We want you.Teilo, to make his point, slung his arm around Ben’s waist and held on tightly.
That’s not what you mean is it?
Ben met Nico’s stare.No. I know I’m probably confusing things when I projected how much I wanted to go back to the council and lead so I could stop what happened to you two. I’m not sure if that’s what you guys want.
We want what you want.Teilo snuggled in and drew Ben’s attention to those around us who were watching.
Let’s deal with Beaumont, then we can talk about this some more.
Dealing with Beaumont didn’t turn out to be all that easy with how much he had to say about Ben’s behavior. It took an hour of Mom feeding him and soothing him before they could go back to what had brought him to Paraguay in the first place.
“So, this email,” Ben held up Beaumont’s phone as the other man wiped his lips, “is the only one I’ve supposedly sent asking for a transfer of thirty million dollars for project TTB01?”
“Yes. I checked the project and found there were several large transfers of money early on, only those stopped about a decade ago. There’s no explanation as to why. There is very little information on what the money was used for. It’s color-coded black.”
“What does that mean?” Niro asked from his position leaning against the wall where he’d gone when the enforcers had positioned themselves around their living room.
“That it only had either one or two key personal who have access to the data.” Ben’s gaze shifted to Beaumont. “I’m betting it was the old council leader, right? And he’d have had the only access.”
Beaumont shifted his bulk on the chair. “And one other, only there’s no name. No indication of who it is and even if they are part of the council. It could be anyone,” he snapped angrily. “Being a part of the council is supposed to bring pride and honor. All I feel is the disgrace of being associated with all this.” He stabbed at the cell phone Ben still held.
“I feel you, I really do.” Ben offered back the phone. “I never made that request. So, I’m assuming our boys who have returned to the States are looking to set up business again. It has to be them, right? Because who else has access to the account used before for transferring funds?”
“If they want the money transferred to a bank here, then I’d suggest they are planning on coming back here,” Kylo responded, looking ten years older in the space of a second.
Beaumont frowned, looking at Kylo. “Why do you say that?”
“Money transfers into banks here are easy. Getting them transferred to other places from here is very hard. It will create too many questions, unless it’s feeding into one of the corrupt fucker’s accounts that manages things down here.” Kylo glanced at Mom when she made a noise in the back of her throat. “Sorry, Mom.” To Beaumont, he shrugged. “As I say, in is okay, out is difficult.”
“But not impossible?” Beaumont persisted.
“Nothing is impossible by today’s standards,” Niro muttered, his gaze on Ben’s mates.
“They haven’t got a building,” Teilo added.
Ben ran a hand down his tense arm. “No, they don’t, and those who skipped home won’t know that… unless they’ve got some of the Devil’s men checking the place.”
“The Devil?” Beaumont stared around the room. “Who is that?”
“We don’t know. Folks here aren’t inclined to share that information and would rather be put away for life than share who he is.”
Beaumont got up and paced in the little space left in the packed room. “What have you got me tied up in?”
Ben followed and stood. “This all started long before me. I’ve a feeling that whatever the old council leader got up to in his very long reign will take decades, if not longer, to unpick and fix. We are stumbling around in the dark, finding things more by chance than anything else.
“Urt wanted to recreate himself and, in doing so, set off a chain of events that have far-reaching consequences beyond anything I think he considered due to his ego and lack of understanding around human emotions. He didn’t factor in that others would take that information and use it for their own benefit. Not everyone feared him, and he misjudged others because of it.
“The scientists, in some ways, are the same. Humans driven by egos who have no clue what they are messing with. They didn’t understand the uniqueness of my wonderful mates, and that proves to me shifters aren’t involved… or not anymore.” The truth of what he spoke sent chills through Ben. Could he inflict a life of seeking answers on his mates after everything they’d already endured in their brief existence?
“I don’t want to lead the council,” he said aloud as the reality took root, burrowed deep, and blossomed out.
Beaumont stopped pacing as Ben’s family all stared at him like it was the first time they were seeing him. “I don’t.” He held his mates’ gazes. “I want to help eradicate those who hurt my mates. After that, I want to find a small island in the middle of nowhere, fill it with all the delightful things my mates might want to try—”
“Ice cream, all the different flavors?” Teilo’s excitement was palpable as he could sense Ben was speaking his truth through their bond.
“Yes T, every flavor there is.” Ben grinned at him, then at Nico who wore a rather bemused look at the turn of events.
“Great! What about me? Who is going to help me clear up this damned mess?”
