“We flipped a coin and Lou won,” Merrick said. “He’s the only person who hates Juan more than Cain does and would love to add matching bruises on the opposite side of Juan’s face.”
“Come on, Lou, you two spent so much time fighting over me, I really do have to go.”
Cain laughed and watched them walk away. Since the owner had put Nunzio and the Luis family in the next room, she didn’t have to look at them. “It’s a good thing we’re going to Pescador’s after this.”
“You want to talk to my father?”
“More like I want you to talk to him—I already know how I’m going to handle Nunzio.” Cain stopped talking when the waiter arrived with a fresh round of drinks.
“You backing out on us?” Remi asked, but Cain could tell she wasn’t angry.
“I gave you my word and I’d never back out, but I don’t like this guy. Nunzio’s going to tell us whatever we want to hear just to get his hands on the money. Once that happens, we’ll have to deal with the consequences of the monster we’ll have helped create.”
Remi nodded. “I agree but don’t see a lot of options here. If we want what he’s selling, we can either talk him down or move on to something else. Mirage Properties will probably hold their noses and deal with him if they can add another property to their holdings.”
“I’m sure we’ll think of something,” Cain said. She stood as Emma and Dallas made it back. “We have until Tuesday to come up with a better deal.”
“Have you solved all the world’s problems?” Emma asked. She kissed Cain’s chin before sitting down.
“Everything okay?” Cain cocked her head in the direction of the restrooms.
“For once it was a bathroom trip without incident.” Emma laughed at Dallas’s look. “Long story that I’ll tell you the next time we have lunch.”
Their appetizers had arrived when Juan strode toward the front of the restaurant. He stared directly at Emma, puckered his lips, and blew her a kiss. He laughed when Emma put a restraining hand on Cain’s shoulder, but stopped when Lou stood up as if waiting for him to pass. He stayed at his table for the remainder of the meal.
After dinner Remi led them to Ramon’s club, where it was hard to miss Shelby and Claire having a club soda at the bar. But the agents were stuck there as Remi took her party up the stairs to the private section.
Dallas looped her arm through Remi’s as they walked toward the cashier’s cage. After Remi signed a voucher, the girl pushed a stack of chips toward her, repeating the process when Cain laid her money down.
“Craps?” Remi asked Cain.
They played, sharing their chips with Emma and Dallas, who, by the time Ramon arrived, were doing better than they were. Ramon gave them some hints on how to bet, obviously enjoying Dallas and Emma’s enthusiasm.
“Nunzio Luca’s in town and wants a meeting,” Remi said as she and her father moved to the bar to get water for everyone.
“What answer did you and Cain give him?”
“Tuesday, if he comes alone. But Cain’s not sounding too hyped about this deal anymore.” Remi waved the bartender off, wanting a few more minutes with her father.
Ramon draped his arm around her shoulders and kissed Remi’s cheek before letting her go. “I’ve taught you everything I can, and I know you weren’t sure why I wanted to partner with Cain on this and the studio. Doing business with her will give you a new perspective. Cain surprises a lot of people all the time, but I’m seldom in that group because I seldom underestimate her.”
“So you don’t think she’ll back out?” Remi asked.
“She gave us her word—to Cain that still means something. Before we’re done, we’ll own the Capri. It just might not come from the deal Nunzio Luca has in mind. If that’s the case, we’ll end up with a bargain we didn’t expect.”
When the waiter appeared again, Remi nodded. “How about the other thing I asked you to work on?”
Someone shouted from the craps table, and Ramon turned around as Dallas clapped and laughed. “I met with Mano about that this morning. We haven’t found anything yet, but after I started reading what he has so far, I can see what made you curious.”
“Nothing,” Remi said, staring at the Evian bottles.
“Let me check one more thing before you jump to any conclusions. For the most part, she’s who she says she is, and she’s got the talent to back it up. That part is more than clear. But we don’t know how she got there.”
Remi cracked open one of the bottles and took a gulp, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She joined her father in watching Dallas and her friends having a good time. “Sometimes it’s easy to identify a woman with no past,” she said, making Ramon step closer to her again.
“Give me a couple more days,” he said in a gentle tone.
“If she’s undercover, you’re not going to find anything except what whoever she’s working for wants you to find.”
“I don’t think that’s it.”
“Why not?” Remi waved back when Dallas made a motion for her to rejoin them. “She’s got the perfect cover. Damsel in distress under the thumb of an overbearing manager. I was bound to notice her sooner or later. Our taking over Gemini has been in the works for a couple of years, so it hasn’t been a secret. I’m not saying she’s a cop, but if she is, you have to give them credit for the elaborate setup.”
“If it’s there, I’ll find it. If there’s anything to find.”
“I trust you, Papi. Let me know, and follow the money trail. Her work experience isn’t extensive, but this last film has been lucrative.”
