Bentley: Vested Interest #1

by Melanie Moreland

“Not much—especially right now. A few meetings. A couple dinners. It’ll be a while until it’s all completed. I’d like you there with us when it opens with us.” I hesitated. “It’s a paid position.”

  “Oh, nice try.”

  “Honest, Emmy. Talk to Maddox. It was his idea. He wants to make sure you get some credit.”

  “I didn’t do it to get credit. I did it to help you.”

  Leaning over, I stroked her soft cheek. “I know. And you did. Just talk to him, okay? I promise I’ll stay out of it.”

  She rolled her eyes, mumbling about miracles having to happen, then tried to cover up a yawn.

  “You’re exhausted. Why is this test stressing you out so much? You know your stuff.”

  “It’s worth a big part of my final grade. It’s an entire business plan and proposal, and I have to present it. Plus there’s a written test. I always tense up before tests. I freeze and have trouble remembering the answers. I do so much better when I’m given a project to do.”

  “What can I do to help?”

  “Nothing. I’m meeting Cami early tomorrow and she is gonna quiz me, then I’ll study a bit more, and the test is at eleven.”

  “After, you can come home and have a nap.”

  “No. I can go to Al’s and get more scones done.”

  I pursed my lips in vexation. “If you took on this project, you wouldn’t have to work at Al’s.”

  “It’s part of my rent.”

  “The rent here is very reasonable. Free, in fact.”

  “Bentley—”

  I held up my hands with a grin. “Think about it. I want you here, Emmy. I want to know you’ll be here when I get home. That I get to sleep beside you every night.” I indicated the room around us. “It feels like home when you’re here. When you’re not, it’s just . . . space.”

  Her cheeks pinked. “Really?”

  “Yes. Think how much easier life would be for you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Frank would drive you to school and pick you up. You wouldn’t have to bake so early in the mornings. You could work with Maddox on the project, which would be an excellent learning experience, concentrate on school, not have to worry about bills . . .” My voice trailed off at the frown on her face.

  “If I decide to live with you, it won’t be because of money.”

  “I know that. I was simply pointing out some good facts.”

  “I would have to pay my way.” She lifted her chin. “Otherwise the discussion is closed.”

  I knew arguing with her was a waste of time. She was stubborn and proud, and scared to depend on anyone. I wanted her to depend on me though. I wanted to prove to her she could depend on me and I wouldn’t let her down.

  “The house is paid for and all the bills are done through my company.” I fibbed a little. “Perhaps we could do an exchange. Like you have with Al.”

  “You want four dozen scones a day?”

  I chuckled. “No, but I love your cooking, and baking. It would give Andrew a break, as well. I have been thinking I needed to get him some help.”

  She pursed her lips. I lifted her hand to my mouth.

  “Emmy, I don’t want to take away your independence. I’m not going to stop you living your life. I only want to share it with you. Have you be part of mine. I admit, having you live with me would ease my mind some. I want to take care of you. I’ve never felt that with another person. We can work out all the details so we’re both happy, but what I really want is to know you want it too.”

  She sighed, looking distraught.

  “What are you thinking?”

  “What if–what if my brother comes looking for me?”

  Suddenly, I understood why she stayed in that tiny apartment. She was hoping one day he would come back and find her in the same place he had left her. That she would be important enough to him for him to return. Even after he walked away, she still held hope.

  “Al will know where you went.” I brushed my finger down her cheek. “If you want, Emmy, I can have Aiden get someone to look for your brother.”

  Her eyes enlarged. “You could?”

  “If you want. You know, he could find you other ways aside from your address. You’re on Facebook, Instagram—”

  “I know. I don’t think he’s looking,” she admitted. “That’s what hurts the most.”

  “Then stop living your life waiting for someone who walked away from you to come back. I’m right here, and I want you. I want you with me every day. I hate it when you leave.”

  Tears spilled from her eyes and I pulled her into my arms. I lay back on the sofa, letting her rest against my chest, her head tucked under my chin. “You’ve changed me, Emmy. I want your light and to see your beautiful face all the time. Please let me have it. Promise me you’ll think about it.”

  She drew in a deep shuddering breath, but I felt her nod. I couldn’t help the broad smile that stretched across my face.

  “We’ll talk and make some plans once this test is over, deal?”

  “Deal.”

  Chapter 15

  Bentley

  I glanced around the boardroom. I needed to pay attention to what was happening, except my mind was elsewhere. Greg’s surly, judgmental mood, Emmy’s stress over her project and test, and Aiden’s insistence about security still being in place, all distracting.

  There wasn’t much I could do about Greg. I had no idea why he was questioning my decision so intensely. It wasn’t as if I hadn’t taken risks before, and it shouldn’t matter to him. I paid him regardless if I made or lost money. Aiden’s gut feeling was simply that—a feeling. I was certain he had been worried about the project for so long, he was jumping at shadows. They won the land battle, but thanks to Emmy’s brilliant idea, I won the war. It was done. Over. I planned to talk to Aiden once it all calmed down.

  He and Cami were great together and he deserved a shot at happiness. If fact, I thought Maddox did as well, and he and Dee seemed well suited for each other, but I would pick my fights one at a time. Emmy would be okay after she handed her project in today. I knew Cami would have given her a pep talk this morning, and I would make sure to pamper her tonight. In the meantime, though, I could send her a funny text. She taught me how to use the emoji things so I would add them in. She loved those.

  I reached toward my phone just as Aiden lifted his to his ear. He listened for a moment, his face impassive, but the look he shot me, made me instantly tense up. He stood, heading to the door, talking low, indicating Maddox should follow him. When he pulled open the door, Sandy stood there, holding a brown grocery bag. She looked upset, and my anxiety increased. My laptop pinged, and I glanced over, freezing as I looked at the small window that had popped up. The image was grainy and dark, but there was a girl in the frame, sitting on the floor of a dingy room.

  A girl who looked exactly like Emmy.

  Everything happened in slow motion.

  I blinked and the image on my screen disappeared.

  Aiden clapped his hands. “Give us the room.” His tone left no room for argument.

  Sandy dropped the bag on the table. Aiden gripped my shoulder.

  The boardroom door shut.

  I looked up. “What the fuck did I just see?”

  Aiden placed his phone on the table and pressed a button. A disjointed voice came on the line. “We have the girl. You want her back, wait for instructions at home. Involve the police, she’s dead.”

  I was on my feet without thought. “Is this a joke? Some sort of sick prank?”

  Maddox opened the bag, and dumped it out. Emmy’s rucksack, the bane of my existence, fell onto the table.

  “She never goes anywhere without it.” I heard my voice say.

  Aiden’s hand felt heavy on my shoulder. “I know.”

  “She’s at the library,” I insisted, as if by saying so it would make it true. “Frank drove her there this morning.”

  “She never made it.”

  Fear swamped me. “What?�
�

  Maddox leaned forward. “Frank was found at the garage where the car is stored, knocked unconscious. Simon got a text saying they would be late, but they never showed. The car was abandoned in an alley about three miles from the house. There were signs of a struggle.” He sucked in a deep breath. “Some blood was on the seat. Whoever took Emmy must have picked her up.”

  “How much blood?” I heard myself ask.

  “Not a lot, but there was some sort of altercation. Her messenger bag was in the back seat, and the contents dumped out.”

  I felt sick. I had watched her slip out the door. My phone had rung, distracting me from following her out. I heard her voice telling Frank to stay in the car. She hated it when he opened the door for her. Except it hadn’t been Frank. I had let her walk right to them, and they took her. I shook my head, trying to clear it.

  “Frank—is he okay?”

  “He has a bad concussion. They found him in the stairwell—he was knocked out before he ever reached the car. He didn’t see who hit him.”

  The air in the room became too hot, too close. I tugged on my tie, struggling to drag in oxygen.

  “Why?” I choked out.

  “You know why.”

  “They got the land. They got what they wanted!” I swung around facing Aiden. “We did all of this as a precaution. Only a precaution! She has nothing to do with any of this!”

  Maddox spoke up. “They thought they had won until you refused to give up the last piece. She has everything to do with you, Bentley. She’s the one weak link in your armor. They want it all, and this is how they’re going to make sure they get it.”

  I sat down, my legs no longer able to hold me up. “Are we sure? Was what I saw real?”

  Aiden sat beside me, and held out his phone. There was a screen capture of the same image I saw.

  Emmy.

  “Should we call the police?”

  Aiden huffed out a big breath. “My gut is telling me no.”

  I glanced at the screen again. The huddled mass of her cowering, pushed into the corner of the room angered me. She would be terrified and confused. Not understanding what was happening. I peered closer, trying to see, but the image was unclear. It looked like her shirt was torn. Was she okay? Had they hurt her?

  Images of my past, my dead parents, swam in front of me. The air in my lungs became constricted. I could hear my breathing coming faster, to the point I was panting. I clawed at my collar, desperate for air.

  Maddox gripped my shoulders, meeting my eyes. “Calm down, Bent. We need you calm. She needs you calm. We’ll get her back.”

  I dragged air into my lungs. “If they hurt her, I will kill them.”

  Aiden leaned in beside Maddox. “Not going to happen.”

  His gaze was tormented but steady.

  I nodded. “Okay. What do we do?”

  “We’re going to the house. We wait.”

  “Cami!” I blurted as a thought occurred to me.

  Aiden frowned. “What?”

  “She was meeting Cami. Do we know if she’s okay?”

  He grabbed his phone. “I’ll handle it.” He strode from the room, already talking.

  Maddox sat beside me. “They’re going to demand you sell them the last piece of land.”

  “I know.”

  He waited, his eyebrow lifted in a silent question.

  I pulled a hand through my hair. “It’s a fucking piece of real estate. She’s my entire world There is no question. It goes.”

  “Not until we make sure she is safe, Bent.”

  “I know. We have to find her.”

  “We will.” He stood. “I’ll get my things and we’ll head to the house. We’ll take it one step at a time. Aiden and I are beside you, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  **

  I paced around my den, anxiety rolling off me. I stood in front of the concept model of what I had planned to be my legacy. It was nothing except buildings—brick and mortar. Businesses that would make money. Houses other people would live in and create lives. Roads and sidewalks I would never use. There was nothing of me in it. It wasn’t a legacy. It was a cash cow. Now someone else saw it for what it was and decided to take it. No matter what it cost.

  The cost was too dear. They could have the land. I would give it to them, as long as they gave me back what really mattered.

  Emmy.

  Aiden came in, talking on his phone. “Good. See you soon.”

  I met his stare.

  “Maddox has Cami and Dee. He’s bringing them here. Just as a precaution.”

  I snorted, gripping the back of my neck. “More precautions. I hope this one works better.”

  He held out his hands. “Bent. We all agreed they were focused on you. When they got the land, we thought it was done. She was being watched.”

  “Not everywhere.”

  He set down his phone, and crossed his arms. “If you have something to say, spit it out.”

  “How did they get her, Aiden? Why wasn’t there someone in the car with Frank? Why didn’t we think of that? With everything else you insisted on, why didn’t you think of that?”

  He said nothing.

  “You should have done more!”

  “I know.”

  His simple words stopped me.

  “What?”

  “I thought we were covered. She left here in the safety of your car and driver. Joe or Simon picked her up at school and watched over her until she came back here later. It never occurred to me they were so desperate they would knock off your driver and take her! Jesus, we thought someone might approach her and try to talk to her about you, not kidnap her!” His voice rose to the point he was yelling. “And if you think I’m not already blaming myself, you’re wrong!”

  “You should be!” I yelled back. “I was depending on you to look after her!”

  His voice became low. Angry. “It wouldn’t have happened if you had walked her out to the car this morning, the way you usually do. That was always part of the daily routine. You could have stopped it.”

  His words brought me up short.

  “Too busy working on another deal, Bentley? Or too exhausted from fucking her all night again? You let her walk out of here—right to them. Let me remind you, you told me to back off. So, I’m not the only one to blame here.”

  Rage set in. My eyes narrowed, hands curled into fists as I struggled for control. Maddox rushed in, glancing between us.

  “What the hell is going on? I can hear the two of you from the front door.”

  Aiden stood, stiff and angry. “Nothing. Bentley is casting blame, the way he always does.”

  “Fuck you,” I snarled.

  He glared. “You usually do.”

  Maddox flung out his arms. “Knock it off! There is no blame here! Someone did this to get at Bentley—to get at us! Fighting is only going to make it worse.” He turned to me. “You know this isn’t Aiden’s fault. We all agreed on how to handle watching her. None of us could have predicted they’d be so desperate they’d actually take her or how they would take her!”

  Aiden and I stared at each other, neither of us giving an inch.

  “The girls are here,” Maddox informed us. “Can we try to be civil and concentrate on what is important? They’re already upset enough.”

  My anger left me as fast as it had hit. Maddox was right. This wasn’t the time to be fighting. We had to work together.

  “You’re right.”

  Aiden pushed off the desk with a huff. “Well, at least you agree with one of us.”

  “Aiden—”

  He held up his hand. “You said enough, Bentley. I get it.” He walked out of the room, his shoulders stiff.

  Maddox swung around. “What the fuck? You know this isn’t his fault.”

  “I was angry.” I yanked my hands through my hair. “I said shit I didn’t mean.”

  “So, take it out on your punching bag. Swim a hundred lengths. Don’t assign blame to someone you know is already he
aping the blame on his own head.” His voice softened. “You know he is, Bent. It’s Aiden.”

  I dropped my head in my hands and rubbed my face hard. “I know. I’ll apologize.”

  “Sooner rather than later,” he advised as he walked out of the den. “We’ve had enough shit today.”

  **

  The day dragged, the house was filled with tension. Cami and Dee sat together on the sofa talking quietly, looking anxious. Often, one of them was in tears. Maddox and Aiden sat at the dining table with one of my other staff members, Reid, who was a whiz on the computer. I had objected when they’d hired him. His honest disclosure of hacking skills and some run-ins with the law made me nervous, but Aiden had insisted he was the right one, and he had been correct. Loyal, hardworking, and currently, very handy. I should have been frightened by how good a hacker he was, but I was only grateful at this point. We needed anything that might get Emmy back was needed.

  The sound of the constant clicks of their keyboards drove me insane. At one point sandwiches appeared, Andrew firmly informing us all to eat. Maddox handed me a plate and I ate without tasting, my mind constantly asking if Emmy was getting anything to eat.

  All day they had been playing with us. Different images of Emmy would appear on one of our phones. In all of them, she was a huddled mass pressed into the corner. Some were close-ups where she looked at the camera and her facial expression said it all. Pale and frightened, and alone in a darkened room. She was wearing the shirt she’d had on the second day I met her, but the tie was absent and so was her constant extra layer. Had they taken them from her? Her shirt was torn in two places, and the knee on her pants ripped. Her hair was disheveled, and there were marks on her hands. She would be cold. It ate at me constantly, and slowly my hot anger turned icy.

  None of Reid’s traces turned up anything. The traffic cams he hacked into showed the car racing down my street and eventually disappearing. He couldn’t get a good angle to see the driver, but we were able to catch a glimpse of a second person in the back with Emmy.

  How were they doing this? Why couldn’t we find out? How fucking dare they take her and subject her to such cruelty? I vowed they would pay for this—whoever was behind it. If they wanted the land, they could have it. I would play their game, but it wasn’t over—not by a long shot.