Chapter Seventeen
ORAZIO
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“I’ll go to Cas’s room alone,” Orazio told Leo. “I’ll leave it to you to look for Bryce and Tatianna. Don’t forget to get someone to watch the Ruby room.”
“On it,” Leo said before turning and heading in the other direction.
Raz continued forward toward the elevators. He stopped when Leo called his name.
“Orazio,” the guard called out.
Raz turned around. “What now?”
“Take it easy on Cas. Hours ago, you were in his shoes and determined to keep someone locked in your room.”
“I was wrong.”
“Yeah. But at the time, you thought you were right.”
“But Cas...”
“Is either toying with you, trying to get you riled up before your date. Or, he’s attracted to this woman and doesn’t know how to handle it. One thing I can say about you Cattaneos is that you’re not good at handling your emotions. Cas is just caught up at the moment. He’ll realize his error when he calms down.”
Raz swiped his hand over his face. Leo could be right. This was unlike Cas. But at least Cas hadn’t planned this as Orazio had done with Monique. His brother was just caught up in the moment.
When Cas calmed down, he’d see reason. Same thing with Bryce. The Cattaneo men were hotheads who acted first and contemplated their actions later. Cas had already acted. Now, it was time for him to contemplate.
“Alright,” Raz said to Leo. “But don’t be like us. Don’t go off and kidnap anyone.”
Leo grinned. “I’m starting to see the appeal to this kidnapping shit.”
“Leo!”
“I gotta get to work, boss,” Leo said, dismissing Raz as he continued on his way.
If one more motherfucker kidnapped someone, Raz would lose his damn mind. He turned and continued to the elevator. He pressed the button that would take him to Cas’s suite. During the ride up, he contemplated what he would say to his brother.
He’d rather solve this with fists. Fortunately for Cas, Raz didn’t have time for that. Monique was waiting for him. If he returned to her with bruised fists, that would only make her worry more.
Therefore, he’d use his words instead of his fists. The problem was, he didn’t know what to say to make his brother see reason. Perhaps he’d say the same shit Cas had said to him and Bryce down in the bar.
If only he could remember all of it. By the time the elevator made it to Cas’s floor, Raz still had no idea what he would say to his brother. Even as he knocked on his brother’s door, he was at a loss for words. After the tenth knock, Raz’s phone began ringing. It was Cas. He answered quickly, eager to get this shit over with.
“Open the door,” Raz yelled into his phone.
“Who told you to use the override code to come to my floor?” Cas asked.
“Fuck all of that. Open the door.”
“Did you read my texts?”
“Open the door.”
“In my texts, I told you I’d be down soon.”
“Cas, open the damn door.”
“I’m busy, brother.”
“Busy doing what?”
“Chatting.”
“You can chat with her in the Ruby room.”
“ Or , I can chat with her in my room, where we can have some privacy.”
“Her friends are demanding you return her to them.”
“Tell her friends that I plan to do that. Soon.”
“Cas,” Raz started, then sighed. “You’re making things difficult for me.”
“You’re making things difficult for yourself by being in my business.”
Raz balled his hand into a fist as he clutched his phone tighter.
“Cas,” he growled. “It hasn’t been twenty-four hours since you lectured me about this exact same thing. What the hell is wrong with you?”
There was a brief pause before Cas replied. “I don’t know. I mean, I do know. I just... I can’t explain it right now.”
“You need to do something. You know tonight is my date with Monique. Why would you pull a stunt like this tonight?”
“I didn’t plan it. I just... I saw her. I heard her voice. I... It happened. I can’t change it. And I don’t want to. I’ll bring her down after your date.”
“How can Monique enjoy the date when she’s worried about her friend? And what about their other friend? What am I supposed to do with her?”
“Take her on your date with you.”
Orazio slammed his fist into the door.
“You’ve got a violent temper, brother,” Cas drawled. “Perhaps you shouldn’t go on a date with Monique until you calm down. Reschedule...”
“You’re the reason I have a temper,” Raz yelled, interrupting whatever bullshit his brother had been about to say. “Open this fucking door, Cas!”
“Do you kiss Monique with that foul mouth of yours?”
“Cas!”
Cas chuckled. “I’m just joking, brother. Give me ten more minutes, and then Temeka and I will be out.”
“Cas, if you’re playing games with me...”
“No games. Ten minutes. You can even wait at the door and escort us down.”
“Ten minutes and not a second longer.”
“Deal. Even though we’re leaving the room in ten minutes, I’m still not ready to part with her. How about we all go out to eat tonight? Let’s do a double date. We’ve never done that before. Oh, I forgot about the other friend. Invite Leo, too. Let’s make it a triple date.”
“I want to be alone with Monique.”
“Triple date or I’m not coming out.”
This motherfucker! He was going to get Cas back for this. But right now, Monique was angry. Very angry. If he didn’t agree with his brother, his brother wouldn’t come out. And if Cas didn’t come out with Temeka, Monique would probably try to kill Raz again. For that reason alone, Raz agreed.
“Okay, Cas. Ten minutes and then we’ll do a fucking triple date. If your crazy ass isn’t out here in ten minutes, I’m...”
“Calling the cops?” Cas joked, knowing Raz wouldn’t call the cops.
“No. I’ll have this door taken off its damn hinges by our maintenance team.”
“If they touch my door...”
“I’m going to call maintenance and tell them to meet me at your room in eleven minutes. I’ll cancel the order if you’re out on time. Your ten minutes start now.”
Raz ended the call before Cas could continue cursing him out. He moved to the far wall and leaned against it as he texted the head of maintenance. With the text sent and replied to, Raz stared at Cas’s closed door.
Was his brother really in there talking to Temeka? What the hell were they talking about? His phone dinged. It was a text from Monique. Shit . He quickly opened and read the message.
My Rose: This isn’t how I envisioned our first date, Raz. I’m really disappointed.
His heart sank. Fuck texting back. He called his Rosa. She answered on the third ring.
“Hello,” she said, voice low, stressed.
Hearing her sweet voice made his heart race. Hearing her tone made his heart break.
“Rosa,” he started, then stopped, not knowing what to say. I’m sorry just didn’t seem good enough.
“One second. I’m going to the corner of the room so we can talk privately,” Rosa told him.
In the background, he could hear her friend talking.
“Why are you going over there to talk?” her friend asked. “You don’t want me to hear you being all lovey-dovey with your kidnapper while another active kidnapping is in progress?”
“Shh,” Monique hushed her friend.
“Whatever,” her friend yelled. “Go talk to your kidnapper. Tell him that I’m three minutes away from tearing shit up.”
Raz swiped his hand over his face. How was he supposed to convince Monique’s friends that he and his family weren’t crazy after this?
“Raz, are you still there?” Monique asked.
“Never leaving,” he promised.
“So corny,” she whispered, but he heard the smile in her voice.
Some of the tension left his body. Now was a good time to apologize.
“I’m sorry, Rosa. I’m sorry you’ve gotten mixed up with a family like mine.”
Don’t leave me. He thought it but had too much pride to actually say it.
“I just don’t understand why you and your brother are like this, Raz. Like, my mind is literally blown. This type of stuff only happens in movies. This isn’t how the real world works.”
“I know, love,” he agreed, hoping she never found out about his cousin Bryce. “But Cas has promised that he and Temeka would be out of the room in ten minutes. I’ll personally escort your friend back to the Ruby room.”
“Meka can be violent if pushed,” Monique told him.
So can you, Raz thought.
“If she’s done something to Cas, don’t be mad at her. And don’t even consider pressing charges. He deserved whatever she’s done to him.”
“I won’t be angry with your friend, Monique. And I’d never call the cops or press charges on her.”
“Promise?”
“I promise, love.”
“She may curse you out after she’s free from Cas. Don’t take it personally.”
So, Temeka is just as violent and foul-mouthed as you, Rosa. Got it.
“I won’t take anything she says personally, love. And once she’s returned to you safely, we can go on our date.” Triple date. Shit.
“Should we cancel our date for tonight?” she asked. “Things just feel off now.”
“No,” Orazio rushed to say. “We shouldn’t cancel it.”
“I feel like we’ve all had enough for one night, and I’m just not in the mood now,” she started.
Raz interrupted her. “Your friends wanted to talk to me. If we don’t work this out tonight, their impression of me will only worsen. I don’t want that to happen, Rosa.”
“Neither do I, but...”
The door to Cas’s room opened. Outstepped his brother and a curvy black woman who only came to his brother’s shoulder.
“Cas just stepped out of his room,” Orazio told Rosa. “We’re heading down now, love.”
“Okay,” she told him.
He hung up, glad that they hadn’t canceled their date. His gaze zeroed in on the woman staring at the floor.
“You’re Temeka, Monique’s friend, right?” Raz asked.
The woman nodded but didn’t meet his gaze.
“Who else would she be?” Cas asked.
Raz ignored his brother. He’d deal with him later.
“Are you okay?” Raz asked.
Again, the woman nodded but didn’t look in his direction.
“Of course, she’s okay,” Cas told him. “You know I don’t hurt women.”
Yeah, you just kidnap them and hold them hostage in your room. Still ignoring his brother, Raz continued talking to Temeka.
“Come with me. I’ll escort you back to your friends,” he told her.
Temeka didn’t leave Cas’s side. And Raz didn’t miss the look that passed between his brother and Temeka. Cas looked extremely proud of himself. But Temeka looked pissed off. Monique had said her friend could get violent.
If looks could kill, her gaze would be setting Cas on fire right now. However, the woman wasn’t saying anything. Neither was she complaining about being taken to Cas’s room against her will. Strange . Something was up with them.
“Are you ready, Temeka?” Raz asked.
“She’d rather have me escort her,” Cas answered for her.
“Is that right?” Raz asked Monique’s friend.
Her friend took a deep breath, released it slowly, and then nodded. A huge grin spread across Cas’s face.
“See, brother,” Cas boasted. “She doesn’t want to be separated from me.”
Temeka rolled her eyes but remained silent.
“Okay,” Raz said, still not buying that Monique’s friend was this willing to be escorted by Cas. “Let’s not keep them waiting any longer.”
“Text maintenance and tell them not to come to my room,” Cas reminded him as Raz started toward the elevator. “And I’ll text Leo to meet us in the Ruby room.”
Raz sent a quick text to the head of maintenance to let him know their services were no longer needed. After sending his text, he glanced behind him at Cas and Temeka. He found Cas whispering something in Temeka’s ear. Temeka spun around to face his brother, fist raised.
Cas leaned away from her and said, “Remember our deal.”
Temeka slowly lowered her fist. Cas’s smile returned. He grabbed Temeka’s clenched fist and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles.
“Didn’t I tell you violence wasn’t always the answer?” his brother told the furious woman. “Use your words, not your fists. My jaw is still hurting from earlier.”
Cas massaged Temeka’s fist until the woman relaxed her hand. Then he clasped her hand, intertwining their fingers, and led her toward the elevator. Raz had no idea what was going on between Temeka and Cas. But he was sure Monique wasn’t going to like it.
Maybe they should’ve canceled this damn date after all.