Author's Notes:

'A Shepherd's Crook' is a new tale in the Chronicles of Ben Shepherd. The chronological order of the stories is:

• The Shepherd of Ashburn Court -- Parts 1 - 5
• A Shepherd in France -- Parts 1 & 2
• A Shepherd Afield -- Parts 1 - 5
• The Shepherd's Crook -- Part 1

Minimal effort is made in this tale to explain the backstory, so please read the other stories first.

All characters engaging in sexual relationships or activities are 18 years old or older.

********

A Shepherd's Crook -- Part 1

********

Chapter 1

Ben stretched out on his back on the living room carpet, baby Gretchen asleep on his chest. Sam was wiggling on his blanket at his side, Ben's big arm protectively encircling the infant. The only child missing from this picture was Christopher who'd opted to go to daycare to play with his friends.

He heard footsteps and glanced up to see Tina and Lucy approaching with big smiles on their faces.

"Who's a proud papa? Who's a proud papa? You are! Yes, you are!" Lucy teased in a voice she used on her daughter.

Ben chuckled because he couldn't argue with the beauty. He was proud! Thrilled as well. He'd never expected to have children of his own much less three! He smiled lovingly at the two ladies, and they knelt next to him and gave him kisses before they scooped up their babies.

Ben made a slight noise of protest, but Tina gave him a raised eyebrow.

"You know Captain Kendricks will be here shortly. Don't you need to prepare?" she asked.

Ben sat up and pouted at them but nodded. He leaned forward and kissed the heads of the babies and got another kiss from their mothers before he stood and walked downstairs to his office. A prototype of his latest design was resting atop his drafting table. The original was in the glass cabinet lining the wall of his workshop. It didn't seem very impressive at first glance, but then most of the devices he designed hid their cleverness beneath a simple façade. He gathered the design spec sheets and stuffed them in the docket with a memory stick containing all the digital files. Picking up the docket and the prototype he went back upstairs just in time to hear the muted tones of the doorbell.

Tina and Lucy had insisted he come up with a quieter way to announce the many visitors he received these days now that he was working with the US military and other departments of the government. The new doorbell didn't wake the babies.

Smiling, Ben opened the door for Captain David Kendricks who was right on time. A big personnel carrier was waiting at the end of the driveway. Ben grinned as he recalled the night he'd met Kendricks and his predecessor's shock and awe tactics.

"David! Good morning!"

"Ben! Good morning to you!" He looked to the dossier Ben was carrying. "Is that it?"

Ben smiled and nodded. "Yes, let's go take a look."

David kicked his shoes off and followed Ben to the dining room as this had become their pattern. Ben placed the docket on the table and opened it, and they took chairs side by side. He walked the Captain through the reports he'd made, and they inspected the physical prototype.

David grinned at Ben. "We had a bet going back at headquarters on methods you might use to alleviate the air turbulence the device would produce. Corporal Killcade bet we'd all be wrong and suggested you'd find a solution that adapted dynamically to the increase in friction. While she didn't supply the solution you devised, she did identify the basis of your design. She won the bet again!"

Ben grinned at the man then tried to recall someone named Killcade. "Have I met her?"

David shook his head. "No, she's new. Been working in the think tank for maybe... six months? Absolutely brilliant but incredibly awkward socially. I understand she's one hell of a soldier, but she couldn't integrate with the others on her squad. If she wasn't so damn smart, they might have released her from the army. Instead, she came to work for us. I immediately put her on reviewing your work." A sly grin began to appear on the Captain's face. "I think she might have a little crush on you."

Ben stared at him nervously.

David laughed and patted Ben on the arm. "Not to worry, it's just a little innocent infatuation with someone she believes may be as smart as she is."

Ben frowned. "I'm not particularly smart. Just ask the ladies I live with. My mind just likes puzzles."

David gave him a skeptical look. "Riiiiight." Then his expression showed a little embarrassment.

"What's wrong?" Ben asked.

"Nothing! It's silly really... but I promised I'd ask," David shifted a little in his chair. Ben just waited until the Captain finally managed to spill. "That wager we made over your air turbulence solution? As her reward for always being right, Corporal Killcade asked if she might be permitted to join me on my next visit."

"Oh! Well, if you vouch for her, then I suppose it'd be fine," Ben responded with a small shrug. David's relieved smile and brisk nod were good enough for him.

"Did you bring me the file for the new project?" Ben asked eagerly.

With an indulgent smile, David reached into his briefcase and pulled out a dossier stuffed with crinkled papers.

Ben's eyebrows rose as he looked at the old notes. "How ancient is this request?"

"Pretty old. Pre-dates my tenure and then some. The memory stick includes all of the attempted solutions people have come up with over the years to solve it. You're welcome to try."

Ben nodded and smiled as he flipped through the pages.

David smiled as he knew he'd lost Ben's attention. The man's voracious mind was eager to begin. David was starting to worry at the lull in challenges for him. Admittedly there were plenty of top-secret projects that would have loved to have a mind like his on the team, but Ben had made it clear he wasn't interested in designing weapons. Aside from this, there were still people in Kendricks' chain of command who were seriously uncomfortable about having a 'celebrity' working for them. He kept that little fact from Ben. He moved the prototype and the dossier into his briefcase.

"I'm going to leave you to it then. Thanks again for this!"

Ben turned his attention back to his guest with a guilty smile. "Sorry. Thanks for the new puzzle!" He walked the Captain to the door and shook his hand before the man left.

Ben immediately walked down to his office and took a seat at his desk. He pulled the sheets out and got to work, a little smile on his face.

Three hours later he trudged up the stairs, a little frown had replaced his earlier smile.

Lucy was approaching the stairs with her daughter in her arms and saw the frustrated look. "Oh oh. That doesn't look like a 'Eureka' expression.

He gave her a weary smile. "Actually, in this case, it is. My latest puzzle turned out to be something I solved a while ago. Well, something I invented a few years ago can be adapted to solve this." He closed his eyes and shook his head to shake off his grumpiness. "It doesn't matter. They'll have a solution."

Lucy smiled at Ben. "You've saved me the effort of calling you up for lunch. Come join us in the kitchen."

They walked into the room where Tina was placing their lunch on the table. The delicious scent of the meal brought a smile back to his face.

He could always count on her to take care of his happiness.

-=-

Ben was finishing up cleaning the kitchen when the phone rang. Tina got to it first.

"Shepherd residence. Oh, hello Mr. Greyson. Ben's right here. Hold please."

Ben smiled at Tina and accepted the handset from her.

"Hi Walter, what's up?"

"Hi Ben. I've spoken to the mortgage officer about the Berlin condo you inherited from Gretchen's estate. I've managed to get them to acknowledge the life insurance clause covers all remaining payments. They wouldn't budge on the penalties for the missed installments. That required payment and Jerry's accounting firm dealt with that for you. He purchased this condo through a numbered company too. I don't know why Rainor hid his ownership of the properties he bought behind the blank corporation, and I'm not opening that can of worms. To get the bank to acknowledge the insurance claim, I sent them the paperwork proving Rainor's ownership of the numbered company and a copy of his death certificate indicating he was deceased. The good news is, the mortgage is paid off."

"Sorry for the grief that caused you, Walter."

"That's fine. It's not all good news, however. I'm having no luck with the bank in regards to that safe deposit box. They're insisting you go to the bank and either close it out or renew it, in person."

"What? In Berlin? What a pain in the ass!" Ben grumbled.

"To make matters worse, they're saying the rental on the box is going to expire within the next week," Walter continued. "The notice was apparently mailed but who knows where that went."

"What happens if we just let it lapse?" Ben asked.

"The contents would be claimed by the bank. You're not really considering that are you? Aren't you curious about what's inside?"

Ben snorted. "You know what curiosity did to the cat." He brooded for a moment then growled quietly. "Right... fine. What's the deadline?"

"A week from this Wednesday."

Ben sighed. "Guess I'm going to Germany. Send me the details?" Tina and Lucy looked at him in surprise.

"Thanks, Ben. I'll send them through right now," Walter said in relief.

"Bye, Walter."

"Bye, Ben."

He looked at the concerned expressions on the faces of the two ladies. "What?"

-=-

Ben parked his truck in the airport long-term parking lot and looked over at the smiling face of his 'traveling companion'.

After learning of his trip, Tina and Lucy called a meeting of the ladies in his life. Hearing that Ben would be imminently traveling to Europe on his own, they checked their schedules to see who could join him.

Gabriella was scheduled to travel to New York the same week, so she was out. Catherine was in the middle of preparing a fundraiser.

Tina and Lucy had doctor's appointments for their babies that week.

The twins would have loved to go, but it was too short notice to arrange replacement help at the daycare.

Trish, who arrived late to the meeting, was not so secretly delighted that she was the only one who could rearrange her work to free up the time. She would have Ben all to herself.

"Are we flying first class? Maybe we can sneak in a quickie in the washroom! We never got to do it on our trip to France," Trish pouted.

Ben rolled his eyes. "You know how tiny those rooms are?"

"Just part of the fun!" she insisted.

Ben grabbed their bags and made his way inside. They went through security and walked to the far end of the terminal to approach a solitary gate. Trish looked around curiously.

"Where are the other passengers?" she asked.

Ben smiled at her. "There aren't any other passengers."

Her eyes lit up. "No fucking way! We're flying on the private jet?"

Ben nodded, and Trish jumped up against his chest to kiss him.

Truthfully, after their last flight back from their vacation in France, he'd vowed to use his friend's jet service whenever possible. Being verbally accosted for his reportedly decadent lifestyle by a gaggle of self-righteous old ladies at 30,000 feet was a memory he'd prefer to forget. He recalled Trish had enjoyed the moment, making more than one of the matrons faint with her boasts of just how decadent it felt to be with Ben.

So, no more commercial airlines, if he could avoid them.

He ushered Trish through the gate and down to the tarmac. He paused as he gaped at the jet they'd be boarding.

He'd recently made a significant investment in the company, and one of the things they'd apparently done with the money was to upgrade their fleet.

"Holy Fuck! That's gorgeous!!!" Trish gasped in glee. The jet before them was sleek and looked like it was already moving at light-speed just sitting still. He blinked in surprise as it looked nothing like the company's old design. The company colors had changed too. The jet was shiny black with white letters on the side. "Sky Shepherd?" he mumbled in surprise.

"You own the jet?!?" Trish gasped.

He looked at her with a confused frown. "No... no, I just invested capital in the company... oh my god..."

He was looking at the emblem painted on the tail. It was the same silhouette used on the tags of Gabriella's, or rather Brezza's, designer clothing! It was him! Naked! Granted it wasn't as detailed as the embroidered tag, but the stylized version they ended up with hadn't eliminated the one detail outline that disturbed him the most! Worse, it was much larger than the garment tag.

A big man with sandy blonde hair left the plane and hustled over towards them.

"Ben! So glad to see you again! We've been talking so much on the phone, but we haven't had a face to face since you did the original design work on the interiors! When I heard you'd booked one of our new birds I just had to come down to shake your hand!" They gripped and shook though Ben remained dazed.

"Dennis, hi. This is Trish Campbell. Trish, Dennis Thomasson." She shook the man's hand with a smile.

Ben pointed to the plane. "Sky Shepherd?"

"Yeah! Much catchier than our old name. Your branding people are awesome! So helpful! We're getting so many reservations since we rebranded! But hey, we'll always make sure you're a priority!" he assured Ben.

"My branding people?" he asked.

"Yeah, Gabriella put me in contact with them. They took care of everything from registering the name, hooking us up with a web designer to fix our site, marketing, stationery, business cards- shit! The whole enchilada! That investment you made and Gabriella's advice gave us one hell of a boost!"

Ben recalled Gabriella talking to him about the labels and spinning off a business... crap. He'd been ogling her cleavage when she told him. She'd also been pressing her delightful tits against him at the time. Then he recalled what they'd done next and found himself stiffening in his pants. He'd have to talk with her again to get more information on how his 'brand' was being used.

The pilot poked his head out the door. "Dennis! Let our passengers board, or we'll miss our window."

The man gave them a guilty smile and walked them to the door. "Have a great flight and thanks again!"

Ben and Trish waved to him and climbed the stairs into the jet. Trish walked in, and her jaw dropped.

"Oh my god, Ben! This is fucking gorgeous!" she gushed.

He loaded their carry on suitcases into the closet next to the galley then followed Trish back.

"Mr. Shepherd, if you could take your seats we'll be taxiing momentarily," the pilot said from the cockpit doorway.

"Certainly. Thanks!"

Ben gestured for Trish to take a seat and he sat in the one facing her. The seats were decadently comfortable and even fit Ben's larger frame. His head rested back against the headrest instead of flopping over the seatback.

"Shit! I'm ruined for commercial travel!" Trish moaned as she buckled her seat belt.

"Me too," he sighed.

The pilot announced they were beginning their taxi out to the runway, so they sat back and smiled at each other.

It didn't take long to get out to the runway and soon the jet was leaping into the sky. The pilot came on over the intercom and announced they'd be landing in New York to top up their fuel then the next stop would be Berlin. When the seat belt lights went out, Trish popped hers and went immediately to the galley.

"Damn! They have some quality hooch here! This stuff is for us?" she asked.

"Yes, help yourself."

"Maybe later," she said distractedly as she nodded to herself and continued to poke around. The snacks looked yummy, and the menu indicated two different entrées for dinner, both of which sounded good!

She walked behind the seating area to look at a door. "What's behind this door?"

Ben swiveled on his chair to face her. "Open it and find out."

Raising an eyebrow at him, she pulled on the handle and slid the door open.

"Oh, you gotta be fucking kidding me!" she gushed as she saw the bed and another door next to it. She rushed to open that door and saw a fully appointed bathroom with a small shower.

Ben grinned at the happy, excited sounds coming from Trish. She came running back to his seat and jumped on him. His chair immediately folded flat, so she was stretched out over his body.

"I LOVE this jet!" she purred!

"And you wanted to have a quickie in a commercial jetliner washroom!" he scoffed gently.

She smiled and kissed him sensually. He was really enjoying the kiss when she suddenly squeaked and pushed herself back to her feet to rush back into the bedroom. He watched her go in surprise.

She disappeared around the corner, and he heard a happy yelp. "I did see a TV on this wall!"

Ben snorted in surprise that a TV had captured Trish's attention more than rubbing her body against him. Maybe the magic was over! That thought made him snort again.

He climbed to his feet to follow her. When he could see her again, she was sitting on the end of the bed pointing a remote at the TV he couldn't see. He joined her in the bedroom and saw the TV had a menu of available movies. He saw some fairly current movies then the screen jumped to the adult section.

"Now you're talkin'!" Trish purred. She scanned through the titles. "Lame, lame, soft, stupid, lame, oh! This one has promise!" She stopped on a cover that showed a sultry blond socialite grabbed roughly by a tough looking fellow.

"You want to watch porn?" Ben asked incredulously.

She grinned up at him. "No!" He began to feel a little better then she continued. "I want to act it out with you while we watch porn.

"You've done this before?" Ben asked nervously as his eyebrows climbed upwards.

"Once. Shortly after I married John... but he got stupidly jealous and hit me. I was young and stupid, so I believed his excuses and forgave him. I never watched porn with him again though. You wouldn't react as he did, would you." Trish was watching him with loving eyes as Ben tried to suppress his rage at the idea of her husband hitting her.

"Of course, I wouldn't!

"So, you'll do it?" she grinned excitedly.

He sighed and nodded in defeat. Only for Trish.

With a happy squeal, she jumped up against his chest and wrapped her arms around him. Her lips found his, and he enjoyed the sensations of her deep kiss and her tits pressing against his chest. His hands cupped her ass to hold her up against his body, and he gave the muscular orbs a good squeeze.

Trish pulled back from the kiss to moan. "Fuck! I love your hands on my body!"

"We should probably hold off on that activity until the stretch between New York and Berlin," he suggested.

She smiled up at him and nodded. She could wait.

They walked back out to the galley and made their selections for dinner. It was pretty simple to complete the preparations for the meals. They enjoyed the food and Trish had some lovely white wine to accompany it. Ben stuck with water.

The stopover at New York was short and sweet, and soon they were on their way to Berlin.

Trish smiled at Ben wickedly and walked backward towards the bedroom tugging him along after her. He smiled at her mischievous nature. He knew she liked to try new things, but this one felt odder than most.

He closed the bedroom door, and she let go of his hand to prepare the TV.

"You're going to have to fill me in on how this is supposed to work," Ben said uneasily.

She grinned at him. "Think of it as a kind of party game. We watch the movie and feel free to comment on the production values or acting. We only begin to mirror them when the sex scenes begin. Then we attempt to match their actions and movements as closely as possible. Obviously, I'm the snooty socialite, and you're the rough dude who fucks her silly."

"Do I need to say his lines?" Ben asked, and Trish barked a laugh.

"If you want to toss in a few ad libs that fit the scene feel free, but you can't go out of character."

Trish started to take her clothes off. Ben's eyebrows rose. "We don't get to undress as the actors do?"

She snorted. "Are you kidding? This guy is probably gonna tear her clothes off! I don't want you ruining my clothes! We start naked. Adds to the fun!"

Ben took off his clothes as she started the movie. The title sequence was rolling, and the leading actress was driving through an expensive neighborhood. Lots of shots of mansions and big lawns. Lots of close-ups of the woman driving, big sunglasses hiding her eyes. She wore an elegant white silk shirt and a black pencil skirt with high heels.

"She really does look like she's actually driving," Ben remarked.

Trish nodded. "Probably didn't have the budget for anything more. Shit! Do you see those nails? How would she get anything done with nails that long!"

Ben was beginning to enjoy this. "She's supposed to be a socialite. What manual labor would you expect her to do?"

"She couldn't wipe her ass with nails that long!"

"Maybe she has servants to do that for her," Ben suggested.

"HAHAHAHAHA! FUCK! That's gross! Worst fucking job ever!" Trish howled. She looked at Ben from the corner of her eye. "You have a sick mind!"

"Hey! You were the one who brought up ass wiping!" he argued.

"Wait, wait, wait! Credits are done, and she's home. It's starting!"

Ben settled back against the bed's headboard next to Trish who was watching the movie with rapt attention.

On the screen, the socialite was walking up to the front door of her mansion, flicking her mane of blond hair back over her shoulders. The scene cut to an interior to show her entering and off to the side was a tall, well-dressed man with his pants down around his ankles as he drove himself into the ass of a pretty Hispanic woman in a maid's outfit.

The socialite paused and shot a look of disgust at the man who was probably supposed to be her husband.

"The cheating husband! Of course!" Trish called out. "Fucking the staff and she's not happy about it."

Ben assumed that as well from her expression.

"Fuck! He's really going to town on that poor girl's ass," she mumbled, and Ben glanced at her.

The main actress said some bitter things to her husband who continued to pound until he pulled out and finished on the maid's ass.

He sneered at his wife and called her a frigid bitch before walking away.

"Did they not hire any writers for this movie?" Ben asked.

Trish glanced at him with a grin. "People don't watch these for the scintillating dialog. They just established that she and he aren't getting it on, so she's probably sexually frustrated. They've set the groundwork for the action to follow."

Ben gazed at Trish in amazement. "You got all of that out of his 'frigid bitch' comment?"

"Read between the lines!" she snorted.

"There was only one line!" he retorted. "You'd need at least two to have a between!"

Trish giggled and put her finger on Ben's lips to hush him. He kissed the pad, and she pulled her finger back, giving him a quick hot look.

Back in the movie, the socialite loudly fired the maid on the spot. The girl begged for her job as she was an illegal, but the socialite pointed to the door. The actress playing the maid needed some lessons on fake crying as the sounds she was making were clearly just that, fake.

"On the bright side, she no longer has to wipe the woman's ass," Ben suggested.

Trish exploded with laughter then slapped Ben's arm. "EWWW! Sick fucker!" She was laughing as she said it, so Ben just grinned back at her. He liked to make her laugh.

They watched the blond climb the stairs. There was a cutaway scene showing the house at night. It was apparent that some time had passed. The next scene was the blond preparing for bed. She began to undress. Standing in her panties, she seemed to be critically examining herself in a mirror. Then her hands began to wander.

"Ah! Mandatory masturbation scene!" Trish looked to Ben whose eyes had brightened as he looked to her. "You get to watch. No touching. Make sure I follow the acts you see on the screen."

"I have to watch the screen with you doing that?!?" Ben growled.

Trish was already sliding her hands over her tits, plucking at her nipples, following every move the actress did. She nodded to Ben as she bit her lower lip, eyes locked on the screen.

He was getting hard watching Trish touch herself so, with no immediate outlet for his lust, he turned his eyes to the screen. He could still see Trish in the corner of his eye, mirroring the acts seen on the screen. This game was a strange kind of torture.

Hands slid down tight stomach muscles and found their way between thighs to tease the silky smooth skin there.

Trish was breathing hard as she slipped fingers inside as the actress pushed hers deep. The duo kept pace, and soon Trish was slamming two fingers into herself.

"Oh fuck! I'm getting close!" she moaned. Ben's cock felt hard as iron.

The socialite's husband arrived suddenly and barked at his wife to do that elsewhere before he climbed into bed and shut off his light. She immediately stopped and threw herself down on the bed, pulling the sheets over herself in anger.

"MOTHERFUCKER!" Trish growled loudly as she pulled her fingers from her wet pussy.

Ben looked at her in surprise. "Why did you stop?"

"That's how the game's played. I have to stop if she does." She looked at Ben. "You'll have to stop if the actor you're mirroring does."

"Ah, good to know." He thought about that.

"At least I understand her sexual frustration. I'm so friggin' close!" she moaned.

Ben took her wrist and pulled her hand close, sliding her wet fingers into his mouth. Trish stared at him and moaned softly as he sucked them clean for her.

"Damn, you're such a sexy man!" she purred softly, then tore her eyes away to look back to the screen. She pulled her fingers away from him and pointed to the TV. He smiled at her dogged determination to see this game through to the end. Truthfully, he was feeling the need for some relief himself, and all he'd done was watch! He was hoping his character showed up soon.

The next scene was playing, and the blond was in the driveway watching in shock as her husband drove off in her car. She went into the garage and got into his car and drove off down the street in the opposite direction. There were some scenes of her driving on a freeway followed by a closeup of the vehicle's front as the engine began to steam as it overheated. She had no other choice but to pull off the highway into an industrial area. There was a grimy looking automotive repair shop, and she pulled up to one of the bays. She got out and gestured frustratingly towards the car.

"That's ditzy woman sign language for I don't understand cars!" Trish riffed, and Ben chuckled.

The woman walked into the door of the shop.

This was the first scene with the main male character and Ben looked at him critically. He was physically big, perhaps just a bit smaller than himself. Muscular and tough looking with smears of oil on his face, arms, and hands. Either he had a few days growth of facial hair, or it was make-up to make him look rugged and dangerous.

He looked at the blond then wet his lips and adjusted himself through his dirty coverall. When he opened his mouth to snarl at her, his accent was so painfully exaggerated, it dispelled most of the tough guy image. "Why the accent? Completely wrong!" Ben grumbled.

"He's acting!" Trish said with grand theatrical hand gestures. "Get ready!"

He glanced at her in question then nodded. "Oh, right!"

The socialite was grimacing as she looked at the mechanic, and she was saying some pretty rude things to him. He ignored her barbs as he blatantly eyed her body then they went outside to take a look at the car.

Without even opening the hood he told her it was the rad and she'd need a new one. She demanded he do it immediately and he drove the car into the bay.

The next scene was inside the bay. The mechanic met the woman next to the car. He told her the part wouldn't be in until tomorrow and she got angry and slapped his face. Trish glanced at Ben as he looked back at her and without speaking, they agreed that wasn't included in their play.

The mechanic was mad and grabbed the socialite's hair and forced her back over the hood of the car.

Ben once more glanced at Trish, and she nodded. So hair pulling was in. He tossed a pillow from behind himself to the foot of the bed and grabbed Trish to spin and throw her down the bed. He grabbed what he could of Trish's short red hair and forced her onto her back over a pillow. With her head tilted back she could still see the TV, just upside down.

The mechanic ripped the woman's shirt open, pushing her bra down to expose her big fat tits.

"See! Ripped her clothes- off!" Trish gasped, already excited from Ben's manhandling of her body. When he roughly grabbed and squeezed her right tit, tugging and twisting the nipple, her breath gusted from her lungs. His teeth tugged at her left nipple, and she cried out from the sharp pain/pleasure shooting through her.

When Ben didn't immediately release her nipple as he usually would, another kind of thrill shot through her. He was following her rules, staying in character for her. Fuck, she was in for some hot rough sex!

Ben was struggling to keep his eyes on the screen with Trish wriggling under him. The mechanic ripped the woman's lovely dress all the way down. Then he shoved two fingers up into the socialite's pussy and fucked her hard and fast with them. He shoved his fingers into his mouth then reached down to gather some wetness from her. Then he was ready.

When Ben's thick fingers thrust deeply into Trish, she almost fainted. There was some pain, an intense sensation of being full, but it was so brutally sexy, it once more took her breath away. Her body and mind were having a difficult time keeping up with the sensations flooding through them. Her pussy was dripping down between her ass cheeks.

Eyes on the screen, she saw she was experiencing exactly what the socialite was enduring, and reality began to slip a little.

Ben saw the actor pull his fingers from inside and begin to spank her clit. He immediately started rapidly slapping Trish's swollen pussy lips and stiff clit with his wet fingers.

"FFFFFFFUUUUUHHHHHH!!!!" she screamed as an orgasm ripped through her. Her heels drummed against the mattress as her back arched, pushing her pussy up against his slapping fingers.

The actress cooed and writhed under the mechanic's hand, so no orgasm for her. Ben was unsure if he should continue as... had he won? Was that the point of the game? He should have gotten Trish to explain the rules beforehand.

Mr. Mechanic wasn't finished. He took the blond by the hair once more and dragged her off the car's hood to make her kneel before him. Ben knew where this was going. While he wanted some relief, he wasn't sure if Trish could continue. "Trish?"

"Don't... stop..." she panted.

Ben pushed himself up to kneel on the mattress and pulled Trish up by her hair as he rubbed his thick cock against her face as the mechanic was doing to the socialite.

Trish felt the heat and solidity of Ben's cock against her flushed cheeks and her mind spun away from her. Sensation was all. When the thick head pressed against her lips, she automatically opened her mouth to let him inside. She moaned at the raw sexiness and heard Ben's answering moan as her tongue slid along the underside. He began to fuck her mouth, hands gripping her hair and she struggled to take in more of him.

The socialite was thrashing her arms around, trying ineffectually to push him away. The mechanic pulled her from his cock and slapped her face. Ben frowned as there was no way he was doing that. Trish couldn't see the screen with her face pulled against his body so she wouldn't know.

Docile once more, the socialite took his cock into her mouth and proceeded to gag, spit, and drool as he stabbed her throat repeatedly. Instead, Ben ensured his cock was slick with her spit and began to fuck her mouth deeper and deeper as he had in Costa Rica. She'd managed to get him into her throat before. She was going to do it again. That should be a sufficient replacement for face slapping.

Trish was in heaven. Ben was feeding his hot cock into her mouth so smoothly yet forcefully. He was so dominant! She was his. When one of his strokes finally reached the back of her throat, she felt a slight push before he pulled out and she knew what he wanted. She tilted her head upwards a little more to straighten the entrance to her throat. Fuck, this was so sexy!

The next stroke reached her throat barrier, but he pressed beyond. She immediately gagged but Ben was already withdrawing. She knew he'd be back and her anticipation sent sparks to her pussy. She managed not to gag the second time as she was suppressing the instinct with everything she had. His rhythm smoothed out, and soon he was fucking her throat. She moaned, and he echoed her.

Ben glanced at the TV as he'd been in a daze and saw he wasn't following the action. With a growl, he pulled himself from Trish's mouth and moved the pillow under her hips as he rolled her onto her stomach.

The mechanic was pounding the socialite's pussy from behind as he held her down over the hood of the car, his fist buried in her long blond locks. Trish was very wet as was his cock, so he grabbed the hair on the back of her head, lined up his cock with her wet opening and slammed himself deep on the first stroke.

"FFFUUUUUUUUCCCKKK!!! OH FUCK BEN! fuck fuck fuck..." Aftershocks from the initial thrust sent sparks along her limbs.

His other hand gripped her hip, and he pounded her as hard as the mechanic slammed the blond. It felt too good, and soon Ben was outpacing the actor but he couldn't stop his hips.

Trish was having another out of body hallucination as she felt the sensations the socialite was experiencing as if they were one person.

Ben's heavy balls were slapping her clit with every thrust, and he was spreading her wide. That sensation of fullness was beginning to overwhelm her; then he upped the ante by sliding his thick thumb deep into her tight asshole.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!"

Trish felt the world begin to slip away as her orgasm exploded through every nerve. Her last coherent sensation was feeling heat filling her as Ben's orgasm released his cum deep inside.

Ben gasped for breath as he leaned over Trish's sleeping body. He saw the peace on her face, and he bent down to kiss her cheek.

When he's softened enough to pull free, he did and moved off the bed. He pulled the pillow from under her and threw the blanket over her body.

Glancing back to the screen, he watched the mechanic finish by covering the socialite's face and tits with a coating of cum which went on and on. Ben's eyebrows rose as it continued until the blonde looked like a glazed donut. He snorted and shook his head as the woman panted and cooed happily, somehow transformed by her experience. The mechanic loaned her a dirty workshop coverall to wear home and told her to come back tomorrow to pick up the car. He promised to fuck her again if she was a good little slut and she simpered excitedly.

Ben couldn't watch this outrageous crap any longer, so he shut it off and walked into the small washroom to the shower and tidy up. That was a novel experience as well.

When he came out of the bathroom, Trish's eyes were open, half open at least, and she smiled blissfully at him.

"Hey, gorgeous! You missed the end of a truly epic movie!" he said softly.

"Hmmm? Epic? I don't know about the movie but what we did was epic!" Trish purred as she stretched on the bed. "Ooo! But now I must pee!" She scooted off the bed and rushed into the bathroom.

Bed tidied up the bed and folded their clothes as he tried not to listen to the little squeak sounds Trish was making only steps away. Finally, he couldn't take it any longer.

"Are you ok in there?" he called out gently.

He heard a flush and the sound of running water, then the door opened. Trish smiled at him as she stepped out holding his eyes with hers. "Yes, everything's fine!" She slipped under the sheets and crooked her finger at Ben to get him to join her. He grinned and did as she asked.

Trish snuggled up against his chest and purred happily. After a few moments, she glanced up at him. "So, what did you think of the game. I'll concede the movie left much to be desired."

He chuckled. "They kept looking into the camera!"

"They do that in porn as they want to involve the viewer. They break the fourth wall all the time!" she explained.

He snorted in annoyance. "I don't get the appeal. You're watching two people having sex, which is an intimate and sexy moment, then they're looking at you, and the sense of separation tears away. It feels like they're as aware of you as you are of them." He looked down at Trish, but she was looking back at him, waiting for him to explain. He frowned and tried a different tack. "What if you knew people were watching us right now and had watched what we just did?"

Trish stretched her tingling body against his and felt a small ache from overdoing it. "Fuck, don't get me going again! I'm done for tonight! Shit, you say the sexiest things!"

He snorted in amusement because, of course, Trish would enjoy that idea. It sent a chill down Ben's spine. He wanted to keep his private moments just that, private.

He reached up and pressed the intercom button to ask for a wakeup call one hour before arrival. The captain gave him an affirmative and said goodnight before Ben disconnected. Trish just grinned and closed her eyes to drift off.

It took Ben a little longer as he thought of their game tonight. He decided he could never be a porn star.

With a softer snort of amusement at the ridiculous notion, he drifted off too.

Chapter 2

Ben and Trish sat in the back of the taxi as it drove them from the airport to Berlin. They watched the scenery go by as they held hands.

Their first destination was the condo he'd inherited from Gretchen. Walter called ahead and spoke to the property manager who would meet them this morning at the building.

This made Ben think about the monster who'd kept Gretchen captive for so many years. The fact that the bastard had written her into his will at all was the only generous act the man had ever done. That Gretchen had immediately named Ben as her heir after a single night together still gave him pause.

"Hey, what's making you sad?" Trish asked softly.

He shook his head and forced a smile onto his face. "Sorry, lost in thought for a moment."

Trish rested her head against his arm, and he kissed her sweet smelling hair.

They drove on in silence as the taxi took them deeper into the city's core. Ben thought he caught sight of the bank he would be visiting.

The visit to Berlin wasn't going to be a long one. He planned on checking out the condo today. He'd probably want to put it on the market which he could do from home. He wanted to see if there was anything of Gretchen's in the unit before he did that. Tomorrow, he'd deal with the bank, and the blasted safe deposit box. They'd fly home that night. A quick in and out. He had to get back as he had work to do at home- Shit, actually he didn't. He frowned again. He needed to do something about that.

The taxi pulled up to an eight-story building with a classic design. Ben was surprised as he thought Rainor would have preferred to live in one of those cold steel and glass towers, considering how he decorated his condo in Sydney.

After paying the driver and collecting their suitcases, they walked to the front door. A man was waiting for them there with a smile on his wrinkled face. He couldn't have been more than an inch or two taller than 5' and very slim in his tailored suit. He glanced at his pocket watch, and Ben had the oddest sensation of witnessing a scene from the past.

"Mr. Shepherd! Very punctual!" the small man said softly with a smile.

"Herr Schmitt?" Ben asked. The man gave him a quick nod. "This is Trish Campbell."

She received a quick little bow drawing a smile from her.

"A formality, I must ask to see identification before presenting you with the keys to your property."

Ben pulled out his passport which the building manager reviewed and handed back. He gave a set of keys to Ben.

He glanced at the keys and used the largest one to open the grand front door. They stepped inside, and Trish nodded appreciatively. The modest exterior hid the very luxuriously appointed interior of gleaming marble, highly polished brass, antique furniture, and oil paintings, all lit by spectacular crystal chandeliers. Ben wasn't surprised that Rainor had chosen a unit in such a high-end building, but he knew the man's decorating tastes were far colder than this.

After a brief stop at the manager's office to store their baggage securely, they moved to an old cage style elevator. Their guide demonstrated how it worked and took them up to the top floor.

Ben glanced at Trish with a puzzled expression. "He must have been one hell of an investment manager to be able to afford a place like this and the condo in Sydney."

Trish just nodded as they walked up to the door to Rainor's unit.

Ben went to use the key on the lock then he froze. The lock had been drilled out. He looked to the building manager who frowned and looked closer at the lock.

The older man tried the door, and it swung inwards. The interior of the apartment was a disaster zone. Every piece of furniture was broken, every cushion was ripped open, their stuffing scattered all over the floor.

"Can't say I care for how he decorated the place," Trish said with raised eyebrows.

"I don't see any smoke, but it definitely smells like something burned in there. Maybe we should call the fire department... and the police," Ben muttered and saw the building manager was already dialing. He saw the remains of the sofa, and sure enough, it had been far more modern than the decor of the rest of the building. White leather, steel, glass, and all with a modern motif. Looking around at what he could see from the doorway, it looked like there'd been paintings on the walls, but now all that remained were slightly darker squares of paint and picture hooks.

The firemen arrived within ten minutes and confirmed the absence of active fires, but there was fire damage in the master bedroom.

They waited in the hallway for the police to arrive and this took close to thirty minutes.

"So good of you to join us Detective Freder," Schmitt said with a cold tone. The detective's unpleasant expression in return indicated a possible history between them.

Ben shared a look with Trish. He wasn't sure if their knowing each other was a good sign or not.

The detective was almost as tall as Ben, but he was as slim as Schmitt. Slim to the point of looking like a corpse. Pale with a grayish tint to his skin, he wasn't the healthiest looking specimen. Sunken eyes and cheeks, he cast a disapproving glare at the group standing in the hall.

"Schmitt."

Ben swore the detective spit the word out. Definitely some bad blood between the two men. Then those pale blue eyes were locked on him, and Ben saw recognition flare.

"Why am I not surprised to find the infamous Ben Shepherd outside the apartment of Rainor Hahn?" Freder sighed.

"Infamous?" Ben asked with a scowl.

"What moldy crypt did you crawl out of?" Trish growled.

The detective's eyes flicked to Trish and away, dismissing her.

"What happened here?" Freder asked Schmitt.

"What does it look like, detective?" the building manager snapped. When the man said nothing Schmitt continued. "Mr. Shepherd came to Berlin to take possession of his property, the apartment, and its contents. We arrived to discover the lock broken and we smelled smoke. I called the fire department and foolishly, the police as well."

The detective turned to look at Ben. "How did this property come into your possession? What was your relationship with Rainor Hahn?"

Ben scowled at the unpleasant man.

"I had no relationship with the man. I spent a few unpleasant minutes in his company on a boat in Sydney Harbor, Australia. After he accidentally fell into the harbor and died, I... came to the aid of his widow. She signed over all of his possessions to me in her will. I didn't discover that fact until after she was killed."

Freder stared back at Ben with a weary expression. "Why have you come now? The death of the widow happened months ago! We all saw it on the television."

Ben was becoming seriously pissed off at this asshole's attitude. "I had business in Berlin, so I decided to drop by."

"Business?"

"Yes." That's all Ben was willing to give him.

"So you arrive just in time to find the apartment ransacked."

Ben paused at the odd wording. "Just in time? What the hell does that mean?" He looked in the door at the destruction then back to the suspicion in the detective's eyes. "You think I had something to do with this?" He gestured toward the door. "Why on earth would I do that?"

"Covering up the possession of stolen art?" Freder suggested, and Ben looked to the empty walls.

"Rainor had stolen art? Well, that sheds some light on... things," Ben finished, fixing a glare on the detective. He wasn't about to disclose anything to this asshole. "I had no knowledge of the contents of his apartment, and I had nothing to do with whatever happened inside it."

Freder sniffed disdainfully and made his way into the apartment.

Ben looked at the building manager. "Are we expected to stay here or can we go check into our hotel?"

"Stay!" Freder called out from the apartment.

Trish frowned. "This prick has a pickle up his ass, doesn't he?" she said loudly enough for the detective to hear.

"How do you know him?" Ben asked Schmitt.

The smaller man sighed. "A thoroughly unpleasant man. He's been after Mr. Hahn since shortly after he moved into the building. He's made a nuisance of himself with all of the tenants. Several of them lodged complaints against him, and his senior officers finally managed to get him to leave us alone."

"He was probably right about Rainor. That man was evil," Ben growled.

Schmitt glanced into the apartment then to Ben. "I thought you said you didn't know him," he said quietly.

"I didn't, but I learned a lot about him from his wife after I brought her home. What he did to that woman... I wish I'd had a chance to get my hands on him before he died by such a stupid accident."

Freder was suddenly in the doorway. "You are not the only one who feels that way about the late Mr. Hahn."

Ben examined the detective's expression and saw a tremendous amount of pent-up frustration. He nodded to him slightly.

"Do you know what he kept in his wall safe?" the man pressed.

Ben's eyebrows went up. "How could I know that? I just finished saying I didn't know the man. I wasn't even aware the apartment had a wall safe. We haven't entered the unit yet."

The detective fixed a scornful eye on him then gestured for him to enter.

Ben shared another look with Trish then walked into the apartment with her following. Ignoring the destruction as they moved through the unit, he saw the layout was very nice. As an older building, there was less open flow between the kitchen, dining room and living room but each separate room was generous in size. They saw it had two bedrooms, the smaller one used as an office. There was considerable destruction in that room.

Once they were in the master bedroom, they saw the source of the burnt smell. He made his way closer and stood next to the bed to get a better look. The wall around the wall safe was severely scorched. Its door was on the floor under the opening.

Ben looked back towards the detective and was startled to see one painting had been left behind. It remained hanging on the bedroom wall opposite the bed. It was a small portrait of a clown's face, in full makeup. It stared back at them with a sad expression.

"Rainor dealt with stolen art? Could that be a Red Skelton original?" Ben asked the detective. The man turned to look back at the painting with a thoughtful expression.

"Why the fuck would anyone want a clown staring at you while you sleep... or while you had sex! That's fucking creepy!" Trish said with a shudder.

Ben snorted in amusement then nodded in agreement. He found its sad stare to be slightly unnerving.

Giving his head a shake, Ben glanced around the destroyed room. "If there was anything of Gretchen's in the apartment it's either been destroyed or taken by whoever did this. I don't think there's any reason for us to remain." He looked to the property manager. "There doesn't appear to be any significant damage to the structure of the apartment, aside from the safe and scorch marks on the surrounding wall. I intend to sell. Would I be able to have you arrange the repairs and disposal of the contents?"

The man nodded and smiled at him. "You don't wish to keep anything?" He glanced to the painting of the clown.

Ben grinned. "That's right. It can all go." The man nodded to him again.

"We're done here," Ben announced as he looked to the detective. The man looked like he was going to argue but turned his face away with a scowl.

The property manager plucked the painting from the wall, and they left the condo to return to his office where they got their bags. Ben gave the keys back to him as the man would work with the realtor once the unit was ready for selling. He called them a taxi and walked them out. They shook hands with the property manager on the sidewalk then climbed into their ride.

Ben leaned forward to speak to the driver. "Ritz-Carlton, Berlin, please."

"Really?" Trish squeaked.

Ben nodded. "Tina made the reservation for us. It's right downtown as the bank I'm visiting is close by." He smiled at her. "There's a shopping district close by as well."

Trish grinned happily at him, and she trembled with excitement.

After a short time, and several excited exclamations from Trish as she spotted the shopping areas, they reached the hotel. Ben paid the driver, and they headed inside with their bags. He led them up to the reception desk.

"Ah, Mr. Shepherd. Welcome to the Ritz-Carlton. We've been expecting you," the gentleman behind the counter said with a professional smile.

Ben nodded to him.

The clerk looked at his screen. "I see we have you for just the one night in the Carlton Club Suite, checking out tomorrow."

"That's right," Ben agreed as he handed over his credit card.

The man checked them in and made two keys. "Here are your keys. The elevators are to your right. I do hope you enjoy your stay with us tonight." A young female clerk stepped up next to the man with an envelope in her hand and an awestruck look on her face. "What is it, Diana?"

"A note was delivered for Mr. Shepherd last night," the woman said.

Trish looked to Ben. "Who knew you were going to be here?"

He held out his hand for the note as he glanced at Trish. "Other than Tina, no one."

The young woman gave him the envelope. He opened it and read the message. "It's not Tina. It's a dinner invitation from someone called Darius Milonas. Is Grill Royal a good restaurant?" he asked the clerks.

"Yes, it's excellent," the man replied.

Ben looked to Trish and caught her little frown. He smiled at her as he crumpled the note in his fist. "Yeah, I don't feel like going to dinner with a stranger either. Besides, the note made this Darius fellow sound a little pushy and rude."

She grinned at him as he handed the crushed paper back to the clerk who dropped it in the trash.

They took the elevator up, and Ben let Trish use her key to get them into their room. It was every bit as luxurious and well-appointed as Ben had expected. He would have been perfectly comfortable in a smaller boutique hotel but seeing the joy on Trish's face made it all worthwhile.

Besides, it was only for one night.

Chapter 3

From the outside, the dance club didn't look like much. Just another multistory brick factory conversion. Nothing like the splashy clubs he'd been to back home. Still, when in Berlin, do as the Berliners do.

They'd enjoyed an intimate dinner at a nice Italian restaurant which had excellent online reviews. Ben did his best to ignore the watching eyes of the other customers and the overly attentive staff. The food was excellent, and Trish was happy, so that's what mattered to him. As they finished up a light dessert, Tish looked up the address to a dance club she'd read about previously. She seemed pretty excited about it, and Ben was looking forward to exercising off the dinner they'd just enjoyed.

Once they arrived, he discovered he was able to skip the queue when the doorman recognized him. He had to admit this was the only perk of celebrity he found useful. He entered the building behind Trish who was already starting to move to the beat. As they walked through the tunnel-like entrance hall, the music reverberated and beat on their bodies. She cast a happy grin over her shoulder.

"This is just like the clubs John and I went to when we first got married. We were so much into the industrial rock scene. Come on!" she exclaimed as she grabbed his hand and pulled him out onto the crowded dance floor. It wasn't his kind of music, but she was happy he went with it.

Ben was amazed at the level of energy the people around him were showing. It was like the music was feeding raw power to them and the only outlet was to dance.

Sharing an impressed smile with Trish who was watching him with sparkling eyes, Ben let the music soak into him as well. Pretty soon, he was moving in sync with the crowd, and Trish laughed with joy.

Set after set went by until Trish gripped his arm. He looked at her, and she mimed drinking something. He realized how dehydrated he was becoming as well, so he nodded to her. They danced their way to the edge of the dance floor until they could separate themselves from the crowd. The bodies weren't as densely packed here, and they moved into the next room where a bar ran along one wall with stand up tables filling the remaining space. The room wasn't designed for relaxing but for recharging to get back to the dancing, Ben assumed. He looked at Trish, and she was covered with a sheen of sweat, and he knew he was a sweaty mess too.

Her grin told him she was loving this.

They made their way to the bar and a blond woman wearing dark kohl around her eyes, black lipstick and many facial piercings leaned over the counter while she held Ben's eyes with hers. She said something Ben assumed was a request for their order.

"Bottled still water and a beer," he said glancing at Trish who nodded. He made hand gestures to indicate 'a large bottle' and the bartender smirked at him before moving away.

While they waited, they glanced around the room, and people watched. Ben saw a few groups who seemed to have recognized him but thankfully they remained at their tables. Maintaining ownership of the coveted tables trumped a face to face with him it seemed. He was ok with that!

The dress code in the club seemed to be mostly black with silver accessories like studded belts, rings, earrings, and, of course, piercings. He saw lots of goth-lite makeup as well. His black dress shirt, black jeans, and black dress shoes made him fit right in. He turned to look at Trish.

"I don't know. I can't see you with this style."

She snorted. "Don't ask me to show you the pictures from that time because I think I burned them all. I still like the music though. Gets the blood pumping!" A sexy smile slipped across her lips. "Speaking of pumping..."

The bartender returned, sparing Ben from having to respond.

The bottle was large, and the water was cold. Ben drank half of it in one go and smiled at the bartender when he thumped the bottle back down on the bar. The woman wasn't smiling anymore. She was looking at the two well-dressed thugs standing next to Trish and himself. The woman moved away, quickly.

The man next to him had on a nicely tailored dark blue suit, but his rough tattoos and oddly shaved head ruined the look. Ben caught the flash of gold and silver caps as he smiled up at him while holding his eye. "Our employer invited you to dinner. You did not show."

Ben scowled and the scar bisecting his face flared. The man's smile faltered. "I'm not in the habit of accepting unsolicited invitations from strangers. Our not showing should have been enough of a clue. Not interested."

"Still, Mr. Milonas would very much like to speak with you."

"No."

The man sucked his teeth in frustration as he stared into Ben's eyes. He sighed. He nodded to his partner who moved closer to Trish menacingly. Ben saw him pull his suit jacket back slightly, exposing the butt of his gun. The bald man tilted his head with a cocky smile as he carefully displayed the weapon to Ben.

Frowning, Ben glanced at Trish and saw he'd better keep up because she was about to-

Beer and glass exploded against the face of the goon at her elbow, the frothing liquid jetting up his sinuses and into his eyes.

Ben's fist hammered into the temple of the tattooed man, and he sagged to the floor, completely limp.

Trish followed up the beer with a punch to the choking man's solar plexus and on his way down she smashed Ben's half empty bottle of water over his head.

Ben scanned the room and spotted a third goon-in-a-suit glaring at them from the far doorway. He ducked out and disappeared in the crowd. Not coming to rescue his buddies, so probably off to speak to his boss.

"You know, I wasn't finished drinking that," Ben grumbled to Trish, looking at the remains of the bottle.

"And I was finished my beer?" she snorted with a grin. She looked down at the two unconscious men. "They owe us drinks."

The tables nearby hadn't had any time to react; it happened so quickly. They stood frozen, stunned and silent. But soon everyone was taking pictures of Ben and Trish standing at the bar with the men at their feet.

The bartender came back and looked over the bar.

"Can I get another bottle of still water and a beer?" Ben asked. "Oh, and could you call the police?"

The woman nodded and quickly moved away.

"I couldn't hear what he said. Who were they?" Trish asked.

Ben glanced at Trish in surprise. "They apparently worked for the man who invited us to dinner. He was insistent on speaking to us. Pretty rude to send armed thugs to threaten us." He frowned as he wondered if this Darius fellow would get the hint this time.

The bartender returned with their drinks and Ben gave her a bill that more than covered the cost. "Keep the change. Sorry about the mess," he said.

Trish held up her glass with a grin, so he tapped the rim with his bottle. Flashes went off. Ben frowned at the watchers then drank.

Ben saw the flicker of colored lights on the wall then police were pouring into the bar. Cell phone flashes were going off as the officers rushed up to Ben and Trish.

One of the policemen barked something at them as others inspected the men on the floor.

"Sorry, I don't speak German," Ben said to him.

"Did you do this?" the officer said pointed to the two men.

"In self-defense, yes, we did," Ben explained.

The officer's eyes went to Trish in surprise, and she just rolled her eyes.

"They wanted us to go with them, and I said no. That's when they threatened us with their guns. So we... disabled the threat," Ben said calmly. Trish was smiling at him proudly.

"Did you know the men?"

Ben's eyebrows rose. "No! We've never seen them before. That one said they worked for Mr. Milonas. Earlier, I ignored a dinner invite from a Darius Milonas."

Several of the officers looked at Ben nervously, and the two unconscious men were quickly cuffed.

"You will come with us to the station. The captain will want to speak with you."

Ben looked at Trish wearily. "Yeah, I thought this might happen. Fine. Let's go."

Trish preceded Ben as they followed the officer outside and got into the back of the police cruiser. She took Ben's hand. "You know how to show a lady a good time."

He looked to her and saw the playful smile. That brought a smile of his own. He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles.

"Mmmm... hey, you ever do it in the back of a police car?" she chuckled.

"Behave!" he growled quietly but fought to hide his grin.

-=-

When Ben woke the following morning in the plush hotel bed, he felt jet-lagged and more than a little grumpy. He hadn't slept too well the night before after the police finally released them.

They'd been held for questioning for hours. The police pressed Ben to divulge his connection to Darius Milonas who, it turned out, was suspected of being involved in criminal activities including smuggling, drug trafficking, extortion, and murder. Not a nice man.

Ben maintained that he didn't know Milonas and when the police began cycling back through their questions a third time Ben finally lost his patience. He insisted they either charge him or release him. He collected Trish, and they went directly back to the hotel to get some sleep. For once, Trish behaved which proved how tired she was as well.

He reached out to her, but her side of the bed was empty. He sat up and listened for the sound of the shower but heard nothing but the soft murmur of the air conditioning. Yawning, he climbed off the bed to stand and stretch his back muscles as the mattress was just a little too plush for his tastes.

Glancing at the clock next to the bed, he saw it was still reasonably early. He might be able to get in some time in the hotel gym before breakfast. That would get work the kinks out of his muscles.

He walked into the gorgeous ensuite bathroom but the lights were off, and Trish wasn't there. Moving out into the living room, he spotted a note perched on the back of the sofa facing the bedroom door.

"Ben, gone for a run. Back soon. Trish."

He frowned in annoyance. With no idea of when she left, he had no idea when she'd be back. His back tweaked once more so he walked back into the bedroom and put on his workout clothes.

He updated the note to let Trish know where he was and left the room.

The hotel gym wasn't empty, but the few guests inside kept to themselves and that suited Ben perfectly. He found a free machine and went through his routine. He didn't push himself too hard as he was still feeling the drag of the time difference. By the end, his muscles were warm and moving smoothly. Trish hadn't joined him in the gym, so he wiped down his machine and went back to his room.

When Ben entered, he saw his note was still resting on the sofa facing the front door. That brought another frown and just a hint of worry. He picked up his cell and dialed her number but heard it ringing in the bedroom. She hadn't taken it with her.

Maybe she got lost running in the core of a strange city? That seemed unlikely.

More trouble from the goons from last night? That was a possibility, but Trish was no easy target, and she'd keep to the main roads.

He couldn't shake the sense of unease, but standing in the middle of the living room all sweaty from the gym wasn't helpful. Ben walked into the master bathroom and took a shower, shaved and got dressed.

Trish still hadn't returned, and he was beginning to worry seriously.

His cell began to buzz which meant a call from a number not on his approved caller list. He picked it up and answered.

"Hello?"

"Am I speaking with Benjamin Shepherd?" The voice had a distinct accent.

"Ben," he replied. He was picking up a strange vibe from the voice.

"What?"

"Ben, not Benjamin. Who is this?" he asked.

"This is Darius Milonas. We need to speak, Benjamin."

Ben scowled as he heard the smirk in the man's tone. "I thought I was pretty clear when I ignored your dinner summons. My response to your sending armed goons to threaten me should have completely clarified my desire to be left alone," he growled.

"Yes, your unpleasant American manners have left me with no choice but to ensure your willingness to join me for what should be a brief conversation," Darius sighed.

Ben froze. Trish wasn't back. "What-"

"Your lady friend would very much like you to join her. I will send two of my men to bring you to her. We will have our conversation. Have I made myself clear, Benjamin?" There was steel in Darius' tone now.

His gut twisted at the thought of Trish in the hands of this thug sent a shot of fear for her through him. Then his rage threatened to erupt. He took a deep breath to fight that down as well. Threatening Darius while he had Trish was not a smart move.

"When-"

There was a knock at the door of his room. "Go with them now and follow their instructions. Don't waste any more of my time, Benjamin," Darius sighed and the line went dead.

Ben hung up and went to the door. He opened it to see two grim looking men in dark suits. One of them was the third goon from the bar last night. He scowled at them.

"Leave the cell here," Goon number three insisted as he saw Ben holding his phone.

Ben left it on the table by the front door and stepped out into the hall.

"Follow," the talkative goon said. Ben was grateful they weren't pointing guns at him at least.

They took the elevator all the way to the underground parking lot where a driver in a silver Mercedes SUV with heavily tinted windows waited for them. Ben was directed to get into the back seat. Goon number three got in the opposite side next to him, and his silent partner climbed in the passenger side up front. They left the lot and joined the early morning commuting traffic.

Ben ignored the other passengers as he looked out the window at the scenery passing by. His mind was trying to connect the dots to determine what Milonas might want from him. His jaw muscles twitched as he thought of Rainor Hahn's trashed apartment. Was there a connection? Detective Freder seemed to believe Rainor dealt in stolen art. That suggested Rainor might be a criminal, but certainly not in the same league as Milonas, if he went by what the police had told him. The ransacking of the condo made no sense to him. There were too many unanswered questions. He'd have to wait.

His mind took him back to Trish. If Milonas' hurt her, Ben was going to kill him.

They left the core and passed through some residential areas to reach the outer edge of the city. They drove into an industrial park with lots of new buildings under construction. The SUV passed through a fence guarded by another dark-suited man then approached the front of a tall office tower which was in its early stages of building; ten stories of concrete floors and an external elevator bolted to the face of the tower. Glancing at the nearby towers which were further along in their build, this tower was likely going to be clad in glass and steel as well. For now, though, it was just a stack of ugly grey floors with safety fencing to keep the workers from stepping out into space.

The driver remained with the SUV and Ben's two escorts led him into the elevator and rode it up to the top floor. Ben stepped off to face two more men, each carrying a nasty little machine gun. He wondered at the elevated level of security Milonas seemed to have surrounding him. Ben had no exposure to the criminal world, so he had to accept this was one of the costs. He scowled as he scanned his eyes over the men and saw them clutching their weapons a little tighter.

Goon number three approached him cautiously. "I must check for weapons."

Ben had seen enough television to know the pose and stretched his arms out to the side. The man quickly patted him down then stepped back. He nodded and gestured for Ben to continue down the hall to the right, now surrounded by the four men.

After a short distance, they pushed through a curtain of translucent plastic. Beyond this Ben saw a portable table set up with some chairs. His eyes immediately locked on Trish first. She had a dark bruise on her left cheekbone, and he saw the tension in her eyes.

"Ben! I'm ok. Calm. It's ok."

He blinked at her as he heard the growl coming from his lips die down. He was also several feet closer to the table. The men circling him were all pointing their weapons at him while glancing nervously at the man seated a short distance ahead.

"You're ok?" Ben asked roughly.

"I'm ok. Nothing I can't handle," Trish said as she held his eyes.

Ben took a few deep, slow breaths then looked across the table.

The man watching him stood slowly with a smile on his face. He looked to Trish. "You spoke the truth. He isn't intimidated by my men. Foolish."

Ben recognized the voice from the call. This was Darius Milonas. The man was maybe 5' 7" but had broad shoulders, muscular arms, and a narrow waist. His hair was dark, tight curls with patches of grey at his temples. His trimmed black beard carried on the grey patch theme on either side of his strong chin. Pale grey eyes assessed Ben as they took the measure of each other. There didn't appear to be any soft edges to Darius.

"So this is the Bronze Man. Benjamin Shepherd," the crime boss said with a little condescension in his tone.

"Ben."

Darius' gaze cooled a little, and the smirk slid away.

"I was a little surprised to discover someone with your reputation had a relationship with Rainor Hahn-"

"I had no relationship with him. I met him once, for only a few minutes on the night he fell off the charter boat into Sydney Harbour and became shark food," Ben interrupted.

Darius gazed thoughtfully at Ben. "Yet you took possession of his condominium."

That answered one question for Ben. "His wife left the estate in my name. I didn't discover this until... later." He wasn't going to share his feelings about Gretchen with this thug.

"His wife? That bastard was married?!?" Darius chuckled in surprise. Ben nodded, holding the man's eyes. "And she just signed over everything to you?"

Ben nodded again. He didn't deserve more of an answer than that.

The crime boss moved slowly around the table until he was behind Trish. Ben bristled but noted the man stopped outside of Trish's strike zone. So he was aware of how she'd bested one of his men.

"Rainor was managing some funds for me. He had a considerable amount of my money switching from account to account. Then he disappeared without delivering the final account numbers and ownership credentials. I believe the ledger of these accounts is now in your possession," Darius said with a little stiffness. Rainor's theft had damaged his pride, and with Rainor's death, Darius lost the opportunity to punish him for the betrayal.

"So it was you and your men who trashed the condo?" Ben asked.

The smirk was back. "I don't personally deal with such trivial tasks. Not when I have people to do them for me. The ledger wasn't there. It must be in the bank safe deposit box you will be visiting today."

Ben blinked at the man in surprise. "May I ask how you're aware of that?"

Darius' smile widened in satisfaction. "No, you may not. What will happen today is that you will go to the bank and bring the ledger to me. My assistant will accompany you to ensure this happens." He looked behind Ben and gestured for someone to approach.

The sound of heels on concrete was too sharp and high pitched to come from the shoes of one of Darius' men.

Ben turned to see a woman striding towards him with a confident smile at the corner of her lips. She was tall, over 6' with the 3" heels on her tall, tan leather boots. She wore her long, red leather jacket open, and the plunging V of her white silk blouse displayed a delightful amount of cleavage courtesy of a black lace push up bra. Her body was svelte and long-limbed, and she moved with an energy that hinted at strength beneath her grace. Her yellow blonde hair fell in soft waves to mid-back. She had high cheekbones, almond-shaped sky blue eyes, a slim nose and a sensual mouth painted with a deep crimson lipstick to match her manicure. Right now that mouth was beginning to display a broad smile of recognition. Her step faltered only momentarily as she moved to stand before Ben. She reached out a hand, and Ben automatically enclosed it in his larger one. He felt her testing his grip, and the unexpected strength in her hand caused his brows to rise slightly as they shook hands.

"Mr. Shepherd! It is an honor to meet you!" Her thick Russian accent flavored her speech, but she could make herself understood. There was a sharp intelligence in those lovely eyes.

"Not under the best of circumstances," he responded with a frown. The blonde turned her eyes to Darius curiously.

Darius wasn't pleased with the charmed tone in the woman's voice. "Benjamin, this is Liliya Sokolov. Liliya, you will accompany Benjamin to the bank to collect my ledger. There and back with no delays." She nodded to her employer as she dipped her eyes downwards submissively.

Darius turned his attention back to Ben. "To ensure you do not attempt anything stupidly heroic, your companion will remain with me until you return. Contact the police, prevent Liliya's retrieval of the ledger, fail to follow any of my instructions, and the bitch dies, slowly. Do you understand me... Benjamin?"

Ben locked eyes with Darius, the scar across his face flaring from his scowl. He gave the man a slow nod. Then he looked to Trish. She looked into his eyes and smiled at him.

"See ya soon, big guy," she said.

A shiver ran down Ben's back when he heard her confidence in him in her voice. A small smile slipped onto his lips, and he gave her a nod.

Turning back to Milonas, the smile fell away. He could almost feel the machismo and arrogance radiating from him. He could see Milonas was physically strong and his eyes gave away his cruel streak. The man was clearly a vicious criminal and matched the description the police gave the previous night. "I'll assist Ms. Sokolov in collecting your ledger for you but, trust me, make any attempt to harm Trish, and you'll regret it."

Dropping his smile, Milonas nodded for Liliya to lead Ben away. She nodded and turned, gesturing for Ben to join her. She guided Ben back to the elevator, and he noted they were being followed by three armed escorts. One had remained behind, probably to guard Trish.

Ben picked up a slight stiffness in Liliya's smile now, which just increased his unease at leaving Trish behind. He glanced back at the guards, but they were watching him like hawks.

When she opened the gate, he had no choice but to step into the elevator. The three gunmen followed them on. Soon they were on their way down, and Ben lifted his eyes to look up to the floor rising above him.

He turned his face to Liliya, but she looked away.

A cold lump formed in his stomach but there was nothing he could do. Trish was on her own.

-=-

Once he heard the elevator depart, Darius turned his eyes to the redhead who looked back with a smirk on her lips.

He took off his jacket and hung it over the back of a chair neatly.

"Benjamin should not have challenged me as I never back down from a challenge." He unbuttoned his shirt and stripped it off to place it over the chair back as well. His thickly muscled chest was now on display, and he smiled as he saw her eyes scan over the thick curls there. He rolled his neck and shoulders to stretch his muscles in preparation.

Trish's smirk grew into a condescending smile. "His warning wasn't to protect me." She turned her head to look at the remaining guard with the automatic weapon watching her so carefully. Looking back to Darius, she snorted quietly. She saw his jaw muscles jumping slightly then he gestured for the guard to leave.

"Sir?" the man nervously asked as he'd been part of the group that collected her.

"Leave!" Darius snapped.

The guard moved to the plastic sheeting and passed through the gap. Trish heard his heels scuff against the cement as he rushed away towards the elevator. Doing a quick survey of the space around them, she nodded to herself. She kicked off her runners and tugged off her socks before standing to face Darius who was slowly prowling towards her. She moved back and turned slightly to put the building's core at her back.

"I hope you don't have a fragile male ego because you're about to get your sorry ass kicked by a woman."

"American women, so fucking arrogant. I will enjoy teaching you some humility," he returned with a grunt as he kicked off his leather shoes and tugged off his socks.

He went into his fighting stance, and Trish tried to identify the style. She bounced on her toes and raised her arms, hands ready to deflect or strike as required.

Milonas made a few feints and Trish stayed just out of range as she watched his eyes. He was fast; maybe even approaching Ben's speed. That wasn't good.

He threw a series of jabs, a few of them glancing off her upper arms, and she realized if he managed to strike her solidly, he might put her down for the count.

A swift sweeping kick skimmed past her cheek as she threw herself back to avoid it. He followed up with a series of lunges she barely managed to escape, but the last one left him open for a cupped palm slap against his left ear. He gasped and staggered from the popped eardrum. She hadn't been able to hit him hard enough to burst it, but it dazed him at the very least.

Seeing a chance, she launched an attack of her own but crashed backward as he lashed out with his heel, catching her solidly in the gut. When she hit the concrete, she rolled and narrowly avoided his follow up stomp. Gasping to get the wind back in her lungs, she spun and jabbed the point of her elbow into the meat of his calf before rolling away. He grunted loudly in pain as the dense muscle knotted immediately. He bounced back from her on his uninjured leg.

"Fucking Bitch!" he barked as he put his foot down carefully. He grimaced as he tried to stretch the muscles out.

"You hit... pretty hard... but... not as hard... as Ben," she wheezed out as she got her breath back.

Darius paused to look at her in disbelief. "He hit you?"

She wickedly grinned as she got her breathing back under control. Her stomach hurt terribly as did her bruised arms, but she wouldn't let it show. "Ben hit the heavy bag I was bracing. Knocked me off my feet and I lost my wind. Not like your little punk taps."

Darius' eyes went cold. "I think you don't understand your situation or your station in life." He took a step closer, and she took a step back. They repeated this pattern slowly, but only he could see she was getting close to the building's core and soon there would be no room to retreat.

"Station in life? What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Are you one of those disillusioned shit for brains who whines about the days when men were men and women were subservient?" she spat.

He allowed himself a smile to keep her talking. He'd have her soon as they continued to move back.

"A woman's place is in the kitchen making her man meals, ironing his clothes, keeping the house clean?" She risked a glance to the left, and her target was finally within reach.

"Fuck that noise!" she laughed as she skipped back to grab hold of the push broom's handle. Some delinquent construction worker left it for her, leaning it up against the wall. She gripped the pole tightly and drove her heel against the spot it screwed into the bristle head. Wood cracked and split.

Suddenly, she had herself a makeshift quarterstaff.

His eyes flashed wide then the blunt end of the broom handle connected with his Adam's apple in a sharp jab. He choked and stumbled back.

Darius tried to fend off the pole with one hand as the other went to his throat. He attempted to call out but only managed a weak croak.

Trish spun and whipped the staff against the fingers of his outstretched hand, breaking three. He squeaked and yanked his broken hand back as his good one reached for the darting broom handle. His croaking got louder, so Trish struck his throat once more with the blunt end of her weapon.

He gasped and finally caught the end of the pole with his uninjured hand. Trish used his grip to brace herself while she dropped and spun in to deliver a vicious heel strike to the side of the knee on his planted leg. As it was carrying his weight, it gave with a sharp, tearing pop. He staggered and lost his grip on the broom handle.

Trish spun the shaft and jabbed the jagged, splintered end into his right eye. She was rewarded with a high pitched wheeze as the orb popped.

Blinded and in intense pain, Darius staggered forward, and she threw herself down and under his sweeping grab. She rolled behind him and thrust the blunt end of the stick back towards Darius. It struck his inner thigh and quickly slid upwards to catch him in the balls.

With a pained grunt, he collapsed to his knees and fell forward, bouncing once on the dusty concrete. He slipped under the 2 x 4 boards bolted across the opening of an elevator shaft. His forward momentum made him begin to slide into the opening. At the last second, he frantically hooked his arm around the wall next to the opening, as the rest of his body slipped over the lip. He clung to the wall with all his strength.

Trish climbed to her feet as she looked to Darius struggling to keep from falling into the shaft. "Shit," she sighed. She'd intended on beating him unconscious, but now she was stuck. He was too heavy for her to pull up and if she called for the guard, he'd shoot her.

"Help me..." Milonas croaked. The arm he'd braced against the wall was the one without broken fingers, but his leg on that side had torn knee ligaments. He couldn't use it to pull himself up. When he tried, he loosened his arm's precarious grip. He was gasping and sputtering as his grip began to slip in the dust.

She looked down into his desperate eye and thought of the lives he'd probably destroyed. He was no longer her primary concern. "No."

Trish sprinted back to the table and pulled the gun from the pocket of his jacket. She knew how to shoot, but she wasn't a crack shot like Catherine. She wished the tall blonde was here with her. She ducked down behind the chair covered by the jacket. It blocked the view of her from the opening in the plastic sheeting. She looked over to where Darius struggled to climb out of the shaft. She could see the desperation and terror in his remaining eye.

With a sudden puff of dust, his grip on the floor slipped, and his head disappeared as he dropped away.

His scream was surprisingly high pitched, but it cut off suddenly.

Trish watched the opening in the plastic with the gun held out before her in both hands. The guard slipped through the gap, his machine gun clutched tightly in his hands.

Her shot was deafening from under the table, but the guard dropped bonelessly as the bullet punched through his heart.

Trish waited a second then rushed forward to collect the machine gun.

This was a first for her. She'd actually killed a man, two if she counted Milonas. She knew she'd beaten Eli Sturn unconscious, but the blow that killed him hadn't come from her hand. Maybe she could consider Milonas the same as Sturn, but looking down at the dead guard's body, she couldn't deny this guy was her first deliberate kill. She didn't want to do anymore. That said, she didn't want the others to come to investigate but how could she stop them?

-=-

When the guard's lifeless body hit the sidewalk like a bag of wet cement, the goons standing by the cars jumped for cover. When no further bodies fell, they slowly came out and stared at the broken and twisted thing.

Then they looked up.

The crazy redhead with the big tits was waving at them with the guard's weapon in her hand. They ran for cover again. A quick discussion behind the vehicle and they all agreed. Darius must be dead. The scream they'd heard earlier must have been him, not the redhead as they'd all assumed.

It was time to leave.

-=-

Trish watched the cars quickly head for the gate and collect their colleague before driving away. She walked back to Darius' jacket and found his cell. It was locked, but she'd be able to make an emergency call. She wasn't going to put Ben at risk as he still had at least one gunman and the blonde bitch watching him. She'd trust Ben to take care of himself.

She couldn't tell the police where Ben had gone so she'd have to play dumb. She unzipped her top a little more and tugged down her sports bra to make her girls bulge upwards.

Now she was ready.

She hoped Ben was safe.

-=-

The bank's architecture was imposing, and Ben was finding himself distracted by the arches, high ceilings, and antique moldings. The vault was huge, and his engineering instincts were tingling like mad. He was also nervous for Trish, but he had to trust that she could take care of herself and keep out of trouble until he could return to her.

When they'd arrived at the bank, only Liliya and Ben had gone inside. The silver SUV with its driver and armed escort would wait to take them back. As they'd walked, Ben glanced over at Liliya, trying to get a read on the tall blonde. Undeniably lovely, she moved... like Trish; like power held in check. This didn't detract too much from the image of elegance she was striving to portray; most people would end their assessment at her beauty. Ben, however, was surrounded by beauty and looked closer. Her long red leather coat and tall boots hid her body, but her movements suggested her svelte form was all muscle. He wondered if the circumstances were different, would she and Trish share enough interests to find some common ground.

Once inside, he introduced himself and Liliya to the clerk responsible for managing the safe deposit boxes. Ben showed his documentation as Walter instructed. After a tedious period of reading and signing documents, the clerk finally escorted them into the vault. Now, they used their keys to open the locks, and the clerk pulled a long box from the compartment and handed it to Ben.

Liliya shared a glance with Ben then followed the clerk to a private room to view the contents. Once they were alone, they looked at the long metal box on the table before them. Ben saw the slightest tremble run through Liliya's body. She reached for the lid, but he pressed a big hand down on it as his eyes caught hers.

"Is Trish going to be safe when we bring back the ledger?" he asked.

Something flashed in her eyes and his gut clenched. She was afraid. Not of Ben, but for Trish.

"We should return, soon," she answered quietly. Ben heard the warning and lifted his hand. She reached for the lid again. "Rainor did not like paper. Will be memory stick," she said. Her accent was getting thicker with her tension.

"How well did you know Rainor?" Ben asked.

She paused, looking at the tension in Ben's jaw. "Well enough to know how he worked... and how he fucked. Not well enough to know he had wife. Darius say stay close to him. He wanted to be sure Rainor would not do what he did do. I read him wrong. I... paid for mistake. So many mistakes." Her expression was bleak before she caught herself and forced the stiff smile back in place.

Ben sighed. Damn, she was another woman in distress. For Trish's sake, he was going to have to look the other way. Trish was his only priority.

Liliya lifted the lid and reached in to pull out some rolled bundles of paper. After a cursory glance, she handed them to Ben.

He looked closer and saw they were deeds. He accepted the last of them from Liliya's hands as she went back to searching the box. He read the titles of the papers, and there were seven separate deeds for property in Germany, France, Hong Kong, Singapore, Russia, England, and the US. He'd have to do a little research on the addresses, but he was likely looking at a sizable fortune in real estate.

Liliya made a sound of relief. She pulled her hand out of the box holding a tiny silver object. It had a USB connector so she'd found the memory stick.

"Is that it? Can we go?" he asked, conscious of how long they'd been away from Trish.

Liliya pulled a small tablet from an inner pocket of her jacket. She turned it on, and once it was booted, she connected the memory stick.

When the folder opened, it showed a series of image file icons. There was nothing else on the stick.

"Images? Shouldn't a digital ledger be a spreadsheet or a document file?" Ben asked.

Liliya glanced nervously at Ben and nodded stiffly. She tentatively double tapped on the first icon, and the tablet opened the image file.

She gasped as she stared at the screen in shock.

Ben saw the image was of an older man with a stocky build and close-cropped grey hair. His barrel chest was matted with grey curls. He was standing at the foot of a large bed, taking his clothes off. The camera must have been positioned on the headboard aiming down the bed. On the mattress was a dark-skinned young man with long, wavy black hair. He was naked and quite erect. Liliya swept her finger across the picture to the left, and the next image file appeared. The older man was naked now, and the young man had taken his cock in his mouth. The older man's head was thrown back in bliss. She flipped through the images faster and faster, and Ben saw the young man had performed a number of sexual acts for his lover. The photos were quite clear and explicit. Their faces were clearly visible if these images were for blackmail purposes which Ben suspected.

In the last few, the activity on the bed took a dark turn. The older man was choking his partner then broke his neck.

Ben's eyes caught sight of something familiar in the background of the last image. It was so distinct and jarring it took a few minutes for him to place it.

On the wall next to the door to the bedroom, hung a painting. A clown's sad face watching the activities on the bed.

"Geezus! That's Rainor's bedroom in his Berlin condo!" Ben exclaimed as he pointed to the painting. He saw the room's layout matched as well. The bed's footboard, too.

Liliya's pale skin had gone pasty, and her face held a stricken expression. "We should not have looked at these," she mumbled to herself. She shut down the tablet and pulled the memory stick. These went into the inner pocket of her coat. Then she turned a fierce gaze at Ben. "Tell no one what you saw." He nodded.

"What about the ledger?" Ben asked tensely.

"Is not there."

"What does that mean for Trish?" Ben growled, and her eyes told him it wouldn't be good. "If the ledger data was on a memory stick, Rainor might have kept it with him. His key ring is somewhere in Sydney Harbor." Her expression didn't improve.

In desperation, Ben tipped the container up and thumped its end. A rolled black velvet cloth, stuck at the far end of the box, slid into view. He carefully tugged it free and noted it was tied closed with two satin ribbons. He shoved the empty container aside and placed the rolled cloth on the table surface. Undoing the ribbon bows, he unrolled the velvet to display a fortune in fairly large diamonds, ranging from one to ten carats. While there were fewer of the larger ones, there had to be close to three hundred of the pretty stones. All were cut beautifully, and the light they reflected was dazzling.

But no memory stick. FUCK!

Ben looked to Liliya, and saw her eyes were trapped by the vast fortune in glittering stones. He saw an intense hunger there.

His current situation was a nightmare. He had to go back to that monster and extract Trish from his clutches. He had a fortune in diamonds he could use as a bargaining tool. The properties were potentially worth more. There was a memory stick with blackmail images on it. Maybe that was worth something, but he was reluctant to give him the stick. He saw the beginnings of a plan to get out of this alive if he could get Liliya's cooperation.

"Give me your cell phone," he said.

She blinked at him as she tore her gaze away from the diamonds. "What?"

"Your cell phone, I need its camera." He held his hand out expectantly with a determined look.

Liliya found herself handing it over after she launched its camera app.

Ben took several shots of the diamonds to capture the sheer quantity and their brightness. He took one shot of the deeds lined up in a row then handed the cell back to her and rolled the black velvet to protect the stones again. Once the bundle was tied closed, he pushed it into the back of the safe deposit box once more.

"What!?! What are you doing?" she cried.

He ignored her and put the deeds back into the box as well, closing the lid.

"We're going back to get Trish. If you help me extract her, half the diamonds are yours." He thought the diamonds were likely tainted with the crime Rainor had to be involved in to get them. If she wanted to deal with the fallout that was her business but the remaining diamonds were going to the authorities.

Cold eyes held his. "I could take them." She suddenly reached into her jacket for her gun but found herself folded backward and slammed to the surface of the small table. She was dazed for a few seconds. She stared up at Ben with wide, frightened eyes and saw him flinch but his grip remained firm. She hadn't seen him move! He held her throat in his left hand as his right eased the small but deadly gun from her jacket. Once he tucked it into his jacket pocket, he collected the memory stick from her too. He released her and stood back, but he never took his eyes off hers. Liliya sat up and rubbed her throat. She eased herself off the table and watched him cautiously.

He sighed. "You have no leverage. I could see in your eyes that you don't think Trish and I are going to get out of this alive. What you were supposed to collect isn't here, so you've failed Milonas once more. You may be in as much danger as we are. Now that I know what's in the box and you have the proof on your cell, I have something to bargain with for our safety."

Shaken, she opened the door at his gesture and walked back out to meet the clerk once more. Ben put the safe deposit box back into the vault and followed the clerk back upstairs. As Ben sat with the clerk renewing its lease for another year, she racked her brain to find a way to get herself out of this situation and get her hands on those diamonds. They would assure her future.

Ben finally rejoined her, and they made their way from the bank to the side street where their ride would pick them up.

"You must give me memory stick," she quietly said as they waited for the SUV.

"Not until we get away from Milonas," he growled. She frowned and looked away.

The vehicle arrived, and they climbed in. The SUV headed back to the edge of the city in silence.

As they approached the industrial complex, they began to see an abundance of emergency vehicles. An ambulance went by followed by a police car. Ben was shocked to see Trish sitting in the back seat. A huge wave of relief crashed through his body, and he sighed.

"Pull into the parking lot on right," Liliya snapped at the driver.

He did, and goon number three sitting in the front passenger seat looked back to see her pointing her deadly little gun between his eyes.

"You two, get out, leave keys, walk away. Milonas is dead or captured if redhead is with police. You need to disappear. Look for a new job," she suggested with a calm voice. The two men in front shared a look, stepped from the car, and walked away without a backward glance.

Ben looked at her in surprise as she must have noticed Trish in the police car as well. Then he saw the gun in her hand was the one he'd collected from her. She must have picked his pocket while he was distracted, looking out the window. He frowned at his stupidity.

The gun was aimed at him now, and her back was to the door. She watched him very carefully.

"Memory stick, please. Slow and easy."

Ben made no move to give it to her. "You said it yourself. Your boss is dead or in jail. You don't need to do this anymore," Ben replied.

"Weak minded fool was not my boss," she snapped in frustration.

Ben's eyebrows went up in surprise.

Liliya softly sighed as she looked at Ben. "I work for man you saw on memory stick. I infiltrated Milonas' operation to keep eye on him. He was working with Rainor. When Rainor disappeared with ledger, my employer made me stay close to Milonas who hunted Rainor. Tracked him to Australia but then Rainor died. That news made my employer very upset, but he made me stay with Darius to ensure he only got ledger. I- I was not told what he was truly after."

She shuddered, and Ben felt uneasy that the man frightened the woman so much.

Liliya looked him in the eye. "He knows about you. He knows you had access to Rainor's safe deposit box. You need to give me memory stick. Police must never see it as he will kill everyone you love for revenge. We all know who you love," Liliya softly said as she recalled the stories on TV about Ben and his ladies.

Ben growled as his fame was showing yet another side of its pervasive evil.

"It contains proof that he murdered the young man. That could put him behind bars and set you free from him," Ben suggested.

Liliya smiled sadly. "Murder charge means nothing to him. If was proven he was homosexual, he would lose contracts with Russian government, especially military." She paused as she thought about her next move. "We go to bank. You get me diamonds. I must have them. And stick."

Ben tilted his head as he examined the woman before him. "Why are you working for this man if he terrifies you?"

Eyes flashing angrily, she lifted the gun and pointed it between his eyes.

"That won't get you the diamonds," he said, watching her calmly.

Liliya's emotions surged, and uncertainty flared in her eyes for the first time. "You must! I- it is only way." She went silent as Ben waited. Rage flared then desperation, and finally, resignation. The hand with the gun dropped to her lap. "He has my daughter, Rose," she whispered.

"Shit!" Ben raged internally. Outwardly, he struggled to appear calm. "Who is he?" Ben asked gently.

She was looking at her hands in her lap as she answered. "Yuri Gruzinsky. He is very powerful industrialist and will kill to ensure those images never get out. I might have signed our death warrant by seeing them. He will suspect."

"When's the next time you have to contact him?" Ben asked.

"Tonight. If Milonas is dead or captured by police, will be on news. Yuri will want update. He will tell me to return. Tomorrow. I need diamonds!" She raised the gun once more.

He ignored the threat. "Give me your cell. I need to send a text."

Steaming in frustration, she held his eyes but finally gave in. She handed him the phone, and he banged out a quick text.

"Trish will head back to the hotel once she frees herself from the police. Her cell is there as is mine. I'm having her meet me where we ate dinner last night. The police won't know the location. We won't involve them. We'll head to the bank now," he told her, and she sighed.

They moved to the front seats when they saw the coast was clear and she drove them back into the city. As they approached the bank, Liliya hissed between her teeth in frustration. The police were parked before the building. She turned off onto a side street and pulled over.

"What do we do now?"

Ben's stomach rumbled. "We eat," he said with a small smile.

-=-

It was late afternoon when Trish slipped into the dining area of the restaurant from the kitchen. Ben surged out of his chair and pulled her into his arms. Once he'd hugged her, his lips found hers, and he fed his passion and relief into the kiss.

Trish moaned in pleasure and a little discomfort. After surrendering to his kiss, she pulled back gently. "Easy big guy! Don't squeeze too hard; I'm pretty bruised." Her eyes moved to the side to see Liliya sitting at Ben's table. She immediately bristled. "What the FUCK is she doing here?!?"

Ben gently touched her chin to tilt her face back to look at him. "It's complicated. She's not the enemy, but we still have one. Did you bring my cell?"

She handed him his phone then sat down opposite the blonde who looked back at her calmly with just a hint of a smile at the corners of her lips.

Trish addressed Ben. "I didn't tell the police about the safe deposit box as the lead detective inspired no fucking confidence. He seemed the shoot first, check for hostages second kind of asshole. I told them I'd been kidnapped to get to you, but I'd freed myself when Darius decided to get a little rough. I said I wasn't sure if he'd contacted you before I took him out."

"What happened to Milonas?" Liliya asked quietly.

"After you two left, his male ego was offended by Ben's warning, so he decided to prove what a man he was by beating me up."

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry, Trish!" Ben gasped.

She held up her hand with a grin. "No, it was perfect. You made it possible for me to go one on one with Darius. The arrogant prick couldn't conceive of losing to me. Sent the guard away to prove he didn't need any protection and we went hand to hand." She glanced over at the Russian blonde whose smug little smile had slipped away.

"You fought him barehanded? I saw him fight. Brutal! I would not do it," Liliya leaned forward to say to the woman across from her.

"Yeah, he connected a few times and fuck, did he hit hard! I've got the bruises to prove it." Then she grinned wickedly. "But the idiot let me guide him over to where I could get my hands on a wooden broom handle. Once I had that, I took him apart."

Ben grinned at the readhead's vicious glee. She'd gotten her revenge.

"You killed him?" Liliya asked quietly.

Trish shook her head. "No, I think the fall down the elevator shaft did that."

Liliya snorted explosively in surprise and lifted a napkin to cover her face in embarrassment. Trish grinned at her.

"What about the guard?" Ben asked.

Trish's smile dimmed a little. "Yeah..." She took a deep breath as she paused. "I had to shoot him with Darius' gun." She shook her head. "I dropped his body over the railing, so he hit the ground near the remaining guards. I waved the machine gun to them, and they booked."

"Booked?" Liliya asked.

"Ran away like the little bitches they are," she said with a smile.

Ben shook his head in amazement at Trish and kissed her hand, getting a loving smile for that. He returned to a search on his cell and found the man. "Yuri Gruzinsky," he mumbled then clicked on the images search so he could show Trish an image of the man who was potentially a threat to him and his family.

"This is the face of our new enemy," he said to Trish as he showed her the image.

There were some pictures of the man at his factories and refineries. There were also some images of him at charity functions. One caught his eye, and he zoomed in. Yuri was standing next to a man who Ben recognized, Nikolai Noskov. His lovely wife Galena stood at his side. He turned the cell's screen to Liliya who looked at it with interest.

"Yuri and Nikolai Noskov know each other?" Ben asked her.

Liliya nodded. "Rivals. Fierce. Much hated." She paused then looked into Ben's eyes. "Yuri arranged Noskov twins kidnapping."

"WHAT?!?" Ben roared, and both women grabbed an arm to calm him and pull him back down in his chair. The other customers were looking at them in interest. "Sorry," he grumbled once he got control back. He looked to the blonde and saw her nodding.

"Nikolai beat Yuri for a big contract. Mining gold. For revenge, Yuri stole children and sold to a slaver. He said, will sell Rose too if I disobey."

"Who's Rose?" Trish asked.

Liliya looked at Trish. "My daughter."

"Shit," Trish growled then glanced at Ben. They shared a look.

"According to Liliya, since we picked up a very sensitive item from the safe deposit box that Yuri wants, he'll put the ones I love in danger until he gets it. Not sure if that threat goes away once he does." He stood up. "I have to make a quick call."

As he walked off, Trish turned to look at Liliya. Her expression hardened. "I want you to know, if you're playing on Ben's white knight syndrome, I will personally kick your ass twice as hard as I did Darius'. And you fucking better have a daughter named Rose who needs rescuing!"

Liliya blinked at the fierce creature sitting across from her. She pulled out her cell and opened her photo album to search until she got to the selfie she took holding her daughter in her arms. She handed the cell to Trish who looked at it cautiously. Once she saw the young girl, Trish could no longer maintain her scowl, and her expression softened. "Damn... she's so beautiful. What a sweetie," she said gently.

Silent tears ran down Liliya's cheek as she nodded. Trish handed the phone back and held her hand.

Ben returned and saw Liliya's tears. He glanced to the image on the phone, and his heart lurched in his chest. He shared another look with Trish then collected himself.

"Nikolai's secretary informed me that he's at a family gathering but will call me first thing in the morning," he said.

Liliya's eyes widened when a light came on behind them. "You rescued his daughters!"

He shifted uncomfortably. "Yes, but I'm not calling in a favor. He needs to know who put his daughters in that horrific situation and he may have advice on how to deal with the threat Yuri represents. They travel in the same circles. This is way outside my experience. I'm just a simple mechanical engineer."

Liliya snorted in amusement again, and Trish grinned with her. The redhead shared a look with the amused and skeptical blonde.

"Ben has a cockeyed perception of his impact on those around him. He actually thinks it's small," Trish said to the woman.

"Trish!" Ben yelped then looked at her in confusion as he replayed her words in his mind.

She laughed as she saw him struggling to separate what she'd actually said from what he'd heard.

"What? I wasn't talking about the impact your cock has on us!" She leaned towards Liliya and spoke with a conspiratorial tone. "Which is by no means small!"

"Trish! Stop!" Ben exclaimed once more, and both ladies laughed at his look of embarrassment though Trish held up her hands in surrender. She reached out and rubbed his arm affectionately then winced as her bruised muscles protested.

Ben immediately sent her a look of concern, but she just smiled sweetly to him. "It's just the bruising."

He shivered at the thought of Trish being hurt. She reached up to smooth the worry lines on his forehead.

He sighed at her touch. "Nothing we can do until tomorrow morning. We'll give the bank another try. It must have been a coincidence that the police were at the bank today when we went back to it."

"Are you going to give me the diamonds?" Liliya asked hopefully.

Trish perked up. "Diamonds?"

Ben nodded to Liliya. "Show her the pictures," he suggested.

The Russian blonde found them on her cell and passed it across to Trish whose eyes widened with shock.

"Where the fuck- these were in the safe deposit box?" she hissed quietly to the two of them. Ben and Liliya nodded. She turned her eyes to Ben. "And you're giving them to her? She works for the bad guys!"

Ben leaned forward. "Half. She might be able to use them to get Rose to safety and keep her safe."

Trish leaned back, mouth open in surprise, flustered at the idea of Ben giving all of those diamonds to someone who worked with the bad guys! She saw Ben's mind was made up, so she threw her hands in the air. "Fuck it. Whatever."

Ben could see some of the tension leave Liliya's face when she saw Trish wasn't going to fight her on it. Trish looked exhausted. He needed to let her rest. "It's been a difficult day for all of us. I think we'll head back to our hotel. Where are you staying? Will you be ok tonight?"

Liliya smiled at Ben. "I will be fine. I have hotel room a few blocks from here," she said. "I see you tomorrow morning, yes?" Ben nodded. "The memory stick-"

"I'll hang on to that until tomorrow. If Yuri's going to threaten my family I'm going to see this through," Ben said grimly. "Take my cell number so you can reach me."

She still looked a little frustrated that he wouldn't give her the stick but entered his number into her cell and shared hers. With a final look into his eyes, she nodded to herself. "Until tomorrow." Ben stood as she did and with a nod to Trish she made her way to the entrance and stepped out into the street.

Trish frowned. "I love her Natasha Fatale impression-" Ben began to protest, but Trish held up her hand. "I'm trying to keep an open mind," she sighed then held Ben's eyes. "This could very well be a trap. She's playing the damsel in distress card pretty hard and bringing in the big guns of her daughter in the hands of the villain. I concede it might be true. The picture of the young girl did look like it could be hers." She sighed and shifted uncomfortably. "I need food, preferably room service, then a hot bath followed by a soft bed with my man beside me."

Ben smiled at her. "That can be arranged. Let's go."

She leaned against his side as they walked to the exit. "So... you're really giving her those diamonds?"

"Trish."

Chapter 4

Ben woke with a headache, so he got up and took a few painkillers. He ordered breakfast from room service then opened his laptop and did a little work in the living room. He started making notes on what had happened to date to bring them to this point, who the key players seemed to be and tried to work out how Rainor managed to create such a mess. It was a little disheartening.

He also did a little research on the properties be recalled from the deeds he now owned. That was enlightening, but he was left with more questions.

The math seemed off considering the value of the items in that safe deposit box. While he hadn't been told the actual dollar value of the investments Rainor had stolen from Milonas, it seemed unlikely to account for the commercial evaluation of the diamonds and the property. One or the other but both? It felt like a piece of the puzzle was missing.

Roughly forty-five minutes later Trish wandered out of the bedroom and Ben frowned when he saw the bruises on her arms and her stomach. He'd held her gently the night before, and the marks didn't look much better today. "Good morning."

There was a knock on the door. "Room service."

Trish pivoted on her heel and walked back into the bedroom as Ben let the waiter wheel the cart into the room. Ben signed for it as Trish returned, wrapped in a fluffy robe, plenty of cleavage on display. The young man's eyes threatened to pop out of his head until Ben's thank you broke his hypnosis, and he gushed his thanks as he left and Ben locked up.

He walked back to the living room and fixed the grinning redhead with a weary stare.

"What? You gave him a tip. Why can't I?" she said with a grin.

"Because yours makes them want to give you more than just the tip."

Trish burst into a loud laugh then she clutched her stomach muscles. "Oooo! Don't make me laugh! It hurts to laugh," she moaned through her chuckles.

They settled down to enjoy their breakfast and Ben filled her in on what he'd worked out so far.

"I don't know how it started but somehow Rainor was interacting with some extremely wealthy people, some of whom were less than squeaky clean. We know of Darius Milanos and now Yuri Gruzinsky. He somehow arranged for Yuri to have a sexual encounter in his condo and captured it on camera. Yuri had sex with a young man and murdered him afterward. There are pictures of this on the memory stick. Rainor must have been blackmailing Yuri or at least threatened to."

"Shit. That's fucked up," Trish said softly.

Ben nodded. "As we heard yesterday, Rainor was also working with Darius to launder his money. He was moving the cash through a series of accounts and kept a digital ledger of the accounts. There was no ledger in the safe deposit box, but there was a large number of diamonds- No!" he said to interrupt Trish's interjection as she leaned forward. She plunked herself back with a pout.

"There was also deeds to seven properties; seven large plots of real estate in seven different countries. Their value exceeds the diamonds. These are prime sections of property in some of the busiest cities in the world. We might be talking billions of dollars' worth of real estate. How Rainor got his hands on this is a mystery. He seemed arrogant enough to believe he could outmaneuver these underworld figures and stay ahead of them."

"Only to fall victim to another kind of shark," Trish grinned. Ben rolled his eyes.

Ben's cell began to ring. He got up and collected the phone from the coffee table. "Hello?"

"Am I speaking with Ben Shepherd?" a man's voice asked.

"Yes."

"This is Nikolai Noskov."

"Nikolai, thank you for calling back!"

"Nonsense. I'm glad you called. Are you in Russia? Can you visit?"

Ben smiled at the almost hopeful tone. He felt better about calling him away from his family. Speaking of which...

"I'm actually in Berlin now, but I was wondering if it would be possible for me to visit. I'm going to have to speak to the pilot of the jet service I'm using to see if we can land in Russia. I don't know how that works," Ben admitted.

"Give me the number for your pilot, and I will make the arrangements for you to fly into a private airport owned by a business partner of mine. Will this visit be for business or pleasure?" Nikolai asked, picking up a little tension in Ben's voice.

"I came across some information yesterday which I need to discuss with you. It pertains to the source of the issue I helped you with when we met in France. There's another similar situation that will happen if I don't present this source with something he wants, probably today."

Nikolai was quiet for a moment then he cleared his throat. "You must give me the number so I can make arrangements for your visit as soon as you can, yes?"

"I can be at the airport in... ninety minutes," Ben said to Nikolai as he looked to Trish who was watching him with concern. She wiped her mouth and dashed off to the bedroom to start getting ready.

Ben gave Nikolai the pilot's contact number. "I'll give him a call now and let him know to expect your call."

"My driver, Leo, will pick you up at the airport and bring you to my home. Thank you, Ben. See you soon," the man responded and hung up.

Ben called the pilot who was expecting them to fly home today and filled him in on the change of itinerary. As they spoke, Nikolai's call beeped on the line, so Ben said his goodbyes and rushed off to the bathroom to get ready himself. He tried not to ogle Trish as she squeezed into the form-fitting, long-sleeved red sweater and her black leather pants that squeezed her ass so nicely. Mmmm...

"Ben! I know that look, and as much as I'd love to ride you to exhaustion, we have a flight to catch!" she cautioned him.

"Right," he grumbled. He forced himself into the bathroom to take his shower. A cold one.

Once they were heading out the door, Ben tried calling Liliya but it went straight to voicemail. He shared a worried look with Trish, hoping that wasn't a bad sign.

Ben walked up to the reception desk to check out.

"Was everything to your satisfaction Mr. Shepherd?" the clerk said with a smile as he handed him the statement.

"Yes, you have a lovely hotel," Ben responded.

"You have a message. It came in during the night." The clerk handed him the paper.

Distracted, Ben nodded. "Thank you. Goodbye."

He walked back to Trish as he read and crumpled the note in his hand. "Yuri called her back to Russia. She asked for me to bring the memory stick, but not the diamonds. I'm not sure what that means. She no longer thinks she can buy her freedom from the man?"

"Sounds like her situation is going from bad to worse," Trish murmured. They rushed out of the hotel and flagged a taxi to get them to the airport.

"We never got a chance to do any shopping," Trish lamented as they drove through the posh shopping district.

"I'll make time for that when we get back home. We can visit any shopping district you want. New York, Los Angeles-"

"Ooo! Rodeo Drive! Fuck yeah!" she grinned. "Oh! Can we bring the twins? They'd kill to shop there!"

Ben chuckled. "If they're available."

They got to the airport in good time and met with the pilot in the terminal.

"Good morning, sir. The flight plan is registered, and we are good to go. You have friends in high places to be able to turn this around so quickly."

Ben nodded. "Very good friends!" he agreed with a smile.

"How long will we be there?" the pilot asked.

"Not more than a day or two I assume."

"Very good, sir. See you on the plane."

Ben and Trish went through security and made their way onto the Jet. Ben squirmed once more when he saw that big logo on its tail and ignored Trish's knowing smile.

-=-

The flight was smooth, and soon they were landing at the private airport. A limo was waiting for them at the hangar the plane stopped before. When they left the plane a broad-shouldered man with just the tiniest fringe of grey hair stepped away from the side of the car to stride forward.

"Hello. I am Leo. Please, let me take your bags." He hustled them over behind the car and put them in the trunk then opened the door for Trish and Ben.

He drove them off the airport grounds and headed for the city. They hadn't gone through the usual security process at all. Ben shared a look with Trish.

He gawked out the windows as he'd never expected to find himself in Russia.

Not too long after, they were driving through a gated community of the exceptionally wealthy and pulled through a second set of security gates and a long drive to stop before a grand mansion.

Nikolai was standing in the open doorway with Galena and their two daughters. All were smiling broadly. Once Ben was standing next to the car, the girls rushed forward and gave him hugs. Ben grinned and hugged them back. His eyebrows went up. "They're growing so fast!" he exclaimed to their parents who beamed broad and proud smiles back at them.

Trish stepped from the car, and the girls went wide-eyed as did their parents. Ben smiled back at Trish's shy smile.

"May I present my lovely girlfriend, Trish Campbell," he said with a flourish and grinned to see her blush. It felt good to be on the other side of that for once. Her eyes twinkled at him when she realized he was getting his revenge.

"She's also one of my neighbors back home." He nodded proudly, and her face just warmed up a little more. "Trish, this is Nikolai and Galena Noskov and their beautiful daughters..." he looked closely, trying to recognize them from when they were so much smaller. "Mika... and Roza?" he guessed as he pointed to them. From their delighted smiles, he'd guessed correctly.

Trish came forward to shake their hands. The twins were awestruck by Trish.

"The girls have begun gymnastics and are both tops in their classes," Nikolai boasted proudly.

"It's good to be strong! Just ask Trish! Yesterday, she was held hostage by a bad man and his gang. She kicked their butts!" Ben said to the twins who squealed excitedly.

"Please! You must teach us!" Roza begged.

"They've been taking Self Defense courses too, but gymnastics comes first," Galena said, keeping her eyes on her daughters who nodded to her then begged Trish with their eyes.

"Come inside!" Nikolai said, gesturing to his front door. The group moved inside, and they made impressed noises as they walked through the gorgeous building to the back of the house and the family room.

Inside, Nikolai began the introductions once more as they met his brother Andrei, his wife Kira, and their three beautiful girls Svetlana, Irina, and Katya. They shook hands and greeted each other.

Two men who'd been seated near the windows stood and joined them as Nikolai introduced them as good friends of the family, Dan Bishop and Wally Robbins, but their ladies would arrive shortly. Ben immediately picked up a feeling that they were military or ex-military. This impression came more from Dan than Wally, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was.

"I hope we're not disturbing your family get-together," Ben said earnestly.

"Not at all. What you spoke to me about concerns family and we should attend to it immediately," Nikolai assured him. "Galena, we will just be a moment." She nodded to him and gestured for the rest to take seats.

Nikolai took his brother's arm and whispered into his ear. Andrei's expression darkened, and he nodded tersely. The brothers looked to Dan and Wally who nodded. Ben saw Trish was being dragged away excitedly by the twins.

The men followed Nikolai down a hall and into a room which seemed to be an office with a beautiful wood desk before huge windows. Once they were all inside Nikolai nodded for Ben to begin.

Ben described the events of the previous day; Trish's kidnapping, Milonas' demands, meeting Liliya, his trip to the bank to collect the ledger, Trish's escape, and the discovery of blackmail photos on a memory stick. He turned his eyes to Nikolai, as this part concerned him most.

"On our way back to Milonas, we saw police all over the building site, so we stopped. Trish had already taken Milonas out, and his goons had fled. That's when Liliya confessed that she worked for Yuri Gruzinsky." Nikolai's eyes snapped to Ben's. "He knows I have the memory stick. The blackmail photos are of him. He's going to threaten my family, and he has the resources to get to them." Ben took a deep breath as that thought disturbed him greatly. "Liliya told me Yuri was responsible for kidnapping your twins. Revenge for beating him out of a contract for mining gold."

Nikolai sharply exclaimed something in Russian, and Andrei's expression showed his anger as well. "She said Yuri has her daughter, Rose. Liliya must be obedient, or he'll sell her daughter to slavers. Now," Ben held his hands up to ensure he had their attention. "I must state that she might be lying. I don't believe she is, but I could be wrong."

"If she is not lying, we must impose a permanent solution for Yuri," Nikolai growled quietly. Ben nodded.

"You know we're with you all the way," Dan said quietly.

"Thank you. I must make a call. Excuse me, please." Nikolai left the room.

Andrei turned to Dan. "Ben was the man who rescued Mika and Roza from the slavers."

Ben saw their looks of surprise and shook his head. "Just in the wrong place at the right time."

"But you acted. That is the difference," Andrei insisted and smiled again. "Daniel and Walter are equally heroic." Ben felt the echoes of his previous rage struggle to rise, but he quashed it. "They came upon my family cut off behind enemy lines in the Iraq war zone. They extracted us against the orders of their commanding officer and at great cost to them."

Ben saw Dan was equally uncomfortable with praise and he nodded to the man.

There was a knock on the door, and Ben turned his head to see if it was Trish. The first one through the door caught him off guard with her beauty. Long, platinum blonde hair, striking, green eyes with thick lashes, delicate brows, high cheekbones, slender nose, and full, lush lips that seemed to beg for kisses. Her breast implants were maybe a bit larger than Trish's, and her hips were a little wider as well. She had just a little more meat on her bones, like a softer version of Trish.

There was something about her Ben couldn't define. A vulnerability and innocence that immediately triggered his protective instincts. She had an almost gravitational pull. Then he noticed the scars on her bare arms. Some were obviously cigarette burns, and the skin on her wrists showed damage from being bound. She'd been tortured. He fought to keep a scowl from his face.

He caught Dan watching him closely, so he gestured to scars on his arm and raised an eyebrow in question. Some of Dan's tension dissipated as he saw Ben was just being protective. He shook his head slightly, and Ben relaxed as the scars weren't Dan's doing.

The beauty finally noticed Ben, and she gave him a timid smile as she quickly moved to Dan's side. He hugged her and kissed her temple. Ben finally recognized Submissive behavior for what it was.

Trish was right behind the blond and moved to Ben's side. He smiled and kissed her as well.

"Ben, this is my wife, Willow," Dan said, squeezing her.

Trish grinned over at Willow as she saw the woman's interest in Ben's scars. "This big guy has a collection of scars too." She tugged Ben's shirt up slightly to display his three bullet scars. Ben squirmed uncomfortably under Trish's hands.

Seeing Ben's embarrassment and Trish's grin, Willow's eyes twinkled mischievously as she tugged Dan's shirt up higher than Ben's to display the bullet scars on his chest. Dan looked at his wife in surprise as she'd never shown this level of boldness.

Trish's grin became a wicked smile as she pulled Ben's shirt up to his neck showing off the knife scars.

"Trish! Please!" Ben gasped quietly, his eyes glancing over to the look of shock on the lovely blonde's face. He noticed Dan was staring as well.

"Shit! Who used you as a pin cushion?" Wally asked quietly.

The moment broke when a third woman entered the room. She was a beauty with chocolate brown skin, a wide grin, a large head of curly black hair, and a nicely toned body with large natural breasts. She walked over to Wally and received a kiss on the cheek from him as she glanced to Willow holding Dan's shirt up. Then she saw Ben and froze in shock.

"Oh my god! You're the Bronze Man!" she gasped excitedly. Her eyes dropped automatically to his pants and Ben plucked his shirt from Trish's fingers to pull it back down.

Ben struggled to keep the scowl off his face and his tone light. "I'm not a fan of that sculpture," he said to the dark beauty. Looking at Wally, he shrugged. "Trish beat senseless the man who used the knife on me, so the scales are in balance." He kissed the redhead, and she smiled happily at him.

"Dude! In what world does a beating balance attempted murder?!?" Wally blurted.

Trish shrugged. "The stupid fucker died shortly afterward when the sledgehammer he was swinging around fell on his head, so... yeah."

"You had nothing to do with that?" Wally asked skeptically.

Trish smiled. "Never touched the hammer. It happened after I finished with him."

Ben interrupted to redirect the conversation. "Regardless, these scars don't define me nor does that bloody statue. I'm just Ben Shepherd, mechanical engineer."

Dan's eyes lit up at the mention of the profession, but Wally wasn't finished.

"This is my lady Roxanne," Wally said proudly, and Ben nodded to the star-struck woman. Wally continued. "Ya know, you and your lady would probably be a huge hit at Wasteland Weekend. You could get all dressed up in leather straps, build some awesome post-apocalyptic vehicle or weapons and get all Road Warrior-like," Wally finished and saw everyone was staring at him.

When Trish heard Road Warrior, she immediately did a quick search on her cell for this Wasteland thing then grinned widely. "Damn, Ben! I wanna do this! Can you imagine showing up with me and the twins dressed in costumes like these?" She squeezed herself against him as she showed her cell to Ben.

His eyebrows went up as he saw the women in the pictures were barely wearing anything. Thinking of Trish, Lisa, and Lori in these costumes made him a little stiff in the pants area. Trish began to chuckle wickedly as she felt the motion against her thigh. He looked at her. "Tina and Lucy too," he said quietly, and she purred excitedly.

He quickly flipped through the pictures and saw the inventive machinery and costumes. "This does look like it might be fun! I'd love to engineer, design, and build something with a post-apocalyptic theme."

Trish grinned happily. "I love the Road Warrior movies, but I didn't know people actually did this! I'd love to attend! When we get home, you should immediately go into your design studio and begin work on our costumes and gear!"

Ben chuckled at the look of joy on her face. "I could incorporate my new radiation filters into the costumes as they'd be a perfect fit."

Trish bounced on her toes in delight as Wally watched wide-eyed. He got a little slap from Roxanne.

Dan perked up again. "Radiation filters? Could they be incorporated into a building's air filtration system?"

"Definitely! I designed them for use in uranium mining equipment, but their application is universal."

Ben and Dan began comparing notes, and Wally groaned theatrically. "We've lost them to Engineering Nerdvana."

Nikolai walked back into the room with several long tubes tucked under his arm.

When Ben's cell rang he glanced at it, and his expression froze. He looked to Trish then Nikolai as he held up his hands for silence. Everyone looked at him. "It's Liliya. I think." He answered the call.

"Hello?"

A man's voice responded. "Mr. Shepherd, this is Yuri Gruzinsky. I believe my associate spoke to you about me."

Ben held Nikolai's eyes with him. "Yes, Mr. Gruzinsky, she did. She suggested you might call."

"How fortunate for me that she had your direct line on her cell. It makes things... simpler. To the reason for my call. You have something of mine."

"The memory stick-"

"Yes," Yuri interrupted in annoyance. "You will bring it to my country estate, today."

Ben frowned, and Nikolai placed a pad and pen on the desk for Ben. He nodded his thanks. "That isn't so convenient. Couldn't we meet in a more public space like Red Square?"

"You seem to be under the impression that this is one of those bullshit American action movies and you're the hero who always saves the day. You should have given the memory stick to my associate. Instead, your arrogance has forced me to take steps, unpleasant steps, to ensure your obedience. I have men in place waiting on my word to end the lives of everyone you hold dear in the idyllic little neighborhood you've built for yourself. Does this clarify your actual situation?"

Ben's mind filled with the roar of his blood rushing through his veins as his rage and fear exploded. His thoughts turned to the people waiting at home for his return. Tina, Lucy, his children, Gabriella and her kids, Catherine, his mind spun as the others rushed through as well. He wanted to scream into the phone, describing the things he'd do to the man if he so much as looked in their direction, but he realized Yuri was quite willing to follow through on the threat. Instead, Ben painfully swallowed his rage. "Yes," he choked out.

"Good. Write this address down and be here no later than 9 pm." Yuri gave him the address and directions to find it. "Bring the memory stick. Once it's in my possession, you can be on your way, and we need never see each other again. Contact the police, and I'll know. I have people everywhere."

"Fine. May I speak to Liliya?" Ben asked stiffly.

"She is no longer your concern."

The line went dead.

"Fuck!" Ben growled. He looked to Trish. "He said he's put hitmen in our neighborhood to kill everyone if I don't obey." Ben realized if Darius were aware he had the key then Liliya would have made Yuri aware of it too. "He's had time to get this in place as he's probably known I had the key to the safe deposit box for close to a week."

"He's a monster, but he'll avoid unnecessary attention from the authorities if he believes he's getting his way," Nikolai said calmly to ease Ben's fear.

Ben nodded gratefully as Trish hugged him.

"What we must discuss now is perhaps best witnessed only by those who will participate," Nikolai said with a firm tone.

Willow kissed Dan's cheek and quickly made her way to the door as Roxanne followed. They looked back as they stepped out, but Trish folded her arms under her tits.

"Where the big guy goes, I go," she insisted.

The others looked to Ben who held up his hands. "Don't look at me! Trish is a better fighter than I am." She hugged him for that, and he kissed her forehead.

Nikolai nodded then looked at the address Ben had written down and selected one of the tubes he'd brought to the office. He opened it and pulled out the blueprint rolled up inside. This, he flattened on the table. Ben's eyebrows went up as he saw it was the blueprint for Yuri's country estate.

"Well, this is helpful," Ben noted and Nikolai nodded, ignoring the implied question.

The two Russian brothers discussed the strategies with Dan and Wally as Ben and Trish watched.

The planning went on for a few minutes, and Ben jumped when his cell rang again. He glanced at the screen as everyone looked to him. Ben relaxed as he saw it was his friend Captain Kendricks. "A friend. I should take this." When they nodded, Ben walked over to the window and answered.

"Hi David! What's up?"

"Hi Ben. Sorry to bother you out of the blue like this but Homeland Security is asking why you, an asset of the US Government with ties to the Pentagon, are sitting in a hotel in Russia speaking on the phone with a known Russian underworld figure with ties to the Russian Military Complex."

Ben frowned and almost asked how they tracked that, but bit his tongue as it was obvious. Big Brother was listening.

The Captain had always been a straight shooter with him. He owed him the truth, not that he'd allow himself to speak anything else.

"David, I've found myself in a dangerous situation. I inherited a safe deposit box from Gretchen's estate. It belonged to her bastard of a husband. He made some enemies and collected some incriminating evidence against Yuri Gruzinsky. I have the memory stick, and Yuri wants it." He shuddered. "David, Yuri said he put hitmen within striking range of my family and friends back home."

Kendricks was quiet for a moment. "What's on the memory stick?" he asked.

"Some personally sensitive and incriminating images of Yuri that Rainor Hahn took. I have to bring him the memory stick, and then we're done with each other. He says." Ben paused as he gathered his thoughts. "Listen, David. Yuri is holding captive a woman named Liliya Sokolov and her young daughter, Rose. If they're still alive, I'm going to try to get them out."

"Geezus Ben, how do you plan on managing that?" David said cautiously.

Ben sighed. "By reasoning with him, and if that doesn't work out, I'm bringing friends."

"Okay, I don't want to know the details. Now, as for the threat at home, please put that out of your mind. I'll scramble a couple of teams for... urban defense training. Hey, you have friends here too! We've got your family and friends covered," David insisted.

Ben felt better knowing David was watching out for him. "Thanks, David! I can't tell you how much that means to me."

"Just be careful out there! Gruzinsky knows a lot of powerful people in the Russian military. Now, I've got to get those ninnies in Homeland Security to calm down about you. Talk to you soon."

Ben put his cell in his pocket and wiped at his eyes. It was good to have friends.

He felt arms wrapping around his chest and full tits squeezing against his back.

"You ok, big guy?" Trish asked gently.

He patted her arms and nodded.

"Captain Kendrick's is going to send some squads to protect the neighborhood," Ben explained.

"He's a good man," Trish said as she leaned her cheek against Ben's back.

"And a better friend," he agreed. Then something he'd said surfaced. Ben turned to Nikolai.

"Why did he think I was speaking to him from a hotel in Moscow?" he asked his host.

Nikolai grinned. "We have the cell towers in the area spoofed to report they are all in different hotels in Moscow. Now, come back and join us. We must discuss how you will leave this viper's nest alive."

Chapter 5

Corporal Evelyn Killcade was prepared to pull some serious strings to be included in the squads assigned to protect the Ashburn Court residents. Her commanding officer, Captain Kendricks, immediately acted when he got word about the impending danger. Once he ensured two squads were moving to their defense, he listened to her as she presented her case. She referenced her previous commander's assessment of her abilities and offered to contact General Davis for his glowing review, but that turned out to be unnecessary as Kendricks had already decided to let her join. After a quick salute, she took the fastest transport available and arrived just as the squads were preparing to head to the site.

Her nerves buzzed happily with excitement as this was the first time she'd be visiting Ben Shepherd's neighborhood. She'd memorized every square inch of the small housing development and the surrounding nature reserve so, in her opinion at least, she was an obvious asset for the mission. She wanted to prove to Ben she could be an asset to him personally, a key support member of his household. She knew the Captain was on board with her suggestion that Ben have a full-time security detail and who better than her since she was already working so closely on his projects? She would be able to vet all of his submissions to the division much more expeditiously and act as Ben's liaison. She knew Kendricks was currently doing this personally and she didn't want to interfere with their relationship but she needed Ben- it would be a more effective use of everyone's time if Ben had a full-time assistant who could double as security.

When she joined the squad at the local airport, she noted they were geared up in their dark green camouflage body armor.

Killcade was wearing her black tech commando uniform. On her 5' 10" hard muscled frame the nighttime stealth armor made her an imposing sight. It was also better suited for her mission. While the others would be in their defensive positions, she'd been authorized to engage and neutralize the threat with extreme prejudice. She had roughly a dozen matte black knives strapped to her chest and thighs. Her twin guns strapped to her hips with silencers in place. With her short but wavy blond hair tucked up under her black knit beanie and her black face camo she looked like a blue-eyed angel of death. That's what one of her ex-teammates once told her, at least. Of course, he also called her eagle beak due to her prominent facial feature. She was glad she was no longer working with him.

They piled into their transport and quickly made their way to the block just outside the target neighborhood. Working with the municipal power utilities, they had the street lights here shut down before their arrival, so they quickly sent out their spy drones to confirm the current location of these infiltrators. They saw no sign of them so they might have had a stroke of luck in arriving before the enemy. Their expectation was that the most likely entry point would be through the nature reserve to the East.

The squads exited the vehicles and penetrated the western edge of the nature reserve surrounding Ashburn Court. Half their number followed the fence on the northern side as the others paralleled the tall wooden wall on the southern side, stationing the troops along the perimeter until the remaining members from both groups met at the far, eastern edge of the neighborhood.

They were ready to repel any armed intruders.

A small reserve from both squads remained in the transports, ready to drive directly into Ashburn Court.

Killcade waited until the squad deployment was complete and kept an eye on the feed from the hovering surveillance drones. Finally, they spotted the enemy beginning their infiltration at the eastern boundaries of the nature reserve as expected.

It was time.

She slipped into the woods to begin her hunt. Within minutes she found two mercenaries with a case of rocket-propelled grenades. They were planning to do some significant property damage.

Determining these two weren't the brains of the attack force, she decided they were expendable. She silently slipped up behind the first and drove her blade into his back, and deep into his heart. His partner took a silenced slug through the eye, painting the forest floor with his brains. She carefully placed their bodies over the weapon crates they'd carried in before moving on.

Her next target had his throat slit, ear to ear and silently drained his life out into the soil.

Killcade moved silently from kill to kill, letting none of them make even the slightest sound as she extinguished their lives. This is what made her a highly effective weapon for the army. While she took no pleasure in killing these mercenaries, she felt no remorse in following her orders. There was no hesitation in her movements and no second-guessing. She'd become highly skilled at the task and, truthfully, she strived to be the very best at everything she did.

She bypassed a lone mercenary she identified as having the highest potential of being their leader. Only after she'd dealt with the remaining killers for hire did she circle back to confront the central man who by this point was discovering he could no longer reach the rest of his team on the radio.

Better trained than the others, he spotted her approach and managed to fire two shots at her protected torso before she kicked the gun from his hand.

Sucking in a painful breath between her gritted teeth, she palmed two daggers and circled him. He slashed at her face with a ten-inch blade which suddenly seemed to appear in his hand. She danced back out of his reach. He immediately spun and raced in the opposite direction. She gave chase and saw him duck into a pathway between the houses that led into the neighborhood. She picked up her speed and raced after him. He saw her gaining and snarled back at her as he was forced away from the nearby homes into the circular park in the center of the court. He spun there and threw a small dagger. She wrenched herself to the side, but the chase drained her, so her move was too slow to avoid the blade. It struck her right shoulder just under her armor and dug in. She dropped her dagger on that side as her hand spasmed temporarily.

He immediately attacked her right side, but she spun and plunged the dagger from her left hand into the back of his right hand before rolling away.

She popped up to her feet and barely avoided his kick to her head. She threw herself back into another roll, but this time he couldn't recover quickly enough to follow.

Other soldiers rushed into the park and surrounded them, just outside his striking distance.

"This is where you drop your weapons and surrender," Killcade said calmly as she panted.

The grim man's eyes jumped from soldier to soldier and saw they were all ready to put him down.

"Better to die- uuuuhhnn" he began then slumped to the ground as her thrown dagger struck his temple solidly, handle end first. The moment his body hit the ground she was on his back binding his hands. Before he could recover, she slipped a couple of zip ties between his teeth and closed them behind his head. He gagged, but he couldn't remove them or completely shut his mouth. A final zip tie went around his ankles.

That done, she picked up her thrown dagger, plus the one she dropped and cleaned them before putting them back in their sheaths. She glanced at the blade sticking out of her arm and was grateful that, while it hurt significantly, it didn't seem to be cutting off any sensation or limiting her movement too dramatically. She left it in until the medic could remove it.

One of the soldiers stepped forward.

"Why the hell did you zip tie his face? That's gotta be against some prisoner treatment convention!"

She blinked at the soldier because the answer was obvious. She thought he might be teasing her and smiled, but that faded as his frown remained. She finally decided to answer.

"He indicated he wanted to die. I prevented him from biting down on any poison filled fake teeth he might have until we can confirm this."

"Cyanide capsules in fake teeth went out with the Cold War!" the soldier barked.

She shook her head. "Better to confirm. He's old. He might use old-school methods. We need him alive for questioning." She blinked in confusion at the soldier's attitude. When he finally shrugged his agreement, she gave him a smile and a nod.

The squad moved to collect the weapons and bodies in the woods as the transport vehicles rolled into the neighborhood. The bodies were bagged, and additional trucks arrived to take them and the munitions away. A third vehicle took their prisoner after Killcade passed along her instructions to inspect his teeth.

Killcade finally saw a medic and had the dagger removed, and her injury stitched closed. The injection to freeze the area brought her some relief from the pain.

The early morning light was painting the tops of the trees as she looked at the lovely little community. She was very impressed with Ben's choice of habitat. It would be exactly what she would have chosen for herself. Most of the homes were large, but they fit within the mature trees.

Turning away from the road that brought them into this court, she looked to Ben's home with its tower and elevated deck. She'd overheard the Captain's praise of the vantage point. He'd claimed the view was lovely and she imagined it must be, up there near the canopy of the forest.

Then she noticed two women standing on the porch of Ben's home. Feeling rather pleased with herself, she decided to speak with them to let them know the danger had passed. They watched her approach with curiosity and caution in equal measure. She reached the bottom of the stairs and smiled up at them, drawing timid smiles from them.

"Good morning! I'm Corporal Evelyn Killcade. The threat reported to Captain Kendricks has been neutralized. You're perfectly safe, now." She felt good telling them this.

The petite Korean woman's face showed more alarm, not less. "What threat? Who reported a threat? Is that blood?"

The Corporal looked down at her uniform and realized she was somewhat splattered with the blood of the mercenaries she'd dispatched. She opened her mouth and closed it again. She nodded instead.

Her companion, a young woman with unique tattoos, also looked upset and gripped the other woman's arm. "Was it Ben? Is he ok? Is he in danger?"

Killcade wasn't sure how to address these questions as she was a little surprised they didn't feel relief from her assurances. "Mr. Shepherd informed the Captain that the Russian crime boss he was visiting was threatening the people in this neighborhood. The Captain sent us to prevent that from happening. We did. All of the criminals have been neutralized. You can relax now." She didn't understand why their upset kept increasing as she was giving them the good news!

The auburn haired beauty looked like she might cry and the smaller woman looked shocked. "Russian crime boss?" she exclaimed.

Killcade realized she was handling this very poorly and regretted speaking with the ladies. "I'm sure Mr. Shepherd will return from his visit with no issues."

The ladies squeaked and rushed back into the home.

Evelyn remained frozen by indecision at the base of the stairs. That hadn't gone as well as she'd hoped. Worse, it may have jeopardized her plan to be a key support member of Ben's household.

She turned slowly and with a nervous glance back over her shoulder, she made her way back to the waiting truck. She saw she was getting uneasy looks from the soldiers waiting for her. She was familiar with those looks. She sighed.

Why were people so complicated?

Chapter 6

"Who the fuck builds a country estate this far out in the boonies!"

Ben snorted and glanced over at his travel companion. Even though he was worried about putting her in this danger, selfishly he was glad Trish was with him. "I think that's the whole point of a country estate." He understood it was just her nerves needing an outlet. He was nervous as well. He had no idea what they'd find when they got to their destination. They'd been driving north for hours, and aside from the highway, there were no other signs of civilization this far out.

Thinking back on how his lawyer Walter started this, he resolved to talk with the man when he got home to let him know exactly how much trouble curiosity could deliver.

The vintage car they were making the journey in was a piece of junk. It was noisy, felt like it might shake apart, but it was good enough to get them to the estate. Dan explained that its most significant redeeming value was that it was untraceable. How that was important wasn't revealed. All he needed to know was that it was important when dealing with people like Gruzinsky. He and Trish were also wearing gloves to leave no fingerprints in the car. Ben's were a little tight, and he heard the leather creak as he tightly gripped the wheel.

They continued until Ben saw the turn off exactly where the directions indicated it would be. With another glance over at Trish, he pulled off the highway onto the rough lane leading off between rows of tall trees. They drove down this twisting road until all sight and sound of the road were swallowed up by the intervening forest.

Rounding a final corner, they entered a clearing which stretched away in both directions and surrounded the property. Large gates were ahead of them and a ten-foot high chain link fence extended from this in either direction to encompass the vast expanse of lawn encircling a monstrous gothic mansion. It was so out of place and sinister, Ben couldn't suppress his snort.

"Fuck me if that doesn't look like the lair of an evil doer!" Trish giggled, half nerves and half amusement.

"At least Yuri lives up to his reputation," Ben said with a nod. He noted a guard in the far distance patrolling the property with a gun in his arms.

Three goons in suits stood by the gate, one in a small booth and one on either side of the fence's entrance. Each had a small but deadly looking machine gun, its strap crossing their bodies.

Ben stopped the car a short distance from the gate and reached down to crank open the window. He supposed power windows wouldn't have been available on a vehicle this old. He was surprised the handle didn't break off in his hand for all the squealing it did.

He looked up at the guard who approached his window. "Ben Shepherd to see Yuri Gruzinsky."

The man nodded to him. "Exit car, please."

Ben shut off the motor and stepped out. Trish got out on her side.

"Arms out, please." Ben stretched his arms out to the sides, and the guard gave him a quick but thorough pat down. "Move here, please," the guard said pointing to a spot a little further from the car.

The goon on the other side of the car grinned at Trish as he moved forward to pat her down.

"Touch anything you shouldn't, and you are in for a world of hurt," Trish said menacingly, stopping the man in his tracks. He began to growl.

The guard by Ben said something and the other man gave him a sour look but moved to the passenger side door of the car instead to begin an inspection.

"Come here, please," the guard near Ben said to Trish. She walked over to stand before him and held her arms out. He patted her down as she held Ben's eyes. Once he was done, she walked over to stand next to Ben. They watched as the two men efficiently searched the car. Looking for weapons? Explosives? Ben could only guess.

He looked through the gate and saw a sizeable barnlike building to the right side of the house. There were large garage doors on the barn, so Ben guessed that's where they kept the cars. There were large windows above the garage so, offices or living quarters for the guards maybe? He spotted another man patrolling the grounds with an automatic weapon in his arms. It was starting to get dark. He wondered if they wore night vision goggles for their night patrols.

"You may go in," the guard said once their inspection completed.

Ben squeezed himself behind the wheel once more and managed to coax the engine into starting as Trish settled into the passenger seat.

Once the gate was open, he got them moving up the now paved driveway, and Trish turned to him. "Pretty intense security for a country estate."

"Must be the price of his lifestyle and career choices," Ben growled, thinking of the danger this man was bringing to his peaceful neighborhood. He struggled to control his urge to drive the piece of junk right through the front door of the mansion to park it on Yuri's chest.

Instead, he stopped by the front door and shut the motor.

"Showtime," Trish said with a tight grin.

They got out and went to the door, but it opened before they could knock. A man dressed as a butler greeted them and invited them in. He led them through the house and Ben got a good look at the riches hanging on the walls and furnishing the larger rooms. Yuri surrounded himself with luxury. If this was his country estate, Ben wondered what extravagances could be found in his main house.

They approached double doors at the end of the hall, and the butler opened them. Ben and Trish stepped into a broad and deep office. It had to be a good twenty feet from the entrance to the other end. The walls were lined with darkly stained bookshelves with a large seating area closer to the door. Plush leather couches faced each other across a dark wood coffee table. At the far end of the room, a huge wood desk sat before a large picture window facing the open field next to the mansion. A second picture window was to the right of the desk facing the back of the property.

As Ben approached the desk, he could see a well-lit helipad in the backyard, but what truly caught his attention was the large, attack helicopter resting on the pad. Military. Ben recognized it from a documentary he'd seen. Two soldiers stood on guard next to it. His uneasiness grew.

Trish was inspecting the room, touching the soft leather of the sofa, peering at the objects on the shelves inside the closed glass cabinets next to the bookshelves. Then she walked over to the three chairs arranged before the large desk. They didn't look very comfortable, but as the mansion was designed after some evil villain's castle and the office was the den of an evil mastermind, the uncomfortable chairs seemed like a natural fit. The ornately carved wood chairs had high but flat backs with lovely tapestry style cushions between the tall back legs. She held Ben's eye. "These chairs are perfect!" she said with a grin. He examined them and nodded to her. She moved on.

A sound behind them drew their attention back to the doors. Yuri walked into the room and smiled at Ben after glancing to the antique clock on a table just inside the entrance.

"Good. You are punctual," Yuri said with a nod.

As Yuri approached, Ben tossed the memory stick to him.

Frowning, Yuri glanced down at the small device in his palm.

"Can we begin the non-interference phase now?" Ben grumbled.

Yuri gave Ben a sour look as he continued past them to walk behind the big wooden desk. He unlocked a desk drawer and removed a tablet. He laid it flat on his desk and punched in the code to open the tablet's interface. Then he placed the memory stick in the reader port.

He viewed a few of the files then shut down the tablet. He plucked the memory stick from the tablet and tucked it into the pocket of his shirt. "Were copies made?"

Ben shook his head. "No. It never left my pocket from the time I left the bank."

Yuri raised an eyebrow. "Of course, you could be lying."

"I don't lie. Ever," Ben growled.

"That was mentioned in the relatively few articles I could find on you, but the press likes to embellish their stories. The 'knight-in-shining-armor' story you Americans love so much sells very well." He looked closer at Ben. "How did you get possession of Rainor Hahn's safe deposit box?"

Ben frowned as telling this man anything personal made him queasy. Still, they were in a dangerous place. "It was part of an inheritance left to me by Gretchen Hahn who inherited her husband's estate when he died. I had no idea she'd willed everything to me. I want nothing to do with Rainor and his past business."

Yuri smirked cruelly. "Perhaps you shouldn't have interfered with another man's wife then."

"Speaking of that, back to my original question. Can we begin the non-interference time now?"

Yuri tilted his head at Ben as he walked around his desk. "I understand that you are an engineer. One in high demand with contracts with the US Military. I have a business acquaintance who would very much like to speak to you."

"Not interested. Am I free to go, or is the threat against my family still in effect."

Yuri scowled at him. "Americans are so rude."

"Hey, you were the one who issued the threat to get me to come here in the first place," Ben reminded him.

Scowling angrily, Yuri looked up into Ben's face. "You will speak with my business acquaintance." He walked away to the double doors. He hadn't even acknowledged Trish's existence yet. Ben looked over at the redhead who smiled at him. She preferred to be underestimated.

A moment later Yuri returned with a man wearing a Russian Military uniform. He was carrying a double width attaché case which he set down next to the couch before continuing into the room. When they stood before Ben, Yuri spoke. "Ben Shepherd, this is Colonel Aleksei Vasiliev."

Ben cautiously examined the shorter bald man with a bushy white mustache. He was slim and fit, likely in his sixties but his gaze missed nothing. His cap tucked under his arm, he faced Ben with a broad smile under his mustache.

"I am very excited to meet such a brilliant engineer!" the man said with a gravelly voice.

Ben couldn't stop a smile from appearing on his face. "It's a relief, for once, to be recognized for my work as opposed to everything else."

Aleksei nodded enthusiastically. "I'm very much looking forward to working with you!"

Ben's eyebrows went up as he looked to Yuri in question and received another scowl. He looked back to the Colonel. "Perhaps Yuri misrepresented this visit. I was brought here under duress, and I have no plans to work for the Russian Military. I don't work for the US Military, well... not the weapons division at least."

The Colonel turned to Yuri with a frown made all the more dramatic by the thick mustache. He took a few steps away from Ben to stand before the Industrialist. "Have you brought out Liliya yet?" Yuri shook his head and left the room once more.

The Colonel turned to Ben once more, but now his revolver was in his hand, pointed at Trish. "Thanks to the media, we are all aware of your propensity for aiding women and children in danger. I'm grateful you brought along a hostage to inspire your cooperation. You see, we don't believe you when you say you don't develop weapons for your government. I've been watching your career, and I'm aware of the innovations that flow from your clever mind. This will lead to an imbalance in a very delicate game between the United States and Russia. I've made my chain of command aware of the threat you represent. So, you are going to give some of these innovations to Russia. We have plenty of puzzles for you to solve."

Ben blinked in surprise at the man as he wasn't making sense. Finally, he snorted. "Am I being officially kidnapped by the Russian Army?"

The Colonel shook his head with a slight smile. "No, not officially. The story will be that you became lost in the wilderness. It's a big country. You'd be surprised how often it happens."

Ben shook his head in disbelief. "You're right about one thing. I do work for US Military in their non-weapons based research. They're aware I'm here in Russia. If I don't return home, they're going to start asking uncomfortable questions. Your bosses are going to have to answer for this."

The Colonel smiled smugly. "I run many covert operations that my bosses have no knowledge of, as that's how they want it. They can deny any involvement yet reap the benefits of my actions. I have autonomy, and they get what they need."

Yuri came back into the room pushing a bruised and beaten Liliya. The woman had her softly crying daughter in her arms. The girl couldn't have been more than three years old, and she was being exposed to this?

Ben took in Liliya's split and swollen lower lip and the dark bruising around her eyes and on her wrists. The next thing he was aware of was Trish pressing her body against his chest, talking to him quickly and soothingly. Ben's growl slowly died away, and he looked down into Trish's worried eyes. He was a few feet closer to Yuri who was watching him nervously as well. His expression flip-flopped between fear and hate.

"Can't he maintain control over himself?" Yuri muttered to Trish as if just noticing her presence.

She glared at the man. "Ben doesn't like to see women abused."

Liliya was watching Ben strangely. Then her eyes went to the Colonel, and Trish saw the barely suppressed rage take over.

"Mr. Shepherd. Did Liliya tell you that before she worked with Yuri, she'd worked for my private secret service? She was a very effective assassin. The blood of many men and women is on her hands. She showed promise of being the very best, but then she made a stupid mistake. She'd spent a year getting close to her target, feeding information to us while warming his bed. Then she became sloppy. The bitch became pregnant. This made her vulnerable. Worse, she hid the pregnancy from us. Foolish. We picked her and her daughter up then shopped her out to the highest bidder as her skills are highly sought after."

"Are you expecting me to reject or vilify Liliya for her past? I'm not her judge," Ben snarled.

Shaking his head, Ben walked over to the desk and leaned on the back of one of the chairs there. He glanced out the window and noticed a difference. He turned to Yuri who had followed him across the room but stayed beyond Ben's reach.

Time to address the matter at hand. "Something Liliya did tell me was that you, Yuri, were responsible for the kidnapping of the twins I rescued in France. You were the one who sold those children to slavers, destined for the sex trade. She told me you're threatening to do the same to her daughter if she doesn't obey your orders." He looked into Yuri's eyes and saw the man working out what was safe to disclose to the big man.

Finally, after the silence drew out uncomfortably, Yuri glanced to Liliya then back to Ben. A small smile appeared on his lips as he nodded. "Yes, but that was personal. A private transaction."

Ben lifted his hand and flipped Yuri the bird. Yuri's smile dropped from his face as he saw the hate in Ben's eyes.

Nanoseconds after the sharp pock of the 50 caliber bullet punching through the glass, Yuri's head exploded in a red mist.

The Colonel's reaction time was excellent as he dropped to the floor and scrambled for cover. Liliya dove for protection as well, shielding her daughter with her body.

Ben spun and ripped the chair apart with a deep grunt. He tore the loose bits from one of the legs and tossed the long carved staff to Trish who snatched it from the air and rushed over to guard the door.

Grabbing another chair, Ben rushed along the back wall silently towards the couches where the Colonel had leapt. Trish looked to Ben then tapped the floor with the chair leg. The Colonel popped up from between the couch and coffee table lifting his gun. Ben smashed the chair into the smaller man's side. Wood splintered and bones broke as the Colonel's body was launched into the bookcases at the end of the room. His gun bounced free and slid across the floor towards Liliya.

Just then the room's double doors burst inwards as the butler crashed through them, weapon drawn. Trish was ready and spun her club upwards, breaking his wrist and sending his gun sailing across the room. She twisted her body and swung the club, catching him on the ear. Reversing her spin, the next blow caught him across the throat. The man's legs went out from under him as the strike crushed his windpipe. He went down hard, striking his head and shoulders against the floor. With a final twist, Trish slammed the end of the chair leg down against his solar plexus, driving what little wind he had from his lungs. His eyes rolled back, and he fainted. Trish leapt from the doorway to the wall next to it and poked the broken door closed as best she could with the chair leg.

"We're sitting ducks here!" she said with a nervous glance to Ben.

He looked to Liliya who was staring at Trish in shock. "Liliya! Are you and Rose all right?"

"Uh, yes, we are good," she mumbled.

"How many guards outside?" Ben asked her.

She seemed to be getting her wits back. "Twelve... twelve on site. Three at gate, three patrolling grounds. One in security center in garage, and five in barracks above garage. Butler and driver are armed. Driver will be in garage."

The building shook as a massive thump rolled across the property.

"I think that was our friends taking out the garage. We should have friendlies arriving shortly." The Colonel took that opportunity to moan in pain as he began to wake. Ben glanced at him then looked to Liliya. "Can you pick up the Colonel's gun and guard him?"

She nodded as she moved with Rose clinging to her chest. She picked up the gun and moved closer to the injured man.

With a groan, Aleksei looked up at the woman, and his expression froze.

With Rose on her left hip, the corner of Liliya's lip lifted in a snarl. "You- you made me what I am. For this, I hate you, but what I cannot forgive, you put Rose in Yuri's hands. You are bad man. Rose is not safe if you live."

The Colonel's eyes widened in terror as he faced the steady gun barrel. "NE-"

Liliya blew the Colonel's brains out the back of his head as Ben and Trish watched helpless to stop her. Rose held her hands to her ears and began to wail.

Liliya kissed her daughter and comforted her. Then she looked to Ben with a sad expression. "It was only way."

He sighed then all hell broke loose as bullets ripped through the broken door.

"Fuck!" Trish yelped as she dove over the couch. Ben caught her in midair and pulled her behind him. Then he reached back over the furniture to grab Liliya and Rose in his arms before yanking them to safety.

He hissed as a bullet grazed his right shoulder. Liliya's arm was suddenly braced over his left as she put a slug into the right bicep of a man rushing into the room. He cried out and dropped his gun as his hand went numb.

"Maksim!" Liliya screamed in rage.

The man threw himself back into the hallway. Ben heard him cursing in a language he didn't understand. He did pick up the man was in pain.

"Liliya! You killed the Colonel?!?" the man's voice called out from behind the corner.

"Yes! He had to die! As do you!" Liliya yelled.

"You bitch traitor! You're dead! You hear me! I will hunt you down and your fucking spawn. You're both dead!"

Ben had to grab Liliya to keep her from charging into the hall.

Suddenly, gunfire sounded from further down the hallway, and stray bullets tore through the far side of the room. They heard another cry of pain, then a series of rapid shots, followed by a crash of glass then silence.

The next sound Ben heard was the rough cough of his rental car starting up. The engine roared as it drove off.

"Ben! You down there?"

He sighed as that was Wally's voice. "Yes! All present and accounted for! Is the house secure?"

"Yeah, but we gotta book!" Wally said as he peeked around the corner at the carnage.

Liliya handed Rose to a surprised Trish then rushed to Yuri's headless body. She patted his pockets and pulled the memory stick from his shirt. She tossed this to Ben. Then she took a small ring of keys from his pants pocket and rushed over to the desk. She unlocked the drawers and pulled out an envelope containing her passports and a few she'd obtained for Rose as well. Searching a few other drawers, she collected Yuri's tablet and a small metal box containing what looked to Ben like a large amount of cash. She dumped the box on the desk and stuffed the cash inside her shirt. Then she rushed over to the Colonel's body. She flipped him over then went through his pockets.

"We don't have time for this!" Wally said as he gestured for them to join him in the hall.

"Liliya, come on!" Ben growled.

She made a noise of victory then clutched another small keyring in her hand, moving to catch up. As she ran past, she grabbed the Colonel's attaché case. Arms full, she joined them.

Once the group was together, Wally got them down the hall and out the back door. He hustled everyone over to the helicopter.

"What the hell are we doing?" Ben asked.

"We're taking the express route. Get in!" Wally barked as he opened the side door for them, then moved to climb up into the pilot's cockpit. He quickly began to get it started.

Ben assisted Trish in as she was still carrying Rose, the girl fading from exhaustion.

Liliya hopped in as she knew her way around a helicopter. She immediately opened the briefcase and dropped Yuri's tablet and the passports in. She began sorting through the dockets inside. She knew the Colonel only kept paper records as his projects were too sensitive to have in a potentially hackable digital repository.

She smiled when she found the docket for the special ops team. Her file was in there too. More importantly, there was a docket for Maksim. Every detail about the Colonel's deadly assassin was in her hands. She skimmed through the papers as what she had to do next became clear to her. There were four other operatives in the Colonel's assassin program. They had to be eliminated, or she and Rose would never be safe.

She looked across to the seats facing her and saw Trish had placed earphones over her daughter's sensitive ears. The small girl was curled up in the redhead's arms fast asleep. Liliya relaxed as her daughter was safe at last.

Her eyes locked on Trish's and the woman gestured to hand the child back to her mother. Liliya's chest tightened as she flashed back to the moment she'd shot the Colonel in cold blood. She hadn't hesitated even though she was holding her daughter in her other arm. She recalled Rose's terror from the loud noise. How could she have done that before her child's eyes? She shook her head to Trish then looked back inside the briefcase as she blinked away her tears.

In the doorway, Ben waved to Nikolai to hurry and the older man entered with a massive sniper rifle in his hands. Ben stepped outside to look for Dan who was the last of their group to show.

He finally spotted the man sprinting for the helicopter. Ben waved at him to hurry. Just as Dan's foot touched the cement of the helipad, one of the Russian soldiers lying on the ground leapt up and grabbed him from behind. The soldier had a wicked blade in his hand and was frantically trying to drive it into Dan's throat. The attack caught Dan unprepared, and he barely managed to block it. The tip of the knife began to draw blood.

Ben launched himself across the helipad, running to Dan's side to grab the soldier's arm. He wrenched it away from Dan's throat with a savage crack of splintered bones, and seized the soldier's throat in his left hand, squeezing until he heard it pop. Gurgling, the man fell onto his back, unable to scream. Dan looked down at him in surprise then put a single round through his forehead.

"Thank you," Dan said, looking into Ben's eyes as he touched the shallow wound on his neck.

Ben just nodded and tugged him to the helicopter where they climbed in and Dan closed the door behind himself.

Everyone took seats and the helicopter lifted into the air. Headphones with mics went onto everyone's heads.

Shortly after they left the ground, there was a whoosh sound and a flash of light as two missiles were fired into the window of Yuri's study, incinerating everything in the room. Then Wally banked the helicopter to the right and got them moving away, skimming over the treetops.

Ben was watching Liliya and saw the sadness in the woman's eyes as she watched her daughter sleep in a stranger's arms. He didn't know what to say.

They were only in the air for a few minutes before they began their descent. Ben looked at Dan. "We're landing? Already?"

"Can't take this bird back to Moscow. Our lift is waiting for us below," Dan answered.

The moment they touched down, Dan popped the door and climbed out to reach back and assist the others out. Nikolai rushed away to the edge of the field as Dan helped Trish and Rose outside.

Liliya reached out and caught Ben's arm. "Take Rose with you."

He looked back at her in confusion. "What?"

"I must finish this. Rose will be safe with you. I will come to you when I finish," Liliya explained.

"What are you talking about? Your daughter needs her mother!" Ben asserted.

"She needs me to keep her safe, and only way to do this is to kill other members of my team before they come for us. Please Ben!" she begged.

He was flustered and looked to Dan who was waving at them urgently to exit the helicopter. He looked back to her.

"Take her where? To Nikolai's?" Ben asked.

"No, take her home. I will come to you when I have killed them all. Please!" She reached into the briefcase and extracted the envelope of passports. She quickly went through the small bundle and separated the passport for Rose Sokolov. The others went back into the case. "Use Sokolov passport." She pulled a notepad and a pen from the case and quickly wrote out a note giving Ben permission to travel with Rose and signed it. It was the best she could do.

She thought for a second then pulled the dockets for the assassins from the case and put everything else back into the briefcase. Then she pushed it into Ben's hands. "You must go, now!"

With a hesitant look back, Ben stepped out of the helicopter as Dan steadied him then Liliya who turned and closed up the doors. Ben and Dan moved a short distance away as Liliya waited for Wally to climb down from the pilot's cockpit. She then climbed up as Wally stared at her in surprise. He barely managed to rush to Dan's side before the big machine leapt skywards once more, Liliya now at the controls.

Nikolai's brother Andrei sat behind the wheel of the large SUV waiting for them on the country lane next to the field in which they'd landed. Everyone rushed to climb into the truck. Dan and Wally were in the rear seats, Nikolai sat up front next to his brother, Trish took one bucket seat in the middle with the girl on her lap as Ben settled into the last middle seat.

The moment the last door closed Andrei got them underway.

Trish suddenly jerked in her seat as she looked at the passengers in the truck. She stared at Ben in shock then glanced to the blinking light in the sky moving away rapidly. "Liliya?" she whispered to Ben with large anxious eyes.

Ben gave her an equally nervous look. "She's going after that assassin, Maksim, and the others in her group. She said they wouldn't be safe until she... dealt with them."

"What about her daughter?!?" Trish said, struggling to keep her voice low.

"She wants me to take her home," Ben replied. "She'll meet us there... when she's done."

Trish fell quiet, stunned. She held the sleeping girl in her arms as they drove along the country road.

Thirty minutes later, they slowed and cautiously drove past a car in the ditch which was burning ferociously. It was riddled with bullet holes and the trunk looked like it was blown off.

"Fuck! Isn't that our rental car?" Trish asked.

Ben nodded as he saw the man folded over the steering wheel, engulfed in flames.

"Yes. I guess Liliya caught up to Maksim," Ben responded.

"One down, how many to go?" Trish asked, glancing back at the flames in the night.

"No idea. She didn't say."

They rode on in silence. Seeing Trish shift uncomfortably, Ben gathered Rose in his arms to give Trish a chance to catch some shuteye. The small girl cuddled in against his chest. Only Andrei and Ben remained awake.

The drive was long, but eventually Ben recognized a few signs that they were in Nikolai's neighborhood. When they didn't pull off at the expected turn, Ben caught Andrei's eye in the mirror.

"I'm taking you directly back to the airport. Your bags will already be there. It would be best if you left the country as soon as possible," Andrei said quietly.

Ben nodded. That made good sense.

The sun was beginning to crest the horizon when they saw the private airport. Andrei reached across to nudge his brother awake.

When they got to the gate, Nikolai did the talking with the guards, and they were soon allowed to proceed onto the grounds. Andrei drove them to the hanger where they could see the jet waiting for them, the pilot standing by the stairs.

Ben woke Trish and she exited the truck to walk around to Ben's side. She opened his door and plucked Rose from his lap. Ben got out with Dan and Wally following. Everyone met in front of the truck.

Trish gave each of the four men a kiss on their cheeks and smiled as she walked Rose over to the plane.

Ben turned to Nikolai. He handed the man Yuri's tablet. "Yuri's access code is 1999. Yuri didn't even try to hide it from me when he activated it. I suppose he was sure I'd be a prisoner in the Colonel's lab for the rest of my days." Nikolai accepted the tablet with an eager smile.

Next, Ben handed him the memory stick, the blasted thing that started the whole mess. "I'd like to see some justice for the young man Yuri killed, shown in these pictures. I believe his family deserves the closure as well."

Nikolai held out his hand. "I can do that for you." Ben dropped the stick into his hand.

Then Ben shook their hands. "You are always welcome in my home. Drop by any time!"

"Thank you," Dan said, looking him in the eye. There was a white bandage on his neck. Ben just nodded to him in return.

"I'd like to take you up on that offer for a visit. We should continue our discussion about your radiation filter," Dan said with a little smile.

Ben nodded with an eager smile. "That would be great!"

"Shit! You're bleeding! You were hit?" Wally exclaimed as he saw blood on the torn right shoulder of Ben's dark sweater.

He glanced down at his shoulder. "Just a flesh wound," Ben said, channeling his inner Python.

Dan and Wally burst into laughter while Andrei and Nikolai gave them puzzled looks. A fifty percent success rate. Ben felt extraordinarily pleased. Lifting the Colonel's case with his left hand, he waved and walked over to the plane.

"Ready to leave?" the pilot asked.

"As soon as we can," Ben replied and the pilot gestured for him to board.

"Bandages are in the first aid kit in the galley," the man quietly said as Ben passed. "What's our destination? I need to file a flight plan."

"Oh, right." Ben stopped on the stairs. "We're going home, but I need to make a quick stop in Berlin. No more than two hours. Can you work with that?"

"Yes, sir," the pilot said with a grin.

"Then let's go home," Ben said wearily. With a final glare at the emblem on the jet's tail, he boarded the plane.

Chapter 7

Ben and Trish were stunned to find a welcoming committee when they arrived at the airport. Tina, Lucy, Catherine (and Chanel), Lisa and Lori were all waiting for them in the terminal once they made it through customs and immigration. They were a little late due to the paperwork for handling Rose's visit but once more, Ben's celebrity status eased the process.

He knew the ladies were upset as he'd spoken with Tina when she'd finally managed to get through to his cell during their flight to Berlin. Somehow they'd learned of his visit with Yuri and his lack of cell coverage added to their fears. He'd apologized for his inability to contact them due to the lack of services until he'd returned to the jet. He also thought he'd managed to calm them down but seeing their anxious expressions now he realized he hadn't.

He saw those anxious looks become confusion as they saw Trish carrying Rose in her arms. Catherine stepped forward first with a warm smile.

"Ben! Who is this lovely young girl?"

"Everyone, this is Rose Sokolov. She's going to stay with us until her mother, Liliya Sokolov, ties up some loose ends back in Russia? Europe? I'm not sure where she is at the moment, but hopefully, she'll join us soon."

The girl was a little dazzled by the number of pretty women smiling at her, and she clung tighter to Trish.

"Where are the kids?" Ben asked Tina as he pulled her into his arms for a hug and a kiss.

"With Daphne." Tina trembled in his arms, and he gave her a concerned look after he pulled back. She bit her lip and shook her head, eyes full of longing.

Lucy pulled Ben against her body in a tight hug, squeezing her soft full breasts against him. He began to react, and he heard a little mew of need slip from her lips.

He was picking up the definite sense of desperation in the ladies caused by his little brush with danger. He looked up to see the lovely eyes of the twins locked onto his. He moved to them and gave them both sweet kisses as they clung to him.

Catherine wrapped her arms around his neck to claim her kiss then she snuggled in and rubbed her face against his chest. When her arm brushed against his right shoulder, he winced and sucked in a quick breath. She squeaked and released him to look closer.

"What's wrong with your shoulder? What happened?!?" she exclaimed and began unbuttoning his shirt to expose his skin. This triggered the other women's anxiety.

"Stop!" Ben barked, and they went quiet, watching him. He gently pulled Catherine's hands from his shirt and kissed her fingers before releasing them. He looked to the group. "This is not the place to discuss this. Yes, I got a little injury, but it only needed a bandage. It was lovely of everyone to be here, but I'd like to go home now. We can order dinner in, everyone's invited, and Trish and I will fill you in on all the details. It's quite the story. Ok?"

He saw nods and smiles, and they began working out the logistics of who was driving home with who. Tina and Lucy had come with Catherine, but they wanted to return with Ben as his truck was parked in the long-term parking lot. The twins had their own ride.

Once they made the relatively short drive home, everyone followed him up his driveway and inside the house.

Ben inhaled deeply and smiled. Warm, clean, with the hint of spice from cooking.

Home.

He heard a happy squeal and saw Rose playing with Christopher's toys. He saw Trish giving him an odd look. She tilted her head towards the exit. He walked with her back to his front door

"I'm not coming back tonight. I- I need to go hug my kid."

He pulled Trish into a firm hug and moved his lips to her ear. "Thank you for coming with me. It was too much danger to put you in, but I'm grateful you were there! I love you," he whispered to her. She turned her head and kissed him fiercely. "I love you too!" she said passionately. Then she was out the door.

Ben watched her run until she reached her door. He walked back to the living room and saw the expectant expressions on their faces. Time to tell them a true story. Of course, some details would not be shared for the protection of his friends in Russia.

-=-

It was getting late when Ben's guests were finally feeling comfortable enough to say goodnight. Gabriella had joined them from New York by phone, so she was brought up to speed. She was having very successful meetings in New York but would be home midweek. Ben arranged to pick her up at the airport.

Plans were made for date nights, working this into their busy schedules.

Ben mentioned that he'd promised Trish a shopping spree in Berlin that didn't happen and the alternate plan they'd made to go to Los Angeles and specifically Rodeo Drive. He said all were welcome to join them and much squealing ensued. They'd arrange their calendars to open up time the following week.

Kisses and hugs were given and accepted at the door as the ladies left and soon it was just Tina and Lucy who began pulling Ben insistently towards the bedroom.

He smiled at them as they closed the bedroom door and immediately began undressing him. Once nude, Ben went to brush his teeth, and the ladies joined him moments later once they'd stripped as well.

Ben watched them both with hungry eyes, and he caught them squeezing their thighs together as their faces began to flush. They were more than a little excited.

The moment Ben rinsed his mouth and put his toothbrush back Tina and Lucy were ready to tug him into the bedroom. They guided him onto the bed and gently pushed him back as they crawled up his body, kissing their way as they went. Ben chuckled until they reached his swelling erection. They were more than enthusiastic as they stroked his shaft with their tongues.

"Ooo! Fuck! Ahhh!" Ben gasped as spikes of pleasure surged through him. A little too intense. He had to decrease the activity in that region, so he reached down and grabbed Tina, lifting her to kiss her deeply. She squeaked and moaned as her tongue thrust into his mouth almost desperately.

Ben moaned as well as Lucy took the opportunity to take him all the way down her throat, pressing her face firmly against his groin.

He had to get a grip on the thick hair on the back of Lucy's head to pull himself out of her throat so she could breathe. He let her push him back into her throat, but he ensured she gave herself time to get air too.

His other hand slid down Tina's back to her ass. He squeezed her perfect orbs then slid his fingers between those delectable buns.

"Oh fuck, yes Ben! Please!" Tina begged as she pulled back from his lips.

He ran his thick fingers over her soft lips and dipped two inside. Tina was incredibly wet, and his fingers slid in deep. She wiggled her ass as she gasped.

"Please Ben! Please!" she continued to beg.

Lucy was increasing her pace, taking him from head to root in long strokes, gasping for air between each.

Ben struggled to concentrate on Tina as Lucy was taking him to Heaven on a rocket.

He pulled one of his fingers from the hot wet depths of her pussy and pushed slowly against her tight rosebud. Her head went back as she gasped. He rubbed circles around the edge of the slick ring and felt it begin to accept his intrusion.

"Oh, Ben! Ben! So good!" Tina gushed as she trembled. Her legs began to shake.

He wondered at how intense their reactions were tonight, but he wasn't going to stop their enjoyment. Tina's ass finally surrendered to the pressure and his finger sunk into her hot channel.

"FFFFAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" she wailed as her body crashed through a colossal orgasm.

He gasped loudly, distracted from Tina's full body tremors as Lucy moved to suck on his balls.

Lucy suddenly released his balls from her hot mouth and climbed on his body to press her wet lower lips against his hard shaft. She wasted no time in lining his cock up with her pussy lips which parted to accept him inside. She sank down, forcing his thickness into her depths.

"I needed this so much!" she sighed.

Ben looked up at her and saw the raw hunger on her face. He looked to Tina and saw she was looking at him with the same expression. He pulled her closer and tenderly kissed her lips. Then he reached up and pulled Lucy down over his body to kiss her as well. With both of them close he looked into their eyes ensuring he had their complete attention.

"You're mine... but I'm also yours. Life has been getting crazier and stranger lately. I never meant to walk into such a dangerous situation but it was necessary to protect you, the ones I love." He slid his fingers into their silky hair and took a gentle grip. Both ladies widened their eyes and gasped gently at the intensity of his gaze. "Know this! I will always find a way back into your arms, nothing and no one will stop me." He looked to Tina. "I came back from the edge of death for you!"

Both cried out, and he pulled them in for passionate kisses. Lucy could no longer remain still as her hips began to roll and Ben's hips naturally picked up the motion.

She sat back on him as his hips bounced her in short hard thrusts, obliterating her ability to think. Her release was careening closer and closer, and she was lost in the hurricane of their passion.

Tina's sweet tongue was tangling with his as she rubbed her hard nipples across his chest, the rougher skin of his scars tugging at them.

Lucy gasped then screamed silently as she crested, her mind filled with bliss. Her inner muscles clenched around Ben's cock in spasms as the waves rolled on and on. Finally, it was too much for her, and she rolled off his large body to flop down on the mattress, gasping for breath.

Ben immediately rolled over Tina and pulled her body under his, face down. She looked over her shoulder at him with such desperation his need for her flared. He gently pushed her legs apart as he guided his rock hard cock to her wet pussy. She squeaked and trembled under him as the thick head pushed between her lips and began to sink inside.

"Oh, Ben! Yes! Take me! I'm yours!"

Her sweet cries were eroding his control, and he had to resist the urge to slam himself into her.

When his body finally came to rest on her cute ass, he could feel she'd taken all of him.

"Ben, you feel so good inside me! I'm so full!" Tina whimpered.

He drew out to the head and paused. He felt a slight tug, so he drove himself back into her depths. Again and again, he plunged his cock deep, Tina's breath gusting out each time. He could feel the pressure of her fingers rubbing her clit in rapid circles as he slapped her ass with his pelvis.

"Ben! Ben! I- I'm... cumming!" she cried softly as her muscles trembled. Her jaw dropped as the pleasure washed over her.

Her cries and the pulsing of her pussy walls was too much for Ben, and his orgasm struck. He slammed his cock deep inside one last time and ground against Tina's ass as she cooed, loving the feel of his heat filling her.

Ben panted and let his lower body press down on Tina's ass as he reached over and scooped Lucy closer. The tattooed beauty's eyes flew wide with his display of strength, and she clung to his arm. He kissed her as she clung tighter.

As he eased Lucy down to the bed, she smiled sweetly to him. Tina moved her face closer to Lucy, and they shared a tender kiss.

"Ooo!" Tina chuckled as she felt Ben's reaction to their kiss. Lucy giggled as well as she immediately knew from Tina's expression what she was feeling.

Ben eased his softening cock from Tina's body, and she rolled away from Lucy to let Ben lie between them. The moment he settled, she and Lucy tucked themselves against him. They sighed contentedly in unison, heard their harmony and giggled.

"Good night, my loves," Ben said quietly.

"Good night, Ben," they returned.

He rested back against the pillow and contemplated the two women sharing his bed. Watching their relaxed faces, it was apparent to him now just how affected they'd been by his brush with danger. He realized the others might be feeling the same anxieties, at different levels of intensity. He would have to spend time with them to ease their minds.

Considering how amazingly content he felt and how happy Tina and Lucy seemed now, he was looking forward to spending time with the others.

Chapter 8

The following morning Ben fell back into his standard routine of waking early, working out in the basement, then greeting Tina, Lucy, Christopher, Sam, and Gretchen with kisses as their day began. Rose got a kiss on the forehead too. She seemed well adapted to dealing with change, and Ben's household had an abundance of love and laughter in it.

The normality of the morning routine soothed Ben's mind, and his ladies gave him sweet smiles at having him home again.

After breakfast, Ben cleaned the kitchen as Lucy took Christopher and Rose to the daycare and Tina took her shower.

Ben headed into the living room and was just settling into his chair when the phone rang. Aiming an annoyed and suspicious glare at the device, Ben picked up the handset to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Ben? It's David Kendricks!"

Ben smiled hearing the voice of the man who protected his family, friends and their homes. "David! Good to hear from you! I was going to call you this morning to let you know how truly grateful I am for what you did for us!"

"It was our pleasure. Taking out the bad guys is always a treat." Ben could hear the smile in the man's voice. "Listen, I know you just got back, but I was wondering if I might visit you today."

Ben was surprised as they typically followed a more regular schedule and David wasn't due for a couple of weeks. Still, he couldn't deny the man. "Sure, that would be fine. Is there a problem?"

David hesitated, and Ben took notice. "Not so much a problem as some details we need to discuss. Conditions for your continued interaction... with us. Not my decision," David said with an uneasy tone.

Ben sighed. He knew the government would interfere at some point. "Sure David. You can come over whenever you like. I'm in for the day. You'll be arriving at supper time? You could join us for a meal," he offered.

"Actually, I'm in town now. I flew in this morning. I can be there in thirty minutes. Oh, and I'm bringing Killcade. She'd like to apologize for frightening Tina and Lucy. Her speaking with them wasn't authorized, and as I mentioned before, social interactions aren't her forte."

Ben squirmed uncomfortably but sighed. "Ok, sure. See you soon." He hung up.

"See who soon?" Tina asked with Sam on her hip as she entered the room.

Ben held out his hands to accept Sam with a happy smile on his face. Tina held Sam away with a raised eyebrow as she waited for an answer. Finally, Ben gave in. "David Kendricks and Corporal Killcade."

Tina looked worried. She handed Sam to Ben. "Is this because of the soldiers we had in our neighborhood the other night?" she asked.

"Possibly. Probably. Likely it has more to do with my meeting with Yuri Gruzinsky in Russia," Ben replied in a silly voice to make Sam smile. He got one, so he was happy.

Tina worked on her tablet as Ben moved to the floor and rolled onto his back to play with Sam. Lucy arrived with Gretchen in her arms and Ben reached up a hand to indicate he wanted Gretchen as well.

Lucy knelt on the floor next to Ben and gently placed their daughter on his chest. Then she leaned forward and kissed Ben tenderly.

When she pulled back, she rose to her feet and moved to the couch to sit next to Tina. Lucy opened her own tablet and checked out the college course calendar as she was going back soon. She saw Tina was looking into her course as well.

"Something about this feels familiar," Ben said happily. He enjoyed his time with his kids, even if they were too young to do more than sleep and gurgle happily. It was still blissful!

He didn't get to enjoy it for too long though. His smile dimmed as he picked up the slight rumble from the personnel transport pulling around the circle to park at the end of his driveway.

"The Captain is here," Tina said with a smile of her own as she collected Sam. Lucy picked up Gretchen from her sleeping position on Ben. He pouted then rolled to his feet.

He made his way to the door and opened it to see the Captain and a tall woman in army fatigues next to him as they walked up the drive.

Ben nodded happily to David's smile then looked to the blond soldier next to him. Her strong nose almost dominated her features, but right now her large blue eyes were competing quite successfully. He wasn't sure why she was staring at him so intensely. He glanced at David in question as they reached the stairs. The Captain glanced at his subordinate and muttered something. She immediately looked down.

"David! Welcome back," Ben greeted his friend.

"Hi Ben. I want to introduce you to Sergeant Evelyn Killcade."

Ben reached out a hand and was surprised by the strength of her grip. He tightened his grip correspondingly, and her smile and eyes widened once more.

Once Ben managed to get his hand back he gestured for them to enter. As he followed them in, David's words took hold. "Wait, Sergeant?"

David nodded with a grin. "Her promotion came through yesterday, insignia to follow. The Sergeant will have her new uniform soon."

Ben smiled at the woman. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you, sir," she blurted.

"Please, call me Ben." He didn't think her eyes or smile could get any wider, but she proved him wrong. Then he noticed her face was getting pink. "Breathe, Sergeant."

She sucked in a breath and nodded in embarrassment.

Before David could remove his shoes, Ben handed him some bootie covers. "Tina picked these up for your visits." He also gave a pair to Killcade who immediately knelt to pull hers over the treads of her combat boots.

David smiled at Ben as he slipped his on.

Ben led them into the living room where Tina and Lucy smiled at the new arrivals, and he saw the tall female soldier's face redden.

"I'm deeply sorry for any upset I caused with my unauthorized dialog the morning of the attack," she blurted passionately. Then she bowed!

David glanced at her uncomfortably, and Ben looked to the two women with a raised eyebrow.

"This is Sergeant Evelyn Killcade. You know Captain Kendricks," Ben said to them.

"Yes, hello again David," Tina said with a bright smile as Lucy nodded to him. They turned their eyes to the tall woman. "Apology accepted," Tina replied for Lucy as well. They could see the Sergeant's shoulders relax immediately.

"Thanks for the booties," David grinned and Tina's eyes twinkled merrily. She nodded.

"Have a seat?" Ben offered.

David looked a little uncomfortable once more. "Actually, is there somewhere we can speak in private?"

Ben nodded as he'd expected something like this. "Yeah, let's go down to the media room. It's soundproof."

He led the Captain and Sergeant downstairs and into the media room. The loveseats were still configured in a triangle facing inwards for his weekly talks with Hannah and Beth, the next one scheduled for Wednesday evening, two days away.

He gestured for his guests to take a seat and each took one. Ben closed the door and sat on the third loveseat. "Ok, I'm all ears."

David nodded and gathered his thoughts. "I've spoken with the team at Homeland Security which reported your trip to Russia and meeting with Gruzinsky to me. I was able to convince them that you were coerced into traveling there. The terrorist Sergeant Killcade managed to take alive the night of the attack, confirmed they were under contract to Gruzinsky. The Homeland Security team is taking full credit for preventing an attack on home soil. I'm not challenging their claim as they need the boost and we don't want the attention."

"I get that, and I have no issues with it. I still appreciate your coming to our rescue, not them," Ben replied.

David nodded then frowned once more. "It's another group that's causing us grief and these guys have long memories. They've reported that several long-term operations have been terminated and your visit is being cited as the cause. They're out for blood."

Ben looked at him nervously. "Who are they?"

"The CIA," David said with a grim tone.

"Shit."

"They indicated that Yuri Gruzinsky had gone radio silent since you visited him. He's avoiding the contacts they spent years building. Worse, Colonel Vasiliev, who works with Yuri and whose trail is difficult to track, hasn't been seen for at least a week- what's wrong?"

Ben wasn't sure what he could say. Anything he said could be potentially incriminating. But he couldn't leave it as it was as the CIA didn't seem to be the type of organization to forgive and forget. "Ummm, Yuri's dead. So's the Colonel."

The two stared at Ben in shock until he frowned. "Hey, I didn't kill them! I just... happened to be there when it happened... to both of them."

David opened and closed his mouth a few times. "You know who killed them? Was it your neighbor?"

Ben shook his head. "No! Geezus! It wasn't Trish either." He frowned and realized he couldn't speak about Yuri's death. He couldn't incriminate Nikolai. The Colonel, however, his death could be addressed. "The Colonel ran Black Ops projects for his government. He confessed to this after telling me he intended to kidnap me to design weapons for him. One of his projects was a team of elite assassins. Not sure how many there are, but according to the Colonel they were highly successful." He took a deep breath as they waited attentively. "One of those assassins, Liliya Sokolov, was trying to escape the control of Gruzinsky and Vasiliev. She was there when I visited. When Yuri was killed, she took the opportunity to kill the Colonel. She told me she had to hunt down and kill the other members of her team to ensure her safety. She killed one of them, named Maksim, but I haven't heard from her since."

"You expect to see her again?" He could see the wheels turning in David's mind. "The Sokolov child you registered as a visitor when you arrived. She's the daughter of this assassin. She's how they controlled her mother- They were the woman and child you were going to try to free!" David reasoned out, and Ben just nodded sadly.

David put that aside for now. "Vasiliev was a long time target for the CIA. They wanted something from him, but they wouldn't tell me what it was, just that they needed him to get it. They couldn't get close to him and now that he's dead? They're going to be pissed."

Ben thought about that. Something the Colonel had that they wanted and couldn't get. A light went on in his mind. He stood. "Come with me," he said.

He left the media room and walked over to punch in the code for his workshop door. It unlocked, and he went inside with David and Evelyn at his heels. When the lights came on and the display cases illuminated, the Sergeant gasped and rushed over to peer inside. David saw Ben's surprised expression as they heard her excited chatter as she read all the tiny detail cards beside each prototype.

Ben turned to David as the woman made her way down the wall of cases. "I was going to let you know I had this when I called, but you called me first. This belongs to the Colonel." He lifted the briefcase onto his drafting table which he'd tilted down to its flattened position.

David's eyes were wide with surprise. When Ben opened the case, David saw a tall stack of dockets jammed inside. He pulled one out and flipped it open to see design specs for an automated weapons platform for satellite deployment.

"Holy shit, Ben!" he gasped. He flipped up a few other dockets and examined the contents. "The CIA is going to have kittens when they see this!"

Ben chuckled. "That's good, right?"

David grinned. "Yes, I'm sure it'll be an 'all forgiven' kind of good! I'll make sure of that, after I make copies!"

"Great!" Ben sighed in relief.

"Did you remove any of the dockets? Are they all here?" the Captain asked.

"I didn't remove any, but I saw Liliya take one. I think it might have been for the Assassin Project. She'd need it if she is going after them."

David nodded. "Makes sense. This is brilliant, Ben! Thank you! You've made my job that much easier and you did something even the spooks couldn't!"

Ben chuckled.

"There is just one more detail I need to speak to you about. It's the condition for being able to continue our working relationship," David explained, and the Sergeant's head swiveled back in their direction. She gave the cases one last fond glance then moved over to stand next to Kendricks with a smile on her lips. Ben glanced at her questioningly. David continued. "My bosses are insisting that you've become too vital an asset to leave unprotected. You, yourself, just admitted that a Russian Colonel planned to kidnap you-"

"He thought I did weapons design for you guys and didn't believe me when I tried to set him straight!" Ben growled, then realized that he was arguing David's case for him. He saw the small smirk on David's lips and scowled. "There's always the option of ending our working relationship. If the Russians know I'm no longer working for the US Military, then they'll lose interest."

David nodded. "They might. Or they may try to grab you again. They believe you did work on weapons. You're a brilliant engineer. The Sergeant can vouch for that. You think in directions that don't exist on the map." Ben looked to the woman who was nodding emphatically. "I believe we have a solution that allows us to continue to work together and alleviates the Brass' security concerns."

Ben looked at him skeptically but held his tongue. David took that as a positive sign.

"I was able to convince them to scale down their requirements, and I presented them with an option that they have accepted. I need you to consider the idea." He held Ben's eyes, and the man nodded.

"When you submit your work, we have to review the documentation and digital files and crunch the numbers before we can pass it along to our testers. That work has been managed by the Sergeant for the past six months. She will continue to be dedicated to those duties." Ben smiled at the woman, and she grinned in return. "When you reported that your neighborhood was going to be invaded by a group of commandos for Gruzinsky, we sent two squads of soldiers to defend the perimeter and Sergeant Killcade to deal with the terrorists directly." Ben looked at the woman once more in surprise. "She neutralized eight soldiers for hire and took the leader prisoner. I told you she's one hell of a soldier."

The Sergeant blinked at her commanding officer in surprise as she wasn't aware of his opinion of that side of her duties. She knew he appreciated her analysis work, but most men found her proficiency with her other skills more than a little unnerving.

Ben looked at the woman. He knew full well what the euphemism neutralized actually meant. So, she was a highly proficient killer. He'd taken lives himself so he wouldn't be her judge. "I appreciate how she protected the neighborhood, but I'm not following how this solves my personal secur-" Ben's eyes widened as the pieces fell into place. "You want her to be my security detail?" His mind was leaping ahead. "A live-in assistant and bodyguard, 24/7?"

"It's the least intrusive solution that protects you and increases efficiency. As I won't need to make as many trips from Washington, it reduces the attention focused on you. Having a Captain frequently visit a civilian contractor obviously set off some major flags. That will have to stop. I'll miss the regular trips out here, but I'll still be able to do special occasions with the engineering squad."

Ben smiled as he recalled the barbeque on the rooftop deck. The smile slipped away as logistics surfaced. "Where is the Sergeant supposed to live?"

"I just need a cot. You could put it in the corner of your workshop. I can eat rations," she blurted.

Ben looked at her in dismay. "That's-" He looked to David and was shocked to see the man thought this was a viable plan. For Ben, the idea of sticking the woman in the corner of his workshop like an afterthought was distressing. "I- I can't do that! You'd need a room of your own!"

"I don't have that now. I sleep in the barracks. I have a bunk, a locker, and a footlocker. I can make do with less," she asserted reasonably.

Ben's brows dropped in a scowl. "No. I can't- That's not- you'd have to have a room, and this house is full!" He looked to David. "Does this condition require the security detail to live in the same house?"

The Captain considered that. "Not necessarily, but she'd have to be nearby. If she weren't within the premises, she'd need a way to be connected to your home's security system to be aware of intrusion attempts so she could address them immediately, externally."

Ben was nodding as his mind tumbled these requirements to examine them from all sides. An idea was forming.

Evelyn was tingling madly with excitement. Ben hadn't immediately dismissed the idea of her working with him, and he seemed to be seriously considering the concept of her living conditions. She was a little disappointed that she wouldn't be allowed to sleep on a cot in the workshop. To be that close to his genius... It wasn't going to happen. Still, she'd take what she could get.

"There are spare bedrooms in the house I just renovated for my daughters. Their security system is already slaved to mine." David's eyebrows went up, and Ben's expression became defensive. "They're my daughters! If someone tries to break into their home, I'm going to know so I can be there to protect them!" David smiled, and Ben shrugged. "Anyway, I have a line of site antenna between the homes set up to transmit and receive. I can adjust the transmitter on my home to send as well as receive. Then it would just be a matter of setting up a terminal at that end to see the feed from my home for all external cameras and motion detectors plus the window and door sensors. There are no internal cameras in either home."

Ben rolled his stiff neck muscles. He was seriously contemplating yet another intrusion into his life only to keep the relationship going with David and his team. He paused to think about that.

"Something wrong?" David asked when he saw Ben's forehead wrinkle.

Ben looked to him and sighed. "No, I'm just thinking of the extra complexity I'd be adding to my life if I went ahead with this. It seems to be a trend with me. I love working with you and your engineers. No offense intended towards you Sergeant, but I don't appreciate the Brass forcing these conditions on me." He saw a look of desperation surface in her eyes. He held up his hand before she could say anything. "If you don't mind, I need a little time to think about this. In the interim, why don't we walk over to 12 Ashburn Court to determine if that's even a workable solution."

They nodded so Ben locked up his office, brought them back upstairs, and he poked his head into the living room.

"We're just going over to check out Karen and Penny's place for a moment," he said to Tina and Lucy who smiled and nodded to him.

He slipped his boots on, and the others removed the booties.

"You'll want to hang onto those for the other house," Ben suggested, so they tucked them into their pockets.

They walked down the driveway to the personnel carrier where David stowed the Colonel's briefcase. Then they walked over to 12 Ashburn Court.

"You own this house too?" David asked.

Ben nodded to him. "Yeah. I bought it from the Walkers, the previous owner. Tore off the top level, extended the basement and augmented the framing with I-beams to support the cantilevered balconies on the two south bedrooms upstairs. Over-engineered according to my builder friend but that's the way I like it!"

The Captain chuckled as the Sergeant smiled at him in admiration. Ben felt a little uneasy with her attention, so he turned back to the front door and rang the doorbell. He heard the thump of running feet then the door pulled open to display his daughters in their nighties and open dressing gowns. The two women squealed their happiness and leaped up against his chest. They kissed his cheeks before he gave them hugs and managed to push them back to look at them. He closed Karen's dressing gown and tied the belt as Penny did her own with a grin.

"Now, what was that for?" he asked.

"We heard you were in a shootout with Russian mobsters!" Karen blurted.

He shook his head. "It's done. Trish and I are home safe and sound. Ok?" They nodded. "Now, Karen, Penny, I'd like to introduce you two to Captain David Kendricks and Sergeant Evelyn Killcade."

His daughters blushed as they hadn't seen the two people behind Ben's broad chest until he stepped further into the hall and moved aside for them to enter as well. The girls nodded to and shook hands with the new arrivals.

"Is that Ben?" a voice cried out from the back of the house.

"And guests!" Ben called out to prevent another embarrassing display.

Rain trotted around the corner into the entrance hall to grin up at Ben. She looked over at the two people standing next to him. "Hello, I'm Rain Palomo."

David shook Rain's hand and introduced himself and the Sergeant.

When Rain shook Evelyn's hand, she grinned at the soldier. "That's quite the grip you have. You must be hella fit!"

Evelyn returned the smile. "Job requirement."

David and Evelyn put the booties back on as Ben kicked off his boots. Ben gestured for them to precede him into the next room. The moment they moved forward, Rain pressed herself against Ben's chest and tilted her face up for a kiss. He huffed in exasperation then bent down to kiss the woman. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a quick but passionate kiss before she released him. She smiled up at him as he gave her a heated look, his passions stirred up.

Ben moved to join his guests in the living room. David was pretending he hadn't witnessed the kiss, but Evelyn made no such effort. Her eyes were wide with surprise and confusion. Ben wasn't in the mood to start explaining his relationships, so he just ignored her reaction.

He pushed through his embarrassment as Rain moved into the living room with a cute little wiggle in her hips. He struggled to get back to the subject at hand. "As you can see we went for an open concept for the main floor. This is the living room, leading into the dining area and finally the kitchen. The sliding doors back there lead out to a large deck, hot tub and outdoor kitchen with a large barbeque. Upstairs there are five bedrooms, three of which are in use by these lovely ladies, so two remain free and unfurnished. Downstairs, there are two additional bedrooms, also unfurnished.

"Could we see the ones downstairs?" the Sergeant asked.

Ben nodded and led his guests downstairs where they admired the large playroom and huge, wall-mounted televisions.

There were two bright bedrooms at the front of the house, with large egress windows facing lovely tiered flower boxes which doubled as steps. Both were sizable rooms which seemed larger due to the lack of furniture. Between the two rooms was a bathroom with a sink, toilet, and shower.

Evelyn pictured where she would put a cot and a workstation with a bank of monitors. She could use the exit window to exit the building rapidly. This was ideal. She looked at the Captain excitedly.

David acknowledged her enthusiasm with a nod as he could see this location had excellent potential as well. He looked to Ben. It was all up to him. "This would be suitable accommodations if the security system configuration you mentioned was included. I could sell this solution to the Brass, but it's up to you."

"Let me sleep on it. I need to consider how this extra complication is going to affect my family. I'll talk it over with them tonight. As much as I enjoy working with you, I can't let my desires overshadow their happiness," Ben sighed.

David reached out and touched Evelyn's arm as she appeared to be about to argue her case. "We understand completely, Ben. Give me a call when you come to a decision. I'll let my bosses know we're on hold until then."

Ben nodded his thanks and led them upstairs once more. He said his goodbyes at the door as he needed to speak to his daughters and Rain. He saw the Sergeant was not happy with how things concluded, but he couldn't be worried about her desires either.

He looked out at the lovely homes nestled into the surrounding forest, and a shiver ran down his spine as he contemplated the violence that crept close through those woods such a short time ago. An evil that would have killed his family, his friends, and destroyed everything he'd worked so hard to build.

David was right about one thing; even if he disassociated himself from the US Military now, the Russian military might still see him as a threat and come after him again. It didn't help his case that he'd visited Russia and left with the Colonel dead and his secret files, taken. Damn it! Ben hoped the Colonel hadn't shared any news about his visit.

He needed to speak with the ladies. They always offered a fresh perspective on issues that he struggled with. He'd be asking them to accept a weapon into their midst. Sergeant Killcade would be a new element in the dynamic of his household. He wasn't the only one who this decision would affect.

Ben also needed to speak with Walter and Jerry to arrange what to do with the assets he picked up in Berlin on the return trip.

Ben sighed. Why couldn't his life get simpler?

Small hands slid around his hips and down into the front pockets of his pants. They only stopped once they were cupping his heavy balls. He glanced down and was relieved to recognize Rain's tattoos.

He couldn't stop a grin from reaching his lips. If his love life was this complicated, how could he hope for simplicity in any other aspect of his life?

-=- End of Part 1 -=-