Page 11 of Going Down Smooth: Part One

Not wanting to continue talking about Mercy I quickly change the subject. “Where’s the old man? Benjamin called me here for something, so I better get in there. You know how he is with his schedule,” I say as I back out of the kitchen.

“Benjamin wanted to meet?” She seems confused, her eyes look up towards the ceiling as she searches her thoughts for his reasons. She shrugs after a moment, tossing flour on her rolling pin as she speaks. “Well, I know they were all in his office so you should be able to find him there.” She smiles, her head goes down as she focuses on the work in front of her as I turn and leave her to it.

“Oh, and Knight,” she yells behind me as I pause in the hallway.

“Yes, ma’am,” I reply.

“Don’t be a stranger. Bring the pack around so that I can see your faces,” she calls out from the other room. I hang my head. I can’t make a promise I’m not sure I can keep. It’s not fair to her, so I keep my response as ambiguous as I can.

“I will be in touch,” I say to her as she begins to hum, already lost in her pasta making. As I make my way through the house, I make a mental note to talk to my brothers about paying Seneca a visit. It is the least we can do.

* * *

“Don’t you see this as a sign, Benjamin? It’s time to sell the Smooth Bourbon. You need a break, and we can spend more time with Seneca as a pack. Plus, the church—”

“This is what this is ultimately about. Funding for the church, isn’t it, Christopher. Not my news but what you can gain from it.” I pause as I turn down the hall leading toward Benjamin’s office. I can hear the Alphas’ heated argument, and as much as I don’t want to eavesdrop, I can’t unhear any of it.

“Benjamin. Calm down, Brother. I am sure Chris didn’t mean it that way,” Edward says calmly, always the voice of reason. He was always the easiest of Mercy’s dads to be around.

“No, Edward, don’t come to his rescue. I need Christopher to be honest with me. I can feel your warring emotions through our bond. Spit it out, Christopher. Now!” The power behind Benjamin’s bark has me fighting against my feet moving. I don’t know what this is about, but I don’t think they would take kindly to me interrupting.

“Must I spell it out? Fine. Mercy. This is all about her. Everything you’ve done since she left. You threw yourself into your work. To the point where now your health is compromised. How long before Seneca feels your suffering through our bond? You can’t hide it forever, Benjamin. She asked if you were OK just this morning. She senses the unease between us, Ben. Sell the company. Take the time you need to rest. Our daughters are mated to good packs. You can’t keep pushing yourself like this,” Christopher replies, but there is a lack of care in his voice that makes my hackles rise.

“Mercy is my blood. Yes, I love all of my daughters, but she is my legacy. I have no one else to take on Smooth Bourbon. I promised this to her. And no, not all our daughters are mated. Hell, Faith is not happy. Our eldest daughter is struggling, and our hands are tied in her case. I don’t want to make any more mistakes. I just want to make this right. I owe it to Mercy—”

“Oh, you don’t owe her shit, Benjamin. She ran. Rejected her Alphas. Embarrassed our family. It’s a wonder we got a decent pack for Grace. As far as I’m concerned, we have two daughters!” Christopher shouts, making me look over my shoulder suddenly for Seneca. I am sure she is feeling all of this, and as if on cue, the sound of her rushed shuffle sends my feet moving toward the door.

“Take it back, Christopher. You don’t mean that!” Edward shouts back.

“I mean every word!” Christopher hisses back.

I knock on the frame of the door, stopping their standoff. Benjamin leans over his desk, head down, the weight of the world on his shoulders. Edward and Christopher face each other, the once calm Alpha’s chest is heaving, eyes wild, ready to rip Christopher to shreds.

Benjamin raises his head slowly and smiles. “Oh, Knight, just in time. Come in.” He beckons me forward with his hand.

“Why is he here?” Christopher throws his hand in my direction. His disregard for not using my name makes me bristle but I ignore him as I confidently move into the room.

“What on earth is happening in here?” Seneca asks from the door, her brows creased as she rubs her chest in discomfort. All three Alphas turn toward her, their faces immediately soften, all traces of their previous conversation gone as they try to shield her from their fight. I know for a fact that she felt it all. Why they feel the need to hide it from her is a mystery.

“Sen. Come, let me help you with dinner. All is well, my beautiful Omega.” Edward’s voice is once more docile and soothing as he approaches Seneca, gathering her in his arms. He purrs as he ushers her out of the room. I can hear her whispering questions, but Edward continues to reassure her that everything is fine as they make their way down the hall.

I take a seat on one of the many couches in Benjamin’s office. The glass coffee table separates me from Christopher as he continues to stare me down. Like I’m the offending presence in the room. He has said and done enough in my opinion. I can’t believe he said those things about Mercy. She is his daughter.

“Leave,” Benjamin commands his packmate. Again, the power behind his bark has me forcing myself to remain on my ass. Christopher looks shocked by the dismissal but says nothing more as he storms out of the room.

Benjamin watches Christopher leave, the sound of his heavy footfalls can be heard as he stumps away in a huff. Benjamin’s head drops as I take in the aging Alpha in front of me. His once tall, robust body seems slimmer, his bright brown eyes are dull and tired with black circles, from lack of sleep perhaps. His dark brown skin appears pale and ashen against the grey suit he’s wearing. Something is wrong. From the state of his appearance and what I overheard my only conclusion is that Benjamin Smooth is sick.

He finally raises his head again. “So, I am sure you heard all of that,” he says, removing his suit coat, my suspicions are confirmed by the way his white button down falls limp against his once muscular frame.

“I tried not to, but it was hard not to listen.” I sigh as I run my hands down my face. “I’m sorry, Ben, but why am I here? This is clearly pack business and I’m—”

“You boys are pack whether you want to be or not. I shouldn’t have forced her. I should have let the inevitable happen between the five of you. Your pack had already formed. I made the mistake once she presented to force a bond between you all,” he says, his grief for the loss of his daughter weighs so heavily in the room I feel like I am breathing through soup.

“You did what you thought was best. Mercy is stubborn. We all made mistakes in the weeks after she changed. But what’s done is done. She is gone and she’s not coming back. Nate says she is doing well, from what he can see from her social media pages. Started her own consultancy company as well. You should be proud.” He nods his head at my words as he sits across from me. He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees and looks up at me.

“I know she’s doing well. My daughter might be estranged, but I am very much aware of what she’s been up to these past five years. I am proud of her, but I need her home. I need her more than ever now. Smooth Bourbon needs a caretaker, one who loves the business just as much, if not more, than me. It needs Mercy. I’ve been preparing her for this as well as the four of you,” he says with a hint of desperation in his voice that is so unlike him that I lean forward with my brows raised in question.

“I’m not sure I understand what you want from me or my pack.” I am confused, but he is right. Smooth Bourbon should be run by Mercy. “It will be a while before you need to worry about passing the torch though, right? Unless—” I pause, all the clues come together in my head painting a grim picture in front of me.

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