“Are they reporting on the hero killed last night?” Emma asked, tapping her finger on the photo.
Merrick folded the paper. “The op-ed piece was more like a laundry list of Barney’s sins. For once the media got it right, so with a bit more digging our Dudley Do-Rights will surely pick up the correct scent and leave Cain alone.” Emma sat down across from Merrick as she drained her cup. “What’s on our agenda today?”
“We need to stop by the house first.” She picked up a piece of toast and was about to butter it when she decided plain would be more palatable. “Then I need to make a few stops for Hayden’s birthday party.”
“Let’s get to it then,” Merrick said after Emma took one bite of the bread and threw it down with disgust. Per Cain’s instructions, the car was waiting for them out back.
A few minutes later they reached the house and drove through the new security gate Cain had installed, along with a new brick fence that now completely surrounded the grounds instead of three-fourths of it as before. Inside, all the rooms had been painted, and the back of the house appeared as if nothing had happened. Cain’s study had been restored to as close as Emma could get it to the original; even most of the leather from Dalton’s office chair had been retained. The bulletproof glass was the one major change she’d made, so she could sleep better. Its cost had made even Cain’s eyebrows rise, but she didn’t care about anything but keeping Cain whole.
Jimmy Pitre the contractor said, “Just a few more touch-ups and you’re ready to roll, Mrs. Casey. They’re so minor, though, if you want to move in, go ahead, and we’ll work around you.”
Emma stood at the large window in Cain’s office. The backyard hadn’t changed much except for some playground equipment Cain had ordered installed for Hannah, but Emma could see those killers breaching the walls, intent on destroying her family. She shivered at the macabre memory and dwelt on the major difference between Giovanni and their other enemies.
Giovanni was a sadist with a penchant for ambush, but at least when he did come after you he approached in the open and you knew how to respond. Their home was repaired and safer, but now they needed to contend with the enemy who hid in dark places trying to catch snatches of their secrets. As Cain had said from the beginning—the feds operated without honor.
“Just one more thing, Mr. Pitre.” Emma turned and faced him.
He glanced at Merrick before answering. “More changes?” He kept his smile, but Emma could tell he was close to cringing.
“Not on my part, no.” A wave of dizziness made her sit at Cain’s desk.
“I don’t follow.” He moved aside when Merrick bumped into him on her way to Emma’s side.
“Are you okay?” Merrick asked.
“Just missing my morning coffee, I guess…I’m fine.” She smiled up at Merrick, wrapping her fingers briefly around her wrist to keep her from moving away. “What I mean is,” she said to Jimmy, trying to get back on track, “when you took this job we made a deal about who you’d allow to work here. You agreed you’d only use guys you could vouch for.”
“I did.”
“I’m not saying you didn’t, but I’m having the house swept today. If I find the kind of devices that require the walls to be ripped up, I’m going to deduct five thousand for every one I find.”
He took a step forward but stopped when Merrick put her hand in her jacket. “You can’t do that,” Jimmy said in transparent panic.
“I’m not,” Emma said calmly, almost laughing at how he puffed out his chest, thinking she’d backed down. “I’ll let my partner Cain collect however she sees fit. I love my privacy, but Cain is rather fanatical about hers. Once I’m done with the sweep I’ll have Cain call you so we can settle our bill.” She stared at him until he broke first and lowered his head. “Any problems with that?” Jimmy shook his head. “Anything you’d like to tell me?” He hesitated but shook his head again, only not as enthusiastically. “Thanks for stopping by, then. If there’s a problem, like the fact you might owe us some money, I suggest you secure a line of credit before you meet with Cain. She’s not only a stickler for her privacy, but she won’t tolerate you owing us money.”
As soon as Jimmy was out of earshot, Merrick started laughing. “It’s going to take a week for his balls to fall back into place. Whatever happened to that farm girl I met not that long ago?”
“She found out the world is full of wolves, and they all wear gray suits. Thanks for putting that picture in my head.”
Merrick sat across from her and leaned closer. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. Could you call in the guys and let’s see what we’re up against?” She whispered, figuring from Jimmy’s subdued demeanor the bugs were not only there, but were operational.
“How’d you guess Jimmy would’ve taken the chance?”
Emma let out a short, sarcastic laugh. “He was in here working one day when I came by with the decorator. It was the Confederate-flag tattoo with the words ‘live free or we’ll take you out’ that made me think he’d fall for the hype the feebies are always selling.”
“He didn’t look all that brave when he left,” Merrick said.
“I grew up with guys like that and they never are, unless they’re dealing with women or someone weaker. Confront them and they crumble like stale cookies, but for the most part they like to beat their chests and show the world how macho they are. Lucky for me I married the cure for jerks like that.”
The guy standing at the door waited until she finished before interrupting. “You have a visitor, ma’am.” He stepped aside so Dallas was visible.
“You said I could stop by if I wanted,” Dallas said.
“I’m glad you did.” Emma stood and smoothed her skirt.
Dallas appeared almost shy and unsure of herself, and she reminded Emma of the girl she was when she’d first arrived from Wisconsin. Back then she’d never had Dallas’s sense of style or level of success, but looking at Dallas, Emma could tell she had started something that excited and terrorized her.
Remi, like Cain, could devastate anyone with her looks and win anyone over with her charm, but she still had that dark side that couldn’t be ignored. That side of both Remi and Cain could stop you cold if you thought too long about what they were capable of, but loving them meant accepting all of who they were. For her it was easy. Cain was ferociously protective, but she’d never felt that Cain committed the atrocities, as the government tried to define what she’d done, for pleasure.
Now, with Dallas, she had the chance to give someone the insight she’d had to gain for herself, after getting over her own mistakes. It would be nice to have a friend on a journey similar to hers.
“How about an early lunch?” Emma asked.
“That sounds great because I wanted to take you up on your offer to talk.”
“Then how about an early lunch at our current address? If we’re going to talk, I’d rather it stay between friends.”
Chapter Nineteen
“My uncle’s stuck in the past,” Juan said to Anthony Curtis. “He doesn’t understand that the world has changed even though he refuses to.” He shoved a forkful of eggs into his mouth, some of it falling and staining the napkin he had tucked into his shirt collar. “He said no, didn’t he?”
Anthony crossed his legs and ran his finger along the top of his coffee cup. He couldn’t appear too eager, because after reading the morning’s paper he wanted in more than ever. If he played this idiot just right, he could use him to find his way in and eventually to Cain.
“Mr. Luis is entitled to his opinion and to whom he has working for him.” He took a sip of coffee and shrugged. “His opinion of me isn’t good, and yes, he turned me down. That’s okay, though. I’m looking into other options.”