"If you want we can" Remi couldn't finish when Dallas covered her mouth with her free hand.

"Let me show you how much I want to touch you in return," she told Remi before she kissed her one last time before heading to where Remi most needed her.

Remi instinctively grabbed a fist full of hair to keep Dallas from moving away when she put her mouth on her. "Right there, that feels so good," Remi said softly as Dallas quickened her pace, bringing Remi's o.r.g.a.s.m on so fast she almost cried out in frustration as well as pleasure. Giving Dallas the same pleasure had left her more than primed.

When Remi was done, Dallas lifted her head and inched up until she had pressed her s.e.x to Remi's hip.

"You feel okay?" Remi asked. She rolled Dallas onto her back again.

"I will if I get more of you."

Remi positioned herself so they were mound to mound and started to pump her hips into Dallas. "Do you want me to stop?" She held herself still until she saw Dallas shake her head. If that wasn't enough, Dallas spread her legs open as far as she could and pressed her heels into the small of her back.

The harder she pumped, the harder Dallas dug her nails into her back, until Remi felt the pressure building, begging for release.

"Yes, like that," Dallas said, her voice wavering because of the motion. As Remi sped her hips she felt Dallas press her heels down harder. "Oh G.o.d...I'm coming...coming again." Remi hung on until she felt Dallas tense and moan, her actions matching her words.

Another climax so close to the first one left Remi drained, but she stayed put until Dallas opened her eyes and dropped her feet to the mattress.

When she did, Dallas's eyes and her hand rested at the top of Remi's right arm where it started to curve into her shoulder. Remi lay next to her as Dallas traced the outline of the tattoo she'd found.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" Dallas asked as her finger continued to roam over the area. "What is it?"

"It's half of a snake head."

"Why just half?"

"Mano has the other half. Our nickname on the street is Snake Eyes, so we got inked as a joke, which my mother didn't exactly find amusing. When we're out doing a little gentle persuasion we wear sleeveless shirts to show our tattoos off. We try to stand shoulder to shoulder so the image that's our company logo is easier to see. Only on these, the pupils are dice in theone position as our tribute to our father's favorite game."

Remi kissed the tip of the finger Dallas had used before rolling off the bed to retrieve the blankets they had knocked to the floor.

"Would you be more comfortable if I went back to the guestroom?" Dallas asked.

"That isn't a serious question, is it?" Remi smoothed the covers over Dallas before taking her in her arms again. "I want you here. I want you to get a good night's sleep, and then I want to talk to you about where we go from here."

Dallas snuggled closer. "I feel almost selfish being this happy, because I realize I'm only going to complicate your life with all the c.r.a.p I have in mine."

"We're going to work together to make your life as simple as possible, and we'll start in the morning. But you have to let me in and trust me. I'll wait until you're ready, if it's tomorrow or a year from now. Just promise me you won't disappear because you think you're doing me a favor."

"I'll be here until you tell me to go."

Remi tried to make her kiss show Dallas how much she cared.

"Then it'll be forever before you go anywhere without me."

Chapter Forty-Three.

Emma stood back as Cain finished reading Hannah a story. It was an hour past her regular bedtime, but Hannah had stubbornly kept her eyes open until Cain came upstairs. They made it through three-fourths of the book before Hannah was out for the night. The way Cain tucked the covers around Hannah and kissed her forehead made Emma sigh. Hannah was losing the haunted expression she often wore up North because she was afraid of doing something to make her grandmother unhappy.

"I love you," Emma said when Cain was close enough for her to put her arms around her waist.

"And I love you, la.s.s." Cain placed her palms against her cheeks and kissed her. "Think we'll have another baby like that?"

"I'll tell you in a week or so." Cain closed the door and they strolled down the hall to their room. "Daddy started fixing the holes in our walls today."

"Did the guys finish sweeping?"

"We're bug-free at the moment, and they're going through again tomorrow with the new equipment Lou ordered." She turned around so Cain could unzip her dress. "On another subject, Remi looked pale when they left. What did you two talk about?"

"Dallas," Cain said, pulling the covers back since they were both naked. "I found what Remi asked me about."

"Which was?"

"Are you sure you want to know? I promised I wouldn't even tell her father."

When Cain clicked off the lamp the room went dark, the only light coming from under the bathroom door. "Is it something Remi can live with?"

"She'll have to." Cain pressed up against Emma's back. "She might not realize it, but she's in love with her."

Emma let the subject drop, knowing how Cain felt about breaking her word. She relaxed, listening to Cain breathing and the house settling, and hadn't realized she'd fallen asleep until the phone rang two hours later.

The receiver dropped from Cain's hand as she groped for it, and she cursed softly as she had to sit up to find it. She finally pressed it to her ear and said nothing as whoever was on the other line said something brief.

"Sorry for waking you, la.s.s."Cain stood and went to into the bathroom.

"Who was that?" Emma rolled over with her eyes shut to keep from squinting.

"Katlin."Cain walked out still naked and headed for the closet.

"I've got to go meet her, but I shouldn't be long."

"Just be careful, okay."

"You got it." Cain kissed her and pulled the blankets back up. "Go back to sleep."

The damp chill in the air made Cain glad she'd put on a sweater.

Lou was already waiting for her outside the pool house. "Nice night for a chat, don't you think, Lou?"

"I was coming up to get you."

"Katlin called and woke me.What's going on outside?"

"The guys at the gate said the night crew's on. They changed when Remi pulled out."

They left a trail in the wet gra.s.s as they headed to the back of the yard. Jarvis had dug an exit, but with the light surveillance they didn't need to use it.

They scaled the wall and dropped to the neighbor's yard, virtually invisible in their dark clothing. Once they made it though the front gate, they walked two blocks to the car Lou kept parked on the street.

He paid his nephew to move it a couple of times a week so no one would notice it.

"Where's Katlin?" Cain asked as she got into the pa.s.senger side.

"She didn't want to travel too much, so she's waiting for us at the Esplanade warehouse."

They drove aimlessly through the downtown area for twenty minutes before heading through the Quarter and into the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood. With no tail, Lou made no more detours on the way to the storage warehouse Cain had owned for years. Only the deed was in Orlindo Adam's name. Considering he'd been dead since the 1980's, Cain figured he wouldn't mind as long as she paid his taxes on the property.

"It would be so much more convenient if we had these meetings in my office at home," Cain said as Lou drove to the back of the property and parked in the one covered spot. "Then I could throw on a robe and skip these late-night forays."

"Emma spent a month looking for the rug in there. She'd probably kneecap you if you messed it up," Lou said.

When Cain was upright she laughed and stretched, trying to wipe away the last of her grogginess. "Let's get going. I promised I wouldn't be long."

Katlin was sitting on the desk in the back office that at one time was probably the receiving manager's spot. The furniture had been left like it was, since Cain only wanted the place to store cases of wine. As s.h.i.tty as the place appeared from the outside, including weeds growing in the cracks in the asphalt, the main s.p.a.ce was totally climate-controlled.

The invoice Cain picked up read Brown's Dairy at the top, but the rest was too faded to read. "Where'd you find him?" she asked about the guy sitting in the chair staring down the barrel of Katlin's gun.

"Just have to know who to ask if you want to find somebody."

When Lou stood behind the guy, Katlin put her gun away. "I asked the bellman at the Piquant."

"They gave him up? I thought they prided themselves on guests'

privacy."

"I didn't ask about this clown. I asked where I could get the most authentic enchilada in town.Seems Pepe here likes the Taqueria Grill too."

"My name no is Pepe, b.i.t.c.h," Jesus said,then spit close to Katlin's shoe.

"What was he carrying?" Cain asked, ignoring Jesus for now and flipping through the wallet on the desk.

"Big man like Pepe needs a big gun." She pulled a forty-caliber pistol from her waistband.

"I say my name no is Pepe."

"What about it, Lou?" Cain asked. Jesus's ponytail swung back and forth as he swiveled his head, like he was trying to keep them all in sight. "Is it him?"

"Same hair, small build, same suitI'm positive it's this guy."

Katlin handed Jesus's gun to Cain and stood next to Lou. "If he had friends with him when you saw him, Lou, they ditched him tonight. Pepe was enjoying his enchilada all alone."

"b.i.t.c.h, you deaf or something?My name no is" Jesus screamed so loud the veins at the side of his neck bulged. When Cain shot him he squirmed like a trout on a line.

"What's your name?"

"Pepe."He rocked in his seat but didn't lift his bleeding foot. "You call me Pepe if you want."

"I'm not interested in calling you anything, but I do want to know why you killed my man in the airport."

Jesus continued to rock and had started to sweat and pull at his hair, messing up his neat ponytail. "I know nothing what you talking about. Por favor, you believe me, I no there."

"Okay, calm down, I believe you. I'm sure Lou" As Cain spoke, Lou stepped forward where Jesus could see him. "I'm sure Lou was wrong when he told me you were there, so let's try something else.

Let's say you were there but you didn't have anything to do with what happened. You understand?" Cain asked, and Jesus nodded so fast he resembled one of those fake dogs with the bobbing head that people put in their cars. "Just tell me who did."

"I no there," he screamed, sounding beyond frustrated. When Cain pulled the trigger again, the gun sounded like a cannon, but Jesus's screams drowned out the echo. He wriggled in his chair like someone had hooked him to an electric current.

"Is your memory getting any better?" Cain asked him, raising her voice to be heard over his crying. "If it isn't, then maybe one here,"

she put the gun to his shin, "will improve it."

"It no was me, I swear...it...it was Oscar...Oscar Cardone. Hekill that guy."

"See, you need the right persuasion," Cain told Lou. "I just have a few more questions so try and focus. What were you doing at the airport?"

"Senor Rodolfo, hesend us, but Oscar go crazy and we have to go."

Jesus's speech was becoming more rapid and he had to stop to throw up. "It hurt sobad ."

"One more thing.Was Anthony Curtis there?"

"Who?"Jesus's eyes widened then shut as if he realized his mistake.

When he opened his eyes again Cain's finger was moving back to press the trigger."Esperate."

The word "wait" was one of the few Cain recognized and she let the gun fall to her side. "It's late, Mr. Vega, and I'm tired. Not a good combination for you, so cut the c.r.a.p."

"You know me?"

"Your mother might have named you Jesus," she did her best to p.r.o.nounce it correctly, beginning the name with anh , "but she wasted it on you." She waved the wallet Katlin had taken from him in his face.

"Anthony, he was there."

"Were you all waiting for Juan Luis?" The gun was starting to feel heavy in Cain's hand as she bounced it against her thigh.

"Senor Rodolfo, hesend us. I go where the patron say, and then Senor Anthony say kill that man, hesee me."

The explanation was rough but understandable enough to Cain. She kept her eyes on Jesus as she handed Lou the gun. "You need me to stay?"

"I won't be long, but I want to finish and clean up. It's the least I owe Rick."