Page 31 of Two Hearts' Subterfuge

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Ben stared at his dad, stunned.

“What do you mean, she’s not here?” Ben muttered, his heart flipping over with a thud.

Dad blinked, and then grinned, despite the grim situation. “You’ve really got it bad, don’t you, son?”

“We’ve never even been introduced,” Ben said.

Aylin’s father stepped over to shake his hand. “I’m sorry that you were never properly introduced to my daughter, Ben. I’d like to thank you for rescuing her. I thought that maybe the two of you were meeting for a romantic assignation. Aylin reassured me it was simply a coincidence. She was going stir crazy and just wanted to do a little exploring outside since she had orders from me to stick close to the Inn.”

Despite the circumstances, Ben could swear there was a twinkle in his eyes.

Ben blinked, shaking Mr. Broussard’s hand. “Romantic assignation?”

“Aylin really wanted to thank you herself. She was very disappointed when we told her we needed to send her away with my daughter Desiree and her husband Marc.”

Ben frowned. “Are you sure she’s going to be safe with them? They’re entertainers. Right?”

Dad started coughing.

“Oh, yeah.” Ben smiled wryly. “I forgot that Dad might have mentioned that he was acquainted with them both from some past assignments.”

Mr. Broussard nodded his agreement. “Besides Aylin, no one in our family is quite who they seem to be. They’ve all had to grow up quickly because of some horrific circumstances that I can’t really get into.”

“Okay. So, this meeting must be about something else,” Ben said, glancing around the room. “Mom? You’ve been really quiet. What’s wrong?”

Mom sighed. “Your father’s worried that if these men do a little digging, they might just be able to discover that the person who rescued Aylin was you. Joe here was the first one to agree.”

Mr. Broussard nodded. “They could seek retribution. In fact, that’s been Ash’s primary goal since he teamed up with his uncle, who’s the main player in an Isil cell operating out of Turkey.”

“We don’t even know how Mr. Agha was able to enter this country, let alone find out so quickly and easily where Aylin was staying,” Dad said.

Ben nodded. “So, I gather you have plans for me?”

“Are you still interested in entering the service and eventually operating covertly in law enforcement, kind of like I do?” Dad asked.

“Yes. I want to do something meaningful but have every intention of returning here one day to run the Inn, when you and Mom are ready for semi-retirement. Crystal Rock is my home, and I love it here.”

Dad gave him a wry smile, patting him on the back. “Well, your mother understands why you need to experience a little more than life in Crystal Rock for a while. In fact, I didn’t return to restore the Inn until I was in my thirties. By that time, I was ready to settle down. So now what we need to do is decide which branch of the service you’d be best suited for. Okay? Luckily, you’re a good student, so we can arrange for you to finish school online and get your degree early.”

“Okay,” Ben agreed, definitely feeling dazed.

“Ben?” Mom said in an unsteady voice. “Whatever happens, just promise me that you’ll do everything in your power to not get hurt. I’ve seen what it takes for so many of our wounded warriors to get their lives back. And not just physically.”

Walking over to his Mom, who was staring through the window, he pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly. “I can’t make too many promises Mom, but I can promise that I’ll try my best not to let anything happen.”

“That’s all I can ask,” she answered softly.

Chapter Eighteen

Ten years later

“Dad,” Aylin said, muttering into her cell phone. “I just can’t live like this anymore. You know how much I love my work, but that’s all I do. I’m so sick and tired of having bodyguards watching over me wherever I go. I can’t even go out on a real date.”

“We probably wouldn’t have had to have so many bodyguards if you hadn’t begun modeling,” he muttered.

“Dad. Hear me out. My brand was doing fantastic. My clothing line was doing even better. But to remain relevant, I needed to be out there in public. Besides, I wanted to make enough money to own my own business in a prime location—sooner rather than later.”

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