The Devil's Orchard (15 page)

“I love you, but I failed to keep you whole. Twice I’ve let you down, and it kills me to admit it.”

“Listen to me, okay? The world doesn’t guarantee there’ll be no bad days. What makes them tolerable for me is having you hold my hand, no matter how bad the storm.” Emma kissed her again, only longer and with more passion. “The other thing that makes them easier is that you’re going to find whatever threat is out there and eliminate it. I have no doubt that you’ll kill this guy for touching what belongs only to you. I am yours as much as you are mine. Remember that you found him once, so find him again and end this.”

Cain nodded and stayed silent until her emotions were back under wraps. “Sorry I freaked out on you like that.”

“Do you know what an honor it is that you trust me enough to see you without your armor? To the rest of the world you’re Cain Casey, but here when it’s just us, I simply want you to be you. I want your strength, your tears, and your fears. I’ll never judge you for showing me your vulnerable side because then I know you’re sharing all of yourself with me. Believe me, I’ll only love you more for it.”

“Can you also promise me you’ll be careful? He’s here, lass, and if something happens to you my life would empty.”

“Sabana may not like it, but we’re going to be best friends.”

“She won’t be a problem, believe me,” she said as the helplessness that had momentarily taken over subsided. “So he’s here finally. I don’t know how long or where, but finding him in New Orleans is going to be easier than chasing him through Mexico.”

“Do you want to postpone our ceremony? Considering this, I won’t mind waiting.”

“No,” she said forcefully. “Juan Luis has already taken up more of my time than he deserves, and I’m tired of making sacrifices for this fool.”

“Good.” Emma rested her head on Cain’s shoulder. “What else did Carlos want?”

“He wants Gracelia, and if I find her first, I’m going to gift-wrap her and deliver her with a bow in her hair.”

“What’s going on?” Dallas asked as she got dressed to the sound of the phone ringing constantly.

Remi had taken every call, giving orders to each caller. “You got in late last night, so I didn’t get to tell you that Cain called and said Juan Luis was back in town.”

Dallas paused with her lips puckered, ready for the lipstick in her hand. “Is Emma okay? That guy has a lot in common with Johnny.”

Dallas hardly mentioned her late father anymore, something that might’ve worried Remi had both Dallas and Kristen not gone through counseling about their ordeal. She’d wanted both sisters to talk to a professional so they wouldn’t have any ghouls hiding in their thoughts waiting to ambush them in the future.

“Juan is going to meet the same fate as Johnny, so you don’t have to worry about it. The excess calls I’m getting are Cain putting extra security in place, so don’t be alarmed when you have more than Emile with you. I’m not taking any chances.”

“What about Kristen?” Dallas stepped into her arms and gazed up at her.

“I took care of that this morning while you were in the shower. She left for school with a group of people dressed so they won’t stick out, or as much as a heavily armed group of people can manage not to be noticed on Tulane’s campus.”

“I love how you take care of us,” Dallas said before she kissed her. This was a rare day off for Dallas, and Remi was enjoying watching her get ready as she went through her morning routine in her underwear. Once the film had started production, Dallas usually threw on a pair of baggy pants and a T-shirt to make it easier for the makeup crew. “I guess this means I don’t get you all to myself today.”

“My first stop is Cain and Emma’s, so you can tag along if you want. Cain and I have a little business, but then you and I have an appointment with the Realtor this afternoon, so you get me for the rest of the day. I think you might like the location this time.”

“Am I being too picky?” Dallas ran her hand up Remi’s thigh, pushing her breasts harder into her chest.

“You can be as picky as you want. We’re not buying this for an investment. It’s going to be our home.” She reached behind Dallas and unhooked the navy-blue silk bra she had on. It wasn’t until Dallas that she’d ever thought one woman would and could be enough to keep her interest and earn her trust, but she had that and more now. Dallas knew every aspect of her life and had never given her a reason to be wary that she was in danger of exposure. Since they’d moved in together, they’d both enjoyed the permanence that came from sharing their lives and waking up together.

“Do you have a few minutes?” Dallas took a step back so she could strip off her bra and panties.

Seeing Dallas like this, Remi understood the hundreds of proposals that came via her fan club. Her reps removed the scary ones, but every other person who posted to the page wanted a date with this beautiful woman. They saw the gorgeous façade, but to her, Dallas was so much more.

“I don’t look stupid all of a sudden, do I?” she asked, a growing throb between her legs.

“I know we just got up, but I’d really like to go back to bed.” Dallas started on the buttons of her shirt. “This shoot started this week, and I’m already looking forward to every hour I have off because I miss you.”

Remi helped Dallas onto the bed and simply admired her as she took everything off. “The feeling is mutual.” Usually she enjoyed the time they took with each other, but the world had been banging on her door all morning, so this would have to be fast. She kissed Dallas once before she spread her legs and put her mouth on her.

Dallas was sweet tasting, hard, and from the way her hips bucked forward, she was ready for her. Her cell rang, muted some by the fact it was in her pants pocket, and she ignored it to slide her fingers into Dallas’s drenched sex.

“That feels so good,” Dallas said as she gazed down at her through half-opened eyes. To Remi she appeared lush, sexy, and in need. The phone stopped but started again after a second pause. “Do you need to get that?”

“They can wait,” she said, then put her mouth back. Dallas moved her hips faster and harder when Remi increased the pressure, and she smiled around the hard clit when Dallas shut her eyes as if she had to concentrate on the pleasure.

“Oh,” Dallas said, sounding out of breath as she clutched the sheets. Her legs fell farther apart, and she dug her heels into the mattress so she could thrust her hips to meet Remi’s fingers.

She sped up her strokes as Dallas’s movements became more erratic and the walls of her sex squeezed her fingers. In their time together she’d tried to learn everything about what made Dallas feel good and turned her on, so she was sure her orgasm was close. “Don’t stop, baby,” Dallas said, and her hips froze. Remi stilled her fingers as well, and when Dallas groaned, she moved them out and slammed them back in until Dallas told her to stop.

The orgasm had made Dallas’s skin slightly flushed, and she held the top of Remi’s head so she’d keep her tongue flat against her clit. “I love you so much,” Dallas said when the intensity had passed.

She moved up to hold her and cursed the damn phone. “I love you, and I wish these windows opened. If they did I’d toss that damned thing out,” Remi said, and Dallas laughed.

“Answer it and tell the guys you have to turn it off for a little while.” Dallas got off the bed and dug it out for her.

“Remi,” she said, when she saw it was her personal guard Simon. It took effort to pay attention when Dallas got back on the bed, straddled her at the waist, and cupped her own breasts and held them up to her lips.

“I know you’re not ready yet, but an agent’s downstairs demanding to see you.”

“One of the regular guys?” she asked as Dallas made room for her hand between her legs. If she didn’t have to leave the bedroom soon, it would be one of those mornings when Dallas couldn’t get enough.

“It’s someone named Special Agent Ronald Chapman. He’s with another agent, Brent Cehan.”

Dallas put a lot of her weight on her knees so she could rub herself on Remi’s fingers. The sight of that along with the way her head was thrown back was enough to make Remi come. “Did he say what he wanted, since he doesn’t have an appointment?”

“He said it’s urgent and whatever he had to say wasn’t any of my business.”

“Well, tell him he can either wait or come back when I’m dressed. And not to be rude, but I’m hanging up now.” She threw the phone on the floor and put her other hand on Dallas’s ass to pull her forward a bit so she could reach her nipple. When she sucked it in, it felt rock hard against her tongue. “For future reference, that’s a really good way to get me off the phone in a hurry.”

“All this time away from you makes me incredibly horny,” Dallas said, grinding her hips slowly now and getting her entire hand wet. “How about you? Does time away from me make you crave me?”

“Crave is a good word for it,” she said, then hissed when Dallas pinched her nipple. “You want to come again like this or do you want me to lick you dry?”

“Are you sure you can wait? I don’t want to be selfish.” Dallas moved a little faster when Remi sucked on the other nipple. She always looked forward to touching Dallas, but in the mornings when the room was lit with sunshine, it was even better because she could see every part of Dallas’s body and every expression on her face. This position allowed her to really sit back and enjoy watching Dallas take what she wanted at her own speed.

“Take your time,
querida
.” She squeezed Dallas’s ass and added more pressure between her legs, the hard clit amazingly prominent under her fingers. She ran her tongue along Dallas’s neck and opened her mouth when Dallas kissed her.

“Put your fingers back in and fuck me.” She groaned at the command but did as Dallas asked. Dallas squeezed her shoulders as she came again and dropped her head against her when she was done. “You’re such a giver, baby,” she said, and laughed. “You deserve a reward.”

Dallas moved back until she was kneeling between her legs and ran her finger from Remi’s throat to the hairline of her groin. The slow, soft touch drove her desire to the point of excruciating.

Before she had to beg, Dallas moved her finger lower. “Lie down for me,” Dallas said, brushing her hair behind her shoulders to get it out of the way. It was like her first time making love, and Remi felt uncontrolled and inexperienced when Dallas put her tongue under her clit since she knew she wouldn’t last too long.

Dallas stopped and she came close to screaming. “What?” she said, and had to clear her throat because her voice was so raspy.

“I’ve got you all to myself,” Dallas said, and kissed across her abdomen, “and you’re ignoring the phone.” She moved her lips to the inside of her thigh. “You’re crazy if you’re getting off that fast.” Dallas licked the back of Remi’s knee.

“I thought you wanted to reward me for my giving ways.”

Dallas’s smile made her take a deep breath and hope the torture wouldn’t last too long. Her expression must’ve telegraphed her wish, because Dallas started again. As much as she’d learned about Dallas, she had returned the favor and sucked down hard enough to make Remi come. It was aggravating to have it so fast, but after a few more strokes she was done.

“When’s your next day off?” She was so relaxed her muscles felt like oatmeal.

“For a couple of days and this weekend, all we have to do is run lines. If you want we can have everyone come here.” Dallas kissed her navel as she moved back to the head of the bed.

“Call Vincent’s place and have food sent over. Once the crew finishes work and dinner, we’re going to bed.” She carried Dallas into the bathroom and waited for her to adjust the water.

“It’s a date.”

They took a quick shower, and she had to pick another suit since the clothes she’d first put on were a wrinkled pile on the floor. As Dallas started on her makeup again, Remi called Simon back and found that Ronald Chapman was still waiting.

“Let me go see what this guy wants and we’ll leave when I’m done.”

Maria was in the kitchen making fresh coffee, a new luxury Remi was fast getting used to. For years she’d lived on her own and had eaten out often, so she’d been comfortable fending for herself except for the cleaning women her mother sent over twice a week. When Dallas and Kristen moved in they’d decided to hire someone full-time. Once they’d started asking around, Cain’s longtime housekeeper and house manager recommended her cousin Maria. She was young but had learned and understood from Carmen that the most important part of her job was discretion.

“Good morning,” Maria said as she poured her a cup. “Simon say she will be up in a few minutes with your guest.”

“Gracias,”
she said before moving to the dining table. She didn’t want breakfast, but she didn’t want to invite these guys too far into their home. The elevator opened and the two men followed Simon out but stopped a few feet in.

Her first impression was that both of them had an overabundance of arrogance, so she predicted a session of strong-arming. “Are you here to critique my decorating or to talk to me?”

The African American man in the front stared at her long enough and with an expression that made her guess he found her lacking. Without a word he walked over and sat close to her and folded his hands in front of him on the table.

“Do you often keep federal agents waiting an hour?”

“It’s not often the FBI shows up at my house without an appointment and demanding things of my staff. I don’t treat anyone well who does that.”

“I’m Special Agent Chapman, I don’t need an appointment, and usually innocent people fall over themselves to not only see me, but to help and answer questions. It’s called cooperation, which goes a long way in getting me to leave.” Chapman spoke in a tone that encouraged her to react in a way that’d land her in handcuffs.

“What do you want, Agent Chapman?
I
actually make appointments to see people and I don’t want to appear guilty, so I’m curious why you’re here.”

Ronald’s laugh made him appear cruel. “You’re as funny as your friend Cain. Both of you have had free rein in this town too long, and because you have, you’re under the misguided belief that we don’t know what’s on the second floor of the Pescador Club.” His delivery was smooth, and by the way he studied her, she knew he was waiting to see her reaction to his statements. “Or that we don’t know what kind of liquor you pour there from Casey’s supplies. I’m here to clear all that out of town.”

“So the agents, like the guy you’re with, have been incompetent up to now, and that’s the only reason my business has thrived?” She laughed and didn’t have to glance to the elevator to know Emile stood there.

The mountain of a man had spent years at her father’s side but had enjoyed his new responsibilities protecting Dallas. At first he’d been there for Dallas’s scumbag manager, then her father, but when given a choice even with no real threat against Dallas, he’d chosen to stay.

“I run a film studio, Agent, and I pay my taxes. My family does own a slew of businesses, and there’s nothing irregular about them. If you’d like to try to prove otherwise, good luck. We’ve been under your microscope for years with nothing to show for it. Maybe you should all accept there’s nothing to find.”

“You’ve never been under my microscope, Ms. Jatibon, so we’ll see, but that’s not why I’m here,” Ronald said, and almost as if he couldn’t help himself, he turned around to find Emile closer than he appeared comfortable with. “We’re investigating the large number of murders caused by three explosions, and numerous drive-by shootings. Would you have any information on that?”

“No, but even I read the paper, so you should try asking some of the gangs responsible for the city’s drug trade. In the news that’s who they reported the victims worked for.”

“Did you and Casey rehearse your lines?”

“Only one person memorizes lines for a living in the house, and it isn’t me,” she said. The other guy leered in the direction of the bedroom, and she doubted he was admiring the artwork when she heard the click of Dallas’s heels on the marble floor. “If that’s all, I really need to get going.”