Ben (The Sherwood)

“No, I’m worried about Ron Parson hurting her. How would you feel if she moved in here and gave up her apartment?”

“Now what a minute…”

Dad held up his hand. “Disa, you need to hear me out.”

I saw the stubborn look on her face and knew this wasn’t going to be easy to convince her to move in here, but I agreed with Dad on this one. I wanted my woman close to me right now when I knew she could be in as much danger as Merci.

“Disa, the boys went to the compound to start surveillance. The meeting hall was lit like a party was taking place with guards outside protecting it. They snuck around the back and cut through the fence. Merci was alone, except for one guard. They over took him because the opportunity was there. They just wanted to see how she was doing.”

“Not well,” Disa replied.

Dad knew Disa pretty, well from our school days when she was friends with Danni and me then to her working for him at Ike’s. He pulled himself away from the counter that he had been leaning against that separated my living room from the kitchen. He gripped the edge though until his knuckles turned white.

“Not well,” he agreed. “I don’t want Ron to have access to you and the only way we can guarantee that you are safe is if you live here with Ben, if that isn’t a problem?”

“No problem,” I responded.

Disa turned around and looked at me. She chewed on her lower lip.

AJ leaned in the doorway. “They don’t know it was us,” he said. “But he will come looking for her and you because he will kill to have Lilah back. Do you want to know what he was doing to Lilah in the basement of that house?” He asked.

She slowly let her gaze drop to the floor and shook her head no.

“Then you’ll stay with Ben,” AJ declared. “Mom, Dad and Seth will help you move in here tomorrow.” He wasn’t giving her a choice.

Her eyes, those amazing eyes of hers traveled up to my face. She was seeking reassurance that I was okay with this. I reached out and caressed her cheek with my fingertips. I knew that I would never get tired of touching Disa. Her skin was soft beneath my fingers and for a moment, I forget that Dad, AJ and Heath were in the room.

“It will be fine,” I whispered.

“It’s time to go,” Heath declared. “Some of us have to work in the morning.”

He had to be at work at six-thirty. It was now two a.m. Heath had to leave home at six. I had to be work at nine and would need to leave home at seven thirty. It was going to be a long day for us. I assumed that AJ would stay home tomorrow. When I asked him about staying home tomorrow, he snorted.

“I sit at a desk all day and crunch numbers. I’m going in.”

I didn’t have a response to that. Somehow, a logical person who had gotten shot would stay home at least one day. Logical, normal people don’t get shot, though.

We walked to the living room. Seth was hanging onto every word that Merci was saying. Disa and I exchanged looks. I don’t know if anyone else saw his interest, but we did. That was not a good idea. Not now. Not yet. Maybe not ever. I didn’t know what she had been through, but I didn’t like my family interfering in my life, I wouldn’t interfere in my brother’s life.

“Time to go, Merci,” Heath told her. Lilah had joined them. I recognized the clothes she was wearing as Disa’s. I didn’t know where hers were.

Heath thought of that though before I could say anything. My brother thought of all the details because he was good at this game he had been playing with AJ for a while I would guess. “Where are Lilah’s clothes?” His tone sounded gruff, but he was just concerned about someone finding them here.

“I couldn’t face putting them back on again. Disa told me to leave them in her bedroom.”

Heath shook his head. “Evidence,” was the only word he said like they could understand his thoughts with just one word.

“I’ll get them,” Disa butted in before Heath could scold Lilah. She glared at him. “Give her a break.”

He shook his head again as Disa walked by him, down the hall towards our room. It was our room now that she was moving in with me.

When she returned she slapped the bag with Lilah’s clothes at Heath’s chest. Dad texted Hawk who responded quickly that it was safe for AJ and Heath to leave with the women.

“Seth, you’re coming with me,” AJ informed him. “I can’t drive tonight. Dad will pick you up in the morning.”

Heath pulled the hood up on Lilah’s sweatshirt. He tied it tight hiding her thick, straight dark hair. Then he zipped it. The room was quiet as we watched my brother touch, the young woman. I didn’t know how old she was, but she was younger than him.

“Let’s go, Lilah. You’re with me.” He shoved her not so gently towards the door. It was unintentional. Heath was used to dealing with five brothers. He didn’t know his own strength and he avoided women because of his leg.