Chapter Sixteen
MONIQUE
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Staring down at her phone, Monique realized she had a text message. During the chaos with her friends, she hadn’t heard her phone ding. She checked the message. It was from Orazio. A smile immediately spread across her face when she saw his name. She opened the message.
Orazio : Missing you already. Can’t wait to see you tonight. I promise to be on my best behavior, Rosa.
Awww. Her heart melted. She really wanted to see him again. Yeah, it was crazy of her to want that. But she couldn’t help it. She read the message again, still smiling. Screw what her friends thought.
She wouldn’t end this with Orazio. Not yet. Not before they got to know each other. She started to text him back something just as sweet. But then she remembered her current predicament and thought it would be best to text him a warning instead.
Monique : I told my friends about our date. Well, I actually told them everything. Now they’re angry and heading to your casino to let you know they’re angry. Sorry.
A few moments passed, and she thought he wasn’t going to reply. Finally, his message came through.
Orazio : I’m in a meeting. But it shouldn’t last much longer. I’ll have my brother meet you all in the front lobby and escort you to a private sitting area. I’m willing to allow your friends a chance to state their grievances. I fucked up, Rosa. And they have a right to vent their anger. I’m glad you have friends who are willing to do this for you.
Monique’s smile returned. Though she was sure he didn’t want to deal with her friends, he was willing to... for her. That strengthened her resolve to see this through. She would date Orazio because she wanted to. And no one else’s opinion mattered.
Monique : Thank you, Orazio.
Orazio : No thanks needed, my Rosa.
Swoon! She exited out of her messages and shoved her phone back into her purse. Some of her nervousness had dissipated after chatting with Orazio. Call her crazy, but she liked this feeling he brought over her.
She wasn’t ready to end it. She loved her friends. And she knew they only wanted the best for her. But they couldn’t feel the excitement flowing through her veins. Even if she tried to put it into words, it wouldn’t do this feeling justice.
All she could do was hope they eventually became okay with it. And if they didn’t, she hoped they still had her back, still loved her enough to allow her to bump her head again, if that was what ended up happening.
The fault would lie with her. Not them. The ride to the casino was a quiet and tense one. When they arrived, they let the valet park their car. Mind made up that she was keeping Orazio, Monique led the way into the casino as her friends followed, side-eyeing her the entire walk. The guards greeted them at the door as if they knew them.
“Hello, Ms. Monique,” a handsome guard greeted her. “Hi, Ms. Monique’s friends. Come this way, please.”
With a nod, Monique followed him. But she didn’t miss the conversation her friends were having behind her.
“She must’ve texted her kidnapper and told him we were coming,” Meka whispered.
“I know, right,” Toya agreed. “That guard is fine, though.”
“Focus, Toya!” Meka hissed.
“Alright. I’m just saying.”
Smiling, Monique followed the guard to the lobby, where another guy awaited them. Dressed in business casual, the man smiled at them. He resembled Orazio. This must be his brother.
“Hi, Monique Rose,” the man greeted her. “I’m Caspari Cattaneo.”
Yup. His brother . He took Monique’s hand and kissed the back of it. She held in her smile when he did the same to Toya. Toya smiled at the man, clearly enjoying the hand kiss. Meka, not so much. She snatched her hand from him before he could kiss it.
“Unsanitary!” she hissed with a roll of her eyes. “I don’t know where your mouth has been.”
Caspari didn’t lose his cool, and his smile didn’t waver. But his eyes did widen a fraction.
“Would you like to know where it wants to be?” he asked Meka in that smooth, deep voice of his.
“Around the barrel of my gun, I’m guessing. Am I right?” Meka asked.
“You’re wrong. But I like the way you think. What is your name, beautiful?”
“None of your concern, nosey. Where is your brother?”
“You can’t expect me to answer your question when you won’t even tell me your name,” Caspari stated.
Meka frowned. “Is this fun for you? Because it’s irritating me. Get your brother out here, now. And you , you stay away from me.”
“That’s going to be hard to do, love.”
“I’m not your love. And what’s going to be hard to do? Getting your brother out here?”
“No. Staying away from you.”
“I’m sure a restraining order will make it easier for you.”
Caspari chuckled. “I’m going to enjoy getting to know you.”
Before Meka could say more, Caspari faced Monique. Monique tried to hide her smile. She’d wanted to hear more banter between Caspari and Meka. The tension between those two was undeniable.
But Meka would never go for a guy like Caspari. Especially not after the things Monique had told her about Orazio. Even now, Meka looked ready to kill.
“Ms. Monique,” Caspari said. “My brother asked me to escort you to our Ruby room. I understand your friends wish to talk to him. You’ll have privacy there.”
“Why not do this out in the open?” Meka asked. “Or, does he plan to kidnap us also?”
With his back to Meka, her friend couldn’t see the smile on Caspari’s face. But Monique saw it. She also didn’t miss the way his eyes widened when Meka mentioned kidnapping. He looked as if he thought that was a good idea. No way! She pushed the feeling aside. He wouldn’t do anything crazy. Orazio wouldn’t let him. Right?
“Lead the way, Mr. Cattaneo,” Monique told him, wanting to put some distance between him and Meka.
It was now her turn to be the overprotective friend. She followed him as he led them down the hall. It was a short walk to the Ruby room. He pulled the door open and held it open for them to enter.
Monique went in first, staring around her at the elegant sitting area that was decorated with red leather chairs and black tables and shelves. Toya entered behind her. Her friend was enamored by the room, also. Toya’s gaze landed on the back bar.
“I need this room in my house,” Toya whispered.
“I know, right,” Monique agreed.
Both friends looked back when they heard Meka yell.
“Hey, let me go. I’m going inside,” Meka shouted.
They turned in time to see Caspari closing the door. But Meka hadn’t entered the room yet.
Before the door closed, the younger Cattaneo said, “I’ll return your friend shortly. Maybe.”
With a wink, he shut the door. Toya and Monique stood staring at the closed door. Wait a minute. Did Orazio’s brother just kidnap their friend? Did this kidnapping shit run in their family? Damn it!
***
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ORAZIO
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Orazio was the last person left in the meeting room. The others had filed out of the room the moment the meeting was over. The meeting had gone well. New security measures had been put into place.
He would be able to rest a little easier with these new precautions. Now that the meeting was over, he was free to talk with Monique’s friends. Orazio smiled as he unlocked his phone to stare at his screensaver.
He’d changed it to a picture of her that he’d taken when she’d been asleep. She’d probably think it was creepy if she knew he’d taken the picture. He didn’t have time to admire her beauty because almost a dozen texts were waiting for him.
Ten, to be exact. Six from his Rose and four from Cas. What the hell was going on? Orazio read Monique’s texts first.
My Rose: Orazio, please tell me this is a joke.
Orazio frowned. What joke? Was she angry because his meeting had run a little longer than expected?
My Rose: My friends came here to talk to you. Not be kidnapped.
What? Which motherfucker in his casino had the damn nerve to kidnap her friends? When he found this bastard, he would kill him. Orazio stormed from the meeting room. In the hall, a security guard greeted him. It was Leo.
“What the hell is going on, Leo?” Raz asked as he read Monique’s next text message.
My Rose: Toya is threatening to burn the casino down.
My Rose: Make your brother bring my friend back now, Orazio.
My Rose: Orazio, I like you. But you do not want to see the other side of me.
My Rose: Bring Meka back right fucking NOW!
He looked up to find Leo staring at the ground.
“Did you not hear what I fucking asked you?” Raz roared.
Leo nodded. “I heard. And if you’d been listening to me, you would’ve heard what I just fucking said.”
Orazio gritted his teeth. Only Leo would dare talk to him that way.
“What the fuck did you say, Leo?”
“I said, your brother took your girlfriend’s friend. Cas said if you have any questions, to tell you to check your text messages.”
Cas! I’m going to fucking kill him! Raz stopped walking to read Caspari’s text messages.
Cas : I now understand why you did what you did.
Cas : Don’t come to my room. I fucking mean it, Orazio.
Cas : I won’t hurt her. Tell her friends that I just want to talk to her.
Cas : She’s perfect, Raz. And she has a mean right hook. I like her. Give me this time to talk to her. I’ll bring her back down to the Ruby room after your date with Monique is over.
Raz squeezed his phone until his hand started to hurt.
“What the hell is wrong with my brother?” Raz mumbled to himself.
It was a rhetorical question. Yet, Leo felt inclined to answer.
“The same thing that’s wrong with you,” the guard stated.
Raz glared at Leo. “The difference is, he knew her friends were coming here to chew me out because of what I did. So why the fuck would he repeat my actions? That will only make them more upset. How can I smooth things over with them now and make them approve of me and Monique’s relationship?”
“Do you have to have their approval?”
“I do.”
“Why?”
“Because they are closer than family to Monique. At least, that’s what I’ve gathered from how she’s talked about them. What they think about me matters to her. I’d hoped to make a good impression on them or at least change their current impression of me. Now he’s gone and fucking kidnapped one of them. What the hell was he thinking?”
“Like you, he saw someone he wanted, so he kidnapped her. I’m wondering if kidnapping is the answer to all of our women problems.”
“It’s not,” Orazio told him. “I almost lost Monique because of my stupidity.”
“But you didn’t lose her, did you?”
“That’s not the point. It was Cas who told me to handle things differently with her. Now, he’s gone and done the thing he told me I was crazy for doing. He claims he just wants some time to talk with her. He could’ve talked with her in the Ruby room.”
Leo chuckled. “Cas has never met someone who’s made him want to just talk . I can’t wait to meet this woman.”
“You’ll get to meet her now. Go to his room and...”
“No can do, boss,” Leo said, not letting him finish his sentence. “He’s already sent the security guards a text saying not to disturb him. Anyone who does is getting fired.”
“He can’t fire you. Dad won’t let him.”
“Unfortunately for you, I want to see how this plays out. I don’t watch much television. The casino is the only place I get to see drama. You and Cas are my soap operas these days. Better yet, you’re my reality television. I’m waiting for the next episode to air.”
Orazio shook his head. “You’re a grown-ass man, Leo. Act like it.”
“That’s the line you should be texting to your brother. He’s a grown-ass man. He can’t have every shiny new toy he sees. Tell him I said that.”
“Tell him yourself.”
Raz shoved his phone back into his pocket. His mind was racing, trying to think of a way to fix this.
“Is Monique and her friend still in the Ruby room?” Raz asked Leo.
The guard nodded. “Cas locked them inside. He said you’d unlock the door when you got there.”
His heart dropped. “She’s locked in the fucking Ruby room?” Raz yelled.
Leo nodded.
“Fucking Cas!”
Raz stormed down the hall with Leo following closely behind him. He was going to fucking kill his brother for real this time.
“Why didn’t you tell me she was locked in the room?” Raz yelled.
“Cas said he’d send you a text.”
“He didn’t tell me she was locked in the room in any of his texts.”
“That’s on him. Not me.”
Talking to Leo was only making him more frustrated. Raz turned the corner and strode down the next hall. He’d expected to hear knocking noises when he neared the Ruby room from Monique and her friend beating on the door. He didn’t. When he reached the door, he stopped and just stared at it.
“What do you think they’re doing in there?” Leo asked.
Raz sighed. “Probably plotting ways to kill me.”
Leo took a step back. “I’ll let you enter alone then.”
“Aren’t you my guard?”
“I am. I’ll stand guard outside this door to make sure no one enters and causes you any harm.”
Raz shook his head and stared back at the door.
“Go inside,” Leo told him.
“I’m going.”
“What are you waiting on?”
“Mind your fucking business, Leo.”
Leo chuckled. “This is the longest intro into a new episode I’ve ever seen.”
Raz glared at him. Leo took another step back. Facing the door once more, Raz inhaled deeply. He released his breath slowly while pressing the security code into the door, unlocking it. He wondered if she’d heard the soft click signaling that she and her friend were now free.
There was a bar in the Ruby room. Would bottles of liquor or glasses be hurled at him the moment he opened the door?
“What are you waiting on?” Leo asked.
“Go away,” Raz growled, gaze still on the door.
He inhaled deeply again and released the breath even slower this time. He was stalling.
“Just open the door,” Leo told him.
“You’re fired,” Raz growled.
“Okay, boss.”
Ignoring his guard, Raz pulled the door open and entered the room. He immediately stepped to the side just in case someone threw something. He was surprised to find Monique and her friend seated at the bar.
Both women had a glass of vodka in their hands. The vodka bottle was seated on the counter between them. Their icy glares froze him in place. He’d been stared at by ruthless criminals in the past.
Looks of hatred were something he was accustomed to. However, none of those glares had been as deadly as the ones these two women were casting his way. They looked ready to kill. Or at least cause bodily harm.
His Rosa looked angrier with him now than she had when she’d been the one kidnapped. This was a delicate situation. He had to tread carefully. He took a step forward. Monique and her friend rose from their seats.
Why the hell was he so fucking nervous? It was just two women standing up. Maybe it was the way they were looking at him.
He stopped walking and said, “Rosa, I can fix this. I’ll...”
She raised her hand, silencing him.
“Don’t call me that,” she told him. “And let’s not talk at all until you bring my friend back to me.”
“The sooner, the better,” her friend added. “Because I’m starting to feel antsy. And when I get antsy, I break shit. If you want to keep all these expensive liquor bottles intact, I suggest you bring my friend back to me. Now!”
Raz cleared his throat and then said, “I know the two of you are angry. And that’s understandable...”
“We were angry twenty minutes ago,” Monique interrupted him. “We’re beyond that now. Bring Meka back to me now, Orazio. Until you do, you and I have nothing to say to each other.”
His heart felt like it was cracking. Fucking Cas!
“I’ll be right back, Rosa.”
With a roll of her eyes, she sat back down on her stool and continued sipping her drink. Her friend followed suit. This was not how he’d pictured their next meeting going. He’d wanted to give her flowers, roses to be exact.
He’d wanted to kiss and hug her and show her he could be a gentleman. But Cas’s dumb ass had ruined that for him, for them. He would fix this. And if he had to break Cas’s fucking door down to get Rosa’s friend, he would.
With one last glance at his beautiful Rosa, Raz turned and strode out of the room. The door shut behind him. He resisted the urge to lock it. He didn’t want those two angry women loose in his casino. But locking it wasn’t an option. It would only make matters worse.
“Get someone to watch this room,” he told Leo. “And you, come with me to Cas’s room.”
Following him, his guard nodded and pulled out his phone to do as Orazio asked. Leo and Raz headed to the elevator that would take them to Cas’s floor. He had to find a way to convince his brother that kidnapping was wrong. And the Cattaneo men needed to learn how to love without kidnapping their women.
“Uh,” Leo said. “Just a heads up. Your father just texted me.”
“What does he want?”
“He wants me to look for someone. Apparently, Bryce has taken your advice.”
“I don’t recall giving my cousin any advice?”
“The kidnapping advice you gave him while drunk.”
“What kidnapping advice?”
Shit . What had he said to Bryceson while they’d been drinking? He couldn’t fucking remember.
“His mother is looking for him because one of her employees has gone missing.”
“Let me guess,” Raz muttered, massaging his forehead as the memories slowly returned to him. “The missing employee is the new pastry chef, Tatianna, Bryce’s ex.”
“You’re right. She’s missing. She didn’t return home after an event she was overseeing for the bakery. They can’t reach her by phone. And they can’t reach Bryce either.”
Raz balled his hands into fists.
“What the fuck is wrong with my family?” Orazio roared.