Page 50 of Let Me
“You didn’t answer your phone.”
“Can I help you?” I ask, trying to keep my voice from shaking.
His eyes snake over my frame and I feel suddenly nervous. But Benji wouldn’t hurt me, because surely Caden wouldn’t be okay with that. But it dawns on me that I have no idea what Caden would be okay with anymore, and besides that, Caden had Benji follow us in the woods.
Benji’s eyes look dark green right now, and I catch a glimpse of a tattoo beneath his shirtsleeve.
“Actually,” he says, straightening and sliding his hands in his pockets, “you can help me.”
I wait, keeping the door propped open against my shoulder. I couldn’t move fast enough to slam the door in his face, and beyond him, in the marbled hallway, there’s no one. I don’t evenhearanything beyond this door.
At my back, music is still playing from the bathroom speakers. Katatonia.
Benji lifts a brow. “You having a party in there? It’s only noon.”
I don’t respond, only narrow my eyes, trying to look braver than I feel.
He smiles, no warmth in his dark eyes. “Why haven’t you gone home, Riley?” He nearly croons the words, as if he might want to seduce me to my death. “Your flight was supposed to leave today. It was cancelled. Why?”
I try not to show any surprise that he knows that. I never knew Benji well. Never got to know much of anyone in Caden’s circle well. I only saw glimpses of them at the Virani’s house. But Caden was finishing up law school. They didn’t all hang around that often. And Benji always kind of scared me.
“Why does it matter to you what happened with my flight?”
“Are you here to fuck with Caden?” Benji asks, taking a step closer to me. I resist the urge to back up.
“No.” That isn’t a lie. “You two were the ones who cornered me in the woods,” I point out.
He allows himself a smile small, brushes his thumb over his mouth. “Then why? Why Haven? Surely you know he lives here?”
I had conveniently forgotten as much when I called Morgan. But I did know. Tyler had told me, months ago when SVE was in Toronto’s paper.
“I have no business with Caden.”
Benji huffs out a laugh. “I hope not. Because if you do, Riley…” he trails off, looking down at his black shoes. “Well,” he drags his gaze up to my face again, “it won’t end well for you. And if I were you,” he continues, looking as if he’s simply striking a bargain with a colleague and not threatening me in the hall of a 5-star hotel, “I’d get on a plane and leave. As fast as I could.”
At this,Ilaugh. Immediately, I wish I hadn’t. Because even though he shouldn’t, somehow, Benji knows.
“You need a flight.” It isn’t a question, and I don’t say anything, but the blush on my cheeks must answer for me because Benji’s cold smile widens. “I can help you with that.” He reaches in his back pocket, grabs his wallet from his jeans, and opens it up, thick hundred-dollar bills inside. He pulls outtenof them. Ten. He counts them in front of me, folds the bills in half, puts his wallet back in his jeans, and hands the money to me.
I shake my head, even though I can’t stop staring at it. That’s more money than I’ve everseenin my life. Sure, the Viranis own half of Ontario, but they don’t throw bills around like it’s confetti.
“No,” I say, frowning. “I’m not taking money from you.”
But Benji is still holding the money out, and I meet his gaze. “Take it and get out of here. Never come back.”
Anger lashes through me. “You can’t order me out of this city,” I say, shoving his hand away. He drops it by his side, the money in his clenched fist.
“I can. And I am. If you don’t leave, I’m going to make you wish you hadneverstepped foot in Haven. You think the woods was scary? You haven’t seen anything, Riley.”
I snort. “You don’t scare me.” A lie.
His eyes narrow. “Don’t you think you’ve tortured Caden enough?”
My hand whips over the side of his face before I can think through what the hell I’m doing. I jump back after his head snaps around, not from my slap, but from shock.
His eyes narrow, a red mark blooming on his tan skin, and he takes a step forward, a vein throbbing in his neck, but he doesn’t touch me.
“What does his dad have on you?”
