She bites her lip as she thinks. “Can we go to McDonald’s?” she asks hopefully.
I smile sadly. “We can,” I answer as I inhale deeply. Oh, I so don’t want to go there. “I’m eating a salad,” I reply.
“Oh please.” She rolls her eyes. “Eating a salad in McDonald’s is like going to a hooker for a hug. What’s the damn point?”
I smirk and shake my head. “Just let me finish up here. I won’t be long.” I start to shut down my computer and she sits at the desk and starts to scroll through her phone.
“Is Ben here?” she asks.
My eyes rise to meet hers. “No. What’s going on with you two anyway?” I ask.
She shrugs sadly. “Nothing. We have hardly talked since Tash went missing. He blames himself. I blame myself. It’s a vicious circle.”
I frown. “Have you tried to talk to him?”
She shakes her head again. “The thing is, I am just so sad.” She blows out a breath. “I can’t even focus on anything, let alone think about a relationship.” She shakes her head again. “I don’t have the energy. Too hard basket.” She sighs.
I nod as I continue to shut down the computer. “I know what you mean. Nicholas has been staying with me and yet he is the last thing on my mind,” I reply.
“Shit,” she whispers. “We are a messed up bunch aren’t we.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Unfortunately, yes.”
My phone rings. It’s Ben. “Hi,” I answer.
“Clear Joshua’s office,” he snaps.
I frown. “Why?”
“Just do it!” he snaps and then hangs up.
I frown again as my eyes stay on the phone in my hand. That was weird. “Um, Didge, just wait here for a minute. I have to do something.”
“Yeah, sure thing,” she replies as she goes back to her phone.
I walk into the office to find Nicholas and Jesten talking to Brock as they scribble down notes. The three of them are bouncing ideas off each other about Coby Allender a lot lately.
Ok, this is uncomfortable. “Guys, Ben just rang and asked me to clear the office,” I announce.
They all look at each other. “Why?” Jesten asks.
I shake my head. “I don’t know to be honest. Ben just rang.” I am cut off by the door banging open and Ross comes flying through the air onto the floor. What the hell?
Ben storms in and picks up Ross and punches him hard in the face.
“Ben!” I yell. “What are you doing?”
He drags Ross up by the shirt and sits him in the chair and punches him again as hard as he can in the stomach. Ross gasps for breath and doubles over in pain.
My hands go to my head. “Oh my god. What the hell do you think you’re doing, Ben?” I whisper angrily.
“Get out, Murph and Nicholas,” Ben yells.
Nicholas immediately stands and the other two, Jesten and Brock, who obviously know what’s going on, fold their arms ready for the show.
“Start talking fucker or I will kill you,” Ben sneers.
Ross starts shaking his head nervously. “It was just meant to scare him. It was never a hit.” He shakes his head. “I swear to you. It went too far-it was never meant to go that far,” he whimpers.
I frown and my horrified eyes flick to Nicholas’s.
“I don’t even know these fucking guys!” Ross yells.
“Oh, so you ordered the hit on him.” Jesten smiles. “I can’t wait to watch this.” He smiles sarcastically.
“What?” I stammer.
Ben punches him again three times in succession. “Stop it!” I yell.
“Adrian, let’s leave them to it, Nicholas says nervously as he grabs my hand to drag me out of the room.
“Somebody tell me what the hell is going on!” I snap.
“Old mate here has had the red dreadlock dude at his house. I watched him on his driveway through his security vision pay him $1000,” Ben sneers. “What did you pay him for?” he yells again.
My eyes glare at Ross. “Are you kidding?” I scream. “Are you kidding me? They could have killed him!”
Ross shakes his head. “I swear to you, Adrian. I never meant it to go that far. They were just supposed to rough him about. I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” he pleads.
I don’t believe this. Ross the weasel is behind the attempted hit. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Ben grabs Ross by his hair and pulls his head back. “You are going to pay pretty boy,” he sneers.
“Ben, stop!” Bridget’s voice snaps out.
Ben’s mortified eyes meet Bridget’s. “Who the hell are you?” she screams at him.
The room falls silent and time seemingly stands still. Ben’s chest rises and falls with deep regretful breaths.
“Who are you?” she whispers through tears. “Is this the real you? Is this who you are Ben?”
I shake my head and hold my hand out for her as sympathy fills me. “Let’s go, baby,” I murmur. This is abysmal. I lead Bridget out of the room as I myself try to reconcile a side to Ben that I have never seen before.
I don’t even know where to start with this one.