Bennett Mafia

by Tijan

  “I daydream about revealing myself to him. I want to see the look on his face when he recognizes me, when I tell him my mother and I are both alive and he failed.”

  “And then you want to shoot him?” I could hear his smile. “Or use a knife as you tried with me?”

  Could I slice my father? Push a knife deep in his throat, or chest?

  I envisioned the tearing of his skin, his tendons, and how I would embed that knife in his muscle. How he would spasm, his mouth gaping at me. He would grab for the knife, but he’d only hold it. If he pulled it out, blood would explode from him. There’d be a certain look in his eyes when he realized he was going to die, and at my hand. Blood would trickle from the wound, coating his hands, his chest, then run down his pants to pool at his feet.

  It would be warm blood. I would probably be sprayed with it.

  A sick feeling took root in me, and I knew Kai was wrong.

  I shook my head again. “No, I don’t want to kill him. I just want him to know he failed and never to be able to hurt us again.”

  “You’d like him ruined then?”

  The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and I shifted my head to him.

  “Why do I get the feeling you’ll do just that if I say yes right now?” I murmured.

  His eyes narrowed, but the lines around his mouth softened. “Maybe I’m looking for an excuse to get rid of Bruce Bello? Maybe helping out my sister’s friend is good enough.”

  I scoffed, trying not to feel affected by his words. “Then who’ll transport your drugs for you?”

  “We aren’t in the drug business anymore.”

  Oh. My shoulders relaxed.

  “We transport guns now.”

  Oh! My shoulders slumped.

  “But to answer your original question, your father is worse than he was when you were a child. He’s more vain. He’s weak. He’s greedy. He’s more violent. He barely remembers to show empathy or consideration even to keep up appearances, and he needs to die. Whether at my hand or yours, that’s up for debate.” Kai spoke succinctly, as if he were at a business meeting.

  He turned and pressed a button on his door. “Let’s take C route and pull off at the next gas station. Miss Bello needs the bathroom.”

  He released the button, opening his laptop once more.

  “How did you know?”

  He didn’t spare me a look. “You’ve been shifting in your seat for the last thirty minutes, and glancing at the coffee with both yearning and regret for the last ten.” He lifted his gaze to me. “You’re not as hard to read as you hoped you would be. It’s a quality you might want to work on if you continue as a 411 Network operative after this.”

  Well then.

  He went back to working, and I was effectively dismissed.

  I tried to rally up indignation, disgust, or even anger. All of them failed me. For some reason, I was more mystified than anything.

  That was another emotion I’d never felt before.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  The ride after our stop was more comfortable.

  Tanner must’ve gone to bat for me, because Kai allowed me to ride with him and Jonah when we left the gas station. They told me stories about Brooke, starting from when she left Hillcrest and continuing through just before she’d disappeared. I knew they skipped over the bad parts, like their father’s death or whatever happened that led to Brooke going missing, but it was nice to hear about her.

  It felt like my old friend was back with me, and she was just as vivacious and adventurous as she’d been with me at school. Tanner told most of the stories, with Jonah jumping in. He spoke quickly, seeming excited to be able to add something to the conversation. But Tanner was clearly the one with the closest relationship with her.

  Just as it had been in the Hillcrest days.

  They were cautious when speaking about Kai, but sped up as soon as he wasn’t involved. Both were smiling, laughing.

  The last few hours sped away like that, until I realized we’d been traveling for eight hours.

  “Why don’t you guys fly?”

  They quieted, seeming startled by my question.

  I looked between them. “I mean, it’d save you time. Right?”

  Jonah coughed and turned toward his window.

  The car went from feeling light to being suffocating. I frowned.

  Tanner responded, his voice low, “Cord died in a plane accident.”

  That was how he’d died?

  Tanner frowned. “Shit. What’d Brooke say about how he died?”

  I must’ve reacted.

  I shrugged, suddenly interested in my hands. They were dry. Very dry. Too dry. I needed lotion.

  “Nothing, just…that he died.”

  I was still looking at my hands when Tanner snorted. “Right.”

  The conversation ended, and we rode in silence for another twenty minutes until Jonah said out of the blue, “She talked about you all the time.”

  A shiver went down my spine.

  They were talking about her as if she were dead, not somewhere else.

  I tried to shake that feeling. It was wrong. She was fine. She would be fine, wherever she was.

  “Really?”

  “Yeah.” His head rested against his headrest, and he swallowed before adding, “She never shut up, actually. It was sweet in a way, but annoying too.” He opened his eyes enough to squint at me. “No offense. It was just that she acted like she was back at school, even up till last year.”

  Tanner coughed, and whether it was intentional or not, Jonah quieted.

  The brothers shared a look before Tanner glanced down, then murmured in an almost distraught tone, “It was six months ago. She changed six months ago.”

  Why?

  What happened?

  Those questions burned in my throat, and I wanted to know all the answers. I wanted to know the adult Brooke, what she’d been like before she changed and how did she change.

  “Yeah.” Jonah’s eyes closed again. “Six months ago.”

  I looked between the two. What the hell had happened?

  Ask them!

  It was as if Brooke was yelling at me. I imagined her voice, crying out in my head.

  “What happened six months ago? How did she change?”

  Please don’t shut up now. Please don’t remember I’m the enemy and shut me out.

  I held my breath, worried they’d do just that.

  “I don’t know.” Tanner expelled a sudden rush of air. His eyes were bleak, flicking up to mine before sliding to the window. “She just changed. She seemed happy, bubbly, and then nothing. Something happened. Whatever it was, that’s why she’s gone.”

  “Because she’s scared of Ka—”

  “Stop!” Tanner said sharply. He glared at Jonah, controlling his voice. “Family first, Jo.”

  Jonah’s eyes clasped shut a second. He raised a hand, rubbing his forehead before letting it fall to his side again. He sighed. “Yeah. Right. Yeah. My bad.” His eyes were bleak when he glanced at me. “Sorry, Riley.”

  Damn.

  It’d been building, and then nothing. A gate slammed down, stopping the flow.

  Disappointment filled me, but I had a feeling I’d be in this car for another few hours. Another opportunity might present itself.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  The stop was sudden.

  We were whizzing along, and then suddenly our vehicle veered to the left, then right, and we skidded to a halt. I grabbed my armrest to keep from falling over, and after the second veer, Jonah slammed an arm over my chest, cementing me in place. The two guards were holding on themselves, but trying to watch out for Tanner and Jonah at the same time.

  “What the hell?” Tanner said once we were at a complete stop, but he should’ve held his breath.

  The doors flew open. The guards jumped out, guns already drawn, and they stood point for a second. Then, they put their guns back in their holsters and leaned down.

  Almost speaking in unison
, they said, “Mr. Bennett, please exit the vehicle.”

  Jonah and Tanner shared a look, both frowning, but they got out.

  I’d started to follow Jonah when the door behind me slammed shut, then locked, and the guard facing me bent down. He nodded behind me. “Not you, ma’am.”

  Ma’am? Really.

  “But—”

  The door behind me opened again. I turned to see Kai Bennett getting inside, taking the seat Tanner had vacated.

  A guard stood outside his door, but Kai motioned to him. “I’ll be fine. Go in the front.”

  The door shut.

  “What’s going on?”

  Kai didn’t answer, but he didn’t need to. The front doors opened. The vehicle dipped down as two men got inside, and a second later, we were moving forward again.

  I twisted to look behind.

  Tanner and Jonah were standing on the side of the road. One vehicle remained with them, along with four guards, but the rest were following us.

  Kai sighed, taking out his phone. “Change of plans.” His dark eyes came to rest on me, and I tried not to feel the weight of them. His eyebrows dipped down momentarily before they cleared and the same impassive expression came over him.

  He turned his attention to his phone. “Sit back, Riley. No matter your worries, you are fine, and you will be fine.”

  This guy—I wanted to yell at him, scream at him. I wanted to rail that what he was doing wasn’t “fine” and I had plenty to “worry” about.

  But I didn’t.

  Because I wasn’t a complete idiot.

  Then—fuck it. I guess I was. “Say that to the Hider you killed,” I spat.

  I looked out the window, biting down on my tongue. I’d already messed up. I shouldn’t have said that. It was like poking a bear, or a panther. A very dangerous and deadly panther.

  He was Brooke’s brother.

  I tried to tell myself that, calm myself down a little bit.

  Brooke’s brother. He did care for her. Or I hoped he did. He had taken her out of school because he wanted her with him, and I remembered that slight pause before he got into the SUV when I’d first seen him. He had been worried about Brooke.

  He was capable of that emotion, at least.

  Who was I kidding?

  Why was I kidding myself? That was a better question.

  His response was quiet. “I didn’t kill your Hider.”

  “What?” I felt the blood draining from my face.

  His eyes were still hooded, but tired. I saw the bags under them.

  “We rigged it, fastened a blood bag under his hat. The gun was blank, but the force of the air was enough to puncture the bag. Your man knew ahead of time what would happen. He was to play dead or the next bullet would be real. He played dead. Your reaction sold it the best.” His lip tugged up for just a second before falling back. “Thank you for that.”

  “Wha—” That made no sense. “Why would you do that?”

  “As of three hours ago, we let the other Hiders go. We felt your Network needed further motivation. Your man was kept isolated like you. He’s still with us, but I’ve no doubt the others relayed that we already killed one man, and we’d have no problem killing you next.”

  “Why, though? They were already looking for Brooke.” I swallowed over a knot. “Weren’t they?”

  “They gave us a time and place to meet, but it was too soon. They found my sister too quickly.”

  I nodded. “Because it’s not true, you mean? That’s what you’re saying.”

  “Letting the other Hiders out wasn’t for your Network. It was for one person in your Network.”

  For…

  My mind jumped ahead.

  “For Blade.” Because…

  “My information tells me he’s in love with you. If the Brooke they found is fake, he’ll find the real one.” He held up his phone. “And he says he did. He sent me new coordinates for a meeting.”

  Blade was in love with me?

  Sadness hit me first. Not shock.

  That told me everything.

  Maybe I knew, in a back part of my mind. Maybe I’d known for a while and had shoved it back there so I didn’t have to deal with it.

  I looked away. I couldn’t bring myself to face this man, this monster that might look like a goddamn angel, but was most definitely a murderer. He’d lied about killing that man, this time. But there’d been others. It didn’t matter.

  And he knew about Blade. He’d used Blade. He’d used someone I cared about against me, and according to his brothers, it was the same thing he was doing to his sister. Brooke still cared for me. Tanner and Jonah had said as much, and Kai was using me to find her. Against her wishes.

  “Fuck you,” I gutted out. I couldn’t stop myself.

  A rage built in me. It bloomed, filling my chest.

  “Fuck you,” I said it again, blinking to clear my vision.

  “You didn’t know about his feelings?”

  My throat burned.

  It wasn’t his place to make me face it, to force the time I’d have to deal with it. That wasn’t his place.

  Fuck. Him.

  I didn’t reply. I didn’t trust myself right now.

  “You don’t love him back.”

  Even that statement, because it was a statement, not a question, infuriated me.

  I rounded on him, my eyes blazing. “It’s not your place.”

  He studied me, not reacting. I felt his gaze over every inch of my body, and he almost lazily looked back up to meet my eyes. His head tilted to the side.

  “No, it’s not. But you’re forgetting your place.”

  I felt slapped.

  He was right.

  He murdered people. I saved them.

  I almost scoffed until he added softly, “I will do anything to find my sister, and love is the best motivation there is.”

  I had looked away, but damn him. I lifted my eyes, against my wishes. As always, something about him drew me in, his words lured me.

  Our eyes locked. I could almost hear the jail cell click in place, with me on one side and him on the other. He dangled the key in front of me, laughing, and I was helpless to stop listening to him, hopeless to find a way out.

  That’s how I felt until his next words washed over me.

  “I thought at first to use you to find my sister, but seeing you, I knew you would never turn against Brooke. Because of love. You love her. I don’t know if it’s as a friend, as a sister, or because she brought a moment of good into your life, but for whatever reason, I know you are loyal. I respect that, but if I can’t use you in one way, I will use you in another. There are always angles.”

  He tipped his head forward, his eyes almost admonishing me. “I’m very good at my job, and there are always ways to get what I want. Finding my sister is what I want.” Right now.

  He didn’t say the words, but I heard them.

  There was no judgment in what he had said. He talked to me as if he were educating a student, filling me in, letting me know what to expect from him.

  Maybe that’s what he was doing?

  He’d told me I was a surprise to him last night.

  Maybe I needed to turn off the emotions and listen to him as a Hider. My training said no emotions. I was embarrassed because in that regard, I knew he was outdoing me. He was winning. I didn’t know quite what the battle was, but I knew I was losing.

  “Blade sent you new coordinates for Brooke then?”

  He loved his sister. Perhaps I could turn the tables? Get him to talk.

  He smiled at me, and I knew he was laughing. I saw it in his eyes.

  “I’ve been doing this all my life. You’re playing catch-up, but it is fun to see.”

  He sat back, turning away and pulling his phone out.

  The conversation was done. He had dismissed me.

  And damn him, because now all I wanted to do was to get him to talk.

  Instead, I sat back and plotted.

  CHAPTER EIGHT
EEN

  When we stopped again, it was in the basement parking lot of a hotel.

  Vehicles surrounded us, and I was stunned that Kai had let us get so close to others. The guards stood around us. Kai stepped to the side and talked to one of them before the man nodded and left us, hurrying across the lot.

  A door closed in the distance.

  We could hear conversation, a laugh, a baby crying.

  “We’re in Kelowna.”

  I didn’t know what surprised me more, that we were in a small city a few hours from Vancouver, that Kai had told me, or that Blade had sent us here.

  I only said, “Oh.”

  Kai eyed me again, his eyebrows up. “You’re not surprised? You expected this?”

  I shot him a look. “I thought you were better at this than I could ever be?”

  He grinned. “I am, and you seem confused. I’m wondering why.”

  I shrugged. “Maybe I’m just surprised you told me where we are.”

  He laughed. “Maybe I’m lying, checking to see if you’d be surprised at our location.”

  The guard was returning, hurrying with a hotel worker alongside him.

  Kai glanced over and saw them, but turned back to me. He ducked his head down, stepping close, and everyone else was pushed aside. It was just the two of us.

  “I thought you’d be happy to be returned to your friend.”

  I flushed, but it was an angry flush. I was heated all over. “I would be happy, if that were the case. If it is, you get your sister, the sister who ran from you. And maybe I don’t trust you, and I don’t believe you’ll hand me over when and if everything works out.” My eyes narrowed. “Maybe I don’t believe a word you say.”

  He was silent, observing me.

  I had a feeling he was considering my words, sifting through them.

  And then I knew he had been, because he said, “I don’t believe you.”

  “What a surprise.” I sneered.

  He stepped even closer, softening his tone. I could feel the heat from his body. “You have claimed over and over that you don’t know where my sister is. That’s what I don’t believe. You do know where she is.” He stepped back, and when he spoke again, tone matched his gaze, both suddenly cold and calculating. “My sister isn’t here, but it’ll be fun to find out how your friend thinks he can fool me.”