My Father's Friend
My Father’s Friend – Chapter 39

-It’s over, it’s all over at last,” Lucilda spoke through tears, as her eyes watched the place go up in flames.

-We are free, we can go back to our homes,” Erika smiled as she shed tears of happiness.

They all squealed with the excitement of knowing that soon they would be back with their families, no longer prisoners, and never again would they have to sleep with anyone out of obligation.

-We’ll be back, we’ll be back,” they all laughed with joy and happiness.

Cauther ran behind the building, the flames were following him, but he didn’t care. As soon as he stepped outside, a black pickup truck pulled up sharply. Suddenly his sports car appeared out of nowhere and Santino got out of it.

-Go after her, and kill that bastard.

-Get those girls out of here, take them to one of my houses.

He gets in the car and starts it off, going after the van Casey was in. Cauther sped up the sports car, spotting the van’s lights. He went after her at full throttle, he would do whatever it took, but he would get his wife back.

The chase took a few minutes, until Cauther realised where they were going. The car in front of him drove through the airport, heading towards a plane that was waiting for him with its door open.

-Oh no, of course you’re not going to take her, you miserable bastard.

He drove like a madman approaching the runway where he watched as the van slammed on the brakes. Cauther pulled up to it, as Casey was being pushed out of the car. Her face was covered and her hands were tied behind her back.

-LET HER GO! -Cauther shouted, pointing his gun at the man who was carrying Casey toward the plane. I’m not going to let you take her.

-It had to be you, you couldn’t mind your own business and you had to mind mine.

-It’s over, now I want you to take your filthy hands off her.

The man turns around with a whimpering Casey, Cauther noticed that she was shivering and no wonder. It was cold, and by the way she was scared to death.

-What are you going to do now? -The guy smirks at her. You’re going to murder me? Suddenly he puts the red-haired woman’s body in the form of a shield.

-You plan to hide behind her, didn’t you say you loved her with all your being, why are you doing this to her? -Cauther took the safety off his gun.

-Because she belongs to me.

-Casey is my wife now, she doesn’t belong to you Genaro.

In the midst of what she was going through, Casey hadn’t noticed the voice of the person who had taken her. By the time she heard Cauther’s voice, she was relieved because she knew that if he was around, she would be safe from the guy who had her. But when she heard Cauther mention the name she knew, she was petrified.

She didn’t even move, she just stood there static, hoping that what she had heard was just a dream, or a nightmare… Suddenly the black-haired girl heard the screeching of tyres, it seemed that someone else had arrived.

-Genaro! What the hell are you doing with my daughter?

In that instant Casey confirmed her terrible suspicions, yes it was her uncle Genaro who had kidnapped her, but why? Why was he doing it?

-Rafael, what are you doing here? -Cauther asks.

-Santino told me. Genaro, what are you doing?

-Rafael, you’re the icing on the cake.” At that, Genaro pulls out a gun and points it at Casey’s hundred, who screams louder. I don’t care that you’re both here, I’m taking her out of here.

-You’re crazy, why are you doing this? You’re my friend, I’ve known you for years. Casey is like your daughter.

-She was. -I saw her as a daughter. But that was when she was alive, since she died I felt so empty I couldn’t bear to be without her. Casey grew up and every day she became more like her mother. And since then I stopped seeing her as a daughter, but rather as a woman. She is a woman, Rafael.

-What are you talking about? -The man takes a step towards him.

-Of your wife, of Milena… I loved her, from the moment I met her, I fell madly in love with her. But she fell in love with you, she preferred you, and I was just a damn friend. For years I had to put up with you just to be near her.

-You’re sick,” says Cauther.

-No, my love for Milena was much greater than your love for her. And when she gave birth to Casey I really loved her like a daughter, but not anymore, she’s identical to Milena. And this time I’m not going to let someone else take her away from me, she’s mine.

-Casey is Cauther’s wife, they’re already married Genaro.

-Nooooooooo….

He shouted loudly as he pointed insistently at the red-haired woman’s head, Cauther couldn’t take his eyes off him. He wanted to shoot the bastard, but with her in the way he wouldn’t do it.

-Let her go, Genaro, this is over. Casey is my wife and there’s nothing you can do about it.

-Oh, yes! I forgot about you, Acrom… your last name was always so familiar. I never really imagined it, but yes, it’s you. The son of that bastard who owed me a lot of money.

Cauther frowns, but he still doesn’t lower his gun. He stands his ground despite what that bastard Genaro was talking about.

-A few days ago I did my accounts, and by then I figured it was you. I knew from your looks and your age that you were the son of that bastard. Your mother and your sister didn’t pay even the first part of what your damned father owed me, your stupid mother took her own life because she was a coward. She didn’t even think she’d leave her 15-year-old son alone, let alone leave her daughter in that place.

Slowly Cauther lowered the gun, he always had it in front of his eyes and never knew it. Genaro was the man who condemned his family to death, because of him he no longer had a family. His mother, his sister… and even though his father was a bastard, he still didn’t wish him dead. So many years searching, to have him so close. He turned out to be his partner’s best friend. He’d discovered that Genaro was behind Casey’s kidnapping, but not that he was involved in the death of his family.

-You’ve figured it out, haven’t you? -I’m the one you’ve probably been looking for for so long, you’ve been so close to me that you haven’t noticed anything. I personally murdered your father in cold b***d, the idiot was begging for his pathetic life. It wasn’t worth leaving him alive.

At that, old Genaro pulls off Casey’s hood, and that’s when she opens her eyes in shock. The man looks at her and continues to hold the gun to her head.

-I want you to see how he murdered the man who calls himself your husband,” she denies as she sheds tears in spurts. I’m so sorry, but you’re mine Casey.

-Cauther! -Raphael’s commanding voice snapped the CEO out of his trance, and he realised that his enemy was raising his gun to point it at him.

Cauther’s instincts kicked in immediately, and long before Genaro could raise his weapon, the CEO raised his. Practically everything went like slow motion, both guns were fired….

Casey shrieked even though her lips were covered with duct tape, her eyes filled with tears to the point that they covered most of them as soon as she saw Cauther fall to the ground.

At that moment, the black-haired girl felt someone wrap her arms around her and wanted to pull away, thinking it was that bastard Genaro. But then…

-Daughter, relax, it’s me,” Rafael removes the tape from her mouth and then puts his jacket over her shoulders. Relax.

-Cauther! -The young woman crawls towards the CEO’s body full of concern. Cauther, Cauther, don’t die…” She screamed in desperation.

-Damn it, Casey, don’t scream,” the man refutes, sitting up on the pavement.

-But you fell down, I saw you….

-He just grazed my arm, the bastard’s a lousy shot.” He shows him his arm with a small gouge from which you could barely see any b***d. I’m fine,” she confirms.

She felt like the perfect idiot, she had played the part of a fool in front of this irritating man. And by the way she spoke to him as if she was annoyed by his voice.

-You’re an idiot,” she angrily replies.

-What the f**k is wrong with you? -He imitates her, getting to his feet.

-I, I thought that… Shit! You’re stupid.

-What kind of bullshit are you talking about?

She turns away so she doesn’t have to look at his face and so he doesn’t see her embarrassed expression, but then the young woman sees something truly horrifying. Genaro’s body lay limp on the floor. Beneath his body lay a pool of b***d trickling down the pavement.

-I thought he was a friend,” says Rafael, looking at the body of his so-called friend.

-Father, I’m so sorry.

-It was many years that I thought he appreciated us, but look at what he did, what he did to you. He kidnapped you to make you…” -He denies. I can’t even say it.

-It’s okay, Dad…” She puts both hands on his shoulders. I’m safe.

-I know, I know… now we can go home.

It was said…

A few minutes later, the police soon showed up. They took statements from everyone involved and given Rafael and Cauther’s reputation, both were unharmed in the murder, then picked up Genaro’s body and left.

-Daughter, it’s time to go home,” Rafael takes his daughter’s hand to lead the way to his car.

The red-haired girl stops halfway and looks at Cauther. His arm was being bandaged. Fortunately his injury was not serious.