Katie was shocked speechless by his rather blunt announcement, and could only watch numbly as he got to his feet.
“I’ll order a car for you from Uber on my way out,” he told her. “It should probably be here in less than five minutes. Take care of yourself, Katie. Who knows? Maybe meeting Archer last week was a stroke of good luck for you. I hope it all works out for you.”
And for the second time in the past eleven months, Dante found himself walking out on the woman he’d always sworn had been the one for him. Only this time he knew the truth - that the one he was really meant to be with was Cara. And that he was going to have to do some serious groveling before she’d even agree to talk to him.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Cara picked up her pace as she neared the end of the block where she would turn for the bus stop, partly because it was chilly outside this early in the morning, but mostly because she dreaded walking past the infamous corner house that Mirai had warned her about. Just yesterday, in fact, when she’d made her usual Sunday trip to the laundromat, the two creeps who lived in the house had harassed her, calling out lewd, suggestive comments, and even following her a short distance as she’d walked briskly to the bus stop. Unfortunately, there was no other route she could take to the bus stop, at least not one that wouldn’t take her several blocks out of the way, so she resolved to not only remain extra aware of her surroundings but to keep her little canister of pepper spray in her coat pocket at all times.
She hated this time of the year, not only because the weather tended to be cold and rainy, but because it was still dark outside when she left for work and darker still when she arrived home late at night from her classes. Most days were so busy at the office that she often didn’t go outside for more than a few minutes, if at all, so her exposure to daylight was greatly reduced. Winter was the most depressing time of the year for her as a result, giving her cause to worry at times that she was suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Classes would be starting up again a week from today, an event that alternately dismayed and thrilled her - the former because it meant the resumption of late nights, weekends spent studying and writing papers, and not having a minute to herself; the latter because this would be the second to the last semester before she completed her studies and earned her degree. And the last few months where she would have to scrape together enough money to pay for the ever increasing costs of tuition, books, and fees. And then it would finally be time to start contemplating her future - where she would end up working and living, whether she would elect to remain in the San Francisco area, or perhaps move elsewhere in the country where the cost of living was cheaper.
Nick and Angela had been far too busy preparing for their wedding, and then heading out on their honeymoon, to have discussed the future with her just yet. But Cara would go into such a discussion with an open mind, knowing that she truly enjoyed working with both of them, and that if the terms were right she would probably welcome the opportunity to stay right where she was. Both husband and wife were equally brilliant in terms of their financial acumen, and she knew she could learn a great deal by becoming an official part of their team. Working for them would also allow her to remain in San Francisco, a place she’d gradually come to regard as her home, and where her best friend resided.
But remaining at Morton Sterling would also mean having to encounter Dante at least once a month, perhaps even more frequently if she began to work more closely with Nick and his clients. And that was definitely something she’d have to come to terms with at some point, and find a way to treat him in a professional manner without the past getting in the way.
There had been no further texts or other communication from him since Saturday afternoon when she’d finally replied to him, and Cara still wasn’t sure how she felt about his continued silence. She wondered if perhaps she’d been too hard on him, but then she recalled how humiliated she had felt after he’d shoved her up against a wall, kissing and groping her like she was some sort of horny slut, and thought angrily that she’d been too easy on him.
But now that the constant barrage of texts had finally stopped, it felt like - well, the end. And while she should have been both happy and relieved, all she felt was sad.
“Hey, baby, whatcha doing out this early? You need a ride somewhere? Cause we can do that. Hot babe like you shouldn’t have to take the bus everywhere, not when she’s got two guys like me and Joey who’d like nothing better than to show her a good time.”
Cara was startled out of her reverie when a car pulled up alongside of her. She was still half a block away from the dreaded corner house, and had planned to cross the street just prior to reaching it. But it seemed like the two creeps - Joey and his unnamed friend - were either heading out very early or arriving home very, very late, and it was her very, very bad luck to have been walking by at the same time their junky, lowrider car was cruising by.
She tried ignoring them, as she’d been doing these past few weeks, continuing to walk at a brisk pace and look anywhere but at them. But then Joey jumped out of the car and directly into her path, and his much larger frame wouldn’t allow her to pass.
“Excuse me, I need to get to work,” she mumbled, still refusing to meet his gaze. “I’ll miss the bus if you don’t let me by.”
Joey reached out and grasped her by the arm, startling her, and his leering, menacing face was mere inches from hers. “My friend Ricky just told you, babe - we’ll give you a ride anywhere you want. And maybe in return you can give us a little ride, hmm? Come on, get in the car.”
“No.” Desperately Cara tried to yank her arm out of Joey’s strong grasp, but only managed to wrench her shoulder in the process, causing her to yelp in pain. “Please leave me alone. I just want to get to the bus stop.”
Ricky had double parked the car by now, and joined the two of them on the sidewalk. “Too bad. Cause we’re in the mood for some fun. And we’ve had our eye on you for awhile now. You’re just the sort we like - long hair, nice ass, big tits. And Joey and I can show you a real good time, baby. Ever had two guys at once before - one fucking your cunt and the other up your ass?”
Joey reached out and squeezed one of her breasts through her coat, and Cara was so revolted she instinctively kicked him in the shins. She was wearing the new pair of boots she’d bought for herself, the ones with pointy toes, and Joey yelped in pain as the point connected with his lower leg.
“Fucking bitch!” he yelled, as he slammed a fist into her ribs, quickly followed by a vicious blow to her cheekbone.
Cara screamed, doubling over from the pain in her ribs and face, and struggled to remain upright. She felt two pairs of hands now grabbing at her, pulling at her coat and her purse. Desperately she fought to keep hold of her purse, which only earned her another blow to the ribs, this one administered by Ricky’s heavy black work boot. The pain was so intense that this time she did drop to her knees, scraping them on the sidewalk as she fell. One of the thugs succeeded in jerking her purse away, and wasted no time in rifling through it.
“Shit!” cursed Joey. “What a piece of crap phone this is, not worth a damn. And can you believe this cunt only has a fucking ten dollar bill in her wallet and no credit cards? What a fucking waste!”
“Guess she’ll have to make it up to us in some other way,” jeered Ricky, as he began to pull Cara to her feet.
She had trouble drawing in a breath due to the pain in her ribs, and she was willing to bet at least a couple of them were broken. Fighting off the overwhelming dizziness and her desperate fear, she shoved her hand into her coat pocket and pulled out the slim canister of pepper spray. Praying that she was using it correctly, she depressed the nozzle directly in front of her tormentor’s face.
From Ricky’s screeching and cursing, Cara guessed that she’d hit her target, and took off running, not bothering to look back. But she hadn’t gone more than a few steps before a hard body tackled her from behind, slamming her to the groun
d. The pain from her cracked ribs was so horrific that she passed out just as her head smacked against the sidewalk.
Dante nodded at the receptionist as he exited the elevator. “Hey, Anna, how’s it going this morning?”
Anna gave him a little wave, preoccupied as she was with answering calls and signing for a delivery from UPS. She knew from his frequent visits to Morton Sterling that it wasn’t necessary to call ahead and announce his arrival to Nick and his team, even for an impromptu visit like this one.
And Anna didn’t need to know that for once Dante wasn’t here to see Nick. Instead, he was hell-bent on seeing a very different employee - one who hadn’t answered any of the dozen different texts and emails he’d sent to her so far today.
After breaking things off with Katie last evening, he’d been sorely tempted to drive directly to Cara’s and demand that she hear him out. But considering how emotionally exhausted he was after the ordeal with his ex, he’d decided instead to get a decent night’s sleep before pleading his case before Cara. God knew he hadn’t slept well since Nick’s wedding, and he wanted all his wits about him when he pulled out all the stops to try and coax Cara into taking him back.
He’d done as his mother had so wisely advised him, and followed his heart when it came time to make this momentous decision. Dante was both proud and stubborn, and admitting to himself that he’d made a huge mistake in going back to Katie hadn’t been an easy task. But he was also man enough to own up to his mistakes and do the right thing when the situation called for it. And after a sleepless night of soul-searching, he’d known exactly what to do next.
He’d left Healdsburg right after lunch with his family yesterday afternoon, calling Katie on the way to ask if she was free for dinner. She’d accepted at once, sounding positively delighted with the idea, little knowing what his purpose was in extending the invitation. His next call had been to the restaurant, an establishment he’d patronized many times before and where he knew the maître d’ very well. Snagging both a reservation and the secluded table had been the easiest thing about this whole ordeal.
And of course Katie’s ego hadn’t allowed her to just let it go without a parting shot or two. Before he’d even reached home, she had sent a barrage of texts, emails, and voice mails, each one more virulent than the next, and all of them filled with insults, recriminations, and half-threats. He’d calmly deleted them all before deftly blocking her number.
He’d had a decent night’s sleep, though he had been awake before dawn this morning, mentally rehearsing what exactly he was going to say to Cara - provided, that is, she would even permit him to speak to her. He knew that she was also an early riser, and thus didn’t waste any time in texting her first thing. But when she stubbornly didn’t respond after so many messages, Dante decided to take the bull by the horns and confront her in person. Ideally, that particular confrontation should have taken place at her apartment after work, but he wasn’t sure if she had already resumed her night classes. And since there was no way this conversation was going to wait until ten o’clock tonight, he’d headed over to Nick’s office like a man with a purpose - a description that fit him to a tee right about now.
But when he arrived at Cara’s desk, he frowned to find her absent. Not only that but her computer was still off, and her desk neat as a pin. Adding further to the confusion, it appeared that both Nick’s and Angela’s offices were dark, even though he was positive they were due back at work today after their Hawaiian honeymoon.
“Oh, Dante. I - I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you had an appointment with Nick today. It’s just been such an awful, awful morning! Like a nightmare, really.”
He glanced up as Leah appeared by his side, looking both stricken and ever so slightly crazed, and was quick to reassure her. “Hey, take it easy, Leah. Nick doesn’t know I was stopping by, it was sort of an impulse. But what’s going on here? You look pretty upset.”
Leah nodded, and he realized now that she’d been crying earlier. “Oh, God, it’s terrible, just terrible, Dante! Poor little thing. Angela was so upset when she got the call, she just ran out of here like the place was on fire. Nick almost didn’t catch up with her.”
Dante’s pulse rate ratcheted up in alarm. “Is something wrong with the baby? Is Angela having a miscarriage or something?”
“No, no,” reassured Leah. “Nothing like that. Angela’s fine. Well, except for being all upset about Cara, of course. We all are. I just wish one of them would call with an update.”
“Whoa.” Dante held up a hand. “Slow down there a second, Leah. What about Cara? Did something happen to Cara?”
Leah’s eyes filled with tears again, and she sniffled loudly. “She - she was mugged or attacked, nobody’s exactly sure what, on her way to work this morning. Her friend called Angela from the hospital to tell her. I swear that Nick and Angela had barely walked through the door, hadn’t even taken off their coats, when the call came in. Angela didn’t know all that much, just that Cara was in the ER, but she promised she’d call with more information. We’re still waiting to hear, but I don’t want to bother her. Oh, God, poor Cara!”
Dante’s heart was racing so fast by now that it was a wonder he could even speak. “Jesus Christ.” He ran a hand through his carefully styled hair, not giving a damn what he looked like at the moment. “Do you know what hospital she’s at, Leah?”
“What?” Leah was weeping softly, and obviously distracted. “Oh, uh, she’s at General. San Francisco General. Why do you ask?”
He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “I’m going to head over there right away. I’ll track down Angela and Nick and find out what’s going on.”
Leah looked greatly relieved at his announcement. “Oh, thanks, Dante! That’s good of you to offer. But can you really spare the time? I mean, I can just try calling Angela to get an update.”
Dante didn’t bother telling her that nothing and no one could have prevented him from dashing over to the hospital right now to find out what had happened to Cara - the woman he’d likely been in love with for months, but had been too blind to see what was right in front of his eyes until just recently. “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he told Leah. “Cara’s important to all of us. Look, I’ll make sure someone calls you as soon as possible, okay? Take care of yourself.”
During his mad dash to the elevator, down to the lobby, and then summoning a taxi, he toyed with the idea of calling Nick to get more information on Cara’s condition, then thought better of the idea. Nick would start asking questions, like why Dante was so interested in Cara, and especially why he felt the need to rush over to the hospital to check on her. Dante was going to have some serious explaining to do, but for now the only thing on his mind was getting to Cara as quickly as possible, and finding out what her exact condition was.
‘Jesus, please let her be all right,’ he prayed silently. He recalled a dozen different prayers he’d learned during his many years at Catholic school, and prayed every one of them during what seemed like an interminably long taxi ride to the hospital. He tried to remain calm, telling himself that getting mugged could mean a lot of things, some more serious than others. And he would have hoped that Leah would have been more specific if something truly horrific had happened to Cara - like being shot or stabbed.
‘Don’t go there, just don’t,’ he scolded himself. ‘Don’t jump to conclusions until you see what’s happening for yourself. And, fuck it, why did I have to get the slowest fucking taxi driver in this city? I’m pretty sure I could walk there faster at the rate we’re going.’
When the driver finally pulled up outside of the hospital entrance, Dante all but shoved the fare in his hand, not waiting for change, and jogged inside. He made three wrong turns before he found the ER, and once inside the area found it to be total and utter chaos. Fortunately, it was hard to miss someone as tall as Nick, so Dante was able to locate him and Angela fairly quickly.
The newly married couple glanced up
in surprise as he approached, though he could swear the look on Angela’s face told him she knew exactly why he was here. But he was far too worried about Cara to wonder if and when she’d confided in her boss about her past relationship with him.
“How is she? I went by the office and Leah told me what had happened,” he explained in a rush. “But she didn’t have any details so I headed over here to get the most updated information. What the hell happened?”
Nick’s scowl was terrifying to behold. “Two punks accosted her on the way to her bus stop this morning. Tried to rob her, I guess, but aside from her phone being all busted up her friend didn’t think they actually took anything. One of the neighbors heard some commotion, called 911, and an ambulance and the cops arrived less than a minute later. The punks ran off, but they live in the neighborhood, so I’m guessing they’ll get picked up sooner than later. Unless I find them first, that is.”
“Stop it.” Angela held up a hand in protest. “Nick, stop talking like that, please? It’s not helping Cara. Or me, for that matter.”
“Sorry, Angel.” Nick slid an arm around her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her temple. “I’m just so fucking furious right now that I really, really need to hit something. Like those two fuckers who did this to her. Or her total loser of a father who hasn’t even bothered to return any of my messages. What a fucking loser that asshole is, huh?”
The woman who’d been sitting on the other side of Angela suddenly vacated her chair, and Dante immediately slid into it. He placed a hand on Angela’s forearm, calling her attention his way.
“How is she?” he asked urgently. “What exactly is wrong with her? Jesus, they didn’t - you know - ”
“Rape her?” finished Angela in hushed tones. She shook her head. “No, it doesn’t appear that way. But she does have a concussion, bruises and scrapes all over, and they think two or three cracked ribs. She’s having some x-rays done right now so they can determine that. They’ll probably be admitting her after that.”
Stronger Page 37