Living To Love You (Santos Family Series Book 4)

by KD Bryan

  Aiden nodded and said, “We think so, Carli. We’ve spoken with her boss, as well as a few of her co-workers at the restaurant. One woman mentioned that Martina had been receiving phone calls…and she acted upset when the calls came through. One afternoon she’d even hung around past her shift, and another employee said she seemed very nervous that day…like she was reluctant to leave the building.”

  A feeling of dread shifted through Carli, and she stiffened in Reid’s arms. Alarmed at the sudden change in her posture, Reid glanced at his wife and asked, “Carli? Baby, what is it?”

  Carli’s gaze fell on Aiden again as she whispered, “Julio? Where is he, Aiden?”

  Watching her old friend closely, Carli saw the slight change in Aiden’s expression. When his gaze slid toward his partner, Carli knew something was going on.

  “Julio is still in prison, Carli. I personally checked this morning with the warden to confirm it. The warden did share some information, however, that has us concerned. Evidently Julio had a couple of new visitors recently. Two men…both Hispanic…and who we now believe could be members of a previous gang he was involved in. The warden is checking their log-in information, and we’re expecting a call back from him at any time.”

  Reid looked at both detectives and shook his head. “Do you think these men could possibly have something to do with what happened last night? Could they possibly be working for Julio and he ordered the hit?”

  Shrugging a broad shoulder, Aiden nodded and said, “It’s likely. Julio has managed to keep himself quite busy on the inside since being sent up. He’s definitely not the model inmate according to the warden, and they’ve actually been monitoring his activities closely in recent weeks. The two men I mentioned were allowed to visit him in the hopes they’d help the prison officials determine just what Julio might be involved in.”

  “Are the authorities looking for these two men now?” asked Reid.

  “Yes, we are actually,” supplied R.T. “The warden gave us their names, and like Aiden said earlier we’re waiting on a call that will hopefully provide us with even more information.”

  Aiden leveled his gaze at Carli again and cleared his throat. “There’s something else, Carli. We spoke with Consuela regarding Angelina. The little girl is with her aunt at this time, but Consuela shared some information with us that we need to discuss with you.”

  “What information, Aiden?” asked Carli wearily. At the moment she wasn’t sure just how much more information she could process under the circumstances.

  “Evidently when Martina was homeless and placed in a shelter after her stabbing, the legal aid attorney assisted her with getting her affairs in order. Carli, she named you as Angelina’s legal guardian in the event that something should happen to her. In essence, Angelina Gonzales is now your legal charge according to the law.”

  Sucking in a breath, Carli held on to Reid as the implications of what Aiden had just shared registered in her scrambled brain. Angelina was now hers…well, technically hers and Reid’s…the little girl who they’d literally been with since before her birth was now legally their responsibility.

  A bout of nausea hit at that moment causing Carli to clamp her hand over her mouth as she struggled to free herself from Reid’s hold. Dashing to the downstairs bathroom, she made it through the door just in time to throw up in the toilet. Trembling and sick, Carli lay draped across the seat of the commode as tears streamed down her face.

  What more could happen? Her best friend since childhood was essentially fighting for her life, and a woman she’d befriended out of a sense of compassion and kindness had now lost her life on a deserted sidewalk outside her own home. Her three-year-old daughter was motherless, and now Carli was evidently that child’s legal guardian. Her own two toddlers were ill, and she was slumped across the toilet having just lost everything in her system. Shaking and sick, Carli closed her eyes and let the tears come without trying to stop them. That was how Reid found her a few moments later, and it barely registered as he lifted her into his arms to carry her to bed.

  Sometimes our lives have to be shaken up,

  changed, and rearranged to relocate us to the place

  we’re meant to be.

  -Unknown

  Chapter Thirteen

  The Santos family had taken the news of Martina Gonzales’s death hard, and Carli was once again reminded of what a compassionate and caring family she was fortunate enough to be a part of. Still under quarantine, the Brandt family had spent a quiet day at home following the two detective’s visit to deliver news that would essentially change their lives. Carli had finally found the strength to call her parents later that afternoon, and Sylvia had expressed her profound sorrow at the news her daughter had to share.

  Of course Sylvia had wanted to rush right over, but Carli had finally convinced her that she or Ric either one needed to be exposed to whatever the girls had going on. The next morning Carli had called her part-time housekeeper and asked her to come over to essentially sanitize the whole place. Evidently whatever bug the girls had picked up was thankfully short-lived, and following their night of vomiting all symptoms had started to improve. Carli or Reid either one had fell victim to it other than Carli’s one bout of vomiting which she’d attributed to nerves and stress.

  Once the house had been cleaned from top to bottom, the Santos family had filed in sporadically with their condolences and offers to help. Carli had been in touch the first day with Consuela Sanchez, and after explaining that her family was battling some type of bug, she’d made arrangements to stop by to discuss everything. The police still hadn’t released Martina’s body, but Carli knew that Consuela would want to start planning her younger sister’s burial mass as soon as possible.

  It was now Wednesday, and Carli had been on the phone early with Jillian apologizing yet again for not being able to accompany her to her first chemo treatment. The realization was tough on both women, and Jillian had battled her own feelings of guilt for wishing her best friend could be there for her in light of what Carli was facing. She and Rob hadn’t ventured out to the see the Brandt’s since the news of Martina’s death, but it was only because they knew Jillian couldn’t risk even the slightest exposure to an illness of any kind.

  Carli ended the call with Jillian on a tearful note, but she was confident that Rob had everything under control today. She’d picked up on something…a subtle shift in both Rob’s and Jillian’s demeanor on the phone that had her wondering what was going on at her little brother’s house. They’d both seemed calmer, and sounded almost as if they’d finally found something to help alleviate some of the anxiety they were feeling. Knowing anything was possible when it involved those two, Carli decided to let it go to deal with another day.

  Today she had to try and console a woman who’d lost her own sister far too early in life. In addition, she and Reid were going to see the little girl who was now legally in their custody. So many thoughts and emotions had plagued them both these past couple of days, and they’d spent hours talking through everything. Could they realistically take this child and raise her as their own, or would she ultimately be better off with her own mother’s family? If Martina’s family did want Angelina, how confident were they in handing the little girl over to people they essentially didn’t even know?

  Carli knew that both Consuela and Martina had migrated to St. Louis following the man Consuela had eventually married, but was now divorced from. He was doing ten years behind bars as well for burglary, and the single mother of three had her hands full raising her family alone. The sister’s own family was spread throughout south Texas and northern Mexico, but Carli had no idea how close they were to the people they were related to. The thought of Angelina being handed over to people she knew absolutely nothing about made Carli’s stomach cramp with anxiety.

  Carli closed the door behind her parents who’d arrived this morning to take the girls back to their house for the day. Rosita was there of course, and the three adults had plans
to pamper the twins who were still pale and fatigued from their recent illness. As much as she hated sending her daughters away while they were still recovering, Carli knew that she and Reid had to go deal with the aftermath of this senseless tragedy.

  Turning to her husband, Carli looked at Reid and asked quietly, “Are you ready to go?”

  His heart going out to his wife, Reid took the few steps separating them and gently pulled Carli into his arms. He felt Carli’s body sag against his, and Reid knew what a toll this whole thing was taking on her. He, too, had been at St. Elizabeth’s the day Martina had stumbled through the doors of the hospital pregnant and bleeding. He could also vividly recall watching from the sidelines as Carli had used scissors to cut through the thin, dirty material of Martina’s shirt only to discover the knife embedded in her side. The knife that Julio Ramirez had put there…stabbing the woman who was carrying his own child for whatever unfathomable reason.

  Reid had also been there later when word came down that a tiny baby girl had been taken by cesarean section, but who was doing fine despite being born several weeks premature. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever shared this with his wife, but Reid had stolen upstairs several days later to peer at the tiny infant through the nursery window. The nurses hadn’t asked which baby he was there to see, and he hadn’t offered the information. Instead, he’d stood there for several long minutes studying the infant who’d been forced to make such a horrific entry into the world. Her dark hair and complexion spoke of her Hispanic heritage, and Reid could remember thinking she really was beautiful in a tiny, infant sort of way.

  By a twist of fate, his life had eventually intertwined with that same baby girl, and he’d delighted in getting to know her as well as her mother. Carli had taken them in, and the homeless young mother had benefited greatly from his wife’s caring and compassion, even to the extent of risking her own life for them. Reid shuddered recalling those dark days when Carli lay in the ICU with a bullet wound and a fractured skull as the result of Julio Ramirez’s out of control behavior once again. Carli had been a victim of his need to seek revenge against the young woman who’d done nothing but make the mistake of getting involved with him it seemed.

  Dropping a kiss to his wife’s head, Reid pulled back and searched the tired features of the woman he loved more than life itself. Her usually vibrant eyes were red from fatigue and the tears she’d shed these past few days, and Reid wanted to take away all of her pain. Unfortunately that wasn’t their reality, but instead they were headed to see the little girl who’d essentially been a part of their lives since the beginning of her own.

  “Hey, are you up for this? I can call Consuela and tell her we need to wait until later this afternoon,” offered Reid.

  Shaking her head, Carli blew out a sigh and said, “No, we need to go there and try to figure out what’s happening, Reid. There’s the burial mass to arrange, and we need to see Angelina. I just want to hold her and make sure that she’s okay.”

  Pressing a kiss to his wife’s forehead, Reid’s heart swelled with love and pride for the woman he’d chosen to spend his life with. As usual her own needs were being set aside for someone else, and Reid knew that once Carli had Angelina in her arms that’s all it would take for a decision to be made. The little girl they’d both grown to love would be returning home with them, and he realized that he was okay with it. And even though their house was hectic with twins who were less than two, he knew they’d figure it out.

  Reid realized there was something else pulling at his heartstrings in this situation… something that he hadn’t even shared with his wife. He’d been left motherless, too…of course being seventeen years old was a far cry from being three, but the pain of tragically losing a parent knew no age limit. Tragedy didn’t take into account how many birthdays you’d celebrated when it chose to tear someone away so important in your life that you couldn’t imagine being without them. His own mother had been shot down too, and the pain of that realization was still with him today. Reid knew that unfortunately Angelina probably wouldn’t remember her own mother, but a part of her would always live inside the little girl. And Reid knew, too, that a part of Angelina would always feel the loss of not having her birth mother’s presence in her life.

  Taking his wife’s hand, Reid led Carli out to the garage where he helped her into the car after pressing a kiss to her lips. The ride across the city was quiet, but Reid knew that Carli needed this time to mentally prepare for what was ahead. They finally arrived at the small apartment complex where Consuela lived, and Reid again helped his wife from the car. Holding hands, they made their way up a short flight of stairs to the apartment and Reid knocked briskly on the door.

  Consuela Sanchez’s red rimmed eyes, and gaunt features, told the story of how she’d spent the days and nights since her sister’s death. Dissolving into tears when she saw Carli, Reid let go of his wife’s hand so she could fold Consuela into her arms. The two women stood holding one another as they grieved for the sister and friend they’d both loved and tragically lost. Murmuring words of encouragement in Spanish, Carli finally led the still crying woman toward the couch so they both could sit. Reid stepped inside too, and closed the door behind him before taking a seat on a nearby chair.

  Carli reached out and took Consuela’s hand in hers giving it a comforting squeeze. Looking around the small but neat apartment, Carli knew that Consuela’s own three children were at a friend’s house this morning. Angelina was down for a mid-morning nap after Consuela reported the little girl had awakened several times last night crying for her Mama. That bit of news on the phone earlier had caused tears to sting Carli’s own eyes, but she knew it was to be expected. Angelina was entirely too young to understand her mother’s absence, and no amount of explaining would help.

  Clearing her throat, Carli looked at the tired woman beside her and said, “Consuela, we need to talk.” Speaking in English for Reid’s benefit, she was thankful that the other woman was passably fluent in order to make this easier.

  “Si, I understand, Carli. The policia…the detectives…they came back later. They said that Martina had…how you say it…made you Angelina’s guardian?” said Consuela. “I knew this already. My sister had told me this was what she wanted.”

  Shifting in her seat, Carli made eye contact with Consuela and asked, “How do you feel about that, Consuela? Is that something you want, too? Angelina is your sobrina…your sister’s child…will you be happy with someone else raising her? And what about the rest of your familia …your parents…what will they want…”

  “No!” cried Consuela suddenly, and cutting Carli off mid-sentence. “No, my familia…they do not need Angelina…promise me Carli…promise me she will not go to them!”

  Hurrying to reassure the distraught woman, Carli rubbed Consuela’s arm in a soothing motion. “Si…I promise, but you need to tell me why you do not want them to have Angelina. Reid and I need to know what sort of problemas we could be facing if they decide to fight this.”

  Shaking her head vehemently, Consuela said, “They will not fight…I will make sure that they do not. The law says Angelina is yours…they will not want to…how to say…fight with the law for many reasons. It would not be good for them to do so…they have troubles…problemas with the policia already.”

  Carli shot Reid a knowing look and saw the slight nod he gave her in return. The two of them had discussed this possibility, and Consuela had essentially just confirmed their suspicions. Evidently the Gonzales family was involved in things which kept them on the wrong side of dealing with the authorities, and that information was enough to convince Carli that Angelina had no business with her mother’s family.

  “Consuela, what about you? Like I said, Angelina is your sobrina. Have you given any thought to trying to raise her yourself?” asked Carli.

  Although Carli was almost certain she knew what the other woman’s response would be, it was important that Consuela voice her decision out loud to them today.

&nbs
p; Shaking her head, Consuela swiped at the tears running down her cheeks and looked at Carli with regret and remorse. “No…I cannot take her…I loved my hermana, Carli, you know this. And I love her child…but my own life is too hard right now. I have my own ninos to raise…and I am doing that alone.”

  Pausing for a moment, Consuela glanced at Reid before settling her gaze on Carli again. “Por favor, do not think less of me because I cannot do this…I love Angelina…”

  Sobbing now, Consuela dropped her head onto her hands just as Carli reached out to wrap her own arms around the crying woman. Blinking at her own tears again, Carli looked helplessly at Reid and saw the look of concern etched onto his own features. They’d already suspected that was the case here as well, so it really came as no surprise that Martina’s sister felt she was unable to provide a home for Angelina.

  Consuela’s tears finally slowed, and she eased from Carli’s embrace just as they heard a noise from the other room. The sounds of a child whimpering alerted them that Angelina was awake and Carli rose to her feet. Looking down at Consuela she said, “Por favor, let me get her. I need to see her, and hold her.”

  Nodding yes, Consuela watched the tall, beautiful woman her sister had respected and loved walk from the room to get her niece. Carli returned a few moments later with Angelina in her arms and tears running down her own cheeks. Murmuring soothing words to the little girl, Carli took a seat in a nearby rocker and settled the tiny girl on her lap. Angelina was petite just like her mother had been, with long dark hair and brown eyes the color of warm chocolate. Watching them, Reid was struck again by the fact that Angelina could just as easily pass for Carli’s child as much as their own girls.

  Rubbing her eyes, Angelina looked up at the woman holding her and said, “Car-li…Mama is bye-bye.”

  Sucking in a breath, Carli closed her eyes for a moment as she battled her emotions. She plastered on a smile, though, for the precious little girl in her arms as she smoothed Angelina’s dark hair back from her face.