“Because?” he asked carefully.
“They’re the mothers of your children, and a part of my mind still holds a notion that you might want to prioritize time for them because of that.”
Ben smiled and kissed Gabriella’s sensational mouth once more, enjoying her eager response. He pulled back and caressed her cheek with his fingers.
“I took to heart your words regarding love. I give all of you all of my love. While time is what I share amongst the women I love, please don’t think you are less of a priority to me in any way. Tina and Lucy are very much aware that none of this would be possible without your wisdom about love. They both love you deeply for this and agreed with me when I let them know I’d be with you tonight. This is how they show their love for you.”
Gabriella had tears of joy in her eyes, and her next kiss was slow and sweet. She caressed his bottom lip with her thumb when she regained control over her emotions. “You just make sure you give them both that kiss as it’s how I show my love for them.
Ben chuckled as he pulled Gabriella into a hug. “I’ll make sure to tell them.”
There was a sudden sharp knock on Gabriella’s door.
“Mom? Are you two done in there?” Miriam called out through the door.
The mother’s instincts immediately flared as she picked up the tension in her daughter’s voice.
“Give me a second!” she called out as she rolled from the bed and dashed into the washroom with her dressing gown and some panties in her hand.
Ben hopped up and slipped his underwear and pants on as Gabriella rushed by to answer the door. He gave her an exasperated look as she didn’t give him time to zip up before she opened it. He spun and closed his pants with his back to them.
Miriam smiled nervously at her mom and glanced at Ben’s broad, scarred back. “There’s a message popping up on all the social media sites. It’s from Tatiana, and it’s for Ben.”
“What?” Ben turned to stare at the young woman. “Tatiana?”
“Come see,” Miriam said and walked back to her bedroom with Ben and Gabriella following.
Daniel came out of his bedroom with his tablet in his hand and joined them in his sister’s bedroom.
Ben could see Tatiana’s face on Miriam’s PC monitor. The young woman glanced at Ben and then pressed the play button.
“Hello. My name is Tatiana Pushkin. Most of you….”
Ben listened to Tatiana’s recorded message, and he felt his chest tightening. He’d never witnessed Tatiana so open and vulnerable before. She’d changed.
“Goodbye, Ben. I am sorry. I wish I could have loved you as Liliya does.”
His legs began to wobble, so he stepped back and sat on the edge of Miriam’s bed. His hands were shaking, so he clasped them together. “What-what did she do?”
Daniel passed his tablet to Ben. “I think she might have blown up the headquarters of the Russian Secret Service.”
Ben stared at the news clip on the tablet as it showed debris where a building should have been.
“My god,” Ben gasped softly.
He looked into Gabriella’s worried eyes. “I-I have to speak to the General. I need… to do something.”
Ben felt a pressure building in him that he needed to deal with, but for the life of him, he hadn’t a clue what response it required.
“I think General Davis will be rather busy right now. He’ll reach out to you when he can,” Gabriella said gently.
Ben nodded distractedly, and the pressure increased.
“I’m very grateful you were there for me, but you can’t save everyone, Ben.”
He looked into Miriam’s sad eyes and nodded as his tears began to fall. He sucked in a breath, and the pain in his chest eased. He’d forgotten to breathe.
Miriam wrapped her arms around Ben as Gabriella and Daniel joined her. Ben clung to them and allowed his tears to fall silently for the tortured soul he couldn’t save.
-=-
The following morning Ben woke early, kissed Gabriella, then went home as the sun began to rise above the horizon. He took a moment to stand at the end of his driveway, looking down the court. A very short time ago, he’d foolishly stepped into Russo’s trap from this very spot. That action took him from his family and put him in mortal danger. He’d been forced to kill.
A face flashed into his mind, a look of horror and despair as Ben cleaved the guard’s chest open with the fire ax.
He gave his head a shake to clear the image. He knew he’d be reliving these moments now that the pressure was off. He’d call today to make an appointment to speak to Dr. Granger about it.
A chill ran down his spine from standing in the snow, so he walked up his driveway. Tina opened the door, and he quickly stepped inside, shutting it behind him. The moment he took off his cold jacket, he pulled Tina into his arms and kissed her. She felt soft and warm from sleep. She trembled, but it wasn’t from the cool air in the hall. He held her against him and carried her into the living room, where he sat on the couch with her on his lap.
Ben heard a noise and saw Lucy in the doorway. He held out his hand, and she rushed to join them on the couch. He kissed her and cupped her cheek in his hands as he looked into her and Tina’s eyes.
“I’m so sorry I let myself step into Russo’s van-”
“You did not know she would do this!” Tina insisted. “This was not your fault. You came back to us. That is what matters!”
Ben smiled at her fierce look and kissed her forehead, then Lucy’s. “It got bad on the yacht. I had to kill to get free. Twelve. I killed twelve men. Evil bastards, but I killed them all brutally.” A shudder went through his body as that fact echoed through his mind.
The women clung to him and kissed his face.
“You do what you need to do to come back to us. Nothing else matters,” Tina said firmly. Lucy nodded with a determined look on her face too.
He smiled and kissed them again, then they settled in to cuddle with him in the early morning quiet.
Ben’s stomach took that opportunity to remind him he hadn’t eaten for some time.
Tina and Lucy patted Ben’s shoulders. “We will start breakfast.” They got quick kisses from Ben and left to go to the kitchen.
He stood and looked out his front window at the snowy scene outside.
The front door opened, and Evelyn stepped inside. She hung up her coat and joined Ben in the living room. Ben’s arms were open, so she stepped into his hug and clung to him.
“You watched Tatiana’s recording?” Ben asked as he kissed the top of her head. She nodded against his chest. “And you saw what she did?” Another nod.
“Will we need to do anything to address this?” he asked.
She pulled back, and blue eyes looked into his dark gaze. “We might be asked to speak before a congressional committee unless the General can answer their questions. How-how are you feeling?” she asked gently.
He held her face in his hands, and her eyelashes fluttered. She sighed as he moved in for a kiss, and she melted into his arms as his lips found hers.
Ben enjoyed kissing her but could tell this was a new experience for her. She seemed to enjoy it as much as he did. When he pulled back, she moaned slightly, and her eyes opened to read his expression. He smiled at her.
“You don’t mind kissing an old man?” he said with a crooked grin.
“No! You’re not old! You’re… experienced. I-I really like kissing you!” she stammered.
He leaned in to kiss her again but stopped before they touched. “Good, because I really like kissing you, too.” She surged forward, and they savored this one.
“I… I want to do other things, too,” she whispered when he pulled back, her eyes locked on his. Her words rushed out as she was still unsure of the nature of their relationship.
Ben smiled and nodded. “Let’s start with kissing and work our way toward other things. I want that too.”
Evelyn’s smile was beautiful as he could see her whole body carried that joyful energy.
“I should speak with Liliya. Do you think she’ll have trouble because of Tatiana’s confession?” Ben asked.
“General Davis is prepared for that contingency. Officially, Liliya is performing community service for the rest of her life. She’s also under a form of house arrest, except she must remain in this neighborhood unless she’s with you, the General, or me. She’s aware of these conditions and has accepted them,” Evelyn explained.
Ben nodded. “Still, I want to see how she’s feeling after hearing the news. I’ll check on her this morning.” Evelyn nodded.
“Speaking of ladies living under that roof, what’s the story with Moon?” Ben asked.
The Sergeant smiled. “General Davis managed to get the Deputy Director of the CIA to acknowledge she survived the mission. They officially terminated her contract as they don’t want to work with her anymore. They did give her a small bonus, hazard pay for the month she was on the yacht, and reinstated her pension, which unfortunately won’t amount to much as she was new. Liliya asked the General if he could hire her as part of your security team. He’ll also work on her naturalization.”
“She has comparable skills to Liliya’s?” Ben asked in surprise.
“No, but mine will be once Liliya finishes training me. She believes Moon’s other skills may come in handy,” Evelyn responded.
“Where is Zama?” Ben asked.
“She’s staying in Trish’s house. Her basement bedroom wasn’t being used, and Trish offered it to her.”