Benson Siblings Series: A Dark Romance Boxset

by Sarah Bailey

  All thoughts of what happened with Max and my conversation with Liora flew out the window the moment he dropped to his knees and buried his face between my legs. I don’t think I had a coherent thought for quite a while after that. Brent made good on his promise from earlier and multiple orgasms were aplenty for the rest of the night.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Brent

  So Liora was onto us. In all honesty, it didn’t bother me as much as it should. She could tell Dante, but somehow, I didn’t think she would. Liora was just as much as my friend as she was Dante’s wife. She didn’t tell him everything, confiding a lot of things in me instead. Particularly during her pregnancy and when she found it hard to cope with his moods. Those two loved each other deeply, but even they weren’t perfect. Every relationship had its ups and downs.

  Things would never go back to the way they were before Logan had come into our lives, but they’d go back to normal soon enough. And I’d told them I wouldn’t mind babysitting if they needed a couple of hours alone. The things I did for my best friends. It wouldn’t be too much of a chore. Not in the way taking care of Cam and her kids was. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my nieces and nephews, but dealing with my sister’s crap? That I could really do without.

  When Jen told me about her conversation with Max, I was equal parts proud of her and worried at the same time. She’d taken a huge gamble by pressing him like that. Maybe she should’ve kept her mouth shut, but then again, she’d extracted a further concession to their deal. He wouldn’t lay hands on her. Pity I didn’t fucking trust a word he said, but it would have to do for now. If this kept her safe, then so be it. My top priority was making sure Jen wasn’t in harm’s way. I guess that’s why I was at the prison today.

  Did I really want a conversation with her father? No, but the lengths I’d go for Jen’s sake were infinite. For all of them really. This situation had the potential to go very wrong and I was determined to set it to rights.

  Jen had no idea I was here today. It’d taken a few days for me to arrange visitation, but now I was here sitting in front of Zach Benson. Someone I despised with every inch of my being for what he’d done to his kids.

  “I didn’t expect to see you here,” he said with a hard glint to his blue eyes.

  “Yeah, well, neither did I, but needs must.”

  “What brings you to this fine establishment?”

  I stifled the urge to roll my eyes.

  “I have questions.”

  He splayed his hands out.

  “By all means, ask away. I have time.”

  He had all the time in the world. That’s what concerned me. No doubt concocting various nefarious plans in his sick head.

  “Did you not take James’ warnings seriously, Zach? He told you to leave your kids alone.”

  He eyed me for a long moment before settling his hands in his lap and leaning back in his chair.

  “I haven’t contacted any of them.”

  “That doesn’t mean you haven’t found a way to dig your way back into their lives.”

  “They are still my children.”

  I scoffed and then I really did roll my eyes. Yes, he might have had a hand in bringing them into the world, but he wasn’t their parent. He was their monster.

  “On paper perhaps.”

  He stared at me with unnerving intensity. Zach had that way about him. His very presence was a carefully constructed façade and one he didn’t often let people see past. I did. I knew what kind of sick, twisted thoughts lurked behind his mask. He’d never change and I was fucking glad he’d likely never be released. The man didn’t know how to show remorse.

  “Tell me, what do you know of their activities then?”

  “Well, of course, I know Dante is married to Angus’ little chit of a daughter, but James told me as much. He brought his little girlfriend to see me. Quiet one that. Seen hell in her life no doubt. As for my daughters, well, Fiona is with a man eleven years her senior and Jennifer is still a stubborn little miss.”

  I cocked my head to the side, wondering how he knew about Fi and Jensen, but I suppose Zach had his ways. It was neither here nor there. I was here because of Jen.

  “I’m going to ask you something and I want you to answer me honestly. Don’t worry, I didn’t come empty handed either, but first you’re going to tell me the truth.”

  I hated to do this, but the only way to get Zach to talk was by giving him something in return. Dante would likely kill me, however, he’d also thank me for saving his fucking company and family from ruin.

  “Go ahead.”

  “How do you know Maximillian Graves?”

  If Zach was ruffled by me asking, he didn’t show it.

  “I don’t.”

  I narrowed my eyes.

  “I told you to be honest.”

  “I am. I have no reason to lie to you.”

  He had many reasons, but I wasn’t going to lay them out for him.

  “Who else knows about the blood debt, Zach?”

  His mouth twitched.

  “Other than those involved?”

  “Yes.”

  He moved his hand, laying it on the table before he started to drum his fingers on it.

  “Felix and Teddy Williams.” The Benson’s solicitor and doctor who happened to be brothers. “Marcus, but of course, you knew that already.”

  “Who else?”

  “No one.”

  I sat back and frowned. None of this added up.

  “Do you trust all of them not to have revealed it?”

  “Of course. It wouldn’t do to allow that little piece of information to come to light. Not when it would destroy the company I built from the ground up. You think I don’t care about my children, but I assure you, I have no interest in seeing them fall into ruin.”

  This poked a huge hole in my theory.

  “Then who would want to see them fall?”

  “I couldn’t tell you. In case you’ve forgotten, I’m locked up behind these four walls.”

  I sighed, rubbing my face. This wasn’t what I wanted to hear. Zach might be a slippery bastard, but somehow, I knew he was telling the truth. And whilst he had his ways of getting information even from behind bars, if he didn’t know this, then it meant other forces were at play here.

  “What’s happened, Brent? You wouldn’t have come here unless you had a reason to suspect me of something.”

  I could hide it from him, but what would be the point? He said he didn’t want the company destroyed and I believed him.

  “Max Graves knows about the blood debt. Has evidence of it and is using it to blackmail Jen. He wants her and will stop at nothing to have her, even bringing down Bensons in the process.”

  His fingers stopped drumming on the table before he smiled slowly.

  “So, you’re concerned about your precious little Jennifer, are you?”

  “I’m concerned about the company’s name being dragged through the mud by your ridiculous insistence on punishing Angus Stewart for what happened with your brother. Not to mention how you blackmailed your son into going along with it. I’m not stupid, Zach. D never wanted to be involved, but you made him. You told him you’d slit James, Jen and Fi’s throats if he didn’t.”

  He shook his head and his smile widened. I knew far too much about Zach’s disgusting behaviour. Probably more than Dante had revealed to his siblings. He wanted to spare them a whole lot of pain and I couldn’t blame him. The things their father had done were downright depraved.

  “You can tell yourself that, but I know you’ve been in love with my daughter for a long time, haven’t you? As for Dante, he wanted the Stewart girl when he saw her. So don’t tell me he wasn’t complicit.”

  Honestly, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to me he knew about my feelings towards Jen, but it did. Why had he never brought it up before? Did he even care I’d wanted his daughter since she was fifteen years old? Probably not considering w
hat he’d done to her.

  “It doesn’t matter. I’m trying to protect all of them and your precious company.”

  He eyed me for the longest time before he spoke.

  “What did you bring me?”

  I sighed and reached into my coat pocket, bringing out the photograph I’d printed earlier.

  “Are you going to help me with this situation?”

  “That entirely depends on what you have there.”

  His eyes focused on the photo in my hand. I laid it out on the table and pushed it over to him. He reached out and picked it up, his eyes scanning every detail.

  “Is this…?”

  “Your grandson. He was born in the early hours of Sunday morning.”

  “Does he have a name?”

  His eyes softened a fraction, like seeing he had a grandson brought him joy. I felt sick. Giving Zach this insight into Dante’s life when he really didn’t deserve it. But I’d do anything to protect the Bensons even if it meant making a bargain with their father.

  Jen would murder me for this. I knew if I told her, she’d be pissed. But I wasn’t going to lie to her either. She deserved the truth and well, if she ended things between us over this, then so be it. I knew I had to do this. The lengths I’d go to were immeasurable.

  “Logan Reid Benson.”

  “He looks just like Dante did when he was born.”

  I said nothing. Whatever he was reminiscing about didn’t matter. Didn’t change who he was. A sick, disturbed individual with no morality.

  “Thank you for this.”

  Words I never thought I’d hear out of his mouth. I didn’t want his praise nor his thanks. I just wanted him to help me deal with Max and save Jen any further pain.

  “Does Dante know about this boy’s plot to reveal his little secrets?”

  “No.”

  He looked up at me, dropping the photo down on the table.

  “Then how do you know?”

  “Jen told me.”

  He raised an eyebrow.

  “Has my daughter finally seen sense?”

  I cocked my head to the side.

  “What do you mean?”

  He smiled, but it was cold and there was no emotion behind his eyes.

  “Why, what’s been staring her in the face for twelve years.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “You. Not that you need or want my approval, but I’m giving it to you anyway.”

  I stared at him for a long moment. What the actual fuck? Besides the fact I was kind of pissed off Zach had known I’d loved Jen all this time, I had absolutely no idea why he’d approve of us.

  “You what?”

  “I approve of you as my daughter’s future husband. I must say it was a joy to watch you two fight against your feelings.”

  I had no fucking clue what to say. Nor did I think Jen would appreciate him saying it either. She didn’t want her father’s approval for anything. Also what was this about marriage? Jen and I had barely even started. Yes, she was the only person in this world I’d ever consider making that huge commitment to. I wanted marriage and kids with her, desperately, but not yet. We still had to get over the hurdle of telling everyone else in her family we were together before we even considered anything else.

  “That’s neither here nor there. Are you going to help me?”

  “Come see me again next week and I’ll have something for you.”

  I raised an eyebrow. Just like that? I wondered what he wasn’t telling me. Who fucking knew.

  “Really now?”

  “You don’t trust me and that’s fine, but I assure you, I want to get to the bottom of this.” He sat back, settling his hands in his lap again. “Are you and my daughter together?”

  “That’s really none of your business.”

  “It is if you want me to help you.”

  I sighed and looked away. I was already going to hell for showing him a photograph of Logan, might as well drown myself further. The conversation I’d have with Jen when she got home would probably have me hung, drawn and quartered.

  “Yes, we are.”

  “I’m pleased to hear it. May I keep this?” He pointed at the photograph. “He is my grandson after all, even if I’ll likely never meet him.”

  “Yes.”

  I’d planned on giving it to him, not that he’d earnt such a luxury. I was fucking dreading telling Dante about any of this. Whilst he trusted me to deal with issues such as these, I doubt he’d be impressed by me coming to his father for help. I’d suspected Zach was involved at first, but perhaps he wasn’t. I still wasn’t entirely sure if he was playing me or not even though I believed what he’d told me. This whole thing was so fucking complicated, but if it got Jen out of trouble, then it’d be worth it.

  I stood up, deciding I’d had enough of his company for one day.

  “Until next week.”

  He gave me a slight nod of acknowledgment. I turned and left, wondering how the fuck I was going to tell Jen I’d gone to see her father.

  ***

  Jen was in the living room watching TV by herself when I made my way upstairs after I’d got home a few hours ago.

  “Where is everyone?” I asked as I took a seat next to her.

  “Dante and Liora are upstairs napping whilst Logan is asleep. Apparently he kept them up all night and most of today. We need to sort out dinner because they haven’t had time.”

  I’d dropped Angus and Heather off at the airport before I’d gone to the prison earlier as they had to get back. I’m sure Liora would’ve loved her mother to stay longer.

  “We can order in pizza or something.”

  She leant over to me, planting a kiss on my cheek.

  “You must be a mind reader.”

  “Why?”

  “I’m craving cheese like nobody’s business.”

  I shook my head and stroked her arm.

  “I need to talk to you about something.”

  It was better to come out and say it rather than beat around the bush. I might have originally told her I wouldn’t tell her what I had planned, but she deserved to know I’d involved her father. Not that she would thank me for it.

  “Okay, what is it?”

  “I went to see your father today.”

  Her face fell and her eyes darkened.

  “Why the fuck would you do that?”

  I sighed and tried to reach for her but she flinched back. That hurt. Did she think I’d do this without reason?

  “Jen…”

  “No, why the hell would you go and see him?”

  “I suspected he was involved in Max’s schemes.”

  Her eyes got all misty and she curled in on herself.

  “And is he?”

  “No, I don’t think he is.”

  She turned away from me and grabbed a cushion, hugging it to her chest as she looked down at her lap.

  “What happened?”

  So I explained what I’d discussed with him regarding Max and what I’d had to give him in return for information. Her face grew redder and angrier by the minute. I mean, I knew she was going to be mad so this wasn’t exactly unexpected.

  “You told him about Logan? What the fuck, Brent? How could you?”

  “Getting your father to do anything without giving him something in return is impossible. You think Liora didn’t have to give something up to get him to plead guilty?”

  She opened her mouth then shut it again, scowling at me.

  “You still didn’t have to tell him about Logan. What’s Dante going to say? He didn’t want Dad to find out.”

  “Don’t you think I know that? Do you really think I wanted to give him a picture of his grandson after everything he’s done? Trust me, I’m well aware of what D will say. He’s already going to kill me for this thing between us so don’t get me started on what he’ll do to me for this.”

  “Then why’d you do it?”

/>   “To keep you safe.” I reached out and she let me take her hands. “Don’t you know I’d do anything for you? Even if it means pissing off my best friend. Besides, I’m keeping him safe too although I doubt he’ll see it that way.”

  Tears welled in her eyes and the sight of it fractured my heart.

  “You kept telling me you wouldn’t put me above Dante.”

  I know what I’d said, but that was before. Shit, I couldn’t imagine not taking care of Jen in all the ways she needed. To say I’d been an idiot was an understatement.

  “Jen… you really have no idea, do you?”

  “About what?” she sniffled.

  “About how I feel about you. How I’ve always felt.”

  Was I really going to do this now? Tell her the truth? How could I continue to keep it from her? She deserved to know how long I’d been in love with her. Hell, she deserved to know I loved her full stop.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Do you think this just happened overnight? That I suddenly changed my tune the night we first slept together?”

  She stared at me for a long moment before she tugged her hands out of mine and got up, pacing away from me.

  “Is Dad going to help you?”

  What the fuck?

  Why wasn’t she acknowledging what I just said about my feelings? Why the sudden change?

  “Jen—”

  “Answer the question.”

  “Yes, I told you, he doesn’t want the company to go down in flames.”

  She kept walking until she reached the windows. Placing a hand on the pane, she stared out of it.

  “You remember the day we met?”

  “I can’t forget it.”

  The vivid memory seared into my retinas for life. I could never forget the way she looked at me nor how my heart raced in her presence.

  “There’s so many things I remember about the two of us. The way you always used to try get me to talk to you. Even when I told you to fuck off, it didn’t stop you trying. You never stopped and I always wondered why. I’d ask myself what the hell you wanted with me when I made it clear I wasn’t interested in anything you had to offer me.”

  She drummed her fingers against the window pane, reminding me of the way her father had drummed his fingers on the table of the visitation room earlier. The only thing Zach and Jen had in common were their looks and perhaps on occasion, certain gestures.