Bennett (Bourbon & Blood #1) (17 page)

She glanced at the people gathered on the porch.
“
No. People want to know. You wanted to know. It
’
s time it all came out,
”
she said with a sniff.
“
The day I was supposed to meet you, Samuel told me that my mother
’
s accident was my fault. That on the night she crashed her car, she
’
d been out looking for me while I was sneaking around with you.
”

It felt like a punch to the gut.
“
Mia
—
.
”

She held up a hand to stop him from speaking.
“
I need to finish this, Bennett. Please. If you stop me, I don
’
t know if I
’
ll have the strength to start it again!
”

He didn
’
t like it, but he nodded.

A sound escaped her that was half sob and half laugh.
“
It was a lie. Why it shocks me that he lied about that when he
’
s been lying about everything else for years is something I just don
’
t understand.
”

Carter had vanished into the house long enough to return with a blanket which he handed to Bennett. Bennett draped it over Mia
’
s shoulders, but he wasn
’
t even sure she
’
d noticed. Her gaze was distant, focused on the events of her past.

“
She didn
’
t leave to look for me,
”
Mia said softly.
“
She left because she found out he was cheating. I know she knew before that. Everyone knew. But this one was different. It was someone she knew, someone she’d trusted. So she left the house, crying, screaming and upset and
…
all this time, he let me think
—
no
—
he
made
me think it was my fault. That because of what I had done, I was responsible for taking care of her.
”
She paused there for a moment, drawing in a deep shuddering breath.
“
So I did. I stayed. And I never told anyone because I felt so guilty, so ashamed of what I
’
d caused!
”

It was diabolical and cruel. And it was typical Samuel Darcy.
“
I
’
m sorry, Mia. I
’
m so sorry for that.
”

“
I found the letter today. The one that Mama
’
s friend wrote to her confessing everything. Elizabeth Masters, nee Shelby
…
the caregiver was sent there by her whore of a mother to find it.
”

He closed his eyes.
“
The woman who almost killed you was in your house?
”

“
Yes
…
I don
’
t blame her. I don
’
t like her much, but I get it. She said the same thing to me last night. The one thing we had in common was a toxic fucking parent.
”

She looked up at him then and her gaze was focused and sharp.
“
I told him that I was done. That I was leaving
…
I didn
’
t know where I would go. I thought Clayton and then maybe, if I was brave enough I
’
d try to talk to you. But then he got so mad because I wasn
’
t bending to his will that he threw me out. I don
’
t even have my driver
’
s license. Or shoes.
”

Bennett glanced down at her bare feet. They were shredded and bloody from her walk.
“
Come inside, Mia.
”

“
It was never because I didn
’
t love you,
”
she went on. The words just tumbled out of her.
“
I loved you more than anything, but he said that if I left, he
’
d put her in a home and that I
’
d never see her again. She would have died in one of those places, Bennett. I thought she was in that state because of my selfishness and if I left with you like I wanted, it would be even worse. She didn
’
t deserve that
…
to be locked away and forgotten just because he couldn
’
t be bothered to care for her, because I was selfish enough to put what I wanted ahead of her. There
’
s no one to protect her, no one to make sure that she
’
s taken care of if I don
’
t do it!
”

“
No,
”
he said.
“
She didn
’
t deserve it. But neither did you.
”
He didn
’
t ask her to come inside again, but swept her up into his arms and carried her up the steps and into the house. Carter had already vanished, making himself scarce in the wake of big emotional scenes was right on target for him.

Bennett carried her to the bathroom and set her down on the edge of the tub just long enough to turn on the taps and let the water warm.
“
These grand entrances are making me an old man, Mia.
”

She chuckled, the sound watery and weak, but it was what he wanted to hear from her.

“
I
’
m sorry,
”
she whispered.

“
For being dramatic?
”

“
For everything,
”
Mia answered.

Bennett knelt in front of her.
“
If it had been me
…
if I
’
d been sinking under the weight you
’
ve carried this long
—
I don
’
t think I could have done it. But, Mia, I would have helped you.
”

“
And then it would have been your guilt too
…
Do you honestly think that either of our eighteen year old selves could have lived with it and not turned on one another?
”
she demanded.

No. He didn
’
t. There was nothing else to say to that.
“
Get those clothes off and get in the tub. You
’
re half frozen. Savannah
’
s got some clothes stashed around here somewhere. I
’
ll find you something.
”

“
I
’
ll go to Clayton
’
s once I can call him
…
I
’
m not here to put you on the spot. After last night
—
.
”

“
You
’
re not going anywhere tonight. You
’
re going to take a bath, get warmed up, we
’
ll take care of your feet, and then you
’
re going to sleep. For as long as you need.
”

“
I have to talk to Clayton
…
He
’
s got to get Samuel out of that house and make sure that someone is there to take care of
—
.
”

“
Mia! For fuck
’
s sake! Get in the damn tub and for once, trust me to take care of it
…
take care of you.
”

She wilted in front of him. There was no other way to describe it.
“
I know you will,
”
she finally said.

“
Do not apologize or I will lose my shit,
”
he said.
“
Bath. Now.
”

She nodded and he walked out of the room. He grabbed his phone off the table and called the only person he could think of. Matt answered after the second ring.

“
Crawford.
”

“
I need a cell number for Clayton Darcy.
”

“
Am I a fucking search engine?
”

Bennett closed his eyes.
“
Matt, this is not the time. It
’
s about twenty kinds of crazy here right now and I need to talk to that asshole.
”

Matt sighed.
“
Fine.
”

Bennett listened to the sound of tapping keys. At any other time, he
’
d be giving Matt shit about making someone a great secretary, but at the moment his heart just wasn
’
t in it.

Matt rattled off the number, and then added.
“
By the way, there
’
s a pretty blonde in the waiting area outside of my office insisting that she talk to no one but me. She looks a hell of a lot like the chick from that picture.
”

“
That
’
s her sister, Elizabeth Masters. Maiden name was Shelby,
”
Bennett supplied.

“
Katherine Shelby. I
’
ll be damned,
”
Matt muttered.
“
She
’
s the baby sister.
”

“
She
’
s a goddamn psycho who tried to kill Mia and then wormed her way into the house as a caregiver for Patricia.
”

“
Right
…
so why
’
s she here?
”

Bennett sighed.
“
Right now, I can
’
t tell you anything about the workings of a woman
’
s mind. You want to know, ask her. She
’
s apparently been in the mood to confess to a lot of things.
”

“
Okay, then,
”
Matt said.
“
I
’
ll keep you posted.
”

“
Thanks,
”
Bennett said and ended the call. Elizabeth was the last of his concerns at the moment.

He dialed the number Matt had given him. When a male voice clicked on the other end, he said,
“
Clayton?
”

“
Yes.
”

“
Bennett Hayes. Mia is at my house and will be for at least the next twenty-four hours. Your father is with Patricia so you probably want to get somebody on that.
”

Clayton was quiet for a second.
“
Is Mia hurt?
”

“
Physically? No. I don
’
t think so. But that son of a bitch is going to hell for the emotional shit he
’
s put her through.
”

“
That
’
s an understatement
…
I know what he is, Hayes. I
’
ve known for a long time. I
’
m working on that, but taking down someone who is a professional liar like Samuel isn
’
t easy.
”

Bennett said nothing for a moment, just let that simmer.
“
What do you need?
”

“
Something damaging enough to kill his social status. If he thinks he
’
s losing that, he
’
ll come to heel quick enough.
”

Bennett sighed. Mia wasn
’
t the only one who
’
d been keeping a secret.
“
I need you to meet me at my brother
’
s farm in an hour.
”

“
Will I be leaving it alive?
”

Bennett wasn
’
t really sure how to answer that. Emmitt stayed to himself, practically a hermit. He liked it that way. And he hated the Darcys. All of them.
“
Alive, yes. Unscathed? Don
’
t get out of your car unless I
’
m there.
”

“
Fine,
”
Clayton agreed.

Bennett ended that call as well. Standing in the middle of the living room, his phone in hand and his mind whirling with everything that had happened, he took a deep breath. After a couple of minutes, his brain still fogged and enough fury rolling inside him to kill Samuel Darcy with his bare hands, he went to the guest room and gathered up a t-shirt and pair of yoga pants that Savannah had left behind before heading to the too-quiet bathroom.

“
Mia?
”
he called out. She didn
’
t answer.

Bennett opened the door and found her sitting in the tub of water, half asleep.
“
Come on. Let
’
s get you out of there.
”

“
I
’
m not a child,
”
she said, smacking at his hands.

“
I
’
m looking at your naked body
…
no, you
’
re damn well not. But you are asleep on your feet, or your ass at the moment anyway. So stop fighting me and let me help you.
”

“
I don
’
t think I know how,
”
she answered honestly.

“
Figure it out. I don
’
t plan on stopping anytime soon,
”
he shot back as he hauled her to her feet. Wrapping a towel around her he walked her to the bedroom, his bedroom and ushered her inside.

“
Just get under the covers. You can put these on later,
”
he said. She was too tired even to dress herself. He could see her muscles trembling just from the effort of keeping herself upright. For once, she didn
’
t argue. She climbed beneath the dark blue comforter and settled her head onto his pillow. He was pretty sure she was asleep before her body was even horizontal.

Heading back to the living room, he found Carter stealing his bag of chips and what was left of his beer.
“
You dickhead.
”

“
Hey,
”
Carter said,
“
I
’
m just getting out of your way.
”