Bennett reached in the back seat and pulled out a Lego box. He never stopped in without bringing Tyler the latest one. The first time he’d brought one, Morgan didn’t know if Tyler would like it. He was one special kid. Tyler took the box and within an hour had the entire naval destroyer constructed.
Morgan answered the door and greeted him with a warm hug. “Shaun, looks like we have company for dinner.”
Bennett had visited their home several times since he’d worked for Shaun. This was his first unannounced drop by. From Morgan’s greeting, it appeared she’d been expecting one.
Shaun was still dressed in his suit as he also came to the door. “No Zoey?”
“Not this time. I was just in the neighborhood and thought I would drop off something for Tyler.” He pulled the Lego battleship from the bag.
Morgan grinned. “He’s going to love it. Tyler, come here and see what Bennett brought you.”
Tyler came to the door with his iPad in hand. When he saw Bennett, he immediately looked for what he was holding. “Hope you like battleships.”
“Battleships! Battleships!” Tyler handed the iPad to Morgan and took the box from Bennett. He walked away again muttering, “Battleships. Battleships.”
“Tyler, say thank you,” Morgan instructed.
“Thank you,” Tyler said as he disappeared around the corner.
“You’re welcome,” Bennett said even though he knew Tyler wasn’t listening.
“Bennett, you still have so much to learn about Tyler and his autism. It’s not going to be easy to get him to sit still at the dinner table now. Come on in. We were just about to eat.” Morgan ushered him toward the dining room. “It’s nice having you close by. Normally, you’re working all the time. About time you take a break and enjoy life a little.”
Oh, yeah. A break. If only you knew.
“Work slow?” Shaun arched a brow of concern. “I can make some calls if you need work.”
“Don’t tell me you want me out of Zoey’s life so bad that you’ll find me work?”
Shaun shook his head. “Not at all. I was surprised to see you, I’ll admit. You’re not the type of person I thought she’d choose.”
“Shaun, that’s a horrible thing to say,” Morgan snapped at Shaun.
He raised his hands. “Hey, didn’t mean to offend you.”
“No offense taken.”
“It’s just Zoey’s a—”
“Amazing woman who could have any man she wanted.” Bennett knew that already. That is why he was shocked she even agreed to spend time with him outside of work. No doubt there was a sexual attraction. It was possible she was killing time until this job was done, and she could go and be with whoever she really wanted. I don’t have anything to offer a person like Zoey.
“She’s amazing, but after all these years you’re the only one she’s brought to meet us. Zoey has always kept her . . . friends distant,” Shaun added.
“Shaun Henderson, if you keep this up you’re not getting any dinner at all. Your sister is a sweet woman.”
“I know that. I just want to make sure Bennett knows it too,” Shaun said as he met Bennett’s eyes.
“Don’t worry, Shaun. I know exactly who she is.” That was not true at all. He’d been trying to figure her out since the moment they met two years ago. She was so complex. The woman had more layers to her than anyone he’d ever met. And he realized something at that moment: he wanted to know every one of them.
“Good. Now let’s eat before Morgan has my head for letting dinner get cold.”
Morgan left the room only long enough to get Tyler to join them at the table. Dinner was as usual. Relaxed. No talk of business or world news. It reminded him of his childhood. There was nothing about this house that’d make a person think Shaun was one of the most powerful men in Boston. He knew who to credit all this to.
“Okay, Tyler, you can go and build your ship now,” Morgan told her son after he finished eating.
“Battleships. Battleships,” Tyler said as he ran off into the other room.
Bennett hadn’t known anyone with autism before Tyler. Meeting him had been an eye-opener. From the changes he’d seen in Shaun, he wasn’t the only one. What had been unfamiliar behavior, now he found heartwarming. Knowing Tyler never interacted in conversations and only repeated what made him happy was good to know. Hearing the word battleship repeated, again and again, meant he’d once again made the right gift choice.
“Why don’t you gentlemen catch up while I take care of the dishes?” Morgan didn’t wait for an argument and left them alone.
Shaun turned to Bennett and said, “Morgan’s right. There’s something on your mind, Bennett. What is it?”
What is it? That is the million-dollar question. I care about Zoey, but I need to find answers for her that will probably destroy anything that could build between us. But I’ve known Shaun for two years. I eat at his house regularly. So, what do I ask to retrieve the information I came here to find?
“I care very much about Zoey, but I don’t think I understand her. I was hoping you could shed some light on your family.” There. That was the truth.
Bennett noticed Shaun’s demeanor change. His family was obviously a subject he didn’t want to discuss. From what he knew of them, who could blame him? But Shaun was his best shot at getting answers where there didn’t seem to be any.
“Did you ask her?”
“We’ve spoken, but I can tell it’s very . . . hard for her to talk about. She spoke briefly about your father.”
Shaun looked to make sure they were alone, like he knew what was about to be said was something he didn’t want Tyler hearing. “You have no idea what it was like growing up in that house. My father for some reason had six children, but he never shown any of us that we were wanted. We were never told we were hated, but trust me, we felt it every day. No one more than Zoey. I have no idea why, but when he looked at Zoey, we could all see his disdain. His disgust. Brice told me the day Zoey came to the house, Dad went ballistic. He never coddled any of us, but even when she was a baby, he resented her existence. You know you hear people say daddy’s little girl? Well, she was anything but his little princess.”
Bennett understood that from what Zoey had told him. He needed more. “So she hated him?”
Shaun shook his head. “I’m not sure Zoey could hate a person. When we left him and wouldn’t speak to him, she stayed and tried to get us to visit. If it wasn’t for her, our father would’ve died alone in the hospital, which would’ve been okay with me.” If everyone was aware how horribly he treated Zoey, why didn’t someone get her help? Was it because they were just as helpless to their father’s wrath?
“Was she there?” Bennett already knew the answer but needed to line up his questioning if he was going to get Shaun to talk.
“No. Brice was.”
“I’ve been around people who were dying. In their last moments they frequently apologize to those they have wronged. Come clean with what had been haunting them all their life. Any big revelation from your dad?” Say yes. Tell me you already know about your mother.
“Brice never said. But I know just by the look in his eye that dear ole Dad told him something.”
“You never asked?”
Shaun’s jaw clenched. “I don’t want to know. My father was the biggest fucking asshole I’ve ever met. I don’t want to hear any excuses about why he did what he did to us all. And I sure as hell don’t need to know he was even more fucked up than I already know. As far as I’m concerned the man is dead, and that is where I want my memories of him.”
Bennett could push for more but not with Shaun. He understood wanting to leave the pain behind. It would get in the way of what he’d built here with Morgan and Tyler. He needed to get the answers but would find another way. Brice held all the secrets. Getting him to talk was going to be nearly impossible. He would need to have something Brice needed to get him to open up. That’s what I hope to get from Vinchi.
“Yo
ur suggestion with Zoey is?”
“To love her for who she is. She is the best of the Hendersons. Don’t ever forget that.”
Love her? Am I capable of that? I’ll be out of her life soon. Bennett didn’t plan on it. As he drove away from their house, he couldn’t help thinking of Zoey. How was it someone who’d been treated like shit her entire life was able to have a smile that lit up a room and a sparkle in her eyes that stole his heart? She’s had so much hurt in her life already; I don’t want to be the one to add to it.
He pulled out the coffee cup he’d swiped from Shaun’s home, put it in the bag, and tagged it as number four. That left only Alex. He’d already texted him to meet up at a local bar to watch a game on TV. He knew Alex said yes for only one reason: to find out what was really going on with him and Zoey.
To the rest of the family, Alex might seem like the laid-back playboy who no one took seriously. Bennett knew there was much more to him. Although Alex was good at hiding it, he was a watcher. He never missed anything. That made meeting him the most challenging of all the brothers. That is why he purposely chose a loud bar. The more distractions, the better it was to hold his cover.
“I heard you’ve made your way through my other brothers. Want to tell me why you really wanted to meet me?” Alex asked, cutting right to the chase as Bennett sat down at the bar next to him.
“Just want to make sure we’re all good. For Zoey’s sake.”
“I don’t buy it. You’re not one who’d give a shit what we thought.”
Got that right. “But she does. And that’s what matters to me.”
Alex looked him square in the eyes and nodded. “So this is serious with the two of you?”
“I take my relationship with your sister very seriously.” He doesn’t need to know it’s a business relationship. He wished it was only that. But Bennett was already struggling to keep it only professional. If he allowed himself to spend any more time alone with her, kiss her, have her in his arms again, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep them separate any longer. One thing about Zoey: she was irresistible. But why is she still single? Does she want it that way?
“When I told you not to hurt her, it was because she’s been through hell and back again, Bennett.”
“You mean from your father?”
Alex nodded. “That and more. Life hasn’t been . . . kind to her. I won’t stand by and let you or anyone else hurt her.”
Bennett knew that feeling all too well. Although, he knew he held the power to rip her world wide open. Damn it. I wish I never took this job. There are a few people who’d be able to pull off what I can. It would’ve been better if the information stayed buried with their father. But no, I have to do what I’m hired to do, and not only will it open her wounds, I will most likely pour salt on them. And there’s not a fucking thing I can do to stop it.
“How can I help her?”
“I wish I knew that answer myself. Zoey holds everything so tight within herself. She’s never spoken a bad word against our father. Fuck, I’ve never said a nice word, so I guess that evens us out.”
“Sounds like you have your own unresolved issues with him.”
“Yeah, but the asshole had to die before I got any answers. Doesn’t mean I’m ever going to stop looking for them.”
So different from Shaun. What are you looking for Alex? Where have you looked? “Sometimes knowing doesn’t make it better.”
“It’s like a story that doesn’t have an ending. I need to know. Until I do . . .”
He can’t move on. I’m going to have what he’s looking for, but I can’t be the one to give him the closure he wants. “Have you ever spoken to your brothers about it?”
“I’ve tried. Brice knows something. What that is, he won’t say. He’s like my father and will take it to his grave. But I know if I look hard enough, I’ll find what I’m looking for. The answer isn’t going to change, and all I’ve got is time.”
Damn, I could use this guy on my payroll. Bennett didn’t want to leave Alex with any more hope than he already had, but he also didn’t want to discourage him either. Every person had the right to what they searched for, answers for their closure. He had no doubt Alex would one day find his too. I just hope he keeps what he finds to himself.
When he left the bar, he bagged the beer bottle, and tagged it number five. His day was productive in more ways than he’d anticipated. He sent a text to his courier to meet him to grab the DNA samples for delivery to Jon. All he could do was wait another week for Jon to deliver the answers regarding the potential birth origin of the Hendersons. What I’m going to do when I find all six mothers is another story. They might not even want to be found. They may have willingly given up their children. Not wanting anything to do with them at all. What if their mothers don’t want a relationship with their children? It had been two years since James Henderson died. The children were fairly high-profile people both in the US and internationally. If someone was afraid of James, they could’ve—should’ve—made contact once he was dead. Or had they been paid not to?
All he did was come up with more questions on top of the ones he already had. He knew he wasn’t going to stop until he had answers. Bennett could only do so much. There was only one mother he’d been hired to locate. If he found her, would the brothers know she wasn’t their mother too? As long as she was willing to answer Zoey’s questions, his job was done. That’s a lot of ifs. I don’t like how this is playing out. Not one bit. But that’s what you get with a Henderson.
Chapter Eleven
Bennett had wanted to call Zoey that night after meeting with her brothers, but he knew emotions were high for them both. It was better to let some time settle between them. He didn’t want to admit it, but Doug was right. If he wasn’t careful, he could do more harm to Zoey than good. It’s been three days since breakfast. If I don’t call her, she’ll think I’m an asshole. She’ll be right, but damn, I want to see her.
It wasn’t as simple as if he should or shouldn’t, he wanted to see her. He looked at the clock. It was late for asking her out for dinner, but maybe a drink or dessert. Bennett didn’t really care as long as he saw her.
He called her number. Three rings, and he was sure it was going to voice mail. If you don’t call a girl for three days, you shouldn’t be surprised when you get the silent treatment. Sure enough, after the fourth ring, her message came on. Fuck. He ended the call. Voice mail wasn’t his thing.
He was about to text her when he saw she was returning his call. Sweet.
“Hello, Zoey. I was wondering if you felt like meeting up for—”
“An update on my mother?” Her tone was sharp, and he knew she wasn’t pleased with him. He’d expected it. I deserve it.
“That too. But I was actually thinking about this place that has the best Death By Chocolate cake. What do you say? I pick you up in thirty minutes, and we can talk over dessert and coffee.”
She didn’t answer him, but he knew he had her. All she needed was a small push, and he was in.
“Even if you don’t enjoy the company, the dessert will be worth the trip,” he said lightly, hoping to get her to loosen up.
“Fine. Thirty minutes.” Zoey’s tone said she wasn’t happy, but Bennett also heard something that said it was all a front.
Before he could leave to pick her up, there was a knock on his door. Shit. I forgot Doug. The last thing he wanted to do was tell him he was breaking the rules and was about to meet up with Zoey. Lying to Doug was never easy. The man had a way of seeing right through him no matter how good of a liar he was.
“You look like you’re on your way out.”
“Yeah. Forgot we were meeting tonight,” Bennett replied still at the door, not letting him inside.
“Should I even guess where you’re off to?” Doug stood with his arms folded across his chest.
“Just taking her out for dessert.”
“Good. Then you won’t mind company,” Doug said with a grin on his face.
/> “Three is a crowd.”
“For dessert? I can’t see why.”
Doug playing chaperon was not in the cards. Although, it probably was needed. “Why do you want to come?”
“You asked me here because of her. Meeting her is going to tell me more than any file ever will.”
Bennett knew Doug was right. He should’ve thought of that in the first place. Somehow he’d purposely put off their meeting. Maybe he was concerned what Doug would say. Zoey could hide a lot from him, but Doug was another story. Especially since she won’t know she’s being studied.
“Fine. I’ll tell her you’re a friend from back home.”
“Keep it simple. We’re old Marine buddies. She won’t want to hear our stories. If you tell her we’re friends, then she’ll expect the good-ole-day stories. I don’t have it in me to keep track of all the lies you’d tell.”
“I’m having trouble keeping them straight myself these days.” Unfortunately, Bennett wasn’t joking about that. He’d been undercover many times before. During those times lying was second nature. This job was different. The lies were blending in with the truth. It was a dangerous place for him to be. He didn’t want to be the one to blow it because of a stupid slip-up. When he’d told Shaun he cared about Zoey, that had been the truth.
On the way to her house, they reviewed what Doug had found earlier that day. “It was a different time back then, Bennett. When James Henderson showed up at school with bruises, no one called Child Protective Services. But it did make it in the school records. It wasn’t once. Over his early teen years, there were at least ten documented occurrences from fat lips and black eyes to a broken hand. Since there was no male figure in the home, I have to suspect his mother.”
“Why would a teenager take that from a woman and not fight back?”
“Most likely because it started at a younger age. Whatever James was being beaten for, he must have subconsciously felt he deserved it.”
“No kid deserves that,” Bennett said furiously. Child abuse made him sick. That didn’t mean he was going to forgive the bastard for what he’d done to Zoey. She was emotionally scarred because of what Henderson had done to her. And he hated him for it, and he was sure her brothers did too.
Virgin For The Fourth Time: Barrington Billionaire's Series: Book Four Page 11
