“Then what are they interested in, and how do you know that?”
“Why do you want to know?” Merrick asked Emma.
“For the love of God,” Cain said, exasperated with Merrick and her suspicions. What they were talking about, even if Emma was wired, was no different that what the FBI was pondering as well.
“The equipment is too antiquated to be FBI, and I’m only guessing here, but I think they were just interested in finding out how healthy I am. Half-dead targets aren’t as much fun, I’m assuming. If not, the final blow would have come by now.” She’d given Emma the best answer she could think of.
“You’re thinking Giovanni Bracato?” Merrick asked.
“Why not? Word on the street is that every one of the goons lying dead outside our house was on Stephano’s payroll. The club and Muriel’s office, though—that wasn’t him. Something so splashy isn’t his style.”
“Gino Jr.,” Merrick said.
“That’s what I’m thinking too. What I need now is two good weeks to get back on my feet. Then we finish this.”
“And we do it together,” Emma added.
“You’re left out from now on only if you want to be, lass. That I promise you on my mum’s grave. But I want you to walk into this knowing what the outcome’s going to be.”
Emma put her hands on Cain’s cheeks and bent down and kissed her. She obviously knew what she wanted and was staking her claim to it.
She pulled away, but not so far that Cain couldn’t see the openness in her eyes. “No mercy, my love. If they go after our children and you, I want you to show no mercy.”
“Then we want the same things.”
“Forever,” Emma said.
More than anything, Cain wanted to believe the sincerity in Emma’s eyes and the fervor of her tone.
Chapter Fourteen
“Shelby?”
“Speaking,” Shelby said into the phone balanced on her shoulder. She was in the office for the afternoon finishing up the report on the Barney Kyle incident. “Can I help you?”
“This is Agent Franks. Conner, remember?”
“I remember.” Shelby had first been assigned to Conner’s team before Kyle had poached her for his, thinking her looks would help further his investigation against Cain. Now she wished that she’d stayed with Conner, since he’d shown her the ropes so well.
She pictured the short redhead assigned to different areas around the city, currently assigned to Ramon Jatibon and his gambling ventures. “What can I do for you, Conner?”
“Are you all still tailing Casey and gang?”
“You need to come in more often. Didn’t you hear?” she asked, wondering if one more person was going to rub it in. The day after they’d wrapped up the warehouse inventory, someone had left a bottle of whiskey on her desk with a sticky note attached describing what to look for when confiscating illegal liquor.
“I’m not calling to razz you. I just thought you might want to know that Ramon and a couple of his goons just drove up to Mercy Hospital with a big bunch of flowers. Any guess as to who he’s here to visit?”
“What’s Cain doing with him?”
“Look, I have to go. He’s heading inside.” The phone went dead, and Shelby was left listening to the dial tone.
The drone let her concentrate on what the next-best move should be, and Shelby didn’t wait too long to decide. She punched in a number and waited for it to connect. “Joe, where are y’all?”
“Are we speaking again? I thought you were mad at us.”
“Come on. Tell me where you are.”
“Outside Giovanni Bracato’s house watching his guard pick his nose. Where do they find these geniuses? He should know you have to wait till you’re alone to fully enjoy the nose-picking experience.”
“As fascinating as that sounds and as much as I want you to continue down this interesting subject path, I need to ask you and Lionel a favor.”
“Ask away.”
“Meet me at Mercy and see if you can zero in on a conversation happening on the fifth floor.”
Joe banged his head on the small desk in the back of the van and groaned. “Do you remember a woman named Annabel Hicks? A very scary female when angered, who also happens to be our boss, in case that happened to slip your mind. Leaving the scene of a stakeout she assigned wouldn’t be a wise career move.”
“Have I led you wrong before?” Shelby gathered up her things.
“Would you like the list in chronological or alphabetical order?”
“Please, Joe?”
“All right, but if Lionel says no, you’re on your own.” The argument was weak, since Lionel was already in the
