my responsibility, and I'm the one who failed her, not you. And don't try to be n.o.ble. If that's all you have to say, consider yourself unburdened and free to go about your life. I have things to do.” She stood up and brushed past Emma without saying good-bye.
If Emma didn't know better she could have sworn she'd seen tears in Cain's eyes.
”You can leave, Cain, but you aren't getting away from me so easily.”
Emma walked to the counter and ordered a cup of coffee. She wasn't anxious to go back to Jarvis and the lecture she was positive was waiting for her. The door opened behind her, letting in a cold blast of damp air and making her wish the guy behind the counter would hurry with her coffee so she could at least wrap her hands around the cup to get warm.
”She wants it to go,” said a rough voice.
The young man holding the large ceramic cup nodded and went to pour the coffee into another container.
Kyle pressed up against her back and whispered in her ear. ”You say one word, and I swear on any higher power you may believe in, I'll arrest you right here, right now.”
”I don't have anything else to say to you, Agent Kyle, so I suggest you get lost.”
”Why don't you take the b.i.t.c.h's advice and just shut the h.e.l.l up, Ms. Casey, or I might make good on my promise, just to brighten my day. Think of what'll happen to poor little Hannah if Mommy's in jail.”
The little condescending laugh made a surge of anger shoot through her, and she pushed back from the counter as hard as she could so she could turn around. ”You leave my family out of this or I swear, a.s.shole, I'll tell Cain everything you have planned.”
”Isn't that why you're here? You're going to get back in Casey's bed by selling me and my people out?”
”I'm here for the rest of my family, so unless you want to give yourself away by being seen with me, I suggest you walk out of here and forget we know each other.” The fact that the rest of her family included Cain was none of his business.
”You tell her anything about what we have planned, Emma, and I'll personally see you lose everything and everyone you hold dear.”
She couldn't believe he would even say that, after his lies had cost her so much. Her anger surged stronger and surprised her more than it did Kyle. ”You pompous b.a.s.t.a.r.d. You can't stand there and threaten me with something you've already done. You left my father's place before I could talk to you and ask you why.”
”Why what?”
”Why did you lie to me all those years ago? What did my leaving Cain have to do with anything you had planned? You left me alone for four years before you thought of something I could offer you, but it was never about me and keeping me safe, was it? This was all about you and whatever vendetta you have against Cain. The sad thing is I gave you everything I love without a question or a fight. You convinced me Cain was evil, and I ran just like you wanted me to. What in the world did you get out of that?”
When the young man handed Emma her coffee, Kyle pulled her next to a large display to try to keep their talk private. After he had seen Casey leave, he had jumped from the van to go after Emma, giving the rest of the team orders to keep an eye on their target and leave the blonde to him.
”I thought your leaving would make Casey sloppy, but I guess you didn't have the influence over her I thought you did. You may not want to admit it, but getting away from here was good for you. Your mother told me”Kyle stopped when he saw the green eyes narrow.
”What does my mother have to do with anything?”
The poke to his chest following the question was so hard it made him flinch.
”Tell me, or I swear on everything you believe in, you'll have to arrest me to keep me from going to Cain.”
”Carol called me and asked me to help get you out of here long before Danny Baxter came along. Your mother's smart. She figured Casey had someone watching her, ready to pounce when the opportunity presented itself. Selling out Cain was her way of helping save your soul from the fires of h.e.l.l. You should thank her for caring so much. When I found out what happened the night of Marie's birthday party, I thought I'd kill two birds, as they say. Your mother seemed nice enough, and I wanted Casey off balance. A little white lie saved your life, so don't bother to thank me either, since my job description doesn't include saving souls.”
Hot coffee splashed on Kyle's legs when Emma dropped her cup in shock. Not once in all the time she had been home had her mother mentioned that she knew Kyle before he showed up at the farm. ”Thank you? I d.a.m.n you to h.e.l.l along with my mother. How dare you play with our lives like that and keep us apart?”
Emma's voice was getting so loud Kyle was afraid he was going to have to take drastic measures and gag her with a small bag of coffee, if that was what it took.
Just as quickly it died away, and Emma narrowed her eyes, this time in suspicion. ”Wait a minute. How did you find out about what happened that night with Danny? Cain made d.a.m.n sure to keep that in the family.” Emma saw Kyle's jaw tighten slightly and realized he was uncomfortable with the fact that he had said too much.
Shelby watched from the van with Lionel. She had hopped out and switched vehicles, knowing this was the more interesting conversation. ”Yeah, Kyle, tell us how you knew about that little incident and in such vivid detail? Danny Baxter was your chance to snare Cain, but you have yet to find the body. And I'm willing to bet five years of my salary the little s.h.i.+t's dead.” She asked the question as both she and Emma waited for Kyle to answer.
”I work for the FBI, lady. We know things.” With a shrug and a laugh, Kyle was ready to move on to the next subject.
”The only way you got into the house was by turning someone else, because we all know what a good job you did on me. G.o.d, how could I have been such a fool? Leave me alone, Agent Kyle. Don't worry. I'm not here to ruin your plan. I'm here to try and get back something I too willingly gave away.”
”Just remember, you tell Casey anything, and I will make you suffer.” Kyle squeezed her arm so hard that she gasped.
”Are you all right, miss?” The young man had a bit of an acne problem and was wearing the green ap.r.o.n that was a standard part of the wait staff's uniform, but he seemed willing to stand up to Kyle if Emma was in trouble.
”I'm fine, thank you. I was just leaving.” Emma smiled at her savior and felt Kyle's grip lessen. ”You're too late, Barney. I'm already suffering.” With a big push back, Emma broke his grip and turned to leave. If she could help it, she would never see or talk to this man again.
Chapter Twenty-Four.
Anthony and Joe watched as Cain strode away from her house. They didn't see her usual relaxed posture as she made her way down one of New Orleans's most famous streets. The two agents had become as familiar with Cain's gait as they had with her choice of clothes and cool head. Emma had obviously thrown her for a loop with one short conversation.
For the first time they followed closer than was prudent, in case Cain needed them. She was still locked in a heated territory dispute with Giovanni Bracato, and a lone walk to clear her head made her an easy target. Neither man was willing to let one of Bracato's goons get in a lucky shot just because Cain wasn't thinking.
Anthony reached for his ringing cell phone and handed it to his partner, who sat in the pa.s.senger seat chewing on a hangnail.
”What's up, Shelby?”
”Could you hop out of the van and hand the phone to Cain, please?”
”Are you going to support the wife and kids I hope to have one day when I get my a.s.s fired for doing that?”
Shelby laughed more than she had when she had dialed Cain's cell and had to tell Merrick it was a wrong number. The juvenile stunt made her think of her teenage years when she and her friends used to crank call all the guys they were in love with that week. ”Joe, you're going to have to trust me on this one.”
Joe thought about what they had already trusted her on and made a quick decision. ”Pull over, man. I gotta hop out a minute.”
Anthony parked at a street corner, wondering what Joe needed out of the back that was more important than keeping up with Cain, who sure wasn't talking to herself as she walked down the street. ”What in the h.e.l.l are you doing?” he called after Joe, when he opened the door and took off on foot after Cain with his phone.
”Making the book I'm planning to write that much more interesting.”
Cain was close to the park entrance when she heard someone call her name. Seeing who it was only made her day more bizarre. ”What can I do for you, Agent Simmons?”
”You know who I am?” Having her call him by name made him totally forget why he was talking to her.
”It's only fair. After all, you know who I am. Or did you think I'd mistake you for the Wisconsin farmhand who likes to hang out downtown in freezing cold temperatures just to see if anything exciting is happening in Haywood's local diner? Did you feel a sudden urge to confess your true ident.i.ty? Because why else would you run out and flag me down? Even you have to admit that's a little unorthodox and probably isn't in the secret-agent handbook. Didn't you get a copy, with the ever-handy decoder ring? Am I supposed to start confessing now so you won't feel alone in your sudden honesty?”
”No, ma'am. Agent Daniels wants to talk to you.” He held the phone out to her. ”You were kidding about the decoder ring, right?” Joe tried to joke back. All of a sudden he felt like he was getting to hang out with the coolest kid in school.
”Please call me Cain, and no, just ask Daniels to show you hers.” She took the phone and stepped away from him. ”What a pleasant surprise. How's your day going, Shelby?”