agreed to isn’t just for today. Our deal is for the future of both our families. Because of that, you’ll one day sit at a table where my son is sitting with me. I would never put Hayden in a situation that would leave him vulnerable in any way.” She waited until he looked her in the eye again. “That means you’re not my blood but I welcome you into my family, and I’ll watch over you like you were my own.”
“We have a couple of days then. What do we do?” Mano asked.
The sun was starting to set and Cain stood up from the table and threw her can away. “I have to deal with Rick and his family, Muriel has some information to gather, and it’s getting late. How about if we call it a night and meet again tomorrow afternoon?”
“There’s nothing you want us to do?” Remi asked.
“I need you to do a couple of things in case I’m way off on this.” Cain came up behind Mano and spoke in a low voice, making him nod a lot as she went down the list. “Before you go, Remi, I need to tell you something as well.” She led Remi to the study.
“Are you going to share what you told Mano?”
“Your brother’s got that under control, and I’m sure by morning he’ll be at your place with my shopping list of stuff, but this has to do with Dallas.”
“You can’t have found something already.” Remi sat in the chair across from the desk, and Cain sat beside her.
“Mano and your father followed the money. Not a bad plan but it would eventually lead back to Bob, thus a dead end.”
“And you? What trail did you follow?”
“I’m a criminal, my friend. Not a common criminal, mind you, but still a criminal, so I decided to think like the dark side does.”
Remi laughed as she twirled her cigar lighter between her fingers. “What in the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Running isn’t in my nature and it isn’t in yours, but Emma said something interesting when it came to your girlfriend. She keeps feeling that Dallas is running from something or someone.” She took a slip of paper out of her shirt pocket and read the name she’d written down. “The thing about running is you have to start somewhere, and it’s a little easier to do when you find someone to help you create a new identity that lets you hide in plain sight.”
“You found her already?”
“More like I found her possible track coach.” She handed over the paper, then took it back and put it in her pocket again. “If I’m right, he gave her all the necessary paperwork to create Dallas Montgomery and the life that went along with her.”
“How long before you know?”
“I invited him to New Orleans for a couple of days. Like I told you, I’ll take care of it, and in a few days I might have the answers you’re looking for. If it helps any, I exhausted my leads into the cop angle. I wouldn’t swear on my mum’s grave yet, but I don’t believe she’s undercover in an official way. It’s more a survival kind of way.”
It was suddenly noisy on the other side of the door, meaning that Emma, Dallas, and the kids had come down, probably searching for food. “And Bob? Did you find anything on him?”
“I think Bob’s an opportunist who found her secret and used it to his advantage.” Cain reached out when Remi started to stand up. “We’ll deal with him soon enough, but Bob has a lot in common with Nunzio Luca. I want nothing more than to take care of Nunzio, but first we have to strip away his own secrets so that when he’s dead —he’s dead. Once he is, we don’t have to worry about anything coming back from the grave to haunt us.”
“Bob’s not that smart.”
“Does Dallas buck him in any way?” Remi shook her head. “Does she act like a woman who thinks her troubles are over now that you’re in her life?” Remi shook her head again. “Then stop and think about what he has over her that’s kept her as compliant as a puppy for years. When someone like Bob sinks his claws into someone, it takes a special meeting to dig them out. Be patient, and once we have most of the answers, we’ll deal with him.”
“And that’s everything?”
Cain hesitated, then nodded. “Everything I know so far.”
“You gave me your word.”
“I’ve told you everything I’m sure about. I won’t put rumors in your head to drive you insane.”
“I want to know.” She put her hand on Cain’s shoulder to keep her in her seat. “I’m not asking because I want to replace Bob in her life.”
“I’d never think that of you, but why torture yourself if you don’t have to?”
“How can I help her if I don’t know the truth?”
Cain stood up, making Remi break her hold. “I promise. Then if you want, I’ll tell you everything I find out.”
With a stiff nod Remi thanked her and left the room. Cain followed her out to the den and saw Emma and Dallas talking and sharing a laugh. She had every faith in Remi, but she prayed she could look past Dallas’s actions enough that they wouldn’t interfere with whatever relationship they established. Sometimes knowing something only allowed doubt to make Swiss cheese out of your brain, and Dallas deserved better than that.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Simon opened the back door for Dallas and Remi, and they rode to the condo in silence. Remi stared out the window, but she didn’t seem to see the houses they passed.
