Page 16 of Second Chance Wedding
Sudden pain seared her palm. Ana forced herself to release the fist and jabbing pressure of her nails biting into her skin and took a steadying breath. “Gentlemen, I-I appreciate your concern, but as that took place before the incident last night, I…give Ben permission to answermelater in private.”
A muscle spasmed in Alec’s strong jaw, and the tension in the room skyrocketed to even higher levels. They’d pressed Ben to help her discover the truth, and here she was throwing it back in their faces. Neither Alec nor Cole appreciated her undermining their effort, and their expressions showed it.
But they questioned her son, and Benji was hers to deal with and handle. At least where that question was concerned.
“Lying will not be tolerated,” Cole said.
“No, it won’t,” Alec said. “We work as a team here. And by taking you on, regardless of why, that means you’re going to be part of that team and held to the same standards.”
“In other words, you’re expected to grow up and be a man,” Cole growled. “Your mother may tolerate your crap, but we won’t. You will be here after school and on weekends, on time, every time. No excuses.”
“What if I’m sick?” Benji asked.
“Like your school, we’ll accept a doctor’s excuse that can and will be verified,” Alec said. “The only other reason is if your mother needs you, but she must make the request personally to one of us so there’s no doubt that it’s coming from her. No other excuse will be tolerated. Is that understood?”
Ana waited, her gaze shifting from Cole to her son. Benji’s face burned hot with his emotions, nostrils flaring with every angry breath.
“You can’t make me work for you,” Benji said, his tone full of snark.
“We have witnesses, photos, and we’ve tried to cooperate with you so that you don’t get into trouble with the law. You’re right. We can’t make you. This is your choice, Ben,” Alec said. “Us or jail. Which is it?”
“Think before you speak, Ben,” she said, cutting herself off before she added thejito his name so as not to anger him even more. “Do you want to go to jail? Because I can’t get you out of that.”
Ben remained silent a long time. He looked as though he fought back tears, but she couldn’t be certain. Anger rolled off her son.
“What do I have to do?”
“You will work with the four of us across our various businesses,” Alec said in no uncertain terms. “And you’ll keep any complaints to yourself while you do it. Your actions are what brought you here. Nothing else.”
“My mom will pay you so I don’t have to work for you.”
Analise winced at the whiny, entitled tone and stretched out a hand to place it on Benji’s arm in the hopes of silencing him. He yanked away from her touch with such a violent motion that all four men stood or straightened to their full height as though ready to jump to her defense.
The silence that followed was deafening as Benjamin received the full weight of the men’s stares in addition to her own. But in that moment, thatsecond, Benjamin seemed to realize he was outnumbered, and he’d be held accountable by these men.
“Your mom paying us is no longer acceptable. It’s all on you, Ben,” Cole growled. “Now watch yourself when you speak and have contact with your mother before we decide to teach you some manners. Understood?”
Ana’s pulse raced at the intensity and anxiety of the moment. The promise she heard in Cole’s words and the affirming stares the Blackwells gave her son made it clear Cole wasn’t the only one upset with Ben.
Maybe their behavior at such a time would be considered intimidation by some, but she reluctantly acknowledged that Cole and his brothers had done what she had been unable to do these last two years. She’d defended herself plenty of times, scolded Ben about yanking away the way he sometimes did. But hearing it from them?
In those seconds, they’d made Benjamin pay attention.
And while it broke her heart to admit it, the lack of positive and corrective male influence in her son’s life had never been more obvious than in that moment. The sight gutted her and left her reeling.
All she’d ever wanted to do was give Benji the best life she possibly could. But she hadn’t been able to give himthis.
Not a father. Not even a grandfather. Nor even a brother to stand shoulder to shoulder, side by side. She’d failed him in so many ways.
Boundaries were being set. Clear guidelines that couldn’t be argued when Ben inevitably tested them. Like a moment ago. Benji needed to know what they’d accept. And what they wouldn’t.
They’d made it blatantly obvious they would not tolerate disrespect and had the wherewithal to enforce it, whereas she’d taken more and more of the abuse because Benji just wouldn’t stop no matter what she said or did.
She forced herself to breathe. To gather her emotions. The moment rocked her to her core, and she both hated and loved the Blackwells as a result. Even while it made her question her parenting skills because she couldn’t get the same result.
“You won’t be quitting this,” Alec said in a firm tone. “You donotget off the hook except by working off the damages. It’s a commitment we expect you to take seriously. You don’t work, you break the agreement, then you find out what the inside of a courtroom and juvie look like. Understood?”
Benji didn’t look at Alec, but after several long, agonizing seconds, her son gave a tight nod.
