"Careful, mi amor," a woman said, then there was another loud splash, "Sebastian," she warned.
When the pool came into view, a beautiful woman wearing a straw sun hat and a one-piece bathing suit was wading behind a little boy who was happily splashing and kicking in a manner that resembled swimming. When the woman lifted her head, her warm brown eyes lit up.
"Look who's here, Sebastian."
The boy stopped flopping around in the water and turned his head. His brown eyes grew big as he hurried out of the pool, his little wet feet slapping on the concrete as he headed straight for me.
"Mama!" he shouted just before he crashed face-first into my thighs, little swimming floaties still attached to his arms.
"Oh, Bash," I said, kneeling and planting kisses all over his wet cheeks, forehead, and neck. "I missed my baby."
"Mama, mama, mama," Sebastian kept saying as his little arms tighten around my neck and I squeezed him right back. The separation had been wearing on us both. He'd grown so much since the month before, and when had he started looking like Miguel?
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Brando
Go and get your woman.
Those words were easier said than done. I couldn't get my woman if I couldn't find her. It had been nearly a week since the night in the parking lot. I kept thinking that maybe something brilliant would come to me. An impressive line to get her attention, remind her of our attraction. Her words had been harsh, but I'd seen the way she looked at me, the way she responded to my touch. My gut told me she'd said those things to let me off the hook and I refused to make it easy for her. Any self-respecting man wouldn't keep risking rejection. I didn't care. I just wanted her.
The lights in Carina's apartment were off, so I went into the restaurant, hoping to find her. Even though the room was full of people, it felt hollow. I knew right away she wasn't there. It was the craziest thing—the ability to sense someone's presence, or lack thereof.
"B?" a familiar voice called out. Only one person had ever called me that. I turned to see Tayia sitting at a booth near the window. A pretty smile stretched across her face as she waved me over. I sent one last look around before going to her table.
"Hey, T." I used my nickname for her, too. "Long time, no see." I bent over and placed a kiss on her soft cheek. An infant slept in a carrier next to her on the bench. The same baby that half the town had assumed was mine—even the father.
"Who were you looking for?" One of her brows lifted with curiosity. I hesitated to answer, not sure if I was ready to share just yet.
"You." I deflected with a sly grin. "I was looking for you, of course."
"Nice. I'd almost forgotten how smooth you were." Tayia's eyes lit up with amusement. "How are you?" She brought a mug of coffee to her mouth and sipped. I wondered if the brew tasted anything like when Carina made it.
"I'm all right." I shrugged, aiming for nonchalance, though not being able to find Carina had me a little on edge. "Business at the shop is picking up. It keeps me occupied. How about you?"
"Exhausted, of course." She glanced down at the baby. "But happy." She did look sleep-deprived, but there was a glow on her face. She'd always been beautiful to me, but the truth was, I never stood a chance with Tayia. When we met, she'd been going through a rough time with her stepbrother, Blake, and needed a friend. She used my shoulder to cry on, and I put ink on hers. As it turned out, their story had been a very complex one.
Harley arrived at the table and set a steaming mug of coffee in front of me that I never ordered. I shot her a confused look.
"What?" She glared at me. "My coffee's not good enough for you?" She twisted her lip into a smirk and walked away. Harley was right, though; her coffee wasn't good enough for me or anybody with a pulse for that matter. It tasted like shit.
"Uck," I resisted the urge to spit the coffee back into my cup. "How are you drinking this?"
Tayia looked down at her mug, took another sip then shrugged.
"It tastes okay to me."
"Then you must be extremely tired." I snorted a laugh, then pushed the cup away. I was half convinced that Harley had brewed an extra special pot of coffee for me. It was strong enough to defend itself in a back-alley fight. The worst part was that I couldn't tell if she was trying to be a smart-ass or she had put forth an honest effort. It had been impossible to figure her out sometimes. Tayia's baby woke up and started to cry, signaling that it was time for her to leave. I walked her outside and helped load all the baby junk in her car. A diaper bag, stroller, and some other shit I couldn't even explain. She handed me the baby while she messed around with the car seat. I didn't know the first thing about kids or how to hold them. The baby had been positioned awkwardly in my arms, and I knew I was doing it wrong. When she finally reached over and took the baby, I'd never been more relieved. The whole scene lasted probably less than a minute, but it felt like an eternity. Having kids wasn't something I'd thought much about. I remember holding Tayia's hand during her first ultrasound. She needed a friend, and of course, I'd been there. I would have done anything for her, been anything she needed. I watched Tayia drive off, then glanced up at the darkened windows above the restaurant. What Tayia and I could have had was nothing compared to what I'd already felt for Carina.
The black SUV Carina gotten into the other night drove past the restaurant. Her mother. When the car didn't stop to drop her off, I'd gotten into my car and went after it, wondering if Carina was in there. Then I started thinking about the possibility of her pulling a repeat from the other night. What if she had jumped out and was wandering around somewhere in the dark? I owed it to myself to find out for sure, so I followed at the farthest distance I could, as inconspicuously as I could. The car traveled down a long winding road to a remote part of the island, the area owned by the Ristos. The brake lights lit at the end of the path, then turned onto the road that led up to an enormous house that sat on a hill overlooking the ocean. Silverwood Mansion. Everyone had been familiar with the name. The Spot, a place where racers gathered was a quarter of a mile away with a clear view of Silverwood towering above.
A massive metal security gate opened, the SUV drove through, then the gate closed behind it. Shit. I sat there with my lights off, trying to figure out my next move. I thought about calling her but realized it would be impossible because I didn't have her phone number. We'd slept together twice. Why didn't I have that essential piece of information from her?
Fuck it.
I drove up to the gate and was met by a giant spotlight beaming down, blinding me. I lifted an arm to shield my eyes as someone began speaking through the intercom.
"Yes," a male said through the speaker. I wasn't sure what to say that would gain me entrance. That part of my plan hadn't been very well thought out.
"Um..." I hesitated.
"Brando, is that you?" the voice asked, and I immediately recognized it as Jamie Risto.
"Yes?"
"Get your ass in here."
The gates slowly swung open, and I pulled forward, following the path to the house. It was hard to see in the dark, but the grounds were beautifully landscaped with an array of flowers in bloom. A big white mansion sat at the end of the drive, windows glowing with soft lights and potted plants lining either side of the staircase that led to the front door. I wondered why Carina had chosen the cramped little studio apartment above a greasy restaurant when she could live at a place like that. Worlds away from the home where I'd grown up. The modest house in a working-class neighborhood in Charleston wasn't anywhere near as fancy as Silverwood. It had been a bitch to heat in the winter even when the electricity had been turned on, and nearly impossible when it had been turned off. Our only saving grace was the fireplace in the living room.
I couldn't imagine what it would take to heat the colossal castle in front of me manually. Then like a punch in the gut, I realized just how low class I'd been compared to Carina. There was no way she'd ever gone without anything. Suddenly I started seeing everything
from a different perspective. Why would she want to be with me? I made enough to be comfortable, but I couldn't offer the kind of luxury she'd been accustomed to living. It was the first time I'd ever felt inadequate, and not just as a person. I'd grown up dirt poor and dealing with the shitty hands I'd been dealt. People had looked down their nose at our family. A drunk for a father. A mother looking for handouts. I was called trash and considered a criminal long before that had been true, but I still managed to come out on top. It was an entirely different thing for a man to feel inadequate when it came to his woman. She said she wanted me to go away; maybe it wasn't for the reasons I initially thought.
I'd been seconds away from turning around and getting the hell out of there when the front door of the house opened. Jamie walked down the stairs, and I got out of the car.
"This is a surprise." Jamie reached out, and we did a mutual hand grab then back pat before releasing. "What brings you out here?" He stepped back, widened his stance, then crossed his arms over his chest.
"I'm looking for Carina." I decided to be honest. Jamie's eyes went wide, clearly taken aback by my admission.
"My sister? Why?"
I briefly told him about the night I'd found her in the rain, how upset she'd been.
"It's been a few days since I've seen her. When I saw the SUV, I followed. All I want to do is make sure she's okay and not stranded somewhere on the side of the road."
Jamie stared at me for a few seconds as if he were trying to decide what to say next.
"She's not here." When I opened my mouth to ask the next obvious question, Jamie cut me off, "No, she's not wandering around the island in the dark. That was her choice, by the way. My sister and mother have a very...combative relationship. She wasn't forced to do anything. Carina got pissed off and demanded to get out. I went back out to look for her but couldn't find her. I guess I know where she went." His mouth twisted into a smirk as his gaze shifted to the ground.
"Where is she then?"
Jamie lifted his head but didn't speak. The look he gave me made it clear he wasn't going to tell me.
"Is she coming back?" I asked quietly, my voice no longer sounding like my own. I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer after the way things went down between us the night in the parking lot.
"She'll be back. That's the plan." He uncrossed his arms and started to turn away. I tilted my head and furrowed my brow, confused by his answer.
"The plan?" I repeated, and Jamie nodded, so I probed a little further. "What does that mean?"
"I can't get into it." The entire conversation was very unhelpful, and I hadn't learned a thing that would get me closer to finding Carina. As if Jamie had decided to take pity on me, he said, "Shit. Here, put this in your phone."
I realized he was giving me a phone number. It was Carina's phone number. I punched in the digits and hit save.
"Thanks, man."
Jamie nodded and climbed the stairs to the house.
"You know," he said, his back to me as he climbed, "the only reason I gave you that is because she asked me about you." There was a jolt in my chest, and I resisted the urge to smile.
"She did?" I didn't know why my insides felt all weird and warm, but I liked hearing that she'd mentioned me. "What did you say?"
"The same thing I'm going to tell you." He turned around at the top of the stairs. "Just be careful."
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Carina
Carmen walked up, put an arm around my shoulder, and gave me a quick squeeze before handing me a towel. Carmen had been with us for years. She'd been hired on as our housekeeper and companion for me. Having her there to take care of Bash was the only reason I could endure being away from him. There wasn't anyone I trusted more with my child. She cared for him and loved him as if he were her own.
"Thank you," I said, returning her squeeze, then wrapped Bash in the towel and lifted him in my arms. He shivered as I cradled him close.
"Let's get you inside, Bash." Together the three of us went inside the house.
Delicious aromas coming from the kitchen filled my nose and my mouth watered. Carmen went to the stove and started stirring the contents of a large pot.
"Go take care of the baby," Carmen said in Spanish as she shooed me away with the wooden spoon in her hand. "We will all eat when you are finished." Her English had gotten better over the years, but she often slipped into her native tongue; it was more comfortable for her. Ritchie and I knew the language well, so it worked out. Half English, half Spanish discussions were quite common. Bash had been learning both languages, too.
"Let's go, buddy." I gently poked Bash in the tummy with a wiggly finger until he squirmed and giggled. We left the kitchen and the heavenly smell of lunch behind.
Bash's eyes were drifting closed by the time he was dried and changed, so I laid him down for a nap. He protested when I tried to tiptoe away, so I curled up beside him and rubbed his damp hair as he nodded off.
I stared for a while at my perfect little boy, overcome with a love I never knew was possible. His unexpected entrance into my life had changed my world forever.
****
The gringa who knew nothing. That's what Miguel would call me. All the girls in Santicero swooned over him. He was rebellious and charming, yet at sixteen he still wore his heart on his sleeve. He lived in a small town close by, and yet far enough away that I was surprised to find him waiting for me every morning. He'd assumed the role of my protector. It took time to adjust to living in a foreign place, and so I'd clung to Miguel. He was the buffer between me and the strange new world I called home. It wasn't long before we declared our love for each other. We were sixteen and passionate. Everything felt like life or death. The power of first love, raging hormones, and teenage angst. The result was an epic storm fueled by bad choices. We expect to see lightning but forget about the thunder.
****
I came awake with a shudder and realized I'd fallen asleep. Slowly, I slid from the bed, careful not to make a sound. Bash shifted slightly but continued his peaceful slumber. I quietly went across the hall to my room and checked my phone for missed calls. Only a handful of people knew I'd left for a week. Besides my brother, Jamie, the Fox family knew. I'd been fortunate to find a job that would allow me to take time off every month, but I didn't share that I was going to Mexico, only that I had a family obligation I had to attend to frequently. They didn't pry, although the curiosity was there. Especially from Ms. Annette, the family matriarch. She could talk a hole in your head if you let her, but she would also give you her last breath if you needed it.
I absently scrolled through my call log, until one number stood out that I didn't recognize. It was a South Carolina area code, but there was no voice mail. No text. No indication of who the number belonged to and their reason for calling. Nothing. Just a missed call. My thumb hovered over the number, so tempted to push it. The longer I thought about it, the more I was convinced it was most likely a wrong number. Besides, as much as I wanted it to be Brando, he didn't even have my phone number. My thoughts had never felt so consumed by a man, not even with Miguel.
I took a quick shower and put on a loose sundress. The weather had been too warm for anything else. As promised, Carmen had steaming platters of food on the table.
Ritchie came down and joined us. We sat in silence while we ate. When I finally set my fork down, I'd been so full I could explode. I'd really missed Carmen's cooking.
"So." Ritchie pushed his plate away, his face turning grim. "We may as well get it over with." He hesitated. "I spoke to the lawyer."
"And?" My chest grew tight as I held my breath, hoping he wouldn't say it.
"He doesn't think there is anything he can do about the ban."
"What?" My body tensed at hearing my worst fears confirmed. "What do you mean?"
"Carina, he says legally moving back to Mexico isn't going to happen...at least not for a while." My heart sank.
"That can't be right." Though as much as I'd racked my
brain, I couldn't come up with anything. I wanted to come home.
"I'm afraid not."
Ritchie had sought out the most expensive lawyer in Mexico, and by all accounts, he was the best. He couldn't find a way around my deportation dilemma. The lawyer had been able to convince a judge to place Sebastian with Ritchie and Carmen, and that was all the progress he'd made. Granted, it had not been an easy task. My legal troubles hadn't cast me in a very favorable light, but at least I didn't have to worry that my son would grow up in some sort of Mexican orphanage. Not that it would matter much to his father.
"Goddammit, I should have shot the son of a bitch when I had to chance." My father pounded his fist on the arm of the chair.
"Ritchie!" Carmen gasped, pointing to the ceiling. "The baby. Language."
He grumbled under his breath as he pushed away from the table. The door to the patio slid closed with enough force to rattle the house.
To his credit, Ritchie had always been anti-Miguel. I was just too stupid to listen to him.
****
Miguel said he would marry me someday. Eventually, the boy who wore his heart on his sleeve had transformed into a man. It wasn't just his physical features that had changed. Jealousy had become an issue. Miguel was suspicious of every male in Santicero. Once he caught me walking home with a boy after school. We were only friends, but Miguel didn’t believe me. After he punched the poor unsuspecting boy in the face, I broke up with him. I lay in bed that night and bawled my eyes out. It felt like my heart would actually crack in two pieces. The next morning I woke to discover that Miguel had climbed into my bedroom window. His eyes were crazed. Anger and aggression flew off him in waves. He demanded I apologize for breaking up with him. It was the first time I'd ever been afraid of Miguel, but it wouldn't be the last.
Happily Ever Alpha: Until Midnight Page 7