11. CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 11
D awn’s senses clawed back to consciousness at the sound of her name being called. “Dawn,” the voice said again, a deep, unsettling murmur that seemed to vibrate through the fog of her awakening mind. Her eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the dim light, focusing on the wooden panels of a cabin ceiling.
“Thanks for finally joining me,” the voice muttered, rough around the edges as if draped in weariness and worry.
Dawn turned sharply towards the sound, her heart thumping erratically against her ribcage. Ben was sitting beside her on a narrow cabin bed, his expression a mixture of relief and tension. The sight of him, so unexpectedly close, jolted her fully awake.
Instinctively, Dawn sat up, her movements jerky with alarm. Her stomach churned, a wave of nausea sweeping over her as the boat seemed to sway beneath her, mixed with her fear of Ben.
“What did you do to me?” she demanded, her voice shaky.
“What did I do to you?“ Ben looked at her in disbelief. “Trust me, princess, I’m as confused as you are.”
“Where are we?” Dawn pulled as far away from him as possible.
Ben ran a hand through his disheveled hair, his face creased with uncertainty. “I’m not sure. I woke up just before you did, right here.”
Dawn didn’t buy it. She was sure Ben had played this scene before, but only this time, Dawn was his victim. She shot up from the bed and made a beeline for the cabin door. It swung open quickly, revealing the corridor that led to the deck. Freedom was a mere sprint away, but just as she set off, Ben’s hand clamped around her arm. She twisted violently, trying to shake him off, but he held on, dragging her back into the cabin.
“Calm down, princess , listen!“ he insisted, kicking the door shut and pressing his ear against it. Dawn’s heart raced as panic clawed at her throat. Ben’s other hand pressed over her mouth; she bit down hard, tasting a hint of salt from his skin, but he didn’t even flinch.
“Dawn,” he whispered urgently, his eyes holding hers. “I’m not thrilled about this either, but we need to be quiet. Footsteps are heading this way. I’ll take my hand from your mouth if you promise to keep quiet.”
His words filtered through her fear. Reluctantly, she nodded, and he slowly removed his hand.
“We need to lie down and pretend we’re still out.” Ben glanced toward the bed.
“Oh, no!” Dawn hissed. “How do I know this is not some plot to kidnap me.”
“Okay, fine,” Ben shrugged. “The way I see it. You have two choices: my way or face whoever’s out there.” He stared at her. “I could always knock you out. Then I would at least be able to get the edge on whoever’s brought us here.”
With a reluctant nod, Dawn complied, her mind racing as she resumed her position on the bed with Ben beside her. They had no sooner lay down when the door creaked open moments later, and hushed voices spilled into the cabin. Dawn’s heart raced, and she tried to relax her mind so as not to give herself away. She felt Ben’s warm, solid back press into her, giving her some comfort, even if it was from a convicted kidnapper.
Better the devil you know ran through Dawn’s mind.
“Good, they’re still out. Let’s get off this thing. I hate boats,” a voice grumbled.
As the footsteps receded, the tension in the cabin hung thick as they lay waiting. Dawn’s stomach churned mercilessly with the motion of the sea. She hated this feeling. Ben eventually rose, his movements cautious, and Dawn watched, lying still as he crept to the door and peered out.
“I think the coast is clear,” Ben murmured, turning back to her with tentative relief.
Dawn was off the bed in an instant despite the queasiness that gripped her.
“Maybe you should stay here until I’ve investigated the boat,” Ben suggested.
“Not a chance, bud,” Dawn said with an assertiveness that she didn’t feel.
Her legs felt wobbly, and her stomach rolled with the sway of the ocean. It wasn’t that Dawn hated sailing. She actually loved it. It was sailing that hated her as she was plagued with sea sickness.
“Fine, but stay behind me, and if I tell you to, duck!” Ben commanded.
Dawn nodded in agreement and made a mental note not to shake her head as she nearly got sick on his shoes.
They navigated through the luxurious corridors of the superyacht, Dawn’s mind a whirlwind of questions and fear.
“Are we on Alex’s new boat?” Dawn asked Ben, her voice a whisper against the soft hum of the yacht’s idle engines.
Ben didn’t answer as they ascended to one of the decks just in time to see a speedboat roaring away into the darkness of the early morning. Dawn felt a twinge of desperation at the sight of the departing boat and suddenly felt the weight of her situation. She was stuck on a massive boat with Ben Hardy. She felt her pockets. Her phone was missing.
Awesome! Dawn looked toward the direction the speed boat had disappeared in the inky blackness.
“Come on, let’s get to the cockpit.” Ben frowned as he led the way there. “There’s no one on this yacht.” His eyes narrowed. “I’m getting an awful feeling of deja vu.”
Dawn shuddered at how unsettlingly quiet the yacht was. As Dawn and Ben reached the cockpit, the reality of their situation began to sink in. They were moored somewhere in the Atlantic, the vast expanse of water around them shimmering under the fading moonlight. Dawn leaned the palm of her hand against one of the walls as she breathed through the nausea.
“Right!” Ben nodded, looking at her. “I forgot. You get seasick.”
“You should’ve thought of that before kidnapping someone,” Dawn pointed out.
Ben gritted his teeth, and his eyes flashed as he hissed. “I didn’t kidnap you…” His voice was laced with irritation. “You know what? Think what you like, princess. I don’t care. All I care about right now is getting back to shore before the Coastguard swarms this boat.”
“What are you doing?” Dawn asked with labored breaths, gripping her stomach.
“Keep your eyes fixed on a point on the horizon. It will help with the motion sickness,” Ben advised as he attempted to start the yacht, his hands moving expertly over the controls, but his frown deepened. “It’s not here,” he muttered, his search for the key or code ending in frustration.
“Can’t you just hot-wire it or something?” Dawn asked, her gaze fixed on the horizon as Ben had instructed—anything to keep the seasickness at bay. “You and Wade are masters at that, aren’t you?” She couldn’t help the jibe. It had slipped through her lips before she could stop it.
“It’s not a car, Dawn. These things are designed to prevent exactly that.” Ben’s tone was tinged with irritation and worry. “Without the key or the startup code, we’re stuck.” He reached for the VHF radio, his last sliver of hope, and his face fell. “Of course. It’s been disabled,” he muttered, the frustration evident in his voice.
As dawn approached, painting the sky with strokes of pink and orange, the reality of their situation settled around them like a heavy blanket. Stranded in the middle of the ocean on a luxury yacht that was as useless as a floating piece of driftwood without its keys, Dawn and Ben faced the creeping tendrils of despair as they pondered their next move.
“I don’t suppose you have one of those satellite mobile phones?” Dawn looked at him hopefully.
“I did,” Ben told her and patted the pockets of his cotton slacks. “But it was taken and…” His eyes widened as he felt his wrist. “Oh no!”
“What?” Dawn was forced to take her eyes from the horizon and nearly vomited.
“The bio tracker,” Ben said, showing her his wrist. He glanced at his left wrist. “They’ve even taken my watch.”
“Surely it would’ve alerted Scott?” Dawn reasoned.
“Yes, but when was it taken off?” Ben said, running his hand through his hair in frustration. “Look, we’re not going to sort anything here. Let’s go see if the kitchen is stocked.”
“Why?” Dawn asked him suspiciously as he stood at the door to the cockpit.
“So I can get you something to stop the nausea,” Ben told her. “To be honest. I need something too, as we seem to have something in common—seasickness.”
“Oh!” Dawn looked at him with raised brows. “Lead the way.” She followed Ben as he made his way to the galley. “You never answered my question.” She drew in a breath to ward off another bout of nausea. “But as you seem to know your way around, I’m going to guess this is Alex’s yacht.” She shook her head. “Great! I hope it’s not loaded with freakin’ C4 again.”
“What?” Ben looked at her, stunned. “Why on earth would you say that?”
“You don’t know what happened to Alex’s last superyacht?” She looked at him in amazement.
“No. I didn’t care. Alex Blackwell is not one of my favorite people.” Ben shook his head as he went through the cupboard. “Huh!” He snorted, reaching into one. “Look here. Ginger root tea.”
“You stole Alex’s boat and kidnapped his sister!” Dawn spat. “How did you expect Alex to react?”
“Well, he split my lip open when my hand was cuffed behind my back in a courtroom filled with people,” Ben pointed out as he made them some tea. “Then testified that I was some weird peeping-Tom stalker of Bailey.” His jaw clenched, and his hazed eyes flashed with anger. “What I would’ve expected was for him to ask where someone got the code key for his monstrosity of a yacht or how they got past his wall of security to get to the yacht.”
“He said his security team had been knocked out,” Dawn stated.
“Had they?” Ben stopped what he was doing and looked at her with raised eyebrows. “I wouldn’t know because I’d been knocked out.”
“There was nothing in your tox screen to indicate that you were,” Dawn pointed out.
“Yeah. Four days later, they took samples for the toxicology—four days they left it for.” Ben’s eyes flashed with anger once again, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. He put a steaming mug of ginger tea in front of her. “Drink it. It will help.”
Dawn stared at the cup, wondering if she could drink it, not realizing that Ben took her hesitation as her mistrust of him.
“Oh, for goodness’ sake,” Ben hissed and swapped mugs. “There.” His eyes narrowed. “Would you like me to take a few sips from both mugs?”
“No… I…” Dawn looked at her. “I was wondering if I could stomach it.”
“Oh!” Ben said. “Just sip it slowly while it’s still quite hot, and it will soothe the queasiness.”
“You don’t look like you’re feeling sick,” Dawn noted as she took a cautious sip of the tea. As the hot liquid slipped down her throat, she had to admit to instantly feeling its effects.
“I take medication every day,” Ben admitted. “But it’s starting to wear off.”
“What medication?” Dawn asked, genuinely interested.
Ben told her what he was taking and how much it helped him. Dawn watched him as he spoke and was struck at how much he’d changed, along with that same shuttered look Wade had. Scott’s words about Ben potentially being innocent ran through her mind, and her heart went out to him as a wave of guilt hit her. Dawn had been one of the people who had seen Ben and her brother as guilty.
What kind of sister am I? Dawn’s mind raced. I sided with the Blackwells!
Memories of the final day of the trial ten years ago hit her.
“Dawn, listen to Wade,” Harriet implored. “He’s your brother, for goodness’ sake.” Her eyes had brimmed with disbelief and were shadowed with disappointment. “Don’t you or anyone else see all the holes in this case?”
“Harriet, thank you for wanting to plead Wade’s case,” Dawn replied. Her heart was heavy with defeat and despair over her younger brother’s involvement in this vile act. “But I’m afraid there’s no out for him this time.”
“Are you kidding me right now?” Harriet had shaken her head, and the disappointment had turned to disgust. “You know, Dawn, you show so much compassion and understanding to everyone else. Why can’t you ever do the same for your baby brother?”
Harriet turned and stormed off.
“Why, Harriet?” Dawn had shouted after her. “So he can just disappoint and break my heart again?”
Harriet had stopped and slowly turned. Her eyes narrowed as she stalked back toward Dawn. Dawn was so startled she’d taken a step back when Harriet had advanced.
“Dawn,” Harriet had said, her voice carrying the weight of years of unspoken truths, her face hardened with a mixture of anger and sorrow. “You’ve always demanded answers from Wade, never really listening, always speaking at him rather than to him. It’s like you were waiting for him to fail, to make a mistake, just to assuage your own guilt for never being there, for never really seeing him.”
“You’re out of line,” Dawn had gasped.
Harriet hadn’t cared. Her regal gaze pierced through Dawn, making her feel each word as if it were a whip searing through her heart.
“No, I’m not the one out of line here.” Her words slipped off her tongue like a tiny dagger cutting into Dawn’s soul. “You and Scott should feel so ashamed of yourselves for always being so ready to believe the worst in Wade without question. Wade is kind, caring, protective, and honest. He loves his family with such intensity that every time he speaks of you all, he all but bursts with pride. And yet, here you are, judging him, ready to convict him on circumstantial evidence and whispers in dark corners.”
“We’ve asked Wade over and over to tell us the truth,” Dawn sneered, reacting to Harriet’s cutting remarks.
Harriet’s eyes glinted with steel, and her voice remained steady, filled with a resolute strength that Dawn knew all too well—Harriet had picked her side. “He didn’t do this, Dawn. Neither did Ben. What I want to know is why no one is even listening to them? They’ve already judged and sentenced them.” She paused, allowing the silence to fill the space between them, heavy and accusing. “Look beyond the surface, Dawn. Look at the brother who has always been there, the one who hides his hurt behind a smile because he knows the world expects him to stumble. Ask yourself if the easy narrative you’ve been fed is the truth or just a convenient lie to protect others from facing their own failings.”
This time, when Harriet had turned and walked away, she hadn’t turned back. It had taken nearly a year after the trial for Harriet to speak to Dawn or Scott again.
Dawn sipped the ginger tea that was settling her queasy stomach but didn’t do much for the turmoil in her mind. Now, it seemed that Harriet had been right about everything. The echoes of Harriet’s words bounced through the chambers of Dawn’s memories, squeezing guilt from her heart and tearing at her soul as her conscience screamed— you all ruined two people’s lives. She sucked in a breath. Three people’s lives—we can’t forget about Clem.
Her eyes met Ben’s, and she realized he was staring at her curiously.
“Are you okay?” Ben asked her, worry in his eyes. “If this was Alex’s boat, I may have been able to help you with some of my seasick pills.”
His words had her eyes widened. “This isn’t Alex’s new superyacht?”
“No.” Ben shook his head, taking another sip of his tea. “It could probably fit into Alex’s superyacht. Although it’s designed to be similar to the Black Ocean Two, it’s most definitely not, and I’ve spent weeks on that yacht. I know it like the back of my hand.” He frowned. “Are you finished your tea?”
Dawn took the final gulp and nodded. “Why?”
“Let’s explore the main cabin,” Ben said, holding out his hand for her, rolling his eyes when she hesitated. “That’s not a proposition. I think I saw something in there that reminded me of…”
“Of what?” Dawn took his hand, feeling a little more comforted being closer to someone than alone on this ghost ship.
“I don’t know,” Ben said as he skillfully navigated to the elaborate main cabin, and he snorted in disgust. “Just this cabin alone shows it’s not Alex’s. Whoever’s yacht this is, they love to show off their status.”
“I agree,” Dawn said as he dropped her hand, his eyes scanning the room. “What are we looking for?”
“That!” Ben stood staring at the mirror on the dresser.
“Your image in the mirror?” Dawn frowned, wondering if he’d become mentally ill from being in prison. He could have PTSD!
“No.” Ben shook his head. “The insignia on the mirror.”
“What is that?” Dawn said, moving closer to look at it.
“It’s a dagger,” Ben said. His jaw clenched, and his eyes shuttered again as his face became a rigid mask. “I don’t want to alarm you, Dawn.” A muscle ticked at the side of his jaw as he stood stock still and stared at the insignia. “But we need to get off this boat. This is no longer deja vu. Someone’s repeating history.”
“I don’t understand?” Dawn frowned, and before she could say anything else, Ben grabbed her hand and yanked her out of the room. “Ben!” she said. “What’s going on?” Her eyes widened. “Is it C4?”
“What?” Ben glanced at her in confusion. “Why are you so obsessed with C4?”
“Because that’s what blew up Alex’s last yacht,” Dawn told him.
Ben stopped dragging her down the passage and looked at her, pursing his lips. “No kidding?”
“For real,” Dawn answered him.
He shook his and continued dragging back onto the deck. “The Black Ocean didn’t deserve that.”
“Neither did Alex,” Dawn pointed out.
“That’s debatable,” Ben muttered, glancing around. “We need to see if there’s an inflatable dinghy on the yacht.”
“Oh…. no.” Dawn started pulling back. “No, no, no. I’d rather chance the C4.”
“I doubt there’s any C4 on this boat,” Ben assured. “But what is on here is a giant setup that’s not going to end well for me.” He raised his eyebrows. “Trust me, I’ve played through this scene before.”
“Ben, if you’re being set up, I’ll make sure whoever finds us knows it,” Dawn promised.
“Trust me, they see me as just an ex-con; they’re not interested in if I’m guilty or not,” Ben told her. “My police record declares me guilty, no matter if I am or not.”
They searched the boat, but there was no escape pod as Dawn thought of it. They were stuck in the middle of the ocean. While her imagination started mapping different plot lines, Dawn forced her creative switch off as she and Ben sat in the top lounge and watched the sun slowly rise.
Ben gave a self-mocking laugh and blew out a breath. “This seems to always happen to me when I get tangled with the Vanderbilts and Blackwells.” He ran a hand through his hair as he shook his head. “I guess I should enjoy my final sunrise.”
“Don’t say that, Ben,” Dawn told him. “I promise to sort this out if that does happen.”
“That’s sweet,” Ben said. “But I know how this goes down.” His eyes narrowed. “For all I know, the Blackwells set this up to put me back behind bars.”
“I don’t think so,” Dawn told Ben. “Scott said that he was reworking the case.”
“What?” Ben spluttered, his eyes widened and filled with fear as his face paled. “He has to stop, Dawn.”
“Scott wants to clear yours and Wade’s name,” Dawn said, looking at him confused, doubt over his innocence creeping in once again.
“And that’s great of him,” Ben told her. “But it’s best to leave the past in the past. I’ve paid for what happened, and so have Wade and my sister.” His jaw clenched again as he looked out over the golden horizon. “No one else has to pay.”
“I don’t understand.” Dawn looked at him, even more confused. Why wouldn’t he want his or Wade’s name cleared? “This could change everything for you and Wade.”
“Change things, yes,” Ben said. “It will never get that time back. I’d rather leave it where it is and move on. I don’t want to relive that again.”
“Leave the past behind, you mean?” Dawn thought that was a strange thing for him to say.
“Yes, sorry, that’s what I meant.” Ben gave her a tight smile.
Dawn had a feeling that was no mistake. Ben had said, leave it where it was. She gave herself a mental shake and admonished herself for an overactive imagination.
You’re reading into things where there’s nothing to read, Dawn told herself. “Ben, will you tell me your side of the story?” She saw the weariness in his eyes. “I know it’s years too late.”
“It’s a long story,” Ben hedged.
Dawn glanced around. “It doesn’t look like we have anything else to do.”
“I could try to figure out if there’s a way to start this boat,” Ben suggested.
“Or we could wait,” Dawn told him. “I’m sure we’re being looked for right now.”
“You mean the authorities are hunting for me,” Ben corrected her and sighed, sitting back and crossing his ankle over his knee. “I never thought I’d land up on the wrong side of the law.”
“Are you going to resume studying law?” Dawn asked.
“Nah,” Ben said, shaking his head. “I saw how horribly it can fail people.”
“I would’ve thought that was all the more reason to get your degree,” Dawn stated. “To help make it right and keep it from failing others.”
Ben looked at her and pursed his lips, nodding. “I never thought about it like that.”
“You’re still angry and processing everything you’ve been through,” Dawn reasoned. “It’s only natural that you’re not going to want to serve the very profession that failed you.”
“I guess I can’t just blame the law, really,” Ben acknowledged. “It’s the whole guns don’t kill people, people kill people argument.”
“It’s not the law itself that fails; it’s how it’s enforced and defended that determines the outcome.” Dawn tried to apply the analogy Ben had made to apply to being a lawyer.
“Something like that.” Ben sighed and stared at the horizon. “For ten years, I sat, never knowing if I’d see a sunset on the sea again.” He rubbed his hands over his face. “Then, thirteen months ago, my sister came to see me, and I nearly cried when she said I’d be free within a month.”
Dawn sat staring at him, a whirlwind of emotions swirling inside her. For years, she’d blamed all her brother’s trouble on Ben. The moment Ben and his twin sister Clem’s family bought the house beside the Blackwells, it seemed their lives had all changed. Wade and Ben had instantly become best friends, and Wade had fallen for Clem.
“So you’ve been out for a year?” Dawn didn’t know if that was something you could discuss or not, but it was too late now. The question had popped out of her mouth before her brain could stop it.
“Yes.” Ben nodded. “I got one year off my prison sentence.”
“Good behavior?” There Dawn went again, saying the first thing popping into her head.
“Good lawyer, faithful friends, and an amazing twin sister,” Ben smiled, “who is also my attorney.”
“I believe Clem is an amazing attorney,” Dawn said.
“Yes, she is,” Ben agreed proudly. “I knew she would excel. Especially after she divorced that idiot, Arno, who she was married to.”
“That’s right, she married Arno Littleford,” Dawn remembered, and her eyes widened. “Oh, dear.”
“Oh dear… what?” Ben’s brows furrowed, and his eyes narrowed.
“Uh… This wasn’t my doing because I don’t rate him as being a good actor,” Dawn elaborated. “In fact, he isn’t the type of person I wrote the part for at all. But the new CEO of Blackwell Productions insisted we give him a try.”
“Arno!” Ben’s voice was flat. “Figures.” He shrugged. “He’s one of Brat Blackwell’s besties, or besties by association.” He shook his head, his eyes darkening with a flicker of disgust. “I can’t believe she’s about to become the CEO of Blackwell Productions.”
“Well…” Dawn’s face scrunched up. “She’s going to be joint CEO with her brothers.”
Ben snorted. “Brat Blackwell couldn’t be too happy about that!”
“Why do you and Bailey hate each other so much?” Dawn asked with a resigned sigh. “I could never understand the animosity between the two of you. Wade and Bailey grew up together and were like brothers and sisters. It was good for both of them as her brothers are twenty-odd years older than her, and I’m fourteen years older than Wade.” Her eyes searched Ben’s for answers, but they were blank. “All they had since Bailey was a toddler was each other.”
“Maybe you should speak to Brat Blackwell about that,” Ben suggested. “Or even Wade.” He raised his brows, pursed his lips, and nodded. “He came to understand it after the third or fourth time we got tangled up in one of the Brat’s messes.”
Dawn exhaled deeply, sinking back as she gazed across the ocean. With the rising sun, the darkness receded, transforming the once ominous, ink-black waters into a shimmering expanse of blue. The dawn’s light, like a painter’s brush, restored the sea’s vibrant hues, unveiling a world reborn under the golden glow of morning.
“Have you spoken to Bailey or seen her since you’ve been out?” Dawn asked, giving up trying to censor her questions.
Her curiosity wanted to know what it wanted to know. It was also a night to have Ben’s full attention with nowhere to escape. Okay, there were loads of places he could escape to on the yacht, but she’d just follow him. Even in the light of day, the empty, lifeless yacht was creepy, like some post-apocalyptic scene in a movie. She frowned.
Would zombies swim in the sea? Dawn bit her lip. Why don’t they have the survivors of a zombie apocalypse live on boats?
“Hello?” Ben ran his hand in front of her face. “Are you still in there, or have you escaped into one of your stories?”
“Sorry,” Dawn said, shaking her head. “What did you say?”
“I said the bratty Blackwell was a regular visitor of mine in prison,” Ben surprised her by saying.
“Seriously?” Dawn looked at him in amazement. “She was so… so venomous toward you at the trial, I’d never have thought she’d visit you.”
“It’s amazing what a guilty conscience and fear of exposure will make a person do,” Ben said cryptically. “At first, I refused to see her. But, as is her nature, Bailey kept coming back until I did see her. Then she came back at least once or twice a month.”
“I’d say that was very nice of her,” Dawn said. “She obviously forgave you and wanted to clear the air.”
“Uh-huh.” Ben breathed and nodded. “Of course, that’s what you and her family believed was the reason for her endless irritating visits.” He blew out a breath. “It was such a relief when she went to England. But then she’d call or write to me and make a point of visiting when she was home on vacation.”
“Ben, why are you so hostile toward her?” Dawn was trying hard to understand. “Wade turned against her as well. I mean, I saw him changing toward her years before that, but the incident ten years ago was Wade’s turning point.” She shook her head. “Do you know on the rare occasions Wade came to a family function in the past nine years, if Bailey was there, he’d leave?”
“Can’t say I blame him,” Ben backed up his friend’s actions. “Can we talk about anything else but Brat Blackwell?”
“Okay!” Dawn sighed in defeat. She wasn’t going to get answers from Ben. “Tell me about your sister.” She smiled. “I haven’t really kept up with Arno’s life. The guy was a cheat and so jealous of Wade and you in high school.” She shuddered. “I couldn’t believe Clem married him after…” She swallowed. “Anyway, you said Clem and Arno were divorced.”
“Yes.” Ben nodded. “They got divorced five years ago.”
“Don’t they have kids?” Dawn asked. She was sure she’d seen an article somewhere about Arno’s secret family.
“Yes, my sister has kids,” Ben told Dawn. “They are the most wonderful kids and remind me so much of my sister and me.”
“Oh?” Dawn said with a smile and frowned once again at Ben’s strange choice of words. “Are they twins?”
“Yup, a boy and girl like Clem and I,” Ben told her proudly.
“That’s so sweet,” Dawn said, smiling at the look of pure love in his eyes as he spoke about his niece and nephew. “Does Clem have full custody of them? I don’t see Arno as a very good father figure.”
“Clem shares custody with their father,” Ben told her, his eyes once again closing off.
“What are their names?” Dawn asked.
“We call them Cheeky and Mischief,” Ben said, laughing.
“Ah, so they are just like you and Clem then?” Dawn laughed with him. “What is their relationship like with their father?”
“Very good,” Ben told her. “They adore him, and he adores them, although their parents don’t meet each other at the pickup and drop off. That’s done by their nanny and chauffeur.”
“At least the kids aren’t caught in the middle of a cold handover with their parents,” Dawn said.
“Yes.” Ben nodded. “Their parents keep their distance, and as far as I know, they never ever say a bad word about each other when they have the twins.”
“That’s good,” Dawn said with a nod. “And you, Uncle Ben? Do you get to see them?”
“I only met them in person a year ago,” Ben told her. “But they knew about me and drew me pictures and sent me handmade birthday and Christmas cards every year.”
“I’m so glad that Clem did that,” Dawn said. “She always believed in you and Wade.”
“Clem never gave up fighting to clear our names,” Ben said with a soft smile.
“We never saw her after the trial,” Dawn said. “I mean except from a distance or in passing somewhere. She’d politely nod but never went out of her way to interact.”
“She doesn’t like any of you,” Ben told her bluntly. “Well, except for your Aunt Faith, Harriet, and more recently Scott.”
“Scott?” Dawn’s brows drew together. “How come he gets a pardon from Clem?”
“Scott was the one that helped Clem get what she needed to get me out of prison,” Ben told her. “But, let’s put this down as another subject that’s off limits.”
“What is wrong with you and Wade?” Dawn hissed in frustration. “What are the two of you hiding?” Her frown deepened as something flashed in Ben’s eyes, and that muscle ticked at the side of his jaw again as he clamped it. “Or should I ask who are the two of you protecting?” Her eyes narrowed as he glanced away, but not before she’d seen the truth that his words had hit a nerve. “That’s it, isn’t it? You’re both protecting someone.” She saw Ben start to shut down. “Is it Clem?”
“Dawn, please, I’m imploring you. Drop it,” Ben warned her. “Let’s agree not to talk about what happened ten years ago and, like I said before, leave the past behind.”
Dawn responded with a frustrated shake of her head, her voice tight. “Then what’s safe to talk about, Ben? The weather?”
Ben managed a weak smile, trying to lighten the mood despite the heaviness in his heart that took Dawn by surprise as it was reflected in his eyes.
“Yeah, let’s go with the weather,” Ben murmured, but the smile quickly faded. He sighed deeply, his following words laden with the weight of his memories. “I’m sorry, Dawn. I’m not trying to be difficult. It’s just… revisiting that chapter of my life.” He shook his head. “It makes too many excruciatingly painful and terrifying memories return.” He cleared his throat as his eyes darkened with emotion. “Being sentenced was a nightmare that came to life. I stood there, completely helpless, as my future slipped through my fingers.” His voice cracked a bit as he continued. “I was painted as a monster, and not a single soul stood up to question it. My sister was wrecked, barely holding herself together, and Wade... he was so devastated he almost landed in the cell next to me trying to defend me.”
“Oh, Ben… I…” Dawn’s heart dropped and started to ache for him.
Ben ran a hand through his hair, a gesture of frustration and despair. He turned toward her, his eyes so full of pain and suffering that Dawn sucked in a breath as she could all but feel his heartache.
“In an instant, all my dreams were dashed—replaced by the stark reality of prison walls and a jumpsuit brighter than any future I could’ve hoped for. I was caged, Dawn, trapped in a nightmare of lies and betrayal.” Ben’s voice was hoarse with emotion.
Dawn swallowed, and her eyes misted with tears. What do I say to that? Sorry? Sorry I was one of the people rooting for you to go to jail? “I’m so sorry, Ben.” She swallowed the lump in her throat.
“Let’s drop this subject,” Ben told her. “Why don’t we talk about you?”
“I heard you got engaged to Brad Danes?” His eyes widened in disbelief. “Wade was appalled by that, just by the way. I think we all were.”
Dawn laughed. “I think Brad and I were both just in a weird place in our lives,” Dawn explained. “We thought we made sense at the time, but I think we both knew it was a big mistake a week after the engagement.”
“But you stayed engaged,” Ben pointed out.
“I know, that was more family peer pressure,” Dawn told him with a snort. “Then it all came crashing down in flames and public humiliation that finally ended it.”
“Ouch!” Ben sucked in a breath. “I heard about that too.”
“Good to know my public humiliation made it to the prison inmates,” Dawn said.
“I actually made money from your engagement,” Ben joked.
“I’m glad you profited from it.” Dawn rolled her eyes.
“Nice right hook, by the way,” Ben said, and Dawn instinctively looked at her hand.
“I broke my fingers punching Brad,” Dawn confessed.
“Worth it, though, huh?” Ben grinned.
“Yeah, I have to admit I got some satisfaction out of it,” Dawn admitted with a laugh. “But Brad was better than my next romantic entanglement.”
“Greg Albright the third!” Brad gave her a what were you thinking look. “You know who his halfbrother is, right?”
“I do,” Dawn said with a nod. “But he and Arno don’t speak or even hang out in the same circles.”
“That’s because Greg took over Greg Albright the second’s investment banking firm,” Ben pointed out. “And Mr. I always have to be better than everyone Arno Littleford, with no number after his name, was always so jealous and hated living in his older halfbrother’s shadow.”
“Greg wouldn’t even go to his mother’s birthday parties,” Dawn shook her head. “Do you know how awkward that was because, of course, my family had to attend the Littlefords’ events?” She blew out a breath.
“We never went to the Littlefords’ events.“ Ben laughed. “My mother just flatly refused.”
“Can’t say I blame her.” Dawn shuddered. “They always had to go over the top with everything.”
“New money, my mother would always say,” Ben said. “They always had to prove themselves.”
“Steve Littleford was and still is an excellent actor,” Dawn pointed out. “Pity his son didn’t fully follow in his father’s footsteps.”
“So what happened with Greg?” Ben asked. “Wade said he didn’t really know. Just that you broke off with him and wouldn’t talk about it.”
“Oh, you know,” Dawn said and found herself telling Ben something she’d never told anyone. Well, besides the police and the judge who helped her very discreetly. “The old story of a man and woman who start dating, the man becomes overly obsessed and possessive, so the woman breaks it off, gets stalked, and has to file a restraining order.”
“What?” Ben’s face dropped. “So the rumors about Greg were true? In college, he apparently did the same thing somewhere there,” Ben told her. “But it was swept under the rug, and it was turned around to seem like it had been her.”
“Figures,” Dawn said, shuddering. “He was evil wrapped in a handsome, charming package.” She gave him a tight smile. “It was your mother that helped me get the restraining order.”
“Way to go, Mom,” Ben said. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, Dawn.”
“Please don’t say anything to my brothers or anyone really,” Dawn asked. “Not even my friends know what happened. You’re actually the first one I’ve told.”
“Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me,” Ben promised and frowned as he stared at her throat. “Is your necklace glowing?”
“What?” Dawn lifted her pendant, and it glowed a soft red. “What the…”
“Where did you get it?” Ben asked, reaching over and taking the teardrop diamond that hung off the end of the white gold chain to examine it.
“Harper gave it to me for my birthday two years ago…” Dawn’s voice trailed off, and she drew in a breath.
“Scott!” They said in unison.
“He put a tracker in my necklace,” Dawn hissed.
“That would explain that,” Ben said, pointing to her left.
Dawn turned to see the Coast Guard zooming toward them.