See No Evil Trilogy, page 43
“Fine. I guess I’ll go watch TV. I think the footy match is on.”
She gave me a soft smile. “Are you missing your mates? Do you want to call Bridge and have a play date?”
“Woman, if you continue teasing me, I will make you forget you have to turn in that chapter.”
She giggled and scooted into the library. The shorts she wore were so minuscule her ass was practically on display. God, I loved having her here.
I distracted myself by heading to the great room. I turned the TV on then poured myself a drink and rooted around in the cabinet for snacks. I never used to have snacks in here.
That’s because you didn’t live here.
But now she had stocked up on all the best, knowing full well I had a sweet tooth. There were healthy things like rice cakes and wheatgerm cakes and nutty looking crackers and things that said veggie something or other, but I bypassed all of those I went straight to the candy cabinet. I pulled out a bag of Maltesers and grabbed my scotch. I'm just about to ease myself onto the couch when the front door rang.
We’d gotten into the habit of sending the staff home in the evening, her idea really. So we would become more of a normal couple.
It was funny, because as it turned out, I didn’t want to be waited on hand and foot. It wasn’t so bad doing things myself, and I actually enjoyed it. I set my drink and the Maltesers down and jogged to the front door. “I got it. You keep working. I want my reward later.”
She laughed and muttered something that sounded like ‘you’re impossible,’ but she didn’t come out. When I checked the security camera I frowned. What the fuck was he doing here?
I unlocked the door and deliberately opened it just a crack. “Dad, what do you want? I’m certain we have nothing left to say.”
“Bennett, let me in.”
I shook my head. “No, you can tell me what you want from there.”
He crossed his arms and glowered at me. “That’s it, carry on like an immature prick.”
“Gee, Dad, that’s just the way to get me to open the door for you.”
He shoved past me, barging in. “You were always such a bloody tosser.”
“Wow. Tell me how you really feel.” I followed him into the great room. “Can you make this fast, please? Are you here to lie to me again? Unless you’re here to tell me the truth, you can get the fuck out.”
He shook his head. “Can you explain to me where exactly I went wrong with you? I gave you every advantage. Everything you needed. I pulled every string I could for you. And still, you are ungrateful. You don’t value any of it. And worst, you think you’re above it all. You think your shit doesn’t stink, boy? I promise you it absolutely does.”
“Brilliant. Is that what you’re here to tell me? You know where the door is. See yourself out.”
He swallowed hard. “For fuck’s sake. I came to get you to answer a question for me.”
“Oh, you mean like the time I came to you for answers and you told me nothing but lies? This should be brilliant. Fire away.”
He scowled. “Rumor is that you and your mates are making a real play for Director Prime.”
“You already knew we were trying to disrupt Van Linsted.”
“But you didn’t have a candidate. Rumor is you’re the candidate.”
“The hell I am. We haven’t decided. But it will be one of the four of us. The one with the best shot.”
“What are you, mad? It has to be you.”
I walked around him to the side table and picked up my drink, downing it all in one gulp. I thought it would give me fortification, but it didn’t. All it did was burn. And I didn’t even get to enjoy any Maltesers. “What objection do you have to the others?”
“Edgerton is unacceptable for reasons that should be apparent to even you. Hale would rather flay his own skin than to do anything that will shed any sort of favorable light on his father. That leaves you and Wilcox.”
“How do you even know any of this?”
He gave a mirthless chuckle. “How long do you think I’ve been at this currency of secrets? Wilcox is a poor choice. It has to be you.”
“Pray tell, what is wrong with Drew?”
“You think he’s your friend, but he’ll be the worst Director Prime. He’s too easily manipulated. He’s malleable, and he has his own agenda.”
“Just because that’s who you are, it doesn’t mean that’s who Drew is. He’s the best choice.”
He marched up to me, grabbing me by the front of my shirt. “When will you learn? You don’t make a move unless you intend to win. No member is going to throw their weight behind a Wilcox. You, on the other hand, are a name they can get behind.”
I shoved him off. “Back off, Dad. Being Elite is hard enough for me. I don’t want to be Director Prime.”
“Do you understand anything about legacy, who we’re meant to be, what we’re meant to do? How is it you’ve gotten this far without thinking about any of that?”
“Easy. I try not to be you.”
“For fuck’s sake, Bennett, you know I’m right. The Elite will not get behind Drew.”
“So tell me why you care, Dad. Explain to me why all of a sudden you give a shit about who I am and what I want.”
“Because our interests align. How can you not see that?”
I shook my head. “And that’s just it. Any time you tell me our interests align I know to do the exact opposite. I don’t want the Director Prime seat. I want nothing to do with the Elite. I know what they did to my friend. As soon as I can be done with them, I will be.”
He frowned. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
I’d almost said too much. “Look, I’ll go to the meetings, I’ll stay in there and play the part, do everything I need to do. But if you want to pretend for a damn minute like I’m going to buy into the bullshit ever again, you’re lying to yourself. Barking up the wrong tree. Because I will never be you. I won’t sacrifice who I am just to make you happy. Just to make you more powerful. You wanted to mold me in your image. Well here’s one big fuck you, old man.”
From the side hall, Olivia called out. “Ben? Who are you talking to?”
She paused abruptly and stopped talking when she saw my father. My father’s gaze lingered over her body. Cataloging every curve, every move. “Well, well, Bennett aren’t you a dark horse. Keeping all the good ones for himself. Never figured you as one to use a service. Or is she a ‘model?”” He put the word model in airquotes.
“Dad, shut—” Before I could even tell him to shut up and get out of my house, Livy started in on him.
Her brows rose. “I beg your pardon?”
He still didn’t address her directly. Like she wasn’t even a person. “Bennett, you really managed quite a stunner.”
Olivia cocked her hip, adjusting the weight from the foot in front to the one in the back. I knew that was the exact stance she always made when she was about to tell someone off and ruin their day. “I don’t believe we’ve met. Who the hell are you?”
My father looked confused that she’d been so direct with him. “No, we certainly have not. But if you like we can become better acquainted.” That was all he said, leaving it to her to infer his meaning.
That was it. “Shut up Dad. I’d rather she didn’t know my father was a complete twat. This is Olivia Ashong. She’s my girlfriend.”
Olivia’s gaze narrowed at me. But she didn’t refute my claim.
The old man chuckled. “Girlfriend you say. Right. Well you surely do know how to pick the lookers. Make sure this one’s not after your bank account.”
He must have thought Olivia would shrink away or be embarrassed somehow. Instead, she very calmly said, “Well, you would know, sir, wouldn’t you? I would say I have been looking forward to meeting you, but I have this whole policy about not associating with people who look at me like a piece of meat.” She turned to me. “Ben, just tell me when you need me. I’m ready when you are.”
I grinned at my father, who sputtered as his skin went a shade of bright red. “Who the fuck does she think she is?”
“Well, like I said, she’s Olivia Ashong, and she’s my girlfriend. And you should probably go because we’re about to shag on every flat surface in this house, especially after what she just said to you. I’m completely mad about her, and she disdains you, so that’s a bonus. I appreciate you coming over to tell me how to run my life and what to do with my Elite vote, but your advice isn’t needed here.”
“One day you’ll realize that the decisions I’ve made have always been for you. You will come to see that I gave you excellent advice. Watch out for that one.”
I shook my head. “She’s healing me. And I do have to say you were right about one thing. I didn’t know how to handle a woman like Lila because I didn’t know how to handle deceitful bitches. Thank you for helping to educate me on that.” I marched past him to the front door and then opened it wide for him to leave. “I’ll see you at the next meeting, Dad.”
“Is this the line you’re taking?”
I gave him a sharp nod. “Yeah. That’s the line I’m taking. I wish I could say it was good to see you, but that wouldn’t be true.”
Livy
“Are you sure you want to do this?” I bit my lip as I peered up at Ben. He lounged against the door of the car, and his gaze could only be characterized as… hungry.
“Hell yes, I want to do this.” His smile was all predator.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Are you ever not smug?”
A bark of genuine laughter broke loose. “I’m not smug.” I lifted a brow and he gave me my favorite smile. The one that was genuine with a hint of bad boy but shy kid underneath it all. “All right. I’m a little smug. But a little confidence never hurt anything. Besides, you like me smug.”
A giggle burst out. “So we’re really doing the public thing? Like announcing to the world that I’m your girlfriend. On this date?”
“What you are is too important to define as girlfriend, but that word is just as good as any other.” His ice-blue gaze was intent. He meant what he was saying.
“All right, then let’s make this Instagram official, Mr. Billionaire.”
He laughed. “You’re okay with the cameras?”
I winced. “Not particularly, but I’m with you, so I don’t really care.”
“Let’s do it.”
Scott paused the car in front of Elias’s restaurant. It was the see-and-be-seen spot in London. It was also impossible to get a reservation there. When Ben told me where he’d made dinner reservations, I could only gawk at him. I’d seen television stars photographed outside of the restaurant. “Can I ask why this restaurant again?”
“Well, for starters, the food is excellent. It’s got this Asian-African fusion thing going. I thought you would like it. And it also makes a bold statement.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah, that we’re together. That I’m yours and you are mine.”
The way he said that word sent a shiver up my spine and ruined my panties. Though honestly, why had I bothered wearing any around him? “You’re sure that you want to make that statement?”
He nodded. “Yup. Last chance to back out before Scott opens the door.”
In truth, I was terrified. But not of being seen with him or someone placing us together. I just didn’t want him to change his mind. I wanted all of this to feel right, for once. For that exhilaration and thrill to be in my life for more than just a short time. I searched his gaze, taking in the same beautiful face I’d seen from day one. My Viking. “Let’s do it.”
He flashed me a grin, and then Scott opened my door. Ben got out on his own side and then came around to take my arm. Sure enough, there was paparazzi. And they were ready. It was as if someone had told them we were coming, because they snapped away, each flash blinding, each captured photo a moment in time that couldn’t be taken back.
“Ben! Ben!”
“Over here, Ben.”
“Who’s your date, Ben?”
The questions came rapid fire from several photographers.
While my eyes suffered from whiteout, he took it in stride, standing with me on the pavement, my hand in his. Looking down at me, he mouthed, “Too late to back out now.”
I couldn’t help it. I grinned and laughed. “This was your plan all along to cement me to your side forever?”
He shrugged. “You have to admit, it’s a brilliant plan.”
With one more turn and a nod toward the photographers, he took my hand and led me in.
The lighting was a soft blue inside the lobby. White floors with some marbling, elegant and sophisticated. A black crystal chandelier hung above us. There was a hostess standing to the right. She smiled when she saw Ben, but he only gave her a sparing nod of his head as he bypassed her. “This way.”
“The hostess looks pissed.”
He shrugged. “She shouldn’t. She works for me.”
I snapped my gaze to his. “What?”
He grinned. “Yeah. You think I would take you to an environment I didn’t control?”
I could only shake my head. “Of course not. One of these days, I’m taking you to a diner.”
He chuckled. “Oh, don’t get in a huff. The food is excellent. I think you’ll love it. And I get to keep you safe. What’s not to love?”
There was an art gallery to the left, and I paused as I saw a painting with the vibrant colors of west Africa with a landscape that looked like a market. “Oh, can we stop for a second?”
His smile was indulgent. “Of course, you can do whatever you want.”
I stepped in, pausing at an image of one of the dark-skinned women with a beautiful red and blue headdress. She had an ornate beaded necklace around her neck. It had rows and rows of beads in a multicolored pattern that sort of looked like a rainbow. “God, that’s stunning.”
“That was an acquisition at auction a couple of years ago.”
I glanced around. “All of the artwork is yours too?”
He shrugged. “Well, I footed the bill. But my mate, Elias, he’s the chef and the brainchild behind this place.”
“Who is he?”
“His name is Elias Dadzie. His mother’s Vietnamese. His father is from Ghana. He’s a friend.”
I nodded slowly. “Ah, I see. His last name, I think, is Fante. I love that you found a Ghanaian chef.”
“I mean, it’s not hard. This is London. There’s talent all around everywhere. I once ate at the spot he had in South London. Bridge used to take us there. He grew up with Elias before he met us.”
“He’s a friend of Bridge’s?”
Ben nodded as he explored the images. There was one of schoolgirls in bright green school uniforms, their heads shorn, playing what looked like ampe, which was sort of the Ghanaian mash up of rock, paper, scissors and hopscotch.
I couldn’t help but smile looking at it, all those memories coming to the foreground. “I remember my cousin trying to teach me how to play. I was hopeless.”
“You’ll have to show me sometime.”
“You want to learn how to play a child’s game?”
“Well, with you, I’m assuming there would be laughter involved. And possibly nudity. So I’m all for it.”
“Oh my God, you are actually impossible.”
“I’m convinced you like me that way.”
I shrugged. “Perhaps.”
There were some sculptures present too. Large-scale pieces of the thinking man and essentially a family tree with whatever great nature at the top and her mountain of children underneath. “God, this is amazing.”
He nodded with a smile. “Come on.” He took my hand, his warmth enveloping mine. His stride was sure. He knew exactly where he was going and what he wanted. And he wanted me.
We stepped into an atrium of sorts. There was lounge seating around the edges and a bar. “Do you want a drink?”
“Sure.”
In the corners, there were calabashes made into ice chests that held massive champagne bottles. The carvings on the sides were of animals. “Oh my God, you have calabash.”
He smiled. “Well, like I said, this is Elias’s dream. I gave him money, looked at the plans, and approved them. What would my lady like to drink?”
“What do you suggest?”
“Let’s have a look at the menu.”
I wasn’t sure why he wanted me to look at the menu, but I did. I glanced down at the engraved metal with what looked like a gold leaf etching, and my eyes went wide. “Are these akpeteshie drinks?”
“If that means palm wine, then yes. A whole cocktail list.”
“This is amazing.” He’d brought me here to make me feel at home. Well, hell. I blinked rapidly to kill the impending water works. I was not going to ruin my mascara.
“Elias infuses flavors from both Vietnam and Ghana in the cocktails.”
“Oh my God, this is... I don’t even know what to say.”
He grinned like a kid on Christmas morning. “Are you happy? You look happy.”
“I am happy. Thank you, Ben.”
He ordered something for me that contained palm wine, lemongrass, ginger, and a fruit element. It was sweet and zingy. The akpeteshie was more of a hidden flavor, but I knew well enough not to drink too quickly. Akpeteshie was notorious for knocking you on your ass. It was essentially Ghanaian moonshine.
As we stood drinking and talking, I heard a familiar voice and glanced around. At the end of the bar was an all too familiar face.
It took a moment for Ben to catch where my gaze had gone, and then he muttered a curse under his breath. “Come on, let’s go.”
I shook my head. “I’m not going to hide. Besides, this is your restaurant. I’m not the one who’s out of place here, they are.”
His thumb grazed over my cheek softly. “You know you’re incredible, right?”
I squared my shoulders. “A very good-looking man keeps trying to tell me that.”
“Well, you should believe him.”
It took Dexter a moment to recognize me, but then he rose from his seat and strode over. “What the fuck are you doing here?” His gaze sliced over Ben and he sneered. “I knew you were fucking him.”
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