“The maid hasn’t made it up there yet, since this part took so long after I left here this morning,” Emma said. “I’m sure it’s the same mess.”
Cain smiled finally and kissed her. They stood outside the house now, but the bugs inside were undoubtedly operational. The agents in the van were probably testing them.
“Let’s get going then. I wouldn’t want you to come down with something,” Cain said.
As soon as they were back in the car Emma said, “His name is Jimmy Pitre, if you remember, and I told him you’d call when I had the sweep done. This is going to set us back some.”
“I’ll take care of it, lass, even if I have to make a trip to Home Depot and fix it myself. What kind of deal did you offer this guy?”
Emma told her about the five-thousand-dollar penalty for every device they found.
“You should’ve set an extra charge for every one you found after a hundred,” Cain said.
*
“Thanks for inviting me tonight.” Dallas held Remi’s hand as they walked down Bourbon Street toward her house. “I really like Emma and Cain.”
“They’re a great couple who’ve already had their share of heartache. It’s good to see them together again.”
“Together again? Were they separated?” Dallas took her key out of her small evening bag and handed it to Remi.
“It’s a long story.” She unlocked the outer door and held it open for Dallas. “Maybe next time I’ll get into it more. I don’t like to talk about my friends out of turn.”
They stopped at the door to the house, and Dallas placed her hands on Remi’s shoulders. “It’s still early. You have time now if you want to come in.”
“I have some meetings in the morning so I have to get going.” She unlocked the next door. “I’ll call once I’m done.”
Dallas moved her hands up until they were behind Remi’s neck. “Why does that sound like a brush-off? Did I do or say something to upset you?”
“I have a lot on my mind, and I’m not brushing you off. As soon as I’m done I’ll give you a call.” Remi kissed her, then waited for her to slide the deadbolt on the door into place. When Dallas’s expression had turned to one of sadness, she’d almost given in. That’s something I can’t allow myself to do until I know all your secrets, Dallas Montgomery.
*
“Where in the hell have you been?” Bob said menacingly as he dug his fingers into Dallas’s arm when Remi’s footsteps faded away.
He’d been waiting for her inside the door in the shadows, she was sure, so he could keep out of sight if Remi had accepted her invitation to come in. She didn’t answer and tried to pull away, not in the mood for Bob’s games. “Answer me, or do I need to remind you who owns you, sweetheart?” he asked, tightening his hold. “I’ll put the bruises where no camera will ever find them.”
“You remind me so much every day, I’d think you’d be tired of it by now.” Dallas winced as the pain got worse right before he let go. Taking no chances that he’d touch her again, she moved around him and put as much distance between them as possible. “I had dinner with Remi Jatibon. It was a spur-of-the-moment invitation, so I didn’t have time to call you. Since you told me to be nice, I thought you wouldn’t mind.”
“You’re finally using your head and appealing to her more basic needs. I’m glad to see you’re not playing hard to get. We both know better. But make sure you check with me before you go making any stupid moves.”
“I leave all the move-making up to you,” she said, suddenly feeling tired. Now that Remi was gone, she just wanted to be alone.
“Think you can smart off now? What, you get one dinner invitation and you believe you’ve found a guard dog to protect you from me? Do I need to remind you she didn’t even make it through the door?”
“Not everyone is out to get something. This was dinner, and unlike most people I have to deal with, Remi wasn’t expecting me to pay for it on my back.” She glanced at the rock on her coffee table and took a deep breath. “Those days are over, if I can help it.”
“I’m out to get all I can, and we’re taking another step next week. The studio called, and we have an appointment. Let’s hope your little girlfriend hasn’t moved on to a newer flavor by then, and you end up with a more lucrative contract than before.” He crossed the room and stopped in front of her, then ran his finger down her cheek to her neck. “Whatever happens, don’t start thinking this perverted bitch can help you get rid of me, because that’ll never happen. We’re partners for life, baby. I’ve seen to that.”
When Bob left, the air in the room seemed to return. Dallas slumped against the chair she’d been standing by and gave in to the tears she seldom shed in front of anyone, not anymore. Bob was an ass, but he wasn’t wrong about a whole list of things. She belonged to him; he wasn’t going away voluntarily, and Remi had already moved on.
Something had happened while they were in Pescador’s that had changed Remi’s demeanor toward her. If she’d ever had a chance with Remi, something had snatched it away before anything came of it. Too tired to climb the stairs to her room, she stretched out on the sofa and cried.
Dallas had learned early that life wasn’t fair. Fate showed her glimpses of what was possible, then just as quickly took them away. She would’ve done better never to know any kind of happiness was possible, because then she’d have nothing to compare the misery to. She wouldn’t have any memories of her mother singing her to sleep, picking wildflowers in the meadow near their house, or how good it felt when Remi held her on this same couch.
That’s all they were, memories so fleeting she could almost convince herself they were simply strings of fantasy.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The mansion off the road in Long Island had been in the same family for three generations. Guards carrying machine guns and large dogs roaming the grounds dissuaded unwelcome guests from impromptu visits. The beautiful gardens and buildings were purchased with blood, drugs, and no conscience.
Junior Luca sat on a bench that overlooked the water, the one place on the property where he felt comfortable to talk freely because of his staff’s constant sweeps for listening devices. “Nunzio, you in New Orleans yet?”
“I just got back from dinner with Rodolfo and Juan. I thought I’d call before I take a shower. After spending the night listening to that idiot Juan, I can use one.”
“Yeah, well, while Rodolfo’s making nice with you, he’s breathing down my neck about money. We’re tapped out, and I can’t bleed any more cash out of the East Coast operations. What kind of timetable are you looking at down there?”
“I ran into Remi and Cain at dinner tonight, and they said they’d sit down with me Tuesday. They acted pretty chummy, and they’re both holding the line that they’re negotiating some other deal.” He stood at the window peering out at the night sky. “I talked it over with Kim, and she’s ready to go when it comes to what we talked about before.”
“Boy, the last fucking thing we need is to get into a pissing contest with Cain Casey. Tell Kim to rework her plan and get back to me, but I can tell you right now, Tuesday’s too late.”
“I think you’re wrong there, Papa. Tuesday will give me all the time I need to put things into motion not only for this deal, but for our future dealings in the South.” The glass felt cold against his hand, but he’d flipped the air conditioner on. He couldn’t sleep unless it was cold.
“What’s on your mind? Or should I say who?” Junior Luca asked.
“If I move, it’ll be with the help of the Colombians.”
“I don’t want to owe anyone any favors after this plays out.”
“Look at it this way, if they help us they’re going to be doing us a favor. But if I let them take care of business when they’re here, then what they’ll owe us in return is going to be so much more. We have a lot of enemies in common, and letting them get involved on our terms will drive our price down in the end.”