A Matter of Trust: London Calling Book One (25 page)

“Well yes. But I had to do that, you see.”

Bennett shifted back in his seat. He would personally throw him out in a minute. “Go on.
This
I have to hear.”

“It was the best and most efficient way of illustrating to you the weakness in your network. Really, it was better for me to steal it than someone else. After all, I was always going to put it back.”

Bennett laughed, long and hard. “You were going to put it back.
Right
.” He rose, straightening to his full height. “I’ve heard enough of your fairytales. Now leave.”

Dominic placed a folder on the desk, sliding it across with a careless push. “Before I do, why don’t you have a look?”
 

Something in Dominic’s manner intrigued him despite his simmering irritation. Curious, Bennett sat, flipping open the folder. Inside was a completed evaluation of his data security systems with risk analysis of weaknesses, ranked by level of perceived threat and estimated associated loss. Several minutes passed while he continued to read the report, including the proposal for a Martin Security Systems installation with state of the art firewalls and advanced protection from cybercriminals.
 

He closed the report, resting his chin on steepled fingers.
 

“You want to contract for my business.”

“Yes.”

“You arranged an elaborate scheme just so you could work with me.”

“I planned a project that would enable me to showcase my unique skills. In turn, you received a firsthand demonstration of your vulnerabilities. You also received the reassurance that we can fix anything, given the remote chance anything should go wrong.”

“You’re a hacker.”

“I used to be. Yes.” Dom was unapologetic.

 
Bennett blew out a long breath. He knew people. And he recognized genius when it was presented to him within a shiny bound folder across his desk.
 

“I don’t like you. I sure as hell don’t trust you,” he began. Dominic waited. “But as much as I hate it, you’re impressive.”

“You don’t have to like me. You’ll learn to trust me. And I
am
impressive.” Dominic baldly stated the facts. “Let me show you what I can do for your company.”

“You can
never
pull another stunt like this.” In spite of himself, Bennett liked Dominic’s brash confidence. The other man was certainly charismatic. “We’ll work out the details of a trial contract.” He held up a finger as Dominic’s mouth tilted in a grin.

“A
trial
contract. If you’re as good as you say, I’ll extend the length of it.”
 

“Fair enough. I look forward to working with you, Mr. Sterling.”

“Call me Bennett.” He raked his gaze over Dominic. “You certainly are persuasive, but we’ll see if you can hold up your end of things
without
the inside help.”

Dominic froze, capturing Bennett’s attention. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Don’t bother to deny it now,” Bennett interrupted. “You couldn’t have accomplished what you did without Devon’s help. I hope you’re giving
her
a job.”

Dominic’s face cleared as Bennett spoke. Then he frowned, clearly confused. “Devon didn’t help me.”

It was Bennett’s turn to go still.
 

“And why would I hire Devvie? She’s an economist.”

***

Bennett was going to be late.
 

After settling Dominic into a cab outside, he returned to find Natalie at her desk, unloading her laptop and a hefty stack of file folders.
 

“Natalie, there you are. I worried you were ill. But then, you’re never sick are you?”
 

She continued unpacking her straining bag, pale behind perfect makeup.
 

“Your absence this morning made me realize you were due for a raise. I’ve arranged a package for you in Human Resources.” At her continued silence, he said, “I want you to know how much I value you. Personally and professionally.”
 

She leveled a look of quiet devastation at him. She quickly dropped her eyes again, holding out a heavy bond envelope with Bennett’s name written on it in neat script.

He raised a brow.

“It’s my resignation, Bennett. I was the leak.”

No.

Natalie gathered her coat around her and walked out, not looking back. Minutes ticked by as Bennett stood immobile, still holding the letter. It was too much with everything else. Shock piled on top of surprise, one thing after another.

His phone pinged, reminding him he was late.

Laying the envelope down, he decided to table its contents and Natalie’s accompanying confession until later.
 

He’d had enough.

He hurried through the pathways of the City’s cemetery, eager to meet his grandfather. Granddad’s support was unwavering and he could do with a strong shoulder.
 

It was a blustery, cold day, perfectly suited to Bennett’s mood.
 

He rounded the final corner to find Charles sitting on a bench, bundled up while gazing toward the grave of his late wife. He held a bouquet of white roses.
 

Bennett slowed to a stop. Charles waved him over to sit beside him.
 

A comfortable silence enveloped them. Bennett felt some of the tension leave him as he relaxed against the seat.

His last time here had been with Devon. Memories assailed him. Her beautiful face. Her hair. How she’d held his hand right near this spot.

“Hello grandson. How are you doing?”
 

After leaving here that day, he’d surprised her with the train trip to Devon. A romantic beginning to a magical weekend.

It’s done.

There was no going back. Not after the things he’d said to her, the vile accusations he’d leveled.
 

He glanced up, aware his grandfather was looking at him with concern. He had no idea what Charles had said.

“Excuse me?” Bennett’s voice was rough, strained.

“Never mind. Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong?”

He’d loved his grandfather all his life, had hoped to emulate him by becoming half as good a man. His smile was self-deprecating.
 

It’s done.

“I did the unforgivable. I had something. It was pure and good. But fragile.” Sadness radiated from him. “In my anger and mistrust, I took that fragility and crushed it, shattering it to pieces.” A vision assaulted him; Devon’s hair tumbling as he’d shaken her. “With ugly words and ugly deeds.”

Charles was watching him, nothing but kindness in his eyes. “You’re in love.”

“I was. I
am
. And I think she loved me until I destroyed it.” He choked to a halt.

“You think you’ve killed her feeling for you?”

“I know I did.”

It’s done.

“How perfect we should be here.” Charles stood to walk to his wife’s headstone, touching the granite with the ease of long familiarity. “Bennett, do you think love is easy?”

Bennett raised his head, watching his grandfather trace the words etched into the marble.

Love Everlasting

“I suppose not.”

“Let me assure you it is not. But when love’s the real thing, it rises above its own ashes. It lasts, on and on, because it is stronger than the things we do in our endless carelessness to harm it.”
 

Bennett’s head throbbed as he stared at the words.
 

Love Everlasting

Was it possible? Could Devon forgive his callousness?
 

Could he have another chance with her? Show her he was stronger, and wiser, for losing her?

Charles resumed his seat, seemingly content with silence as hope began to unfurl within Bennett.

Long minutes later, his gaze drifted to the bouquet of red roses lying on top of Rose’s gravestone. He was amazed he hadn’t noticed.
 

“I thought you only brought Nan white roses.”

“I do. But a young lady stopped by with these earlier, saying that a Rose shouldn’t be without flowers, even in winter.” Bennett sprung up to inspect the bouquet for a card, a message, anything. He missed Charles’ self-satisfied smile.

“What did she look like?”

Charles adopted an offhand air. “She was quite stunning. Tall with dark, mink brown hair. But it was her eyes that stood out.”

Bennett prodded him. “Yes? Granddad, what was it about her eyes?”

“They were colorless as mist. Nearly clear, like glass.”

In his eagerness, Bennett failed to recognize the words he’d used months ago to describe Devon to Charles.

“Quite stunning. And smart with it.”
 

Bennett sat back down, leaning towards his grandfather. “Did she talk to you?”

“Yes, and it was rather profound, I must say. As she laid her roses down, she said that innocence had its place, but a woman wanted to be loved, fully and passionately.”

Hoarse, Bennett asked, “Was that all?”

“No. She said one other thing.”

Bennett waited, anxious.

“Although pretty, pedestals were lonely places to be. And the fall could be a long one.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

D
EVON
ESCAPED
.

I
T
was simple, in the end. She packed her suitcases then resolutely discarded whatever didn’t fit.
 

She didn’t want to think about giving away the little cat figurine to her neighbor, along with other odds and ends. Even though she’d carried it with her all these years, it was time to let go. The time for sentiment was past.
 

She needed to accept that some things, some people, were not for her.

I can never have Bennett Sterling.

She pressed her hand over her heart, soothing an invisible wound.
 

Shutting the door on her flat, she said goodbye to London. Already, she’d gone to the bank and liquidated funds into cash. Booking a flight under a false name hadn’t worried her as she had the fake identification to support it. She’d gotten them on a lark during college, for a little gambling con she and Dominic cooked up.
 

And they were good, so she’d recklessly kept them. Even when she’d sworn to move from the shadows of her past, she hadn’t entirely walked away. Not if she were honest.

She was going to break the law.

Paying cash would afford anonymity from credit card traces. With little doubt Dominic could mine her movements through her passport she opted for the alias. Even after weighing the risk, she chose to gamble against being caught. She needed solitude and time. And she would take it.
 

Bennett already tarred her as a criminal, a thief. She’d live up to his accusations by running so far from him and her family; they’d never find her.

At least not for a while.
 

She would have her space, and time, to heal.
 

Two hours later, she boarded her plane to Atlanta, Georgia. From there, she’d move on to Savannah, a city that never failed to comfort her. She dumped her cell phone into an airport trash receptacle, right before the gate.
 

There. No one would be able to reach her.

Just like she’d been unable to reach them.

As the plane climbed into the darkened sky and headed across the Atlantic, she leaned her head back, hurting.

I will never have Bennett Sterling.

***

Bennett ushered John Sinclair into his office, where Dominic and Patrick Martin waited. He recognized traces of Devon in her father’s mannerisms, but it was his eyes that robbed Bennett of breath. They were the palest, misty gray.

God, he missed her.

He was going mad without her.
 

He’d gone after her that day, now weeks ago. He’d rushed to her flat, ready to plead. The words had trembled on his lips.
 

I’m sorry.
 

I love you.
 

Please forgive me.

But she was gone. Desperate to set things right, he’d knocked on her neighbor’s door. Devon had liked the older woman, checking in with her frequently.

Sadly, the woman explained Ms. Sinclair had moved all her things out. She didn’t expect her to be back.

Scarcely able to believe it, he’d listened in horror.

“She packed her suitcases and gave the rest of her things away.” She shook her head. “She was upset, I could tell. She wasn’t crying but it was almost like—”

“What? Tell me, please. It’s important.”

“It was like she was grieving.”

Bennett’s gut clenched.

“She gave me this to remember her by,” she picked up a tiny porcelain kitten.

Bennett recognized it. One day, Devon had shown him all her odds and ends, as she called them. She’d been very fond of the little statue; she’d had it since she was young. At the time, her father told her it was the closest thing to a real cat she’d get.

“I tried to make her take it back, but she wouldn’t. Said it was time to let some things go.” The older woman carefully replaced the kitten on her mantle. “I could tell it was a wrench for her. I hope she’ll come back for it. I told her she could.”