Tatiana saw Evelyn and Liliya standing in the entrance of the living room. They’d likely seen and heard it all. She pushed herself to her feet and moved unsteadily to her knife. She slipped it away and walked back to the door. Each step brought more control to her muscles. Quietly, she stepped outside and walked back to their home.
Liliya moved to stand before Ben. She looked to the Sergeant. “May I speak privately with Ben?” she asked calmly. Ben nodded to the question in Evelyn’s eyes, so she moved downstairs.
Liliya looked up into Ben’s troubled eyes. “I am not a psychologist, but I know Tatiana is not coping well with this new life. I believe the Colonel broke something in her that makes it difficult for her to understand kindness and generosity. She only seems to respond to violence and strength. She is confused by her reactions to you. I think you would be at risk if you used a gentle touch with her.”
Ben’s frustration flared. “Gentle? I practically beat her every time we have an argument! I want to get her a psychological assessment. Would she go?”
Liliya shook her head. “We are conditioned to invalidate any such testing.” She paused as she thought of what might work. “She cannot disguise her loss of control around you. If you joined her in the session, the doctor might have a chance to get a read on her.”
Ben was uncomfortable about that, but Tatiana was becoming a risk to everyone in the court. He nodded. “I’ll speak to Hannah and see what she can set up when I go in for my physical.”
Liliya nodded. “I am sorry for this, Ben. You were not responsible for her becoming this way, but you are shouldering the burden.”
He sighed and pulled Liliya against his chest as he hugged the surprised woman. After only a moment’s hesitation, she wrapped her arms around him and enjoyed the closeness.
“I sincerely believe in second chances. But you must want it and work for it… as you are,” he said quietly, practically rumbling it in his chest.
She smiled and gently pushed back, struggling to ignore her own tingles.
“I will see if Tatiana will leave or hang on,” she said.
“Be careful,” Ben said seriously.
Liliya smiled. “She told me she wouldn’t make Rose an orphan. But hearing Rose call you Daddy, she might reconsider since Rose has two parents now.”
Ben’s eyes suddenly had an intensity to them as he looked at her in concern. It caught her by surprise, and she reached up to cup his cheek to calm him.
He leaned into her touch, and his eyes flicked to her as she pulled her hand back.
“Sorry,” he said as his face warmed up.
She smiled and slipped out the door before her own face could ignite.
Ben closed the door and took some deep breaths. Tatiana was seriously jeopardizing the serenity of the court and Ben’s own peace of mind. He pulled his cell from his pocket and dialed Hannah.
He was about to hang up when she answered. “Ben?”
“Hi Hannah, I was hoping you might do something for me.”
“If I can,” she answered.
“I’m coming in on Friday for my physical. I’m hoping Dr. Granger might be available to speak with Tatiana. Liliya has explained that I’ll need to be present for Tatiana to have any chance of communicating openly with the doctor. They have the training to void psychoanalysis.”
“Let me speak with her, and I’ll let you know. It’s kind of short notice,” Hannah explained.
“I know. Sorry. She just had a little breakdown of control at my place, and I think it’s getting worse. The Russian Colonel messed her up, and she’s not coping with civilian life. Liliya is thriving, but Tatiana is becoming a bull in a china shop.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Ben. Let me call you back later, okay?”
“Sure, Hannah. Thanks!”
He pushed his cell into his pocket and rolled his neck to ease the knots. He could still feel Tatiana grinding back against him as he had her pinned to the wall. He was troubled by how much her excitement affected him. He wasn’t a rapist. He wondered if she’d ever experienced sex any other way based on how she acted.
This situation had to stabilize, or for the safety of the others in the court, he’d tell the General Tatiana needed to go.
There were no third chances.
Chapter 21
Ben was relaxing in his favorite chair in the living room after a delicious dinner as he reviewed the engineering boards on his laptop.
The doorbell rang, and Tina hopped up from her seat on the couch to answer it. When she returned to the doorway, she had Jayden with her.
Ben put his computer away and stood up to greet him. “Ah! Right! I forgot you were coming over. It’s been a busy day.”
Jayden gave him a nervous look. “Are you still available to talk?”
Ben nodded with a smile. “Sure. Let’s go down to the media room to give the ladies some peace and quiet.”
Jayden waved to Lucy and Tina, then followed Ben down to the room.
They got comfortable on the sofa’s and Jayden noticed they weren’t facing the screen. Ben smiled.
“Hannah, Beth, and I use this room for our group therapy sessions.” His expression became a little sad. “I guess it’s going to be just Hannah and me from now on.”
Jayden looked worried. “What happened to Mrs. Wilson?”
Ben caught his expression and smiled reassuringly. “Nothing bad. It’s good. She’s getting married to a university professor in Vancouver, B. C.”
Jayden’s eyebrows rise. “Canada?”
Ben nodded. “I’m buying her house.”
“Oh! Uh, did Mom call you?” Jayden said uncomfortably.
Ben smiled and raised a hand to calm the younger man. “Yes, she did. I told her I’d buy hers, too. Shelly is working out a price with her.” He grinned at the relieved look on Jayden’s face. “She’s really proud of you, you know. The way you turned yourself around recently. She was so afraid you were heading down a bad path, but now she’s so happy for you.”
Jayden looked like he didn’t know where to look. His eyes were getting glassy. Then he scowled at Ben. “Shit! Not cool, Ben! Hitting me with that!”
Ben held his hands up in apology. “She mentioned you were making arrangements for yourself.”
Jayden rubbed his face and flashed an annoyed glance at Ben before he got control over himself. “Uh, yeah… what I came here to talk to you about.” He took a deep breath, and Ben could see he was focusing on his rehearsed speech.
“I’m in love with Karen, and she’s in love with me. We’re serious about being a couple, and I want to ask her to marry me once I’m more established with my career. I want to have a steady income.” He glanced at Ben and didn’t see a frown or other visible signs of upset, so he pushed on.
“With Mom selling her home, Karen suggested I move in with her. I told her I’d speak with you about it. I could rent out a vacant room if you’d be more comfortable,” Jayden suggested.
Ben sighed. He knew this day was coming. “May I assume you and Karen have included intimacy in your relationship?”
Jayden looked at Ben with a confused look, then barked out a laugh as Ben’s meaning suddenly resolved. He smiled at Ben. “Yes. I was only able to resist her demands for so long.” He smiled. “She’d never been intimate with someone she actually loved. She was very emotional.” He glanced at Ben and shrugged. “We both were.”
“So, insisting you have a separate bedroom would be meaningless,” Ben suggested, and Jayden’s smile confirmed the answer to that one.
Then his smile dipped. “I just realized I have stuff I no longer have anywhere to keep. I don’t care about my furniture, but I have stuff I’ve collected during my life. I’ve only ever lived in that house.” He looked a little lost for a moment, then he looked to Ben. “What are you going to do with the home?”
Ben looked him in the eye and gave him the truth. “Honestly, I’ll tear it down and build a new ranch-style home on the property with loft bedrooms. It’s what I’m going to do with Beth’s property.” He looked at Jayden and saw the young man suddenly realizing the impact these changes would have on his life. He smiled. “Jayden, I’m okay with you moving in with Karen. Your mother isn’t the only one impressed by how much you’ve matured recently. You’ve become a very responsible man! Listen, there’s an extra bedroom in the basement of Karen and Penny’s home you can use for an office. You can store your stuff there.”
Jayden’s eyes were looking a little glassy once more, so Ben gave him a moment to get control over himself.
“Thanks, Ben,” he said quietly, and Ben just nodded to him.
“Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?” Ben asked.
Jayden nodded and took a deep breath. “I understand Karen will be attending college for her culinary courses. We talked about that, and we don’t know where that will be. I’m worried about her being away from home. She still has trouble with how she reacts around forceful men. Assholes are always trying to pick her up, and she… locks up. Penny seems to be able to deflect them, but Karen’s just not assertive at all. She’s aware of it, and it upsets her. I’d like to kill the bastard who hurt her this way, but I know he’s already dead.”
Ben nodded. “Karen is fortunate to have a compassionate partner. As I told Karen, I’ll ensure she gets the training she needs to find her place. If there is a school here that can give her what she needs, great. If not, and we need to hire someone to train her locally, then that’s what I’ll do.”
Jayden smiled in relief. “Thank you, Ben!”
“Just remind her of what I promised her,” he said, and Jayden nodded. “What about you? I understand you are now working for a company connected to the Klein Group. How is that going?” Ben asked.