The Cain Casey Series

“There’s nothing else for sale around here,” Richard said in a softer tone.

Everyone on the other side of the table laughed. “Everything’s for sale, Richard,” Cain said. “If you think otherwise, then Muriel’s right—you are delusional.”

“Walk out and you’ll regret it,” Richard screamed.

“You need better lines than that if you want me to take you seriously, Richard, because you sound more pathetic than threatening,” Cain said.

“I mean it.” Richard put his hands on the table and leaned forward in what Cain took as a more menacing stance.

“You had an offer and now you don’t,” Remi said, mirroring him. “Make sure you get that part of the story right when you report in. We weren’t the ones who backed away from the table first.”

“Sounds like you might be the one who lives to regret something today,” Cain said seriously, before she walked out. “Or if I know your boss, you might not live long enough to regret anything.”

“That went well, don’t you think?” Ramon asked, making everyone laugh as they got in the elevator. “Mano, call our friend with the DEA. It’s time to play our part as good citizens and give our government friends some hints as to what’s going on at the Capri.”

“Anonymous calls are one of my specialties.”

Ramon put his hands on Remi and Cain’s shoulders. “We haven’t heard the last of this.”

“You’re a gambling man, Ramon,” Cain said. “I say we’re back here in a couple of days and someone else is sitting next to Richard’s chair with a gun pointed at his balls. Remi was right to call him on it. There’s no way Nunzio gave him the okay to walk away from this deal.”

“If that’s the case, then the guy’s got cojones,” Mano said. “The Luca family isn’t known for their forgiving nature.”

“It’s the only thing we all have in common,” Ramon said, the three of them smiling at the truth of his observation. “But only when it’s truly deserved. None of us would’ve let someone else talk for us today, no matter whose name’s on the deed.”

“Like I said, stupid is a way of life for some people,” Cain reasserted. “Our problem is that Nunzio’s not only stupid, he’s also cruel. We just have to wait to see how he entices us back to the table and what the fallout is if we don’t agree.”

*

“Our guys on the street say the storekeeps in the ninth ward want to know when we’ll be back online,” Muriel said. They’d arrived back in town early enough to go to Cain’s office. “They’re having to deal with one of the local suppliers and they’re getting squeezed.”

“Sure, now they see the benefits of working with me.”

“You know all those guys love you, so cut the shit.”

Cain put her feet up on her desk and folded her hands over her stomach. “They’re going to have to hang on. We’ll get back to business as soon as I shake your girlfriend off my ass, and since she’s keeping us both in the dark as to when that might be, I have no choice but to lay low for now.”

The sound of Muriel’s pen on the page stopped and she looked up. “Not funny.”

“You’re not kidding.” Cain threw a paperclip at her and laughed to bleed all the sarcasm from her statement. “But we both know it’s true. Unless I want to do some jail time, and I don’t, there isn’t a whole lot I can do about it right now.”

The fact that Shelby and her partners were listening to “Can’t Get No Satisfaction” over and over again made Cain smile.

“I know how you feel about this, and I’m going to take care of it.”

Cain dropped her feet and moved around her desk to sit next to Muriel. “Let’s forget for a minute how I feel about the situation and tell me how you see it.”

“Shelby’s someone I enjoy spending time with, but I’m not stupid enough to forget the fact that it’s like a guilty pleasure. Sort of like too much whiskey—tastes good, but overdoing it isn’t a great idea.”

“Don’t think I’m not taking all that into account. I happen to like Shelby.” The cotton of Muriel’s shirt felt stiff under her fingers when she placed her hand on her forearm. “She’s a good match for you.”

“Is that an endorsement, because my father hasn’t been so kind. If I get the Casey Clan rah-rah speech one more time about how I’m betraying my bloodline, I’m going to strangle him.”

She squeezed Muriel’s arm before leaning back in her chair. “If this is the life you really want, then I’ll talk Uncle Jarvis off the ledge. But if you choose this, you know I’ll have to change your role in the family business, and it’ll have nothing to do with trust. You’re my family and I love you, and I want you to be happy.”

Muriel nodded. “I know that, but I also know that family or not, you can’t take the chance, and I can’t blame you. Shelby’s a beautiful woman, but she’s as driven as we are. She’s not going to give up her job for me.”

“Does she expect you to?” Cain was incredulous, thinking maybe Shelby had changed from the eager but earnest agent she’d met.

“No, and it’s not something I’m going to do either, so don’t go looking for my replacement yet. Like I said, I’ll take care of it.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Positive.” Muriel tapped her finger on her notebook. “Back to our problem.”

“It’s time to break out your Robin Hood tights, cousin.”

“I look horrible in green.”

“Then take the drab blue pants you’ve got on and tell the guys to make the rounds. Give our regulars something to help out with the added expense and tell them to be patient. It might take me awhile, but I’ll think of something to get us back to a more normal schedule.