Chapter Nineteen
MONIQUE
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Monique had wanted Orazio seated next to her so she could keep an eye on him. But as soon as she sat down in the middle chair, Meka sat in the chair next to her. Toya rushed around the table to try to sit in the chair across from Meka.
Their plan had been to separate Meka and Cas so they could figure out what was going on with their friend. Unfortunately, Toya wasn’t quick enough. Cas beat her to the chair. Toya glared down at Cas as he plopped down in the seat before she could.
He didn’t even notice her glare. He only had eyes for Meka, who was staring down at the table like it was the most interesting thing in the room. Had their friend lost her damn mind? Monique sighed in frustration as Toya walked around the table and sat down next to Monique.
Toya leaned over to whisper in Monique’s ear, “How much time would we get if we killed him in his casino?”
“No time,” Monique answered.
Toya’s eyes widened. “You think the police would believe it was self-defense?”
“You misunderstood me. If you killed him in the casino, I don’t think we’d have to worry about the police because we wouldn’t make it out of here alive.”
“Oh,” Toya mumbled, excitement fading. “Yeah, that sounds about right.”
The waiter didn’t approach the table until Raz was seated across from Monique, and the security guard was seated across from Toya. As the waiter handed them their menus, Toya unwrapped her silverware.
“Why isn’t there a knife in here?” Toya asked, looking over at Monique to see if she had a knife.
Monique quickly unwrapped her silverware and found only a spoon and a fork. Cocking her head to the side, she glared at Raz. He smiled at her as the waiter answered Toya.
“Miss, there’s no need for a knife tonight. Our specials tonight are a variety of soups and salads.”
“Soups and salads!” Toya and Monique exclaimed.
Raz! This had to be his doing. Trying not to let her irritation show, Monique opened the menu, hoping this was just a joke. Her eyes widened as she stared at the soup and salad selections.
What the hell? She stared around the room. This wasn’t a damn soup and salad shop. There was a picture on the wall of a juicy steak. According to the words on the picture, this restaurant had the best steaks in the south.
Another picture stated that their signature barbecue sauce had won awards. So, why the hell were they only serving soups and salads when they were known for their steaks and their barbecue?
Just thinking of award-winning barbecue had Monique’s mouth watering. Eventually, her angry gaze found its way back to Raz. This soup and salad mess had his name written all over it. How the hell had he made this happen so fast?
It was scary the things this man was capable of. And to be honest, it was impressive too. However, no matter how impressive it was, it was just another red flag to go with all the other red flags he’d thrown her way since their night together.
Once again, she found herself wondering if wanting to be with him was a wise decision or not. How could she fault Meka for how she was behaving when, technically, Monique was no different?
Sure, Meka was acting strange after being locked away with Cas for a brief period of time. But Meka and Cas wouldn’t have met if Monique’s strange behavior hadn’t brought them together.
If she hadn’t agreed to see Raz again, this wouldn’t have happened. If she hadn’t told her friends about her kidnapping, this wouldn’t have happened. She was the one at fault. Therefore, she was the one who needed to figure out a way to separate Cas from Meka.
“I don’t want soup or a salad,” Monique told the waiter after tearing her gaze from Raz.
“I’m sorry, Miss. But that is all we’re serving tonight.”
“Understood.” She closed the menu and handed it back to the waiter. She wouldn’t snap at this guy. None of this was his fault. “Thank you,” she said as politely as she could. “But I’m no longer hungry.”
“Monique,” Raz started.
“I’m not hungry,” Monique said again, adding a little more bass to her voice as she eyed the man she’d been eager to see again tonight.
Now, she was starting to regret that decision. There was a tick in his jaw that let her know he wasn’t happy. Screw him and his ticking jaw. She wasn’t happy either. He’d told her he’d fix this. Instead, this situation was growing worse.
He gave her a look that seemed to be pleading with her to be patient and understanding with him. She narrowed her gaze, letting him know she was out of patience and she didn’t understand what was going on.
“So, you expect us thick women to eat only soup and salad, huh?” Toya asked, bringing Monique’s attention back to the menu.
Both Cas and Raz frowned in confusion. Their expressions changed when they caught on to what Toya was trying to say.
“Of course not,” they sputtered, talking over one another.
“That’s not the case at all,” Raz assured Monique. “You can eat whatever you want. There’s no wrong thing to eat.”
“Right,” Cas added, talking to Meka, who wasn’t even looking at him. “Eat all the food you want,” he told her. “I plan to eat all the food I want.”
All three ladies turned to look at Leo when he spoke.
“That being said,” Leo stated. “Soups and salads are the healthier choice...”
The table shook. Monique had a feeling Raz was kicking Leo to shut him up. The guard paused as he glared from Raz to Cas, only to find them glaring back at him. Then the guard’s eyes drifted to the three women seated across from him. He cleared his throat.
“You all didn’t let me finish,” Leo started. “Soups and salads are the healthier choice for, uh, rabbits. I was referring to rabbits.”
“Someone needs to pull a rabbit out of their hat and roast it,” Toya said. “Because there’s no way I’m eating just soup and salad.”
“Only a magician can pull a rabbit out of a hat,” Leo muttered.
“Not true,” Toya told him. “A clown can too. So, go ahead. Present a rabbit to us.”
“Are you calling me a clown?” the guard asked.
“You should be happy that I’m only calling you a clown because there are other things I want to call you.”
“Mr. Cattaneo,” the waiter said, talking over Toya and Leo, halting their heated argument. “It seems I came at a bad time. Please contact the kitchen when you’re ready to order.”
Raz nodded and said, “Let the chef know tonight won’t be a soup and salad only night after all.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll bring out the other menus.”
“Thank you,” Raz said.
Monique held her tongue until the waiter was a few paces away from the table. Then she let Raz have it.
“What’s really going on, Orazio? First, your brother kidnaps my friend...”
“Borrowed,” Cas chimed in.
Ignoring him, Monique continued. “Then you ask us out to eat in an empty restaurant.”
“Private,” Cas corrected her. “Not empty. Just private.”
Monique closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
“I wanted to make the night more romantic,” Cas said.
“There’s no way a triple date can be romantic,” the guard muttered.
“Any time I’m with Meka is considered a romantic time,” Cas drawled.
Opening her eyes, Monique glared at the younger Cattaneo.
“Really?” she asked.
Cas nodded.
“You act like you know my friend well,” Monique said.
“I do,” Cas replied.
“What’s her favorite color?” Monique asked, trying to prove a point.
“Black,” he replied. “But she also likes pink and purple.”
Whoa! Okay. That was a really good, really specific guess.
“What’s her favorite food?”
“It used to be pizza. Now, she’s trying to eat healthier. She’s fallen in love with French onion soup.”
Had she? Monique looked at Toya. Toya nodded before asking Raz a question of her own.
“What’s her favorite movie?” Toya asked.
“Men In Black is her favorite movie. But the little girl in her loves The Little Mermaid. Her favorite television show is Girlfriends because it reminds her of her and her best friends.”
What the hell? How had he gotten all of that out of Meka in a short amount of time? Unless ...
“How long have you known Meka?” Monique asked.
Before Cas could reply, another voice spoke up, interrupting their questioning.
“Yes, Cas. How long have you known this woman?” a soft voice purred, pulling all their attention toward the door.
A slender woman clad in a skintight white mini-dress was heading toward them. Her dark brown hair drifted over her shoulder in waves. Her tanned skin hinted at days spent relaxing out in the sun.
And her green eyes were shooting daggers at Cas as she approached the table. Leo gave Raz a funny look that Monique couldn’t decipher. What she could decipher was that only Leo and Cas appeared surprised to see the woman.
Raz looked a bit relieved. Was this his way of fixing things? The woman placed her hand on her hip as she stood at the end of their table.
“I’m waiting, Cas?” the woman hissed.
Monique chanced a glance at Cas. The man looked sick to his stomach.
The woman stomped her foot like a spoiled child, then yelled, “Caspari Cattaneo, is this the woman you left me for?”
This chick was Cas’s ex. Smart move, Orazio . This should help Meka snap out of whatever trance she was in. Or at least distract Cas long enough for them to get Meka out of there. Movement beside her had Monique looking in Meka’s direction.
Her friend was glaring at the woman. Wait a minute! Was Meka jealous? Monique understood exactly what Raz was trying to do in bringing Cas’s ex here. What she couldn’t understand was Meka’s reaction to the woman.
This entire plot was to get Cas riled up, not Meka. However, the glare in Meka’s eyes wasn’t fake. She’d seen her friend mad enough times to know that. Meka couldn’t be jealous, could she?
“She’s your ex?” Meka asked Cas, voice dripping anger.
Cas nodded, looking ready to throw up. The man was refusing to make eye contact with his ex. The way he was now staring down at the table while tapping his finger against his napkin bothered Monique. Something wasn’t right here.
“So, she’s the one who...” Meka started, then paused, gaze moving around the table to each of them as if what she’d been about to say couldn’t be said in front of them.
Seriously, what was going on here?
“Yeah,” Cas said. “She’s the one who lied and told her friends that I assaulted her,” he said, gaze returning to the woman. Hatred blazed in his eyes. “She also tried to have me arrested for it. Eventually, the police caught her in her lie when the dates she gave them coincided with the dates I was in Italy.”
Oh, shit. Monique glared at the woman. How dare she make light of such a serious accusation! It was women like her who made it hard for women who were really assaulted to be believed when they came forward. Now the bitch had the nerve to look embarrassed. It was too late for that.
“That... That was in the past,” the brunette stammered, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “I’ve apologized numerous times, but you won’t accept my apology.”
“An apology can’t change the fact that if my dad hadn’t intervened, my face would’ve been all over the news before I had a chance to prove I was innocent,” Cas stated, still tapping his fingers against his napkin.
“I was going through a bad time,” the woman defended herself. “And you weren’t answering my calls. You weren’t there for me when I needed you. I didn’t know you were out of the country.”
“So,” Meka said, standing up. “That gave you the right to lie about him to your friends. And then, when they insisted you go to the police, you continued that lie and had Cas arrested. Luckily, you’re not good at lying because if you were, he’d still be in jail. And luckily, his father was able to step in before word got out about his arrest. Because if word had gotten out, guilty or not, he would’ve been ruined in the public eye. And for what? Because he didn’t answer your phone calls? Bitch, are you crazy?”
“Who the hell are you to talk to me like that?” the brunette gasped. “You don’t know anything about my relationship with Cas.”
“We never had a relationship,” Cas said. “We fucked a few times, and I brought you a few gifts. That’s all. You and your parents wanted it to be more. Not me.”
“Not true. We were more than that. You were even planning to invest in my father’s new venture.”
“That was strictly business,” Cas told her.
“But, if we weren’t more than that, why did Raz call me here to have dinner with you all? I canceled a date, I mean, a meeting. I canceled a meeting with the senator’s son to be here because Raz said you missed me and wanted to see me.”
Damn it, Raz.
Cas glared at his brother. “I don’t know why my brother would call the woman who nearly ruined me up here.”
Remorse was etched into the lines of Raz’s face.
“I didn’t know about that,” Raz told his brother. “You never told me she did that. You only said she was irritating. You never mentioned that she lied and had you arrested. If you had, I never would’ve called her.”
“I didn’t want you to know. I didn’t want anyone to know.”
“Why? I’m your brother, Cas.”
“I was embarrassed. I was fucked up in the head because I couldn’t believe someone would accuse me of something like that. That’s something I’d never do, yet the police and her friends were treating me like I was the type of man who would hurt a woman that way.” Cas paused to clear his throat.
But Monique didn’t miss the way he’d gotten choked up. Her heart went out to him. He hadn’t deserved that.
“When did this happen?” Raz asked.
“After we returned home from Bari, Italy. The police came to my house because they had a warrant for my arrest. Dad was there. He couldn’t stop them from cuffing me and taking me to the station. The police were happy because they thought they finally had some dirt on the Cattaneo family. Though he couldn’t stop me from being cuffed, he was at least able to keep the media from finding out.”
“No one told me,” Raz said.
“No one knew except for dad. And I asked him not to tell anyone, not even family. Even after I was cleared, the police still treated her as if she was the victim. And they still treated me as if I was the abuser. One even made a remark that I was only cleared because of my last name. So, to them, I’m guilty. I’ll never be innocent.”
This bitch.
“I’m sorry,” the woman apologized.
“Sorry didn’t do it,” Toya spoke up. “You did. Do you know how many women try to report men for that but get treated like they’re liars? Do you know how many women don’t come forward because they’re afraid they won’t be believed? Yet, you came forward with a lie. And now, if something like that really happens to your dumb ass, no one will believe you.”
The woman took a step back. “I didn’t come here to be attacked.”
“You shouldn’t have come here, period,” Meka said. “Can’t you see how your presence is affecting him?”
Monique looked at Cas. He’d grown pale. He was no longer smiling and being flirtatious. He looked... scared. There was more to this story that he wasn’t sharing. There had to be.
“Come on, Cas,” Meka said, stretching her hand out to him.
He stared up at Meka, looking lost. Tears came to Monique’s eyes as Cas took Meka’s hand and stood up. He approached Meka’s side, gaze never leaving her. He looked at Meka like she was his lifeline, leaving Monique feeling like the two of them had known each other before tonight.
“Stay away from him,” Meka told the brunette. “I don’t care who calls you and tells you to come to him. Don’t. Because if I see you near him again, I’ll give you a reason to call the police.”
“Don’t talk to me like that,” the woman started, only to have Toya interrupt her.
“Lady, leave while you still have the chance. Because I’m in a really bad mood, and I’m itching to whip somebody’s ass.”
The woman took another step back. “I see the atmosphere in this place has changed. They let anyone in now. I won’t be coming here again.”
“Good,” Monique told her. “You shouldn’t have been here in the first place. Now, shut the hell up and leave before we make you leave.”
Clutching her little purse tightly, the woman glared at them for a few seconds before turning and storming out of the room.
“We’re leaving too,” Meka announced. “As for you, Orazio. That was a shitty move you pulled on your brother. As for you two, Monique and Toya, I’m good. Really. I’ll get a ride home later, or Cas will take me. You can go home now. I promise to talk to you soon and explain things. Just know I’m okay.”
With that said, Meka led Cas from the room. During the entire walk, Cas’s eyes never left Meka. Monique was convinced that Cas and Meka had something going on long before tonight. What? She didn’t know. But she planned to find out.