And once you drop me off, stay the h.e.l.l away from me." He got in and grabbed his stomach as soon as he was past Lionel. The momentum landed him in the middle of them. "Oh G.o.d," he said in obvious pain.

After that, everyone but Jimmy dashed for the back and piled out into the street. Cain's car stopped as it came through the gate and she rolled the window down.

"Problem?"Cain asked, smiling.

"You know d.a.m.n well what our problem is," Shelby said.

Cain craned her head to see in the van. "I really don't know, but that," she pointed to the van and the stains on their pants, "is the true meaning of listening to s.h.i.t."

Chapter Twenty-Nine.

A few cars were parked in front of Jarvis's house when Cain got back, but she a.s.sumed Remi and her family were there. Emma was waiting at the front door and took her hand and led her into the kitchen.

"Giving cooking lessons?" Cain said as a joke as she kissed the side of Emma's neck. "Not that I don't want to be alone with you, la.s.s, but don't we have company?"

"If you weren't so big I'd spank you. We have company, but not all of it is who you were expecting. Nunzio Luca's here andRemi's keeping him company."

"Did she ask you to call Ramon and Mano?"

"Not yet, and she didn't ask me to leave, so I've been making small talk to help her out. Honey," she held both of Cain's hands, "this guy's a creep. I didn't think anyone could be a bigger a.s.s than Juan, but after spending an hour with Nunzio, I have to admit I was wrong."

"He's not only acreep, he doesn't know how to take directions.

Today isn't Tuesday." She kissed Emma and turned to join Remi.

"Hey," Emma said, stopping her. "You were gone longer than I thought. How'd it go with Jimmy?"

"He owes us some money, and after our talk," Cain couldn't help but laugh, "I'm sure he had an a.s.s full of me and all those bugs we found."

"You didn't."

"You're right, I didn't, but Jimmy sure did. After he was done I suggested he return them to their rightful owners. I'm sure they can be used again, but I hope they disinfect them first."

Emma was laughing so hard she was hanging on the counter.

"Thanks for putting that image in my head, and thanks for taking care of it. I feel like an idiot that I didn't post someone over there."

"When we finish the sweep, go ahead and call Jimmy back. He can work off his debt while Lou or one of the guys follows him around."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." Emma moved closer and Cain met her halfway. "After today's meeting, I'm sure he doesn't want to go through another negotiation session with me. Let me go see what Nunzio wants, then let's take the kids out for something fun."

Nunzio stood and extended his hand when Cain joined them in the sunroom. He and Remi were sitting across from each other so Cain took the sofa between them. Remi looked like her anger was simmering just below the surface.

"I didn't expect to see you for a couple more days, Nunzio. Did something change that I don't know about?"

"Remi and I started without you, and I was explaining that I'm willing to shave three percent from the final price, but I need your answer by today. I've got some business out of town, and todayis as long as I can stretch it."

"I see." Cain crossed her legs and glanced at Remi. "Talk about anything else?"

"I was just telling Remi what a lucky b.i.t.c.h she is to be seeing Dallas Montgomery. I'm a fan and sure as h.e.l.l wouldn't mind tapping into that."

"Remi?"Cain said her name, but kept her eyes on Nunzio. "Since you all started without me, what's our answer?"

"No deal even if he cuts the price in half."

"That's why I waited for you, Cain. I thought you might be the levelheaded one here." Nunzio clapped his hands and laughed. "If I insulted you by mentioning your new playmate, I'm sorry, Remi.

This is business, though, tell her, Cain."

"I believe you've got our answer. Is there anything else?"

"You and I both know you need this." Nunzio's face twisted into a snarl and he pointed at Cain.

"Why would you think that?" Cain asked.

"Because the Bracatos were a pack of idiots, but you're playing in a whole different ballgame now. The enemies you're making are smarter, stronger, and more widespread than Big Gino. With the casino, you and the Jatibons have a fighting chance to keep what you've got now." He stood up but didn't take a step toward them when Simon stood as well. "In the coming weeks, if you were hoping for backup from Vinny, I wouldn't count on that. He doesn't have his father's savvy, and the compet.i.tion will eat him alive."

"Simon, would you be so kind," Cain said. Simon bowed her head slightly and walked Nunzio out.

When they were alone Remi's head fell back and her hands clenched into fists. "I'm sorry if you wanted this, but I'm not having anything to do with that guy."

"We'll deal with this soon enough. Let's talk about the favor you wanted to ask me."

"Are you sure? We put a lot of time and effort into this."

Cain took a deep breath and released it slowly. "We did, but there'll be others. We need time to think over our next step,but that's for latertell me what's on your mind."

"It's Dallas." Remi lifted her head and leaned forward. "I asked my father to investigate her past to see where her life intersected with her manager Bob's. This guy's a total d.i.c.k, and there's some reason she hasn't dumped him."

"What did Ramon find?" Cain accepted the cigar Remi offered her and led her outside.

"Nothing yet.The trail stops at the beginning of her career. That's when Dallas Montgomery was born, and she effectively buried whoever she really is."

Cain accepted Remi's clippers and lighter to prepare her cigar.

After she blew out her first stream of smoke, she sat in one of the chairs around the pool. It would be awhile before anyone used it, but Jarvis's people kept it pristine. "Until you find out, what are you concerned about?"

"Think about what you were doing this morning." Remi lit her own cigar. "Since I doubt you've taken a sudden interest in decorating, you met with your contractor for some other reason. You and I both know there's more than one way for these b.a.s.t.a.r.ds to get in."

"And because you're guessing she's some sort of cop, you're going to just let her go?"

"Please tell me this isn't one of those keep-your-enemies-closer lectures?" Remi joked. "Isn't that what you'd do?"

"Barney Kyle turned, even if it was temporarily, the one person in my life who should've been rock solid. Because he was successful I missed my wife, the birth of my daughter, and a very long time period that I'll never get back." Cain remembered vividly how she felt then. "I could've been sure that she wouldn't betray me again by not letting her back into my life, but I would've missed out on what I need to make all this worthwhile."

"This is different. Dallas isn't Emma."

"I'll work on this personally, and if I find something, I won't tell anybody but you. Until then if you don't give a s.h.i.t about her, don't let this eat away at you, but if you do, then don't be afraid to move forward."

"And if she turns out to be a cop?"

Hannah came running across the yard, and Cain stood and grabbed her before she got within twenty feet of the pool. "I'll give you the same advice I gave Muriel." She tossed Hannah into the air, loving the squeal it always produced. "Don't talk in your sleep."

Muriel sat in the famous piano bar in Pat O'Brien's on Bourbon Street, having a scotch and listening to the woman performing. It was a tourist destination, proved by the number of folks with a mult.i.tude of different accents sitting nearby, but the place filled up every night because the musicians were so good. Cain had told her to get away from everything, and this was as much of an escape as she was willing to agree to.

As she brought her gla.s.s up, one of Vincent Carlotti's men joined her and put his beer down. Almost everyone in the room was singing the refrain from "American Pie" when he asked her to go outside to the patio.

"The boss is keeping an eye on Vinny and his business," the guy said as a start.

"So are Cain and Remi. Does he have a problem with something?"

Muriel leaned against the brick wall at the back of the open s.p.a.ce.

"More like he wanted to give youguys a heads-up. Vincent's been talking to Hector Delarosa."

"The Columbian Hector Delarosa?"Muriel asked.

"That's the one. He called tonight so Mr. Carlotti would be watching for a particular plane soon."

Muriel put her hand up to keep the waitress away. "Before you go on, tell me why you're not talking to Cain."

"I did. Cain told me where I could probably find you. You can call her if you want, but she said for you to take care of it."

She closed her eyes and shook her head. The guy standing before her represented Cain's way of giving her what she'd asked for. If she said no, that would've been acceptable too. Her role had been defined for so long, not only with her family but with the others as well, that no one would've thought less of her for keeping to her place.

"That's okay. Just tell me," Muriel said.

"When people like Hector need something taken care of, especially in the States, they use one guy. Hector said his name is Jorge Cristo, and according to Hector, he's a killing machine."

"When's he gethere?" Muriel asked. The couple sitting closest to them left and Muriel sat down.

"That's the easy partthis Friday, AeroMexico's last flight is coming in from Mexico City." He c.o.c.ked his bottle back and drained the last of his drink. "What we need to figure out before then is who his target is and who hired him."

"That we do, since it sounds like he sure as h.e.l.l isn't coming for the seafood. Tell Vincent thanks for the information." The guy stood up and shook hands with her. "Did Delarosa describe him?"

"Mr. Cristo likes to fly AeroMexico out of Mexico City because usually only about ten Americans are on the flight."

Muriel put her hands up and shrugged."And?"

"The rest of the deplaning pa.s.sengers are Mexican and other South Americans. It's a good way to blend in."

"I take it Hector didn't give him up completely."

"Hector sees potential in dealing with Vinny because of his father and his friends, but no, he didn't give us what you're asking. Down the line he might have a problem or two he needs solved. He burns Jorge, and who's he going to call to fix it?"

"Nothing's ever easy, is it?"

Chapter Thirty.

The sun was creeping along the floor, slowly making its way toward the sofa where Dallas had been lying since the night before.

She didn't feel like this very often any more, because she refused to let things she couldn't change drag her down, but on mornings like this she didn't have the strength to try.

Her tears started again, but she was so exhausted she didn't move to wipe them away. When the phone rang she ignored that as well until the machine picked up in the kitchen. She'd never recorded her own message so a robotic-sounding voice asked the caller to leave their name and number.

The sound of Kristen's voice got her on her feet and to the phone before her little sister hung up. "Hey, just wait for the stupid thing to click off," she said.

"Out late? You usually pick up by the second ring."

Kristen always sounded light, as if her essence was sunlight.

They'd started in a horrible place, but Dallas had taken the weight of that darkness so Kristen's memories would be easier to bear. She was the one person who knew all of Dallas's secrets and still loved her without reservations.

"I was sleeping in." Dallas headed for the kitchen and the coffee pot. "We went out last night, but my date was a perfect gentlewoman and deposited me on my doorstep at a decent hour."

"She didn't stay for coffee?"

Dallas heard people shouting and having a good time in the background, so she figured Kristen was sitting outside somewhere on campus. "She had a busy morning, she said."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Dallas said quietly. She pinched the bridge of her nose and placed the coffee pot under the faucet to fill it.

"Nothing's wrong," she repeated when Kristen stayed quiet.

"Are you finished hiding your feelings? I recognize that tone.

Something's wrong, and it'll be easier in the long run if you go ahead and tell me what it is."