Chapter 3
2097 Words
The party was wrapping up, Ben and Alicia were saying goodbye to their guests. Paul and the other guards were clearing up the tents. It had been a busy day, a happy one too. The guests parking area was starting to look less expensive as the day progressed. Only a handful of cars were remaining and their owners were planning to leave. After doing her best Alicia left Ben to it and ran back to the house. She met Paul by the stairs.
"Has anyone seen my son?" Alicia asked.
"He was with Arya" Reported Paul.
"I saw Arya all alone maybe I should call him if you see Leila tell her to meet me in my room"
"Okay mum" Paul said walking outside.
He lied. Paul lied. If there was anyone who knew where Scott was it was him but he did not want to sell him out. There were a lot of crazy stuff people did for love and he was not the first or last one. If it were him he would have kicked Melissa out of his life completely but Scott was not him. There was a spark of love between them his only worry was what were they going to think about it? What was his family going to think of him for taking her side despite conspiring to murder his own father and destroy their family?
"I must say she took good care of business while you were in hell" Daniels said before the three gentlemen burst into laughter.
Ben and Ronald were facing Daniels. Paul joined their side unnoticed by the two.
"I think he was in heaven" Ronald said.
"No my friend Daniel here is right, without my family it was hell" Ben said.
"Catch you gentlemen later I see Paul is here" They turned to look him, "Something must have come up" He said before getting into his car.
"Thank you for coming" Ben said and shook his hand once more.
"Paul is here, like a cat as usual" Ronald said.
"What is it?" Ben asked leading the way to the house.
Since his resurrection Ben and Paul had not talked much. He was always traveling in the jet and most of those trips he went alone claiming Paul had to help Scott take care of business and his family. And they had done a really good job for the past five months. Now that he was back there was a lot they needed to talk about and with Ben, the new refurbished Ben no time was the right time.
"We need to talk sir" Paul said.
"About business talk to Scott am still on holiday you..."
"About Boaz" Paul said interrupting his Boss.
Paul was good at keeping tabs on Ben’s enemies. He had his eyes on each and every one of them.
"What about him?" Ronald asked.
"Buddy go ahead I will catch you later" Ben said referring to Ronald who was following them closely.
"No Ben, last time I relaxed someone almost took you away from me, I can’t let it happen again. From now on we are back to our struggling times, together. We against them, whoever they are" said Ronald boldly.
The man was serious about it. He was not moving unless Ben was planning on having him escorted out of the building. Ben thought his only problem was the administration. After the scuffle with Lincoln, his steel factory got flagged by the fort Canon police departed, FCPD and the ethics and anti corruption committee was his daily visitor. Other billionaires with shoddy businesses were hiding in the shadows. And they were blaming Ben. He had nothing to hide Ben had made his fortune through hard work. He was not a Saint but he was also not that shoddy.
"Okay let's talk inside" Ben said.
With a bunch of billionaires against him immortal Ben needed help to survive and he couldn't think of someone better than Ronald, the man they scavenged the rest of fort Canon with looking for business deals and money to fund their ideas. He had his back, and Ben had his.
They arrived at the equivalent of the oval office. Paul brought the two gentlemen a drink each and leaned closer to the window.
"So, what about Boaz that seems to be worrying the great Paul whiskers?" Ben asked.
"I have Intel a group of very powerful men met today for lunch at his place"
"Ganging up I see" Ronald said.
"What did they discuss?"
"Not much but the meeting should worry you of all people" Paul said.
Ben burst into laughter leaving Ronald and Paul looking confused. There was nothing funny with his fellow rich men ganging up against him. Unless he did not see the connection or consider them a threat.
"It's just a meeting for Christ's sake Paul nothing much" Ben said.
"It could be something, I mean with all that's going on right now you got to be careful" Ronald said.
"No, you two need to relax a bit, Paul see Ronald out I have to see my wife bye" Ben said leaving them.
The two gentlemen looked on as he left. Clearly he was still in holiday land when people were up to grab his fortune. It was where Paul and Ronald came in. They were like his brothers.
"You're not going to leave this alone aren't you?" Ronald asked sipping from his glass.
"Nop! You?"
"Me neither so what's the plan?"
Paul scratched his bald head for some ideas. This time they were not ready made.
"Let me help, who was there I can go talk to them" offered Ronald.
"Take Kazuki yamoto and I will take the mayor"
"You mean Thomas? Holy s**t we are good friends with that guy!"
"Okay we switch" Paul said.
"Deal" Ronald answered the two of them shaking hands as they walked out.
*******
Martha was happy. Finding Scott there meant a lot to her. He was a gentleman after all. Very few men would have agreed to check on her daughter after what she had done. As Alfred drove them back to the castle she was all smiles in the back seat of the sleek ford ranger double cabin.
"You look happy mum any progress with Melissa?" Alfred asked.
"No but Scott was there can you believe that?"
"Yes because I saw him, but it's amazing he has forgiven her"
"There is a genuine sign of pity in him it gives me hope that when she gets better they may pick up where they left it’s just my prayer" Martha said.
"Let's hope for the best then, you want to stop anywhere mom?"
"No just take me home, we will visit Lincoln tomorrow a fresh day for him he ruined my daughter's life with his little vigilante game who asked him to handle Ben? No one needs protection from Ben"
It was hard for her to forget that the misfortune was all Lincolns doing. She had no grudge against Ben and his family like everyone else thought or expected. As a matter of fact she owed him an apology. It was just that she was too ashamed to face him. How could she even start telling him that? Sorry my daughter tried to kill you and my husband has been trying to kill you since high school? It did not sound good in her head either.
The price home had changed. Since Martha took over she had done some reforms. Life had taught her to treat people a little better. She wondered how Alicia managed it all with Ben not around.
"We are here mum" Alfred said opening the door for her.
"Thank you Alfred, I can really use a shower right now and whose car is that?" She asked pointing at the garage.
"No idea mum" Alfred said running upfront.
She waited by the entrance. She would have as well just marched in and found out who it was since they were probably waiting in the living room.
"Who is it?"
"The chairman of the port of Fort Canon"
"Boaz? What is he doing here?" She asked both looking and sounding surprised.
"Let's get in and find out"
Boaz was seated sprawled in the living room chair like he owned the place. A bottle of whiskey was on his stool. If you haven’t realized yet Boaz was one arrogant guest.
"Good evening Boaz am sorry to keeping you waiting"
"Am not lonely I have some company here" He said raising the bottle of whiskey.
"Just give me a minute I will be back, Alfred here will take care of you" She said.
He smiled.
"I thought you'd send a woman, Alfred is a man but anyway it's my first visit I forgive you"
"Thank you, we will correct next time" Martha said going upstairs.
At heart she was busting with anger. Who was he to ask to be entertained by a woman in her living room? For the record he knew Lincoln was not dead. And even if he was dead the house, a man's house deserved respect. Were it not for the purpose of business she would have asked Alfred to escort him out of the compound. She started undressing at the door before she jumped into the shower; the cold water cascading down her back was a breather. She stood there washing her hair, it was like all her problems were being washed down to her feet and then to the soak pit down to the sewers. She wished that was true. Every time she closed her eyes she saw Melissa looking like a kid and Lincoln lying lifeless with tubes in his nose and mouth.
Was it her fault that Lincoln got to a point where he was ready to take his own life? Did she leave him to twist in the wind all alone? They said a woman was supposed to be a man's helper. She felt like she didn't help him that much. Even though most of the time he pushed her away and made her feel so unwanted she should have tried. And Melissa? It was Lincoln. All Lincoln. But she realized there was a role she was supposed to play in ensuring her daughter was settling in her marriage and not conspiring to kill the people she lived with. According to Martha, she had failed at both being a mother and a wife. It was not going to happen again. Her mission was simple, protect the family and make amends with the people they hurt.
She got out of the shower and dried her hair, applied jell on her body and dressed up lightly in white dress. She admired herself on the mirror before marching out.
"I was just coming to find you" Boaz said coming up the stairs.
Martha looked at Alfred. He shrugged. The butler had tried his best to talk him out of it.
"Here I am you seem to be in a hurry"
"Yeah is there somewhere we can sit and talk?"
"The living room" Martha said.
"That's so open I want us to discuss something of great importance" He said staring at her with lust.
She was not that old. Martha really knew how to take care of herself she still looked young for her age and Boaz being a womanizer he figured with Lincoln in hospital they could form more than a partnership against the immortal Ben Richards.
"Okay then let's go to my office" She said leading the way.
"Alfred I think you should lag behind..."
"He comes or we are not going anywhere with you" Martha stood her ground.
"Okay Alfred, tag along"
She served them drinks each and then Alfred with Martha sat opposite Boaz giving him a chance to explain the purpose of his visit. From the beginning he had shown signs of being conjugal visit. Too bad Martha was not feeling it. Boaz was having a hard time understanding why Martha was not feeling his advances. He was rich, handsome not to brag but that one he was apart from his pot belly that made people confuse him for an expectant hippo. He was good though. Maybe the beards were off. Yeah the beards. They made him look like a sea urchin.
"So Boaz here we are, feel free to drink and let's talk about business" Martha said in an inviting tone.
"So how do you feel to be on my side in a war against Ben Richards, the man who has taken a lot from you?"
- Writer
