Before Ben (Wilde Ways Book 3)

by Cynthia Eden

  “This wouldn’t get past you. You are Worthington, Waller, and Rain.”

  His gaze flickered to Ben. Then back to her. “We need to talk alone.”

  “No way,” Ben replied instantly. “Whatever you want to say to Courtney, you can say with me right here. Maybe you missed the package deal part.”

  Ross shook his head. “This information is just for Courtney. I can’t reveal what I know to anyone else. Either I only talk to her or I don’t talk at all.”

  Ben laughed. “I bet you’ll talk plenty when the cops get involved.”

  Ross’s shoulders straightened, and steely determination entered his eyes. “You believe that? Don’t. I’ve been in this game far longer than you can imagine. I know secrets that could destroy every judge in this town. And all the top cops? Plenty of them sit on a house of cards that could fall any moment. The cops don’t scare me.”

  No, but someone was scaring him. She needed this information. Courtney turned to Ben. Hurried closer to him. Her hand rose and pressed to his chest. “Just wait outside for me.”

  “Courtney—”

  “If I need you, all I have to do is call out.”

  He caught her hand. Lifted it to his lips. Pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “That’s right, baby. That’s all you have to do. I’ll wait for you.” He glared at Ross. “Watch your tone when you talk to her. Be a fucking gentleman.”

  “Like I’m supposed to worry about what some smart-ass, upstart—”

  “You are supposed to worry. Because no one hurts Courtney. Understand?”

  Ross nodded.

  Ben squeezed her fingers. Then he made his way out of the office. Took his time about it, and closed the door with a faint click.

  Courtney braced herself as she faced off with her boss. Well, ex-boss as of about five minutes ago.

  He stood behind his desk. His gaze swept over her.

  “Confession time,” Courtney said.

  He didn’t speak.

  “We’re alone. Tell me what I want to know.” This was killing her. So she just got right to it. “Is this about my DNA? You’re the one who told Cole to collect it?”

  A jerky nod.

  Oh, God. He had dark eyes, too. She’d just realized that. Dark brown eyes. And his hair had a tint of red. Her breath came faster. “Are you my father?”

  He opened his mouth.

  ***

  Ben frowned at Ross’s assistant. The blonde was familiar to him, but he didn’t remember meeting her. His head cocked as he studied her profile. She was working at her computer, typing quickly, as her fingers moved across the keyboard.

  He closed in on her. Saw her shoulders stiffen.

  “Is there something I can help you with?” Her head turned toward him.

  Actually, yes… “As Mr. Worthington’s assistant…I bet you have access to all his passwords and case files, don’t you?”

  She gazed up at him.

  And as he stared at her…it clicked for him.

  He knew exactly where he’d seen her before. Hayden Laslow’s lover. She’d been the lover he’d slept with just one week after his wedding to Kadi. Ben’s investigator had said the pictures had been anonymously emailed to him, and the investigator hadn’t gotten the blonde’s name. They’d been working on solving that mystery.

  Mystery solved.

  It also explained the tension he’d noticed between her and Hayden a few moments before.

  “I have access to everything.” She stood. “How about I take you to the lounge so you can relax while you wait on your friend?”

  “Where did Hayden go?”

  “Um…said he had an appointment with his wife. Something about papers to sign?”

  They couldn’t be signing papers. Unless Kadi had gotten a new lawyer, but damn, that would be fast work. He made no move to follow her, and the assistant stopped. She glanced back at him, a frown tightening her pretty face.

  “I didn’t get your full name,” Ben spoke carefully.

  “Sharon Long.” She waved her hand. “And the lounge is this way.”

  “I’ll wait here, thanks. You see, I told my friend that I would be right outside if she needed me. I believe in keeping my word to her.”

  Her gaze darted toward the hallway, and, presumably, the lounge. Then back to him. Without another word, she went back to her desk. Sat down. Started typing.

  He turned away from her, his gaze sliding back to Ross Worthington’s closed door. He wanted to be in that office with Courtney. He wanted—

  He felt something hard press into the small of his back.

  “That’s a gun, asshole,” Hayden Laslow muttered. “You say a word, and I’ll put a bullet through your spine. And when Courtney comes running because she heard the thunder of gunfire, I’ll put the second bullet in her heart.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  “I-I’m not your father.” His Adam’s apple bobbed. “But I know who is. He’s the one who wanted protection put on you. The firm has used Cole Vincent before, I knew he could be discreet—that’s why I hired him. Your father…he didn’t want this ever being traced back to him, so the payments went through the firm.”

  Her heart was about to burst right out of her chest.

  “He had his suspicions that you were his daughter. I told him that we needed proof because he could be wasting a lot of money on bullshit.”

  What? Her boss was such a tool.

  “I was the one who told Cole to get the DNA samples. I was the one who wanted to be certain. And, hell, stop looking at me that way because I was doing it for you.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “I like you, Courtney. You’re a damn good lawyer. A hard worker. And you—you have your whole life ahead of you. You don’t want to be his.”

  A shiver worked its way down her body. She’d dreamed of her real father. His big house, his fancy cars…

  But Ross shook his head. “You don’t want to know him. There’s a reason your mother ran from him and didn’t look back. And you really think Frank McKenna’s death was an accident? That he walked into oncoming traffic? No, no, he was punished. Punished because he thought he knew who your real father was. He was mowed down in the road, and the witnesses…” He laughed, but the sound was grating. “You know how easy it is to manipulate a witness. Happens all the time.”

  Her knees had locked. What he was saying…

  “Your real father had Frank McKenna killed. Run down in the street. The same way that Cole Vincent was hit. I found out…” A nervous swipe of his tongue across his lower lip. “Cole had told him that he wasn’t working the case any longer. But your father wasn’t going to let Cole walk away. So he punished him.”

  Her skin was icy cold. “You’re saying my real father is a murderer, but you’ve been…helping him?”

  Ross’s shoulders stiffened. “We have a lot of very important clients at this firm.”

  Their main cases…civil, criminal…

  Her breath came faster.

  “The DNA proved it,” he whispered. “Cole wouldn’t deliver the samples, so I found another way. I got them, and I paid for the additional testing. Shit, I did it because I didn’t want it to be true. You’re tied to a very dangerous man. A man with a lot of enemies. I’d hoped he was wrong. That you weren’t his. But the proof I obtained sealed your fate. Anyone who wants to hurt him…they can hurt you now. You’re his only weakness.”

  “Tell me his name.” Her father wasn’t some amazing guy who hadn’t known she’d existed. He was a monster. A killer?

  If her boss—former boss—was telling the truth. And she wasn’t about to jump on that boat, not yet.

  “He’s the reason I hired you,” Ross delivered yet another confession to her. “I mean, your resume was great, but he wanted you to have a job here. Said you deserved to work at this firm. Wanted you fast tracked to partner.”

  “I want a name.” She wanted a name, and she’d go from there.


  “Walk away,” he whispered instead.

  Courtney shook her head. “Not happening.”

  “I’m not going to tell him that you know. I like you. Just leave things, okay? He’s not ever going to approach you. He’s going to eliminate the threats to you. Sure, you’ll have bodyguards like Cole shadowing you, but you won’t know.”

  I will know.

  “If I don’t give you a name, then you can have some ignorance. People say ignorance is bliss for a reason. You can turn away. You can get a life. But if you find out…if you know, then it’s going to eat at you. The truth will destroy you.”

  Because she was the daughter of some horrible monster?

  “My team got him off on the crimes, but I know he was guilty as hell. He’s not a good man. It’s better to not know. Better to not have him in your head.”

  He was already in her head. He’d been there for years. “Tell me.”

  “Julian Rossi.”

  Julian the Jackal? No, no, that was wrong. She took a hard step back as she recoiled from the name. That couldn’t be right. Julian Rossi wasn’t just a criminal. He was a major mob boss. There had been movies made about him. He’d been one of the most powerful drug runners and arms dealers in the world. No, he’d been suspected of being those things. Never proven guilty. Never convicted.

  Never…

  “Wasn’t it better not to know?”

  She whirled for the door. “Fuck off.” She needed to get to Ben. Right then. She had to tell him the truth. Now that they knew who’d been behind the surveillance, they could connect the dots. Rossi must have been the one who paid Donnie to attack Cole—and to come after her and Ben. Only…

  Donnie aimed for Ben’s side of the car. The attack hadn’t been on her at all. It had been on Ben. He’d been the target.

  Was Donnie the one who attacked me the first night in the parking garage? But…that didn’t make sense. All of this was still not making sense!

  She yanked open the office door.

  Sharon glanced up at her, fingers poised over her keyboard.

  Ben wasn’t there. Courtney stumbled a little. “Where—”

  “Oh, are you looking for your friend?” A light laugh. “He got a call from his client—Kadi, I believe it was? Said it was very important, and he had to go meet her right away.”

  He’d left. That didn’t seem right. He’d said he would stay. Ben had promised to stay.

  “He left an address for you.” Kadi offered a slip of paper to her. And a wide smile. “I think he wants you to come there and meet him.”

  She took the paper. Frowned down at it.

  Even as she stared at the paper, her phone rang. She pulled it up quickly, thinking it might be Ben, but no…

  Unknown number.

  She swiped her finger over the screen and put the phone to her ear.

  “Courtney?”

  Her breath rushed out.

  “It’s Julia. Rick and I are stationed right outside of your law office, and I’ve got to know…why in the hell did I just see Ben walking out without you?”

  “He…has a meeting.”

  Sharon was watching her. A little too closely.

  “And the guy who was with him? Sure looked chummy.” Suspicion coated Julia’s words.

  The same suspicion that was swirling inside of Courtney.

  Sharon kept smiling at her.

  And Ross slipped from his office, coming after Courtney. A fast glance in his direction showed his expression was concerned. So worried.

  Who in the hell was she supposed to trust? What was going on?

  No, there’s no question. I know who to trust. She knew exactly who to trust. “You go on without me,” she said into her phone. “Of course, I can meet you for dinner later. You’ve got your priorities, and I have mine.”

  “I have no freaking clue what your priorities are,” Julia told her bluntly. “But I’m guessing you’re being watched right now? Do I need to come up with a full team?”

  “No, absolutely not. Go where you’re needed.” With Ben.

  Silence.

  Sharon had turned back to her computer, but she wasn’t typing.

  Ross was practically breathing down Courtney’s neck.

  Julia waited a beat, then said, “You want full surveillance on Ben. If we follow him, we leave you unprotected.”

  “Exactly. Thanks so much.”

  “Dammit, you’d better be safe! I’m calling and getting backup to this building right away.”

  Not necessary because by the time backup arrived, she’d be gone. Her left hand fisted around the address. “I’m good. It was great to hear from you. You just take care of your business, and I’ll take care of mine. Got to live your life, know what I mean?”

  “I do.” Julia’s voice was low. “Be careful.”

  Courtney dropped the phone and stared over at Sharon. Beautiful Sharon. “You fucked him.”

  Sharon’s shoulders stiffened. “I beg your pardon?”

  “Ben showed me pictures of Hayden Laslow with one of his lovers—a lover he was with just one week after he married Kadi.”

  Sharon’s eyes hardened.

  “As soon as I saw the pictures, I recognized you.”

  Ross didn’t speak. Probably because he knew his assistant had been screwing one of his biggest clients, and he hadn’t cared.

  He should care.

  Her hand was still fisted around the slip of paper. “What’s going to happen to me if I go to this address?”

  “I have no idea,” Sharon told her with a confused smile. “You’ll…find your friend?”

  Ross closed his hand around Courtney’s shoulder. “You should leave—”

  She shrugged him off. “Who did Ben leave with?” Courtney demanded.

  “I don’t know.” Sharon blinked her long lashes. Those fake lashes looked like freaking spiders sitting on top of her eyes. “He was alone on this floor. Maybe he hooked up with someone in the lobby?”

  Courtney gave her a cold smile. “Or maybe he left with Hayden.”

  Sharon blinked. “Mr. Laslow left a few minutes before your friend.” Her lips pursed as she reached into one of the desk drawers. “I guess it’s possible they could have connected in the lobby.”

  “And I guess it’s possible you’re lying to me right now.” Courtney dropped the balled-up piece of paper on Sharon’s desk. “This isn’t Ben’s writing. I’ve seen his writing on plenty of legal reports. You wrote down this address, not him.”

  “Because he asked me to do it…” Sharon explained with a nervous little laugh.

  “No. Ben wouldn’t just walk away. Not after he’d told me that he’d be waiting outside for me.”

  Sharon’s gaze turned cruel. “Are you sure about that?” She leaned forward. “Maybe that’s exactly what he’d do. You’ve been left before. You’ll be left again. Because you aren’t important. You simply don’t matter.”

  That bitch. “I’m calling the cops. They can sort this out, and I’m sure they will have plenty of questions for you.”

  Sharon’s hand lifted from behind her desk. Her fingers gripped the gun she held. “I don’t think so.”

  Ross—who’d been so quiet and nervous the whole time—he sucked in a sharp breath of surprise. “Sharon? Sharon, what in the hell are you doing?”

  “Taking what I’m owed.” She aimed the gun at him and fired.

  Courtney screamed as the bullet exploded. It tore through the air and slammed into Ross’s chest. His blood spattered on her as she whirled toward him. His eyes were wide and shocked, terrified, and he toppled to the floor as he tried to grab for his chest—and the great, big, gaping hole that was there.

  “Such a prick.” Sharon rose to her feet.

  Courtney dropped beside Ross. She put her hands to his chest. She had to try and stop the blood. So much blood.

  “He’s a dead man. It’s just a matter of time. And he’s going to bleed out fast, I can tell.”

  Courtney’s head
whipped toward Sharon.

  “Don’t worry. No one heard the shot. We’re the only ones on this floor today, and let’s just say that the walls here…totally thick. Soundproof.” A cold smile. “You and I are going to leave now.”

  Courtney shook her head. Ross was still alive. She could help him.

  “I’m assuming that little phone call you had was from one of the bodyguards who were parked outside the building, hmmm? Yes, I knew about them. And from what I could tell, you just told them to go rushing after Ben.” Laughter as she slid from behind the desk. “That’s exactly what I thought you’d do.” She strode forward and put the gun to Courtney’s temple. “Hayden is more than capable of handling them. He won’t be alone at the condo, after all. I’ve got everything planned, you see. Every single moment.”

  Sharon wasn’t going to warn Hayden about the bodyguards? She was that confident?

  Or maybe she doesn’t care if Hayden is caught and goes down for the crimes. Maybe the woman had a master plan in place. “And here I thought you were winging it.”

  Sharon smirked. “You wanted your dear old dad, didn’t you? That why you came here today? Because you wanted him so badly?”

  “I came here today because I wanted the attacks to stop.” Because she’d wanted to know who was behind everything. Courtney knew she was staring straight at that person.

  “Let’s see what he’ll do for you,” Sharon murmured. “Let’s see what your father will pay. Let’s see what he’ll sacrifice.”

  Courtney shook her head. “You’re talking about a man I’ve never met. He won’t do anything for me.”

  “You’d better hope you’re wrong.” Sharon leaned toward her. “Or I will put a bullet in your brain.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  “Your condo?” Ben asked, voice flat. Hayden had made Ben drive over while the jerk had kept a gun pointed at Ben’s side the whole time. “Your master plan is to take me to your condo?” He knew Kadi had been living there since the separation.

  “Shut the fuck up,” Hayden snapped. His breath came fast and hard. “Get out of the car and head inside. We’re going to walk slow and easy, and if you try to get any help, I’ll shoot whoever comes to your aid.”