Waiting for her to reach him, his arm was back around her, guiding her up the steps ahead of him. It wasn’t a large landing, and it felt like he took it all up. Handing her the keys, it took a minute to find the right one. Unlocking the door, she pushed open the door. Scanning the living room Nelly, the next door neighbor who was supposed to be watching the twins, was nowhere in sight. The twins were in front of the television playing games on the gaming console she knew she had locked in her room.
“Where the hell is Nelly? What the hell do you two think you’re doing? I locked those damn games up, you’re breaking into my room now?”
Elliot, always the smartass, “They belong to us, we didn’t break in, we have a key. Nelly, is laying down in my bedroom. She had a headache and Riley gave her the headache nighttime medicine by accident.”
Her head swam with the urge to lose it completely, there was no guilt on either of their faces. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind they had given Nelly the wrong pills on purpose. “You drugged Nelly? I cannot fucking believe you two. I’m done, I’m so done. I can’t do this anymore. Maybe you two do belong in juvenile detention.”
Riley threw down his controller, until now he had barely looked at her. “Damn it, Carrie, you made me lose my game because you want to act like dramatic cow. Who gives a shit? We aren’t going to juvie, you fucking wish. If we did end up there it would be three months or whatever max. We’re only kids without adult supervision because you’re never fucking home. It wasn’t our fault we weren’t raised right by our bitch of a sister. We’re just kids who’ve had a hard life because our mom died when we were little. Even a bad lawyer will get us off.”
Rafael squeezed her shoulder as he led her shaking to the couch, pressing her firmly down. “I wasn’t wrong in the least about you two. One, you are not kids you are old enough to know the difference between right and wrong and understand there are repercussions for your actions, yet you chose to do the wrong thing. Two, your sister won’t be paying for a lawyer as she doesn’t have a cent to throw good money away at a lost cause like you two. Three, you think you’re smart but you have got to be the stupidest fourteen year olds in the state of Texas to piss me off. You don’t know who I am so I’ll tell you. I run the fourth largest construction company in the U.S. and the biggest in Texas. I employ over ten thousand people in the state of Texas and more than sixty thousand in the U.S. and I am extremely wealthy. Being that wealthy, things have a way of going exactly the way I want them to. So if I go to the judge and tell them I want you to be sentenced to the maximum of three years then you’ll both be there for three years.
Now that your sister is thinking the way I want her to, I’m pressing charges. I’ll ask the judge to give you the maximum. You two deserve it, your sister deserves a break from running herself ragged trying to keep a roof over your heads while giving you as good of a life as she can. Maybe now she can take some time to take care of herself instead of two ungrateful brats.”
Running her hand through her hair she nodded, she didn’t see any other options. She had tried so hard and it hadn’t been enough. Maybe this was the best thing to do.
“Carrie, what the fuck?! You’re going to let him throw us in juvie?” Elliot was shocked. Riley had finally given up his full attention to the large man, taking in the suit and tie that he’d never encountered before. The court appointed attorney hadn’t worn a suit that looked as good as what the man wore.
Riley saw the slumped shoulders and the tired look on his sister’s face he’d never seen before and knew she was done. “Carrie, hey, come on.” When she shook her head without looking at him, fear kicked him in the stomach. “Sis, don’t be like this. I’m sorry okay, look we’ll do the job thing you want us to do, right Elliot?” His twin had the same expression of shock he knew he was wearing. They had never seen their sister anything other than confident and maybe angry. A few times she looked tired when she worked both jobs, she always smiled and shrugged. She would go off to her room and say a hot bath would do wonders.
Elliot nodded and Riley smacked him, “Yeah, Carrie, I’m sorry. Please, don’t do this, we’ll be good. We promise, you can’t let us go to juvie.”
Letting loose a shaky breath, she looked at Elliot. His stomach dropped as the pain and disappointment she had yelled at them about when the cops had brought them home was clear in her eyes.
“I’m not letting anything happen. You guys fucked up, this is on you two. I’ve done all I can for you, it wasn’t enough. I tried to sit down and talk to you like the adults you keep telling me you are. Then you do things like little kids, acting without thinking about the consequences. Three hundred thousand dollars in damages was what you cost this man. I don’t care how wealthy he is, costs like that cut into his company’s bottom line.
I’ve tried grounding you off video games, you break into my room and steal it. You drugged a nice, sweet woman and I’m tired, I’m so tired of trying. I try and it’s not getting you guys anywhere, I’m done now.” Rubbing her eyes, from the tears as they began to fall, she felt the beginnings of a migraine forming at the back of her head. “Great, now I’m getting a migraine.” Standing, she swayed. Immediately, Rafael’s hand was around her arm to steady her.
?
??I think you need to rest. Go lie down.” He spoke firmly and softly as he gave her a light push.
“Carrie!” Both twins in unison pleaded, she ignored them. Shaking her head she kept walking. She went into her room off the living room, closing the door. Leaning against the door she fought back tears and laid down on the bed, kicking off her shoes. Leaving the lights off, she buried her face in her pillow. Taking deep breaths, she tried to keep the tears at bay, they would only make the migraine worse.
Chapter Two
Watching Carrie walk unsteadily into her room, fighting tears Rafael fought the urge to be violent. Glaring at the two young teens, they looked worried but not nearly enough as far as he was concerned.
“You two, in your room now.” To give them credit, they didn’t even argue. Simply turned and went to their room.
Pulling his phone from his pocket he dialed his little brother. He picked up on the second ring. “Hey, Rafe what’s up?”
“How do I stop a migraine from going full blown?” Not bothering with small talk, as a doctor Matteo was used to being bothered with medical questions.
“You’re having migraines, Rafe?” Concern was clear.
“No, not me. How do I stop it?”
“Have the person drop meds immediately if they have them. If not, caffeine is the best thing they can take, coffee or a Coke have them drink it down fast at least twelve ounces if they can take it. Aspirin is the best over the counter for it. Most migraines are from stress, a hot cloth on the back of the neck and cool on their forehead.”
“Thanks, Matteo. I gotta go.” Hanging up he went into the small kitchen and flinched at the worn linoleum and the appliances. Fuck, he had to get her out of here. Opening the refrigerator he found a can of Coke and popped the lid. He dialed again, this time it was answered on the first ring.
“Mr. Castillo, how can I help you, sir?”
“Rick, I need you to run a background and employment check on a Carrie Whitney.” He sat down the drink on the beat up coffee table and opened her purse. Finding her wallet he read off her drivers license number and address from Austin. He saw her given name was Caroline, the formal name didn’t fit the soft and sweet woman. Stop it, he told himself as he shook his head, not now damn it. The sight of her social security card had him tensing all over again, keeping her social security card in her wallet was a huge risk, her purse could easily be stolen and her identity with it.
“Will do, I can get it to you by close of day tomorrow.”
“I need it two hours ago.”