Page 50 of Vicious Deception
Things will be different now that Benny and Andrew are in the picture. They both need people in their life who can help them unlearn the ideologies and patterns that come with being raised by Richard.
“Will I get to meet your partners?” Benny asks after a while.
I let myself smile fully. “Yeah. I think you’ll like them.”
“And we can all be a family together.” Benny says it so quietly I almost don’t hear, but the hope in his voice tugs at my heart.
That’s all I want,I think, unsure of what or whom I’m pleading with or why I’m even bothering.I just want to help see my family succeed. See them happy and together.
Reaching over, I squeeze Benny’s hand, ignoring the pressure building behind my eyes. “I’d like that.”
Chapter fifteen
Elliot
ThenightbeforeLudo’sbig meeting, Axel takes me out on another job. He’s silent as he ushers me downstairs. When we pass Ludo in the foyer, something feels different than last time.
“Wait,” Ludo says just as we’re about to step outside.
I stop, only turning to face Holloway when Axel glares at me. “What?”
“Did you see Benny this evening?”
“I see him every evening,” I grit out. Watching him and Rhett outside is the only thing I have to look forward to.
“He seemed happy, didn’t he?”
Swallowing down the hateful words I want to throw at him, I nod. “He did. Him and Rhett seem to be getting along well.”
“It’d be a shame if something were to happen to change that, wouldn’t it?”
Cold dread fills my lungs, and I struggle to get in a full breath. I feel myself going stiff at Ludo’s satisfied smile. “Is there a reason for it to change?”
“What? Oh! No.” His smirk widens. “Benny will be perfectly fine—as long as you comply.”
Iamcomplying,I want to grit out, but I don’t want to upset him. Doing that could mean another session in the basement for Oliver—or something happening to Benny. So I just bite my tongue and nod.
“Same as always, Axel,” Ludo says. “Bring him right back when you’re done and report to me immediately.”
“You got it, boss.”
Without another word, Ludo turns on his heel and heads up the stairs. Axel clears his throat behind me, and when I whip around to face him, he looks nervous.
“Let’s get going,” he says.
In the SUV, I grab the folder that’s sitting on the backseat. I was hoping Axel would have something else up his sleeve, but it doesn’t look like that’s the case.
One more day,I remind myself. In twenty-four hours, we’ll be home again, and Ludo will be locked away, not us.
It’s not until Axel pulls out of the driveway that I start looking through the folder. Everything looks fairly normal until I flip a page and come across a photograph of my target.
At first, I don’t believe what I’m seeing. I peer at the photo closer, and then I flip back through the pages.
No. No, this can’t be happening.
There has to be some kind of mistake.
“There’s something wrong with this.” I close the folder. “I think you grabbed the wrong profile or something.”