AN: Thanks for the reviews! They are greatly appreciated!
Esteban watched as Calleigh doted and fussed over him, most likely a subconscious Southern trait. "I would say I can't believe you got all this in under 15 minutes, but you probably own this hospital" he smiled at her through the pain meds. He was able to get a private room and pain relief with a doctor less than 20 minutes away thanks to a crash at a nearby intersection.
"Only half of it" she turned shocked and he could only chuckle. "I'm grateful for you being here by the way, seeing as it was your fault anyway" he adds with a smirk.
"My fault? Maybe you should pay more attention when you run. This looks pretty serious, all that training you've done gone to waste" he shrugs with a shake of his head. The drugs were starting to hit him.
"Doesn't matter, the money was donated so it's all good. Besides, this gives us bonding time so I can't say I mind at all". She rolls her eyes humorously. This is going a lot better than I expected.
"Well aren't you quite the modern day philanthropist. And it's okay, I don't mind being here seeing as I came in your car. Maybe you could call me an uber, since money isn't an issue at all" she raised an eyebrow at him, clearly letting him know she was here out of obligation.
"You'd leave me here to go home by myself?" He gave her his best puppy dog eyes and played to her good nature. She gave what he could only describe as a mischievous look before chuckling out "You can get a driver no issue. No need for me being here." he continued on with the puppy dog eyes.
"The drugs are hitting pretty hard and besides, I want to treat you for doing all this." she shakes her head.
"You pretty much admitted to me that you're a serial killer, alluded to wanting to use some type of coercion to…" the nurse interrupted her to take Esteban away for x rays. Shaking her head, Calleigh heads off to the desk.
"Hi, I came in with Esteban Navarro, is there any way to contact his father? I left my phone at home and I'm not sure where his is." the assistant smiled and nodded. While she didn't plan on staying, she'd at least wait until Diego arrived. Sitting abc in his room, she bides her time.
It's another 10 minutes before Esteban is wheeled back, eyes drooping from the pain medication. "You okay Esteban?" he smiles at her goofily.
"Me? I'm just fine, they gave me the good stuff. I'm floating on cloud nine." he chuckles even as they transfer him to the bed. The nurse turns to her
"They managed to contact Mr. Navarro, he will be here shortly." she nods.
"You called Papi? Thanks, I mean he'll tease me mercilessly for this but I thank you anyway."
Calleigh has been enjoying his pain all day, adding onto it seemed like fun. "I'll make sure I stay long enough to hear it."
"I-I… I'd say something witty but the drugs…" his eyes finally closed and Calleigh used this time to think things over.
He was quite handsome of course but that wasn't up for debate but what exactly did he mean by "i've never done anything like this"? Surely the man has had his fair share of women. Maybe he hasn't pursued them romantically? A serial killer as such would surely only see women as a means to an end. But why was he so… nervous in approaching her?
"I see my son has managed to get himself into more trouble." Diego smiled at her. "I'm so sorry if this inconveniences you." she smiled at him softly.
"It's alright. We were jogging and he fell, I heard a pop. He's been asleep for a good 15 minutes since they brought him back."
"How kind of you to see this through at least. The doctor will be in shortly to set his injury and put a cast on, let me take you to breakfast as a thank you." Calleigh could see there was no moving around this, something behind his eyes told her he wouldn't give up.
"Sure, I'm not in the right attire for brunch though." He smiles and hands her a sweater, he really thought of everything.
With another smile she accepts the sweater and they embark on the journey. "You have to excuse my son, he finds the most interesting ways to show interest. The man has been locked in his own mind for too long. It's nice to see you are being kind to him. I doubt the good Lieutenant would have stayed or let alone call me. Come." he ushers her inside the vehicle, an uneasy feeling settling over her.
"No problem, as an officer I couldn't just leave him there. And I didn't have the means to call an ambulance anyway. You sure we can't just…walk to a place somewhere. The car door shuts with finality and she couldn't keep herself from wincing.
"Nervous Ms. Duquesne? No need to be, we plan on no harm befalling you. We might be in the business of blackmail,extortion and…"
"...and murder." Calleigh interjects to which Diego laughs. The city of Miami whizzes past but Calleigh pays no mind to destination as he quiets down and fixes her with an intense stare.
"And murder, yes. It's a life I was forced into but I can't say I mind the benefits. Esteban grew up in and loves it however. Him and his Abuela surely do make quite the team."
"Abuela? There's another one of you guys?" She's incredulous, Horatio never said anything about her and he's been researching the family for months now. Diego continues.
"She's the matriarch of course. You thought Horatio was a force to be reckoned with? You haven't met mi madre. Either way, don't worry. Esteban has been very clear on him wanting to pursue you and as much confidence as I have in him, this is entirely new territory." she groans. I shouldn't have gotten into this car
"He said he wouldn't blackmail or extort me."
"He wouldn't of course not and he made us promise we wouldn't either. But this isn't that at all. I- We, Mami and I, decided that perhaps you'd understand this all better if you had more intimate knowledge. And since our business is so lucrative… we thought this was the only way."
"What's this?" she asks and he turns to her apologetically.
"Well, I'm taking you to breakfast, but it'll be brunch time by the time we get there."
"Get where?" she turns to see them heading way too far South for them to even be anywhere near Bal Harbour.
"Key West" he answers sheepishly, his body tensing as if anticipating her striking at him.
"KEY WEST! YOU'RE KIDNAPPING ME?" she looks around and surveys her surroundings. The car was bare and she's certain the child lock is on. The city if Miami whizzed by even faster, as if sensing her urgency.
"No? Look, Esteban needs the time to learn how to.."
"I am not some psychopath's trial and error! No wa…" she interrupts
"We know about Esteban's sidegig, he's pretty much in timeout right now for all that trouble he's caused. We spoke to professionals about all this, they say having a wife would do him so good. Redirect certain… energy." Diego was speaking to her as if this was a normal conversation. This is anything but.
"Wife? I'm sorry but this- this isn't happening. I can't teach him how to love. Beauty and the Beast is a fairytale. 50 Shades of Grey isn't something that happens in real life. Your son is beyond help." she couldn't help but be straightforward. But the way Diego looks at her, as if he's sorry for her.
"Mi hijo is in his right mind. He isn't 'beyond help'. He is more than capable of feeling and experiencing love. He hasn't met anyone he could express that to besides me or his Abuela. He has been interested in you for years, but it wasn't until the two of you have interacted more as of late that he truly realized the depths of his feelings. The man fell hard."
"So you think you can just… arrange a marriage or something? I'm not willing in this at all." She uses her hand closest to the door to look for something, anything to hold onto for a sense of security. His driver is definitely carrying and she doesn't have a chance but anything was better than this feeling of helplessness overcoming her.
"You can learn to love him. I had to with his mother." he shrugs and Calleigh gasps.
"Yea, the only woman I have truly loved. I was 15 when I found out we were to wed. I hated the idea but in order to keep the peace and the newly developed relationship with her family, I put up with it. But after a few years, it dawned on the both of us that we actually enjoyed each other's company. It was hard going at times, but we learned to love each other." his eyes glazed over as he spoke even vaguely about her and Calleigh knew she was screwed.
"Your marriage was a business transaction?"
"Her family owned the docks and it would allow for our… business to prosper without having to spend much and have others depend on us to import/export. My mother used her yacht business as a front and they benefit from it as well. Even though her line is all gone with her, the extended family still gets a piece of the pie. I'm sure you've heard of them, the Castillos?" Calleigh turned completely shocked
Not only were the Castillos a huge mob family along the southeastern coast, they had ties with the Russians as well. Back before she joined CSI, or when CSI was even CSI, they had a grip on almost every port in South and Central Florida. She was in this much deeper than she realized.
Dropping her head into her hands she replies "Forget getting into this car, I should've never gone on that jog this morning." she feels Diego run his hands through her hair as a means of comfort. "What exchange is this coupling between Esteban and I?" she looks up through her fingers.
"Well, like I said, the therapist believes him having a medium to… redirect his sexual energy into, he won't be playing as much if at all. Playing refers to his Taunting of course. He'll get that need to kill via the business side. The exchange here is him getting a wife and you keeping those whores untouched, by him of course."
"You keep mentioning 'business', what does he do exactly? Your mother.."
"Vina, but she'll insist you call her ABuela" he interjects
"Vina sells yachts, you condos and Esteban?.."
"He interrogates, anyone looking for info go looking for him. He's perfected his technique and he's highly sought after. We actually have a client lined up for tomorrow. He and his girlfriend are suspected of laundering money from Mala Noche drug deals." He's speaking so casually Calleigh had to listen harder to make sure they were on the same subject.
"And because you're telling me all this, I surmise I truly have no choice in the matter? You guys aren't going to be letting me go any time soon huh? People, criminals especially, don't divulge such information when they plan on letting them go." Diego fixed her with a warm smile again.
"Bebe, I'm sorry this couldn't have been under better circumstances. But we can deal with the cards being dealt. Esteban is a great man, he'll take care of you. Don't worry. And if he does anything that makes you uncomfortable, you tell me okay? He's new to all this and he's going to slip up. You aren't dealing with all this alone. I was in your shoes too." Diego reaches around her and brings her in for a hug. Not only was she stuck in this insane situation, She wills herself not to cry or even give an indication of wanting to.
There was getting information out of them and then there's THIS. I need to keep my wits about me. Why did I go on that jog today?