My Father's Friend
My Father’s Friend – Chapter 14

The blonde releases Casey rudely and ends up backing away from her as she sees Otto approaching them both. Erika tilts her head as the man stands before her, releasing the scent of tobacco and alcohol.

-What do you think you’re doing? -he asks in a solemn tone.

-We were just talking.

-I want you away from this girl, is that clear?

-Why? -He looks up. Is she your favourite now? You haven’t put any of the new girls to washing dishes, why should she?

Suddenly the kitchen was filled with the sound of a powerful slap from Erika, Otto had hit her so hard that Casey took a step back from the violence… the blonde lifts her face to reveal a thin trickle of b***d trickling over the edge of her lips.

-If you dare speak to me like that one more time, I swear it’s going to get a lot worse. Now get out of here, there are customers to attend to outside.

She nods quickly to run out of the kitchen, Casey watches her leave and in her heart of hearts wishes she hadn’t, as she didn’t want to be alone with the man.

-Don’t think you’ll be here for long, your work is out there. So, you’d better get used to the idea of f*****g different men every day.

-Why are you doing this to me? -Casey asks on the verge of tears.

-Oh no, I’m not doing this to you, you little slut,” Otto takes her chin hard. But I will very much enjoy you being here, for as long as it takes,” he smiles mischievously close to her face.

As soon as he releases her, Casey tries to pull herself together, but she can’t help the urge to cry. She felt so defeated, she sensed worse things were coming for her. And it scared her, she just wanted to get out of that place and replace out who the hell she was.

-Finish washing those dishes, it’s time for the show to end.

She looked at the mountain of dishes waiting for her and sighed, she would finish quickly to get back to Serena. She didn’t like being alone, for some strange reason she felt a little safe in the company of the brunette.

[…]

The kitchen door opened just as Casey was putting out the towel she was drying her hands with, the redhead looked up to see the brunette approaching her.

-How was your first day?

-I don’t know, a girl named Erika came to threaten me and then Otto arrived, hit her and ran her off. And then he told me he’d put me to work like a slut,” she complains, then realizes the magnitude of her words. Casey automatically covers her mouth in embarrassment. I’m so sorry.

-It’s okay, that’s why we’re brought to this place.

-It’s just that I…

-It’s OK, I understand. Why don’t we get some sleep?

-That sounds good.

-I know…” The brunette smiles at him. “You’re very lucky to have been put in this place, but you should be aware that you won’t be here for long.

-Yes, I know it’s going to be like that.

But at some point I had to replace a way out, or escape… I couldn’t think like the other girls, staying there wasn’t an option. She had to replace a way to escape from this hell she had been put in.

[…]

The sun was at its peak that morning, the corridors of Rafael’s mansion were desolate and completely silent. While the owner of that house lay in the shadows of his own office waiting for news of his daughter’s whereabouts. But the phone did not ring and his anguish grew with each passing minute.

Without a knock on the door, without waiting for an invitation, the door of his office was opened loudly, the old man looked up and saw the figure of his partner Cauther.

-Cauther!

-Rafael, how are you?” he asks, standing a few inches from the desk.

-I need your help, my friend,” asks the troubled man. Find my daughter, please Cauther, I need you to replace her before something bad happens to her, or…” The old man runs both hands over his face in mourning. I couldn’t live without Casey,” he finishes, collapsing onto the oak.

Cauther watches his friend’s grief, he’d known Raphael since he was 15. Back then he was just a kid who had lost his entire family to his own father’s evil ways, but the man before him took him in and gave him unconditional support. He always had faith in him, and he was not wrong when he told him over and over again that he would be a successful and powerful man. So when he made his fortune through ingenuity, Raphael did not hesitate for a second to make him his equal partner in the company. It was a tempting offer, one he could not pass up.

Now, the same man who had given him his help, who had placed his trust in him, needed his help to replace his daughter… When he first learned of Casey’s existence, the child was only a few months old in her mother’s womb. It was strange that now he had to rescue her. What Rafael didn’t know was that, before she asked him to do so, he was already moving his cards to replace her whereabouts. The detail was that, things would not be as simple as Raphael possibly thought.

-I’ll look for her and bring her back,” he replied at last, as reluctant as ever.

-Thank you very much, Cauther, I know… well, I’m sure you’ll replace her. Genaro is looking for her too, and the police, the more people looking for her the better.

-I need you to withdraw all that help, it’s not necessary. And there’s also a condition in exchange for bringing your daughter back.

Raphael’s eyes widen at Cauther’s request, that was a rather strange reaction for him. Usually, he didn’t say anything, didn’t ask for anything. So the man leaned back in his seat, keeping his gaze on his friend. Whatever Cauther wanted, he was willing to give it to him, as long as he brought his little daughter back safe and sound.

-You tell me…

And if his partner’s ambition was to get the other part of his company, then so be it… his daughter’s life was worth far more than that enterprise. He regretted a thousand times not having told her how much he loved her, he was the worst father in the world.

[…]

A hard bluish gaze was watching her closely, her heart was beating faster than usual, nerves were wreaking havoc on her stomach causing severe cramping that was driving her to agony.

Casey swallowed hard and wondered why the man was looking at her like that, the young woman could feel small salty drops peeking out of the corners of her eyes. However, she tried to hold it in so she wouldn’t cry at the guy who had her cornered against the wall.

She wanted to escape, but it was useless, there was no escape. He had her tightly held by the waist with no possibility of escape, she was so scared that she thought she would faint in the man’s arms. The only thing she could see clearly were those sapphire blue eyes as bright as the diamond itself, but so dangerous at the same time. Was it possible that there was an eye colour as intimidating as that man’s?

-What… what do you want from me? -he asks, stuttering with fright.

-Everything,” he answers in that voice that sends shivers down his spine.

-Please let me go,” I beg.

-No.

-I don’t belong in this place, it has to be a mistake. Please let me go, I beg you,” she begged, tears flowing.

-I won’t let you go.

The man with the piercing gaze pressed her body against his, causing her to gasp for breath. Because of the darkness they were in, she couldn’t see his face, only his eyes that glowed like the eyes of a cat in the dark.

-I don’t want to be here, it’s hurting me,” she complains as her lungs begin to protest the lack of oxygen.

-Casey, you’re only for me,” she whispers softly.

And that’s when the black-haired girl wakes up abruptly, her chest rising and falling rapidly and hundreds of beads of sweat running down her forehead. She put her hand to her chest, feeling the fierce beating of her heart rumbling in her chest.

-God, what a strange dream,” she whispers into the darkness, wipes the sweat from her forehead with her hand and lies back down on the soft bed. Because I can’t remember what that man whispered, what he said? Who was that guy?

I had so many doubts, so many questions to ask, and I suspected I wouldn’t get an answer. Well, not for the moment. He ends up biting his lips, while he brings his forearm to his forehead, he thought.