The Devil Inside Part 26

"All this quiet and stillness doesn't seem natural." Shelby touched Cain's cheek. "You're right, though. I did watch her for months, but it didn't prepare me for the day I met her."

"Well, ma'am, we Caseys like to leave an impression when we can. How about you wait for me down in the cafeteria, and I'll buy you a cup of coffee?"

"Please call me Shelby."

Muriel's phone started ringing, and she put one finger up. She listened and smiled at Shelby as whoever was on the other end finished talking. "Give me a minute, then bring her on up."

Muriel held her hand out. "Please pardon the interruption, Shelby, and I insist you call me Muriel. I hate to hurry you, but we have to be going."

"You're evicting me?"

"You're welcome to visit Cain whenever you wish, but Emma's on her way up and needs some time alone. I hope you understand."

Shelby kissed Cain's hand and accepted Muriel's escort downstairs. When the two pa.s.sed a couple sitting in the waiting room holding a beautiful child, she stopped abruptly, stunned by the sight. The kid looked like a miniature version of Hayden. "Tell me she didn't do that to Cain?"

"Shelby, I'm going to ask you as a favor to forget you saw that little girl for now. I have no right to ask, but I don't want anyone to know just yet. My family's still reeling from what happened to Cain because of Kyle, and I want to make sure there's no one else on Bracato's payroll. I don't think even you know who to trust yet."

Running her hand through her hair to get it out of her eyes, Shelby nodded. Muriel was right. They couldn't know if Kyle had help. "If the secret comes out it won't be from me, Muriel. I promise."

They kept walking down the hall. "Does Cain know about her?"

"She knows about her."

"How could Emma do that to her?"

"How indeed?"

The subject of their talk stood at the entrance to Cain's room. Emma had tried to follow Merrick's advice and take a nap, but sleep wasn't coming. With Hayden still missing, she sought comfort the only place she could find it. She inched toward the bed and sat on the edge. The tube coming out of Cain's mouth had left her lips chapped and dry, so she went for a wet towel.

"I wish you would wake up. There's so much wrong, Cain, and I'm not sure if I know how to fix it. At least not without messing anything else up. Please come back to me." She wiped until Cain's lips looked moist.

"Ms. Casey," said the large guard, who hadn't left the hospital since Cain had been admitted.

"Lou, right?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry to interrupt, but there's a couple waiting to see you. I wanted to give you a few minutes before I came in, though. I hope you don't mind."

"No problem." She nodded at the big guy before turning back to Cain. "Don't go anywhere, okay? I'll be right back."

Lou laughed as Emma headed out to the waiting room. "Don't worry, Mrs. Casey. I'll keep an eye on her and make sure she behaves until you get back."

"Thanks, Lou." The walk seemed longer as she left the intensive care unit and headed out to its waiting room. If it was either reporters or more legal authorities, she was going to have a meltdown. Both groups had been tying up the phone lines at the house to the point Carmen had taken the phones with listed numbers off the hook.

When she turned the corner she felt as if someone had thrown her a life preserver before she drowned in a sea of turmoil. The small figure sitting on her friend Maddie's lap looked tense in the unfamiliar surroundings, but her face brightened overwhelmingly when Emma winked at her from the other side of the gla.s.s. For once the large number of men sitting in close proximity to her daughter didn't bother Emma. It was a comfort to see Jarvis taking such good care of Hannah.

"Mama!"

"Hey, how's Mama's big girl?" She knelt on the hard tile floor so she could accept Hannah's embrace.

The almost four-year-old held on to her as if she was afraid Emma would disappear again. "We gots to ride a big plane here, Mama, and Aunt Maddie said I could meet Haygen and Mom too."

Hearing Hannah's excitement about the big day she had waited for made Emma cry. She felt like a failure for not giving the little girl the simplest of wishes before now.

Maddie put her hands on Emma's shoulders. "Emma, why'd we have to come here? Has something happened to Hayden? None of these guys would tell us anything."

"There'll be time later for me to explain, Maddie. Thank you and Jerry for coming and bringing Hannah, but I just can't talk about it yet." Emma stroked the child's black hair, coming to a decision. "Do you mind waiting while I introduce Hannah to someone?"

"Go on, honey, and take your time. Jerry and I don't have any place to be."

Hannah glanced back and forth from her mother to Maddie, wearing a small frown. "I'm sorry, Mama."

"What for, my love?"

"I didn't mean to touch nothing."

Emma smiled and kissed Hannah's forehead. "Oh, baby girl, you aren't in trouble, I just wanted to talk to you before I took you to see someone. Do you remember me telling you about your mom Cain?"

The little head nodded.

"Well, she wants to meet you, but she got hurt and has a big boo-boo."

"We make it better, Mama?"

"We'll try, angel. Do you want to go and see your mom?"

When Emma walked back into the unit holding Hannah's hand, the nurses didn't dare tell her children weren't allowed. All of the men outside Cain's door stared at the little girl in the pink dress. Emma could imagine what they were thinkingthat maybe it was a good thing the boss was out for the count at the moment.

She picked Hannah up as they entered the room and sat close to Cain's head. "Honey, I know you can hear me, so I want you to open your eyes and meet your daughter. Cain, she's waited so long for this. Please don't disappoint her."

Before Emma could stop her, Hannah reached out and put her hand over Cain's mouth. "Mom, it's me, Hannah. Mama said it was okay to come see you now."

The fog was thick where Cain was stuck, but she could hear voices. A panicked shock stalled her emotions because no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't open her eyes. Something had happened. She felt paralyzed. But no amount of concentration could make her remember. It was a soft slap to the mouth that made her eyes flutter.

"That's it, baby, come back to us. I need you," said Emma. It wasn't important that Hannah had crawled out of her lap and was pulling on Cain's top lip. She focused on the struggle Cain was going through to open her eyes. The hand she was holding had come back to life, as did the monitor next to the bed as Cain's heartbeat increased.

Mother and daughter jumped a little when blue eyes opened without warning. Cain inhaled sharply, struggling to figure out what had a death-grip on her lip. The pain stopped her from moving around too much and from taking too deep a breath. Not having full control was making Cain panic.

"Don't try to move, baby. You've been hurt."

Really. I wouldn't have guessed that on my own. Cain blinked a few times and noticed Emma hadn't heard her comment. She could have sworn she had been actually talking. She managed to turn her head a little and found a beautiful sightthe little girl from the farm next to Ross's. This was her little girl, hers and Emma's.

"Hannah, this is your Mom Cain, and she's been looking forward to meeting you. Only she might feel better if you stop pulling on her like that." Emma heard her own voice quiver and wished the introductions could have been like she had dreamed so many times, with Cain scooping the little girl into her arms and giving her a big kiss. The blue eyes looking up at her told her that was exactly what Cain would have done if she'd been able. "Baby, this is your daughter, Hannah Marie Casey."

"Love you." It came out in a whisper, but it was just as effective as if Cain had screamed it.

"Ma'am, could we get in there for a minute?" The nurse had an entourage with her, and someone was calling the doctor. Cain wasn't supposed to be awake with the ma.s.sive amount of medication running through her.

When Emma grabbed Hannah and started to move out of the way, Cain's voice rose a little. "No."

"We'll be right over here, Cain. Don't worry. I'm not taking her anywhere." Emma stood back and watched as some of the medical team pulled the sheet back and checked Cain's injuries, while others attended to her vital signs.

When the head nurse took out a penlight and pointed it into Cain's eyes to check for pupil reaction, Cain rasped, "Take this out."

"Take what out, Ms. Casey?"

Uncoordinated, Cain was able finally to move her hand close to her mouth. "This, take it out." She put her fingers on the tube in her throat.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I'm not authorized to do so."

"Take it out, or I'll do it myself." The voice was low, but it made Emma laugh because it carried Cain's usual amount of venom.

"Ma'am, please calm down, or we'll be forced to sedate you."

"Go anywhere near her again with a needle, and you'll have to deal with me," Emma threatened from where she was standing. She had just gotten Cain back, and she wasn't going to let go so easily. "Is she all right for the moment?"

"Yes, but" said the middle-aged woman.

"Then get out and we'll wait for the doctor."

"We just want to understand why this happened, Mrs. Casey. We're just trying to do our jobs. If you can't understand that, I'll have to remove you." The stout middle-aged nurse obviously wasn't used to being talked down to.

"You can try and remove her, lady, but make sure you bring enough people to take Freddie and me with her," said Lou, who stood just inside Cain's room.

A man at the counter surrounding the nurses' station chuckled. Cain's surgeon had arrived and was glancing over the paper readouts her monitors had produced as he listened to the fighting going on in the room.

Emma glanced toward the door as Dr. Elton opened it. With Cain's chart under his arm, he motioned all the healthcare workers out. "It's no wonder you're awake, with all the noise," he joked as he began his examination. He explained to Emma that Cain was a medical enigma to him. Her condition was something he expected to see in a couple of weeks, if she survived at all, but the alert blue eyes and reflex response were almost normal.

"Take this out. Now." Cain's tone belonged to someone not used to being denied.

"Cain, I want you to understand something, so hear me out, okay?"

His patient swallowed rapidly and with difficulty because of the tube she was complaining about, but she nodded.

"Someone tried to kill you with a very large gun that shot even bigger bullets. I'm thrilled you're awake, but now I'm the boss, not you. The staff and I will try our best to make you comfortable, but you have a ways to go before we're done."

Cain motioned him closer and said, "I've got enough s.h.i.t hooked up to me, and it's scaring my kid, so take it out. It's the first time she's seen me, and I don't want this to be what she remembers about the day."

"Mrs. Casey, could you and your daughter give us about twenty minutes? I promise it's just to clean Cain up and get her comfortable. If it's possible, we'll move her to a private room so you'll be more comfortable as well."

"No more drugs?" Emma asked with conviction.

"Unless she asks me, no more drugs."

As Emma and Hannah waited, the clock seemed mired in quicksand. Emma was about to go back into the room after forty minutes had pa.s.sed, but then the doctor met her at the door.

"I don't understand how, but she'll be home in about a week."

She laughed at the thought of Cain flat on her back for a week. "If you can keep her that long. Cain isn't the best patient. Add to that her lack of patience, and a week might be tough."

"You don't understand. I thought she'd have to stay a month or two."

"No, Dr. Elton. You don't understand. Cain's an extraordinary person, used to doing extraordinary things. Right now she doesn't have time for this, so she'll will herself to mend."

"May your children take after her, then, Mrs. Casey. You go on in. She's asking for you." Dr. Elton patted her hand and left.

Go on in, she's asking for you. The doctor's comment echoed in Emma's head, making her dizzy. Memories of Cain dressing her down also echoed in her mind, but she had been lucky up to now. She had never been on the receiving end of the Casey temper at full throttle.

The time the staff had taken made a difference. Cain looked almost healthy with only the oxygen tube in her nose. The one she'd found offensive was gone, and Emma could only hope it was the staff that had removed it.

"I hurt too much to bite, so come here." Cain's voice was still raspy from the medical equipment, but it sounded glorious. The teasing comment was the first thing Cain had uttered to her that didn't carry with it a dose of anger.

"Cain, I'm so sorry for everything. I didn't come here to see you get hurt, but I'm grateful to you for saving my life."

She quit apologizing when, with a great deal of effort, Cain put up her hand and said, "She's a beautiful child, Emma."

"She's a Casey, Cain. What choice did she have but to be beautiful? I know it won't make things right between us, but I taught her to love you and Hayden." Emma sat on the chair next to the bed and rested her hands close to Cain's body. "She's talked about you for so long. I'm glad you found out."

Cain's side hurt like h.e.l.l, and she wasn't up for a fight. "Your plan was to send me to jail so you could get Hayden back, so I'm sorry if I find your words more than a little hollow." The saddest thing that had occurred to Cain about everything that had happened was that she'd missed out on Emma's second pregnancy. She vividly recalled her first one.

Twelve Years Earlier in the Casey Bedroom in New Orleans "Don't strain yourself today. I mean it." Cain was sitting on the bed putting on her socks as she lectured the woman lying behind her. Her seventh month of pregnancy was starting to wear Emma down and swell her up in unimaginable places.

"When are you coming home?"

The irritated tone directed at her didn't faze Cain. It was hormonal, and she figured the real Emma would return sometime after the birth. "Tonight early. I already talked to Vinny and told him I wasn't staying long, but the Gulf Coast property's being cleared today, and we're meeting with some of the county commissioners. If I could skip it I would, baby, but this is one meeting I can't miss."

Emma watched as Cain slipped on her belt, then her watch. The pa.s.sion was gone. Now she knew what every pregnant woman meantshe really did feel like a beached whale and couldn't blame Cain for not finding her attractive.

"Maybe later you could go for a walk with Carmen? It's nice outside today."

"I'm not a pet, Cain, so stop being so condescending. Just go. I'm sure you're late by now."

If Emma expected the blue eyes to harden and give her the fight she was picking for, the exact opposite happened. Cain sat beside her and put her hands on Emma's cheeks. "I know you're tired, sweetling, and this big bruiser isn't helping any, but I love you. You rest, and I promise I'll be home early."

Emma nodded, then lowered her head so Cain wouldn't see the tears. It wasn't fair to keep taking out her bad moods on the person who loved her more than life. Cain pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. Then she felt the bed shift again and Cain was gone. Never had she wanted to beg her to stay more than in that one moment, but it was just a mood swing. Something so tragic would seem silly in an hour, so Emma kept quiet.

Trying to relax, Emma undressed and stepped into the shower. Reviewing her actions, she leaned her head against the shower wall and sobbed. She wanted to start the morning over so she could retract the harsh words, but now Cain was gone. "Emma, you idiot, it's not like she doesn't have her pick. Keep this up, and she'll go looking for someone who doesn't talk back so often." She laughed when no one disagreed with her. Talking out loud to herself had become another side effect of pregnancy.

And then, suddenly, she wasn't alone. She cried harder when she heard the soft voice so close to her ear. "Ah, but she likes them feisty, la.s.s. I want a partner, not a lapdog."

Cain's tall, nude body pressed against her back felt solid and wonderful, and Emma turned and pressed her cheek to Cain's shoulder.

"No tears now, sweetling. They'll ruin our morning." Cain ran her fingers through the wet blond hair. After seeing the sadness on Emma's face, she hadn't been able to get very far once she'd walked out of the bedroom.

"What are you doing here?" Emma turned her head up and kissed Cain's collarbone as she gazed up at her greatest wish.

"I live here, love. I'm the one you use as a foot warmer at night." Cain ran her fingers down Emma's neck, her lips following closely behind. She stopped just behind her ear and bit down gently, loving how it made Emma shiver.

"I know that, you sweet idiot. What I meant was, I thought you had a meeting?"