Stranded with My Stepbrother Chapter 57: The Funeral

-Jacey-

I put my hand over Caleb’s as we sat in the fourth row of the church, toward the middle. Caleb had done a wonderful job with the flowers, blues and whites, and Will’s baseball memorabilia was sitting on and around the coffin. All in all, everything was beautiful.

The priest had been paid a large sum of money to ignore the fact that Will wasn’t Catholic. According to Masterson, they weren’t anything, really. But it was the only space large enough in a thirty-mile radius of their home with enough space to accommodate the big to-do Masterson wanted.

Well-wishers came to a grieving Masterson in a line that extended out of the church doors and into the street. The who’s who of business were all there to pay their respects, to Masterson and not Will. But Will’s old baseball team was here along with his coach. And that was something.

Masterson didn’t want any scenes, so our parents weren’t there. But Will Jr. was cradled in some stranger’s arms who stood next to Masterson and looked appropriately stricken. I eyed my baby hungrily, but didn't dare go forward and try to take him. That would get one of my parents or Timothy killed. I’d been warned.

“Caleb?” I asked, squeezing his hand. He’d had to plan all this, right down to writing Masterson’s eulogy. He’d been wrecked over it all week.

“No one here knew him. No one here actually cares,” Caleb whispered, his eyes shining with unshed tears.

“We knew him,” I tried to comfort him. “And his baseball team came.”

“Masterson didn’t even know they placed second in the nationals. Of course, he was a bit disappointed it was only second,” Caleb muttered.

I shrugged. “Masterson is a…” I lowered my voice so no one around us could hear and whispered in Caleb’s ear. “... dick.”

“That’s putting it mildly,” a voice behind us slurred.

Caleb and I whirled around and saw one of the baseball team members holding a flask and looking bleary-eyed.

“Oh, she didn’t mean it. Really,” Caleb said quickly as we both started to sweat.

“Sure you didn’t,” the drunk teammate snorted. “We all knew it. Glad to know some things never change.”

“Jake, I think you’ve had enough,” the coach said, plucking the flask from his fingers. “We’re here to honor our friend.”

“How did you know him?” Jake asked, frowning at his hand as though wondering if the flask had vanished into thin air.

“College, actually,” Caleb replied. “We were both going for a medical degree.”

Jake snorted again.

“Jake…” the coach murmured in a warning tone.

“What? Will could have gone to the big leagues. He wanted to. But Daddy interfered again,” Jake said nastily.

“Mr. Masterson is grieving.” The coach took him by the shoulders. “Come on, let’s get some air.”

“I don’t want air! I want Will to be happily playing for the Yankees!” Jake shouted.

Several people turned around and looked at the four of us.

“Jake,” the coach hissed. “You’re making a scene.”

“Well, someone should!” he insisted, standing on his wobbly legs. “Hey! Masterson! You’re a dick!”

There was a collective gasp.

Two of Jake’s teammates quickly stood and helped wrangle Jake out of the pew and into the aisle. “Sorry, sir. He’s drunk. He didn’t mean it.”

“The hell I didn’t!” Jake shouted. “I want the whole fucking world to know what a controlling, absent, fucking sadisting SONOFABITCH that man there is!” He stabbed an accusing finger in Masterson’s direction.

Caleb paled and put a protective arm around me. We didn’t know if this would blow back on us.

Masterson, instead, dropped his head into his hands and let out a very convincing sob. “If only I’d known he was so unhappy,” he stage whispered, loud enough for the whole church to hear.

“The FUCK you didn’t!” Jake yelled, even as they were dragging him out. “Let go of me, that MOTHERFUCKER needs to know!”

“Jake, stop. Stop! We’re at his son’s funeral, for Christ’s sake!” the coach admonished him.

“What better place to tell the GODDAMN BASTARD he’s the reason his son is dead!” Jake howled.

No doubt, Jake would have said more, but between his teammates and the coach, he was dragged out of the church.

There was a terrible hush then a flurry of murmurs.

Masterson spared us a glare, and Caleb shrugged helplessly.

My stomach roiled. Was he going to blame us for this?

“Ladies and gentlemen, please. The man was only speaking his truth,” Masterson said, dabbing at his eyes. “And he’s right. I should have been more attentive. I’m sorry. I need a moment. Caleb?”

Caleb stood, and I stood with him. He shook his head at me, but I gripped his arm, and he knew he couldn’t leave without me without causing another scene.

Jaw set, Caleb escorted me to follow behind Masterson. We ended up in the bridal suite.

Caleb quietly closed the door.

“I didn’t know. Honestly. He just happened to be sitting behind us,” Caleb said before Masterson could start in on us.

“Oh I know that,” Masterson replied. “You wouldn’t dare. I want to know who the fuck that was, and I want you to find out now.”

“I… sir, he’s in a lot of pain. I’m sure they were close friends,” Caleb pleaded. “Please don’t do anything rash.”

“I want to know what he knows, who he’s telling it to, and if he has any concrete evidence,” Masterson fired off. “And I want you to start right now.”

Caleb swallowed. “Yes, sir.”

“You two can have this room. Do whatever you need to do, but I want to have this information by the time of the interment,” Masterson ordered.

“Yes, sir,” Caleb repeated.

Masterson left, slamming the door shut behind him.

Caleb sank down on the loveseat and patted the spot beside him while he took out his phone. I sat down.

He guided my head into his lap and started stroking my hair while he researched with his thumb. “Jacob Ramacher.”

“He was on Will’s baseball team?” I asked.

“Yes. Suffered a knee injury, so he had to leave the team, but he did go to State with them,” he said.

“Why is he so broken up over Will? More than the others?” I turned my head so I could see him from the corner of my eye.

He gave a long sigh. “Jacey, honey, Will was bisexual. I can only assume, with a reaction like that, that they were lovers.”

“Oh no. Mr. Masterson is not going to be excited about that,” I whispered.

“I was hoping he’d never find out. So was Will. But I have no real evidence that was the case, so, I don’t have to float the idea past Masterson. I just have to figure out more information about Jake,” he said.

“What do you think Mr. Masterson will do to him?” I asked softly.

He ran his fingers through my hair, completely messing it up. I didn’t care. “I imagine he’s going to punish Jake for ruining the funeral.”

My face fell and I pressed my cheek into his thigh. “I don’t want to be a party to that.”

“I’m hoping to find out that Jake is untouchable or something redeeming about him or… something. Anything to keep Masterson from hurting him,” he said.

“Work hard,” I told him. “God, if it weren’t for Timothy and our parents…”

“We’d have found another way by now. I know. I hate it, too,” he grunted.

I placed a soft kiss on Caleb’s knee. “I know you’ll find something.”

“Ah, here we go. Jacob Ramacher, heir to Ramacher Industries. He’s untouchable. Good.” He sounded relieved.

“I hope that’s enough to make him untouchable,” I said.

“It had better be. I can’t think of anything that will protect him more than being heir to the throne, so to speak,” he responded.

“Is Ramacher bigger than Masterson? The companies, I mean,” I asked.

He looked over his information and his face fell. “No.”

“Oh.” I sat up and glanced down at Caleb’s phone. “I suppose, in this case, size matters.”

“Masterson could buy Ramacher if he wanted to, actually. Or do a hostile takeover. I can’t imagine what that will mean for Jake,” he murmured.

“Maybe Mr. Masterson will just let this one go?” I suggested dubiously.

Caleb laughed bitterly. “I don’t see that happening.”

I could hear music starting to play through the door and winced. I felt sort of bad missing Will’s funeral, but there wasn’t anything there that Caleb hadn’t orchestrated, and Mr. Masterson was going to be giving a eulogy that I’d already read after Caleb wrote it, so maybe it was better that we were missing out. It wouldn’t seem like such a farce.

“We could go back in, and I could tell Masterson what I know,” Caleb said. “I know we’re missing the funeral.”

“It’s a mockery of a funeral,” I replied, my voice hitching on the last word.

His hand stilled in my hair. “I know, baby. I know it is.”

I shook my head. “He deserved better than this.”

“He did. And after we figure this out, we’ll have a small gathering with just his baseball team and honor him properly,” he promised.

“Okay.” I snuggled into him, the hem of my skirt riding up my thigh.

His breath caught, then his warm hand was on the bare skin of my thigh. “You know,” he said, trailing his thumb under the hem of my skirt. “There aren’t any cameras in here.”

I perked up, understanding exactly what Caleb wanted. “Should I lock the door?”

“Yes,” he whispered.

I sat up and went to the door, locking it. Caleb came up behind me and wrapped me in his arms, threading his fingers through mine and pressing our joined hands against the door.

“We’re going to do it here?” I asked.

Caleb’s other hand pushed up my skirt and gripped my panties, snapping them at the elastic and letting them fall to the floor. “Yes, we’re doing it right here.”

I shivered with anticipation as I felt his knuckles brush against my ass while he pulled his zipper down.

“Legs a little wider, baby,” he said and helped me kick my leg out into a wider stance.

He pressed the thick head of his dick against my entrance, and I gasped.

“Do you need some warming up?” he asked, rocking his hips so his cock rubbed right where I wanted it.

I shook my head vigorously. “I just need you.”

Still, he took care when he pushed into me slowly. I made a little sound of need in my throat, and he obliged me by pushing all the way in.

I gripped his hand while he rocked gently, sliding in and out at an unhurried pace. He groaned when I began grinding back against him, seeking more friction.

“Is this how my baby wants it?” he asked, putting an arm around my middle and thrusting sharply and deeply.

“Yes,” I begged. “I want more, Caleb. More.”

He thrust harder and faster, and I panted and continued to ask for more. My orgasm hit me like a truck, and I dug my nails into the wood of the door while Caleb let out a moan and poured into me.

I dropped my head back onto his shoulder. “So good…”

“Yes,” he agreed. “Very good.” He pulled out gently, then took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped between my legs.

I curled my fingers into his lapel. “It’s nice, not being watched.”

“Very,” he agreed. He pulled me against him and kissed me.

There was a bang at the door. “Open up, you two.” I recognized one of the guards’ voices.

Caleb pulled my skirt back down to my knees and zipped himself back up. Then he calmly opened the door. “I did my research,” he said. “Is it time for the interment?”

“Yeah,” the guard replied. “Good guess. Masterson wants the information right now. So you’d better deliver.”

“I thought he might like to see Will put in the ground first,” I argued.

The guard looked at me, focusing a bit too long on my chest. “Masterson wants it now. When he says he wants it now, he wants it now.”

I nodded and Caleb took me by the hand and walked me out of the bridal suite. We joined mourners getting into their cars.

Masterson was there and gestured for us to join him in his limo at the head of the line.Caleb and I quickly complied.

“So,” Masterson said before we were even seated. “What did you find out?”