“No, but it was the same person. The handwriting is the same throughout the completed ledger,” Amelia says as she flips through it. “Is there any reason why they would want to steal from you?”
“Cabral and I have always been cordial with one another. He and my father had a good working relationship. Can you pinpoint how far back this has been going on?”
“You’re going to have to give me some time to go through all the ledgers. I understand this grocery store has been in business for five years, correct?” she asks.
“Yes.”
“Okay. I will have the numbers for you by the end of today. I need to check and triple check before I tell you something that’s incorrect,” she says as she turns toward her computer. She saves the spreadsheet and opens a blank one. She pulls out another ledger and starts working.
“Thank you, Querida.”
She looks up. “You’re welcome. I’m sorry this is happening.”
“It won’t happen anymore with you auditing everything.” I lean down and kiss her.
“You better go and let me work,” she whispers against my mouth.
I smile. “Yes, Ma’am,” I say, walking out of her office.
I stand there a minute and think about the next mess I’m going to have to clean up.
Chapter 20
Amelia
Hours later, I’m sitting in Santiago’s office waiting for Rodrigo and Marco to arrive. Santiago has been returning emails while we chat about other business matters.
The grocery store is my biggest concern. The other businesses are clean and have no issues with missing money. The Cabral family is up to no good. Santiago, although appearing calm, is angry and agitated. He has good reason, of course. My worry is what will happen when he finds out the extent of it.
Marco walks into the office with Rodrigo right behind him. The two men have a seat on the couch and Santiago comes around his desk to sit in the chair next to me. Rodrigo looks between the two of us.
“What’s going on?” he asks.
“Amelia found something earlier. She’s going to share it,” Santiago says, looking at me. I have the undivided attention of all three men.
“What happened today had me pulling this past year’s ledger of the grocery store. I started running numbers and noticed the numbers weren’t adding up. So, I started a new spreadsheet and went line by line. I was right. There’s missing money. I told Santiago about it when he got home earlier but asked him not to contact you until I was able to go through all the ledgers since the store opened. I came in here when I was done, and that’s when you were called. I haven’t said anything to Santiago.” I take a deep breath and look at the men before continuing. “It’s not good.”
“How bad?” Santiago asks.
“Eight hundred ninety-eight thousand dollars in the last five years.”.
“What the fuck?” Marco shouts as he stands and goes to the window. Santiago rubs his forehead while staring at the ground.
“How?” Rodrigo asks.
“A little here and there for the last five years. I reach into the folder on my desk and pull out the three packets I made up. Each packet contains the spreadsheets I created with the deficits. Behind them are copies of some of the pages of the ledgers highlighted with specific entries. For the next hour, I explain how I found them and how they have been taking the money.
“Santiago, I need to handle this one. I asked Pai to take on this grocery store, and it’s my responsibility to get this shit cleaned up,” Rodrigo says.
Santiago contemplates the situation a moment and nods. “Okay, but I’m going with you. None of us are alone in this.”
“I know, but I need to handle this son of a bitch on my own.” Rodrigo stands and Marco moves next to him.
“I don’t think you should go at it alone. You can handle it, but it’s more intimidating if he sees Santiago with you.” Marco has a good point.
Santiago stands and places a hand on Rodrigo’s shoulder. “Marco’s right.”
“I need to have a meeting alone with Cabral. I need him to know how unhappy I am and warn him about you.” Rodrigo smiles wickedly, winking at Santiago. All three men laugh, and a chill runs down my spine. It’s a little frightening to watch. These men have this down to a science. They know how to intimidate and get results. I have no doubt in my mind Cabral will be on his knees when they’re done with him. I don’t say anything and watch the men plan their next move.
After a while, Marco looks at me and says, “Great work.” Marco is a man of few words, but when he opens his mouth, I listen.
“Thank you.”. Marco shakes his brothers’ hands, kisses my cheek, and heads out. Rodrigo does the same a few minutes later.
Santiago smiles as he walks over to me. He places his hands on my waist and pulls me flush against his body. “I ordered our dinner and asked that it take place in our bedroom.”
I smile, leaning in to kiss him. We share a long, passionate kiss. “I’ll see you up there in fifteen minutes,” he says. I give him another quick kiss and retreat.
I head upstairs in a sprint, going straight to my lingerie drawer. A month back, I bought a teddy but haven’t had the courage to wear it. I take a quick shower, put on the teddy and stare at myself in the mirror. Taking a deep breath, I try to bury the nerves. I put on my big, fluffy robe and walk into the bedroom. The kitchen staff set up a table and placed the food there while I was in the shower. I check my phone to make sure Santiago wasn’t called away. There are no messages. Smiling, I place the phone back down. As I make way to the table, Santiago walks in. He smiles at me and I watch attentively as he takes off his jacket and places it on a nearby chair. Next, he takes off his tie and unbuttons the top two buttons of his shirt.
“I hope you don’t mind that I’m in my robe.”
“Not at all, Querida. I arranged for all this so we could be comfortable and alone.” Santiago sits across from me and starts to uncover all the food. “Let’s eat.”
An hour later, dinner has been consumed and childhood stories are being told.
We have a great time together. There’s always something to talk about, and when we don’t, it’s a comfortable silence. We truly enjoy each other’s company. Santiago is easy to talk to, and he’s a great listener. He’s never judged me or made me feel bad about myself. He supports me in all I do. He is the man of my dreams. I’m grateful to our fathers for bringing us together. I often find myself wondering if we would’ve found each other if not for the promise.
“Do you want to watch a movie?” he asks.
I look away and down at my robe. “I was thinking of something else.”
“What’s that?” he asks as I stand in front of him. My hands go to the tie of my robe. His gaze follows my movements, watching as I untie the robe. Once untied, I push the robe off my shoulders and let it fall to the floor. Santiago’s eyes take me in, darkening with desire. My body heats at his perusal. It makes me feel sexy. “Querida, you’re so beautiful.”
The teddy is black, completely see-through, has a high cut waist, and a thong cut back. The crotch has a snap closure. I can’t wait until Santiago discovers that. My heart beats faster and my arousal increases at the thought.
He hasn’t moved and I’m starting to get nervous.
“Turn for me,” he instructs, and I do as he asks. When I’m facing him again, he has a hand to his heart. “I don’t know what I did to deserve this, but I’m glad I did it.” I can’t help the giggle that escapes. He stands and walks toward me. When he’s right in front of me, he takes my hand and kisses it. “I love it and I hate it.”
“I’m sorry.” He places a finger to my lips. I’m confused.
“I love it because you look amazing and I hate it because I won’t be enjoying you in it long. I need it off. Now.” My breathing increases as he gets closer and his lips find mine. He takes my mouth in a kiss that makes my legs wobble. “How do I get this off?” I really laugh now, and he laughs with me.
“There a
re two ways to take it off. You can take if off from the top or there are snap closures for easy access.” I feel my face heat when I say that.
His eyebrow arches. He drops to his knees in front of me and starts to kiss my stomach, making his way down until he’s right between my legs. I stop breathing. Looking down, I see him use his teeth to undo the snap closures. The sensations of his movements are driving me crazy and my hands go to his shoulders for support. I hear the snaps open and feel his mouth on me.
“Oh, shit,” I breathe as he continues to drive me to the brink. I can’t hold back any longer and my body starts shaking as my orgasm hits me. As I start to come down from my high, Santiago stands and lifts me into his arms. He carries me to the bed, lays me down, and removes the rest of the teddy. He throws it to the floor and takes one of my nipples into his mouth. I moan rather loudly, and he groans.
“I love the sounds you make.”
I push him away from me and get on my knees. My fingers go to the buttons of his shirt and I make quick work of removing it. My mouth goes to his neck and down to his right peck. My hands undo his belt buckle as he stands. He removes his pants. He’s standing there in black boxer briefs and he’s absolutely delicious. I crawl to the edge of the bed and place my hands on his chest. I need to touch him.
“I want to taste you,” I tell him.
“I would love it so much, but not tonight. Right now, I need to be inside you.” He kisses me and pushes me back down to the bed. He comes over me and continues to kiss my mouth, my neck, and my breasts. I spread my legs wider and rock my hips against him for friction. He removes his briefs and enters me. I gasp at the sensation. He’s not gentle with his movements and I love seeing him like this. “Am I hurting you?” he asks as he stops moving.
“No, don’t stop.”
He continues. His groans of pleasure are driving me crazy.
“I love you.”
“I love you too, but you need to cum again, Querida.” He thrusts harder into me as he moves onto his knees, grabbing my legs and pushing them toward my chest. The position makes him hit a spot inside me that takes me right over the edge. My orgasm hits hard and fast. Santiago’s orgasm follows quickly after.
“Fuck.” He collapses next to me and pulls me close. “It’s never felt like this.”
“What?” I ask.
“Sex has never felt like it does with you. As you know, there have been other women, but sex has never felt like this. It was an act of the body—a release. With you, it’s so much more.” He turns to look at me and I smile.
“I never knew love could feel like this.”
“I didn’t either. I need you to know, I’m grateful for the promise made that sealed our fate. At first, I was angry. Then, I laid eyes on you and I immediately knew this was going to be good.” He kisses my nose and I snuggle into his side. “The promise was the best thing to happened to me. Our fathers knew what they were doing.”
Chapter 21
Santiago
The next morning, Rodrigo and I head over to Orgȃnica grocery store. My father invested in this grocery store five years ago. Vicente Silva came to my father with a vision that my father decided was a good investment. He helped Vicente get the store up and functioning. As payment, my father required two percent of the monthly profits and we use the grocery store as a front to launder money. It has been working smoothly, or so I thought. Pai refused to hire a professional accountant because he didn’t trust someone to handle his everyday business. When Amelia walked into my life, I knew she would be a huge asset to this organization, and she’s proven it.
The store sits in the Ribeira area along the river Douro. It’s a twenty-minute drive from the house. It’s in a great location and the store gets a lot of foot traffic. It’s also the only organic grocery store along this region. It catches a lot of attention because of its modern design, neon lighting, and the great selection of products. The store has been successful since its doors opened. The Silva family went from struggling to wealthy very quickly. They work hard for every dollar they make. It’s a family business and every family member puts in their share.
When we arrive, we are escorted into the back office by an associate. The associate informs us that Vicente would be in within a few minutes. Rodrigo and I sit quietly. Suddenly, Rodrigo has a gun pointed to the back of his head. I look up to see a woman holding the gun.
“Who the fuck are you and why are you in here?” she asks.
“Why the fuck are you holding a gun to my brother’s head?” I question. She turns her head and the fire in her eyes tells me this woman won’t hesitate to blow my brother’s head off.
“I suggest you tell me your name,” she growls.
“Santiago Almeida,” I respond as Vicente walks into the room.
“For heaven’s sake, Filha, put the gun away!” he shouts.
The woman immediately drops her hand.
Rodrigo turns around to see who’s behind him.
Vincente walks around her toward his desk. “This is Santiago and Rodrigo Almeida.”
“I was passing by and saw two strange men sitting in your office. You didn’t tell me they were coming,” she says as she holsters her gun at the back of her skirt. She’s wearing a black mini skirt and a white blouse covered in a black vest. On her feet are black high heel boots that go to the knee. She has long brown hair and is very pretty. I watch the fire in Rodrigo’s eyes as he takes in the woman.
“My apologies for my daughter. She takes her job very seriously.” Vicente looks at his daughter. “Please apologize.”
“I don’t apologize for doing my job,” she says, walking out of the office before closing the door behind her.
I laugh. I like her.
“My apologies. There is a reason my Rebeca runs this place. The girl isn’t afraid of anything.” He shakes his head as he sits. We do the same. I look at Rodrigo, who hasn’t uttered a word.
“What can I do for you?” Vicente asks.
“We recently went through the grocery books and found there has been some stealing going on,” Rodrigo says as he pulls the copies of the ledgers from his jacket pocket. He hands them to Vicente, and we give him a moment to look them over.
“I don’t know what to say. I had no idea any of this was going on.” When he looks up at us, his face is pale. My instincts tell me he truly knew nothing about this.
“Do you know who would know about it?” Rodrigo asks, clenching his teeth. His patience is running thin and I may need to rein him in. Vicente picks up the phone and presses a button, then places it back in the cradle.
“Rebeca will know. She has her hand in all aspects of the business,” he says. He calls her and she enters a minute later.
She closes the door behind her and walks to the desk. Vicente fills her in and hands her the ledgers. She scans the documents and hands them back to her father.
“Carlos handles the books. He would be the one to ask. I’ve been reviewing the books, but if he’s been falsifying the documents, there’s no way I would’ve known.”
“Call Carlos in here,” Rodrigo states.
“No,” Rebeca says.
“No?” I ask.
“Let me do some fishing around. If he’s stealing from you, I need to know why just as much as you do. It affects us just as much.”
Rodrigo considers her a moment. “Why would I trust you?” he asks. Rebeca takes a step closer to him.
“I give you my word. This store is important to my family. I understand your family has invested in this dream, and you are doing your own business dealings behind the scenes. I wouldn’t want anyone or anything to effect it. Brother or not, it’s unacceptable.” She turns to look at her father. “Papa, I won’t protect him if he’s stealing money.”
Vicente nods. “What will you do to him if he was the one stealing?” he asks the two of us.
“He will pay the price,” Rodrigo responds. We both stand simultaneously. He looks at Rebeca. “You have five days to get back to me.�
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We walk to the door and let ourselves out. When we get into the car, Rodrigo lets out a growl.
“What’s up?” I ask him.
“She fucking overpowered me,” he says.
“Both of us had our guard down. It won’t happen again. Let it go.” I look at him and smile. “I’m more surprised you didn’t chew her up once she put the gun away.”
“I wasn’t expecting her,” he mumbles, causing me to laugh. This is going to be fun.
To be continued…
Rodrigo
Almeida Brothers Trilogy
Book #2
Social Rejects Syndicate
Coming April 2021
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Acknowledgements
First and foremost, special thanks to Taylor Dawn. She is the mastermind behind the Social Rejects Syndicate. Without her hard work and dedication to this project, it would not be possible. I’m grateful to be one of the chosen authors for this project. You are truly an amazing person and an exceptional author. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be a part of this syndicate.
Santiago: The Almeida Brothers Trilogy Book One: Social Rejects Syndicate Page 8
