Talia shrugged. “But you don’t count. You’re my best friend and only best friends can dance in front of each other with wild abandon.”
Katherine raised an eyebrow, handing Talia a glass of wine. “I wasn’t aware there were rules to the friendship thing.”
Talia nodded. “Oh, there are. Don’t worry, I’ll teach you everything. I’ve got you.”
Katherine had to fight back the tears that were threatening to fall again. She knew Talia had her back. Ben had told her she had a circle of people who cared about her and were willing to stand in her corner. It was a foreign feeling, but one she appreciated more than she would have ever expected. She’d thought the lone wolf way of life was the way to go. No one could hurt you if no one got in. The people in her life now were not fans of that mindset and had quickly changed her opinion.
She watched as Talia threw one arm up, the other hand still clutching the wine glass as she did some wild dance move, her head bobbing back and forth as she spun around, a smile of pure bliss on her face. Katherine put down her own wine glass and joined her.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ben
HE CLOSED THE LAPTOP and powered down his office computer before standing up, righting his suit and grabbing his wallet from his desk drawer. It was a good day. The week was off to a great start and he had finally caught up on all the work that had been piling up since the day Katherine had disappeared. It had been a little embarrassing to realize how badly he had let things slide as he focused all his time and energy on finding Katherine.
Now that she was back and determined to stay, he was able to focus on his company. He was already planning on extravagant gifts to be delivered to his management team that had picked up the slack. He had a whole new lease on life and had a little extra spunk as he looked forward to what he hoped was a very promising future with Katherine.
“I’m headed out,” he said, stopping at Rachel’s desk.
“Tell Will I said hi,” she said with a smile.
Ben chuckled. “I will. Thank you for letting me borrow him.”
&nbs
p; She giggled. “I can share him. Just don’t forget he’s mine after five,” she said with a wink.
Ben nodded. “Yes ma’am. I’ll make sure to keep that in mind.”
He made his way out of the building, anxious to talk to his best friend Will. With being caught up with Katherine and all that drama, and Will exploring his new relationship with Rachel, they hadn’t talked in a couple weeks beyond the occasional text or in passing. It was time to catch up and solidify their friendship.
When he got to the restaurant, Will was already there. His head was down as he focused on the tablet resting on the table. Ben knew he was probably hard at work arranging the next big event. Will paid attention to every detail, which was why he was the best at what he did.
“Hey, I know you,” he said, looking up.
“Ha. Ha.”
Ben sat down, quickly ordered a diet cola and settled in.
“I’m glad she’s back,” Will said right away.
“Me too. I can’t tell you what a relief it was to know she was okay. I let my mind go to some very dark places.”
Will nodded his head. “I can imagine. Rachel said Katherine has some big plan to free herself from the guy?”
Ben grimaced. “She does. I’m not exactly thrilled with it, but this is what she wants to do.”
“Is it dangerous?”
Ben quickly filled him in about the documents Katherine had that proved he’d bribed judges and jurors. Will’s face was a mixture of shock and anger.
“She is convinced he would rather save his career than pursue her or the lawsuit against me. I’m not so certain he won’t try to make her go away. Maybe I’ve watched too many movies, but a man who beats a woman, bribes judges and pays off jurors isn’t a pillar of the community. He’s one of the bad guys. A really bad guy and I’m sure he’s not afraid to take drastic measures to protect his image and lifestyle,” Ben said, expressing the opinion that had been on his mind since Katherine had told him of her plan.
“It is definitely risky. There’s no other way?”
Ben shrugged his shoulders. “She doesn’t think so. I offered to pay Tim. Money talks and that’s what that man wants. She thinks he would just keep coming back for more. She’s probably right, but I don’t like the idea of her showing her hand.”
Will nodded. “It is risky, but she knows him better than you or any of us. It could work. I do agree that if you pay him there is nothing to stop him from continuing to extort you, especially if you and Katherine are together. He’ll threaten her, and you’ll pay.”