Mason parks behind us.
I wait at the door until he reaches me. “Will you stay with them and help Piper get her things? We’ll take him down the block somewhere.”
Mason nods after a slight hesitation and gets in the limo. “You got it. Just make sure you get one in for me.”
“You got it.” I hurry after Oliver. He’s already knocking.
The second the door opens, Oliver reaches for Ben. “Come with me.”
“Excuse me? Who are you?”
“Someone who can make your life extremely difficult if you don’t listen.” Oliver definitely has a way of infusing his voice with authority.
“I don’t have to—”
Without waiting for him to finish, Oliver grabs him, twisting his arm against his back and putting him in a hammerlock, pushed up against the wall of the house.
“Yes, you do have to.” He leans in to growl into his ear. “If you don’t cooperate, not only will I break your arm, I’ll alert the authorities and the press about how you’ve been treating Miss Fox. I have friends in higher places than you’ve ever dreamed. Do you understand?”
Like most bullies, Ben capitulates when confronted by a stronger opposition. I don’t have to do anything but stand there, my arms crossed, keeping my expression blank and hard—which isn’t difficult after what he’s done to Piper.
Oliver lets him go, but Ben keeps glancing over at me as if he’s waiting for me to strike.
“Can you walk on your own, or do we need to carry you?” Oliver takes a step toward him.
Ben flinches. “I can walk.”
Oliver adjusts his suit sleeves. “Very good. I’ll let you lead us to the next block, where we will stay until Miss Fox has had the opportunity to gather her possessions.”
Ben hesitates, his eyes darting between us in bewilderment. “Who are you guys?”
“Irrelevant,” I say, my voice low and menacing.
Ben cooperates, but he stares at the limo as we pass and then continues to glance behind him as we move down the tree-lined residential block, past Craftsman- and cottage-style houses.
“Keep your eyes in front of you,” Oliver says.
At the corner, Ben stops and turns to face us, his features contorted with anger. “Who are you? What is she to you?”
Oliver stares at him, expression blank. “You don’t need to worry about it. Turn around.”
Ben laughs bitterly, shaking his head in disgust. “Is she fucking both of you? Trust me. She’s not worth it. She’s a lousy lay.”
The movement is so fast, Ben’s head snaps back and he hits the ground before I’ve registered that Oliver punched him.
Ben moans, rolling on his back in the middle of the sidewalk, clutching his jaw. “I’ll sue you,” he yells, bloody spit flying from his mouth.
Oliver, unruffled, shakes out his hand and then crouches, resting his elbows on his knees. He waits until Ben stops his groaning and meets his eyes. “I have more lawyers than you have teeth. Try it.”
ChapterTwenty-Seven
Archer
Finley texts me the all-clear, and we walk Ben home, making sure he’s inside before meeting them over on the next block, not wanting Piper to have to see him again even if he can’t see her.
We say goodbye to Mason, who has to get back to work. Oliver and I shake his hand, but Finley and Piper take turns giving him giant hugs.
Finley says something to him as I’m getting into the limo, something that makes him grin, his entire face lighting up with the motion.