For Her Benefit

by Nana Malone

  Arthur Moore banged the gavel. “Brothers, we are here to vote on the future of the organization. We are here to select our new Director Prime. We hold ourselves in the highest esteem as those who would guide the world in both certain and uncertain times. Today we choose our leader. Before you stands Bram Van Linsted. His family has occupied the Director Prime seat for the last thirty years. It is a great legacy to uphold. Next to him, we have Bennett James Covington, son of our former prime minister and a titan of industry. And finally, Andrew Wilcox, son of Lord James Wilcox. The Wilcox family has acted as treasurer and taken care of our coffers for the last fifteen years. Today I ask you to vote, not from your heart, but for the man who will hold your secrets true. I ask you to vote for the brother whose decisions you will uphold. I ask you today to vote for the Director Prime who will guide you.”

  I shifted on my feet. God, all this pomp and circumstance, I wanted none of it. I was also not amused that all he could find to say about me was that I was the son of the former prime minister.

  Livy was certain that even if I was named Director Prime it wouldn’t be the end of the world. I could shift opinions, initiate changes, and make the Van Linsteds pay. She was certain that I could change the organization for the better, but I wasn’t certain that I wanted to. Why couldn’t I just be free?

  Arthur continued. “I ask that when you vote, you make the right decision. Please step forward and cast your votes.”

  Next to me, Drew shifted on his feet and I turned my head slightly toward him. I knew he couldn’t see my face or my expression, but I could almost see his shitty grin, and it made me smile. I wanted him to be chosen. He was the best man for it. He liked all of this shit. He’d actually enjoy making these kinds of decisions, to rule for the best of the brotherhood.

  I lacked patience, reserve, resolve, desire. I lacked every single thing I was going to need to deal with them.

  But you also have exactly what they need. A firm sense of right and wrong. Something that has been sorely missing all of these years.

  It took a full ten minutes for the membership of over three hundred to step forward and vote. For nominations and votes, the whole membership was expected to attend. For everything else, they could attend by proxy. Internet conferencing made things a lot easier. When every last brother had cast his vote, Arthur stepped back up to the podium.

  “My brothers, the ballots have been counted. We have a new Director Prime. We thank you brothers for your attention, commitment, and for your tireless duty. We thank you brothers for your secrecy and your silence. With a total of two hundred and ninety-two votes, your new Director Prime is Bennett James Covington.”

  I.

  Could.

  Not.

  Breathe.

  This was not happening.

  To my right, Drew clapped a hand on my back. He was saying something. Words. Something important. What the fuck?

  Two hundred and fucking ninety-two votes? But still Drew clapped me on the back. “I knew they wanted you.”

  What?

  On my left, Bram had dropped to his knees. Was it terrible that I wanted to kick him? It was probably best that I didn’t though.

  The brothers weren’t supposed to remove their masks until we were out of the chamber, but I needed to fucking breathe.

  What the hell had happened?

  You know what happened. My father got to Downs, got to Davies, and he made this happen. My father had gotten his wish, and there was no undoing this. No Director Prime had ever been released during his tenure. Marcus wouldn’t count as we’d been around the corner from a vote. There were rumors that one had tried to step down, and he’d ended up dead.

  That was fifty years ago. Stop being dramatic.

  I couldn’t fucking breathe.

  Next to me, Drew clapped me on the back again. “It’s easy. All you have to do is open your mouth and suck in air. Stop trying to breathe through your nose. You’ll get sick.”

  How had he known? Fuck.

  The vote was called to a close, and the brothers filed out. Drew, Bram, and I were forced to stay put. When everyone else had gone, Drew turned to walk away. He tugged at my robe to get me to follow, and I did, shuffling behind him. My legs felt like lead, the weight bearing down on my soul.

  What I had wanted to happen was for me to walk out of there a free man, knowing that the Elite was in the good hands of someone who gave two fucks and could improve it. I’d fade into the background as the person who never attended meetings except for the all-important votes.

  But that wasn’t in the cards for me. Now these three hundred men would follow me, and I had to make the determination of what was right and what was best.

  I made it to the changing room, put on my suit, and removed my mask, but I put on an altogether different one.

  Even though Bram had been the last to enter the changing room, he changed faster than I had. He ripped his robe off, threw his mask, slammed his cupboard, and threw a real temper tantrum. Classy.

  My mates, even though they had changed, waited for me. Drew, East, Bridge, surrounding me, waiting for me, supporting me. None of them said a word. Not even Drew. After all, what was there to say?

  Tomorrow, my life would change. But tonight, tonight I would drink. And I would drink heavily.

  We stepped into the elevator together, the four of us mates from the beginning, having meant to honor Toby, but somehow gaining more power in the process. When the elevator reached the top level, I let out a low curse. “This was not how I expected this to go.”

  Bridge just chuckled low. “Yeah, tell us about it.”

  “So much for Toby’s legacy.” I muttered.

  East shook his head. “On the contrary, mate, now you will make them pay. We can pick off every single nonce in here. One by one. They can scurry like rats, but they won’t hide for long.”

  The doors opened, and we stepped into the chaos of the brotherhood, all lined up and ready to shake my hand. I saw my father lingering, waiting for me, but I avoided him. It was Rowan Downs who eventually found me on the balcony under the stars, with the bougainvillea and primroses sending off their scents. He clapped me on the back. “Congratulations, Director Prime.”

  “You fucked me.”

  “Well, you’re very handsome, but you’re not my type.”

  “You helped make this happen.”

  His shrug was relaxed. “Perhaps.”

  “Did my father put you up to this?”

  He pursed his lips. “Actually, while he was very vocal about what he wanted, I don’t take what your father says to heart. Do you want to know why we did this?”

  “Yeah, you ruined my life for no fucking reason.”

  “No, I didn’t ruin your life. I made it better. Or rather, I made the organization better. You might not believe in the Elite, but I do.”

  “Brilliant. A true believer, fantastic.”

  “Actually, no. Not really. I believe that power can corrupt the best of us. But with the right man and the right friends behind you, I think it’s time for change. The Van Linsteds have ruled for so long they don’t even know how to see beyond it. All they care about is power. The people they surrounded themselves with also only cared about power and amassing more personal wealth. I know the Elite has become about building your legacy, but it was also intended at first to do good. The people who have been in charge lost sight of that a long time ago. I think you are in a unique position. You haven’t lost sight of that. And the woman that you’ve been traipsing around all over town, I don’t think she will let you lose sight of it.”

  I heard footsteps behind us and turned to find Taron Davies. “Ah, so you found him. Everyone inside is asking where the new Director Prime is. They obviously want to talk to him and push their agenda. I reminded them that he does not start working until tomorrow.”

  “You lot know I have a real job, right?”

  Davies nodded at Downs and smiled. “Let me guess, you gave him the speech about how he’s go
ing to be a better Director Prime because he doesn’t actually want it.”

  Downs shrugged. “I was getting to it.”

  “Right, then I’ll just jump in. You don’t want this. You don’t want the power, the status, none of it, which means you’re the best person for this job.”

  “So you got together and just what, pushed forward your agenda?”

  “Not really my agenda. The people I pushed for the vote, I gave them three options, you, Wilcox, or Van Linsted. You can guess why they chose you.”

  I glowered at him and Downs. “What about Drew?”

  “Drew would have been the obvious choice over Van Linsted, but we gave them the option of you. You and your London Lords have this air of untouchability about you. People respect that or hate it. Either way, they recognize it could be good for them. You’re a little bit ruthless, and of course, people respect that, but most importantly, you’re honest. And you don’t want power, which makes you the right person to be in power.”

  There was a loud commotion coming from inside, and I frowned as I peered around them.

  What the fuck was going on?

  I heard yelling, and my phone buzzed in my pocket.

  Bridge: Get back in here.

  I ran back inside, and the two gentlemen followed me from the balcony into the foyer. Then I halted. Nyla Kincade. And she had a slew of people with her, all sporting Interpol badges. “My goodness, Mr. Covington. Again? Can you tell me what the hell you’re doing in here with these gentlemen?”

  “Having a party. Why? What’s the problem?”

  “Well, the problem is I have a warrant for the arrest of one Bram Van Linsted. Oh, and while we’re at it, April Van Linsted as well.”

  I frowned. Was this it? Had Bram been involved with his father?

  Everyone turned to look at me. I’d forgotten I was now in charge of this band of losers. “What are the charges?”

  “Extortion, kidnapping, bribery. Oh, and fraud. So much fraud.”

  My brow lifted. “Fraud?”

  She nodded. “Well, you see it turns out that the gem they had insured for a hundred and twenty-five million dollars, was a fake. A very good fake. But still not real. So we have a lot of questions for them. For Bram and mommy dearest. And of course you already know Marcus Van Linsted has been charged with money laundering, extortion, human trafficking. It’s all ugly business.” She pulled out a list of names. “Also, we need Adam Hilton, Blake Boynton, and Jace McClaren.”

  They were all present. “You have warrants for them as well?”

  “I do. Don’t you want to know what their charges are?”

  “Nope. It’s not my problem until tomorrow. I’m going to head out.”

  “Not just yet, Mr. Covington. I would like to speak to you.”

  “I’m sorry, you can call my office in the morning and make an appointment like everybody else.”

  “You are going to be a thorn in my side, aren’t you?”

  I flashed her a grin as I slid my hands in my pockets. “Yeah, I probably am.”

  “If you don’t mind, I’m going to interrupt your party now.”

  “Be my guest. I was just leaving.”

  On the way out, I found my boys.

  Bridge shoved his hands in his pockets. “Well, that was faster than I thought. April too?”

  “Well, it’s a fake jewel. And they can’t produce the other one. So there’s that.”

  East grimaced. “Should I feel guilty that April Van Linsted is going to jail for fraud because we switched out the bracelet?”

  “Nope. Besides, that piece of fraud is just the first in a long line that they’ll find on April Van Linsted when they really start digging.”

  My friends nodded, and then we all turned back to stare up at the Van Linsted estate. Davies joined us outside on the patio. “It’s a beautiful house, isn’t it? I’m curious to see what you’ll do with it, Ben.”

  I frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “Oh, you’re Director Prime.” East frowned. “This is the residence of the Director Prime, don’t you know that?”

  I blinked at him. I hadn’t fucking known that. “What?”

  “Yeah. Everything you see in front of you is yours.”

  “I have a house.”

  “Yes, but now you also have this.”

  “This is the Van Linsted house.”

  “Mate, it’s just been the Van Linsted Estate because a Van Linsted has been the Director Prime for thirty years. Before then, it was the Cowell House. Before that, it was Rossi property. So now, it’s Covington Estate.”

  “I don’t want the fucking house. Maybe we can just have meetings here, and I can figure out some other way to utilize this property in the future.”

  Bridge shrugged. “Looks like that’s up to you for the next ten years.”

  I swallowed hard, and East clapped me on the shoulder. “Well, now you’re officially the richest git in the world. What do you want to do with it?”

  I laughed. “I have no idea, but on the top of my list is go see the love of my life.”

  Bridge nodded. “Solid.”

  As I turned to leave, I caught Drew’s gaze as he walked behind us. “Mate.”

  His smiled at me. “Yeah?”

  “All right?”

  His smile was genuine, his eyes crinkling at the edges. “Honestly, I’m a bit fucking relieved.”

  My brow furrowed. “What?”

  “I mean, it was one thing to have you tell the lads that I was the name you were going to put forth. It’s a whole other thing to actually imagine ruling over this merry band of arseholes and misfits. I’m glad it’s not me.”

  “Yeah, thanks for that.”

  “I’m just being honest. I think you’re going to do great. And obviously, you have the three of us. We are a team, aren’t we?”

  “That, we are.”

  Livy

  The sun had started to set just off the horizon, and I smelled the rain on the breeze as I laid the flowers at my mom’s grave. “I got them, Mama.” Tears streamed down on my face, and I wiped them away. I hadn’t been able to say goodbye until that moment, until knowing that the work that she’d put in meant something.

  Fifty feet away, Telly waved to me from under a tree. I was used to doing things like this by myself. But when I told her where I was going, what I was going to do, she’d voluntarily come with me. All along, I had felt like I was alone. But the truth was, I wasn’t alone at all. I had just chosen to be alone because I was afraid of being rejected. Afraid that no one would love me enough to give me what I needed.

  I touched her headstone, placing my fingers over the words that said, ‘Beloved mother. Badass friend.’ It was a very American thing, but one of her favorites. I’d asked her where she wanted her marker placed, London or Ghana. She always replied to me that she wanted to be cremated but to have a headstone placed wherever I could visit her when I needed to. So I had her marker placed in London so I could see her and talk to her. It had just been a long time since my last visit. I hadn’t known what to say.

  “Boy did you send me on one hell of an adventure.”

  The tears blossomed again, but I barely noticed. “I did it, Mom. I found the bastards. With a little help, I made them pay. Thank you for leading me on this journey because I would not have found Ben if you hadn’t.”

  “To catch you up, Dex and I broke up. It was a long time coming, and long overdue. I just wish I had done it sooner. And I realized that when you told me to hold on to the things that make me happy, you were talking about the things that actually brought me joy. Not things that were habits. And Dex was a habit I needed to break. I miss you so much. And you would love my boyfriend now. Honestly, he’s a bit of a rogue. A giant pain in the ass. He is mule-headed and stubborn. Mom, I’ve never met anyone more stubborn in my entire life. He thinks he knows everything. Matter of fact, he would stand there and argue with you that he is right, knowing full well he is wrong. He challenges me, and he makes me laugh
, but he also makes me want to hit things sometimes. I think you would have loved him very much. I really wish he’d been able to sit down and enjoy your cooking, laugh with you, argue politics with you. His father was the former prime minister. So you know that would have been a source for some lively conversations. There are so many things that I want to tell you. Adventures, misadventures, and there are still so many places I wish I could go with you. I wish we’d had more time, but I am grateful for every moment I got to spend with you. You taught me so much about love and life and myself. You taught me to be strong, to fight for what I believe is important, and I cannot wait to carry on that legacy. I love you, Mama, and I hope that wherever you are, you are giving them hell, laughing your ass off, and somehow finding kisses. The next time I come over, I’ll bring Ben by to visit so you can meet him.”

  I straightened and then pushed to my feet. God, I missed her so much. But it was okay. When I strolled over to Telly, she grinned at me. “And how is Auntie Georgina?”

  “You know, giving the angels hell.”

  “I always loved your mom.”

  I smiled. “Well, I’m pretty sure she loved you too.”

  Arm in arm, Telly led me back to the car where Erik waited dutifully. I smiled at him. “Isn’t your job over now?”

  He shrugged. “With most of the danger gone, I feel like ten years is coming to a close, but I know you’ll miss me too much, so I’m sticking around for another few days to let you ease into the idea that I’ll be gone.”

  I snorted a laugh. “Erik, you made a funny.”

  “Don’t get used to it. It happens once in a blue moon, honestly.”

  As the car traversed the streets of London, the sun peeked from behind the clouds, giving them final kisses as it settled at the horizon.

  We dropped Telly off first and waited until she was in her flat and waved at me. Then Erik took me home to Belgravia.

  It is home, isn’t it?

  I guess my home had suddenly become anywhere Ben was. I could get behind that because his home was anywhere I was. It was a two-way street, something I’d never really had before. But now that I did have it, I wasn’t going to let that feeling go. Ever. I thanked Erik as he opened the door for me, and I stepped out. The sky was a pretty purple now. I tapped the security panel to unlock the door and then stepped inside the house.