I smiled at him and got the hell out of there.
I saw Heath was in Lloyd’s office as I walked back to mine. After I saw this, I saw Tandy watching me as I was walking.
She didn’t wait her usual judicious amount of time. She walked in right behind me and closed the door.
“What was that all about?” she asked.
I looked to her as I sat down at my desk. “I requested a remote office in Chicago so I could move in with Benny. Travis denied my request.”
Her eyes got big, then her face shut down. “You’re leaving?”
I gentled my voice when I said, “Probably.”
That was when her face fell. “Oh, Frankie.”
I so totally like Tandy.
“I’m sorry, honey. But I’m in love. I have a new puppy. I have a dining room table to clear off and a kitchen to buy tile for and a life to start living.”
“I get you,” she said quietly. “But I’ll miss you.”
I grinned at her and replied, “Well, when I find a new job, my assistant better be cracking or I’ll be headhunting a new one.”
Her lips trembled, but they did this before they smiled.
“Sucks for me because I liked my boss before you, but he didn’t ever buy me a latte. Not even taking a turn,” she told me.
“I’ll make sure I get you a few cards so you can keep topped up.”
Her smile stayed in place, then she looked out the window and back to me. “You think Heath’s resigning?”
My brows went up. “You know about that?”
“Last night, Nightingale or a member of his team called all of us. Briefed us on everything. Told us the way things were going to go. Got our statements. It was cool. It felt good knowing it’s gonna be over soon.”
“I get you,” I agreed.
“Just sucks. It’s gonna be over, Bierman will stop spreading his dickishness wide so things will be good again, but you’ll be gone.”
Yeah. I’d miss Tandy.
“You’re the freaking bomb, Tandy,” I whispered.
“So are you, Frankie,” she whispered back.
We looked at each other as we both battled emotion that could come out in a variety of ways. Emotion that was about change and loss and relief.
Then we both got our shit together and she went back to her desk.
The minute her ass was in her chair, my phone rang.
It was the three-oh-three number.
I answered with, “Two calls from a commando today. That’s a record.”
There was laughter in Luke Stark’s deep, rough voice when he replied, “You did good, babe.”
“Approval noted,” I replied.
“And babe,” he started, “nothin’ in this world is more important than buildin’ a life with the man you love.”
My breath caught.
They did have microphones.
And commandos could be gushy.
Before I could call him on it, Stark disconnected.
Or maybe he disconnected because he knew I was going to give him shit.
Either way, I put my phone on my desk, got to work, and did it smiling.
* * * * *
At ten o’clock, my phone rang again.
It was Benny.
“Hey, honey,” I greeted.
“Status,” he replied, and I knew he was still agitated.
“Well, a while ago, Heath left Lloyd’s office looking like he’d been whipped. Lloyd looked pissed, but I think it’s because he knows I’m going to resign soon too so he’s going to be down two managers rather than one.”
I wasn’t done with my update, but Ben cut in.
“You’re gonna resign?”
I’d forgotten he wasn’t in the know since he didn’t have microphones, and things were so weird, I didn’t call him with the news and I should have.
“Got the news direct from Berger. No Chicago office,” I told him quietly.
“Fuck.”
“Job search.”
“Yeah.”
“It’ll be okay, Benny.”
“You know it will, Frankie.”
That made me feel better because he was right. I knew it would.
“Anything else?” he asked.
“Sandy, Heath’s secretary, has spent most the morning in the bathroom, the rest of it looking like she’s about to burst into tears, this being before she runs into the bathroom. Heath hasn’t opened his door and has had his back to the room since he gave Lloyd his resignation. Bierman is looking smug rather than dickish, which would be annoying if I didn’t know there’s a possibility he’ll be incarcerated by this evening. And Tandy is coming to lunch with us.”
“She is?” Ben asked.
“Yep,” I answered.
“Why?”
“Because I like her. I’m gonna lose her and that means I’m gonna miss her, so I want to spend time with her. And last, I want her to meet my man.”
“That’s acceptable.”
I rolled my eyes at my computer screen before I gave him my finale.
“I think Berger knows what’s going down.”
“Yeah. Stark called with his update. He didn’t tell me Berger didn’t give the go-ahead for a Chicago office, but he did tell me he pushed for somethin’ else.”
It was cool Stark left it to me to give Benny that news.
I didn’t share this with Benny.
I said, “I can’t be sure. I mean, Bierman is up in my shit so he could be badmouthing me and Heath, but other than that, there’s nothing else to tell him.”
“Glad to know Heath isn’t the douchebag we thought he was, but it’s too bad he got down to business. Stark told me they swept Bierman’s office and found his copies of the photos last night. Also told me they just got done sweepin’ his house and found a bunch of other shit, includin’ more copies of the photos. They got a lock on his other hiding places and no more photos. Sal got the shit the PI had. All of it will be destroyed. This means Sandy’s covered and he didn’t need to resign.”
That made me want to laugh.
I didn’t.
Instead, I gave in to my wonder.
“Man, these guys are good.”
“Totally could oust a government in a small South American country.”
That made me laugh.
Benny let me laugh for a while before he went about finishing things.
“Okay, if you got no more, I got no more. I’ll see you and Tandy in a coupla hours.”
“See you then, honey.”
“Later, cara.”
“Later, Benny.”
We disconnected.
I looked to Heath and saw his back to the room. I moved my eyes to Sandy and saw her blowing her nose.
Then I looked to my computer and wished I could get a latte.
* * * * *
My gaze went to the bottom right corner of my computer screen.
It was 4:43.
Seventeen minutes and I could get the fuck out of there.
Lunch with Benny and Tandy went great. Before we even got in his SUV that was idling at the curb outside the front doors, Tandy saw Ben through the windows and said, “God, Frankie. You showed me pictures and I got it, but now I get it.”
And I got that. One look at Benny, even through a car window, any girl would get it.
She got it more as Ben charmed her during lunch.
Tandy being Tandy charmed him right back.
Benny dropped us off and the last thing he said to me was a firm, “Five, babe.”
I nodded and I also did this firmly. No way I was working late that night. Not even by a minute.
The good news was that he didn’t seem agitated anymore, but he did seem on guard, which was understandable.
The afternoon dragged no matter how much I tried to throw myself into work. I just wanted that day done. I wanted to go home and wait with Benny until we heard the rest of it was done. And then I wanted to get on with a life filled with promise without anything fucking it up.
> I took in a deep breath and considered shutting down early just so I could get out of there without delay.
This was when my phone rang.
It was Benny.
“Hey, honey. We’re in the home—”
“Do not leave your desk.”
My back went straight at his tone and my eyes went out my windows to Bierman’s office.
He wasn’t there.
“I’m ten minutes away,” Ben told me. “I’ll come in and get you at your office.”
“What’s happening?” I whispered.
“Stark’s team is there,” Ben replied immediately, and I felt my heart stutter. “But they’re occupied, seein’ as two thugs in ski masks just cornered Furlock in a bathroom on the third floor and are haulin’ his ass down the stairwell toward an SUV that’s waitin’ at the back utility entrance.”
“Oh my God,” I breathed and started doing a scan of the floor.
“Stark’s team has neutralized the driver,” Ben went on.
Heath at his desk.
“They’ve also called the cops who are en route,” Ben kept going.
Sandy at hers.
“But they don’t want you to move.”
Lloyd at his. Kathleen at hers. Jennie at hers.
“Keep an eye on your crew,” he finished.
The eye I was supposed to keep on my crew hit Tandy’s desk.
She wasn’t there.
My blood turned to ice.
“Tandy,” I whispered.
“What?” Ben asked.
“Tandy’s not at her desk.”
“Fuck,” he muttered. “Stark’s busy, but I’ll call. He’s got eyes everywhere. If somethin’ was goin’ down with her, he’d be on it. Stay at your desk.”
I looked again through the floor.
No Tandy anywhere.
“Benny—”
“Do not…leave…your desk, tesorina.”
I started deep-breathing. “Furlock is gonna be okay?”
“You think Stark would let anything happen to him?”
No.
I did not.
“I’m almost there, baby. Then we’re out of there and safe.”
I stared at Tandy’s empty desk, saying, “Okay.”
“Don’t move, Frankie.”
He so knew me because I so wanted to move, search for Tandy, make sure she was okay.
I visualized rooting myself to the chair, even as I itched to jump out of it, and said, “I won’t, Benny.”
“Keep it together, babe. Love you.”
“Love you too, honey.”
He disconnected.
I deep-breathed and went about shutting down for the night.
In this time, Tandy didn’t come back.
At the end of this time, my phone rang again.
It was Benny.
“Ben,” I whispered as greeting.
“Stay where you are. I’ll be there.”
He’d already told me that.
Why was he again telling me that?
“Benny—”
“Promise me you will not move, Frankie.”
Shit.
Something was going down.
And Stark was occupied.
They needed Benny.
“Ben—”
“Promise me.”
“Is it Tandy?”
“Promise me.”
“Benny!” I snapped.
“I need you to promise me.”
Oh God.
God!
“I promise, Benny.”
“Good, baby. Be there soon.”
“Be careful, Benny.”
“I will.”
“Be very careful, Benny.”
“I will, honey. Gotta go now.”
He sounded normal, if impatient. Almost businesslike.
Oh God.
“Love you,” I whispered.
“Love you too. See you soon.”
“Yeah.”
He disconnected.
I looked to Bierman’s empty office.
Then to Tandy’s empty desk.
Then I looked to my phone and called Sal.
He picked up in one ring. “We’re on it, amata.”
Oh God.
On what?
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“Gotta go, Francesca,” he said as answer.
“Sal!” I snapped.
He disconnected.
I shot out of my chair.
Don’t move, Frankie.
Tandy sometimes went to the bathroom to freshen up before leaving work because she was going out to get a drink.
I knew that night she wasn’t going out to get a drink.
I couldn’t see her purse because she put it in a locked drawer. She wouldn’t leave for the day without telling me. Especially not early. But never.
I wanted to run to the bathroom and check it to see if Tandy was there.
I looked to Berger’s office to see him on the phone. He was far away, but he appeared business as usual and I wanted to run to his office and tell him what was happening. Get his big ass out of his executive chair and make him do something human for a change.
I didn’t.
I sat down in my chair, tipped my eyes to my phone, and willed it to ring.
Bierman had made a move on Furlock at Wyler.
Desperate.
What ends would desperate men stoop to?
Benny.
My Benny.
I heard police sirens outside, not one, many, but I didn’t look out my windows.
I stared at my phone, my brain chanting, call me, call me, call me.
The sirens got close and stayed close. The police were outside.
I clenched my teeth.
How did Benny do it, make a myriad of promises every day and then set about keeping them? Each one. Dozens of them. Small and large. Every day.
A promise kept.
And I could hardly contain myself from moving.
Promise me.
“God,” I whispered, my throat beginning to get scratchy. “Benny.”
I had to stay where I was. I had to keep this promise to Benny. I had to prove to him that when he needed me to do something important, I could do it. When he came back to me, I had to show him that it was okay that he put his faith in me and I kept myself safe for him.
I had to keep my promise.
On this thought, I felt the wave of shock penetrate my office and my head snapped up. Two police officers were walking into Berger’s office with a member of Wyler security. Four more officers were fanning out across the space looking like they were looking for something.
No Tandy.
No Benny.
I kept my seat.
People were moving, freaking, I could hear whispering. I felt eyes on me from other staff, but I kept my gaze on the officers.
And kept my seat.
My throat closed. My eyes stung. I watched Berger move swiftly out of his office with the two policemen and the security guard, and they went directly to the stairwell. Squawky voices could be heard on police radios and two of the officers fanning out made a move toward Bierman’s office.
I watched, my hand clenched around my phone.
And kept my seat.
I quit watching and looked toward the elevators. I locked my eyes there. I kept my grip on my phone.
And kept my seat.
An eternity slid by.
Then the elevators binged.
My chest tightened.
Benny walked out.
My chest loosened, but a tear dropped down my cheek.
He looked around, his eyes came to me, and he walked direct to me. Two police in Bierman’s office, two of them with Heath, Ben passed them as he made it to me, walking through my door, tall, handsome, healthy.
I still kept my seat.
“Tandy?” I asked, my voice scratchy.
“Downstairs with the police,” Benny replied, rounding my desk.
I still kept my seat,
twisting my neck to keep my eyes on him.
He came to a stop at my side, cocked his head, his brows drawing, and he asked, “Baby?”
“I can’t move,” I whispered.
Tenderness softened his features before he whispered back, “Come to me, Frankie.”
That was when I could move.
I shot out of chair and into his arms.
They instantly closed strong and tight around me.
* * * * *
“They got to her roommate,” Benny told me much later.
That later was after he spoke for-fucking-ever with the police, then got me the fuck out of Wyler and took me home. When we got home, we walked our dog. Then I got into yoga pants and a tee and called to order pizza while Benny talked to Stark.
Finally, we stretched out on the couch, me on top of Benny, which was where we were now.
“The roommate called,” he went on. “Told Tandy they had her and that she had to go to her car in the parking garage. Nabbed her there, put her in their car, took off, and since I was in my SUV, Stark called me and set me on them.”
“How did Stark know where you could find them?”
“My question too,” Benny replied. “At the time, I thought either clairvoyance or he had helicopters.” I grinned at his quip and Ben kept talking, “But he knew where their base was so my guess is he predicted the route they’d take to it. A route that was on my route so Stark called me.”
“And you…what?” I asked, even though I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
“I was bein’ tailed by Sal and his boys, probably because he was bein’ cautious ’cause he kinda likes you.” That got him another grin. “They came with me and we…” He paused before he finished, “Took care of business.”
“Is that all I want to know?” I asked, having been sequestered in my office while Ben talked to the police so I didn’t hear the full story.
“That’s all you want to know,” he confirmed.
“Was it clean?” I asked.
“Good Samaritans, seein’ a couple of women hustled into a warehouse and investigating,” Ben answered. “I called the cops beforehand so they knew we were there. No gunplay as Sal came in heavy and hot and scared the fuckin’ shit outta them. Figure the police are still scratchin’ their heads that Sal and his boys just happened to be there and were playin’ Good Samaritans. I figure by now they’ve cottoned on to who he is. But their guns, and mine, incidentally, somehow disappeared between there and gettin’ the women back to Wyler. So it’s all good.”
Sal was definitely invited to the engagement party.
“So it’s over,” I remarked, and his arms gave me a squeeze.
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