"I've worked for Mr. Luis half my life," Carlos said, never turning around, "and I'd never disrespect him by calling him by his first name. Pedro was just giving you a lesson in manners."

Unarmed and bleeding, Anthony sat quietly for the rest of the ride.

He kept reminding himself that he was smarter than all these people combined, but he had to stay calm if he was going to get out of this alive. As they exited the interstate, a car accident had backed uptraffic, a perfect chance to escape, but his watcher must have sensed the same thing and pushed the barrel of his gun so viciously into his side that Anthony winced.

As they finally approached the hotel, sweat acc.u.mulated under his arms and down his back. Would anyone even notice if these idiots killed him and took him out with the trash?

"If you cause a scene in the lobby, Agent Curtis, I swear on my mother's head youwill live to regret it," Carlos said.

The threat made him behave until Carlos swiped his key card at Rodolfo's suite door. Rodolfo was sitting in the same spot he'd chosen the last time theymet, only this time the drapes were closed.

Anthony sat down.

"No one asked you to sit, Mr. Curtis," Rodolfo said, then crossed his legs. "You aren't a very mannered man, are you?"

"My manners are fine, I just have a headache," Anthony said as he pointed to his head where he'd been hit, but stood after Rodolfo's reprimand. "That would put anyone in a bad mood."

"You're just an innocent victim in all this, I'm sure." Rodolfo laughed. "You can tend to your head in a bit since I'm not planning to keep you long."

"If you want to offer me a jobmy dance card's full." Carlos came closer and he almost expected to get hit again.

"My nephew's not very smart and seldom thinks, but don't put me in the same league. I don't want to offer you a job. I want to give you fair warning." Rodolfo got to his feet and stepped close enough that Anthony could smell his cologne. "Go home and tend to your head and be grateful that's all that happened."

"I don't work for you, Mr. Luis, so, with all due respect, I don't have to take orders from you." He heard the whoosh of air behind him just before the pain in his head drove him to his knees. When Anthony could open his eyes, Carlos stood over him, holding his own gun to his head.

"Supposedly you work for my nephew, but you and I both know who you really work for, so I want you gone. If you talk to Juan again...well, I'll leave that to your imagination." Rodolfo pressed his fingers to the oozing wound and looked at them before he painted Anthony's cheek with the blood that coated them. "Like you said, though, you don't work for me, but I want you to remember one thing."

"What?"

"The next time I call you in for a talk, don't beg for mercy or cry for salvation, because there won't be any."

Anthony was still on his knees, which made Rodolfo seem taller when he peered up at him. "If you believe I still work for the FBI, isn't treating me like this stupid?"

"Do you think anyone in this room but you is going to admit this meeting took place? Go home and back to your job, Mr. Curtis, and you won't have a thing to worry about. If you don't, you won't be of consequence to anyone for long."

Rodolfo left the room, and Carlos picked Anthony up and handed him to Pedro. "Now you can take that cab, Agent Curtis."

"What about my guns?"

"You know what I think?"

"What?"

"That this won't be the last time we talk." Carlos suddenly grabbed Anthony's crotch and squeezed so hard his eyes welled with tears.

"When we have to talk again, I'm going to shoot this off first and send it to that pretty lady you work for." He squeezed harder. "Then I'm going to put a bullet between your eyes with your FBI gun that I'm keeping to show my friends." Carlos laughed before throwing him out.

Out in the hall Anthony leaned against the wall well away from the suite, trying to get his heart rate down. He needed to concoct a new plan before Juan returned the next night. No matter what it was, Carlos, Rodolfo, and Pedro were going down.

"And when that happens, you son of a b.i.t.c.h, don't begme for mercy," he said, referring to Rodolfo. "Because I'm going to pull the f.u.c.king trigger three times, and it's going to feel sweet."

Chapter Thirty-Two.

"You ready to go, la.s.s?" Cain yelled up the stairs while Hannah climbed to the fourth step and jumped into her arms. It was the third time she'd gone through the process of climbing and jumping, adding a step every time.

"If she tries that with me when you're not home, I'm going to be p.i.s.sed when I call you from the emergency room," Emma said from the landing. She'd changed into a simple-cut dress and low heels.

"Hannah's smart enough not to try that with you, Mama," Hayden said as he pa.s.sed her on the way down.

"Why do you think that?"

"Because when I was four I was smart enough to know we'd both be in trouble if I tried it. You're our mom, but you're kind of shrimpy," he joked.

"Good to know, son." She started down, keeping her eyes off Hannah, who was leaping from the sixth step now.

This time Cain caught Hannah and kept her in her arms. "Let's go pick up Grandpa," she said, having to use both hands to keep Hannah still. "Wait until you see what he got you for your birthday,"

she told Hayden.

"He let you know what itwas? "

"He called for hints, and I told him you missed your milking duties so much he smuggled a cow on board."

"You're so funny. You're just jealous I know how and you don't."

"Your mom promised to take me in the barn for a private lesson when we go up for a visit" Emma put her hand over Cain's mouth and pointed to the door.

Cain drove them to the airport, with Lou, Merrick, and Mook following. Ross had planned the trip to sign a contract for Cain, and for Hayden's birthday. The airport was busy as the influx of Sunday afternoon flights arrived, so it took Cain a while to find two parking spots close to each other.

They waited at the Delta section, and Hannah ran around them.

Cain split her time watching her and Emma, who had her eyes plastered to the long concourse but had been constantly smoothing down her dress in a nervous-tic way.

"Are you okay?" she asked Emma.

"It's weird, but I'm not. I've felt like such a disappointment to him for so long that sometimes I don't know how to act around him."

Cain put her arm around Emma's waist and kissed her temple.

"I've talked to your father quite often since we got back, and he certainly isn't disappointed in you. Ross is proud of the life and family you've built, la.s.s. With his separation from your mother, he feels freer to express himself, and he's looking forward to spending more time with us. It's time for him to get to know his grandchildren and his little girl. You two need to move past the shadow of what happened with your mother and stop wasting time dwelling on what could've been."

"He did mention that Maddie and Jerry agreed to take over the farm," Emma said. "With the help from their new silent partner, Jerry's planning to put together a bigger herd for the coming season." A crowd was making its way up the main corridor, meaning a flight had just deplaned. "With any luck we can talk him into staying with us during the winter months. What do you think?"

"That we need to get the house finished so he'll know we have a place for him." Cain jutted her chin in the direction of the security stand and the first guy through it. "Go tell him h.e.l.lo."

Ross stopped halfway to them and put his bag down so he could pick up Hannah, who was running toward him at her usual rapid pace. It was the reception he'd been hoping for, and only got better when Hayden was right behind her.

"You both have gotten so big," he told them after giving both a kiss.

"I missed you, Grandpa," Hannah said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed.

"h.e.l.lo, Daddy," Emma told him. Cain was next to her and took Hannah from him.

With his hands free, Ross didn't hesitate to put his arms around Emma and hang on until a lump formed in his throat. "You have a beautiful family, sweetheart," he managed to say, and Emma simply nodded against his shoulder.

"Let's get out of here and go catch up," Cain said as she patted Ross on the back. "If you're not too tired, the kids want to treat you to dinner at their favorite place."

It didn't take long to get to Jacquimo's on Oak Street. The restaurant started by a merchant-marine cook was in an old shotgun house, and the kids loved it because they got to walk through the kitchen to get to the dining area out back. None of the plates or utensils matched, the drinks were served in Mason jars, and the wait staff looked rather Bohemian, but they made the best fried chicken in the city.

Ross barely had to speak as Hannah and Hayden filled in what they'd been doing since he'd seen them last. By the time they reached coffee and dessert, Hannah was asleep on Cain's lap.

When they got home, Ross watched Emma and Cain work together to put Hannah to bed and smiled as he remembered how Barney Kyle had described Cain. This gentle soul didn't resemble the rabid beast in Kyle's stories at all.

"Looks like Hannah's forgotten your mom," Ross told Emma.

"Thank G.o.d for that. You want to call it a night or join Cain downstairs?" Emma pointed in the direction Cain had headed. "I put a pair of Cain's sweats and some T-shirts on your bed to sleep in.

Hopefully they'll find your bags by tomorrow."

"What, she doesn't own pajamas?" he asked, then laughed.

Emma blushed but laughed along with him. "There's a spare toothbrush in there too."

"Sorry, I couldn't resist, and I can go to bed if you want. You look tired." He combed Emma's hair back, an old habit he'd developed from the time she was a baby.

"Cain's just finishing up some stuff, and I'm going to bed, don't worry." Emma kissed him on the cheek. "I know you like talking to her, and when the kids are wound up like that it's hard to cut in. I'm happy you're here, Daddy."

"You might get sick of having me around now that I'm retired."

"We'll see about that." Emma kissed him again and headed for their bedroom.

Ross found his way to the study and stood outside until Cain finished her phone call. "Staying up past nine might take some getting used to."

"We'll citify you in no time," she said, then laughed. "And I hope you do come to like it here. Emma's been redecorating our place and your rooms are ready."

"I told you I'd sign for you on that casino thing, no need to b.u.t.ter me up. The last thing you need is some old codger hanging around."

"I'll have plenty of time to convince you otherwise, but for tonight how about a drink and a comfortable bed?"

They talked close to an hour over a couple of gla.s.ses of aged whiskey before Cain walked him to his room. "Give a yell if you need anything."

Cain stopped at the children's rooms to check on them before joining Emma. When she opened their door, a candle burning on the nightstand gave off just enough light for Cain to tell Emma was naked. With a flick of her fingers she locked the door and started stripping off pieces of clothing, leaving a trail to the bed.

"We'll talk about my father later, okay?"

"Want to talk about something else?"

"Actually I don't want to talk at all," Emma said, as she encouraged Cain to cover her with her body. "Just touch me."

Later she'd have to ask Emma what she'd been thinking about while she'd been downstairs with Ross, because when she put her fingers on Emma she was wet. From that first touch Emma spread her legs wider and lifted her hips to meet her touch.

"Go inside, baby, please," Emma whispered in her ear.

As Cain slowly gave Emma what she wanted, she dragged her nails from the small of her back upward. As quick as a summer rainstorm, Cain was soaked. She tried to go slower, but Emma wasn't having any of it. Emma set the pace with her hips, and Cain merely smiled and complied. Emma's o.r.g.a.s.m didn't stop her, and she pressed Cain closer.That near, Cain could hear her breathing deepen and quicken.

"You ambushed me," Cain said when Emma was done.

"Not yet, but that was in my plan."

Cain laughed but soon moaned as Emma left her arms and disappeared under the covers.

When Emma wrapped her lips around her c.l.i.toris and sucked hard, she grabbed a handful of the sheets. At this rate she wasn't going to last long, but she felt so good she did nothing to slow Emma down.

Emma brought her to the brink then stopped, making Cain's eyes fly open.

"What's wrong?" she asked, out of breath.

"Nothing."Emma put two fingers in,then pulled out slowly.

"Not a good time to be stopping, la.s.s."

Emma didn't respond but lowered her head again, this time using only the tip of her tongue. Soon Cain was at the same level of excitement, and her c.l.i.t felt so hard when Emma stopped again she thought it would pop.

"Set on torturing me then?" she asked. "Did I do something wrong?"

"You should be asking yourself what you've done right." Emma ran her flat tongue upward this time. "And you should be asking yourselfwhat's it going to take," she did it again, "to get what you want." The third swipe of her tongue made Cain lift her hips so far off the bed chasing Emma's mouth that she could feel her calf muscles tense. "What do you want, mobster?"

Cain lifted her upper body up and grabbed Emma, making her squeal. Carefully she turned her around so her mouth was just below Emma's opening. "What I want is to even the score." She lifted her head slightly and kissed the glistening lips. "Just remember one thing."

"What?" Emma asked, lowering her head and repeating Cain's actions.

"If you stop, so will I." If Emma thought to say anything or ask a question, Cain emptied her mind as she sucked her in.

"Understand?" She repeated her actions and Emma pressed herself closer. "Do you understand?"

She came close to laughing when Emma still didn't answer, but that notion died abruptly when Emma put her mouth back on her.

This time Cain could tell as the pressure built that Emma wasn't going to stop. She could sense how Emma felt about her in every touch, and Cain felt so good she had to force herself to concentrate on giving Emma pleasure. It didn't take long for her o.r.g.a.s.m to wash over her, but she didn't stop touching Emma until she reached the same peak.

She helped Emma turn around and ran her fingers gently along her back, since Emma had collapsed on top of her. "Tell me what I did right so I can keep up the good work," Cain said softly. The mattress bounced slightly when Emma laughed."Because I certainly do like your rewards."