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“But it would blow back on Jake. What about Sam?”
“I don’t care about that degenerate. Does he think I don’t know he is living with that man? Someday he will see the light,” Daniel cried in outrage. “I have a wife because it is required to paint the perfect picture. Samantha can be replaced. After an appropriate amount of time to mourn, I will find a suitable woman more appreciative of what I can offer her. I am the important one here. You are not going to ruin me.”
Ben pushed Angelina behind him. His body went on high alert. Angelina was a threat to this man. Daniel was on the verge of doing whatever he had to do to keep the charade going. He was desperate. It wasn’t a far jump from desperate to dangerous. This guy was used to raising his voice, pretending to rain down his brand of brimstone and fire to keep people in line. No questions were asked when he commanded obedience.
Daniel had a good bark but didn’t have the guts to bite. Ben had seen his kind before. His delusions of grandeur were crumbling around him. Men like him never got their hands dirty. No, they employed someone to do that for them.
“I came prepared to settle this matter,” Daniel raked a hand through his perfectly coiffed hair. “I cannot reason with those who cannot see the error of their ways. My offer no longer stands. Ruining you will be a joy I savor. My followers will happily make your life miserable. By the time I am done, you will wish you were the one on your knees begging forgiveness of your sins. I will not hear your pleas for mercy. Mercy is for those who are repentant.”
“I’m not one of your followers, Mr. Benson. You need to leave,” Angelina commanded coolly.
Ben had had enough. His patience with the man raging at them was gone. Daniel had to go. No one threatened his woman.
“Do you know who I am?” Ben asked in a low growl as he stalked toward Daniel.
Daniel’s righteous bluster evaporated when Ben started toward him. Angelina watched the color drain from his face. He looked like the delivery boy when Ben almost made him pee on the floor. She was sure no one dared to cross Daniel when he was in full damnation mode. His face was red, rapidly turning purple, as he sputtered in indignation while cautiously backing away from Ben.
“I am your worst nightmare. If you ever breathe Angelina’s name to anyone else, nothing will save you. I will make your wife a widow. I can make it look like an accident or leave your body in a seedy motel with a strung-out hooker and a needle in your arm. You will never mention Angelina, think about her, or even acknowledge her on the street. Understand me?” By the time Ben was done, he had his hands wrapped around Daniel’s tie pulling it tighter around his neck until his breathing was restricted.
The over-inflated ego drained from Daniel as he wheezed for breath. His hands clawed at Ben’s hold. It was useless. Ben wasn’t letting go until he was ready. Angelina held her breath until Daniel nodded in agreement.
“I’ll know,” Ben leaned close to whisper. “I will make you pay for every moment of pain you cause her. How do you think your faithful followers will react when they learn about all the money you have stashed overseas? What will they think when they find out where all that money goes? The mistresses and prostitutes? One thing comes out, and I trace it back to you; I will line up every indiscretion I can find for the world to see. Everything you have will be taken from you before I put you in the ground.”
Daniel pried at Ben’s hand. His lips were turning blue, but he still nodded in agreement with Ben’s demands.
Angelina watched silently with her jaw on the floor. Army Ken was scary enough to make any man wet her floor. She had to have lost some of her brain cells. There was no way she should be standing here watching Ben threaten Jake’s dad, getting more turned on than she had ever been in her life.
Ben released the tie. As quickly as the air had been shut off, it was returned. Daniel sagged against the railing, gulping for air.
“Get. Out.”
Daniel turned to flee. His unsteady feet followed Ben’s command. He lunged for the stairs. Stumbling, he half-fell, half-ran down the stairs. He struggled frantically against the door, fingers clawing at the wood until it rolled open. Padre didn’t look back as he fled into the afternoon sunshine.
“So that was Jake’s dad, huh?”
“I need to call Jake,” Angelina sighed.
It wasn’t a call she was looking forward to making. How did you tell one of your fairy godmen his father was off the rails crazy? It wasn’t like he didn’t already know, but this would hurt him. Angelina was with Sam. What would it take to get a heart attack or a home invasion gone wrong? Life just wasn’t fair.
Chapter 23
“Angelina, stop,” Ben wrapped an arm around her waist as she trudged toward the stairs.
“Ben, I need to call Jake. I would like to make that call with the bottle of whiskey in the kitchen. His dad might be an asshole, but Jake deserves a heads up his ass-holiness is out of control. He needs to warn Sam.”
“Shorty, there is someone outside.”
“What?”
Angelina listened. She could hear vehicles and voices. There was no one on her schedule today. Walking to the window, she stopped. The group held signs as they meandered around her yard. They were here to protest.
“Oh my God.” Angelina couldn’t believe her eyes. There were at least a dozen cars, with more coming down the road. People were flooding the yard. “I didn’t lock the house.”
“Son of a bitch.” Ben quickly tugged her away from the glass. “Sit right here and stay away from the window.”
Stunned, she sank into her chair. She was going to be on Daniel’s TV channel, the subject of his next best-selling book, and a target for all his followers. Those letters were going on her shirt for sure.
“Why are they here? He had to have this planned. There was no way Daniel could get his entire film crew and a hoard of protesters in my driveway minutes after he left.”
