Carmine (Rage MC: The Prospects #7)

Chapter Thirteen.

Molly

M y plan to get Carmine alone didn’t happen until much later that night. Everybody tried to speak to Carmine, and I watched from another room as he gave several interviews.

Everyone was congratulating Carmine on his home run, and they all wanted to talk about his perfect game. He’d struck out every player without a single foul ball being thrown. That was amazing and elevated Carmine to baseball’s elite.

I’d seen the umpire giving an interview in which he merely stated that racism and paedophilia had no place in baseball. The umpire refused to comment on what Rankin had said, but he was recommending Rankin be suspended for the rest of the season pending an investigation.

I’d offered my thanks as he passed by, and the dignified man had inclined his head and continued on his way. The home team coach had given an interview and hadn’t admitted or denied what Rankin had done but had stated they would be conducting their own investigation.

They also said that the alleged comments did not represent their mentality and had no part in their team. But several reporters wondered if that was the case, why had Rankin felt so at ease saying it?

Most of Rage had returned to the hotel they’d literally hired for the weekend. But I waited with Harley and Cody for Carmine to come out. His team was staying overnight and travelling the next morning. I had intended to go with him, so not much had changed my plans.

When Carmine emerged, he was laughing and joking with a few of his teammates.

“Hey, lucky lady, you’re going to have to be at every game,” one called.

“Oh, I can’t do that. I have my own job. But I’ll be at as many as possible,” I replied.

They smiled kindly.

“We can get a cardboard cutout if you make Carmine play like that again,” another added.

“What, to throw balls at?” I teased.

“Are you coming to celebrate?” a man inquired.

“Nah, I’m going to spend time with my girl, my fiancée,” Carmine answered proudly.

Happily, they offered congratulations and then left us alone.

“Let’s head back. There’s a taxi waiting,” Harley murmured, pointing at a car.

“Do you need to tell your coach?”

“Coach’s okay. As long as I’m on the team bus by ten tomorrow morning,” Carmine answered.

“Come on, bro. Mom’s waiting, and she’s booked a damn restaurant. Now she’s going to be celebrating,” Cody announced, grinning at the look on Carmine’s face.

“Give Mom until eight, and I’ll cover for your disappearance,” Harley bribed.

Carmine looked sulky but nodded as I laughed.

“Good game, bro. Never thought I’d see a shutdown, and certainly not by my own brother,” Harley said.

Sadness tinged his voice.

“You need to get checked again. Harley, I’ve seen you playing with the kids; you’re as near perfect as any pro player,” Carmine replied.

Harley shook his head. “Nah, I gave it up. Smithing is my thing now.”

“And we know you love it. But give it one last try, Harley, or at least think about it,” Carmine pushed and then dropped the subject.

As we climbed into the waiting taxi, I wondered what that had been about, but I didn’t pry. Carmine would tell me if I needed to know.

◆◆◆

Cody hadn’t been wrong. When we entered the restaurant, it had been decked out for a celebration, and Phoe was in her element. It was family only, which obviously included all Rage and their families. The restaurant had even managed to bake a large cake saying congratulations.

Carmine and I were greeted by everyone as we arrived, and I was overwhelmed and, at one point, ended up hiding behind him for a break. Carmine simply took it in his stride. At eight, as promised, Harley ran interference, and Carmine snuck back to the hotel with me. Once in my room, my nerves kicked in, and I stared mutely at Carmine.

“It’s okay, sweet girl. Nothing will happen unless you want it too,” Carmine reassured me.

“Carmine, I’m a virgin,” I blurted, and Carmine blinked.

“Shit, baby, now the pressure is on. I need to make your first time special,” Carmine murmured.

“I don’t know what to do,” I continued, spilling my fears.

“Trust me,” Carmine said, stepping forward. He cupped my face and kissed me gently.

I loved these sweet kisses; they were Carmine through and through. He pulled me closer to him and wrapped his arms around me as he deepened the kiss. A tingling sensation started in my spine, and I shivered under his touch. Carmine raised his head and smiled before claiming my mouth again.

“You always taste of strawberries,” he groaned and kissed me. Carmine’s hands slid down my shoulders, and I was hyper-aware of them. They moved to my waist, and Carmine slowly untucked my top and lifted it upwards. Shyly, I covered my breasts, and Carmine shook his head.

“Never hide from me, sweet girl,” he murmured as he pulled my arms away and gazed at my breasts in their plain cotton bra.

“I didn’t know this would happen. I’d have found something sexier,” I whispered, embarrassed.

“Molly, you are sexy,” Carmine said as his hands cupped my breasts. My breathing hitched as he kneaded them gently. He moved me back as he reclaimed my mouth, making me a shivering wreck under his ministrations. The backs of my knees hit the bed, and I began sinking down onto it with Carmine following me.

“Move backwards, Molly,” Carmine whispered, and I shuffled until we were both lying side by side.

Deftly, Carmine undid my bra and threw it. He stared intensely at my breasts as my nipples pebbled and puckered up. Carmine’s fingers explored my breasts, stomach, and ribs, leaving trails of goosebumps where they’d been. His lips soon followed suit.

I was trembling as he touched my body. My back arched as he took one breast into his mouth while his fingers gently trailed my ribs.

My breath hitched, and I cried his name. Carmine murmured against my skin as he swapped attentions to the other. He shifted until he lay in between my thighs, and we gazed at one another face to face.

His cock was perfectly nestled between my legs, and his jeans didn’t hide the fact he was big. I moved tentatively against him as he pushed against my pelvis.

“Oh,” I cried softly as my pussy spasmed.

“Jesus, you’re so sensitive,” Carmine murmured. His mouth latched onto my neck and sucked gently. A gasp left me as Carmine hit a spot, and I writhed under him. My hands slid to his waist, and I pulled his t-shirt up, exploring his warm skin. I was amazed to find muscles in his back; it wasn’t something I’d really considered.

With one hand, Carmine reached up and yanked his top off, and my fingers slid around to his front. Oh my God. There were muscles everywhere. His skin was taunt over the eight-pack he boasted, and his pecs were clearly outlined.

Timidly, I pressed my mouth to his skin and revelled in the fact that made Carmine hiss. I began to explore more, gathering courage as Carmine reacted to me. I shoved him onto his back and straddled him, my fingers roaming his chest and my lips following. Carmine’s hands gripped my hips tightly as he ground against me, and I moaned out loud.

After several minutes, Carmine undid my jeans and slid a finger inside. I stiffened, unsure what to do, and Carmine twisted me onto my back.

“Relax, baby,” he murmured as his finger slid between my wet folds and rubbed my little nub. I let out a wild cry as my pussy spasmed again, and my hips arched to meet him.

“Jesus Christ, you’re so responsive,” Carmine gritted out.

He pulled his finger out and rolled to the edge of the bed. In a deft move, he shucked the remainder of his clothes, and my eyes widened at the size of his cock. Panic hit me. That was far too big, and it would never fit. I stared as Carmine stroked himself a few times before pulling off my clothes.

My legs snapped shut, and my hands covered my private parts.

Carmine smiled and took my foot in his hand. He began kissing his way up my leg, dropping a kiss on my pussy before lying beside me again. Carmine slid his finger back in my folds, and my legs opened of their own violation.

“That’s my sweet girl,” Carmine muttered.

Unsure what to do, I let my body lead the way. Carmine slowly pushed a finger inside, and I grabbed his shoulder as he held my gaze. I clenched around him and winced a little as he put in a second.

“I’m big baby, I just want to prepare you,” Carmine murmured and, in a sudden move, was between my legs. His mouth latched onto me, and I nearly screamed. Oh my God. This was what the fuss was about.

Carmine licked and lapped me into a frenzy. My hips and body moved with him as little noises escaped me, urging Carmine to do more. He sat up, and I watched as he unrolled a condom and positioned himself between my legs.

Slowly, he began to feed himself into me, and I winced. He was so big, and I was so tight. There was a pinch of pain, and I gasped and flinched as Carmine stilled. Long moments passed before I nodded, biting my lip. With a thrust, Carmine slid all the way in and held still. As I watched, he gritted his teeth and closed his eyes as he sought control.

“It’s okay, the pain’s gone,” I murmured.

With rigid control, Carmine pulled out and then pushed back in. He repeated his motions several times, letting me adjust to his length and thickness, and then he upped the pace. Our bodies meshed together as I wrapped my arms and legs around him as he began to pound into me.

A sensation built that I wasn’t familiar with. I’d made myself orgasm in the past, but it felt nothing like this. A surge of emotion and feeling swept me away as Carmine powered into me. My nipples rubbed against his chest, causing a delicious friction, and my nails dug into his back as his fingers found my nub and flicked it.

I wailed my orgasm as I threw my head back. Carmine roared and stiffened before pumping furiously inside me and stiffening again. I was drifting on a happy cloud when Carmine pulled out. He kissed me gently before climbing off the bed.

“Sweet girl, I’m just getting rid of this,” he mumbled.

I nodded an agreement and watched as his bare butt walked to the bathroom. Damn, even his ass was muscled.

Languidly, I stretched, feeling a twinge in my leg muscles, and I smiled. I was still smiling when Carmine returned.

“Never seen anything so beautiful,” he murmured before lying down next to me and dragging me close.

“You’re mine, sweet girl, forever and always,” he said.

Lazily, I kissed his chest. I didn’t have it in me to disagree.

Carmine - Three days later.

“Can you believe this shit? I just played the game of a lifetime, and that crap Rankin pulled is what they want to report?” I yelled down the phone at Freddie.

Molly lay in bed watching me, her eyes alert and her mouth tight. Around her was a couple of newspapers and one she’d shredded in a temper.

“Carmine, racism and that paedophilic stuff Rankin was spouting is big news. Shit, even his own teammate punched him over it,” Freddie argued.

Angrily, my gaze narrowed.

“Whose side are you on, bro?”

“Don’t take that tone with me, Carmine. Yours, of course,” Freddie snapped in return.

“Organise a press conference. We’re going to announce my retirement. I’m done with this bullshit. Yet again, that rags allegations are everywhere,” I shouted.

“Don’t make a rash decision!” Freddie said, alarmed.

“Worried about losing your cash cow? Call the fuckin’ conference,” I yelled and hung up.

“If you quit because of them, they win. Rankin and all those other bastards,” Molly drawled as she shredded another paper.

I couldn’t help but be amused. Molly was simple. If she didn’t like it, she didn’t ‘read it and tore it into small pieces. That was precisely her opinion on the reading material.

“Molly, I became a ballplayer because I loved it. Not to lead the way against racism or any other ism. Rankin was a rarity for me. I’d not encountered his level of hate before in the game,” I replied.

“Why allow him to take that away? Rankin will win. Address the article without discussing it. And then talk about what Rankin said and thank his teammate for being a decent person. If you haven’t experienced racism, then say so, but don’t deny it exists because I’m sure it does. Just state how happy you are that these issues are being raised, but you’re not qualified to comment on them,” Molly replied.

Surprised, I stared at her before crawling over the bed and claiming her mouth.

Molly smiled happily before continuing to rip another newspaper up. That’s my girl.

Molly

Anxiously, I watched as Carmine read from a pre-prepared statement and spoke to the gathered reporters. Once finished, Carmine made it clear he wouldn’t talk about what went down with Rankin. However, he was happy to discuss the game that he’d just pitched or chat about the Michaelson’s Scholarship programme.

As expected, several of the journalists tried to shove their questions about Rankin at Carmine, but Carmine either stared at them or asked if they didn’t understand English.

“Lady, I was ordered to do it. Coach realised Carmine was going to pitch a perfect game. He threatened to bench me for the rest of the season.”

Startled, I turned and saw Rankin. He looked sorry, unkempt, and nothing like the spitting man who’d been dragged off a baseball field.

“Is that the truth or the story you’re now telling?” I questioned.

“My wife is Japanese, and my children are mixed-race. Molly, I don’t have a racist bone in my body. My grandma would beat the shit out of me. She’s African,” Rankin replied.

“Why do it? Why compromise your ethics like that?”

“Because I need to look after my family. A lot of my money is eaten up by my youngest daughter. Emma’s very sick, and I pay thousands each month for treatments for her medication and treatment, without which she’d die. I couldn’t afford to be benched,” Rankin answered honestly.

“It’s too late. Unless you have evidence,” I said. “You’re one of the most hated men out there right now.”

“Molly, I have proof,” Rankin replied and pulled his phone. “A member of the coaching staff recorded this.”

◆◆◆

Carmine was surprised when I walked into the room with Rankin. The reporters turned to see what he was staring at and began shouting questions.

As we reached the desk where Freddie, Carmine, and Coach Matthews sat, I held up my hand.

“Freddie, do you know how to make a video on a phone play on that big screen behind us?” I asked.

“Yeah?”

“Rankin, give him your mobile and then sit your ass down and keep your mouth shut,” I ordered.

“Sweet girl, what the hell are you doing?” Carmine asked, confused.

“Trust me?”

“Always.”

“Then watch,” I said as Freddie gave me the remote.

Scared, I stood up and faced the reporters and held up a hand. They stopped shouting questions.

“You know what I’ve found out recently? Everyone is so quick to judge. They take everything at face value and react. Noone researches anything, anymore. Nobody takes time to dig for the truth or even cares. All you want is gossip to fuel mouths and feed tempers. But the truth is often more interesting.

“Who here knows that Rankin is married to a Japanese lady and has mixed-race children? Did any of you bother to check, or was Rankin simply another racist man? How far would you go to protect your family and a child whose medical treatment costs thousands a month? Without which she would die. Let’s see,” I demanded and hit play on the phone.

The video showed Rankin standing watching Carmine and happily urging him on. Then, the coach approached Rankin and told him to throw Carmine off his game. When Rankin refused, the threats made were very clear. Rankin did as he was told, or he was benched, and if he didn’t play, his wages were halved. That was a shitty deal Rankin’s manager had signed off on. Rankin explained to the coach that if he lost half his paycheck, his daughter’s life would be at risk. The coach turned, sneered and said then Rankin had better succeed.

Silence filled the room until the video finished, and chaos ensued. Questions were thrown around, and a miserable Rankin explained once more what had happened.

“How did nobody know about his child?” Carmine asked.

“Pride. Rankin was managing, so didn’t look for help,” I replied.

“Shit. That was a crappy situation to be in,” Carmine murmured, his eyes on Rankin.

“It was be accused of being a racist and everything else or let his daughter die. I’d have done the same,” I admitted.

Carmine stood up and walked over to Rankin. Everyone fell quiet, and I could see anticipation on some of their faces. They expected Carmine to act negatively.

“Sorry that happened to you,” Carmine said and dragged Rankin into a hug. Rankin stiffened and then hugged Carmine back.

“Dude, I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but it was my baby girl. Emma’s five,” Rankin replied through tears.

“Ain’t nothing I wouldn’t do to save my kid,” Carmine agreed.

Carmine turned to the reporters in front of him and those recording.

“I propose a game to raise money for Rankin’s child. Baseball is a brotherhood. Somehow, we have forgotten that. We move from team to team, make friends and enemies, but when one of us needs something, we rally. I’m calling to all ballers out there. We’ve seen the video, and we know the truth. Stand with a brother and support his family.

“Any of us could have been Rankin in that situation. It’s time coaches, staff, and players, show we stand against this behaviour. We won’t drag a player down because of hate. We’ll raise them up and stand with them, shoulder to shoulder when they need us. I’m putting a call out for volunteers to play a game and help raise money for a sick little girl that desperately needs it,” Carmine said.

Rankin broke into tears, and Carmine led him away. I sent the reporters a glance.

“You all have the truth; how many of you have the courage to print it?” I asked and chased after them.