Heart of the Devil Read online

  Heart of the Devil

  There was a time when Dalton Casey ran the Casey family while grooming the next generation, but Cain Casey inherits the reins too early when Dalton is gunned down. His loss leaves Cain devastated, and she does her best to keep the business together, but his loss has left her adrift and hungry for revenge. That ends the night a new employee douses her in beer.

  Emma Verde has left everything behind in Wisconsin to attend Tulane in New Orleans. She sees an opportunity to make enough money for the coming semester when she lands a job at an Irish pub in the French Quarter. That job soon spirals into something else.

  That’s the story we know, but this is the tale of how Cain and Emma fell in love, and their history proves that love was the only thing that saved the heart of the devil.

  Praise for Ali Vali

  Beauty and the Boss

  “The story gripped me from the first page, both the relationship between the two main characters, as well as the drama of the issues that threaten to bring down the business…Vali’s writing style is lovely—it’s clean, sharp, no wasted words, and it flows beautifully as a result. Highly recommended!”—Rainbow Book Reviews

  Balance of Forces: Toujours Ici

  “A stunning addition to the vampire legend, Balance of Forces: Toujour Ici is one that stands apart from the rest.”—Bibliophilic Book Blog

  Calling the Dead

  “So many writers set stories in New Orleans, but Ali Vali’s mystery novels have the authenticity that only a real Big Easy resident could bring…makes for a classic lesbian murder yarn.”—Curve Magazine

  Blue Skies

  “Vali is skilled at building sexual tension, and the sex in this novel flies as high as Berkley’s jets. Look for this fast-paced read.”—Just About Write

  Carly’s Sound

  “Vali paints vivid pictures with her words…Carly’s Sound is a great romance, with some wonderfully hot sex.”—Midwest Book Review

  “It’s no surprise that passion is indeed possible a second time around.”—Q Syndicate

  Acclaim for the Casey Cain Saga

  The Devil Inside

  “Vali’s fluid writing style quickly puts the reader at ease, which makes the story and its characters equally easy to get to know and care about. When you find yourself talking out loud to the characters in a book, you know the work is polished and professional, as well as entertaining.”—Family and Friends Magazine

  “Not only is The Devil Inside a ripping mystery, it’s also an intimate character study.”—L-Word Literature

  “The Devil Inside is the first of what promises to be a very exciting series…While telling an exciting story that grips the reader, Vali has also fully fleshed out her heroes and villains. The Devil Inside is that rarity: a fascinating crime novel which includes a tender love story and leaves the reader with a cliffhanger ending.”—MegaScene

  The Devil Unleashed

  “Fast-paced action scenes, intriguing character revelations, and a refreshing approach to the romance thriller genre all make for an enjoyable reading experience in the Big Easy…The Devil Unleashed is an engrossing reading experience.”—Midwest Book Review

  Deal with the Devil

  “Ali Vali has given her fans another thick, rich thriller…Deal With the Devil has wonderful love stories, great sex, and an ample supply of humor. It is an exciting, page-turning read that leaves her readers eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.”—Just About Write

  The Devil Be Damned

  “Ali Vali excels at creating strong, romantic characters along with her fast-paced, sophisticated plots. Her setting, New Orleans, provides just the right blend of immigrants from Mexico, South America, and Cuba, along with a city steeped in traditions.”—Just About Write

  Heart of the Devil

  Brought to you by

  eBooks from Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com

  eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

  Please respect the rights of the author and do not file share.

  Heart of the Devil

  © 2018 By Ali Vali. All Rights Reserved.

  ISBN 13:978-1-63555-046-7

  This Electronic Original is published by

  Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  P.O. Box 249

  Valley Falls, NY 12185

  First Edition: January 2018

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

  Credits

  Editor: Shelley Thrasher

  Production Design: Stacia Seaman

  Cover Design by Sheri ([email protected])

  By the Author

  Carly’s Sound

  Second Season

  Calling the Dead

  Blue Skies

  Love Match

  The Dragon Tree Legacy

  The Romance Vote

  Girls with Guns

  Beneath the Waves

  Beauty and the Boss

  Forces Series

  Balance of Forces: Toujours Ici

  Battle of Forces: Sera Toujours

  The Cain Casey Saga

  The Devil Inside

  The Devil Unleashed

  Deal with the Devil

  The Devil Be Damned

  The Devil’s Orchard

  The Devil’s Due

  Heart of the Devil

  Acknowledgments

  Luck is defined as good fortune, and that is certainly what happened to me the day the Casey Clan popped into my head. They’ve led me on a great adventure that has definitely brought me good fortune in the people I’ve met and worked with. Thank you, Radclyffe, for your support, advice, and for the gift of joining the BSB family. Thank you to Sandy Lowe for the great job you do every day, and for the idea of this book.

  Thank you to Shelley Thrasher, my editor. This certainly isn’t our first book, but no matter the number, you always teach me something new. All those lessons are invaluable.

  Thank you to my first readers Cris Perez-Soria, Connie Ward, and Kim Rieff. Your comments and help were much appreciated, but your friendship is the real treasure.

  Thank you to the BSB team that does such an amazing job and works so hard so that every project is a success. Thank you to Stacia Seaman for the final polish to every book, to Cindy Cresap for your dedication, and to Sheri for another great cover.

  Thank you to all the readers who have loved these characters enough to want more. Your support and emails are very much appreciated. As always, every word is written with you in mind.

  Thank you to C for reminding me that there is beauty and joy in this world if you only bother to look. You’re always ready for the next big adventure, and for that I love you. Verdad!

  For C

  Thanks for believing.

  Para Mami, Papi, y mi hermano

  For giving a sense of adventure and memories to last a lifetime.

  Chapter One

  “The pain fades, my love,” Therese Casey said as she pressed her hands to Derby Cain Casey’s back. It was the first anniversary of the death of Cain’s father, Dalton, and she had yet to get over the sudden, violent loss.

  “Do you really believe that?” Cain turned, put her arms around her mother, and kissed her forehead. “The only thing that’ll make me feel better is ripping the throat out of whoever did this.”

  Nothing made the loss more tangible than standing i
n the marble mausoleum they’d had built for the family in the old cemetery in uptown New Orleans. The place was cold even in the summer, and it focused the permanence of his absence in her life. She was the heir to his title—a job she’d prepared for all her life, and he’d guided and taught her to be successful, but she still had a million questions she hadn’t asked him. That future together had ended abruptly and savagely, and for that, someone was going to pay dearly.

  “Right now you need to take care of your family. You can handle the bloodlust when you’re sure.” Therese kissed her fingers before placing them on Dalton’s name. “You’ve got to get Billy under control before he’s beyond our reach.”

  “He’s no angrier than I am, so it’s hard to tell him anything.” Her little brother had handled their father’s murder with his fists. Billy had beaten the crap out of every one of their enemies that had crossed his path, but the fighting only seemed to make his anger grow.

  “If he gets any madder you’ll have a war on your hands, and we really can’t afford that. Your da never wanted to bother me with the business, but I don’t live with my head in a pot. Now’s the time for level-headedness and a firm hand. Remember his lessons on anger and how it clouds your judgment. It’s time to remind Billy of all those wise things your da taught you and soothe that beast clawing at his heart.”

  “So you’re trying to tell me to aim Billy a little?” They walked out into the heat, and the guards glanced around before they moved through the cemetery.

  “Your brother’s a hothead with a bad case of shortsightedness.” Therese slipped her hand into the bend of her elbow and leaned against her. “I’m his mother, so you know I’m right.”

  “You’re my mother too, so God only knows what you’re saying about me when I’m not around.” She laughed when her mother slapped her arm.

  “It’s been a year, and I’m proud of how you’ve handled yourself. The clan’s yours, and every Casey alive and gone is thrilled that this load has landed on these broad shoulders. But you’ve got enough going on without adding to that already impossible burden. Talk to him and lift a little of his fog before something happens to him. I can only take so much loss in this lifetime, and your da’s passing is enough.”

  She opened the car door for her mother and kissed her cheek. “I’ll go pick up Marie and meet you at the house later for dinner. I’ll talk to Billy tonight.”

  “Don’t let her talk you into too many treats. You’re a soft touch, and your sister’s got your number.”

  “One milk shake. I promise.”

  Therese kissed her hand and shook her head. They both knew she’d give Marie whatever she asked for. Her little sister really was the soft spot in her otherwise hard demeanor. But her and the family’s survival depended on her staying as unforgiving as she could manage, and that wasn’t a stretch since all she wanted to do was open fire on the world. She didn’t care how much blood ran in the streets. It’d been a year, so her revenge was about as cold as she wanted to let it get before she served it to whoever had killed her da.

  “You want to put off the meeting with the Liam brothers?” Merrick Runyon asked. The African American guard who’d been at her side for a couple of years was enjoying her new position as the head of Cain’s security.

  “The Liam brothers need us more than we need to do business with them. Da trusted them, but I’ve got something else in mind for now.”

  “Are you sure you want to rock the sturdy ocean liner your father built?”

  “The future has to be part mine or I won’t make it. Da was the first to say that you only move forward by hacking through the brush yourself. If it’s mine, then the pressure to make it succeed will keep me sharp. Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.”

  “I realize that, but just make sure you’re not so sharp you cut yourself off from what works.”

  “If I close my eyes I can almost imagine Mum is still here.”

  “Way to make a girl feel incredibly unspecial.”

  “I love my mother,” she said with a smile.

  “No doubt, but maybe I have other ideas that aren’t motherly at all.”

  “The last thing you should get is ideas, babe. It’s like one of the bullets that took him from me sliced through my heart.” She pointed back toward her father’s grave and closed her eyes. “Hold out for something better.”

  * * *

  Emma Verde tapped her pen on the blank page of her notebook, too nervous to think of anything to write. The new semester hadn’t started with much good news, but she was hoping to salvage it by meeting with the head of the university’s financial aid.

  “Miss Verde,” the elderly woman behind the oak counter said. “Go on in.”

  “Thanks, Miss Betty.” Everyone in the office knew her, so if any help was available, they’d give it to her. “Hey, June.” She shook hands with the new and incredibly young dean.

  “Hey, Emma.” June flicked her shoulder-length red hair back with what seemed like impatience. “I appreciate you coming in.”

  “Please tell me you have good news and all this is a big mistake.” The notice she’d received in the mail had sent her into a mild panic. She was barely surviving with her scholarship and her student job. Losing one or the other meant she’d be forced out because of Tulane’s expensive tuition.

  “The manager of the bookstore loves you—don’t think it has anything to do with that.” June pressed her hands together and seemed to try to keep her face impassive. She was failing miserably.

  “I’m really losing my job?” She didn’t need to ask the question because the answer seemed plain and done. “Why? How much can the school save getting rid of me?”

  “I’ve only got so many slots, Emma, and sometimes life is as unfair as it gets. One of the state senators has a kid starting this year, and he’s getting your spot.”

  “Does he even need my job?”

  “I might incriminate myself by answering that, so let’s skip it. I also want to make sure you’re okay, so while I don’t want to intrude into your personal life, I have a question for you. Can your parents help out any?”

  Emma shook her head while she pressed her hands against her stomach. “No. That won’t be possible.”

  “All I need is a few years of tax returns. We can start with a grant. If not, you might qualify for some more student loans in addition to the ones you’ve gotten on your own.”

  Her mother Carol’s voice saying that going to school was a waste slammed around in her head. Calling for any kind of help would be admitting defeat. “That’s not going to happen.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?” June asked gently, as if knowing there was more to the story.

  “No, but thanks. So am I out right away?”

  “I got you two weeks, and I’ll do my best to find you something.”

  “Thanks, June, and I understand. Sometimes it’s out of your control, but I appreciate your honesty. I like you, so thanks for the couple of weeks.” She packed her bag and tried to keep her smile.

  “You’ll be training the senator’s son, so don’t thank me just yet. I feel like an asshole, but I thought it’d be better than nothing.”

  “There might be an asshole at work here, but I doubt it’s you.”

  She walked outside and dropped her bag to keep from flinging it into the bushes. The urge to get really angry was getting strong, but her buzzing phone made her smile again since she knew who it was. Once a week her best friend from back home called to check on her. The phone was the one extravagance her father had insisted on, in case she needed to call for help and so he could reach her no matter what.

  Maddie and her husband Jerry were the only two people who seemed as excited as she was when Tulane offered her the scholarship. Actually, she’d had her choice of three schools, but the city of New Orleans had lured her to Tulane. It was the complete opposite of the small Wisconsin farming town she’d grown up in, and all she’d wanted was to experience the world her mother had tried to ke
ep locked away from her.

  “Hey,” she said, sitting on the lawn and turning her face up to the sun.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “How the hell do you do that?” Maddie was a year older, but they’d been inseparable during high school, and their closeness hadn’t changed much, even after Maddie met Jerry and decided on the life a lot of their friends had chosen.

  “You grew up with Carol as a mother, and I grew up knowing that when you sound overly chipper you’re covering up something upsetting. Considering that it happened on an almost daily basis, I got really good at it.”

  “You’re a riot.” She wanted to stay positive, but it was hard. She could stay in school without some dead-end job if she gave up eating and living in her crappy apartment. “And I’m unemployed.”

  “Honey, I’m so sorry, but if you show up here without a degree, I’ll never forgive you.”

  “I’ve got two weeks to find something, so I shouldn’t think the worst, I guess.”

  “And if you don’t, you know we’ll be happy to help.”

  “I love you, but I want to try to make it on my own. If I don’t, I’m only proving her right,” she said, referring to her mother.