The Cain Casey Series

Emma hadn’t expected the question, even though she’d listened in on his conversation with Cain the night before. She would have thought Cain had settled this issue long ago in her blunt, forthright manner. “I’m sure Cain told you the answer to that already, Hayden, so are you just testing me?”

Hayden sighed in frustration. Emma was going to give him the same runaround Cain always did on the subject. “Unlike you, I don’t ask questions just to make conversation. I want to know. Did Mom hurt you or something? Is that it? Because she won’t tell me.”

“Really? And please don’t ever think that about Cain. I don’t like what she does, but she never hurt me.” She waved her hands to emphasize the denial.

It surprised him, though, how quickly Emma had come to his mother’s defense. “Cain thought it best for you to answer that question, not her.”

“The Cain I knew would’ve answered something so simple easily enough, so it just surprises me she didn’t.”

“Maybe that’s what your problem is—you don’t know my mother at all. Maybe you never did.”

Emma stuffed her hands into her coat again and looked back at the big blond trailing them. Mook was far enough away so he couldn’t hear what she had to say and report it back to Cain. “I’m not stupid enough to think Cain has sheltered you from what the Casey family does for a living. I just hope you know it doesn’t have to be your destiny.”

“I didn’t ask what you thought about my mother. I asked why you left us.”

Emma sighed, knowing he wasn’t going to let it go. As much as she didn’t want to, she was going to have to answer him. Her memories of that day, every grotesque moment of it, were still a raw spot in her soul. She still grappled with the consequences when the events played in her mind.

Chapter Seven

Four Years Earlier at the Casey Residence

“Mrs. Casey?” Carmen the housekeeper stood in the doorway of the sunroom waiting to be acknowledged. She had seen Emma make her way into the house and away from the mob in the yard.

Emma’s attention jumped from the cake table to the door. Carmen was, as always, quiet as a cat. “Please, Carmen, I’ve been here long enough for you to start calling me Emma. We certainly spend enough time together.”

“And as enjoyable as it is, your name to me is Mrs. Casey,” she said with a smile. “I need the key to the cellar, ma’am. We’ve gone through more liquor than we put out, and there’s a couple of hours to go yet.”

The basement, a rarity in New Orleans, was filled with cases of the best brands on the market, and in this case all of them legal. Cain was a gambler by nature when it came to business, but in her home everything was legitimate.

The key Carmen needed was in the top drawer of Cain’s desk, which was why she’d gone in search of Emma. She enjoyed a high level of Cain’s trust, but no way would she chance the mobster coming inside and finding her anywhere near her private office.

“Don’t go jinxing us, Carmen. We’ve gone all afternoon with the whole of Cain’s family having a good time, and there hasn’t been one fistfight yet.”

Emma’s teasing made Carmen laugh as she accepted the key and headed off to replenish the bar.

Two of the guys who worked at the pub were waiting to do the heavy lifting, leaving Emma to her moment of peace once more. Outside, Cain was holding up a plate to the maid cutting the large lemon cake, their son waiting with a fork in his hand. She was about to sit in the sunroom and close her eyes a minute when she felt the hard body press against her back and a large hand clamp over her mouth. Even with all the people in attendance and the room’s great view of the yard, not one person noticed when the man pulled her away and dragged her to a guest room near Cain’s office.

When the door closed she heard his breathing and felt sick to her stomach when he pressed his crotch into her bottom.

“You believe in God, Emma?”

His speech sounded slurred, which she attributed to the liquor that had flowed so freely all afternoon.

“Do you know how God punishes the perverts of this world for being perverts?”

“Please don’t do this.”

He only pressed harder into her and laughed. “I asked you a question.” He moved his hand from her throat and squeezed one of her breasts to the point of pain. “So answer me.”

“My mother certainly thinks so, but God won’t punish you near as much as Cain will if you do this.”

“My cousin Cain plays at being a man, but she doesn’t have what it takes.” His hand moved lower to her abdomen, and Emma fought the urge to vomit. “She’s led a charmed life, though, and I’m thinking I want a taste of the sweetest charm she has.”

He pushed her so hard she landed in the middle of the bed, and before she could move he was on top of her, pressing her face into the mattress, yanking up her skirt. Her thoughts flew to Cain and how badly she needed her. Her tears began when she heard his zipper and his sickly laugh.

Outside, Cain looked around for the third time, not seeing Emma in the crowd, so she patted Hayden on the shoulder and pointed to Mook. Merrick and Lou broke away from the festivities when they saw her head into the house. The same laugh that was terrifying Emma zeroed Cain in on the closed door.

Once inside, Cain and her guards realized immediately what was happening when Danny turned and they saw the evidence of his intentions in his hand. In two strides Cain reached the bed and jerked him back into Lou, who dragged the idiot out of the room before Emma could straighten her skirt and sit up.