Page 80 of Beni

“What did you talk about?”

August glanced between Camilla on the other side of the table, and Alessa’s warm smile. It wasn’t anyone’s fault for this but her own, and yet … damn.

“Uh, I have and I haven’t,” August replied.

Alessa gave her a nod. “Still trying to figure out how to justify and balance what you think you owe to what you want and know is best, hmm?”

“That, and more.”

“That’s okay. Just know that whenever you are ready, there is a job at Manic Media waiting for you.”

“Thanks, Alessa. I really appreciate it.”

“You talked to Alessa while you were here about a job?”

Ouch.

Why did Camilla’s tone sound almost accusatory?

“It was just a meeting to discuss the possibility,” August said quietly.

Camilla’s brow furrowed. “Why didn’t you tell me? I would have been … over the fucking moon, Aug.”

“Well—”

“Sorry to interrupt, ladies.”

Their attention swung to the familiar man approaching the table. He came to stand beside Alessa with a severe expression, and a stare locked on Camilla—his job. August didn’t even know the man’s name, honestly, but he always followed her friend around. She asked about it once, Camilla shrugged, and explained he was her enforcer.

A bodyguard, basically.

Rarely did he show himself.

If he did …

August knew that meant bad things.

“What’s wrong?” Camilla asked.

“Something’s happened, Cam,” he said quickly, “an attack on the east side, and to be safe, Tommaso asked that I take you home. Tom will be there to meet you.”

They didn’t question the man, quickly gathering their things to leave. Alessa said her goodbyes, with another reminder to August that the job was there when, or if, she wanted it. At the same time, Camilla shot August a look that spoke volumes without ever saying a word.

We’re talking about this later.

Yeah, she didn’t doubt it.

As the enforcer promised at the café, Tommaso was home to meet his wife when they arrived back at their place. However, Camilla seemed less interested in her husband and his conversation on the phone in the living room, and more focused on throwing question after question at August.

“When did you have a meeting with Alessa about the job in Chicago?”

“Shortly after I arrived,” August replied, although she wasn’t entirely in the conversation. Camilla might not have been interested in listening to the conversation Tommaso was having, but she heard him say a name that had all of her attention at once.

“And Beni is okay?” Tom asked in the next room.

Oh, God.

Beni.