Encountering Evil: Dark Horse Guardians Book Two (21 page)

~ Lara ~

Lara gave Ben and William plenty of time to be alone. She walked along the beach and collected shells and sea glass as she marveled at the remarkable beauty of the place. Prince Edward Island was soothing to her soul and she did not want to leave. She made a promise to herself to come there every summer with Ben. He seemed so happy in this remote rustic location. Lara could tell it was special to him somehow. He was relaxed and the hyper-vigilance seemed to disappear. The Ben she saw the past few days on the island was relaxed, humorous, rested, and happy. It was perfect timing for him to be with his son.

Sienna only allowed William to stay for one night and the car service would take him home. That would give Lara two days alone with Ben before driving back to their crazy busy lives. She looked forward to being alone with him and doing simple things like swimming or reading. Lara explored the cottage which, in her opinion, was a work of art. She relished the time alone and examined every miniscule detail about it. Originally built in 1940, it retained all of the original features with very few changes. The kitchen had the original cabinetry and it was beautifully handcrafted with dove-tailed details. There was a huge slate sink and sideboard. An antique wood-fired cook stove, expertly restored, took up one whole wall in the kitchen. The floors were smooth old pine stained a honey color. The walls were tongue-in-groove pine painted white. In fact, the whole cottage was white... The windows and doors were original and the outside was covered with cedar shakes that had been recently replaced. All of the furnishings were down-filled and comfortable with sensible slipcovers. A lovely original fireplace graced one wall in the parlor. There was no formal dining room.  But there was an eat-in kitchen complete with a breakfast nook that overlooked the breathtaking view of ocean and beach. The beachside had a rustic open porch with comfortable furnishings on it. Lara hung out there reading while waiting for Ben and William to return from their run.  She imagined what the conversation between father and son might be – William would be curious, no doubt.  She hoped Ben would be comfortable enough to answer his innocent questions. 

~ Ben ~

Ben was excited to have William at the cottage for dinner and had not spent the night with his son since he could remember. Dinner was a casual affair. Ben cooked on the grill and Lara helped make a delicious dessert. Ben noticed how easy the conversation between William and Lara flowed. Because she e-mailed him and stayed in contact, it seemed they just picked up where they left off. Lara knew details about Ben's son that
he
didn't even know.
How did this happen?
He was grateful that William felt so comfortable in Lara's presence. The young boy talked openly with her and, while cooking, Ben soaked in everything William said. They made a fire on the beach and roasted marshmallows with graham crackers, layered with Hershey's chocolate. Ben silently vowed to contact William more frequently to follow Lara's lead. He chastised himself for being able to ferret out an enemy in a foreign country, but he couldn't find a way to get close to his own son; he detected a sad irony in that.

The next morning the car service arrived and swept William away to the train and the long ride home. But William seemed happy. The young boy smiled and hugged Ben, “I’ve had a wonderful time with you, Dad, and with Lara.” William even called him
dad
. Ben felt strong emotion course through him as he watched the car pull away. He clenched his jaw and fought back the tears that threatened to form in his eyes. He averted his gaze from the receding taillights of the car and focused his attention on Lara. She had tossed the ball into the surf and Einstein was retrieving it. Ben knew this game could go on forever. He joined her until Einstein was exhausted. The weather had been sunny and warm, but dark clouds were arriving from the west and Ben waved Lara inside. She grimaced and complained, "Oh, it would rain
now
…just when we are alone…" But, Ben, thought he’d make the best of the situation and chuckled, "Oh, darlin'…that's just
perfect
. We are alone. It's raining. And, we have to stay inside…" He chased Lara around the house and finally caught her in the parlor.

With strong arms Ben pinned her to the sofa and tickled her with his beard. "Oh
God, I'll be glad when that beard is gone!" she laughed. Ben gazed into her beautiful face and felt like the luckiest man in the world. "Well, if you
don't
like the beard, there are other ways I can touch you…and make you feel good." Holding a bottle of massage oil, Ben slipped Lara's shirt off. He gently began massaging her neck and back with his hands and he felt the tension slip away from her body. “Mmm, that feels so good…” she murmured.  He whispered, “Good, I will continue.” And, he slipped her shorts off and feasted his eyes for a moment on her lovely naked body. “Would you like me to do your lower back?”  He asked.  “Yes, please.” She replied in a relaxed voice.  Expertly, Ben applied more oil to his hands and stroked the muscles of her lower back and shapely rear.  After twenty minutes, Lara offered to massage him…just what he was hoping for.

Facing him,
she took his shirt off and ran her oiled hands over his muscled chest and biceps pausing to touch the Celtic cross tattoo on his arm. Already, Ben was enjoying this massage, but he had a feeling it wouldn’t last very long. When her eyes met his, he couldn’t resist kissing her and as he did he cupped her perfectly shaped bottom in his broad hands bringing her onto his lap. Lara slowly unbuttoned his fly. He thought the anticipation was going to drive him crazy. Eventually, she slipped his pants down and ran her oiled hands over his legs working her way up to his thighs. He closed his eyes and let himself fall back onto the sofa. He was hers. For the first time, she was exploring
him
and it was heavenly.

For Lara to take the initiative with him like this was meaningful. For Ben it implied that she finally felt comfortable enough with him to experiment. It had taken him a long time to gain Lara's trust. He felt she was truly at ease with him now and for the first time she was letting herself live in the moment. He could sense she was nervous and unsure of what to do. But he did not instruct her. It would have ruined the
sensual moment for both of them. Instead, Ben remained patient and through half-closed eyes, watched as she explored him instinctively.

That night at the cottage was beautiful and tender for Ben. He had never enjoyed lovemaking so much. And that was the difference with Lara. It wasn't sex with her, it was
lovemaking
. Ben was starkly aware of how much he was immersed in loving Lara. He slept like a rock that night. No night terrors, no bad dreams, no hyper-vigilance…just the sound of the waves lapping on the shore, the light rain pattering on the roof, and the soft breathing of Lara in his arms as she slept.
He imagined this must be what heaven felt like
. He wanted more than anything to take her with him on the mission and stow her away. Being away from her now that he knew what life was like
with
her became his greatest challenge. He knew she would miss his daily presence in her life. But he also knew she could not imagine the magnitude of the emptiness
he
would feel being without her for weeks on end. For the first time in his life, Ben dreaded the mission that lay before him. He wished it could be a quick in and out type of thing. But it would be the longest time he had ever been away from her.

~ Lara ~

Two days of unbridled lovemaking was more relaxing than Lara could have imagined. A year ago, if anyone had told her what her life would be like right now, she would have laughed. But finally, she was losing the self-conscious inhibitions that plagued her all of her life. There was no more anxiety or nervousness with Ben. It was as if he could read her mind. Lara didn't want to leave the cottage and drive back to Portland, back to work and appointments and the crazy schedule that Ben kept. But, she also knew they had to return and get back to business. Although, the business of the past two days with Ben was something she much preferred.

The whole trip to Newton Massachusetts and to Prince Edward Island made her feel closer to Ben. She understood him better, it seemed. There was much more to him than his Navy career. He was a young boy at one time and yes, the Navy shaped him, but there was a man inside the uniform with deep feelings, an amazing sense of humor and incredible intellect. It seemed the more time she spent with Ben the more she fell in love with him. And, she still wanted to ask him about the lovely dark-haired girl in the photograph that he snatched out of her hand in his bedroom. There
had
to be a story behind that. She decided to ask him on the long drive home.

With the Cadillac packed they were on the road heading back to Maine. Lara waited about an hour before she popped the question, "Who was the girl in the photograph?" She watched as Ben's demeanor changed and she knew he was searching for the right words. "What girl?" Ben asked giving her a sidelong glance. He was smiling just a little. Lara felt he was teasing her, "Oh, come on, Ben. She
had
to be someone special. You must have been what – sixteen or seventeen in that photograph? Was she a girlfriend from high school?" His response was elusive, "Her name was Abby. We were close good friends in high school…let's leave it at that." Lara saw the flash in his blue eyes and knew when to quit. Obviously, this was a girl who meant something to him at one time, but he didn't want to talk about it. She understood. There were things that happened to her in her high school years that she wanted to forget about, too. Some skeletons were better left in the closet.

Lara turned her attention to answering several voice mails during the long ride. Some of the renovation projects needed her attention and she would be busy upon her return. And, she dreaded the fact that Ben would be going away on a six week long mission, and she'd be moving into Clearwater Farm without him being there. But, she knew she had to brace herself for the days and weeks ahead for they would be filled with harried schedules and lots of worrying about Ben.

~ Bettencourt ~

Tired of the constant police protection, Bettencourt lived his life with the expectation that Ali Farouz's henchmen could be around every corner. He had taken the blame, or the credit, for shooting the last two assassins at the hospital. Not much was said, in fact, he was considered a hero. But he was getting tired of looking over his shoulder every minute and wanted to make some changes. Consulting with his cohorts at the station, the officer decided to move to another part of town and bring the elaborate security system Ben helped him install with him. He also switched vehicles and stayed out of public places except when on duty. But he felt he was a wanted man and sensed it was only a matter of time before Ali Farouz sent his goons to pounce upon him again seeking the whereabouts of Nadia.

Meanwhile, Bettencourt heard through back-channels that Nadia was doing well in Rhode Island and he shared this information in a conversation with Lara. All he could tell her was the family she was now living with helped her tremendously. She was finishing her last year of high school and thriving. Her starved and beaten body needed months to recuperate, but at least she was improving. He didn't regret the intervention. Bettencourt knew he probably saved Nadia’s life.

Monique had been a tremendous help to Bettencourt and he was thankful for her company. There were many nights she invited him to her parent's home and he would sit on the back porch talking with her. He was still followed everywhere by a plain clothes detective in case anything happened. It was a strange way to live. It was as if he was back in Iraq or Afghanistan watching his back every minute of every day. Police work was dangerous enough without being hunted by a terrorist. The police department offered to transfer him out of the area for a period of time and he was considering the offer. There was an opening at the Falmouth Police Department and he had scheduled an interview with the chief there tomorrow. He was also thinking of assuming a new identity when he made the move. It would be a pain in the ass, but once it was done, it would be much more difficult for Farouz’s men to find him.

~ Ben ~

Returning to Portland, the first order of business for Ben was to check in with Bettencourt. He was pleased he moved out of the seedy apartment in the bowels of Portland. The move took place in the middle of the night with an unmarked moving van and Ben checked the security system in the new place. Ben also noticed signs of Monique staying there. Lipstick, body creams and other feminine items were strewn about the place and Ben smiled to himself. Bettencourt had been a lonely man for at least two years. He was happy that his friend had finally gotten into a relationship with a caring woman. This would cut down on the time he was spending drowning his sorrows at local taverns
or nursing a six-pack alone on his sofa.

Knowing that Bettencourt was a marked man, Ben was reluctant to get him involved with Lara's move to Clearwater Farm. Lara was now packing up personal items for the movers and purchasing furniture to be delivered to the house. Ben did not want to burden Bettencourt with more responsibility, nor did he want to put Lara in harm's way. Ben had tracked Ali Farouz to the Boston area and was getting an exact location on him. Preparing to insert himself into the compound outside of Springfield absorbed all of his attention once he returned home.