Page 155 of The Penalty

God, I missed him.

Purging all that emotion in front of my dad acted as a reset. The path to my happiness, to Xavier’s happiness —our happiness— crystalized.

No more playing small. It’s time to fight fire with fire.

I scrolled through my contacts list, dialed the number, and held my breath.

“I’ve been expecting your call.” Bennet answered on the first ring. Does this man ever sleep? I could practically see his amber eyes light up with intrigue. “What can I do for you at this hour, Ms. Chase?”

I skipped over any pleasantries and got right to the point. Bennet Logan had more connections than the royal family. If I ended up in his debt for the rest of my life, it’s a burden I’m willing to carry.

Victoria

Asking for help wasn’t something I did often.

Let me rephrase that.

I never asked for help. I preferred to hold my own in stressful situations and meet the challenges head on.

Reaching out to Bennet added more strength to my arsenal. He’s like a brother to Xavier and would do anything for his friend.

Our phone call two days ago was short and to the point. I laid out what I needed, and Bennet confirmed he could get it. Now all I had to do was wait.

Ugh.

“Do we have enough food to watch the rest of this?” Killian walked through my living room carrying a tray covered in cheese, fruit, and nuts.

“I think you meant do you have enough food,” Max chimed in.

The boys insisted on coming to my place to watch Xavier’s game. Neither one of them has any interest in sports. I suspected they just wanted to keep me company.

The second half was well underway, with England and the Netherlands sitting at a scoreless tie.

“This is a good thing?” Killian lifted an eyebrow. “No points? How can they do whatever it is they have to do if nobody scores?”

I grabbed a slice of cheese off the tray. “Both teams can score as much as they want. England either has to win it or stay level with the Netherlands to qualify.”

Killian snort-laughed. “Look at you using all the terminology.”

“How much do these guys run? I’m exhausted just watching them,” Max exclaimed, popping a grape into his mouth.

The two of them went off on a tangent about which athletes are the most athletic. They’d just entered the age old debate of golfers versus archers when a knock sounded at my door. My stomach swooped, not from nerves but from the unrealistic possibility it could be Xavier. A ridiculous thought seeing as he’s currently on my television competing in a soccer game.

I opened the door.

“Victoria.”

A completely different swoosh flooded my body.

“Bennet.” I blinked at him, shocked. “What are you doing here?”

He glanced over my shoulder. “Hoping to catch the final few minutes of this qualifier, if that’s alright with you.”

I gestured for him to come in. His smile was unforced and warm. It reminded me of the night I met him in London. I peeked into the hallway to see if Hannah was also here but it was empty.

“Tori.” Killian’s loud voice made my ears ring. “Why didn’t you tell me your hot, British friends were coming over?”

Bennet laughed as he sauntered through the room. Clad in jeans and a powder blue long-sleeved Henley, he looked like any other guy in his thirties hanging out with friends on the weekend. We shared a knowing glance when he sat on the couch next to Max.

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