Bierman had made a move on Furlock at Wyler.

Desperate.

What ends would desperate men stoop to?

Benny.

My Benny.

I heard police sirens outside, not one, many, but I didn’t look out my windows.

I stared at my phone, my brain chanting, call me, call me, call me.

The sirens got close and stayed close. The police were outside.

I clenched my teeth.

How did Benny do it, make a myriad of promises every day and then set about keeping them? Each one. Dozens of them. Small and large. Every day.

A promise kept.

And I could hardly contain myself from moving.

Promise me.

“God,” I whispered, my throat beginning to get scratchy. “Benny.”

I had to stay where I was. I had to keep this promise to Benny. I had to prove to him that when he needed me to do something important, I could do it. When he came back to me, I had to show him that it was okay that he put his faith in me and I kept myself safe for him.

I had to keep my promise.

On this thought, I felt the wave of shock penetrate my office and my head snapped up. Two police officers were walking into Berger’s office with a member of Wyler security. Four more officers were fanning out across the space looking like they were looking for something.

No Tandy.

No Benny.

I kept my seat.

People were moving, freaking, I could hear whispering. I felt eyes on me from other staff, but I kept my gaze on the officers.

And kept my seat.

My throat closed. My eyes stung. I watched Berger move swiftly out of his office with the two policemen and the security guard, and they went directly to the stairwell. Squawky voices could be heard on police radios and two of the officers fanning out made a move toward Bierman’s office.

I watched, my hand clenched around my phone.

And kept my seat.

I quit watching and looked toward the elevators. I locked my eyes there. I kept my grip on my phone.

And kept my seat.

An eternity slid by.

Then the elevators binged.

My chest tightened.

Benny walked out.

My chest loosened, but a tear dropped down my cheek.

He looked around, his eyes came to me, and he walked direct to me. Two police in Bierman’s office, two of them with Heath, Ben passed them as he made it to me, walking through my door, tall, handsome, healthy.

I still kept my seat.

“Tandy?” I asked, my voice scratchy.

“Downstairs with the police,” Benny replied, rounding my desk.

I still kept my seat, twisting my neck to keep my eyes on him.

He came to a stop at my side, cocked his head, his brows drawing, and he asked, “Baby?”

“I can’t move,” I whispered.

Tenderness softened his features before he whispered back, “Come to me, Frankie.”

That was when I could move.

I shot out of chair and into his arms.

They instantly closed strong and tight around me.

***

“They got to her roommate,” Benny told me much later.

That later was after he spoke for-fucking-ever with the police, then got me the fuck out of Wyler and took me home. When we got home, we walked our dog. Then I got into yoga pants and a tee and called to order pizza while Benny talked to Stark.

Finally, we stretched out on the couch, me on top of Benny, which was where we were now.

“The roommate called,” he went on. “Told Tandy they had her and that she had to go to her car in the parking garage. Nabbed her there, put her in their car, took off, and since I was in my SUV, Stark called me and set me on them.”

“How did Stark know where you could find them?”

“My question too,” Benny replied. “At the time, I thought either clairvoyance or he had helicopters.” I grinned at his quip and Ben kept talking, “But he knew where their base was so my guess is he predicted the route they’d take to it. A route that was on my route so Stark called me.”

“And you…what?” I asked, even though I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.

“I was bein’ tailed by Sal and his boys, probably because he was bein’ cautious ’cause he kinda likes you.” That got him another grin. “They came with me and we…” He paused before he finished, “Took care of business.”

“Is that all I want to know?” I asked, having been sequestered in my office while Ben talked to the police so I didn’t hear the full story.

“That’s all you want to know,” he confirmed.

“Was it clean?” I asked.

“Good Samaritans, seein’ a couple of women hustled into a warehouse and investigating,” Ben answered. “I called the cops beforehand so they knew we were there. No gunplay as Sal came in heavy and hot and scared the fuckin’ shit outta them. Figure the police are still scratchin’ their heads that Sal and his boys just happened to be there and were playin’ Good Samaritans. I figure by now they’ve cottoned on to who he is. But their guns, and mine, incidentally, somehow disappeared between there and gettin’ the women back to Wyler. So it’s all good.”

Sal was definitely invited to the engagement party.

“So it’s over,” I remarked, and his arms gave me a squeeze.

“It’s over,” he said softly. “And if Bierman and Barrow already didn’t buy jail time with the serious shit they were pullin’, this latest move would do it. Stark said they had plans in motion to take care of the whole crew who were amateur sleuthing, including women named Kathleen, Jennie, and Miranda. Barrow was picked up on a golf course in Florida. Stark also told me that Barrow kept his shit clean, probably so if anything went wrong, Bierman would take the fall. Nightingale tied him to it though, so he’s gonna be processed and sent back to Indiana to deal with his mess.”

“They seem kinda like private investigator superheroes,” I muttered, and it was Ben’s turn to grin at me. “What I don’t get is why Bierman targeted Lloyd, Heath, and me.”

“Stark had that answer too, babe, seein’ as Bierman and Barrow needed a team to toe the line. Not only were you, that douchebag, and your boss under fire, so was Berger and a number of other people. They were settin’ up to clear house. They already had replacements they’d secretly been interviewing.”

“Whoa,” I whispered.

“Yeah. They knew people were already asking questions, your boss for one and Berger another one. They knew they had to put their own team in place, or at least people who weren’t there before product launch who might ask questions, and they were gearin’ up for that.”

“Dickheads,” I muttered.

“Understatement,” Ben said through a grin.

It was while I was taking in Benny’s grin that a loud pounding came at the door.

Ben’s grin died and his eyes narrowed as he looked toward the door. “Jesus, that always the way the pizza delivery guy knocks?”

“No,” I answered, thinking this also wasn’t the time the pizza delivery guy would be delivering, considering if it was, he had superhuman speed.

Benny sat up, taking me with him and then taking us both to our feet. He left me standing by the couch and stalked to the door in a way that told me the pizza guy was going to get an earful.

I was about to collapse back on to the couch but didn’t when I heard the door open, Ben start to say, “Yo,” but was cut off when I heard Cal bark, “What the fuck, Benny?”

My mouth dropped open at his tone. I felt the heavy anger filling my place and I watched Cal stalk in from my entry, wondering if maybe I shouldn’t have given him the gate code. He stopped and turned to Benny, who sauntered in behind him.

“Let me guess. Sal called you,” Ben stated.

“Fuck yeah, he called me. Jesus, Benny. You went into an unknown situation with Sal as backup and me fifteen miles away, havin’ no clue serious shit was goin’ down?” Cal asked irately.

“As you can see, cugino, I’m breathing,” Benny replied.

“Jesus, fuck me,” Cal muttered as he turned to me. “And you. Shit’s goin’ down at work, you got family five miles away, nothin’?”

“Uh…Ben and Sal had it covered,” I replied.

Before Cal could say a word, there was another knock on the door. I looked to Ben, who was already on his way toward it, then back to Cal, who was scowling at me and ignoring Gus, who appeared to be attempting to climb up Cal’s jeans.

“You want a beer?” I asked.

Cal kept scowling at me.

I didn’t know if that meant yes or no and had no chance to make a guess before I heard Vi snap, “Joe! For goodness’ sake! You can’t go tearing into someone’s house at dinnertime.”

Then Vi stormed in with Angie cradled in an arm, Kate and Keira on her heels.

“Hey, Frankie,” Kate called on a smile.

“Hey, baby.” I smiled back as she didn’t ignore Gus when he waddle-galloped to her. She bent, picked him up, and gave him a cuddle.

“Yo, Frankie,” Keira greeted.

“Hey, honey,” I returned.

“I think we need more pizza,” Ben muttered, coming in after the girls.

“Cool! Pizza!” Keira cried, grabbing on to Angie but not getting very far. She got her little sister out of her mother’s arms only to have Joe stalk to her and pull her into his own.

He did this automatically, his attention still on Benny.

“Ben. Explanation,” he growled.

Benny was on his way to the kitchen and he stayed true to his path while saying, “I’m not explainin’ anything.” He opened the fridge and looked to Vi, then the girls. “Vi? Girls? Drink?”

“Diet Coke,” Kate ordered.

“Does Frankie have any of that diet Fanta Grape?” Keira asked.

“Is she Frankie?” Benny asked back to Keira, and I found myself smiling again.

“That for me,” Keira put in her order.

“Me too,” Vi called, moving toward a chair and taking a load off. She then looked up at me. “You got any games?”

“We’re not playin’ a fuckin’ game,” Cal bit out.

“We’re not havin’ an argument either,” Vi returned, twisting in her seat to look at her husband. “They’re fine. So now we’re havin’ pizza and family time.” Then she turned to me. “And I have to tell you about Virgin Gorda. Oh my God, Frankie. You have to take Benny there.”

“Fuck me,” Cal muttered and another knock came at the door.

Benny came out of the kitchen with cans of pop while Cal stalked to the door.

“We’ll have to eat pizza in waves,” I noted as he handed Vi her can.

“I’m on it,” he said. Giving cans to Kate and Keira, he headed to the door, hand to his back pocket probably to get out his wallet to pay the pizza guy.

“You guys want glasses?” I asked the girls, ready to head to the fridge to polish off Ben’s hosting skills.

They didn’t get answers in.

This was because I turned toward the entryway when I heard Sal exclaim, “Dear God, Cal, she’s a beauty!”

Two seconds later, Sal walked into my living room with Angie held up to his face, Cal prowling close to his back with an expression like thunder, and Benny joining the party last, looking part-resigned, part-annoyed, and part-like he was about to burst out laughing.

“Who’s a beautiful girl? Who’s a pretty baby?” Sal cooed, then cuddled Angie close to his chest, looking into the room. He spied Vi, Kate, and Keira and turned back to Cal. “You did good, figlio, a room filled with beauties.” He turned back. “Hello, girls,” he greeted Kate and Keira. “I’m Uncle Sal.”

“I’m Kate,” Kate told him.

“I know,” Sal told her.

“I’m Keira,” Keira told him.

“I know that too, bella,” Sal told her.

“You wanna give me my daughter back?” Cal butted into the conversation.

“No,” Sal answered.

“That wasn’t really a question,” Cal pointed out.

“Take this beauty from me, I’ll cut off your hand,” Sal shot back.

Cal looked to his boots before he repeated, “Fuck me.”

“Do I have to say, again, how I’d prefer you refrain from the f-word in front of my girls? All of them?” Vi snapped.

“Buddy, Angie doesn’t even understand what I’m sayin’,” Cal bit out.

“Let’s not let her understand that particular part of what you’re sayin’ until she’s about twenty-three,” Vi fired back.

“Yeah.” I heard Benny say at this point. “This is Benny Bianchi. Twenty minutes ago, we ordered a pizza to go to The Brendal. I need”—he looked through the room—“two more. Large.”

“I like pepperoni!” Keira shouted.

“Sausage!” Kate yelled.