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Ben stepped cautiously around the island. There wasn’t a part of his body that didn’t hurt. He had four hours of sleep in the past week. Beyond tired, stressed, and pissed-off did not make for a good combination. All was forgotten when he heard Angelina scream. It had been years since fear seized his heart. Ben couldn’t breathe until he knew she was safe. The need to get to her as fast as he could drove him out of bed and down the stairs despite his body’s protests. Ben’s breath caught, and pain exploded everywhere when he bent to coax Angelina out from under the island.
“Angelina, he is an asshole, but he didn’t mean to scare you. Rat doesn’t get out much. His people skills suck.”
Angelina wasn’t sure if she should laugh or cry. It was all too much. There was a man named Rat in her kitchen. Ben, the womanizing man of few words, was the chatty one of the two. Ben was back. Caked in dirt and dried blood, he came back to her.
“Ben,” Angelina whispered, choking back tears.
“Yeah, love, it’s me.”
It was too much. There was no way to hold back. Life wasn’t fair. It sucked. Tears flowed down her cheeks unchecked.
“Shorty, don’t cry. Everything is fine,” Ben scooped her up in his arms. He groaned in pain.
“Want me to get her?”
“If it involves your hands on my woman, the answer is always no. Go install the cameras for the security system in her office. I want a better lock on that door. The keys are in the bowl by the door. Take my truck to get what you need. Your nose is going to need to be put back in place.”
Rat grumbled but placed the mug on the counter and quickly left the kitchen.
Ben sat Angelina on the island. Her eyes were fixed on his chest. He knew it looked as bad as it felt. He brushed her tears away and carefully tilted her face until her eyes were on him. God, he missed her. It crushed him to leave in the middle of the night. Each day away from her, it got worse. He could have chanced a call if the mission hadn’t been so important. He didn’t want a traceable link between them until he had sufficient precautions in place.
“Angelina,” he whispered. Just saying her name, he felt better. Having his hands on her healed what broke inside him when he left. His heart rate slowed to a normal pace. He wanted to murder Rat. He would bring him back to life to do it again for touching her. “Did he hurt you?”
A bubble of laughter burst out of her. Was he serious? He disappeared and then reappeared looking like death warmed over. Of all things he could say, he asked if her new house guest hurt her. Ben had to have a head injury. Either that, or he thought she was desperate enough not to care where he was or how many other women he kept.
“Stay,” Ben commanded. He grabbed a clean mug from the cupboard and filled it half-full of coffee before he added a healthy amount of whiskey. “Drink slowly.”
Angelina took the mug while she stared at him. Her hand reached out to touch his face.
“What happened to you?”
“Long story.”
“I have time.”
“I need a shower and food.”
“Ben, this isn’t going to work-”
“Love you,” Ben interrupted, gently caressing her lips with his. “Missed you so much. I will find a way to get you to forgive me.”
“For what? Disappearing or the parade of other women? I can’t be a name on the phone tree,” she pleaded with him to understand. “I don’t want to be a tourist attraction with letters pinned to my shirt. I can’t take you away from your family. I won’t do it.”
“Other woman? Shorty, there are no other women. I told you I don’t have any other family.”
“Don’t lie. I heard you on the phone before you left. When I woke up, you were gone. You were on the phone with her,” Angelina cringed. “I pretended to be asleep. You left. You went to her. I get it. You have responsibilities with another woman, a family. Let’s not make this harder than it has to be. I met your wife. She stopped by to visit. Jenna asked me to have you call her.”
“I would not lie to you. I’m not married. The only woman I want as my wife is you. I may not be able to tell you everything, but I will never lie to you. I wasn’t on the phone with another woman. I have called him a few lady parts, but I can guarantee you, he is not a woman.”
More evasions and no answers.
“Jenna left a picture of the baby for you,” she whispered, unable to meet his eyes.
Ben held her in place as he let out an impressive string of curses. Angelina waited, but he didn’t deny it. The glue that started to put the shattered pieces of her heart together disintegrated. Pieces broke into shards that ripped through her soul.
“Angelina, can we let it go for a few hours? I promise you there isn’t anyone else. Only you. Please, I know I don’t deserve it. I should have told you about the job, my past, everything. Have mercy on me. I need a shower, and something to eat that doesn’t come from a pack. The last two weeks have been hell without you. I need you close enough I can touch you. I can’t let you out of my sight yet.”
“Ben, I can’t do this. You need to go home to your family. I promise there isn’t anything wrong with me. I mean, besides the bruise Rat gave me.”
