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Chapter Eleven
Bennett had wanted to call Zoey that night after meeting with her brothers, but he knew emotions were high for them both. It was better to let some time settle between them. He didn’t want to admit it, but Doug was right. If he wasn’t careful, he could do more harm to Zoey than good. It’s been three days since breakfast. If I don’t call her, she’ll think I’m an asshole. She’ll be right, but damn, I want to see her.
It wasn’t as simple as if he should or shouldn’t, he wanted to see her. He looked at the clock. It was late for asking her out for dinner, but maybe a drink or dessert. Bennett didn’t really care as long as he saw her.
He called her number. Three rings, and he was sure it was going to voice mail. If you don’t call a girl for three days, you shouldn’t be surprised when you get the silent treatment. Sure enough, after the fourth ring, her message came on. Fuck. He ended the call. Voice mail wasn’t his thing.
He was about to text her when he saw she was returning his call. Sweet.
“Hello, Zoey. I was wondering if you felt like meeting up for—”
“An update on my mother?” Her tone was sharp, and he knew she wasn’t pleased with him. He’d expected it. I deserve it.
“That too. But I was actually thinking about this place that has the best Death By Chocolate cake. What do you say? I pick you up in thirty minutes, and we can talk over dessert and coffee.”
She didn’t answer him, but he knew he had her. All she needed was a small push, and he was in.
“Even if you don’t enjoy the company, the dessert will be worth the trip,” he said lightly, hoping to get her to loosen up.
“Fine. Thirty minutes.” Zoey’s tone said she wasn’t happy, but Bennett also heard something that said it was all a front.
Before he could leave to pick her up, there was a knock on his door. Shit. I forgot Doug. The last thing he wanted to do was tell him he was breaking the rules and was about to meet up with Zoey. Lying to Doug was never easy. The man had a way of seeing right through him no matter how good of a liar he was.
“You look like you’re on your way out.”
“Yeah. Forgot we were meeting tonight,” Bennett replied still at the door, not letting him inside.
“Should I even guess where you’re off to?” Doug stood with his arms folded across his chest.
“Just taking her out for dessert.”
“Good. Then you won’t mind company,” Doug said with a grin on his face.
“Three is a crowd.”
“For dessert? I can’t see why.”
Doug playing chaperon was not in the cards. Although, it probably was needed. “Why do you want to come?”
“You asked me here because of her. Meeting her is going to tell me more than any file ever will.”
Bennett knew Doug was right. He should’ve thought of that in the first place. Somehow he’d purposely put off their meeting. Maybe he was concerned what Doug would say. Zoey could hide a lot from him, but Doug was another story. Especially since she won’t know she’s being studied.
“Fine. I’ll tell her you’re a friend from back home.”
“Keep it simple. We’re old Marine buddies. She won’t want to hear our stories. If you tell her we’re friends, then she’ll expect the good-ole-day stories. I don’t have it in me to keep track of all the lies you’d tell.”
“I’m having trouble keeping them straight myself these days.” Unfortunately, Bennett wasn’t joking about that. He’d been undercover many times before. During those times lying was second nature. This job was different. The lies were blending in with the truth. It was a dangerous place for him to be. He didn’t want to be the one to blow it because of a stupid slip-up. When he’d told Shaun he cared about Zoey, that had been the truth.
On the way to her house, they reviewed what Doug had found earlier that day. “It was a different time back then, Bennett. When James Henderson showed up at school with bruises, no one called Child Protective Services. But it did make it in the school records. It wasn’t once. Over his early teen years, there were at least ten documented occurrences from fat lips and black eyes to a broken hand. Since there was no male figure in the home, I have to suspect his mother.”
“Why would a teenager take that from a woman and not fight back?”
“Most likely because it started at a younger age. Whatever James was being beaten for, he must have subconsciously felt he deserved it.”
“No kid deserves that,” Bennett said furiously. Child abuse made him sick. That didn’t mean he was going to forgive the bastard for what he’d done to Zoey. She was emotionally scarred because of what Henderson had done to her. And he hated him for it, and he was sure her brothers did too.
Doug nodded. “You’re right, but if he was made to believe he was wrong, then the punishment was something he’d never speak about.”
