Page 18 of Carnal

11

Mia

Grant left hours ago, and I had been hovering somewhere between pissed that he had doubted Joaquín’s innocence and embarrassed that I had cried in front of him.

When my phone buzzed around three o’clock, I figured it was him calling to demand I don’t go to work, but it wasn’t Grant, it was Mitch.

Mitch:I’m outside Grant’s place. I’m taking you somewhere. It’s for Joaquín.

I didn’t even bother to text back. I grabbed my phone and purse, locked the door, and climbed into Mitch’s truck. Grant had forbidden me from leaving his place but he didn’t believe me, he didn’t care, and he wasn’t going to help. I didn’t entirely trust Mitch, but I couldn’t just sit here all day and do nothing.

Mitch grinned when he saw me, leaned over, and gave me a kiss, his stubble grazing on my neck. And for once, I didn’t even pull back.

“Where are we going?”

“To see your brother’s dealer.”

Wait what?

“His dealer? What the fuck are you talking about?”

He laughed. “Grant didn’t tell you? Rafael from the other night? Joaquín introduced him to me.”

I flinched back as if I had just been punched in the stomach. “What? No, he didn’t. You’re wrong. Joaquín never touched drugs. He hated them. Did you ever seen him get high?”

“Listen, Mia, there’s a lot of stuff you don’t know about your big brother. Trust me, he’s no saint. Joaquín got high every chance he got. It’s not a big deal. Paul warned us when we were going to have piss tests, and we never used around your goodie two-shoes boyfriend because he would’ve told you, and Joaquín didn’t want you to know—obviously. We would just distract Grant with some big titty stripper until he got lost in her pussy and left us the fuck alone.”

I gave him a death glare, but wondered why Paul would warn Mitch and my brother about piss tests. Didn’t seem like him.

He just laughed at me. “Don’t worry. Your beloved man never cheated on you. This was after you dumped his ass. Anyway, I told Rafael you were my new fuck buddy and we were looking to score.”

“Why am I just now hearing about this?”

“Really? I was supposed to tell some no-name stripper about him?”

“You could have told me once I told you who I was.”

“Yeah? After you drugged me, pointed a gun at my head and accused me of rape? That would have gone over well, right?”

“Why now? Why tell me now? What that fuck is going on?”

“Because I still believe in your brother, even if Grant doesn’t.

Mitch parked, and my head buzzed. There was a pit bull in the yard, which was surrounded by a chain link fence. The drug dealer’s house was so stereotypical it might as well have had a damn sign and blinking arrow pointing to it. Mitch put his arm around me, grabbed my ass, and led me into the house.

Rafael emerged from the kitchen, and all I could do was focus on the tattoo on his neck. “Hey, bro.”

“Hey. You remember Ksenya?”

“Yeah sure,” he said with barely a glance in my direction. “Autumn’s friend. Man, what a bitch. Fucking cock tease. All over me that night, but then she bounced without saying goodbye.”

Bounced? I could’ve sworn she went home with him.

In contrast to the run-down exterior of the home, the interior was clean and sleek. The walls were painted gray, the furniture looked taken care of, and the floors were glossy black hard wood.

This guy had money. Serious money. Well, of course he did, he was a drug dealer.

Mitch sat on the sofa, and I cuddled up next to him, though I hated the act I was putting on, it was something I knew I had to do.