“How do you know?” She moved closer into Muriel’s embrace. “If it’s all I can have, I wouldn’t mind.”
“But I would.” Muriel moved back so she could see Shelby’s face and put her palm against her cheek. “You deserve better than that, and so do I.”
“Wait a minute.” Shelby took a deep breath. “Stop trying to think for me, and don’t decide things that will change my life. That’s definitely something I’m not looking for in a partner.”
“I’m not doing that. I’m only trying to be honest and tell you what I want. This isn’t easy, Shelby, but it’ll be ten times harder if we put it off.” She kissed Shelby in the most chaste way she could manage.
“Things are moving too fast, and I’m having a hard time keeping up with it all.”
The strange non sequitor made the skin on the back of Muriel’s neck prickle. “Give it a couple of weeks and I’m sure you’ll be fine. It’s not as if we won’t be seeing each other, considering our jobs,” Muriel said as a joke to loosen Shelby up.
“Do you ever feel everything is being turned upside down and nothing makes sense?”
“Like I said, give it time and you’ll see I’m right,” Muriel tried again.
“Give it time is your best advice?” Shelby reached for her hand again and smiled when Muriel didn’t rebuff her. “I’ve lost you, and work is crazy with Anthony going to work for the Luis family.”
Muriel wanted to call Cain immediately and tell her she was right, but she wasn’t ready to face that humiliation. She wasn’t used to being stupid, but that’s exactly what her attraction to this woman had reduced her to. “I’m sure that isn’t a cause for concern,” she said, trying to keep from screaming. “Your organization puts people undercover all the time. Some go about it more enthusiastically than others.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“That Anthony will probably enjoy this assignment.” It took all her willpower not to add “as much as you enjoyed yours in my bed.”
“It isn’t an assignment, Muriel. He was suspended and he’s retaliating against Agent Hicks.” She paused and sighed for what Muriel took to be effect. “Have you heard anything about him?”
“I need to retire,” Muriel said, laughing. “Because I’ve gotten so dumb I actually fell for this crap.” She opened the door and narrowed her eyes when Shelby tried to touch her.
“You think I only wanted to see you to get information out of you? Do you really think that little of me?”
“Save the indignation, sweetheart.” Muriel stepped out, then leaned her upper body back into the car. “And you’re right to say my advice is crap. I’ll get over this in a flash. Thanks for going out of your way to make it easy for me.” She slammed the door so hard she expected the window to shatter.
“Fuck,” she said as she started walking in the direction she’d started. Her job had always kept her on the periphery of the family business and she’d accepted her position. That was about to change, though, because now she was willing to do anything to bring these people down. Shelby’s ulterior motives had seen to that.
Chapter Twenty-One
“I want you back at the casino. Sit in your office and don’t talk to anyone no matter what.” Nunzio Luca paced in the sunroom in the back of his house. “Don’t try anything to get your ass out of the crack it’s in—understand?”
“Just one more chance, Nunzio. That’s all I’m asking.”
“Richard, your part in this is over. Consider yourself lucky you’ll live to think about your brush with being a wise guy.” Nunzio noticed Kim Stegal, the head of his security, at the back of the room when he turned around. “Try to remember that one simple thing, and stop trying these cute stunts. Your stupidity has cost us plenty already.” He cocked his head toward the door, dismissing him.
“Do you need anything new on that front?” Kim asked, referring to Richard.
“Soon.” Nunzio glanced back at her as she headed to his office. “He’s a dumb ass, but until I get his name on the dotted line for the sale of the Capri, he’s a valuable dumb ass. Have somebody good keep an eye on him, though. Richard has a talent for getting himself deeper into shit.”
Kim pulled her blond hair out of the band that kept it tied back and reordered it. At five-eight she was an inch taller than Nunzio and had gotten her job by proving how persuasive she could be collecting from bad gamblers.
“I’ll take care of it today.” Kim stopped to pop one of the mints Nunzio kept on his desk into her mouth. “I did hear from Muriel while you were dealing with Richard.”
“And?” He stopped flipping through the mail and looked up. Kim was good, but she had an annoying habit of making him beg for information.
“Neither Cain nor Remi are available right now.” She brought her hand up when he took a breath and opened his mouth. “She didn’t give me any idea when Cain would be. I didn’t bother with Remi since I figure the Jatibons aren’t available either.”
“What’s the fucking problem?” Nunzio punched the top of his desk, then had to shake his hand out. “They were willing to cut this deal a few days ago.”
Kim nodded. “Cain’s going to wait now. You haven’t dealt with her as much as you have with Remi, but they have a lot in common. A few days ago you had something they wanted. Granted, they negotiated a good deal, but you had the edge. Richard handed it back to them on a silver platter.” Kim delivered the explanation with little emotion, a technique she had perfected so he wouldn’t have to bear the blame for anything. “You have to realize you don’t have to sell to them, and they don’t need the deal.”
“This isn’t like selling my car. If I have to start over with new buyers, my father isn’t going to blame Richard.”
“Then you wait until Cain and Remi think you’ve stewed long enough.”
“That isn’t the option I pay you to give me.” He hit the top of his desk again, this time with an open palm. “Convince them it’s not in their interest to wait. I don’t care how you do it—just get it done.”
“I have your permission to be creative?”
“As much as you like, but maybe start with Remi. The Jatibons are successful, but they aren’t as organized as Casey. Stephano gave me the lowdown on Cain, and I don’t need any more problems.” He told her what he’d discussed with his father and she nodded again.
“I’ll see what I can do,” Kim said with a laugh, waving her fingers over her shoulder as she walked out.
He usually found it comforting when Kim was in such a good mood, but he had too much riding on the outcome to start laughing yet.
*
“I had a wonderful day with Dallas Montgomery,” Emma said. She hadn’t gotten a lot done all day, but she thought she’d gained a new friend. “She seems nice and really interested in Remi.”
“Well, Remi goes on about her a lot.” Cain unbuttoned her shirt and threw it in the hamper. “Dallas might just be the woman who tames the wanderer in her.”
“I gave Dallas a few pointers on that score today.” Cain’s naked back was too tempting, so Emma gave in and ran the tips of her fingers from her shoulders to the small of her back where Cain’s pants didn’t let her go any farther. “It’s weird, though.”
“What?” Cain stepped out of the pants next.
“For someone as accomplished as Dallas, she acts like she’s running from something. She’s kind of skittish.” Before she could return to her exploration, Cain put on a pair of khaki pants and a sweater. “You’re no fun.”
“I promised Hannah and Hayden chocolate milk and beignets. You don’t want me to break a date, do you?” Cain turned around and lightly pinched Emma’s nipple. When Emma hissed she immediately let go. “Sorry, lass.”