“Sorry, I can’t help noticing you seem to be looking for someone to jump out at you,” Ben said to Nikolai who nodded.
“I have made a pest of myself with the police so they no longer will speak to me. I understand they have yet to catch that monster. They may make another attempt to take my children,” the man said quietly only for Ben to hear.
Ben looked at the man. “They didn’t tell you?”
“What?”
“He’s dead. Last night, both he and his bodyguard were shot dead,” Ben said and Nicholai grabbed his arm.
“Is this true? Where did you hear this?” Nikolai gasped and Galena moved closer to hear, a hopeful look on her face.
Seeing the desperation in their eyes Ben made a decision. He looked over at the boy. “Daniel, did you transfer the files from last night?”
Daniel looked at him seriously and nodded.
“Can you go get your tablet?”
Daniel nodded again and raced away.
“This isn’t to go beyond us. Is that understood? It could cause a lot of grief for a police officer that put her career on the line for us,” Ben said sternly and the couple nodded. A minute later Daniel returned with the tablet, the video queued for viewing.
“On our way back from dinner last night our group was stopped by Shakir and his bodyguard. Daniel had his camera and filmed the encounter.” Nikolai and Galena were wide eyed with shock as they looked between Ben and Daniel.
Ben handed Nikolai the tablet and he and his wife leaned close and watched the video. It was shot around the legs of someone so the picture wasn’t always on target but it was sharp and pretty clear. The audio was perfect.
Nikolai and Galena both jumped when the bodyguard was shot and they watched in shock as Shakir was sent to the ground with a single bullet. Nikolai handed the tablet back with trembling hands.
“Shakir fell but was he killed?” Nikolai growled.
“Yes. The bullet hit him in the neck and destroyed his jaw. He bled out in minutes,” Ben explained.
“Minutes?” the man said hopefully.
“He had time to suffer and look into the eyes of the woman who killed him. I take great pleasure in that fact.” Ben had a grim but satisfied expression. The father shared that smile.
Nikolai looked at his wife. “You heard what that man said on the video. Even if we had paid the ransom they had no intension of returning them as they could sell the twins. Truly, these were evil men.”
Galena stepped forward and kissed Ben on the cheek. “You will always be welcome in our home. You may call upon the Noskov’s should you ever need our help.” Nikolai nodded, sharing his wife’s conviction. He shook Ben’s hand one more time.
The twins came over and each took one of Ben’s hands. They pulled him down to their level then kissed his cheeks. He grinned at them.
With a final wave they left. Ben gestured for his group to head back to the pool. Daniel made a quick trip to his room to take his tablet back first.
Once everyone was back in the places they’d been before the call Margaux looked up at Ben. “Do you make friends and enemies everywhere you travel?”
“I hope I can skip the enemies part on my next trip! If they let me take one, that is! You know how protective women can be!” Ben joked.
“You have many protective woman already around you. Why haven’t any of them tried to marry you to keep you to themselves? Wouldn’t that be the ultimate protection?” she asked with a coy smile.
“Actually I am engaged to one. Tina. She’s pregnant,” Ben said.
Margaux’s face registered a number of unpleasant expressions finishing with rage. “Why didn’t you tell me this from the beginning?” she exploded.
“The marriage is for the child and security for Tina. Protection against our society’s issues with unwed mothers and fatherless children. It doesn’t nullify my love for Gabriella, Catherine, or Trish nor does Tina want me to change who I am. The pregnancy was a miracle, beating almost impossible odds. I cherish that.” Margaux still looked skeptical and was breathing hard.
“Gabriella and Catherine suggested the marriage. Basically told me I should do it as it made sense. They also told me that they weren’t giving me up. Our relationship has been stronger since that day.”
Margaux now looked confused.
“Are you reconsidering your proposal? Was there a hidden or eventual exclusivity clause in there?” Ben asked.
Her pretty brows furrowed. “No! No, I never intended to ask for an exclusive relationship. As I explained the infrequency of my visits precludes that.”
“What if you find that you want or need to increase the frequency? Your schedule will likely take precedence when it’s infrequent but if that changes there may be conflicts. How will you deal with that?” Ben asked gently. “It’s something you need to think about.”
Her beautiful dark eyes looked troubled but she shook her head. “If it works at all I would learn to accept the others.”
“So, how does my name on a piece of paper change things for you?” Ben asked.
“Won’t you be taking an oath with Tina?” she asked.
“Yes, to love, honor and cherish her forever. There will be no clause in that oath that demands exclusivity,” Ben explained.
She seemed to reach an epiphany that the circumstances hadn’t really changed. “This brings me back to my proposal-”
“Yes!” he smiled.
“Be serious!” she scolded, looking uncertain.
“I am. Completely. I really like you and I think you’re breathtakingly beautiful. Will this turn into love? Maybe. We’ll have to get to know each other better. Maybe you’ll discover I’m a muscle bound fool. Maybe I won’t be able to get past how you hog all the sheets in bed. The future is full of maybes but I’d like to find out. But you should know one thing before you capture my heart.”
She tilted her head up to hear this thing. “I don’t fall out of love. I go full commitment when I fall in love. I’m still in love with my wife who ultimately betrayed and left me and I’m still carrying that pain. Does that make me a muscle bound fool? Maybe. But that’s my secret. That’s why Gabriella and Catherine both feel comfortable being in love with me. They know I love them and it’s permanent… for me. If you don’t feel you can make such a commitment please let me know before I fall in love. Spare me carrying that pain too.”
“I want permanent love as well. Let us see if love develops between us. In the spirit of honesty, I am fine with the muscle bound part but not so much the fool,” she teased and he smiled.
Margaux tilted her head to look at him. “We will have our romantic dinner tonight?”
“Sounds lovely.” Ben smiled. “Now, if you don’t mind I need to do a cannonball in the pool next to Daniel.”
Margaux laughed at the joyful look on Ben’s face as he rushed to the side of the pool and made a mighty splash next to the young man who shrieked with laughter. He hadn’t even taken his shirt off! Ben played with Daniel in the pool for an hour until they both got tuckered out. They got out and dried off and Ben flopped down on the lounge bed. He smiled at Daniel’s back as he sat cross legged at the end of the bed staring out over the pool. He looked over at Margaux and she dipped her head down and captured his mouth with hers. Sparks shot through his body as her sensual lips caressed his. She pulled back and smiled down at him.
“I think I will enjoy getting to know you better. Meet me at my room at 8PM tonight?” she asked.
“I’ll be there!” Ben smiled.
She got up and said goodbye to Daniel and the ladies. She walked away as Ben watched. She knew his eyes were on her and that gave her a tingle in a good place.
Ben rested his head back and the next thing he felt was someone running their fingers gently through his hair. He opened his eyes slowly and saw Gabriella sitting on the edge of the bed looking down at him with love in her eyes.
“Hey beautiful!” he whispered. Then he noticed Daniel curled up against him asleep. He smiled and felt Gabriella’s lips against his temple.
“I love you Ben,” she whispered.
“I love you too Gabriella,” he whispered back.
“How did it go with Margaux?” she asked.
“She’s a woman of strong emotions but she’s intelligent and is coming around. Telling her about Tina set her temper off but she stayed to listen as I explained. We’re going to dinner tonight so we can work out some final details. God, I make it sound like we are negotiating a business deal. We’re going to try. If we are compatible then maybe it will work. I asked her your question about issues that might arise if she needs to increase the frequency of her visits. She said that if it works at all for her with infrequent visits she will have gotten over the idea of there being others. I also asked her not to try if she wasn’t willing to make the effort to commit. I won’t do anything that would jeopardize what we have.”
“Thank you Ben,” Gabriella said.
“Please, none of this would have been possible without you. I would have self-destructed months ago without your guidance and love. You are the foundation upon which my life and love grows!” Ben took her hand and held it to his cheek and kissed her palm. “I will always love you Gabriella. Know that!”
“I do,” she smiled with tears of joy welling in her eyes. She looked at her son, sleeping so peacefully against Ben. Her heart felt like it might burst with happiness. It was time to wake him up so he could get ready for dinner.
She leaned over Ben and whispered in Daniel’s ear.
A smile slowly spread across the boy’s face though his eyes remained closed. “Hi mom,” he murmured and stretched. “Hi dad-” His eyes snapped open as he looked at Ben in embarrassment. Ben and Gabriella were looking at him with surprised smiles. “Sorry Ben.”
“No, that’s alright. I should be so lucky,” Ben said and Daniel blushed with a pleased smile struggling to come out.
“Let’s go sleepyhead. You need to get cleaned up for dinner. We are going out for Chinese food tonight,” Gabriella teased her son whose eyes lit up at the mention of one of his favorite kinds of food.