It was critical she kept a cool head. She needed to be smart and methodical. That was something more in his wheelhouse, but she’d lived with him long enough and been running from him long enough to pick up a few of her own tricks.
Chapter Eighteen
Ben
BEN WAS SITTING ON his couch, his legs crossed at his ankles, propped up on the coffee table in his living room. His phone was in his hand. He wasn’t on the phone, texting or doing anything else. He was holding onto it in case she called. After a week and a half without a word, Ben realized Rachel could have been right. It might not be as simple as Katherine packing up and running away. It could be much darker and far uglier than he wanted to admit.
He called the police last night to file a missing person’s report. He had refused to let himself think about her being hurt or possibly dead, but it was time to make sure she wasn’t a Jane Doe in a hospital somewhere or in the morgue with police not bothering to look for her family. Tim wouldn’t report her missing, especially if he had something to do with her disappearance.
His heart ached thinking about her hurt or gone from his life forever. When he made the call, he could barely get the words out. He was terrified they were going to confirm his fear and ask him to identify a body. He didn’t think he would ever be able to come to terms with her being truly gone forever.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he kept expecting her to come back or call and tell him everything was okay, but she had needed a change of scenery. Ben had convinced himself he could live with that. He would be able to accept her reasons and move on. The call hadn’t come. His imagination had run wild yesterday and he’d finally made the call, only to be told there was nothing they could do. She was a grown woman who most likely left under her own steam. There wasn’t a crime committed. She ran away. Ben argued and told them about Tim and the possibility she had been kidnapped or hurt, but the police weren’t ready to start an investigation.
Ben had reluctantly agreed to give it more time. If the private investigators didn’t come up with anything, he would use his power and money to get an investigation opened. There was no way anyone could disappear without a trace in this day and age. Someone had to have seen her or know something and Ben was determined to find out.
He'd called Talia twice that week, hoping she would have at least heard something. She hadn’t. Katherine had disappeared. Vanished into thin air. Everyone was under orders to call him the minute they heard from her. The worry was making him crazy. He knew everyone else was as worried as he was and it didn’t make for a very exciting crowd to hang out with.
Without talking himself out of it, he pushed the button that would call Talia again.
“Hi, Ben,” she answered on a yawn.
“I’m sorry to call you again,” he started.
She yawned again. “It’s okay. Did she call you?” she asked.
“No, why, was she supposed to?” he asked, sitting forward.
“No. I’m sorry. I thought that’s why you were calling. I haven’t heard from her at all,” Talia said.
He ran his hand through his hair, shaking his head with irritation and frustration. “Okay, I’m sorry to keep bugging you.”
“It’s okay. I’m glad she has someone that cares about her so much. She really is a good woman. It’s good she has someone who can see how awesome she is. That man, he is an idiot. He had no idea what he had, but I’m glad she’s not going back to him. Too many women in her situation do just that.”
“She did too, for far too long,” he grumbled.
“But, she’s free now.”
“I hope so. I’ll let you get back to your day off. If she does check in, please let me know. I don’t need details, but just let me know she is alive and well. I promise I’m not a stalker and I’m not trying to do anything she doesn’t want me to do. If I’m crowding her and she needs space, I get it. I’ll back off,” he said, hoping like hell Talia understood.
“I understand. She was very happy with you. She’s not running from you, I’m sure of it. She’s running from him,” she said in a gentle tone.
“Thank you. Goodbye,” he mumbled before ending the call, not feeling any better about the situation.
Ben knew he was probably making an ass out of himself by continually calling. He felt like someone should tell him, very bluntly, she didn’t want to talk to him and to quit chasing her. Until he heard it from her or someone speaking on her behalf, he wasn’t going to give up. He couldn’t.
His day was going nowhere fast and alcohol seemed like a good option, even if it was the middle of the day. Alcohol would numb some of the stress he was under. He rose from the couch, his bare feet hitting the cold hardwood floor in the living room before making his way towards the even colder marble floors that covered most of the house.
When the doorbell rang, he considered ignoring it. It wasn’t hard to figure out who it was. There were only a handful of people approved for entry. It was probably Rachel or Will, or maybe both coming to check on him. He’d been in a shitty mood yesterday and he knew they would be trying to cheer him up. He didn’t want to be cheered up. He wanted to be miserable. A bottle of scotch sounded far more appealing than trying to be polite while entertaining guests.
“Go away,” he muttered under his breath, knowing full well they couldn’t hear him.
Not wanting to be rude, he strode down the hall, uncaring that he was shirtless. It wasn’t like they hadn’t seen it before. He wasn’t at work and didn’t have to put on airs for anyone. Maybe they’d get the hint he wasn’t in the mood for company.
He yanked opened the door, ready to tell his friends he was fine and just wanted to be alone. Instead, of seeing Rachel and Will, he got a huge shock. His mouth dropped open and he stared at the woman standing there, a sheepish look on her beautiful face, her dark brown eyes apologetic. He stared long and hard. At first, he thought it was a drunken stupor until he remembered he hadn’t had a drop yet.
“I’m sorry,” Katherine said in a small voice, her arms hanging at her sides as she looked at him with those eyes he loved so dearly.
Ben didn’t think twice, he grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her, slamming her face into his bare chest as held onto her like he would never let go. Her arms wrapped around his waist as he closed his eyes, relishing the feel of her lithe body pressing against his.