care greatly about your job. Muriel always came second to that.”
“You know that’s not true. Muriel is the main reason I do my job so well.”
Cain put her hand up to make Shelby stop talking. It’d taken only one blatant lie for her body to tense. “You have interesting ideas about love, and I’m not in the mood to argue with you. Perhaps you saw yourself as a crusader who was saving my cousin from a life she’s been forced to live.”
“You honestly think she had a choice up to now?” Shelby asked, and the tentacles of anger spread quickly into Cain’s skull, making pain flare above her right eye.
“Everyone has choices, Agent Phillips, but your self-imposed nobility has blinded you to that. You’ve also chosen to ignore the truth of who Muriel is and what she was willing to give up for you.” She stopped to take a deep breath, realizing the volume of her voice was climbing. “Muriel is the daughter of Jarvis Casey, and she embraced him and the rest of her family proudly. Had Muriel chosen to stay with you, the rest of our family would’ve never turned our backs on her.”
“But you would’ve locked her out, right?”
“You’re the one with a lecture to give, it seems,” Emma said hotly.
“Did you want something?” Cain asked, not in the mood for this bickering.
“I’m sorry, but I do love Muriel. It hurts that you’d think otherwise.” Shelby sounded contrite as she rubbed her palms along her slacks. “I need your help, Cain,” she said in a half whisper, as if she loathed the words and the request. “You’re the only one I can ask.”
“If I can, I will,” she said, and almost laughed at Emma’s hard pinch to her leg. “What do you want?” It wasn’t difficult to guess, but she wanted Shelby to spell it out.
“I need the animals who killed my parents to pay.” Shelby held up a finger as she spoke. “And I need to watch as the life of those who ordered the hit ends when I pull the trigger.” She held up another finger at that. “You and I know we’ll never make enough headway with the investigations to hold anyone accountable.”
“We…as in the FBI?” she asked.
“Or the police, take your pick. The bastards who killed them are safe back in Mexico, and their bosses are having a good laugh about it.”
“Shelby, let me share something with you before I give you my answer.” Cain smiled to put Shelby at ease. “My father was a powerful man who, like yours, was taken from me by ignorant assholes. When he died I thought of nothing but revenge. The need for it consumed me.”
“That’s how I feel.”
“My mother told me something before her life ended the same way my Da’s did. She said, ‘To avoid the fruit of sin, stay out of the devil’s orchard.’”
“What does that mean?” Shelby asked.
“Revenge is something you think will soothe the ache that loss leaves you with. Like apples growing in an orchard, it will tempt you, but it’s an illusion. Once you pull the trigger, it won’t bring your parents back or fill the hole in your heart. It might give you a brief sense of satisfaction, but it won’t be the miracle cure that’ll right your world. Take my advice and avoid the orchard, the sin,” she said as she placed her hand against her chest, “and the devil you’ll find there. This devil for sure will not lead you into that tempting place.”
“You’ll never admit it, but you willingly went into that place and gorged yourself. Don’t lie and tell me otherwise.” Shelby pressed her hands together as if in prayer. “Do you hate me so much that denying me this is a joke to you?”
“I don’t hate you, Shelby. I don’t trust you.” She took Emma’s hand as Shelby looked at her with an expression of disbelief. “There’s a difference.”
“You talk about sin and temptation, but you gave in. The Bracatos are dead just like anyone else who’s ever crossed you, so don’t preach or try to save my soul.” Shelby clenched her fists
“You know that’s not true. Muriel is the main reason I do my job so well.”
Cain put her hand up to make Shelby stop talking. It’d taken only one blatant lie for her body to tense. “You have interesting ideas about love, and I’m not in the mood to argue with you. Perhaps you saw yourself as a crusader who was saving my cousin from a life she’s been forced to live.”
“You honestly think she had a choice up to now?” Shelby asked, and the tentacles of anger spread quickly into Cain’s skull, making pain flare above her right eye.
“Everyone has choices, Agent Phillips, but your self-imposed nobility has blinded you to that. You’ve also chosen to ignore the truth of who Muriel is and what she was willing to give up for you.” She stopped to take a deep breath, realizing the volume of her voice was climbing. “Muriel is the daughter of Jarvis Casey, and she embraced him and the rest of her family proudly. Had Muriel chosen to stay with you, the rest of our family would’ve never turned our backs on her.”
“But you would’ve locked her out, right?”
“You’re the one with a lecture to give, it seems,” Emma said hotly.
“Did you want something?” Cain asked, not in the mood for this bickering.
“I’m sorry, but I do love Muriel. It hurts that you’d think otherwise.” Shelby sounded contrite as she rubbed her palms along her slacks. “I need your help, Cain,” she said in a half whisper, as if she loathed the words and the request. “You’re the only one I can ask.”
“If I can, I will,” she said, and almost laughed at Emma’s hard pinch to her leg. “What do you want?” It wasn’t difficult to guess, but she wanted Shelby to spell it out.
“I need the animals who killed my parents to pay.” Shelby held up a finger as she spoke. “And I need to watch as the life of those who ordered the hit ends when I pull the trigger.” She held up another finger at that. “You and I know we’ll never make enough headway with the investigations to hold anyone accountable.”
“We…as in the FBI?” she asked.
“Or the police, take your pick. The bastards who killed them are safe back in Mexico, and their bosses are having a good laugh about it.”
“Shelby, let me share something with you before I give you my answer.” Cain smiled to put Shelby at ease. “My father was a powerful man who, like yours, was taken from me by ignorant assholes. When he died I thought of nothing but revenge. The need for it consumed me.”
“That’s how I feel.”
“My mother told me something before her life ended the same way my Da’s did. She said, ‘To avoid the fruit of sin, stay out of the devil’s orchard.’”
“What does that mean?” Shelby asked.
“Revenge is something you think will soothe the ache that loss leaves you with. Like apples growing in an orchard, it will tempt you, but it’s an illusion. Once you pull the trigger, it won’t bring your parents back or fill the hole in your heart. It might give you a brief sense of satisfaction, but it won’t be the miracle cure that’ll right your world. Take my advice and avoid the orchard, the sin,” she said as she placed her hand against her chest, “and the devil you’ll find there. This devil for sure will not lead you into that tempting place.”
“You’ll never admit it, but you willingly went into that place and gorged yourself. Don’t lie and tell me otherwise.” Shelby pressed her hands together as if in prayer. “Do you hate me so much that denying me this is a joke to you?”
“I don’t hate you, Shelby. I don’t trust you.” She took Emma’s hand as Shelby looked at her with an expression of disbelief. “There’s a difference.”
“You talk about sin and temptation, but you gave in. The Bracatos are dead just like anyone else who’s ever crossed you, so don’t preach or try to save my soul.” Shelby clenched her fists
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