Bentley: Vested Interest #1

by Melanie Moreland

  A knock at the door interrupted me, and Maddox stepped into the room, Aiden behind him. Emmy dropped her hand, but kept it cradled inside of mine.

  “Our guests are aware and anxious.”

  Emmy tensed in my arms. “Guests?”

  “It’s okay. Cami and Dee are here.”

  “Here?”

  “I had to make sure they were safe.”

  For the first time since arriving, her eyes glistened.

  “Thank you.”

  “Let them in.”

  Maddox opened the door, and the girls came in. They were dressed in nightclothes, rumpled, and already crying. I had to lean back as they hurried forward, wrapping Emmy in their embrace. I shared an amused glance with Aiden and Maddox, unable to move with all the girls piled on me. They drew back, their expressions relieved.

  “Emmy—” Cami’s voice caught. “We were so worried.”

  “I’m okay,” Emmy insisted, voice rough.

  Dee stood and hurried from the room. I frowned at her sudden action, but neither Emmy nor Cami seemed surprised. I noticed Maddox slip from the room, following her.

  Emmy bent and whispered something to Cami, who nodded.

  “What?” I asked. “What’s wrong?”

  Cami shook her head. “Emmy wants a shower. She asked me to help her.”

  “I can do that.”

  Emmy shook her head, not meeting my eyes. “Cami, please.”

  I ignored the fission of hurt at her rejection. If she was more comfortable with Cami, that was more important. She had been through a lot and needed her friend.

  Aiden glanced at his phone. “Colin will be here in fifteen.”

  “Colin?” Emmy asked anxiously.

  “He’s Sandy’s grandson. A doctor,” I soothed.

  “No,” Emmy breathed out. “I don’t need a doctor.”

  “Yes, you do. I want you checked out.”

  “I just need a hot shower and I’ll be fine.”

  I slipped my fingers under her chin. “Cut me some slack, Freddy. I’m certain you need more than a hot shower. After what you went through, the first order of business is let a doctor look at you.”

  Dee returned; Maddox right behind her. She carried a steaming cup, and handed it to Emmy. “There’s honey and lemon to soothe your throat. Bentley is right, Emmy, you need a doctor to examine you. Don’t argue with him—it only makes sense.”

  “Sorry,” Emmy mumbled, taking the mug. “It’s my first kidnapping. I wasn’t sure of the protocol.”

  I couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped my lips. Maddox smirked, and even Aiden cracked a smile.

  “I want a shower before I see this doctor. I feel so terrible.”

  Dee clapped her hands once. “We’ll help you. Bentley, do you have something she can change into? Something loose and warm?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. You fetch it for me. We’ll help her in the shower, the doctor can see her, and she needs to eat and rest.” She pointed to Maddox and Aiden. “You can tell the doctor to wait a few minutes so she is comfortable. Andrew is making coffee and sandwiches. He is going to get something light and warm for Emmy to eat. You should wait downstairs.”

  The three of us blinked, but we all knew we were going to do exactly as she ordered. I slid Emmy off my lap, and kissed her head.

  “Are you leaving?” Her voice was uneasy and the grip she had on my hand tight.

  “No. I’ll be here when you’re ready.” Despite what Dee said, downstairs was too far away. I wasn’t planning to be far from where Emmy was for a long while.

  She looked up at Maddox, holding out her hand. “Thank you for figuring out my message.”

  He came close, squeezed her fingers, and dropped a kiss to her head. “You were brilliant, Emmy.”

  Aiden studied her, standing back, his shoulders tense. “I’m sorry.”

  “No.” She shook her head, and reached out to him. “This wasn’t because of you. Any of you.”

  He didn’t move and she waved her fingers. “I heard them in the van, Aiden. They said you’ve barely slept looking for me. Please. Let me say thank you.”

  He waved off her words. “None of us have.”

  “Please,” she whispered, teary-eyed.

  He moved forward, his expression tight. He bent over and whispered something to her, then hugged her fast and left the room. Emmy blinked away the tears.

  Maddox cleared his throat. “I’ll go and do, ah, yeah, I’ll go do what I was told to do.”

  I went toward the closet. “Me, too.”

  After her shower, Colin checked her out, left some ointment for her bruises, and assured me she’d be fine once she got some liquids, food, and sleep. He gave me a couple tablets, which would help her to sleep if she needed them, suggested Tylenol for the aches, said he would drop in the next day to check on her, and handed me a card.

  “She may need to talk to someone. If so, I suggest this woman. She’s great with trauma victims, and Emmy might benefit from her experience in that field.”

  I shook his hand. “Thanks.”

  Returning to her, I kneeled by her side. She was in a heavy, knitted sweater and a pair of my sweatpants, both far too large for her, but warm. There was the heated blanket draped around her shoulders and thick socks on her feet. The girls had blown her hair dry, and I pushed back the tresses, frowning at the bruise.

  “Andrew has something for you to eat. Do you want to stay up here or go downstairs with the others?”

  “I feel shaky, but I’d like to go downstairs.”

  I stood, sliding my arms under her legs, picking her up. “I’ll take you.”

  She trembled in my arms, her head falling to my shoulder. “Are you cold?”

  “No. I’m . . . tired.”

  “You can eat, and we’ll go to bed. We all will. Everyone needs to sleep.”

  “Can I stay with you?”

  I hated hearing her sound vulnerable. She was always so strong.

  “Always.”

  We descended the stairs and joined our friends. I sat beside her, encouraging her to eat the scrambled egg and toast Andrew had made. The rest of us ate the sandwiches. For the first time since everything started, I was hungry, and wolfed down the food in front of me. I noticed it was the same for Maddox and Aiden. We cleared the enormous pile in minutes.

  I tensed when Cami looked up and asked Emmy. “Did you fight?”

  I started to object, but Emmy placed her hand on my arm. “I tried.” She sighed. “When I realized what was going on, I prepared myself. I knew the car would stop and they would have to open the door. The driver had a gun, and after we rounded the corner, another man jumped in with one, too. When we stopped to change cars, I thought if I acted meek, it would take them by surprise, and I could run. They were strong, though, and prepared. I got one good punch in, and I tried to kick the shorter guy in the crotch, but I guess I missed the mark.”

  “Or his dick was too small to hit,” Cami shot at her.

  “There’s that.”

  “We should take some self-defense courses.”

  Emmy pursed her lips. “Good idea. Next time, I’ll be better prepared with my Ninja skills.”

  “There won’t be a next time.” I snapped, but she ignored me.

  “Aiden, maybe you can teach me some of your karate skills. I bet I could take them if I tried. I don’t know if there is, like, a kidnapper network, but if word got out I wasn’t to be messed with, that would help keep them away.”

  I tamped down my anger. Remembering Dee’s words of the way Emmy tried to diffuse her feelings, I stood. “I think we need to call it a night.”

  Everyone stood, and not giving her a choice, I picked up Emmy, and carried her upstairs. I placed her on my bed.

  She gazed at me warily. “Are you angry with me?”

  “No. I’m not angry, but what happened is not a joke.”

  “I know.”

  “Then stop it.”

  “What?”


  “I know what you’re doing, Emmy. You don’t have to make light of what happened and pretend you’re okay. Not with your friends, and not with me. Never with me.” I cupped her cheek, my thumb stroking the skin. “Let it out. Talk to me.”

  She was silent for a moment, then her shoulders slumped. She blew out a long, shaky breath and met my eyes. The tears she’d been holding in began to form. “I was so scared, Bentley. I didn’t know what was happening, and I was so cold. I’ve never been that cold.”

  I lowered myself to the mattress beside her, wrapping my arm around her waist. “It killed me to see you chained up and shivering. Knowing you were hurt and cold because of me was overwhelming. I’ve never felt such helplessness and rage all rolled into one.”

  “When I realized it was Greg, I was so mad, I wanted to scream at him, but I knew I had to fake it. I let them think I was drinking the water they gave me. It was drugged, and I pretended to sleep all the time.”

  “Thank God you’re so clever.”

  “I didn’t know what would happen if they figured out I knew it was him.” Her voice caught. “I wasn’t sure I’d ever see you again.”

  I pulled her into my arms, holding her tight. “You’re home now, Freddy. You’re safe, and you don’t have to be scared. Greg will never get to you again. No one will.”

  “All I wanted was to come back to you. Home.”

  Her words made my chest ache. “You’re here now.”

  Her arms tightened. “You’re my home, Bentley. I want . . . I want to stay here.”

  I tilted her chin up, meeting her watery gaze. “You mean live here—with me?”

  She nodded, tears coursing down her cheeks. “Wherever you are, as long as you want me.”

  “I want you always,” I admitted. “I was afraid this would make you ever more skittish about being with me.”

  “No. I won’t let what happened change my mind.” She hesitated, then cupped my cheek. “I love you. I trust you.”

  I reached over and picked up the small bag from beside my bed, placing her rucksack in her lap. “I kept this for you.”

  She ran her fingers over the worn handle, then pushed it back into my hands. “I want you to have it. You keep it for me.”

  “What?”

  “You promised me one day when I was ready, you’d have a safe place I could keep it, and we’d both know I wouldn’t leave again.” The tears began to drip down her face. “I never want to be without you. I never want to leave.” Her voice shook with the force of her emotion. “I’m not waiting for the past anymore, Bentley. I’m giving it to you for safekeeping. Just like my heart. I want my future to be with you.”

  I took the rucksack from her shaking hands and pulled her into my arms., knowing she was about to break.

  “I’ve got you. Both of you.”

  She began to weep, deep sobs ripping through her chest as she shook in my arms. I kissed her head, keeping her tight to my chest.

  “Let it out, baby.”

  I slid us under the covers, letting her cry, knowing she needed to do so, and grateful I was the one she allowed to see her true feelings.

  I wanted to be that man for her—today, and always.

  Chapter 17

  Bentley

  Emmy cried out, her hand flailing, pushing herself into me. I cupped the back of her head, whispering soothing words into her ear.

  “It’s okay, Freddy. I got you. You’re safe.”

  She calmed, and gradually her body relaxed back into the sleep she so desperately needed. Despite the exhaustion she felt and the pill she had taken, her mind wasn’t letting her rest. I had hoped she would sleep, knowing she was safe, but nightmares had plagued her, no matter what I tried. I left the light on, I held her close, I murmured her name, but still she only slept for short periods before the fear gripped her and she started crying.

  Every time it did, my anger toward Greg grew a little more. When her hand reached out and the bruise on her wrist caught my eye, the need for retribution became sharper. Still, I kept my voice soft, and tried not to show my emotions when her eyes fluttered open, scared and anxious. I met her gaze; assuring her everything was okay and lulled her back into sleep.

  At eight in the morning, my door opened, and Cami poked her head through the crack. I was sitting up against the headboard, Emmy’s head in my lap. I stroked through her hair, the constant motion seeming to soothe her, and she was finally asleep.

  “Can I come in?”

  I nodded, watching as she approached the bed.

  “We heard her all night.”

  “It was rough.”

  “It will get better. She needs some time.”

  “I know.” I scrubbed my free hand over my face. “I have to go. Aiden and I are going to Greg’s.”

  She grimaced. “Why don’t you just get the police?”

  “Aiden’s arranged it, but I want to know why. I want to see his face when he realizes he failed. This is personal. He can be arrested after.”

  “What will happen?”

  I shrugged. “His career will be over. He’ll probably go to jail. He’ll be broke.”

  “And you’ll be . . .?”

  “Sad someone I trusted did this to me for a piece of real estate.” I looked down at Emmy. “Furious he did it to her of all people. Someone who did nothing wrong but get involved with me.” I ran my hand over her head. “Grateful he won’t be able to do it again.”

  “Do you feel anything for him at all?”

  I was feeling so many things, but if I expressed them, Cami would be horrified. I had never experienced such dark thoughts. “Nothing positive.”

  She squared her shoulders. “Good.” She stepped forward. “I’ll stay with Emmy. You go and do what you have to do then come home to her. I’ll make sure she’s okay until you come back.”

  Carefully, I slipped out of bed, and Cami took my place, curling up beside Emmy. I smiled at the sight of her protectiveness.

  “You’re a good friend. Thank you for being here for her. I wish you didn’t have to be—I hate the fact because of me she was hurt and is still so scared she can’t rest.”

  She shook her head. “Emmy is the best friend I ever had. I hate what happened too, but I know how she feels about you Bentley, and how you feel in return. I know this isn’t your fault. This is on him, not you. Go and end it, so you can move on.”

  I patted her arm and headed to the closet to get ready. I wasn’t looking forward to the confrontation, but it had to happen.

  **

  I sighed, looking up at the building we were about to enter. Aiden and I drove alone. Frank was still recovering and wouldn’t be able to drive for several weeks. The car ride over was tense, the air thick with anger. Maddox stayed at the house, all of us agreeing it would look odd to Greg if he accompanied us. He rarely did, since he had never been a big fan of Greg’s and kept their interactions to a minimum. They stuck to emails and phone calls when it involved finances.

  Aiden sighed; his shoulders slumped. “I’m ready for this to be done.”

  He’d been up all night. So had Reid and Maddox. Reid had proven himself to me; he’d gone above and beyond anything I could have ever hoped for, and now we had everything I needed to nail Greg. That kid had earned himself a place in my company for life, and he could write his own ticket. He knew it. I knew it. I was happy to give him whatever he wanted after all he had done for me. I had a feeling it involved a big office, lots of computers, and a hefty pay increase. All were his for the asking.

  Aiden cast his eyes my way. “You ready?”

  “Yes.”

  “Can you pull this off?”

  “I only have to act as though I am upset over something other than his betrayal for a short time, so yes, I can handle it.”

  “Once he knows, it’s bound to get ugly.”

  I snorted, the sound loud in the car. “Fucking right it is. It’s going to get ugly on him.”

  “Okay, let’s do this.”

  We were q
uiet as we went upstairs. I nodded at Mrs. Johnston, wondering what she would do once Greg no longer had a law practice. I hoped he’d been paying her well and she had a good retirement plan.

  She was going to need it after today.

  Aiden made his normal flirty remarks to her, making her chuckle.

  “He’s waiting for you.”

  Aiden chuckled, the sound low in his throat. “I bet the asshole is,” he muttered, following me into Greg’s office.

  Greg was at his desk, his usual self. Not a hair out of place, suit pressed, white shirt starched, and tie perfectly knotted. His face was clear, with no worry lines, or frown. For the first time, I noticed his eyes. Emmy’s brown eyes were warm, and lit from within. His were flat, dark, cold—void of expression. How had I not noticed that until now?

  He wasn’t even remotely concerned about the woman he thought was still chained up in a deserted warehouse. He’d lost no sleep over her welfare. All he cared about was the piece of land he was so desperate to get his hands on. I wanted to grab the tie and tighten it around his neck until he couldn’t breathe, but Aiden’s presence kept me calm.

  “Ah, Bentley. You’re later than I expected.”

  I sat across from him, and Aiden stood close.

  I had to force the words out of my throat. “Rough night. Late start. I apologize.”

  He studied me. “I can see that. You look terrible.”

  I shrugged. I knew I had dark circles under my eyes from lack of sleep the past two nights.

  “I wish you would tell me what’s going on. Perhaps I can help.”

  My hands curled into fists beside me. He played his role well. The confused but helpful lawyer. Maybe that was part of his plan. He would get me to tell him, and he would by some stroke of brilliance, help me find her, sucking me further into his deception. I would never suspect the man who helped bring her back to me, would I?

  My rage grew at his colossal gall.

  “I said leave it. Do you have the offer?”

  He ducked his head, sorting though some papers on his desk. I saw the glimmer of the smirk, though. The bastard thought he had won. “Here.”