Page 93 of Between Love and Honor

Gunfire echoed up ahead. Ben’s breath got caught in his throat. The coast guard cutter flew in from nowhere.

His knuckles were white on the wheel. They heard the captain of the cutter ordering both vehicles to stop. Eugenie ignored the command. A moment later, her boat exploded in a ball of fire.

“Quinn!” Ben cried.

But it was no use. The Jet Ski was gone.

CHAPTER 19

THE SUN WAS barely creeping over the horizon when Ben steered the Seas the Day into the slip at the Old Town Alexandria Marina. His head was throbbing and his muscles ached from trawling the water near the accident site. It had been five hours since the explosion. He, Adam, and Griffin had tirelessly searched for any sign of Quinn, until the coast guard captain overseeing the operation had unceremoniously thrown Ben’s ass out of the area.

Griffin tied off one side of the stern while Adam took the bow. After killing the engine, Ben grabbed the hose from the dock and aimed it at the blood Caracas and the Monopoly Man left behind. As long as he kept himself busy he wouldn’t have to think about the last few hours.

His friends had other ideas, however.

“Dude, you’re gonna spray a hole into the hull if you keep that up. Why don’t I see if one of the guys who work here will detail it for you and we can head back home?”

Griffin’s tone was equal parts wary and patronizing with a touch of pity thrown in for good measure. Ben ignored him. Instead, he welcomed the numbness that had begun to seep into his limbs. Detachment was good. It kept the sharp tentacles of anger at bay.

There was more murmuring behind him. Apparently, Marin and Josslyn had been waiting at the dock. He didn’t bother acknowledging them when they climbed aboard.

“How is he doing?” Josslyn asked.

“About as bad as a guy can get when they lose the person they love,” he heard Adam reply.

“For the second time,” Griff added.

“It’s so heartbreaking,” Marin said.

Tossing down the nozzle, he swore violently.

“I’m right here, you know,” he shouted. “You don’t have to talk about me like I’m gonna freaking break or something!”

When he spun around to face his friends, all four of them wore identical expressions looking at him like he was going to do just that. Break. And it took every bit of fortitude he possessed not to. Not here. Not in front of them.

“No one thinks you’re going to break, Ben,” Griff began. “But you aren’t made of steel, either. You need to process everything that has happened. If I know you, that brain of yours is demanding answers when there just might not be any. Why don’t we head back to the townhouse? You can grab a shower and get some rest.”

“I’ll cook us breakfast,” Marin added. “Whatever you want.”

“What I want is to be left alone.”

“Oh, Ben,” Josslyn spoke softly. “We’re your friends. We hate to see you hurting like this. Let us help you.”

“She’s right,” Griff butted in. “You shouldn’t be alone right now.”

As if to punctuate their clinginess, Ben’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He didn’t bother checking the caller ID because he knew it was his sister. She’d already called eleven times in the past hour, likely leaving eleven anguished voice mails of consolation. He wasn’t ready to listen to that shit. Hell, he might never be able to listen to it. He turned the ringer off.

“Who told Rebecca?” he snapped.

Adam shot a warning glare from over his fiancée’s shoulder.

“I texted her,” Josslyn replied. “We all just want to—”

“Smother me?”

Both women gasped. Adam stepped in front of them.

“Bennett, I’m going to give you a free pass on that one, because I can relate to the pain you’re feeling right now. And we’re going to respect your wishes and give you some space. But don’t even think about shutting us out,” Adam cautioned. “You were a relentless prick to me last year when it came to burying my emotions. I’ll be all too happy to return the favor.”

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