Chapter 73 Hurt
"Baby girl!" Mom embraces me tightly, and I laugh as I hug her back just as tight. "We missed you so much!"
I laugh. "I missed you too!"
I spy T.J. over her shoulder and go to hug him as well.
Yes, I did miss my family, but now that I'm back, I will be back to being protected. How the hell will I see Miguel when he gets back if I'm staying with my parents?
Especially since I don't want them to know about him.
Yet.
I mean yes, he's said a lot of things, but I don't know where we're headed.
On the drive home I text him that I landed safely.
He doesn't reply, which I understand. He did say he gets sent out on missions sometimes and I wouldn't get a hold of him.
"We missed you so much over Christmas!" Mom gushes from next to me. "Amelia gave us the cutest gifts letting us know she's pregnant!"
I smile. "That's so cute!"
"I know, right! But don't worry, we saved you all your gifts and everybody is coming over on Sunday to have another Christmas dinner."
I wouldn't have it any other way.
"Ben has been very quiet, he's staying off the radar." T.J. tells me from the front, making my smile drop.
I don't want to hear his name. Every time someone mentions him, it gets even worse.
He literally tried to sabotage my career, I don't even know why that surprises me.
I'm just scared of what else he has up his sleeve, what else will he do to try and destroy me.
And what would he do if he found out about Miguel?
He would probably go fucking crazy.
My family fusses over me every chance they get, as if I've been gone for longer than three weeks. It was my first time not spending Christmas and New Year's with them, so I indulge them.
We don't even get a week off before we head back into the studio to have a workshop with children from underprivileged communities.
I'm not going to lie, I love this part of my job, and I love that my family is making it possible.
Aunt Farrah always says we're lucky beyond words, so we give back, using our talent and money however we can.
I'm taking Simon to an upscale restaurant for lunch, and almost turn right around when I spot Miguel and Ben's father, but he's on the phone so I'm hoping to avoid him altogether.
Unfortunately, the hostess seats us at the table just across from his party, and the restaurant is full, so I don't want to be a burden. Plus, Simon is telling me something about his boyfriend who seems like he doesn't want to be seen with him in public.
I pretend to listen to him, acutely aware of the senior Cargill.
Miguel looks so much like him, it's unnerving. It's just the shade of their eyes that are different. Ben has the exact shade of blue as his father's.
"Where did they take him!" Mr. Cargill suddenly gets up from his seat. "You better be sure to send him to the best hospital. I want the best surgeon to see him!"
I'm fully looking at him now, no longer pretending to listen to Simon.
Did someone get hurt?
His security detail follows him, and I'm well aware that I'm a stupid fucking girl because I get up to follow him.
"Ma'am, please stay back." A security guard holds his hand up to me.
"Mr. Cargill! It's me, Madison!" I shout over the security guard and Mr. Cargill stops and turns around to face me.
I can practically feel the tension radiating off him in waves, concern written all over his face. "Madison?"
It's probably fucking weird for him since I left his son without a word.
"Is everything okay?" I still ask.
"Ben is okay, don't worry." He smiles stiffly. "But I have to go now. Keep well."
I watch him and the rest of his posse leave the restaurant. If Ben is okay, who is hurt? He said "him", so it's definitely a male.
"Is everything okay?" Simon asks me.
"I don't know." I rummage in my bag and pull my credit card out and slap it in his hand. "Lunch is on me, have whatever you like, okay? I will get the card tomorrow or something."
"What....."
I don't listen to the rest of his sentence because I'm already heading for the door.
Something is not sitting well with me with that phone call. Fuck, Miguel might be hurt, I can't just sit and eat lunch and not fucking know.
I get in next to T.J. who was waiting outside for me, and he looks up from his phone at me in surprise.
"You done?"
"No." I shake my head, adrenaline pumping to my heart. "I saw Mr. Cargill in the restaurant."
"Oh, was Ben with him? I swear I'll kill that little shit." T.J. rolls down his window to look outside.
"No, no!" I sound frantic to my own ears. "Someone got hurt. He was talking on the phone and said whoever is hurt should get the best surgeon. Can you find out who it is?"
T.J. looks at me like I've grown two heads. Sure, if something happened to Ben I would be shocked, but I wouldn't be this concerned.
"Please T.J., call uncle if you have to." Fear settles into the pit of my stomach. "I need to know who is hurt and if he's going to be okay."
What am I going to do if he's not okay?
I will that thought out of my mind, especially since I don't even know who Mr. Cargill was talking about.
But the feeling in my gut already knows the answer.