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Rafael
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I fight not to curse as she confirms my suspicions. Carrie is likely an innocent, at the very least she has little experience. Not enough for me to consider a relationship with her. Fuck. Taking a deep breath, I consider the plan that had been forming. It shouldn’t make a difference, but it does.
She deserved more, much more than she has endured. I could not imagine a single person in my acquittance who would have gone through what she had and not been a bitter bitch about it. Carrie wasn’t bitter, she was weary though. Her weariness is completely understandable. For far too long she has shouldered responsibilities exceeding her years—responsibilities that many women and men would have buckled under. The time had come for her load to be lightened. If I can do that for her then I feel I owe it to her to do so.
Her cell phone rings. She frowns as she answers. “Hello?”
I turn down the music, and I can hear the other person. It’s a guy. And why it sends my back up I have no fucking idea. “Carrie? Are you okay? I was worried because you hadn’t come in yet.”
“I’m fine, Mario. I’m sorry you worried. I’m not going to be able to come in tonight after all. Is that a problem?”
“No problem, we aren’t busy. Lupe will be happy you aren’t coming in. She just said she was relieved she’s had five tables so far. Call me if you need anything, okay?”
“I will, thanks Mario.”
“Your boss?” I barely manage to keep from growling the question.
“Yeah, well, his son but he leaves it mainly to Mario to run. They’re so nice and easy to work with. Knowing Mario, he’ll probably bring over left-overs for the night when they close.”
“Does he do that a lot, bring over food for you?” It isn’t easy to loosen my grip on the steering wheel. The guy has a thing for her, he had sounded a little too worried about her.
“He does a lot, I guess. Normally, I try to take it home when I leave but usually it’s quite a bit. He doesn’t want me to worry about dropping it. It’s a family restaurant and they really are like family. Mario’s mom is always so sweet, inviting me and twins to family gatherings.”
A frown appears on her forehead. She is far too young for lines to have formed as deep as they have there. “Saying it out loud...Mario also usually manages to hang around for a while when he comes by, even when it’s late. I thought he understood, I’m not interested in a relationship. He asked me out months ago and was sweet about me turning him down.”
“Sounds like he’s biding his time, hoping you’ll change your mind.” Damn it, she is far too naïve. She really doesn’t get he’s after her. The guy wants her, anyone who got close to her would want her.
Another frown, as she shakes her head. “He’s just being nice.”
She says it as if she’s trying to reassure herself as well as me. Anger flares within me, at the way he’s taking advantage of her lack of experience and weaseling his way into her life. “How long have you worked there?”
“Two months, it took a while to get settled here. I didn’t realize I would be driving all over the metroplex. I had to ask to be limited to a handful of properties and it cut down on my hours. It wasn’t long before I figured out I needed a second job. At least the restaurant isn’t far from me. I can’t believe I just thought about you. How are you going to get home? I shouldn’t have let you drive me home.”
“Do not worry about it. I have a car I can send for, it’s not a problem. Have you thought of trying to find something different from what you were doing before?”
“Of course, but I’ve done it for so long and I’m good at it. I also don’t know of many things that would pay as well without a degree that I would enjoy as much. The property I worked at in Austin, I’d been there for eight years. I practically managed it on my own for the last three years. The manager, Tracy, was never there. Tracy was content to let me run it and only show up when the owner came by.”
Damn, no degree. However, with eight years of experience, it more than made up for the lack of a degree. “Why was she so lax in her responsibilities?”
“She had no idea what she was doing, how to run the reports or close the books for the month end. Tracy had never even worked as a leasing agent on a property before. She was the niece of someone who worked in the corporate office. When my old boss left to come to Dallas for her husband’s job Tracy was just supposed to fill in. Then when she asked for my help and I handled everything and the owner asked her to stay. So she kept the job without knowing what she was doing. She was thankful for what I did without ratting on her. Which wouldn’t have happened because they wouldn’t have done anything about it. Although, it did work out for me. She kept giving me raises I wouldn’t have gotten any other way. When I left, she promised she would give me a good reference when she got a call.”
“What do you mean they wouldn’t have done anything about it?”
“The corporate office was very much: they don’t care what happens on the properties as long as leases are being signed. I’d never had any issues I thought needed to be reported. But I worked with other leasing agents that tried complaining about on-site issues and they were patted on the head and ignored. If I had complained or let them know what was going on, they would have at best ignored it or at worse replaced me with someone who was willing to do her work without complaint.”
She sighs. “A few times I’ve thought about maybe getting my real estate license. Only there’s no security with it and after finding out how quickly my savings went in Austin—I just can’t make the jump without a net.”
“The company you were with in Austin doesn’t have any properties in Dallas?”
“No, they’re mainly in Austin, a few in Corpus and several in Houston. I considered Houston except I’ve always hated the heat and humidity of Houston and didn’t want to go back.”
As I pull into the driveway, anger rises in me again for a new reason. The neighborhood is as bad as I feared and the duplex is even worse. At one time it was white but is now a mottled gray and it’s sagging. From here I can spot issues with the roof. I have little doubt it’s too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. It is unacceptable for Carrie to live like this.
Getting out of the car, I force a deep, calming breath. When Carrie rounds the car to me, my hand is once again at her back, needing to touch her all over again. It isn’t easy to hide my smile at the way a little gasp escapes her at my touch. “Let me handle them. I want to warn you now I’m not going to go easy on them and I need your support. They are going to hate the both of us for a little while, I need you to stand firm. In the end, I believe it is the best thing for them.”
She nods.
“Good girl.” The shy smile she gives me has my cock aching for her all over again.
***
Carrie
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Rafael’s hand at my back is guiding me up the steps ahead of him. It isn’t a large landing, and it feels like he takes it all up. He hands me the keys and I unlock the door. Scanning the living room, Nelly, the next-door neighbor who was supposed to be watching the twins, is nowhere in sight. The twins are in front of the television playing games on the gaming console that was supposed to be locked in my room.
“Where is Nelly? What the hell do you two think you’re doing? I locked those games up. You’re breaking into my room now?”
Elliott, always the smartass, “They belong to us, we didn’t break in. We have a key. Nelly is laying down. She had a headache and Riley gave her the headache nighttime medicine by accident.”
I take a deep breath as I fight not to lose it completely. There is no guilt on either of their faces. I have no doubt they gave Nelly the wrong pills on purpose. “You drugged Nelly? I cannot fucking believe you two. I’m done. I’m so done. I can’t do this anymore. Maybe you two do belong in juvenile detention.”
Riley throws down his controller, until now he had barely looked at me. “Damn it, Carrie, you made me lose my game because you want to act like dramatic cow. Who gives a shit? We aren’t going to juvie, you fucking wish. If we did end up there it would be three months or whatever max. We’re only kids without adult supervision because you’re never fucking home. It wasn’t our fault we weren’t raised right by our bitch of a sister. We’re just kids who’ve had a hard life because our mom died when we were little. Even a bad lawyer will get us off.”
Rafael squeezes my shoulder as he leads me to the couch, pressing me firmly down. “I wasn’t wrong in the least about you two. One, you are not kids. You are old enough to know the difference between right and wrong and understand there are repercussions for your actions. Two, your sister won’t be paying for a lawyer as she doesn’t have a cent to throw good money away at a lost cause like you two. Three, you think you’re smart. But you have to be the two stupidest teenagers in the state of Texas to piss me off.”
The twins are studying him, finally paying attention. I have no doubt they’re sensing the raw power that radiates off Rafael, because I’m feeling it like a heater on blast.
“You don’t know who I am, so I’ll tell you. I run the seventh largest construction company in the U.S. and the biggest in Texas. I employ over three thousand people in the state of Texas and more than twelve thousand in the United States. I am extremely wealthy. Being that wealthy, things have a way of going exactly the way I want them to. If I go to the judge and tell him that I want you two sentenced to the maximum of three years then you’ll both be there for three years. It won’t matter if you have the best lawyer in the state of Texas.”
The twins look at each other, then back to Rafael.
“Now that your sister is thinking the way I want her to, I’m pressing charges. I’ll ask the judge to give you the maximum. Your sister deserves a break from running herself ragged trying to keep a roof over your heads while giving you as good of a life as she can. Maybe now she can take some time to take care of herself instead of two ungrateful brats.”
I can’t look at the twins right now, it hurts too much. It isn’t about wanting a life of my own. It’s that no matter how hard I work none of it is making a difference.
“Carrie, what the fuck?! You’re going to let him throw us in juvie?” Elliott is shocked.
Riley’s voice goes high with fear. “Carrie, hey, come on.”
I’m shaking my head. Even with Rafael considering not pressing charges what happens the next time they get bored? When Rafael had mentioned the twins going after something or someone I had wanted to scoff at him. In the moment, I couldn’t believe the twins would ever hurt a person. But less than an hour later they had done exactly that. I didn’t know them at all. Maybe they should be somewhere where they couldn’t hurt anyone else.
“Sis, don’t be like this. We’re sorry, okay? We’ll do the job thing you want us to do, right Riley.” Elliott pleads.
“Yeah, Carrie, I’m sorry. Please, don’t do this. We’ll be good. We promise. You can’t let us go to juvie.”
Letting loose a shaky breath, I fight tears. “I’m not letting anything happen. This is on you two. I’ve done all I can for you, it wasn’t enough. I tried to sit down and talk to you like the adults you keep telling me you are. Then you do these things. Three hundred thousand dollars in damages was what you cost this man. I don’t care how wealthy he is, costs like that cut into his company’s bottom line.”
I swipe the tears that well up and fall. “I’ve tried grounding you off video games, you break into my room and steal it. You drugged a nice, sweet woman. I’m tired. I’m so tired of trying. It’s not working. I’m done.” Damn it, the beginning of a migraine is forming at the back of my head. “Great, now I’m getting a migraine.”
Standing, I sway. Immediately, Rafael’s hand is around my arm to steady me.
“I think you need to rest. Go lie down.” It’s a gentle yet firm order.
“Carrie!” Both twins cry out in unison. Shaking my head, I ignore them as I make my way into my room off the living room, closing the door. Despite the black-out curtains darkening the room so much I can barely see, I don’t turn on the lights. The light would cause my migraine to hurt worse if I did. Kicking off my shoes in the general direction of my walk-in closet I stumble toward my bed. Burying my face in the pillow, I hope the migraine doesn’t go full blown.
***
Rafael
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Watching Carrie walk unsteadily into her room, crying I fight the urge to be violent. Glaring at the two young teens, they look worried but not nearly enough as far as I’m concerned.
“You two, in your room now.” To give them credit, they don’t argue. Without a word, they nearly ran down the hallway to their room.
Pulling out my phone, I call my little brother. Matteo picks up on the second ring. “Hey, Rafe what’s up?”
“How do I stop a migraine?” I don’t bother with small talk. As a doctor, Matteo is used to being bothered with medical questions.
“You’re having migraines, Rafe?”
“No, not me. How do I stop it?”
“Have the person drop meds immediately. Caffeine is the best thing they can take over the counter. Coffee or a Coke have them drink it down fast at least twelve ounces if they can take it. Aspirin is the best over the counter for it. Most migraines are from stress, a hot cloth on the back of the neck is a good way of relieving tension.”
“Thanks, Matteo. I gotta go.” Ending the call, I go into the small kitchen and flinch at the worn linoleum and the appliances. Fuck, I need to get her out of here. Opening the refrigerator, I find a can of Coke and pop the lid. I make another call, this time it’s answered on the first ring.
“Mr. Castillo, how can I help you, sir?”
“Rick, I need you to run a background and employment check on a Carrie Whitney.” I open her purse. Finding her wallet, I read off her drivers license number and address from Austin. Her given name is Caroline, the formal name didn’t fit the soft and sweet woman. Carrie is much better. The sight of her social security card has me tensing all over again, keeping her social security card in her wallet is a huge risk, her purse could easily be stolen and her identity with it.
“Will do, I can get it to you by close of day tomorrow.”
“I need it two hours ago.”
Rick knew not to argue, hesitating for only a moment. “I’ll scan and email everything I can get within the next hour.”
“Good.”
“I just want to say thank you for allowing me to continue to serve you and your company. I did the background check on Celeste Handley myself. I saw nothing to indicate the issues that have come up.”
I go still. “What issues?”
“Benito didn’t tell you?”
“No, when and what happened?” Anger flares at Benito’s hiding of a major issue. Celeste Handley is the manager for the building I own and live in.
“Last week it came to light she has been out renting out condos for short stays off the books. Benito has me doing background checks on two people he’s thinking of hiring in her place once he fires her.”
“Drop the checks, from now on if Benito calls you, you hang up and call me to tell me what was discussed. Focus on my check.”
Hanging up, I call my head of security. “Dennis, call in the police. Take them around to my building and have them arrest Celeste Handley for theft. I want her held without bond until I can find out how much she’s gotten away with.”
I consider calling and ripping a strip off Benito. The sight of Carrie’s closed door pushes Benito to the backburner. Stopping her migraine before it got worse is the most important thing right now.
It happens again, an odd twisting sensation to the middle of my chest that happened at the sight of Carrie in pain. Fuck. This is not happening. It was guilt for upsetting her, that’s all I’m feeling. Her life is too complicated, and I don’t do long term. Carrie would need long term, hell, she deserved it.
Carrie is an intoxicating mix of girl and woman who wouldn’t understand sexual needs were to be satisfied as simply physical hunger. Her license indicates she is twenty-six. But her blushes, shivers, and obvious confusion over the desire she felt for me told me she’s trapped in the teenage mind and emotions when she first became responsible for two small children. Even before that watching her mother remain in a toxic, violent relationship had caused a deep distrust of men. With such a painful and disturbing introduction to men, it’s likely she’s a virgin.
I’ve never had a virgin before; I steered clear of them, not wanting the messy emotions that would no doubt come with it. The idea of being the first man to introduce Carrie to pleasure sends fire surging through my whole fucking body. Christ, my cock is so hard it hurts. Shaking my head, it’s possible she wasn’t. However, her bitter words about learning from her mother made it highly unlikely.
Closing my eyes, I work to force the desire down. It can’t happen. It won’t happen. No matter how much I want her. All this is about is fixing what I broke today by being a bastard and making her cry. I won’t consider myself free of what I’d done until she’s back on her feet and whole again.
Carrie is curled into a little ball on the bed. Seeing her in distress has that twisting sensation coming back. Sitting on the edge of her bed, I can’t resist running a hand over her forehead, her soft sigh of pleasure at my touch has me hard all over again. Leashing my desire, I focus on Carrie, needing to remove the pain induced furrows in her beautiful face. “Carrie, do you have any medication for your migraine?”
She doesn’t open her eyes as she shakes her head.
“Okay, sit up, mi dulce. I want you to drink this down as much as you can. Do you have any aspirin?”
A small nod as she whispers, “In my purse.”
Then she moans and pain shoots across her face.
The sight of it sends that fucking painful clenching straight to my chest and my hand tightens around the glass in my hand. Fuck. I set the glass on the small bedside table and carefully, gently, pull Carrie into my lap. She comes willingly into my arms melting into me. Her soft curves feel even better than they had in my office. Only now I’m on the edge of a bed with her in my arms. Get your mind out of the gutter, Castillo.
Picking up the glass, I bring it to her lips and urge her to drink. She wrinkles her nose but does it. A few swallows and she pulls away. I allow her a moment before I put against the glass against her mouth again. I repeat the action again and the until the drink is almost gone. “One more time.”
Even though my whole body is hard and aching for her there is an odd sense of peace at having Carrie in my arms. The world disappears until it’s just her, the scent of her, the feel of her, the sound of to her breathing. She sighs, and whispers my name and fuck me, my arms tighten reflexively around her causing her to stir. I’m reminded the caffeine wasn’t the entire order from Matteo.
“I’m going to go get the aspirin and a glass of water, I’ll be right back.” Putting her back on the bed, the second she’s out of my arms I ache for her all over again.
Rummaging in her purse, I find the bottle and shake out two. I rinse the glass that held the Coke and fill it with water. Back in her room, I see she is sitting up against the headboard looking dazed. At least she doesn’t appear to be in pain.
“Here take these.” I hand them to her.
“Did I fall asleep?”
“Maybe for a few minutes. I sent the boys to their room. I’ll talk to them in a minute. I wanted to check on you first. Feeling any better?”
“Yes, actually. I didn’t know a Coke would help. I would have tried it before. I don’t usually drink soda, it’s for the twins. Thank you.” She murmurs as she swallows the pills. Setting the full glass of water on the bedside table she leans back again.
I hand the glass back to her. “Finish it. Dehydration causes headaches and caffeine can cause dehydration, especially if you aren’t use to it. I don’t want you dealing with another headache later tonight.”
Although she makes a face she doesn’t argue and simply drinks the water until it is gone.
“I am sorry to be such a bother. This really isn’t like me, I promise. I’m not sure what’s the matter with me today.”
“Do not apologize to me. As I am sure I am the cause of your out of character behavior. You have had a hard time for the last few months, then the boys did what they did. Under stress already you try to come to me and defend them but I’m an asshole who tells you that you have done a bad job by them. Basically saying out loud what you have been feeling for a while. Now you are feeling vulnerable and scared of making more mistakes.”
She sighs, and nods.
“I should be apologizing to you and I am, very sincerely, Carrie.” Those blue eyes meet mine and fuck I want to know what they’ll look like when I’m deep inside her. Does she see it? She blushes as she drops her head to study her clasped hand.
“I want you to know things are going to be all right. You do not have to worry because I was wrong and so were you. Now that I have met them; I can see the only thing I would say you are guilty of is spoiling them. It’s something many parents do to overcompensate for not being available. I would say you have done no worse than any other parent has done. I can clearly see their clothes are new and name brand, yet something tells me that you haven’t had anything new or name brand in quite some time.”
A small shrug as if it was a given to put them first confirms my suspicions. Carrie had taken on the role of a mother in every way, putting herself last before their needs.
“They do not seem like bad kids, simply spoiled and unaware of what it takes to give them what they have. By hiding how hard you have to work to keep them in the things they want, not simply what they need, they are unaware of the sacrifices you have made. I can see now pressing charges is not the right decision.”
Tension eases out of her and I’m glad I was able to do it.
“They will work off their debt for the summer. It will give them something to do instead of being bored and show them what earning a living means. I will pick them up tomorrow and take them to the work site. Make sure they wear clothes they won’t have a problem getting dirty and sweating in. Are you working tomorrow?”
Her voice is husky. “No, if they would have needed me, the company would have called. There’s a chance I’ll get called early in the morning if someone calls in last minute but it’s not likely.”
“I’ll be here to pick them up at seven tomorrow.”
“Seven? That’s early for them, I like that.” Her smile sends heat to my chest.
“A smile, I like that. I’m going to go talk to them now. You rest, have an early night. Remember, they’re going to be unhappy however it’s better than the alternative.”
I cannot stop from touching her, one last time. Caressing her cheek, I tuck the hair that had slipped loose behind her ear. She exhales a shaky breath at my touch. My cock jerks in answer. Before I do something she’s not ready for, I get the hell away from her as quickly as I can.
My cell phone rings as I close the door to her bedroom. Seeing it’s Benito I send the call to voicemail. I call for a car to pick me up.
Opening the door to the bedroom I had seen them disappear into, I find the boys huddled on the edge of the bed whispering to each other. The moment I step inside they fall silent looking up at me with fear. At least they are smart enough to be afraid.
“I have spoken with your sister. She’s changed her mind about me pressing charges. While I am still not sure if it’s the best course of action, I am willing to consider another. You will come to work for me at the worksite you destroyed for the summer. Monday through Friday from seven in the morning until four, with one half hour lunch break and two fifteen breaks, the same as the other workers on the site but you will not be paid for it. Your pay will go toward the damages, even though it would take you a lifetime to pay it back at your current delinquent path. As long as you work every day of the work week, until a week before school starts, I will consider the debt wiped clean.”
They weren’t identical twins, yet they have the same mannerisms in their body language, even the same expressions on their faces.
Riley shakes his head. “Mister that’s crazy, aren’t there child labor laws or something? Can’t we do something else?”
The other one hits him, “He just means, we don’t know anything about construction and the worksite seemed kind of dangerous. We didn’t mean to wreck the CAT we were trying to drive it and didn’t see the big hole before we went into it.”
“A construction site can be dangerous. However, no one will be trusting you with anything that you could not handle. You two did not seem concerned about danger when you broke in and spent a good amount of time trashing it. There is of course something else you two can do, I’ll press charges and you can go into juvenile detention.”
They flinch as they look at each other.
“I find it interesting you choose to hide behind child labor laws when you broke the law and are having to deal with the consequences. I have the right to see to it you both are held responsible by having you serve a sentence for breaking and entering and vandalism. The decision is yours to make, I will not force you. Something to know as you consider your answer, if you say no your sister won’t be backing you on it. What is it going to be?”
They look at each without saying a word, they seem to come to an agreement. Their eyes are back on me as they nod in tandem.
“Good, be ready at seven. I’ll pick you up the first day and take you to the site and explain what will be happing with the foreman. From then on it will be up to you two get to work on time.”
Leaving the room, I can hear them fighting in hushed tones and smile. They didn’t like it but they had folded more easily than I thought they would. Walking outside I pace as I wait for the car. Even though it’s a hot day, I hadn’t trusted myself to wait inside. I wonder how easily Carrie will fold to my plans for her. Will she fight me? And why the hell am I looking forward to her doing just that?