“Is that a threat, Mr. Carlotti?”
“It’s an invitation to meet me in court, and unless Lou over there says otherwise, I don’t think I’ll be alone in my complaint.” He held his liquor as well as other license information up, but she didn’t even bother to look at it. She and the other agents had seen what they’d come for.
“Tell me again, Agent Curtis, how this isn’t personal,” Cain said as the agent started to leave. “At least this time you all bothered to get a warrant and not shoot me at the first given chance. I thought you would’ve learned your lesson after paying some stupid flunky to bug my hospital room,” she said, taking a chance that she was right.
Anthony pulled away from Hicks by shrugging her restraining hand off his shoulder, his face red. “You think you’re smart enough to never get caught, but no one’s that fucking smart. I’m going to love the day we bring you down, no matter how we do it, and I’m going to be the one who drags you there.”
While Cain’s comment was meant to bait, no one in the restaurant heard it, though Anthony’s booming voice was hard to miss.
“Agent Curtis, stand down,” his superior ordered. “My apologies, Ms. Casey.”
“You can apologize from across the street, Agent Hicks.” Muriel arrived dressed in a tuxedo, like most of the group that had been called away from the private dinner. “Sorry I’m late, but I was just finishing up with a bit of business.” She gave a copy of something to Cain before addressing the group gathered in the main dining room. “The Fifth Circuit just issued an emergency protection order on my client’s behalf, stating there must be five hundred yards between the agents listed here and Derby Cain Casey and her family.” With a smile she handed over the brief as she pointed her date in the direction of the private dining room and away from the agents standing behind Annabel. “That includes everyone present, so please vacate the property or I’ll involve the police, and we both know they’d love nothing better.”
“There’s no way the court sanctioned this.”
The paperwork Annabel was examining looked authentic, though.
“Ordinarily no, but this was extreme circumstances, and neither I nor the court was willing to take a chance with my client’s life again. If there was one rogue agent, who’s to say there aren’t more?”
The order wouldn’t be in place long, but Muriel decided to have a little fun while she could. Anthony had been the weak link, and Cain had exploited it well.
As Annabel stood and read, none of her people moving, Muriel pulled out her phone. “Commissioner Albert, Muriel Casey.”
The fact that she had his direct number snapped Annabel’s head up.
“About that paperwork we filed, I might need some assistance.” She paused to listen to something, never losing eye contact with Cain. “Carlotti’s Italian Restaurant, and please bring as many units as you see fit.”
“This isn’t over, Ms. Casey.” Annabel handed back the papers and signaled for everyone to pull back. No way in hell was she letting the New Orleans Police Department escort her anywhere.
“I bought you a night, cousin,” Muriel whispered in Cain’s ear when they embraced. “Use it wisely.”
“I use them all wisely, Muriel, but thank you. Emma doesn’t need any stress right now, so this should simplify matters.”
“It sounds like you’ve got a lot to look forward to, then, so I want you to be careful as well.”
Cain held out her hand out to Emma, who immediately took it. “I have everything to look forward to, cousin.”
*
As they rode in silence to their new club after dinner, Emma enjoyed the feel of Cain’s arms around her and her lips against her neck. Their afternoon had left them both in the mood to touch, and they didn’t waste even that short span of alone time.
“Thanks for bringing me with you tonight, baby.” Emma looked into Cain’s blue eyes. She smiled easily when Cain’s hand went to her middle. “Do you think it’ll be a boy or a girl?”
“It’ll be what I want most. A Casey with a lot of Verde mixed in. We’re going to love it no matter what, so it isn’t important to me what it is.”
The excitement from the restaurant as well as having Emma this close in a very tight black dress was fueling Cain’s libido. She felt Emma’s nipple harden under the material as she squeezed her breast. “Tonight was about both our futures, mine and Vincent’s, and the futures of our families, so it was important for you to be there.”
“Just remember that I belong to you and it’s my job to make your dreams come true for the rest of our lives.” Emma pressed Cain’s hand harder against her chest as she brought their lips together. “Tell me we’re almost done? I miss the kids and want us to be a family again.”
“One dance, darlin’. Then we’ll finish this.”
The car stopped, and the noise coming from the line waiting to get into the new club was just audible through the thick glass. After another long kiss Cain knocked on the privacy window, and Merrick opened the door.
Their dinner companions were already at Cain and Emma’s private table, and the others they’d invited were dancing and taking advantage of the open bar. Cain hadn’t thrown a party like this in a while, and the crowd seemed happy to be there now that she felt the need to celebrate something.
When they paused at the top of the stairs that led down to the bar, the music didn’t stop, but the DJ lowered the volume considerably, making people look up.
“They look stunning together,” Muriel said to her date as they both stood up. “And I didn’t realize till just now that I missed seeing them together.” She glanced across the place as people started to clap, spotting Claire and Shelby not far from where Cain and Emma were standing. Since the agents’ names weren’t on the list, they weren’t supposed to be there. Before she could do anything about it, Cain nodded in her direction, then motioned for her to forget it.
“The place looks great, honey.”
