The Cain Casey Series

“Personally,” Cain’s voice was low as she adjusted the lamp by her feet, “I like the city, but this place is starting to grow on me.” She waved to the surrounding area. “It really is more suited for nights like tonight than the sprawl of New Orleans.”

“You let me go now, and I might consider letting your family live.”

“You shut your mouth now, and I’ll let you live that many more minutes longer.”

Cain’s matter-of-fact tone made Giovanni stop talking.

“If you want a quick death, though, I’ll be happy to accommodate you.”

“Cut the shit, Casey. You aren’t going to kill me.”

Her chuckle came close to making Giovanni lose his temper, but he pressed his lips together and stopped talking again.

“Why do you think that?”

“You need me.”

She raised her eyebrow at that statement, so Giovanni rushed ahead. “For balance, you need me. Besides, my sons will never rest until they avenge me, and you don’t want that kind of shit.” The urge to take a shot was more important to him than his immediate safety, so Giovanni took it. “It’s less time for you to fuck that little piece —”

Lou hit him in the back of the head, pitching him forward and giving him a mouth full of mud for his words.

“Careful, Big Gino. I wouldn’t want you to die on me before we’re through.”

“Sorry, boss,” Lou said, even though he sounded less than sincere.

“No need. You just saved me the trouble.” Cain pulled her coat tighter around her. “Are you done, or do we leave you with Lou a little while till we kill all that spunk?”

“What do you want?”

“What do I want?” She put her hand on her chin as if to think of a good answer. “Not too much, really. I just wanted to have a talk.”

“That would’ve taken a phone call, so why all this?” Even though his hands were tied behind him, Giovanni could feel goose bumps rising on his arms. “Your father would’ve never tried anything like this. He understood the ways things were done.”

“Like having a coward kill him from a moving car? You’re right. I guess he underestimated how dishonorable you are.”

Had there been more light, Giovanni was sure Cain would’ve seen the vein in his neck pulsate. “Dalton was careless, but that had nothing to do with me.”

Cain’s head fell back a little as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I should start by saying that I told my wife this wouldn’t take long.”

Giovanni shrank back from her glare when she opened her eyes again.

“You wouldn’t want to make a liar out of me, would you?” Leaning in his direction, she balled her fist, and the blow knocked him back so far, Lou had to jump to catch him before he tumbled into the hole.

“Why the fuck did you do that?” Giovanni shook his head, trying to clear the blood out of his nose.

“Call it incentive to pay attention.” From her coat pocket Cain pulled a small pouch.

Giovanni spat, trying to get the copper taste out of his mouth, and almost hit Cain’s boot. “What do you hope to gain here? Aside from me making it my mission in life to kill you.”

“I gain knowing the truth of what happened. That’s all, really, and in a way, so will you.” Cain untied the drawstring on the pouch. “Actually, your new mission should be to ask for forgiveness.”

The clink of whatever landed in her palm made Giovanni crane his neck to see.

“I have all the truth I need, so there’s no reason to lie.”

“You do, huh?” Giovanni laughed and shifted in an attempt to get the circulation going in his legs again. “You’re a lot like Dalton.” He needed to tip the scales back in his favor. “Do you realize that? A taste for cheap whiskey and cheaper women, but weak for everything else.”

When he saw the first ring in Cain’s hand, any other words died in his throat.

“If I’m lucky”—the next ring came out of the bag—“at the end of my life, people will compare me to my father.” The third ring rolled out into Cain’s palm, but she didn’t look up until the last one came out and she returned the bag to her jacket.

“What have you done?”

“I observed your offspring, Giovanni. I watched them and how they lived.” She stretched out her hand so he could see the four signet rings clearly. “Your sons were very much like you. Do you realize that?”

“Were?” The possibilities of what Cain had said were almost too much for Giovanni to handle, but he fought back the bile in his throat.

“Did you think I’m so weak that I’d ignore your attacks on my family?” The laugh that followed had nothing to do with mirth. “No, Giovanni, you now have to atone for every action you ordered.”

Giovanni had always avoided tears, but they now flowed freely down his cheeks. “Please, not my sons. Anything but that.”

Cain raised the first ring and held it to the light to read the inscription inside. “For my brother Billy, you paid