BENNETT MAFIA

Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR

There was a creak from the floorboards outside my door, and I looked up.

It’d been two days, but Blade still had concern in his eyes. Not that I could blame him.

This wasn’t me. Not usually. Not anymore.

I’d been in a stupor since the news broke about Brooke being missing. There’d been no new reports, just speculation that it had something to do with the Bennett family. I knew that family was big news, but they resided up in Vancouver—Canada, where we were. Still, when news broke about Brooke, Blade monitored the stations in the States, which had learned who exactly Brooke was related to. Images of Kai Bennett, along with Tanner and Jonah, flooded the networks. It was the biggest news story down there, though the local news channels around here were more subdued. They were aware of how the Bennett family worked. If they said anything too outlandish or hinted that one of the Bennetts had something to do with Brooke’s disappearance, they would feel the full force of the Bennetts’ power.

It had happened before.

A reporter produced a full-hour show about the Bennett family, and she was fired the day it aired. There was no word about where she went. There were pictures of her later on blogs, but all with her shielding her face and hiding from the camera.

I never heard a peep about that reporter after that, and she never worked as a journalist again—I knew that much because a Google search of her name brought up nothing, not even from the channel that fired her.

“You going to work tomorrow?” Blade asked.

Shit. I jumped where I’d been sitting at my desk.

He leaned against my doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest. Today he wore a black tuxedo vest, still no shirt, and his dreadlocks were pulled back in a loose ponytail.

“Um…” I groaned. I’d had the last five days off for what the nursing home thought was a family vacation.

“You might want to get a spray tan, since, you know.” He smiled.

Since they all thought I’d been in Florida visiting a grandma who didn’t exist.

He was right. I had a tan from being outside and doing what yard work I could between our “errand” and my time watching the news, but it wasn’t a Florida tan.

I sighed. “I should go now. It’s my turn to cook tonight.”

His eyes got big. “Spaghetti? Please spaghetti?”

Blade enjoyed the gluten-free vegetable meatball spaghetti with zucchini noodles I made, and so did I. We worked to keep our bodies in the best shape for work reasons, but Carol wasn’t the same.

Carol was wild, adventurous, and a bit quirky.

She loved junk food and every new fad. Eggwhite Chips were the latest in a bunch of new creations she’d brought home. Her stomach was a block of cement. Put anything in it, and she’d crush it and ask for seconds. On the other hand, Blade’s stomach rebelled against processed food. I wasn’t as exciting; I just didn’t like it.

I only liked a few things: bread, some form of protein, and anything the world naturally kicked up. I usually filled up on berries or things I grew in the garden. So no, I I had not consumed the Eggwhite Chips the other night.

“Oh, and hey…” His voice dropped to his serious tone.

“Yeah?” I straightened up.

“I got a call this morning.” His eyes bore into mine. “You need to get off work this weekend. We have a pick up in the States.”

My mouth dried.

I nodded. “I’m on because I was off last weekend, but it won’t be a problem. I’ll take a holiday.”

Holidays were good bargaining chips, at least for me—for us. Normal people wanted their holidays off. They wanted to spend time with friends and family, but not us. It was the time immediately after a holiday or right before a holiday that we needed off.

People tended to have emergencies at those times, but not usually on the actual day.

He nodded as one of his alarms started beeping, and he headed for the living room to check it out.

I had to stop what was going on in my head.

I had to focus again.

Brooke Bennett was no longer my roommate. She wasn’t my best friend anymore. That had ended thirteen years ago. A lot of other crap had gone down in my life, changing the direction of everything.

I was no longer Bruce Bello’s daughter.

When my mom had died, so had his daughter. My death just took a different turn and a lot longer.

This was my life now.

I lived outside of Calgary, and yes, I was hiding. With Blade and Carol. We were doing a lot more than just hiding, though. And in light of that, I had things to do to help set up our next trip—or “errand” as Carol liked to call them—and one part of that was getting a spray tan.

I picked up my wallet and keys, and I headed for the door. Moments later I was pulling out of the driveway in our rusty ’72 Chevy truck.

• • •

“Back again, Raven?”

Raven. Not Riley.

I made a mental note to remind Carol and Blade to use my cover name. We’d all slipped over the last nine months, starting to use our real names around the house. To them I was Riley. Carol had never learned my last name, though I knew Blade knew, but keeping these secrets was a point stressed during our training.

We were no longer our pasts, and last names were forbidden. We couldn’t use them, say them, or even think them.

So to them I was Riley, because that’s how we were introduced when we got our assignment, but to everyone in Cowtown I was Raven.

Raven Hastings.

Along with my fake name, I had a whole fake personality to put on, and I sent Holly a dazzling smile I rarely used. “Hey! Yes! You know me.”

Raven Hastings was enthusiastic. She was happy most days, with a bright and cheery disposition. She enjoyed inspirational quotes, and she liked to dress beach casual, in Canada. When Raven went out with Blade, they complemented each other. She was boho chic, and he was blissful hippie.

Today I (or Raven) had dressed in a bohemian light pink skirt that fell to my feet with a slightly see-through white T-shirt knotted over my stomach. Thank God it was summer because I had committed to this look. Right now I was able to pull off sandals with straps running up my legs like ballet slippers.

I stuck my hip out and propped my hand there, striking a pose. “I have a date next weekend, and I have to look good.”

Holly was the Sun-n-Fun’s main evening worker, and she was an eternal romantic. This wasn’t my first time here, and I’d noted she had a stack of at least three new books next to the till every time I came in for a tan. Holly also knew a few of the girls from the nursing home—another way to cement my excuse for next weekend. I knew one of those friends always wanted to trade for the closest holiday or big event, and the next one coming up was the Stampede.

Holly’s eyes lit up, and she asked me all about my date.

I made it a weekend excursion.

• • •

Annie didn’t waste any time.

Word had traveled fast to my coworker from Holly at the tanning salon the night before. She plopped down at my table during my first break at the nursing home where I worked as a nursing aide.

“Heard you need next weekend off?”

I smiled. “You wanted to go Stampeding?”

She didn’t even blink, only leaned forward. “I want that whole weekend off.”

“Done…if you take my Friday shift too.”

Annie had started to rise, but now paused and hissed. “Are you serious?”

In some nursing homes, a full weekend was Friday through Sunday, but not this nursing home. If we traded a weekend with someone, it was just Saturday and Sunday. So I had to make it clear I wanted that Friday off too.

But I knew Annie. She loved partying, and Stampeding was a huge party. Ergo my sunny Raven disposition.

I couldn’t mess around. “Take it or leave it…”

She growled under her breath, but nodded. “Fine. I’ll write up the slips to put in for the trade.”

And I was now free for whoever we were helping next weekend.

Bolstering a bright smile, I bounced in my seat. “Great! Thanks! I can’t wait for my date now.” And because Raven loved inspiring quotes, I added, “Be fearless. Be beautiful.”

Annie’s eyes flicked upward before she pushed away from the table. “Yeah, okay.”

“Weirdo,” she breathed as she left.

But Raven loved all, even meanies.

With Riley that girl might’ve been introduced to a door, but I was Raven today.

“Hey, Rave girl. Bee is taking her clothes off.”

I checked the time. I had five minutes left.

“Okay. I’ll head up in three.”

Bee loved being naked, but she had dementia.

“By the elevators,” he added.

And I was up and leaving. Bee had been in bed when I left for break.