Page 30 of Bene

Soon, Vanna found herself in the small office that seemed far too tidy and put together for a man of Bene’s age to use often. It was stylishly decorated in dark colors, richly-stained hardwood floors, and furniture that looked both inviting and productive with all the leather and wood.

She knew before she even stepped behind the desk, however, that it was highly unlikely she would find anything to use in this office. Simply because it seemed as though this space wasn’t very personalized to Bene Guzzi. Not like the rest of his place, or even his bedroom that had all sorts of little knickknacks and flavors of his personality and life.

The one personal thing she did find in the office came in the form of a picture resting at the edge of the desk. At first, she overlooked it in her perusal of the office, but then she took a second look, and fury burned hot in her heart.

Gian Guzzi.

And his wife.

His second wife, the mother of all the man’s boys. Not Vanna’s dead half-aunt who had apparently been so abused by this man that after the murder of her father, she killed herself. Gian at least had a bit of decency and gave it time before he remarried, although everyone knew he’d been fucking Cara—his current wife—when his first wife was still alive, not to mention, his first son was born in that time, too.

In the photo, the man seemed happy. His gaze locked on his wife as though she was the only thing in the world he cared to look at for the rest of his life. His world, Vanna thought. He stared at Cara—that was his wife’s name, and Bene’s mother—like she was his entire world.

Vanna couldn’t wait to ruin it.

Forcing her attention away from the photograph, she dug through the drawers in the desk. She snapped pictures. Nothing screamed organized crime or made man.

It didn’t matter.

She sent the pictures off.

The person who received what she did manage to find—some information on a few businesses scattered throughout the city, bank account numbers, and one off shore account paperwork—would do what he could for it, and let her know what else she should look for in relation to it.

If it was even useable.

Those were things to handle at another time.

As it was, Vanna had risked a lot doing what she did tonight. Seeking Bene out, then willingly going home with him to hookup, and now this, too. She almost felt as though she was playing with fire in a way, and she wasn’t quite ready to be burned yet.

She left the office in the same condition she found it. Returning to the bedroom to pick up her things, she had to wonder what the still-sleeping man might think to find her already gone from his place before he even woke up in the morning.

He hadn’t asked her to stay.

She couldn’t afford to, either.

Still, her mind warred. The part that wanted to ruin this man and his family … and the part that wanted to see him another time to do this with him again.

Thing was … to ruin him, she might just need to get closer. She might have to come back again.

Vanna left her number scrawled on a piece of paper that she sat on his bedside table before she left. And her signature underneath.

Or rather, her signature V.

Let him make of that what he wanted.

Bene woke up to the sound of his landline phone ringing. Because of course, he did. A part of his brain managed to remember that he shut his cell off the night before as he stumbled from bed, and that was likely the reason for someone calling directly to his penthouse phone. Another part of his brain was just pissed that he had been taken from a good slumber, forced to trip over the pants he discarded the night before, just to grab the phone on the other side of his penthouse before it went to voicemail.

And shocker …

Marcus answered Bene’s mumbled, sleepy greeting with a, “Why aren’t you answering your phone?”

It took Bene entirely too long to reply. He blinked for a while, staring out his living room windows that faced the corner of another skyrise, and a part of the streets down below. Sunshine filtered in, making streaks across the floor.

Shit.

At least, it wasn’t still dark.

He gave Marcus that.