Wrongfully Accused Ch. 01-06

"It was a success, the Reyeses came on board, and with their help, Carlile Industries went international. As for Patrick, he kept out of trouble over the years, but the partying, the drinking, and the drugs were starting to be too much. Only Alister could keep Patrick in line, or in some cases clean up his messes. As for me, that guilt about you, slowly ate its way through me... cough, cough... Then last year, I was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer, of an aggressive nature. Then a month ago, Alister passed away from an aneurysm, while he was balls-deep inside his secretary... cough, couch... I guess God decided to punish us for our wrongdoing," Mrs. Carlile said, trying to keep it together.

"So what, are you asking for forgiveness?" Jason spat out, in the distance.

"No, Mr. Solace, I know if I asked, you would never give it. My family destroyed your life, and I'm sure you would rather see us burn than forgiving us."

"You're damn right, I would. Your family ruined my life. My family disowned me, all my friends abandoned me, and my fiancée left me to rot in prison. I was alone, and the world thought I was some kind of evil monster. Frankly, the mere fact that you people are suffering, only brings a small amount of joy to my hellish existence."

"As you should, Mr. Solace... cough, cough... I bet you would want to kill me right here, right now. You can do it, we are all alone, no one can stop you." Mrs. Carlile spoke in a soft wheezing voice.

"Why would I kill, when God already did that for me. As you said, you are not long for this world. Patrick, on the other hand, that's a whole different matter." Jason spoke up, cracking a smile for the first time since being released.

"I don't wish to see my son dead, Mr. Solace, but I am afraid he is beyond saving. Right now, the FBI is making a case against him, but he went on the lam."

"And I wonder who would warn him about my impending release," Jason said sarcastically, already knowing who warned him.

"Yes, Mr. Solace, I did warn my son of what I did. He tried to talk me out of it, but it was already too late. So he fled the country. He may be a monster, but he is still my son. But none of that now, let's get to the real reason why you were here."

Mrs. Carlile reached out for a small square device on the bed.

*** Outside Mrs. Carlile's Room ***

"Lu Lu, stop pacing, you are making a hole in the hardwood floor."

"I can't V, I am worried about her, but more importantly, I am worried what he might do to her," Lila said, still pacing at the front of the door.

"Come on, Lu Lu, he can't be that bad."

"V, he's bad news. Come on, you saw him, he looks like a wild beast or a barbarian, and those eyes. They were as cold as ice. Plus, he gives off this dangerous aura. You should have been there for our drive over here. He never once spoke a word throughout the entire trip. In fact, he never said anything right until that part about Patrick and Mr. Carlile. Did you know about that?" Lila stopped finally, and looked at her friend.

"About any of that, no. I knew Patrick was a bit of a creep, but I never thought he would do such a thing. All I knew was that Jason was innocent, and that Mr. Carlile was the one who framed him, I learned a couple of weeks ago," Veronica clarified.

"Yeah, me too. She told me last week when she handed me the documents to send to the Innocence Project. Still, I never liked Patrick, he gave me the creeps. So much so that I made sure that I wasn't alone with him," Lila said, as she resumed her pacing.

"Good thing, too; otherwise who knows what could happen," Veronica stated, right just when she received a message on her watch display. "Looks like she wants us to come back in."

Lila started to make her way back towards the door, while Veronica retrieved the leather-bound document folder that she carried for work. Lila, with a great sigh of relief, saw that Mrs. Carlile was unharmed, and Jason hadn't moved from his spot. The only difference about him, was the fact that his fist was closed tight. Giving him a wide berth, Lila made her way to Mrs. Carlile's side, and Veronica took a spot at the side of the room.

"Good, since everybody is here now, let us continue. Veronica," Mrs. Carlile spoke to the curvy brunette.

Veronica made her way to the middle of the room, and towards the desk that was in front of the master bed. She made sure to smile at Jason, before she reached the desk and pulled out some papers, and placed them on the desk. Then she grabbed the last one from her folder-carrier, turned, and looked at Jason. Clearing her throat, Veronica read from the legal paper.

"I, Elanor Beatrix Carlile, of sound mind and body, hereby bequeath half of my assets to one Jason Archibald Solace. This will include half of the Carlie family estate, to which several properties are located in Texas, Colorado, and Wyoming. Information about these properties would be detailed in this document. You would also be receiving twenty-five percent of the holdings in Carlisle Industries, including several holdings in start-up companies that I have invested in. You would also have access to several bank accounts from the U.S, Zurich, Luxembourg, and Grand Cayman that total an amount of six hundred fifty million dollars. All relevant information about accessing these accounts would be handled by Mrs. Veronica Lambert, from Harold, Swanson, and Associates. I will also leave my assistant, Ms. Lila Williams under your employ, to help you with your transition to society. She will remain in your employ for seven months for which she would receive a healthy severance package. If you chose to employ her after seven months, then that is up to you. You cannot find a better secretary. The other half of the estate would go to my only daughter, Ellice Gemini Carlile, which will include Carlile Manor."

Veronica placed the letter down on the table and then looked back at Jason.

"Mr. Solace, would you please sign this document, and all the assets shown on this document will be transferred to you," she said, while holding up the pen.

"You think bribing me would erase all the wrongdoing your family has done," Jason said, while looking at Mrs. Carlile.

"No, Mr. Solace, nothing I say or do would ever erase the pain and torture my family has caused you. Think of this as restitution for... cough, cough, cough. COUGH" that the last one sounded like her soul was leaving her body. "I'm sorry for that, doctors say that I only have a month, or two at most, to live. Anyway, think of this as restitution for what my husband did to you."

"And what if I don't take it?"

"Then you would be a fool, and believe me, you are no fool. Take the money, live your life, half a billion dollars can do a lot in the world. All you have to do is take it." Mrs. Carlile finally finished before a nurse went by her side and looked at her vitals.

Jason just stood there and thought things over, it could have been just as easy to say, 'FUCK YOU!' and leave, but as she said, he was no fool, not anymore. Even though he was now exonerated, that didn't mean that he could sustain himself, he had no money, no job prospects, and nobody to lean on. Even though he was free, he was still alone, in what he believed was a hellish world. So making up his mind, he walked over to the desk that Veronica was at, and signed every paper that had a 'sign here' sticker on it.

"Thank you, Mr. Solace, and on the behalf of Harold, Swanson, and Associates, we look forward to handling your estate, if you choose to keep us."

And keep him, Veronica will do. She could afford to lose Jason, he was a big whale with a healthy estate. She would even go as far as sleeping with him, just so that she could keep him as a client.

Once everything was notarized, she placed the documents back in her leather folder, so that she could submit them later that day. Then she pulled out a card and handed it to him.

"This is your American Express Black card. It is linked to your account and has a withdrawal limit of one hundred thousand dollars. It is activated and ready for use."

"Well since that is all set and done, Veronica, Lila why don't you take Jason shopping, I am sure he requires a new wardrobe. Take the Tesla, as it shows, it's his now," Mrs. Carlile said, as her nurse changed her IV bag, indicating that it was time for her next treatment.

Without much fuss, Veronica and Lila said goodbye to Mrs. Carlile, but before they left, they gave her a hug. All the while, Jason stood outside the room waiting for them to come since he had nowhere to go. They made it down to the curved driveway where Jason's Tesla sat at the ready. With no license and the fact that it had been a while since he last drove, he opted for one of the girls to drive. Lila could have gotten Renaldo, but Veronica volunteered to drive since she always wanted to drive that car. Besides the car being the latest in the Tesla lineup, it was also ultra-luxurious and extremely fast. With everybody in the car, Veronica in the driver's seat, Lila in the passenger, and Jason in the back, they drove off into the distance.

Once all three of them left the property line, a woman entered Mrs. Carlile's room.

"They're gone, mother," Ellice Carlile said, as she sat at her mother's bedside. In some circles, they say that she is a spitting image of her mother when she was at the age of thirty-five. Long, flowing blonde hair with an elvish face with high cheekbones; a tall, slender body with a modest pair of B-cup breasts; all encased in her professional charcoal-gray pantsuit, designed by Hugo Boss, himself.

"Oh, that's good, dearie," Mrs. Carlie spoke with a bit of a slur, as her new meds kicked in.

"Did he sign it?"

"Yes, dearie, he did."

"Why, mother, why did you give half of your money to that man?" Elise asked, as she grabbed her mother's hand.

"Because, Elli, it was the right thing to do. He has suffered so much at the hands of your father. Also, I did it for you."

"For me?" Elise asked, in complete confusion.

"Yes, I did it so that man wouldn't go after you."

"Why would he go after me? I did nothing to him."

"Yes, dearie, you didn't do anything, and I made sure he knows that, but you are a Carlile. A name that is that man's enemy, a name that caused him great pain."

"You know Patrick won't like this. He might try something against him," Ellice said, as she saw her mother slowly slip away.

"I know, but that is out of our hands, and besides, if he does, then he is in for a rude awakening."

"How so?" Elise asked, her interest piqued.

"Let's just say, Mr. Solace is far more deadly than you or your brother might think."

"Why would you think that?"

"Because of the amount of time I spent with that man, I know he possesses a sharp intellect. In the time he spent here, he figured out who I was, why he was here, and who framed him. Not only that, but he possesses a sense of ruthlessness that would leave his enemies to ruin. Even more so than your father, and he was a shrewd man. If circumstances were different, then I might have considered him a candidate to be your husband, dearie," Mrs. Carlie said, with a little chuckle.

"Mother that is not funny, you saw him, he is too brutish, and like you said, we are his enemy," Ellice said, always hating the mention of marriage. Her father always tried to set her up with an arranged marriage for political and business reasons. He even set her up to marry Hector Reyes, Veronica's older brother, just so he could solidify their business partnership, but her mother put her foot down on that proposal. Now, she knows why.

"I know, dearie, if you marry someone, it should be out of love, not money. Your father never understood that," she said, as she looked up at her daughter. "Find someone to spend your life with, someone who is better than your father, someone who will love you for you. I know this will be hard, leaving you all alone in this big empty house. But you are strong, and you are smart. I know you can make it. I know you can find happiness. Just promise me that you will be better than me. Be better..." Mrs. Carlile spoke, just before she fell under the effect of the drugs.

"I will, mother, I promise you, I will," Ellice said, as a small tear rolled down her face.

Chapter 2

So what does a guy go, when he comes into half a billion dollars and needs to buy a new wardrobe...he goes to Old Navy. It didn't take him long, he just grabbed all the necessities--t-shirts, jeans, shirts, underwear, socks, a pair of shoes that didn't break, a few sweaters, and a weather jacket since it was this time of the year, things started to get cold. Walking out with a new set of clothes, Jason threw out his old courtroom suit, wanting to put his past behind him, and went back to the car where Lila and Veronica were waiting for him. He didn't care much for them, even though they were far better looking than the men he had had to share a shower with. Still, he wasn't looking for companionship, he didn't believe he ever would. Not after what his ex-fiancée did to him. Still, he needed them, he had been gone for several years, and he needed their help to help him adjust to society. Plus they could go find what he needed. Which was something to eat, since it was lunchtime.

Veronica suggested a fancy four-star restaurant that had a great lunch menu, but Jason was feeling something closer to home, or what he considered home back then. Since it was his car and his money, they went to where he wanted to go. A Texas staple, Whataburger, a restaurant that you could find in every small town in Texas. Without much fuss, Veronica drove them to the nearest one, from there they got down and ordered. Lila didn't mind Whataburger, but she was definitely not dressed for it, nor was Veronica. When two attractive women dressed in business suits arrive at a fast-food restaurant, people tend to notice, especially the men.

'God, why am I here,' Lila spoke to herself, as she felt every man's eye on her and Veronica. She made it next in line and she could tell that the cashier guy was in a gang. He wore long sleeves, but she could still see the tattoos peeking out of the neck and around his wrist. Nowadays, if a guy is covered in tattoos, either you are in a gang, or you are just an influencer, and the cashier didn't look like he is getting any subscribers anytime soon. Plus, it looked like he really hated his job, especially when he gave his, "Welcome to Whataburger, may I take your order?" with as much enthusiasm as a guy being forced to go to a feminist rally, and the mere fact he wasn't even wearing a name tag. Lila and Veronica placed their order with that same lethargic attitude, but when it was Jason's turn, then that's when things turned interesting for the women. The cashier looked at Jason, studying him like he was a sculpture at a museum, then his eyes went wide. Then out of nowhere, the cashier stood up straight, eyes at attention, and in a firm clear voice, he said, "Hello sir, may I take your order," in a way that a soldier addresses a superior officer.

Lila looked at Veronica to see if she saw what she saw. To which Veronica did, but they didn't have time to discuss it, since Jason was by then, standing in front of them. Jason led them to a table and they all sat down. Nobody said a thing, the citation was so awkward and tense that you could have cut it with a butter knife. Luckily, they didn't have to wait too long. Their food came in an orderly fashion and one by one, they dug in. But just before Jason took the first bite, he brought out a black ribbon from his pocket. Then in one smooth motion, he brought his long, unruly hair back into a ponytail and tied it together with the ribbon. That got him a stare from Lila, as she could get a better look at his face; she saw that it wasn't a bad face to look at. She also noticed that he had a scar running down over his left eye.

"What?" he asked, in a gruff voice.

"Why didn't you do that earlier, you could've looked more presentable."

"Because I didn't have anything to tie it together. The guards thought that the ribbon could be used as a garrote, and choke people out. So they confiscated them." James told them in the same manner, as if someone asked how the weather was today. Then after that, he went back to his meal.

They enjoyed their meal in their awkward silence; that was, until three loudmouth guys busted through the door and made a scene. Two were dressed in loose, baggy clothes and wore matching-colored bandanas. All signs that those two were gang members. While the third one, the ring leader, wore a shiny, purple, button-up silk shirt; with a pattern of a dragon on it. He was also wearing black leather pants, and snakeskin boots, showing everyone who could see, that he had money, and he was rolling in it.

All three of them made their way to the front, skipping the line entirely, but no one wanted to stop them, being too scared to do so. Lila noted that they seemed to know the cashier that took their order, like they were old friends or acquaintances. The cashier seemed to be a bit apprehensive toward the three newcomers, but he did his job and took their order. That was when the purple man saw Jason and his party, and made his way through to them.

"Hola chicas, what are two fine young ladies, such as yourselves, doing here today?" the purple man said, trying to act suave.

"Do you mind, we are eating here," Jason said, not even bothering to look at the intrusive man.

"Oye cabron, can't you see I am talking here," the purple guy spat back, this time his two pals flanking him on both sides. "Come on, chicas, come with me. I can show you a good time, unlike this..." taking a look at Jason and his attire, "this burro over here."

Lila and Veronica were starting to feel uncomfortable in this position because they were in a booth; they couldn't get up and leave. The only way out was through the rude guy and his posse.

"Read the room, they don't want to go with you," Jason spoke again, still not bothered to look at the man's face.

"Cabron, as I said I am talking here. Hector, why don't you take this guy outside," the purple shirt ordered his biggest man.

"Sure thing," Hector said, in a thick Spanish accent. He placed his hand on top of Jason's shoulder. "Okay, cabron, time to lea--!"

His last word was cut off short, and left in a high pitch squeal. In one swift movement, Jason grabbed onto Hector's big fat hand, and moved it over to the other side of his body, twisting it at an awful angle, causing the big guy to drop to one knee.

"As I said, we are eating here," Jason said; this time, he finally looked at the purple man, but still had that same calm tone.

"You puta madre," the then-furious purple man spat out, as he reached for something from his back pocket, until someone stopped him.

"Stop, Carlos," the cashier said, as he tried to stop the purple man, Carlos. "Not here, Cabron, look around you, what will El Jefe say?" the cashier said, trying to show Carlos that people had their phones out, ready to record everything that was about to happen.

"Mierda, fine we'll go. Hector, Chucho, let's go," Carlos ordered, to which Jason let go of Hector's big meaty hand, and all three left the building. Once they left, everybody put their phones away and carried on with their meals.

"I am sorry for that, please forgive me for my friend's actions," the cashier said to them.

Lila and Veronica were thankful for the apology and knew that without his intervention, the situation could have gotten ugly. But then they realized that the cashier was not talking to them. While he was addressing the table, he was mainly facing towards Jason; bowing towards him in a prostrated manner.

"You should find some better friends," Jason said, in that same cold, calculating tone. Then he went back to eating.