by Cynthia Eden
Screw that, sweetheart.
Ben was still riding out his own rage. His gaze was on the current object of his fury. “You were looking to take over power, weren’t you? What did you think would happen? That Courtney would be your leverage? That she’d draw your real target out? That you could take him out?”
“Like I said before, I don’t know what you are talking about—”
“You failed,” Ben said simply. “But you didn’t think about failure when you started this, did you? Didn’t think about the fact that the person you were trying to take down…if rumors are true, there are plenty of people in prison who owe him favors.”
“I’ll tell the world who she is!” Spittle flew from Hayden’s mouth. “I’m the one who got her results from that stupid ancestry site. I’m the one who was monitoring her mother’s family because I knew about her mother’s past. I’m the one who pushed Worthington to get more DNA so we could get definitive proof.” A smug smile. “Everyone will know, everyone—”
Ben walked around the table and bent to whisper in Hayden’s ear, “There is nothing to tell. You need to worry less about who Courtney is…and more about the people you’re going to be coming into contact with when you’re locked away. You need to worry about who you can really trust in this world. And who might just be planning to kill you.”
Hayden’s head turned toward him.
The interrogation room door clicked closed.
Hayden jerked.
“Don’t worry. That’s just the cop leaving so we can have a minute alone.”
“But, no, you—you can’t—” Fear flashed in Hayden’s eyes.
“I can,” Ben said quietly. “I did. I can get to you anytime and anywhere. And so can he. You ever think of coming after Courtney, of sending anyone after her, and you’re dead.” He wanted the message received.
Hayden’s breath heaved out. “You…you wouldn’t hurt me.”
“I would kill you in an instant.”
Hayden choked.
Ben smiled. “Good to know we understand each other.” He slapped Hayden’s shoulder. “Don’t forget to sign those papers for Kadi. She’s looking forward to the single life.” He picked up his bag and headed for the door.
“She’s just like him!” Hayden yelled.
Ben stilled.
“I heard she broke both of Sharon’s kneecaps. Like father, like daughter, right? How does it feel to know you’ll be screwing a psychopath? She’s never been close to anyone, has she? Because she can’t form those attachments. He can’t, either. They can’t love. They can only kill and destroy. It’s their nature.”
His shoulders straightened as Ben turned. “It’s your nature. You just described yourself. You didn’t describe Courtney.”
“’Cause you think she loves you! She doesn’t! You’re a fool! She’ll kill you or her dad will kill—”
“Mention her father again, and let’s see what happens.”
Fear flashed in Hayden’s eyes. His lips pressed together.
“You don’t have any power now.” They needed to be clear on this. “The money will be Kadi’s. The businesses will be hers.” That was why he was finishing her case. Because he wanted to take every single thing from Hayden Laslow. “You will have nothing, and you won’t be able to get anyone to help you. You’re going to be a target. So, if I were you, I’d start thinking of ways to save your ass.”
Hayden’s lower lip trembled.
“I think we understand each other now.” With that, Ben was done. He exited, strolled into the hallway, and motioned for Daniel to head back inside. Ben exhaled before he rounded the corner, and…hell, he wasn’t particularly surprised to find Kendrick waiting for him.
Kendrick lifted his brows. “Fancy seeing you here.”
Ben strode toward him. “Thank you for the address.” They hadn’t talked since that night. He knew Kendrick had been avoiding him.
Voice low, Kendrick said, “You didn’t get it from me.”
“Are you in trouble, man? Do you need help?”
“I can handle my business, don’t worry about that.” He gave a nod. “And don’t worry about Courtney. You didn’t need to visit Hayden Laslow. No one will find out who her father is.”
Ben was working to make sure of that fact. He’d be going to see Sharon next—
Kendrick glanced around. No one else was in the hallway. “For the record, Rossi didn’t order the hit on Sharon Long’s parents.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because sometimes, my clients tell me the truth.” Kendrick whistled. “He wanted Courtney to know that. Plenty of sins are at his door, but not that one.”
Courtney had told him about Sharon’s past. “If he didn’t do it, who did?”
“Funny story.” No humor was in his eyes. “According to my client, it was actually one of his underlings. A junior guy who wanted to steal power from the big boss. He was a much younger punk back then.” One brow lifted. “Maybe you know him…Hayden Laslow.”
What the hell?
“Sharon knows the truth. I was able to provide her with proof this morning when we had a very short but fruitful conversation.” Kendrick’s gaze glittered. “Believe me when I say that she will never be a problem for you or Courtney again. Of course, Sharon will also never be getting out of jail again, either. She will die in prison.” A pause. “You know that she hired the men who abducted Kadi. Before she hired that crew, though, she employed Donnie Dwight.”
Now the guy was spilling about Donnie?
“Donnie was supposed to abduct Courtney in the parking garage, and when he failed there, he was supposed to grab her in the park.”
“Did Donnie break into Courtney’s house?”
“No, that was all Sharon…from what I can gather.” His shoulders rolled back. Sadness thickened his voice when he said, “Donnie ran down Cole Vincent, and Donnie was paid by Sharon to hit your side of the Benz. Sharon wanted you out of her way.”
“Where’d you get all of this information?”
“My client wanted you to know all the facts.”
“And you know that the cops have proven that Sharon’s gun was the same one used to kill Donnie.”
Kendrick nodded. “You understand why I am happy to tell you the full details about her actions. I will also make sure that any additional proof that I am given finds its way to the proper authorities. As I said, that woman will spend the rest of her life in prison.”
So would Hayden Laslow. Though Ben wondered just how long of a life those two would have.
“Courtney will be safe,” Kendrick assured him. “Always.”
“Hell, yes, she will be.” As far as Ben was concerned, one of the biggest threats to her was Courtney’s father. “I will stand between her and any threat. I’m not afraid of him. Never will be. He won’t hurt Courtney. He’d have to go through me first.”
“Message received.”
Ben hesitated. This was Kendrick. “Are you sure that you’re okay?”
“He’s not my enemy.” Kendrick’s lips twisted. “And he’s not yours. It’s the rest of the world that needs to fear him.”
***
She was finally getting out of the hospital. Courtney didn’t exactly have stuff that needed to go home with her. Ben had brought her a change of clothes, and she was dressed and sitting on the edge of the hospital bed. Her heart raced because she was so ready to get out of there. So ready for—
The hospital door opened. A nurse was there, pushing in a wheelchair. “Policy,” she told Courtney with a nod. “You have to be wheeled to the front door.”
What? Why?
“So you can’t fall on the way out and sue the hospital. Policy,” the nurse said again as if she’d just read Courtney’s mind.
Courtney slid into the chair.
The door opened again. This time, Ben was there. He saw her, and his dimples flashed. “Ready to go, sweetheart?”
Her hands patted the wheelchair. “I, um, have to be wheeled out
in the—”
He scooped her into his arms. “I’ve got you.”
“No!” The nurse shook her head. “That is not the way—”
Ben carried Courtney into the hall. “Are you feeling okay?”
“The best.” She stared into his eyes. Her arm had looped around his neck.
“You scared the hell out of me. I don’t want you ever hurt again.” He took her inside the elevator. People at the nurses’ station gaped, but she didn’t care.
“I’d rather you not be hurt, too.” The elevator doors closed. They were alone. “Sharon told me that Hayden was going to kill you. I’ve never been as afraid as I was right then.” She stared into his eyes. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Nothing will.” He pressed a tender kiss to her lips. “Baby, nothing will take me away from you.”
The doors opened. He carried her through the lobby and outside—to his new Benz. Carefully, tenderly, he seated her inside, then he hurried to the driver’s side. He started the ignition—
Her hand flew out and touched his wrist. “My father is Julian Rossi.”
“Yes, I know.”
“He’s…a killer.”
“That’s what I’ve heard.”
Because they’d talked about it over and over. Yet she still had to say… “He has…enemies.” Serious understatement. “People who might target me. I can’t—I won’t have you put at risk for me.”
His head turned toward her. And once more, his dimples winked. “Having you is worth any risk, don’t you know that?”
“Ben—”
“You’re safe. We’re safe. You don’t need to be afraid.” He leaned over and brushed a kiss to her lips.
Tears stung her eyes. Her fantasy of a father? It had turned into a real nightmare. “I’m a monster’s daughter.”
“No.” He stared straight at her. “You’re the woman I love. The woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. That’s who you are. You’re Courtney McKenna. Perfect, beautiful, strong, smart. You are my life.”
“And you’re mine,” she whispered back. Fear gnawed at her. “But what if…what if I’m like him?”
Ben laughed. “You’re not.” He was so confident. His eyes seemed to shine with love as he stared at her.
“Ben…”
“Do you love me, Courtney?”
“With all of my heart.”
“Good. Because you own my heart.” His gaze turned even brighter. “You’re not like him, baby. You will never be like him. You are everything that is good in my world.” He spoke with such utter certainty.
When she’d been younger and the social worker had said that she couldn’t attach…Courtney had feared that he was right. She’d feared that she’d always be alone. The one who would never fit in. The one who didn’t feel like the others.
But with Ben, she was different. She loved him so much. With a depth that left her shaken. She wanted to laugh with him, talk with him, love with him—forever. She wanted to grab tight and never let go. “You’re the good part of my world, too.” An anchor that she’d always been looking for. One that had been closer than she realized.
His dimples winked. “Then let’s get the hell out of here, huh? Because I want to take you home.”
Home. The word pierced through her. As she stared in Ben’s eyes, Courtney realized that she was home.
He was her home. The only one she’d ever need. She’d found her real family. She’d found him.
EPILOGUE
One year later.
“Wilde and Wilde…” Ben turned, his smile stretching and his blue eyes twinkling. “That is the best name for a law firm ever!”
Courtney laughed. They’d gotten married a week ago. One week—at a crazy, wonderful, unforgettable Vegas wedding. Instead of starting her own practice, she and Ben were creating their practice. Not enemies in court any longer. Partners.
In law.
In life.
She sat on the edge of the new desk that had just been brought in the office. A desk that they would totally have to christen. The last twelve months had been a blur. Hayden and Sharon had gone to prison. The men who’d helped them? Locked away, too.
She hadn’t heard from her father, and Courtney knew, deep down, that she probably never would. She had a vague memory of him being at her hospital bed. He’d come to see her, come to make certain she was okay.
The world said he was a monster.
Everything she knew about him said the same thing. But…
I think I remember him saying he loved me.
All DNA evidence linking them had been destroyed. Kendrick Shaw had delivered that news. The ancestry company she’d used? Shut down.
Her father’s power was stronger than she’d realized.
But her love for Ben?
It was stronger than anything in the world.
Ben lifted his hand, and his fingers stroked over her cheek. “Where did you go?”
She leaned into his touch. “Nowhere. I’m right where I want to be.” The only place she wanted to be—with him.
Ben had told her about his talk with her father. By staying out of her life, Julian was trying to offer her the only thing he had to give…protection.
She’d always been afraid to give her heart to a man because she hadn’t wanted to be cast aside again. But Courtney knew she didn’t have to worry. Ben wasn’t going anywhere. Neither was she. She would fight with all of her strength for their life together. And it would be a good life. No, an amazing life.
One that was filled with smiles, and laughter, and the law, and yes…
There would be bad times. Life was a mix of good and bad. But they’d face the bad times. Together, they could face anything.
***
Eric flattened his hands on his desk. “I’m giving you an opportunity here.”
Cole Vincent straightened in his chair. “You aren’t going to regret this.”
“I sincerely hope not.” Eric cast his gaze over his newest agent. Cole had been in physical therapy for months, and then he’d started busting ass to prove that he could be a better person…or rather, a better bodyguard. “I’m going to partner you up with Julia. She’ll teach you the ropes. Do what she says and don’t piss her off.”
Cole nodded. “I think I can manage that.”
The guy didn’t know Julia. “Don’t be too sure…” Eric murmured, but he waved his hand. “You’ll find her waiting outside.”
Cole scrambled to get out of the office. When the door shut behind him, Eric pulled out his phone. In moments, Piper’s beautiful face filled his screen.
“I need to see her,” he said. And I always need to see you.
Piper moved her phone, changing the angle, and his daughter’s smile filled the screen.
THE END
Ready for another Cynthia Eden book? THE HEART YOU BREAK is coming soon.
THE HEART YOU BREAK
Her new client is the bad boy of rock.
Security agent Julia Slate is going undercover. Her assignment? Protect rocker Bran Copper. He’s sexy, has a reputation for living life to the extreme, and he’s also the target of one very obsessed fan. Julia’s job is to keep Bran safe…and the catch? Bran can’t know that she’s his bodyguard. Bran’s manager has hired her because the star refuses to get protection. Bran just wants to be left alone. With his stalker escalating, that isn’t an option.
It should be easy to keep him at arm’s length.
Julia pretends to be Bran’s new assistant as she moves into his mountain home. She acts shy and reserved, a delicate flower who isn’t a threat…when she can totally kick butt any day of the week. She will stay with Bran twenty-four, seven, and make sure he’s safe. It’s supposed to be business only, and there is no way the guy is her type. He’s everything that she doesn’t want in a lover. Right? But…the more time they spend together, the more she realizes that the bad boy? It’s just an image he projects. There is a whole lot more to the real man.
But she’s lying to him.
Bran has been betrayed over and over again, and now Julia is lying to him, too. She thought her lies didn’t matter. She thought she was keeping him safe, but she never expected to give her heart to the man she’s been hired to protect.
He’s never met anyone like her.
Bran’s new assistant is gorgeous, smart, and…making him crazy. He’s used to women throwing themselves at him, used to people not caring about who he is—just that he’s famous. But Julia isn’t like that. She touches something inside of him, she makes him want, makes him crave everything that he’s never had. Soon Bran can’t imagine ever letting her go. He needs her, he wants her, and what Bran wants…he gets.
As the threats keep mounting, as the stalker closes in, will Bran be able to forgive Julia when he learns the truth? Or will they crash and burn? Because THE HEART YOU BREAK…it could be the one that matters most.
Author’s Note: Ready for sin and rock? Because Bran is one sexy singer, and Julia is a bodyguard who will do anything to protect her man. But as Bran falls for Julia, as the lies twist around them, things are going to become wild and dangerous. No cliff-hangers. This book can be read as a stand-alone. So have fun and rock on!
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
Thanks so much for taking the time to read BEFORE BEN. I hope you enjoyed his story. After I wrote PROTECTING PIPER, I received so many notes from readers about Ben—I just had to give him a book of his own. It was time for Eric’s younger brother to find his own happy ending. Everyone deserves a happy ending, right?
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