Part 27 (1/2)
”I had a choice of bribing some old fat white guys into cutting us in on some gambling action, or bribing you into spending the day with me. It wasn't a close contest so here I am. I want to spend hours showing you how much I love you and just how beautiful I think you are.”
”Do you have any idea how much I love you?” Emma put her hand behind Cain's neck and pulled her down to claim a kiss. Any insecurities she had of Cain not finding her attractive disappeared when her partner's tongue pushed gently against hers and Cain's hands covered her backside, pulling her closer.
”How about we answer that question in the bedroom, Mrs. Casey?” asked Cain, when they pulled apart.
”That's me, and I always will be.”
They had spent so many mornings like that, so many days when Emma had rushed down to Cain's office so she could feel Hayden moving around. Had Hannah been so active? Had the picture of Emma feeding her been as sweet and beautiful? Cain could never live those stories again, and her own Mrs. Casey had stolen them from her.
”I've learned something about myself in the last month, Cain. In the end I couldn't betray you just to regain my son. For the longest time I thought it was a fair trade. You got Hayden and I'd have Hannah, but it doesn't work. We have two children, and each of them needs us for different reasons. I'd love nothing more than for you to forgive me, but if that doesn't happen we need to learn to share them.”
”If you were in my shoes, Emma, would you forgive?”
Emma admitted to herself that when she had come back and wanted to see Hayden, Cain had granted access. It wasn't Cain's fault she had left and her son hated her for it, which was her own burden to carry. So she answered truthfully. ”No.”
”Sweetling, that might be the first honest thing you've said to me in forever.”
The endearment and the rest of what she had to confess started her tears. ”There's more.” Through the hiccups and sobs, she got out the rest. Hayden was gone, Cain was shot, and it was all her fault.
”Who has him?”
”Giovanni Bracato.”
Cain forgot the pain for a moment and closed her hand into a fist. ”That fat b.a.s.t.a.r.d's going to wish he'd stayed a gleam in his father's eye.”
”I've already met with him.” Emma leaned back in the chair and wiped her face. She didn't think Cain would coldc.o.c.k her, but she wasn't taking any chances. The medication Cain was on could prove her wrong.
”You? I'm sure he found that highly amusing. What'd you do, ask him pretty please with sugar on top?”
Merrick's arrival was enough to defuse Cain's rampage and allay the nurses. ”No, she had Mook knock out his front teeth and the rest of the boys kidnap all Bracato's kids, including his grandson, Little Gino.”
Cain turned to Emma, who nodded in confirmation. ”I wanted him ready to deal, and I thought his whole family would be worth Hayden.”
”Listen to me carefully, the both of you. If you get him killed, start running before his body hits the floor. Run like the devil himself is chasing you, because you'll find you might prefer him to me.” Cain glared at both of them in turn, and her voice was pure menace. ”Nothing fancy whenever this goes down. You get my son and leave. Understand?”
”Yes,” both Emma and Merrick answered.
”But, Cain,” Emma said.
”Get out.”
Cain was done, but neither of her visitors moved. She leveled a murderous glare at both of them, and her voice dropped to its chilliest register.
”Get the f.u.c.k out.”
Chapter Thirty-Three.
Shelby stirred her coffee, hoping two pink packets of sweetener and three creamers would make it taste better. ”Why is it you hardly ever blip on the radar Cain's constantly under, Muriel?”
”I'm around, Shelby, so you tell me.”
”Cain's your only client?” Shelby watched as Muriel took a healthy swig from the Styrofoam cup and s.h.i.+vered. This one must have the makeup of a killer too if she can drink this s.h.i.+t black.
”Is this a coffee date or an interrogation? If your answer's 'date,' you must not do too much of it.”
”This is not a date.”
”So we'll go with the interrogation, then.” Muriel had on her courtroom smile, which was making Shelby nervous.
”Can't a girl be just curious?”
”Most women are, Agent Daniels, but then again most of them don't have the ability to arrest you if their curiosity hits a nerve.” With one more gulp, Muriel drained the cup. ”What was the question again?”
”I forget.”
”Somehow that seems highly unlikely to me.” The smile got wider. ”My cousin Derby is my only active client, yes, but I take care of the business as well as her. She's two years older than me, but I hear tell I'm better in bed.”
”I doubt it.” It slipped out before Shelby could censor it.
”See there, we've come to our first nerve, and unfortunately it's a strike against me. Derby has always had a little better luck with the pretty ones. Must be that gangster thing. Attorneys are more of an acquired taste.”
Shelby laughed at Muriel's easy charm. ”More like a pain in the a.s.s. I spend my life trying to catch criminals, and people like you spend it trying to let them loose. And I thought I told you to call me Shelby.”
”Since your next question was most probably if I've ever been involved in the family business, I thought I should address you accordingly. I wouldn't want it said in court I was disrespectful.” Muriel pointed to Shelby's cup. ”Another?”
”Just hanging around your family is death wish enough, thank you. Can I ask just one more question? I promise it has nothing to do with business.”
”My phone number?”
Shelby shook her head and laughed again. ”Maybe later, much later. What I want to know is Emma's story. I wasn't on Kyle's detail when Cain went up north, and she was history before I came to the city.”
”I'm sure it's in Derby's file. Why not just read about it?”
”Because I want to hear it from you. Why'd she leave?”
There was no harm in telling the story, but Muriel was so good at her job because she was suspicious of everything. The world didn't revolve around money. It revolved around information. Something said innocently now could later be the final nail in the Casey family coffin, and she wasn't about to be the one to bury Cain.
”The truth is, this is Derby's story to tell, Shelby.”
”This is off the record, Muriel. I came today because I owe Cain something. I'm sure I'll get my transfer now, and I didn't want to leave without knowing. Maybe there's something I can do to make her feel better. You know, pay her back in some way.”
The confession sounded sincere enough to Muriel. ”It doesn't change the fact that it's Cain you need to ask. Cain's not just my client, Shelby, she's my family. A cousin who's gone through more than her share of tragedy, all the while knowing she was being watched like a b.u.t.terfly pinned to a board. The truth is, she trusts me more than most, and she hasn't told me everything about Emma.”
”I can respect that.”
”Thank you,” said Muriel. She watched Emma rush by the cafeteria headed toward the front entrance, followed closely by Merrick. ”Would you excuse me a moment. Better yet, why not go back up and visit Cain while I tend to something. I promise I won't be long.”