My Brother

Chapter Two

TWO months earlier...

Carly stepped out of the taxi in front of a well-known casino, visibly flustered. As usual, her older brother Tyron had gotten himself into trouble again, and now she had to step in to keep him from ending up in jail. Or worse, buried six feet under.

This has to be the last time, she told herself. 

But how many times had she already said that? Too many to count. No matter how badly he messed up, she could never bring herself to completely turn her back on him.

Their father had long warned her to stop rescuing Tyron every time he landed in trouble. Let him suffer the consequences, he said, so he'd finally learn. She tried once. She left him overnight in a cell after he ran from gambling debts. But all it did was deepen his resentment toward her.

Tyron had been angry with her since they were kids. She was only twelve when Papa Franz brought her home to live with them. She was technically his niece. Her biological mother who was Papa Franz's youngest sister, had died in a shipwreck. She never knew her father, so her mother's only sibling had taken her in and later adopted her legally.

Carlotta had no complaints about her adoptive parents. They were kind and generous, especially her Papa Franz. Her only real problem living with them was the open hostility from the couple's only son, Tyron. He never once accepted her as his sister, no matter how hard their parents insisted. He was bullheaded, reckless, and unreasonably cruel to her. But for every outrageous thing he did to her, he received twice the punishment from their father. What she didn't realize back then was that each punishment only added to Tyron's bitterness toward her.

Carlotta was yanked back to the present when she suddenly bumped into someone. In her haste to reach the office of the person overseeing the casino, she collided with a man who appeared to have just come from the very place she was heading to.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry!" she said quickly, realizing she had bumped into an older gentleman.

His cane had fallen to the floor. She picked it up immediately and handed it back to him, worried he might fall without the support.

"Are you alright, sir?" she bit her tongue when she got a good look at his face. 

He looked a lot like Joe Mantegna. He's probably Italian, her mind guessed. Maybe he didn't understand a word she just said because he had been staring at her silently the whole time.

"I am so sorry. Are you okay?" she asked again.

"Si. I mean, yes. Yes, I'm okay. How about you? Aren't you hurt?"

"Oh, no, no. I'm fine. I'm as strong as an ox. No need to worry!"

The older man smiled, clearly amused.

"Uh, I have to go now. Again, sorry!" she added before hurrying off.

He simply nodded and smiled. "Va bene così."

Whatever it meant, she had no time to find out. She's already running late. She had to reach the person in charge at the office before they left. According to her source, the final decision on her brother's case had already reached higher management. She was merely taking a chance, hoping he could still be persuaded. But if not, there was nothing more she could do but to let Tyron end up in jail. After all, it seemed that's exactly where he belonged. He never learned his lesson. And time and again, he kept dragging her into trouble. 

"Excuse me, where's the manager's office?"

A muscular man quickly approached Carlotta. His gaze swept over her from head to toe, taking in every detail.

"Who are you, and what's your business with the manager?"

"I-I'm Carlotta Madrigal. I'm here to speak to the manager about my brother, Tyron Madrigal."

Again, the man scanned her from head to toe. She was starting to get irritated. His gaze felt like it had an X-ray vision, scanning every inch of her body. All that was missing was a full-on strip search. Then, without a word, he nodded toward a closed door.

Carlotta took a deep breath, nerves creeping in.

I can do this. For Mama, she reminded herself. 

That was always her mantra whenever she had to clean up Tyron's mess. She did it all for the woman who raised her.

She knocked twice on the door. Hearing no response, she cautiously turned the knob. Inside was a man seated behind a large desk, his brows furrowed while speaking on the phone.

***

"GIVE her whatever she needs."

"I understand, Capo."

Once he was certain his instructions were clear, the caporegime ended the call.

"It's done, Sir," he said to the tall man standing outside a heavily tinted, bulletproof black SUV.

The man he addressed was in his late forties. Imposing, sharp, and commanding. His name was Herman Gazzo, underboss to Don Salvatore Galliardi, the head of a Mafia family based in the Philippines.

"Good. I want a full report on that girl. ASAP."

"Yes, Sir." Although the Caporegime looked slightly puzzled by the request, he didn't question it.

Herman turned and stepped into the SUV. Moments later, it pulled away from the Quattro Assi Casino.

"I followed your instructions, Don Salvatore," Herman said respectfully to the older man sitting in the backseat.

The Don appeared to be in deep thought, hands resting over the knob of his cane.

"Bene, bene."

"Posso chiedere... qual è il tuo interesse per lei?" Herman asked carefully in Italian. He was curious about why the boss seemed to be interested in Carlotta Madrigal.

"All in good time, boy. All in good time."

Herman didn't want to believe the Don's interest in the girl was personal. Though he'd been a widower for years, Don Salvatore had never entertained women younger than forty.

"I want you to watch over that girl. Anything related to her, report it directly to me."

"Understood, sir."

***

"YOU really are something when it comes to negotiation, sis. Can you believe it? You even managed to convince the manager of the Quattro Assi--which, by way, was rumored to be run by the mafia--to let me off the hook?" Tyron sounded half-impressed, half-mocking. "Damn. Tell me, little sis. Did you use your deadly sweet smile on them?"

"I don't know what you mean. But let me make one thing clear, Kuya Tyron. This is the last time. If you get yourself into trouble like this again, you're on your own."

"Whatever."

He flagged down an approaching taxi. She watched in silent fury as he got into the car that had pulled over.

"What are you standing there for?" he called out. "Planning to decompose on the sidewalk?"

"I'm considering it," she muttered under her breath. No matter how many times she helped him, he never appreciated it.

She had just begged on his behalf to keep him out of jail, and now he was acting like she owed him something. Like it was her duty.

"In that case, at least pay the cab fare. I'm tired and I'm starving."

Carlotta gave a tight smile. Tired and hungry? If she hadn't held herself back, she would've asked him what exactly was keeping him so busy that he had the nerve to complain about being tired. Hungry? Maybe. With a body that big, he put a fattened pig to shame. At least pigs are useful. This one's been around for countless town fiestas, and they still haven't managed to butcher him.

Frustrated, she opened the front passenger door of the taxi. If she won't hold herself back, she could end up kicking him right out of the car.

"Where to, Ma'am?" the driver asked.

She gave him their home address.

Carlotta had long wanted to move out. If it weren't for her irresponsible brother constantly giving their parents headache, she would have transferred to a condo near the bar she co-owned with her friend Belinda.

The business was doing well. Which is another sore point with Tyron. When he'd asked their father for capital to start a new venture, he'd been rejected. But when Carlotta requested more funds for the bar, their father didn't hesitate.

When it came to money, she knew their father trusted her more than Tyron. And she couldn't blame him. Her brother had already started several businesses, all of which ended in failure. Even the small jewelry store their mother enjoyed running collapsed after she entrusted it to Kuya Tyron. Now, their father had had enough. Instead of letting him manage their garment factory, he made him a regular salaried employee.

Carlotta sighed and glanced at the backseat. She shook her head in disbelief. Tyron was already fast asleep, mouth open and snoring.

What Carlotta didn't realize was that seemingly ordinary night would set off chain of events that would alter the course of her life forever...