“Thank God the city is getting back to normal after that fucking storm,” Vincent said as an opener. It had been almost a year since Katrina, and with the exception of a few sections of town, most of the citizens had come back and business was good again. “It’s easier to get lost in a crowd now that there’s actually a crowd.”

“True, but we need to discuss Jasper and Vinny’s business. How’s that going?” Cain asked.

“I’m glad you brought it up.” Vinny poured them each a drink of the Irish whiskey Cain had gifted Vincent. “Someone just put the final nail in Hector’s business, and that’s going to bring nothing but problems. If any more fields are destroyed, there’s going to be a shortage of supply, and that’s going to mean war.”

“Hector’s not my favorite person, but does he have any idea who did this? Whoever it is, they had balls, considering the size and strength of his operation,” she said, taking a glass. “No one needs a war right now, but we’ll back you up if it comes to that. Who knows, it might give you the opportunity to expand if that’s what you want.”

Remi and Ramon nodded as the door upstairs opened and Remi’s twin brother Mano came down. “I’m sorry I’m late, but there was a small issue I had to deal with that couldn’t wait,” he said, glancing at Remi, then Cain.

“No problem,” Cain said, holding up her glass. “Here’s to another good month, and to friendship.”

“Saluto,” Vincent and Vinny said, draining their glasses.

“We were talking about Hector Delarosa’s problems,” she said to Mano. He’d recently moved back from Las Vegas and was running their casino interests in Biloxi as well as other things for his family.

“I asked around after the first fields went up in a ball of fire,” Mano said, “but whoever’s responsible isn’t talking. That’s smart considering what Hector would do to them if he found out.”

Cain accepted another drink from Vinny and took a breath, already aware of Hector’s problems. It was never good to project weakness, but Hannah was worth mentioning. “Something happened with Hannah I’d like to discuss.”

She gave them the gist of the conversation, and Vincent appeared the most upset. The man was as tough and lethal as they came, but his one weakness in life was children. “That can’t stand, Cain. What are you going to do about it?” Vincent asked.

“I’m not sure yet, but this kid’s mother left a device in my house the day she came to introduce herself. The house had been swept that morning, and then it was there. It had to be her. Muriel checked her and her allegedly problematic husband out, and they don’t exist. All those signs point to our friends outside.”