CHAPTER 16
Laila
The next day, I show up for a team meeting. I’ve never seen the team all together before, and from what I understand, gathering everyone together only happens if something big is about to happen. Nathan walks in with his usual, annoyed with life expression.
“Titus is taking a trip. We need two teams to go with us. Mostly the usual people, except one. Ben, Luca, Gus, Josiah, Laila and Mateo, please make sure you’re packed and ready to go before the end of the day tomorrow. Everyone else, stick to your regular routine and keep an eye on the homestead. There is trouble brewing.” Nathan doesn’t look at me, and Kian is nowhere to be found, his locker emptied. No one has said a word about him since we got here, which is odd after what’s happened. Against my better judgment, I have to ask Nathan about Kian.
Ben slides into my focus. “I assume you are going to need a ride to the airport. It’s a bit far to walk, even for you.” If I didn’t know any better, I would think he did it on purpose. “Make sure you pack for warm weather and swimming. You like the beach, don’t you?”
“I—I,” I stutter before sighing. “Yes, I guess.”
“Good. We should have fun then.”
“I need to talk to you, Ben. Something’s wrong. Everyone’s tense. I know you said not to ask questions, but …”
“Maybe later, Tiger. Stick close to Titus today. He’s got a busy day.”
“When? Later? I need to talk to you.” He gives me a quick kiss and runs off with Gus. I’m supposed to know what that means? The rest of my day is spent following Titus around the house and making sure no one gets close enough to even think about hurting him, like the spider that creeps up on him at the pool. This is ridiculous.
As he sits outside relaxing with his paperwork, Jolie steps outside, ready to get into the pool. She gets one look at me, turns around, and goes back inside. Titus laughs. “Now I know the guard to have when I don’t want the wife around.”
This is fun. At the end of my day, I walk home as always, but unlike usual, someone watches me. There’s a target on my back. I can feel it, and it seems to be heating up with each step I take. I manage to make it to my hotel room and think long and hard about opening up the balcony door. I know better, but I am unable to keep it closed. Pulling out my gun, I push the door open as a handsome smile jumps over the railing.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Ben grabs his chest like he is confused. “Don’t give me that hurt look. You have no reason to be here.”
“Sure, I do. You said you wanted to talk. It would be nice, though, if the woman I’m dating would stop pointing a gun at me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s exciting, but you know, once in a while, it would be nice if you actually acted like you were happy to see me.”
I put my gun down. “I’m not happy to see you.” He ignores me and jumps onto my bed, looking around and searching for trouble to get into. His jacket falls to the side, showing he still has his gun from working today which isn’t allowed. “Are you still working?” He smiles. “You don’t have plans with Gus or Luca?”
“They’re nearby.” I push past his hand as he tries to stop me from moving towards the balcony. “So, did you pack yet?”
“Pack? No, I just got home. So can you go and let me be?” I huff, snatching my panties from his hands. I quickly realize I have clothes everywhere. Underwear are scattered in all directions, and the room resembles a frat house.
“You’re messy. You’re lucky you’re cute. It makes up for your flaws.”
“Will you please—wait, what flaws?”
I come face to face with him and his irritating smile. “Don’t get me wrong. You don’t have many. What you do have is just as cute and adorable as the rest of you, but you do need a maid. Now, kiss me so I can get to work.” I stand back utterly confused when he pulls me in close, takes hold of my lips, and opens my mouth just enough to touch my tongue. My head begins to spin. Ben cradles my faint face, “Laila.”
“Huh?” I gush, craving to be with him.
“Get down.” Ben wraps his arm around my waist and drops me to the ground as people come flying through the door. Five men charge in, expecting me. Instead, they find Ben, spinning around me and shooting one in the head and knocking out two others before dropping the remaining two on their knees with pure manly force. He turns to me as I lie on the ground, dumbfounded. “Why aren’t you packing yet, Tiger? We have to go.” Luca comes walking in from the balcony, after jumping the rails too. “Are we good in the front?”
“All good. Wow, she’s messy,” Luca says looking around.
“It’s endearing though, don’t you think?” Ben asks.
Luca shrugs. “I could see that, especially with those panties. Wow.”
Before I can say a word, Gus comes walking in from the hallway, shutting the door behind him. “All clear out back. Wow, she’s messy.”
“Alright! What the hell is going on and why are you guys in my room?” I snatch my panties and my other things out of sight and clean up what I can in one single sweep. It doesn’t help much.
“You didn’t tell her yet?” Luca asks.
“I didn’t get time. I got caught up with our hello and ‘how’s your day going, dear’, type thing.”
“Ah. Yeah. Well, she needs to pack. Or clean up at least.” Gus says, kicking a man out of his way.
“Not that it is any of your business, but I purposely leave everything messy as a security system,” I reason.
The three look around the room as if they are considering the approach. I am shocked when they all begin to nod. “I have to admit, I would be distracted,” Gus says, nodding.
“It’s the underwear, right?” Ben asks, and they all nod. “I wouldn’t know whether to shoot her or come onto her.”
“It’s brilliant. I would try it, but I don’t think it would work the same.” Luca shrugs. I am so annoyed by their little game. I pack, cursing each of them the whole time. Eventually, they explain that Kian got away while they were discussing his fate. He went rogue, knowing Nathan could no longer protect him from Titus.
The boys escort me out of the hotel while others come in and clean. As far as the outside world is concerned, nothing happened. None of these men existed or, at least they don’t exist anymore. The things I’m learning and the faces I am becoming familiar with are growing by the hours these days.
I am not sure what the plan is from here or where they expect me to stay the night. At this point, I’m tired and don’t care as long as there is a comfortable bed and food. Ben takes responsibility for me and drives me to an upscale loft condominium. He pulls into an underground garage and grabs my bags from the trunk of his car. I still don’t ask. I follow him into a shitty elevator where he punches in a code that sends us straight up to the top floor. The doors open, revealing a corridor with a single door.
Ben enters another code and pushes the door open. My eyes grow wide. “Wow, this is great! I’ll take it.”
“Thank you, but it’s not yours. It’s mine. You can stay here until things clear with Kian. We can’t leave for the trip until Kian and all of his fuckheads are taken care of, so tomorrow is going to be a busy day for us all.”
“You expect me to stay the night with you?”
“I expect you want to stay alive. I have an extra room. It’s too early in our relationship to sleep together.”
“What relationship? We went on one date, and you keep kissing me and touching me …” I complain until he kisses me again. Sigh.
“You can put your things in that room. Your bathroom is there if you would like a shower or anything. Are you hungry? I was thinking Italian tonight.” I cross my arms and huff. “Fine. If you have to know right this minute. Kian is coming after you. He blames me for being ousted by Titus and wants to use you to get at me. To make matters worse, when I went after him, he dropped his phone with a lot of information he would not have wanted us to find. Kian’s earning money, making deals, giving our weapons to Titus’s enemies, and stealing business. He took off before we could get to him, one of the few smart things he has ever done. Titus is furious, and wants him found.”
“So, the men at my hotel were his? Kian’s? ”
“Can you believe he actually has his own men? Bastard has been secretly screwing us over for who knows how long. Nathan’s fault for giving him too much power from the start.”
“Why did you do that Ben?”
“Do what?”
“Defend me against one of your own? You could’ve been killed taking up for me like that. And against Titus’s wife?”
“You’re one of our own. They are not. Besides, what kind of relationship would this be if I didn’t defend you?”
“What relationship?” I ask. He conveniently ignores my question.
“Today was hella romantic, don’t you think? Swinging through you balcony door, giving you a quick hello kiss, and dropping those men before they could even lay eyes on you. And now, I’m making you a romantic dinner, like we planned. Are you excited? I know I am.”
“I feel like I just fell through the rabbit hole and took the wrong pill to be able to understand what the fuck you are talking about. You drive me insane, and I don’t know how to respond to or deal with you. I have never met anyone as—out of their every living mind as you are. You’re seriously insane if you think I’m staying here with you. I can take care of myself. Now take me back to the hotel.” I continue to bark at him as if he is hearing me, but nothing seems to alter his mood.
“I’ve got to take a shower before dinner, but I don’t know if our argument is done. Should we hug so I can go, or do we need to keep arguing?” I stare at him disbelief. “Okay, so we’re good?” He walks away, and I follow him into a large, exquisite bedroom. Ben steps back into the room from the connected bath, removing his clothes as I watch uncomfortably. “If you’re going to take a shower with me, then let me know what temperature you like the water because I like it hotter than most.”
“Hotter than what most?”
“Don’t be like that. I know you’ve had other boyfriends, and I’m not jealous. You’re with me now.” He gives me a quick kiss as he unbuttons his pants. I look down as they hang just below his hip bones, teasing me with what would follow. Ben lifts my chin. “My eyes are up here.” He laughs all the way to the shower.
“Ben!” I yell in frustration. My eyes follow him as he steps into an open shower. Wow, mmm. Maybe I should get a shower—a cold one. I thought this mission would be all about fighting, gun battles, and secret messages, easy stuff, but no. I have to pretend I am not the least bit attracted to the hot, wet man in the next room. I have to pretend not to want to lick the water off his abs, lather him up with my naked body. Oh God. I realize this is the real hell Revered Paul warned me was coming for me one day.