Today was a rarity. Kiara did not work at all. She looked around the school campus and sighed. If she had not been so busy with studying and work, maybe she would have made a few friends. It was half past eight and she was completely done for the day.
"Hey!" somebody called. The voice came closer as if talking to her. She could not imagine that it would be anyone she knew but still turned around to make sure. "Hi, remember me?" Kiara glanced at the man. She would not forget Miguel's brother, Sergio.
"Yes, I remember," Kiara replied. "You're going to school here too? I've never seen you around."
"It's a big university, but yes, I'm in my fifth year."
"So you already have your bachelors? I'm jealous."
He chuckled and began walking beside her. "Don't be. I'm jealous of the good grades that you make."
"Only because I have signed my life away." Kiara pointed. "So what are you studying?"
"Law. I want to become a lawyer...to handle Miguel's legal work."
Kiara smiled. "That bad, huh?"
Sergio shook his head. "Not really. Miguel always covers his tracks. He's on top of everything." Kiara nodded and then looked at him.
"I guess this is goodbye." She had to walk home and did not want him feeling sorry for her.
"Are you working tonight?" he asked while taking out a set of keys.
"Well, not exactly. I was going home to study."
Sergio snagged the bag from her arm. "Then come on. Let's go out."
"I can't." She reached back for her bag.
"Why not? You aren't doing anything else."
"Because," she stopped to think, "I have class early tomorrow, and I'm not dressed to go out anyway."
"Fine, I'll take you home to change, and I'll get you back by twelve. Fair?"
Kiara exhaled and looked around. Did she really want to go out with him? She had nothing better to do except stay at home and look at the bare walls. Kiara finally gave in. "Fine, I'll go if you really get me back by twelve," she said.
"Deal."
***
At eight-thirty, Sergio pulled his white Porsche into a crowded parking lot. Kiara had no idea where she was, the only clue being a bright sign on the building that read Estrellas. Sergio jumped out of the car and walked to the passenger's side. "Are you ready?" he asked.
Kiara stepped onto the pavement, feeling a little out of place with the trendy clothes the women were wearing outside. Whenever she went somewhere with Lourdes, it would always be somewhere small. She never had to worry about not having the right clothes. Now that Kiara knew who her brothers were, it was no wonder.
She brushed out the wrinkles of her black skirt and adjusted her top; then she grabbed the arm that Sergio held out. "I will never fit in."
He smiled. "Just stick close to me and no one will bother you."
As the music grew louder than it already was, Sergio cut to the front of the line and gave his name at the door. It was no surprise that the door attendants let them both right in. They did not even check ID's. Inside, they had to push through people who had congregated. It made it hard to breathe. Sergio spoke to several people along the way before finally dragging Kiara to the bar.
"Hey, we'll be in the VIP room. Could you send someone our way?"
"Of course," said the bartender and immediately picked up a paging device.
Sergio glanced back at Kiara, leading her in another direction. "It's...lot...where we..."
"What?" she nearly screamed.
"I said," he shouted back, "it's a lot quieter where we are going."
She nodded, thankful when he entered a back room that shielded her from the commotion. In it were leather seats and poker tables where several men played. One with light brown hair looked at Sergio and asked, "New girlfriend, today?" He turned back to his cards.
"Not this time." Sergio smiled. "She's a friend of mine."
"Sure." The man rolled his eyes.
"Don't listen to him, Kiara. He's just mad that I beat him at poker the last time I was here."
The man gave Sergio a sideways glance. "Where's Miguel tonight?"
Sergio waved him off. "Probably screwing that blonde he's been seeing."
"Right. What's that about? Don't think I've ever seen Miguel go out with the same chick twice. Is it serious?"
Sergio shrugged. "It doesn't look serious, but I don't know. Miguel's never been serious before. I doubt I could tell the difference anyway." They both laughed.
Kiara thought about it. Miguel did have a hardened exterior. He did not seem like the romantic type, but the stars in his art room showed there was more underneath his mask. There may have been a gentler side to him.
"Finally," said Sergio as a waitress came in. Sergio did not seem to notice that the waitress was topless. Kiara looked away. She had never been to a place like this. "Here you go, doll." Sergio stuck several bills inside the waitress's apron; then he handed Kiara a drink and quickly gulped his down.
"This place is wild, isn't it, Kiara." Sergio pulled her to one of the small sofas as the waitress set her tray on the table in front of them. Kiara did not know who was going to drink all that alcohol. There was a bottle of tequila and rum with sodas and glasses of ice. The waitress also left a couple of shot glasses to top it off. Kiara felt nauseous thinking about it all.
"Drink," urged Sergio as the waitress left the room. "I can't get wasted alone."
Kiara thought about it. Drinking with Sergio was probably the last thing she should do, but what could one drink hurt? Kiara drank from the glass he gave her.
"What is it?" she asked, trying to place the unfamiliar taste. It was actually good. Kiara could barely taste the alcohol at all.
"Just a vodka drink. Good huh?" She nodded, thinking it must have had very little liquor. After thirty minutes passed and Kiara was starting to relax, her phone rang. It was her sister. If Regina was calling her this late at night, it must be important. "Sergio," she tapped on his arm, "I have to use the restroom."
"All right, just go right out that door and to the right. You can't miss the signs."
Kiara nodded and exited the door, making her way to a large restroom that was almost the size of her apartment. She found an empty stall on the far end and dialed her sister back.
"Regina, what's wrong?" Kiara asked in a frenzy.
"It's Daddy, Kiara. He felt bad that you were trying to send us money and that you were working two jobs. He tried to go back to work."
"Oh my god...what happened?"
"He fell down at one of the construction sites, and now he won't talk to anyone at all. Just tell me what to do?"
Kiara was relieved to hear that nobody was seriously injured and gave Regina some comforting words. "Look, I'll come visit in a couple of weeks. Don't worry about Daddy. It's just hard for him that he's not young anymore. He'll be better in a few days. All right?"
"Yeah, all right," answered Regina.
"Good, then I'll talk to you later, okay?" Kiara asked.
"Yes, call me this weekend, Kiara. I love you."
"Love you too, and don't worry so much. Daddy will come around."
Kiara sighed and stepped out of the stall. The liquor she could not taste before started to hit. She quickly washed her hands and walked back to the room where Sergio brought her to. She needed to sit down where it was safe.
"You can't go in." The bouncer at the door blocked her way.
"What do you mean? I just came from there. I had to use the restroom."
"What do you think that means? It means you are not royalty."
"Okay, but can't you get the man I went in there with? I mean, he will vouch for me. I came with him."
"Nope. Once you leave that room, it's up to them to come back and get you."
Kiara looked at the man disbelieving. She could not walk back through the crowd by herself. Who knew what would happen to her.
"Please, can't you just ask him? His name is Sergio Vega. I promise he will let me back in." At this point, Kiara doubted her own words. Sergio should have never let her leave in the first place.
"You need to leave this spot." The man snapped at another bouncer several feet away.
"No, you don't understand." In a desperate attempt, Kiara tried to move around him and enter the room anyway. Wrong move. The other bouncer ended up jerking her by the arm.
"Let me go, please. I'm not a threat." Her entire body started to shake.
"We told you no. You didn't listen. Now you're out."
"Look, I'll leave, I promise. Just let me go."
The second bouncer never listened and dragged her by the arm, humiliating Kiara all the way to the exit. He gave her a shove and left her facing the crowd who still waited in line. Kiara stood there for a moment, not knowing what to do. She felt the tingle from the alcohol and the fear of being alone. She should have never agreed to come.
***
Kiara hobbled away from the door, hoping to fade from the faces that were watching her. She walked to the edge of the building, where nobody else stood around. Then she cried. Sergio had made a complete fool out of her.
As she wiped her eyes, Kiara looked around. She could see a couple of figures coming near her. Not knowing what else to do, Kiara grabbed her phone out of her purse. She quickly dialed Lourdes.
"Hello," came a voice on the other end.
"Lourdes!" Kiara sobbed. "Sergio saw me at school, and...and he brought me to this club. I tried to go back inside the VIP room, but they kicked me out for trying. Please call Sergio. Please," she begged. "I'm outside and there's too many people here and..."
"Kiara, calm down. Where did Sergio take you?"
"Um," Kiara looked around, "Estrellas."
"Where are you now?"
"I'm outside at the end of the building, but there are people coming towards me."
"All right, I'll take care of it. Don't worry."
Kiara nodded into the phone and finally clicked it off. Hearing Lourdes made her feel a lot better but it did not last. A couple of men stood three feet away.
"What happened? We saw you cut in line. I guess your special treatment didn't work out."
Kiara stayed quiet, condemning herself for not listening to her gut. She tried to keep calm when one of the men grappled her neck.
"Come on," he said, jerking her away.
"Let me go!"
Both men ignored her plea. One covered her mouth while the other dragged her by the arms to the dark end of the building where no one else could see. Kiara struggled against the men, falling as one of the men smiled, releasing her from his arms. Her back crashed against the harsh mixture of pavement and gravel, knocking the air from her lungs. She gasped for breath, a gush of air finally filling her chest. Kiara jolted upright when the man shoved her back down. He twisted her arms behind her head, leaving her helpless to move. Kiara strained against the human restraints, kicking her feet to break lose when he reared his hand back, slapping her across the face. The pain of the sting and the sheer terror left her crying in the night. She had nowhere to turn. No one heard her screams for help with the loud music overhead. She fought against their attempts until she was too weak to move. Then she felt the chill of the evening air against her body even though the air was still warm.
Kiara's eyes started to close when bright headlights came to a screeching stop. She squinted, unable to see but heard doors slam and heavy footsteps coming her way. The men who were attacking her jumped away from Kiara. Strong arms lifted her off the ground and stood her to her feet. Kiara could see it was Miguel as he hugged her to his chest, her body shaking too badly to stand on her own.
"Did this woman ask you to talk to her?" The men lost their voices. That nerve of being bigger than they were disappeared. "Did she walk with you to the side of my club?" he asked, still receiving no response. They did not need to answer. Everyone knew what almost happened, what they were going to do to her. They did not want to provoke Miguel.
Miguel pulled out a pistol, seeming to have no sympathy for the fear in their eyes. Maybe now they would feel half as afraid as Kiara. He clicked the hammer and pointed, motioning them to the wall with his gun. "You disrespected her. Apologize," he ordered.
Kiara watched the men look remorseful, but it was the type of remorse that came from being caught by the wrong person at the wrong time. It had nothing to do with them being sorry. She shuddered to think about what would have happened if Miguel had not come.
"I'm sorry," they both said; it was hardly sincere.
"No, you're not, but you will be." Miguel's voice sounded calm when he glanced behind and tilted his chin to the men. As Miguel guided Kiara to the car, Gabriel and Javier passed, both with metal bars in their hands.
Miguel looked at Kiara. "Are you okay?" She nodded, seeing the concern in his eyes. She silently thanked Lourdes for calling him, although she would have never expected it to be Miguel who came.
"Thank you for coming. I'm sorry. I—" Her voice quivered as her eyes locked with his. She took in his gentle expression before averting her attention and looking down at the dust on her clothes. With some difficulty keeping her legs still, Kiara tried to pat it off. She was doing a bad job when Miguel assisted and brushed off the rest with three long swipes.
"I need you to come back inside the club with me. Can you do that?" Kiara glanced at the door, remembering how the entire night started. Miguel must have noticed her panic because he lifted her chin and repeated. "Look, you will be with me. I need you to come inside. We will be quick."
"Okay." She consented and got inside the open car door with him beside her. Before the car drove away, Miguel lowered the window and nodded; then he rolled it back up as fast. Whatever his brothers were doing with the men, Kiara assumed that he did not want her to see.
As the car parked on the far end of the lot, Miguel looked at her and grabbed a tissue, wiping the smears from under her eyes. "Hold my hand; don't let go. Nobody's going to touch you, trust me." His voice sounded like he almost hoped that someone would try. "Andres, stay here and don't get out of the car."
Miguel slid his coat back on, securing his gun within one of his pockets before helping Kiara to her feet. Then he casually guided her to the door, erasing any thoughts that she did anything wrong. When he walked inside, it was not like when Kiara walked in with Sergio. Everybody moved. Nobody spoke. Miguel did not fight to squeeze through the crowd. He simply walked with Kiara in tow.
"You." He snapped at the second bouncer to follow. As soon as the man saw Kiara, his face lost its color. Miguel never glanced back. He continued forward until he came to the VIP room, stopping at the door. "You," he repeated to the first. "Follow me." The bouncer's eyes grew wide as he moved out of the way and tailed the two inside.
"All of you...out." Miguel jerked two chairs from the table, making them screech across the floor as they crashed against the wall. "Sit down." He pointed the bouncers to the chairs.
"Oh my god! Kiara!" Sergio darted inside the room, relieved when he saw Kiara standing there. Miguel was not happy to see him. As Sergio tried to grab her hand to see if she was hurt, Miguel blocked him and shoved him against the wall. His voice was low, calm and chilling. Kiara was not sure what would happen next.
"I told you, Sergio...told you not to go near her. I told you to leave her alone. And what do you do?" Miguel put his hand around his throat. "You bring her to a strip club." Before Sergio could think on it further, Miguel thrust him to the sofa. "Sit the fuck down and don't say a word."
When Miguel turned his attention to the bouncers, Sergio looked at Kiara. His face filled with worry and regret. Kiara knew he was sorry. All he could do was mouth the words as the other two brothers came in.
"Javier, Gabriel—take the bouncer's places." The brothers asked no questions. They merely left the room without a second's thought.
"Come here, Kiara." Miguel held out his arm without looking back. When she took his hand, he pulled her in front of him and laid his hands on her shoulders. "What the hell were you thinking? If you used a little bit of smarts," he flicked his fingers by his head, "just a little...it would have told you this woman isn't like our normal crowd. She's not even showing tits or ass. What kind of idiot throws a woman like this out, completely defenseless?"
"We didn't know. We're sorry."
"Sorry?" Miguel ran his fingers through his hair, frustrated with stupidity. "You're telling me you couldn't tell?"
"But we have so many that the VIP's make leave."
"My brother brought her in. You knew. He never brings anyone in here like her."
"Mr. Vega, we're sorry." One of them tried to reason.
"Just get out before I kill you. Don't show your faces here again."
The two men left and Miguel looked back at Sergio. "I don't know why you let her leave the room alone. She was almost raped outside. That's what you caused by bringing her here."
"I'm sorry, Kiara." He looked at her sad.
"Don't talk to her again, Sergio. Go find Raul and Ignacio. You caused this mess, so you go finish it." Sergio looked at Kiara once more and walked out.
Kiara glanced at Miguel. She felt exhausted as the hype left her mind. Miguel must have noticed her tired eyes because he pulled her to his chest, hugging her again. "I'm sorry about those men, Kiara," he said. "I'll take you home now."