The Cain Casey Series

“You killed that bastard, and now all of a sudden I’m the bad guy here? I won’t let you get away with this, Cain. He’s my son and he deserves the truth.”

“Emma, you left because you believed what you thought was a minor infraction on Danny’s part sent me into a jealous rage and I killed him, right?”

Emma nodded.

“I beat the shit out of him, that part I’m not going to deny because to me it was no minor infraction, but Danny survived that night because you asked me and I gave in. I did, even though I knew he had done it before to other young women and no one was there to stop him. His punishment was the beating and banishment from my family. You know what that means, or at least you should.”

“Why continue the charade now? I know the truth.”

She kept going, not caring not if Emma believed her or not. “He went to work for Giovanni Bracato’s organization. I’m no saint, but I’m not an animal like Bracato. Danny waited and took his revenge on me by going after the most innocent of my family. He lured Marie away from her school and beat and raped her until she was barely alive. She was taking a fucking class she talked me into so she could keep up with Hayden better— God.” She stopped and turned her face to the wind in the hope it would dry her tears before they fell.

“But Agent Kyle said…” Emma fell to her knees and couldn’t finish as the shocking truth hit her.

“That answers my question as to who turned you. Be careful the company you keep, Emma, lest you drown in the shit they wallow in.”

To cement the truth in Emma’s mind, she threw her the picture the police had taken of Marie’s swollen face just hours before she died. It was for their investigation, they had said, to help show the jury the damage when they caught the guy. She had let them take it just to get rid of them. She wouldn’t need the police or a jury for Danny Baxter. Not caring to offer comfort, she left Emma there on the ground, staring at the picture.

“Cain, wait, please.” Emma looked once more at the picture and remembered the sweet person Marie had been. No wonder Hayden had gotten so upset when she had brought up his aunt’s name before. How could she have known what happened?

Cain was too far away to hear the plea to stay. It was one of the first times she had said all that out loud, in a way proving to herself Marie’s death was her fault. Had she buried Danny, like she had wanted to all those years before, Marie would be alive. She had failed her family by not killing him when she should have.

The group was ready to go when she got back to the farmhouse, waiting for her by the car.

“Ross, thank you so much for having us.” She pulled out a business card and handed it over. On it was a list of numbers, should Ross need to get in touch with her.

He put it in his coat pocket and nodded.

“I really had a good time, and I’m positive Hayden enjoyed his time with you too.”

“You sure you won’t stay another day?”

“Hayden wants to head home, and I don’t feel right about pushing the issue anymore. Stay in touch,” she said, holding her hand out.

The farmer shook it without any hesitation.

“Hayden, come over here and say good-bye to your grandfather.”

The boy stepped up and offered his hand as well, getting Ross to give him a warm smile. “Thank you, sir, for having me.”

“I hope it won’t be the last time you come up here to see us. Especially now that we’re business partners,” Ross joked and held Hayden’s hand with both of his.

“Maybe next time you can come and see us in New Orleans,” Hayden said.

Just as the large vehicle turned onto the road, Emma came running into the yard with the picture Cain had left. If everything Cain had said was true, she couldn’t possibly undo the damage she had caused to all their lives by just walking away.

God, why hadn’t she trusted Cain enough to just ask? She had just blindly sat and listened to Agent Kyle that day he had cornered her outside Hayden’s school. The one time she had forced her hand about the constant protection Cain insisted on was the one day the agent had been able to get so close.

Four Years Earlier in New Orleans, a Week after the Attempted Rape

“Stay put. I’m just taking Hayden to school. That’s hardly cause for a gang war.” Emma grabbed her purse and car keys, wanting to get out of the house for a while.

“Ma’am, Cain said—” Mook tried to stop her, but Emma wasn’t in the mood to listen.

“Cain’s your boss, Mook, I respect that, but she isn’t my keeper. The fact that I’m married to her should carry some weight.”

“Yes, ma’am. I meant no disrespect.”

Emma helped Hayden put on his sweater and smiled at her son’s guard. “Don’t worry, Mook. You can blame me if she gets mad. I just need some time for myself.”

“Please be careful.”

They made the short drive in relative silence, with just the radio tuned to a station Hayden had picked out. Emma kissed him good-bye at the front door of the school and waved to his teacher standing in the hall.

She never noticed where the man came from, but suddenly when she got back into her car, he stood there tapping on her window. The badge he held up made her put her head on the steering wheel for a moment. Could she just drive away and expect him to leave her alone? His insistent tapping made her look up again and press the button to lower the window. Kyle handed over his ID.

“Ms. Verde, can I have a moment of your time?”