Chapter Fourteen #4
Tim’s eyes went wide. “They aren’t. I mean…
they told me they’re twenty-three. That’s not underaged.
Shit. Is that underaged in Europe? Is it like the opposite of beer?
Here you can drink legally at eighteen. But maybe they don’t like sex.
” Tim went beet red. “Not that we had sex. We have not. We were playing Uno and eating pizza. I know the room is for sex and stuff, but I was just having friendship.”
“Did you wear a condom?” Big Tag asked, every word frosty.
Tim’s head shook. “No. I mean yes. I mean I didn’t need to because I wasn’t having a three way. I was getting my ass handed to me, and I think they cheat. But the point is I didn’t need a condom. I need an antacid because they over-sauced those pies. They are not sitting well.”
“You may go,” Taggart commanded.
Tim frowned. “Uh, I thought this was an important meeting.”
“It is. I’m going to talk to your friend. Do you want me to lump you in with him?” Taggart’s words were a grumbly threat.
“No.”
But an effective one. Did he want Tim to watch these men tell him he wasn’t good enough for their princess? “You should go.”
Tim hesitated.
Ben turned his way. “It’s fine. I’m fine.”
Tim stood up. “I seriously doubt that. Are you sure? They look mad.”
He’d hurt Kenzie. He hadn’t meant to. Not physically.
Hell, he hadn’t meant to hurt her heart.
He hadn’t meant for any of this to happen, but he was the dumbass who fell for everything.
Who thought just once he might find a family that wouldn’t leave him.
“I’ll be fine, but we might need another place to stay for the night. ”
“No one’s kicking you out,” Taggart said.
But he might want to leave. He watched as Tim walked away. When the door closed, he sat up straighter, all those judgmental eyes on him. “Mr. Taggart, I would appreciate the opportunity to speak with your daughter. I owe her an apology.”
“For what?”
Shit. He’d hoped the man already knew. “I gripped her wrist too hard.”
“That sometimes happens when you play. I assure you Kenzie isn’t going to blame you for that.”
“We weren’t playing. We were arguing, and I did not mean to hurt her,” he admitted.
Taggart sat back, his gaze glacial. Those blue eyes could go cold so fast. “Let me see if I can get the timing right. You fucked my daughter. She says something that disturbs you. Then while she’s scrambling to try to make you feel better about rejecting her, your boyfriend calls.”
So he did know and this was torture. “That’s insulting, Ian. You know what he’s done to me.”
“Which is why you probably shouldn’t take his fucking calls.” Taggart took a long breath and seemed to calm down. “I’m sorry. I promised Kenz I wouldn’t rip you up, but it’s hard. She’s my daughter.”
“Which is probably why you shouldn’t send her out to spy and potentially get killed.” Ben couldn’t help it.
Taggart’s eyes rolled. “Come back when you have a stubborn, brave daughter and we’ll talk.”
He wouldn’t have a daughter. Not one who would someday dye her hair pink like her mom had. Not a daughter or a son. “We both know that’s not happening for me.”
Cooper’s blank expression softened slightly. “Why would you say that? Unless you don’t want kids.”
“Which is a perfectly reasonable thing to do,” Ollie said and then put up a hand as though defending himself. “Not me, of course. I have a family name to uphold. I shall marry someday and have at least one of those little nippers.”
“I don’t think Ben doesn’t want kids.” TJ was studying him carefully. He was the calmest of them all, the one most likely to say “hey guys, we probably shouldn’t kill him.” “I think Ben doesn’t think he’ll live long enough to have them.”
“Yeah, he’s got a death wish,” Taggart said with a long-suffering sigh. “Can any of my daughters find a man without a fucking shit ton of trauma?” He then seemed to remember Cooper was sitting right there. “Sorry, buddy. You really are the dream.”
Cooper snorted. “I think the dream is Lou and TJ. They’ve managed to make it through everything without racking up the trauma. But Parker over there came to us with it. I don’t even think he understands why he does the things he does.”
“Of course I understand. I do it to save the planet from what Manny would do to it. I do it to spare the people around me the future he wants.” Frustration was starting to well.
“And you’re the only one who can do it.” It wasn’t a question out of Taggart’s mouth, and there was suddenly sympathy in his tone.
Not that it would help, but he found himself explaining. “It’s a game to him, and I have to play it.”
“Why?” Taggart asked but not unkindly. “Why does it have to be you?”
“Because he hates me. Why am I getting this from you? You know damn well Manny can hold a grudge for no reason. You weren’t even in the country but he blames you for his father’s death.”
“And I wouldn’t answer a call from him if I didn’t have to,” Taggart replied.
“That’s the point. If I don’t answer him, he’ll make me.”
Taggart sat back and took a long breath before looking to Cooper and nodding as though he was agreeing with something the younger man had previously said.
Cooper seemed to take that as some kind of unspoken order. He stood and nodded TJ’s way. TJ stood and sent Oliver a look.
Oliver shrugged. “I don’t want to leave. I want to watch Uncle destroy him. I think it’ll be amusing. I have no idea why the women left. All the drama is in here. Although I supposed Kenz is probably revving them all up.”
Ben stood. “You take that fucking back.”
Oliver snorted and didn’t seem intimidated at all. “Well, this is sort of Disneyland for her. You know how dramatic she can be.”
He launched himself at the Brit.
It felt good when Oliver cursed and punched him back. Oh, so good. Yeah. This was what he needed. Violence. He couldn’t kill Manny, but he could take this fucker out.
Oliver’s handsome face was hard as he shoved Ben back. “You want to fight someone your size? Hurting little girls isn’t cutting it anymore?”
“For fuck’s sake,” Big Tag huffed.
Ben got Oliver with an uppercut to the gut, but out of the corner of his vision he saw Coop and TJ shaking their heads like this was some kind of boyish altercation.
“I didn’t mean to hurt her. I do mean to hurt you, asshole.” Ben punched out again but Oliver kicked and Ben found himself on the floor of the conference room, the air whooshing from his lungs.
Oliver’s lips curled up in a snarl as he started to launch himself toward Ben. The Brit didn’t play fair, and that was good. Because Ben didn’t either. The fucker was trying to pin him down? He brought his foot up in time to catch Ollie in his junk.
A low groan huffed through the room as the MI6 operative cupped himself and rolled over on the floor as if to protect himself even more.
Ben flipped himself up and started to reach for his opponent.
“Nope, you’re done. Believe me, man, I understand the impulse. I’ve beaten that asshole, too.” TJ was shorter than Ben, but he was built like a linebacker and had all the training.
Oliver groaned and managed to get his ass up. “I wasn’t flirting. I admit I was flirting with Lou that day a bit, but it was all for…” He grinned even as he winced. “That’s a lie. Louisa is such a pretty thing, and it wasn’t like you were engaged at the time.”
“Or you could kill him and I could help you bury the body.” TJ’s hand came off his arm.
Cooper stepped between them, his hands up. “No. We’re leaving. Ben, listen to Big Tag. I know he’s a sarcastic asshole but he’s solid even when he doesn’t particularly like you. And Ollie, I’m going to tell Kenz you called her a little girl.”
Oliver paled. “Coop, don’t. That is not what I was saying.”
“Don’t call her dramatic again,” Ben said between clenched teeth.
“I will not.” Oliver frowned his way. “You’re a very unpleasant individual. Have you considered therapy?”
The men strode out—well, Cooper and TJ strode. Oliver kind of waddled since his dick was probably still shoved into his body cavity. It was satisfying.
And then he was alone with Kenzie’s father.
“I don’t think he’ll be the one continuing the Knight line.” Tag sat back with a weary sigh. “Lucky for Damon he’s still got Archie. He’s the normal one, you know. Smart kid. Never left academia. What are you not telling me, Ben?”
So much. “Manny said a bunch of shit about my old girlfriend, and he’s sending me something tomorrow. I put that in the report. Not the stuff about Deanna. That was just him…”
Fuck. He hated it when everyone was right.
“Say it,” Tag encouraged.
“He was baiting me.” Every muscle hurt. And his hand. Oliver had a surprisingly strong jaw. Guess that stiff upper lip stuff was real.
“Yes, and you took it and let it fester. What did he say about Kenzie? You conveniently left it out of the briefing.”
His report had been short and to the point. Manny called. He said he was sending something tomorrow. That was it. But he was certain Big Tag had already gotten other reports. “I’m sure Cooper and TJ and Kala told you exactly what was said.”
“They seem to think this is all about the fact that Huisman knew Kala and Kenzie are twins,” Big Tag summed things up simply.
“According to my snarkiest daughter, your panties are in a wad because you can’t read a debrief.
Harsh, but maybe true. He’s been tracking me and my family for years.
Yes, he knew, and he let me know he knew way back in Sydney. ”
“So after I told you what a danger to the world he was, you still allowed him to have knowledge that I didn’t have?”