Iron Rose Ch. 05

"Carter, I am sorry." He apologized, taking his hand and leading him to the chairs. Both of them sat close together and Carter was now getting worried at how Daniel was looking at him. "Please, forgive me. I am really sorry for what I did, what we did."

Carter was shocked. He just stared at Daniel, trying his best to smile. The man was confusing him and he had no idea where everything was headed.

"Daniel, what are you..."

"I know Miguel is your brother." He chimed in, taking Carter's hands. Tears were now forming in his eyes and it just got Carter really worried. "And I am really sorry for what I did. Please, forgive me. I swear, I wanted to do everything to stop it. I tried to..."

"Daniel!" carter didn't sound like himself. "What are you saying?"

Daniel dropped his eyes to the floor as more tears flooded his face. He felt his heart begin to race as a cold breeze hot his body suddenly making him tremble slightly. He could feel the storm raging within him and he knew that it wasn't gonna be easy and he had no idea the reaction he was gonna be getting from Carter.

"We raped Miguel!" He said, his voice sounding harsh. "We raped Miguel years ago."

Carter felt the words hit him like a bullet. He quickly withdrew his hands from Daniel's, getting up from the chair. His heart started pounding violently as he felt pain slip through him. Tears formed in his eyes as his entire body suddenly got covered in ice, literally. Shit! Daniel's words kept on ringing in his head and they hurt.

"What?" His mouth shook uncontrollably.

"I am sorry." Daniel got up, feeling himself get weak. "I know that we destroyed his life and he's probably the person he is today because of us. I had joined that gang years ago and..."

"No-no-no..." Carter yelled, trying to get Daniel. "You raped Miguel? Who's we, Daniel?"

Daniel felt his world crumbling. "I was part of a gang called the dragons and that night, one of our members, Lambert had told us that he had found the tastiest way ever for us to have fun. I thought he was just taking us to drink or something but he took us to a cabin in the woods where I found out the whole thing. Being part of the gang, I was expected to do it because it was rule. We had vowed on it. But I couldn't bear to rape Miguel when I saw his face that day.

I didn't do it but the other four of us raped him brutally and mercilessly and I only watched and did nothing. Believe me," He sobbed, feeling his heart hurt. "There hasn't ever been a single day when I am not haunted by his screams and cries for help that night. I regret everything and I wish I did something else."

Carter was hyperventilating, holding his heart by the time Daniel had finished his explanation. He could have sworn someone had shot him in the heart because it felt like it. He looked into Daniel's face and sobbed, feeling his head start to pulse.

"How can you be a rapist?" He gasped, his voice barely above a whisper. "You have a foundation that helps abused people. So tell me how that can be?"

"I..." Daniel was feeling a lump forming in his throat. "...I know and I regret everything. It's the reason why I devoted my life to this foundation."

Carter couldn't hear anymore. Being near Daniel, he felt like something was crawling up his skin, He just turned and slowly started getting out of the office.

"Carter..."

"Don't touch me!" Carter snapped, pushing Daniel away. Daniel took a few steps back but just looked weakly at Carter. "You disgust me, you stupid man. How could you do that? Don't you dare in your life ever touch me?"

He turned and started rushing out of the office but Daniel followed behind, trying to explain himself out. Daniel made the mistake of touching Carter and Carter furiously turned and gave him a really hard backhanded slap that hurt like hell. Daniel dropped his eyes without even touching the hurting cheek. He really deserved it.

"I told you never to touch me again."

His voice was so loud that soon, people started gathering including the little kids that stayed there.

"Carter..."

"Are you not shamed?" carter yelled in his face. "I can't believe you're still lying to these kids." He pointed. "They believe in you but they have no idea what kind of monster you are. You are a pig, a heartless monster and all this time you've been deceiving all of us."

Daniel was quiet, just staring at Carter without saying anything to him.

"You disgust me!" He furiously stormed out of the foundation with his friends following behind.

Daniel remained standing there, looking at the door where Carter had just disappeared at. He wanted to follow him but probably he had caused the man so much pain. He wanted him to calm down first before he talked to him again.

***

"You're now back home and I expect you to get back on your feet as a lawyer." Christian remembered his mother's words when he had come back home after giving him a delicious meal. "Focus on putting that idiot, Brandon to justice and forget about those two brothers, especially that La don!"

Christian was in his house, seated on his couch with his legs crossed. He had missed that place a lot, especially without Miguel in it. It was small but comfortable. He remembered the first time he had kissed Miguel, the first time he had made love to him, his smile and his cute face and they were all making him nuts. Strangely, he also thought about Carter and how he loved him and how everyone accepted him. Miguel was the one he truly loved but Carter was good too and everyone loved him. He had no idea what to do.

As he was lost in thought, he heard a knock on the door and he went to check it. The moment he opened his door, he got a surprise when he saw Daniel there, after weeks of disappearing. He hugged him tightly and invited him inside.

"Daniel..."

"I don't know if I have much time." Daniel said, resting his hand on Christian's shoulder. "I have some bac news for you. Miguel is after me and he wants to kill me."

"Kill you?" Christian got scared. "Why?"

Daniel looked at Christian sternly, shaking his head. Then he told Christian the very thing that he had been suspecting him to be, the very thing that made him look for a job at the foundation as lawyer...

"Am one of the dragons!" He announced.

Christian felt his heart pound sharply in his chest, looking at Daniel like he had seen a ghost. His fists started clenching on their own as his anger started rising.

"I know that this might come as a shock to you but I am done hiding." He added, tears now forming. "We raped Miguel years, me and the dragons and I know we ruined his life. The dragons are..." But he should have spared Christian the information because he was not interested in it. All he was interested in was killing the guy. "...I have been feeling guilty for this since it happened and I am sorry."

Christian felt like killing the idiot. "You ruined the life of Miguel!" He said harshly in between clenched teeth, his fists trembling.

"I know but believe me, I have never been able to forget him. I... I love Miguel." And he had the nerves to tell that to Christian's face. Christian felt his anger overflowing and he was only a few seconds away from committing murder. "I couldn't keep it anymore and I told Carter the truth and..."

"You bastard!" Christian sent his fist flying into Daniel's face, punching him right on the cheek, sending him flying to the couch and he fell over. It hurt like hell and he hit his head terribly and felt his head begin to pulse. "How could you?"

He furiously got Daniel up and before the guy knew what was going on, Christian threw another punch, hitting him on his lip. This time he sent him flying to the table and it broke in half. Luckily for Daniel, he didn't get hurt but that didn't prevent pain from torturing him. Christian had burst his lip and he could taste his own blood.

"Chris..." Daniel's voice was really low.

Christian picked him up, threw him to floor and attacked his neck. He gripped him by the neck, applied pressure on it and started strangling him right there. Daniel felt pressure building in his already hurting head, tears running down his face. He felt like the veins were popping in his head, causing him immense pain... Christian had cut his air supply and he couldn't breathe... His body was in pain and it was getting weak... veins popped up in his eyes as they became blood red... He slowly moved his hands to Christian's, trying to let himself loose but Christian only added more pressure. His mouth was wide open, trying to catch some air but nothing. He knew that he was probably reaching his end.

"You ruined the life of the man I love." He roared like a predator, tears of anger going down his cheek. "I will kill you today, I swear. I will kill you."

He started putting more effort in killing the guy and could feel him starting to convulse as the idiot hit him on the hand but Christian wouldn't let go. He couldn't even imagine what pain his Miguel might have been going through when that bastard had been raping him with his disgusting dick.

"Die, you bastard!"

"Christian!"

Christian felt someone starting to pull him away.

"What are you doing?" It was George and he sure sounded scared. "Are you trying to commit a murder?"

"I don't care?" He groaned, his voice sounding animalistic. "I don't give a fuck as long as this bastard rots in hell."

"Think about your mother, Christian." George pleaded, putting his hands together. "She just lost your father and I don't think she can lose you too, Please. Think about her and how she'll feel. She'll die."

Christian couldn't hold himself anymore. His tears came crushing and his jaws started shaking as he looked at the man whose eyes were already going in his head with so many veins. He groaned as he let go of the man and...

"Fuck!" screamed his brains out, pulling on his own air.

Daniel on the other hand began coughing as he took in a deep breath, more tears leaving his eyes. He held his neck as he felt his heart pounding sharply and painfully in his chest. He was so scared. And to think he had seen his end. He had never been near death before. He knew that Christian hadn't been messing with him.

***

"What?" Miguel snapped, gripping his hair. He was moving from side to side, looking at Brian in fear. "He did what?"

"Carter was really mad at him." Brian was also scared. "I am sure he told him about you and the relationship that you have with the dragons."

Miguel was so mad that he didn't just see red. His eyes were red and he was filled with so much that he could kill anyone who would stand in his way. He knew that someone had helped Daniel escape from him according to Mark who had found the door opened instead of it being forced or broken into. And he had also suspected that it was the work of the fifth dragon but now things were worse.

"I need to find that bastard." He groaned, clenching his fists. "I am gonna castrate him the very moment I find him."

He was already dressed in all black so he was ready to go man-hunting the idiot. He was wearing a black designer's shirt, black skinny jean and black shoes. The sullen look on his face couldn't even explain the amount of anger he felt at that time. He was ready to burst.

He was about to go when he received a call.

"Okay, I am coming." He cut the call and turned to Brian. "I need you to come with me."

The two men didn't even waste any time. They left for Christian's house and when they reached, Miguel saw Daniel seated on the floor, staring at him with such pity. He had blood on the side of his mouth and a few bruises on his face and he looked like he had just come from hell but Miguel didn't even care about anything.

Without even greeting Christian, he rushed to Daniel and punched him so hard on the face that he fell to the floor and hit his forehead so hard that it broke. Blood started running down as he raised his face to stare at Miguel, a tear going down his cheeks.

"How dare you tell Carter all that bullshit?" He snapped, gripping him by the hair and ignoring his groans. "Who told you to even go near him, you bastard? You have no right to go near my brother."

"Miguel," Christian held him and got him up. But Miguel still had his eyes on the bastard. "Please, the guy has had enough. Don't hit him anymore. I have already dealt with him and I would have killed him if not for George. Don't lose control like I did and almost killed him. I could have gone to jail and caused my mother pain."

But Miguel didn't even care about what Christian was saying to him. His only goal was to kill Daniel right in that house because he was really mad. Something that he had worked really hard for, the idiot had destroyed it all. Now Carter knew the entire truth. He was really mad. The way he was breathing was scaring everyone. If they didn't know him better, they'd have thought he was having a panic attack. But he was stronger than that. His eyes were wide open, staring at Daniel angrily and dangerously with tears in them. If looks could kill...

"Miguel, please..." Christian turned him and cupped his cheeks, dying to kiss him. "...you can't kill him. You need to stop this blood bath."

"I...I..." Daniel's voice was hoarse and he was still coughing. "I want to pay for what I have done to you, Miguel. Everything that you've gone through." He sobbed. "I want to pay for what I did by turning myself in."

Miguel furiously turned and clenched his fists. "I don't want the police involved in."

Christian held Miguel and looked at him. "What are you afraid of? You don't want them digging into what you did to the other dragons, right?"

Miguel couldn't believe it. He furiously turned, frowning and looking at Christian squint-eyed. He got so mad that he wanted to slap Christian.

"Excuse me?" he said harshly, getting closer. "How dare you confront me in front of this rapist?"

"I am sorry." Christian apologized, his voice equally rising. "But I wasn't able to prevent you from killing the other dragons but I can stop you from killing Daniel."

"Why?" Miguel snapped. "Why are you preventing me from killing him when you wanted to kill him earlier? I don't understand you."

"I am only protecting you from yourself..." He said hoarsely. "...I am also protecting Carter from the pain this might cause him. I don't want him to know that on top of this, his brother is also the dragons."

"I agree." Brian said, nodding. "Christian has a point."

Miguel groaned and angrily walked towards Daniel, point his finger at him.

"Stay away from my brother." He warned. "The next time you or any of your dragon friends comes closer to him, no one will be able to save you. No one!"

He gave him one final angry look and stormed out of the house with Brian right behind him, leaving Christian and Daniel looking at each other weirdly. The moment Miguel reached his house, he knew that he had a task ahead and he called Mark.

"I want you to talk to your most trusted men." He ordered, breathing heavily. "I want Daniel and Alejandro followed. I want them followed day and night. They can't lose them." He clenched his fist. "It's time we out if Alejandro is the fifth dragon."

***

Carter was lying on his bed, feeling really bad and crying too. He kept on reliving every moment and every bad thing that had happened to him since he had gotten released from the hospital. First, he had found out his mother wasn't really his mother and although they had talked about it and he had told her that no matter what happened, she was his only mother. He didn't care about another.

As he was busy thinking and crying, he felt a hand sweetly rubbing on his shoulder and he didn't even bother to look.

"I am just tired of everything." He said, tears following. "I am tired of hearing Miguel's name and all that has to do with him. Why can't I live peacefully with people I love because of Miguel? Why can't be with Christian because of Miguel? I am tired."

"Carter," It was Yvette. "What are you saying? He's your brother..."

"He's not my brother." He furiously got up, staring at his mother. "I cannot accept that. He has rejected me over and over again so why should I entertain him. He's the reason why Christian can't love me fully. He's the villain in my love story. He's the one who's always standing in between us. I don't care if he was raped years ago. I just want him out."

Yvette took Carter and brought him to her chest. He was all grown up but he was still her baby. She had raised him for 27 years. He was still her little son. She needed him to understand Miguel though. He wasn't bad. It was due to circumstances. Plus, Miguel was still his younger brother.

"Carter, my love, listen to me..." She held him tightly. "...Miguel is your brother and no matter what..."

"I don't want to hear it." He said, holding her tightly. "He can go to hell for all I care. I just wanna be happy with you, my mother and with the love of my life Christian. I can't live without him, mother."

Yvette knew that things were pretty bad. She needed to unite the two brothers somehow because her sister in law had started appearing in her dreams, warning her about keeping her two bundles of joy apart.

Carter on the other hand didn't care about Miguel's rape. He might have felt bad at first and was still mad at Daniel but he didn't want anything to do with Miguel. He just wanted to get back with Christian. That was his only goal. But how? He had to do something.

***

Days Later

Miguel was bad in his office, looking ever gorgeous, sexy and serious. Upon arrival, he had just fired two workers for incompetency. He needed people to be serious because all the work wasn't gonna do itself.

Miguel was dressed in a super sexy, gray designer's suit that was tight on him, showing his gorgeous curves. He had a white shirt inside with his chest exposed on which a white necklace was resting and he was gorgeous. His red hair was tied backwards, revealing his ever gorgeous face that showed seriousness that day. Anyone who saw him that day knew that he was not in a good mood and they didn't dare mess with him, especially after he'd fired two men.

"Hello..."

"Don, I just found out that the president wants to support Felix." Mark said on the other end.

Miguel remained quiet, grinning like he had something up his sleeve. He knew very well that Felix didn't like him or his company so things were worried. But he didn't need to worry about it. After all, they didn't call him la don for nothing.

"Thanks, Mark. Keep me updated."

He began working on some files and later, Alejandro came inside and Miguel just rested his head on his fist, staring and studying the man. He was dressed in a gorgeous black designer's suit, looking like a scared puppy. He knew Miguel was not messing anymore and he was bound to be scared.

"Welcome!" Miguel gave a genuine smile, making the man even more nervous. "I have been expecting you for a long time. Sit down!" He gestured.

Alejandro hesitantly sat, feeling his heart racing. He was scared because he suspected Miguel had something against him. "Err..."

"So, tell me, where were you the past few days?" He asked, still smiling. Then he just lost his smile and got up. "I remember telling you to protect Carter but you just disappeared like an incompetent fool." He sat on the table, still staring at Alejandro. "I want you to keep someone away from Carter."

"Who?" Alejandro was curious.

"Daniel Verlade, do you know him." Miguel asked, reading Alejandro's face.

Alejandro felt his heart pound harshly in his chest, almost giving him a heart attack. He got so scared to the point where his hands began shaking but he quickly shoved them in his pockets. He knew that if did something suspicious, Miguel was gonna know for sure that he knew him. He was really scared.

"D-daniel?" He stammered, swallowing a huge amount of saliva.