The Benefactor

by Nana Malone

  My one job, my one goal, and I couldn’t make it happen.

  I chewed my thumbnail as I grabbed the wine glasses for the Team Winston Isles meeting, finally at Ben’s house for the first time.

  The phone rang as I was opening the wine. I set the ridiculously expensive bottle of South African red on the table and ran to grab my phone out of my purse where it sat on the coffee table. “Hello, this is Olivia.”

  “Oh, Olivia Ashong, this is Alia Reynolds from April Van Linsted’s office.”

  “Yes, thank you so much for getting back to me. I hope you have good news.” God, I would offer my first born if I had to.

  “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but Mrs. Van Linsted just doesn’t see the benefit of having Princess Jessa attend. Given that the event is already so packed and the princess won’t get a chance to speak, it just won’t happen this time. We’re so sorry.”

  I ground my teeth. “What do you mean, Princess Jessa is not a benefit?”

  “She’s really looking for speakers who can inspire and move conversations forward, and while Princess Jessa is royalty, she’s just not what we’re looking for right now. All the best.” She hung up and I stared at the phone.

  Dammit. What was I going to do?

  When Ben came downstairs, that was how he found me, leaning against the massive island on the verge of tears. He wrapped his arm around my waist then turned me around for a hug. He blinked in surprise when he saw the food on display. “Wow, this is one hell of a spread.”

  “Yes, well, the caterers went overboard when I told them it was for you.”

  “But still, it looks amazing. It looks like someone lives here and entertains all the time.”

  I absently glance around. “Oh that. I got some candles and things. It’s not a big deal.”

  He pulled back and studied me, his brows furrowed. “What’s wrong with you? You’re making that face you make when you want to punch something.” He grinned. “Usually, the thing you want to punch is me, so you can understand my concern.”

  I rolled my lips in to try to get a hold on my emotions. I was not going to cry, prickly eyes notwithstanding. I could find a solution for this. “Sorry, I’m just upset. I just got the call. There’s no invite for Jessa. Lucas maybe, but as a bachelor for a gentlemen’s auction.”

  His lips pressed together. “Fuck. Let me guess, April Van Linsted herself declined?”

  I shrugged. “No. She had her charity chairperson do it.” I tried to pull free from his arms. “I need to tell the team. We need to come up with another plan, post haste.”

  He didn’t release me though. Instead, he held tight. “This isn’t on you. You didn’t fail.”

  “Yes, I did,” I argued.

  “No. This is April Van Linsted trying to exert control. We’ll figure out another way.”

  Ben held me like that for several long moments. Strong arms wrapped protectively around me until I could breathe. Until I could think. There was a solution to this problem. I just had to figure it out.

  When the rest of the team arrived, we all gathered in the great room which had a massive sectional that somehow still managed to be comfortable and a giant screen TV.

  Over the course of the last week or so, he’d ask me what would make me more comfortable, and he’d added some throws and cushions. He was moving me in.

  This is only temporary.

  Unfortunately, the bad news was that it was only going to make things more difficult.

  When everyone settled in, I broke the news. As I spoke, Jessa’s brow furrowed. “Wait, what does she mean that I’m not important enough to speak and she already has a full roster? That’s bullshit.”

  Lucas scowled from the corner. “Damn fucking right, it’s bullshit. That’s some racist shit if I’ve ever heard it.”

  Ben added fuel to that fire. “Fucking arseholes. The Van Linsteds are the worst. Publicly, she’ll say all the right things. But this kind of behavior? I should sic the press on her.”

  Lucas shook his head. “No. No press. It draws attention, which is the last thing we want. The problem is, obviously, I don’t know how you’re going to get what you need.”

  Bridge folded his arms. Of the three London Lords, I interacted with him the least. He seemed smart, but there was something aloof and a little bit intimidating about him. I knew that he had a fiancée. So I figured any opportunity he got, he was spending time with her. His voice was low when he said, “I say we just buy it.”

  East scrubbed a hand down his face. “It’s estimated worth is two hundred million. We could make an anonymous bid to buy it.”

  Ben shifted in his seat, his gaze on mine. “Yeah, but the problem is that if we make a bid to buy it, the Van Linsteds will wonder who’s after it. It has sentimental value to them too.” He rubbed his jaw and continued. “If someone tries to take it, they might hold on to it even tighter. We have to figure out something else.”

  Lucas sat forward in the corner chair. I noticed that even though Bryna was at the meeting, the two of them weren’t sitting together. She sat on the sectional next to East, who was the focus of much of Lucas’s ire. When I sent a questioning look to Jessa, she just rolled her eyes as if to say not to bother asking.

  Lucas’s voice was deep and laced with worry when he spoke. “All right, this puts us in break-into-the-vault territory. It’s going to take money and resources, but it can be done. It’ll just cost us.”

  My eyes went wide. “The vault? At the Van Linsted Estate?” Surely he couldn’t be serious. There was no way we’d make it out of there alive. And if, on the off chance we did, we’d end up wearing some very unattractive jumpsuits.

  He nodded. “We’ll need a team for this. One we can trust. We’re running out of time. We’ll need to call in a few favors.”

  I frowned as I considered the alternative. “Has anyone given any thought to the fact that maybe Rowan Downs knew this might happen? That this might be a setup, and he wants us to make an attempt at it?”

  Bridge watched me with an intent gaze. “For what reason?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe he likes having the Van Linsteds in power and you’ve just been led to believe differently.” It sounded crazy, but anything was possible.

  Bridge rubbed his strong jaw with long fingers. For the first time I actually paid attention to just how handsome Ben, East, and Bridge were. To Ben, he said, “Keep this one. She’s smarter than the last.”

  Ben’s chuckle was soft. “Don’t I know it.”

  “Well, I’m glad to have your seal of approval. But should we trust him?”

  Jessa pushed to her feet and started pacing. “We have no way of knowing. But either way, we’re not going to play into their hands. There’s another solution.” We all tracked her movements. “Hear me out. There is a precious gems exhibit at the Montague Museum.”

  I sat up straighter, my eyes going wide. “Oh my God, Amelia Montague is a friend of yours.”

  Jessa grinned. “Oh, yes. She certainly is. She’ll help us pull this off.”

  Ben’s gaze went back and forth between me and Jessa. “The heiress? What are we missing?”

  Jessa clapped excitedly. “Amelia Montague is the name in London fashion. Any socialite worth her salt wants to be in with her.”

  I grinned. “She’s one of Anna Wintour’s frequent collaborators.”

  “That’s right,” Jessa added with a nod. “There is no way April will be able to resist attending. We’ll carry out the same plan and swap the pieces at the event.”

  Lucas shook his head as he stood to join his sister. “Nope. I have a better plan. The Van Linsteds feel themselves important. So have Amelia personally invite her to display the bracelet at the event, and we’ll make the switch while it’s in transit, completely distancing ourselves from having to make personal contact.”

  East whistled low. “Mate, that’s downright bold.”

  “It keeps everyone safe. No one will be implicated, and it’s simple. If we do it right, no o
ne will even know it’s been switched. Most importantly, it keeps everyone safe. Only essential people will be involved.”

  Bridge leaned forward. “Who are you thinking?”

  Lucas shrugged. “Me. Probably East for tech support. Roone for muscle in case shit gets risky.

  Bryna stood. “I’ll be joining you too. You need a watch tower or whatever you call it. I’m good on comms, and I can listen for trouble.”

  “Bryn—” He started to speak, but she held up a hand, effectively cutting him off.

  “Now is probably not the time to argue with me.”

  He looked like he wanted to argue some more but he shut his mouth abruptly when she narrowed her gaze.

  Ben spoke up then. “I don’t want to get involved with this marital tension, but Bryna has a point. This involves all of us. We at least need to attend the function. We can all have a role because this is a team effort. No lone excursions.”

  Lucas looked like he might mutiny, but everyone else agreed, and his fiancée and the London Lords outvoted him.

  Team effort for the win.

  24

  Livy

  “Okay. So once you start sautéing the onions and you get them to that point where they’re almost transparent, then you add the ginger and the garlic.”

  Ben peered inside the pot, staring dubiously at the onions. “Yeah, but when do you add the potatoes?”

  I laughed and wrapped my arms around his waist as he stirred. “Just be patient. That’s the thing about Ghanaian food. It takes forever. It’s about the journey and the process.”

  “So, what you’re telling me is that I can’t just call Elias to come and do this?”

  I whacked him on the arm. “No. The way to my heart is through food. Show me you can cook the food of my people.”

  “You know, I do like you a lot, and I actually don’t want to poison you.”

  My heart pinched a little with the L-word. Like.

  What, you expected him to say, love?

  No, I didn’t expect anything. But it still pinched.

  Just tell him you’re in love with him.

  Oh, no. I wasn’t going to do that.

  When he had the onions where they were meant to be, he then added the garlic and ginger and leaned forward to sniff. “Smells right, I think.”

  I laughed. “Yeah. That smells right. So sauté that for a bit and let the aromas seep in, and then we’re going to add the tomato paste so you can cook that down a little.”

  “Yeah, cooking is difficult.”

  “I know. God forbid the billionaire figures out how to do it.”

  “I can do things.”

  I laughed. “Yes, I know you can do things.”

  He started to turn. “If you want, I could show you I can do things right now.”

  I giggled and hopped out of the way before he could sweep me into a kiss and distract me. “No, you’re cooking. Focus on the task at hand.”

  “Fine. But you know, this isn’t a stew like I’m used to.”

  “I know, but all our stews are tomato based. Onions and tomato, they’re your friends. Everything else comes in after.”

  “Good to know.”

  The doorbell rang, and he made a move to go answer the door. He’d given most of the staff the night off because he wanted us to be together and not have to watch our words. Tomorrow was going to be stressful enough without having a shitty sleep tonight. We didn’t need to be stressed out worrying about what we said too. “No, you stay here. I’ll get it.”

  “Well, check the damn security monitor.”

  I squeezed his forearm. Smiling, my inner diva marveled at the thickness of his muscles. “I’m not a moron. I know. I’ll make sure to check the security camera.”

  I started untying my apron as I left the kitchen. I got to the security camera and saw a familiar face. I opened the door and said, “Bridge? What’s the matter?”

  “We’ve got a fucking problem.”

  “Okay, Ben’s in the kitchen.”

  Bridge marched past me at a fast clip. His legs were so long I had to run to keep up with him. “What’s wrong?”

  When he stepped into the kitchen, he stopped abruptly, causing me to bump into his back. And Jesus, the guy was solid. It was like hitting my face on a brick wall.

  I squeezed around him. “What’s the rush?”

  Ben turned around. “Hey, you joining us for dinner?”

  Bridge just stared at him, blinking owlishly. He turned to face me, and then his gaze skittered back to Ben. “Are you cooking?”

  Ben threw up his hands. “What, why does everyone say that? I can do things.”

  Bridge just shook his head and then slapped down a newspaper. A copy of the London Times. “It’s about the Montague and April.”

  Ben nodded his head at me. “Read it out loud, love.”

  I found the article and quickly scanned it until I reached the part that obviously mattered. “April Van Linsted, wife of Marcus Van Linsted of the Van Linsted Diamond Conglomerate, will be in attendance at the Gem Gala held at the Montague Museum. While the family’s famous Canary Jewel was initially expected to be part of the exhibit, it is said that Mrs. Van Linsted will, in fact, be wearing the jewel instead.”

  Ben bit out a curse as he leaned onto the island. “What the fuck are we going to do?”

  Bridge shook his head. “Motherfuck if I know. Lucas, Roone, and Jessa are already on their way.”

  Ben lifted his head, his gaze meeting mine, and I could tell he was thinking. “Fuck, they have our goddamned playbook.”

  Bridge frowned at that. “I mean, do they?”

  Ben glanced up. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, what we need to do has been made increasingly more difficult. You think Rowan has sold us out? Olivia suggested it herself.”

  Nervous that the plan might change because of something I’d suggested during the team meeting, I said, “I only mentioned it as a possibility. But why would he get you to agree to steal the jewel in the first place?”

  “You don’t know the Elite.”

  He was right. I didn’t know them. They worked in the world of secrets and favors and oaths. I worked in the light.

  Bridge ran a hand through his tousled dark hair. I’d never noticed how the ends curled slightly. It was always perfectly coiffed. “This doesn’t feel good, Ben. Something is very, very wrong.”

  Ben nodded slowly. “I agree. We just have to look at this and figure out how the hell to adjust.”

  Within twenty minutes, the rest of the team arrived, and all of us threw out ideas on how to do what we needed to do in the time that we had. After a half hour of arguing and discussing the most outlandish ideas, Lucas shushed us all. “Look, you all wanted to be involved? Well, be involved. This has become a straight-up heist. It’s going to require all of us, and we’re going to need some additional help.”

  Ben shook his head. “I don’t want anyone involved that doesn’t have to be.”

  “Relax. We’re going to keep this in the family.”

  Roone popped a meat pie into his mouth and spoke as he chewed. “Are you calling Sebastian?”

  Lucas choked out a laugh. “What? No. I’m calling the Chases. For this plan to work, we’ll need some extra hands.”

  I frowned and turned to Ben. He’d actually managed to make some passable jollof rice in the end. I was almost impressed. “Who are the Chases?”

  “The easiest explanation is extended family. But that’s another long story.”

  “Okay, more family. Is it wise to be staging a jewel heist with your family members?”

  He chuckled at that. “Probably not. But right now we don’t have a choice.”

  Bryna slid a glance toward Lucas. They still weren’t standing next to each other, but once or twice their eyes met, and it felt like the whole room was going to combust. I surmised that they had probably had some version of makeup sex but still had issues to work out.

  Been there, done that.

&
nbsp; Ben turned to Lucas. “All right, mate, let’s hear it. What’s the plan?”

  Lucas stopped to think. “I promise you we’ll get you what you need.” He turned his gaze to me. “And we’ll get the Elite off your ass.”

  Ben prompted him. “Yeah, but what exactly are we going to have to do?”

  “You’re not going to like it. You’re not going to like it one bit.”

  Ben

  Lucas was right; I didn’t like this. Every time I turned around Livy was entrenching herself deeper into this world. The one I fought to keep her out of. If I had my way, she would be far the fuck away from this.

  She needed to feel useful. Needed to take some control over her life.

  I understood that, but it didn’t mean I had to like it. It was perfectly reasonable for me to want her out of harm’s way.

  As we cleaned up after the meeting, I looked around and could clearly see her stamp on everything. Over the last week, I’d added art I thought she might like. She’d brought in colorful throw pillows and candles.

  What was it with women and candles? She had added more in just a few days, than I’d managed to accumulate in the years I had owned the place. Sure, I had a designer come in and deco it out in the most elegant, beautiful, expensive, hard to acquire items, but it hadn’t felt like home.

  Apparently, things didn’t feel homey until things were left out of place. Until they were slightly messy. Not even messy, really, but just being able to tell that she’d used a throw on the couch made me feel like someone lived here. It was what I’d been missing the whole time.

  Once the great room was mostly picked up for the cleaning staff in the morning, she eased herself on to the couch and glanced up at me. “Do you want to tell me why you’re in a mood?”

  I crossed my arms. Instead of joining her on the couch, I picked the soft leather chair across from her. I knew well enough to choose my words wisely. “I’m not in a mood. But I do think you should probably talk things over with me before you suggest them to the team at large.”

  Her dark eyes blinked owlishly at me. Then again, “I’m sorry, are we shagging, or are you my father?”