For Her Benefit

by Nana Malone

  When he made it to my lips, he said, “I’m going to make that a new daily habit.”

  I shivered. He could do that to me any time he wanted. “God, yes.”

  He shifted against my parting thighs with his. And I moaned when the tip of his erection nudged my cleft.

  He squeezed his eyes shut tight as he entered me inch by inch. I met him halfway by raising my hips. His jaw stayed tight until he was seated all the way inside me. He made love to me sweetly. Kissing me, holding me to him, and looking into my eyes. “You’re mine. And I am yours.”

  In that moment, the fear fell away. This was the perfect moment, the one I'd always looked for. This was the kind of love and acceptance I'd been seeking all my life. “I know.” Blissful abandon started in my toes and cascaded through my body. I held onto him tight and muttered how much I loved him as the orgasm took over all my conscious and subconscious thought.

  As my body held him inside me, he whispered in my ear, “I am so lucky.” With two more deep strokes, his whole body shook with release.

  19

  Ben

  The following Sunday afternoon, I knew two things with absolute certainty. One, I was stupid in love with Olivia Ashong. That kind of with your whole body love. Two, she was a complete menace on the roads. And the reason I knew I loved her was because regardless of her complete insanity, I still let her drive my cars.

  Livy apparently loved to drive a stick.

  Yeah, she does.

  I chuckled to myself even as I held on to the handle above the door. “What’s wrong?” she asked sweetly. “What’s so damn funny?”

  “Nothing. Everything is fine.”

  She grinned as she whipped into an open spot. Her quick and haphazard parking forced Erik and Scott to double park in their follow car.

  I stared at her.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Do you always drive like this?”

  “Yes. I used to have a Mini. I’m used to fitting into tight places.”

  I shook my head. “You’re trying to kill me. An early grave for me.”

  She laughed. “And here I thought you were a Viking adventurer.”

  “You know I’m not a Viking, right?”

  “You never know. Those Norse, they came down and pillaged. Oh, did they pillage. You might well have Viking blood.”

  I shrugged. “Maybe.”

  That afternoon we were on our way to see one of the other women from the initiation that Britney had told us about. Hopefully, she’d be able to shed some light on some of the other parties that took place with the older men.

  “You know you don’t have to accompany me, right? I know this is uncomfortable for you with the Elite involved. It can’t be easy.”

  “In case I haven’t said this before, the Elite can burn for all I care. I have always hated it.” I held up my right hand. “I have wanted to be rid of this ring since the day they slipped it on my finger. So, don’t you worry about dismantling some piece of me. I don’t want it. It’s rotted from the inside, and I don’t think it can be fixed.”

  “But didn’t you say you were trying to get Drew to be the leader?”

  “Yeah, so he can start to tear it up. The first step is to bury the Van Linsteds, and then we start dismantling all the power-mongering bullshit brick by brick. When we’re done with it, it’ll be like any other random fraternity. We want to declaw the cat.”

  “You really hate it.”

  “With a passion.”

  She unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed out of the Spyder. She’d straightened her hair that day and it blew in the wind. She looked every bit a fashion model. But the funny part was, she didn’t even see it. She just batted her hair out of her face and frowned before taking a hair tie and shoving it back into a ponytail. When she caught me staring, she lifted her brows. “What?’

  I shook my head. “Nothing. Come on, let’s go.” I took her hand and walked up to the gate. It was low, wooden, and hanging on one hinge. The garden was overgrown, and the honeysuckle had taken over by the door. Excellent. Bees. There was a broken garden gnome in the corner.

  Livy smiled. “I think it’s charming.”

  “Yeah, you would.”

  She laughed. “Just because I find cottages and overgrown gardens charming doesn’t mean I’m not sophisticated.”

  “Oh, no. You are, in fact, sophisticated. But even better than that, you’re real. I just can’t believe you’re mine.”

  “Yep, and you better not forget it either.” She reached out her hand and very lightly touched at the purplish bruise around my nose. Luckily, it wasn’t broken, but I owed that motherfucker a cheap shot. She scowled. “I could kick his ass.”

  “Do you realize how fucking hot it is to hear you say you’re willing to fight for me?”

  “Well, it’s not hot when you say it. I don’t want you fighting for me.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Don’t you ‘yes, ma’am’ me.”

  I grinned at her. “Sorry, I’m just trying to be accommodating. What would you rather I say?”

  “I don’t know. Just stop looking so delicious when you say it.”

  Delicious huh? “Okay. But you know that I work hard to look this good just so you’ll want to shag me.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I don’t think there’s a woman alive who doesn’t want to shag you.”

  “You’d be surprised. I have been turned down before.”

  We walked up to the door and rang the bell. Livy shifted on her feet as we waited. Nicole must have run to the door, and she opened it with a smile. “You’re Ben Covington, right?”

  I nodded. “Yes. I think you were expecting us.”

  She smiled. “Yeah. And you must be Olivia Ashong?”

  Livy shook her hand. “Thank you for taking the time to speak with us.”

  She invited us in and did the usual offer of tea. Once we were all seated in the living room, Livy and I were perched on the edge of a very tiny love seat. Livy gave her a warm smile.

  Nicole said, “Truth be told, I haven’t really thought about that time of my life in a while. It was ten years ago.”

  “Yes, obviously, it’s been a while, but I am curious… How old were you when you started?”

  She shrugged. “Eighteen. I got to meet a lot of good-looking boys around my age, rich ones. It was a party. The training was wild and a good education, because it wasn’t so much about being taught to be sexy, but rather being taught to have conversations with these boys who’d had the kind of education people only dream about. How to be not only the perfect eye candy but also attractive to them intellectually.”

  “Yes, we were told about that.” Livy leaned forward. “I understand from one of the other girls we spoke to that there were other parties as well.”

  Nicole frowned. “Oh, right. Those.”

  I tried to reassure her. “I understand this must be difficult. You don’t have to tell us anything you don’t want to, but if there were other parties taking place that made the girls uncomfortable, someone needs to know so we can put a stop to it.”

  Nicole blinked her wide dark eyes. “You don’t understand. I signed a non-disclosure agreement. I took the money.”

  Livy sighed. “You taking the money does not mean that they had the right to do things to you without consent. Is there anything that wasn’t covered in the NDA that you can tell us about?”

  “I lied. I wasn’t eighteen when I started. I was seventeen.”

  Livy and I glanced at each other.

  She sighed. “So I guess my signing a non-disclosure wasn’t exactly legal since I was a minor. They’d lied about my age though. I was about to be off to Uni, and I needed the cash.”

  Livy’s voice was soft. “We’re not judging you. We’re just trying to understand.”

  “After I did the initiation, I was told I’d performed well and that they were very happy with me. They also said that there was another opportunity. Another party. I thought it would be the sa
me kind of thing. We were only told what to say, how to eat caviar and stand pretty, and we’d be paid ten thousand pounds, and all that bullshit, but that was different. We were obviously told that at the initiation party there might be sex involved and that it was up to us to say no, and that no one would hurt us if we said yes. We knew we were basically high-priced hookers. We understood. But the other party… While the understanding was the same, the feeling was different. We walked into a different kind of party. The men were old from what we could see. None of them were young.”

  “Were there any that you might have recognized from being at the initiation?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know for sure, but there was one I thought I recognized. After he was finished, he took off his mask just for a second. He needed to wipe his brows. He was so sweaty. He turned away from me so I wouldn’t see his face, but he didn’t realize that I could see in the mirror.”

  Holy shite. This was it. The one clue we’d been looking for.

  Livy’s voice was even, but I could tell she was excited. I could practically feel her vibrating next to me. “Did you recognize him from the other party?”

  “It’s possible. He looked familiar, but I couldn’t say for sure.”

  “But if you saw him again, would you recognize him?”

  She swallowed hard and looked down at her hands. “Oh, I will never forget his face. The things that man did to me, I’ll never forget.”

  She’d been underage. My stomach turned. Yeah, she had been an escort, but she didn’t sign off on that. “Listen, we know someone from Interpol. Would you be willing to speak to them?”

  She gave her head a vehement shake. “No, you don’t understand. We signed documents saying that we would keep our mouths shut. There was this girl who started to make trouble, and the next thing I knew, she was off to America.”

  Livy raised a brow. “Do you know what her name was?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know. Maya maybe, or something like that. She was friends with one of the other girls.”

  I asked the question that was written all over Livy’s face. Looking for the answer that was already written on Nicole’s face. “You don’t think she went to America, do you?”

  Nicole laughed. “Are you joking? Immediately her socials were off. It said she went home to see her mom, but her mom couldn’t find her. She left a note saying she was going to America, but then she never checked in. Nothing. I know what that means. I’m not going to talk. It might have been ten years ago, but these men, what they were doing, they will protect that.”

  I levelled my gaze on her. “Listen, we will protect you. I have made it my mission in life to stop men like that. We will take you to Interpol ourselves to guarantee your safety.”

  Her gaze slanted to Livy, who nodded. “He’s serious. And you should be safe. He’s keeping me safe.”

  “I don’t know.”

  Livy smiled. “Just think it through. I’ll leave my card with you.” Livy handed it over and Nicole glanced at it as we stood to leave. Then she pushed to her feet. “No, you know what? I’ll do it. I put that money away and barely touched it. I didn’t end up going to Uni. I was too scared. They broke me. So I don’t have any interest in protecting them any longer. If you can keep me safe, I’ll do it. I’ll talk to whoever you want me to talk to.”

  I gave her a nod and my thanks. But Livy reached out and hugged her. Livy wasn’t really a hugger, but she held on to the other woman’s shoulders like she had just told her the secret of eternal youth. “You won’t regret this.”

  I just hoped Livy was right, because we were about to blow the Elite wide open.

  Ben

  The following morning it looked like we’d caught a break. We might not even need Rowan Downs. If Van Linsted got caught up in an Interpol raid, he would lose his standing.

  Are you that naïve? You think he’s not going to find a way to wiggle out of it?

  Fuck. It was all right though, one way or the other, the Van Linsteds were going down whether it was the London Lords that did it, or Interpol. They were running on borrowed time.

  I stopped short at my office when I saw the older gentleman sitting in one of my guest chairs. Alyssa was nowhere to be found. Damn it.

  “Davies, how is it going?”

  “What the fuck are you doing, Covington?”

  I slid my phone onto my desk as I walked around it, unbuttoned the jacket of my suit, and eased into my chair. “What have I done this time? You have to be specific. I do a lot of things, irritate a lot of people on a daily basis. How did I fuck you over today?”

  “This isn’t a game, boy.”

  Oh yeah, that got my attention. I leaned forward with a smile. “Watch your tone, Davies.”

  “Me? Watch my tone? I’m not the one who needs votes.”

  “Sure, I need votes. But I don’t understand what your problem is. We made a deal. I have held up my end of the bargain.”

  “You did not,” Davies spat as he leaned forward. “Estella turned up at the Supper Club. Walked right up to my table and sat the hell down. Can you imagine the scandal?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Look, you said very specifically, you wanted Estella to find love. Was that accurate?”

  “Yes. That was your job. You failed.”

  “No, I didn’t. Estella is in love with you. She has been all these years, after you made the choice you had to make. Now you live a separate life from your wife, and she’s in Italy somewhere with some boy toy just to avoid scandal. Estella never married. Never had children. She lives on her own, waiting for you to come to her. You asked me to make sure that she finds someone to love. Well, I found him. I have fulfilled my end of the bargain.”

  “You knew expressly that I wanted you to find her someone else.”

  “Why? To assuage your guilt? Look, I’m learning that this love thing comes when it wants. You can’t just shake it off or squander it away. If you squander it, you will feel the ramifications for the rest of your life.”

  “She deserves better. She deserves a family.”

  I was suddenly exhausted. So tired of all this bullshit. “You, you stupid idiot, are her family. She wants you. Has always wanted you. She waited for you to come to her, and when you didn’t, she swallowed her pride and came to you. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is. Find Estella love, you said. I did that. It just so happened that it was right under your nose. She doesn’t want a family anymore. She’s willing to be your mistress. She doesn’t need to marry you or to have your children. She doesn’t need any of that. She just wants you.” I sat back and tipped my lips into a smirk. “So, have I or have I not met my end of the arrangement?”

  “You always think you’re so sleek. You Covington men, finding little loopholes. This isn’t what I wanted for her.”

  “What you want for her and what she wants for herself are two different things. Maybe instead of you telling her what she should have, you should ask her what she wants. Once you ask her, maybe then you can come back and talk to me. She wants you. The real question is, are you willing to pull your head out of your ass and give her what she wants, or do you think that you know better because you’re the man? If I can offer advice, I’d go with what’s behind door number one. Door number two has never worked for me. As a matter of fact, it almost cost me someone important. So walk out of here and leave it be. Live in the comfort and knowledge that she has what she wants, and I will live in the comfort and knowledge that we have a deal.”

  His face went nearly purple with rage. “Slick git.”

  “Perhaps. But I wasn’t trying to pull a fast one. I merely gave you what you wanted. One meeting with the woman and I could tell she didn’t want and wouldn’t settle for anyone else. She didn’t want me to swipe right on Tinder for her or create her a Bumble profile. Who the fuck does that? So be with her or don’t. It’s up to you, really. I did as I was asked. Now, are you going to help me oust the Van Linsteds or not?”

  For several tense
moments, we sat there staring at each other. Neither one of us daring to speak. Finally, he sat back, and I let out the breath I wasn’t even aware I’d been holding. “I could hurt her again.”

  “Something tells me that she’s a very strong lady and can take care of herself. So try it. See how it works out for you. But in the interim, enjoy her. Life is too short. Listen to me, sounding all philosophical. All because of a woman.”

  Davies finally relaxed his shoulders, scrubbing a hand over his face. “I suppose you want a thank you.”

  I lifted a shoulder. “I don’t need a thank you. I just need votes.”

  He cocked his head and studied me. “You should be running, not Wilcox.”

  “Jesus fucking Christ, what is it with you all? I don’t want it. Wilcox is the perfect candidate.”

  “I’m telling you right now, they won’t follow Wilcox.”

  “They will. He is cut from the same cloth. They will follow him.”

  “You really want Wilcox? Not even Hale?”

  “Hale is not going to happen. Wilcox is the best.”

  He sighed. “All right, but he’s going to need a makeover.”

  I lifted my brows. “What do you mean?”

  “He doesn’t come across as strong enough. Yes, he is wealthy, runs one of the best venture capital firms in Britain. He comes across very much as a family man. He does what he knows he should. But the Elite want someone who’s willing to push for what he actually wants, not just getting by on what appearances dictate. He’s going to have a hard time. He needs to be able to stand for something.”

  I rubbed my jaw. “I know what you mean. I’ll figure it out. You just give him the votes.”

  He sighed. “Right. I’ll do what I can.” He stood, still not really particularly happy at how our agreement had worked out.

  “And Davies, tell Estella I said hi.”

  The look he gave me wouldn’t melt ice, but I didn’t care. I’d done what I needed to do to fulfill my end of the bargain. All he needed to do was fulfill his.