Another chuckle. Manny was endlessly amused with the horrors around him. “There’s no such thing as a little girl. They’re all born venomous, and you should know. Benjamin, how many times do you have to learn this lesson? I assure you those girls, as you call them, have committed more atrocities than you can imagine and they are part of my army, though they believe I’m just a client. Actually, it was my grandfather who set up the network. Apparently the medical profession didn’t pay much in the beginning, but he did meet some poor people in the old country who didn’t mind selling their useless daughters. Now I want my naughty girls back.”
Ben remembered how Sosa reacted to Manny’s photograph, and his stomach threatened to revolt. “So now you rape children.”
“Benjamin, I wouldn’t touch a woman for anything other than procreation.” His disgust was plain in his tone. “You’re the one with that sad bourgeois notion that you need a female in order to be a man. I assure you they’re easy to hire, and maids and cooks won’t expect you to dance to their tunes. And if they do, you can kill them and bury them in the garden. Have you wondered why the roses bloom so beautifully at my home in Montreal?”
Every word from his mouth turned Ben’s stomach. He was glad Kenzie was locked in the bathroom because he wouldn’t want her to overhear this. The menace in his voice felt like it could come over the line and crawl into his veins, poisoning him. Still, it was all data. All information he could take to her father. She would forgive him when hegot the intel they needed to bring Manny down.
And then what? He’d practically told her he didn’t want her to live with him. Why the fuck had he said that? Because he couldn’t imagine her being happy with him long term? Because she was sunshine, and everything he loved seemed to turn to ash?
“Excellent. You’re a murderer. We already knew that.”
“Is it murder or simply taking out the trash?” Manny asked.
“And we all know you’ve had at least one girlfriend. Have you considered that the reason you can’t get a girl is because you’re a walking, talking piece of shit? The only way you could get one in bed is to pay her.”
“Is that what I did with Deanna? You know the funny thing is she didn’t want to have an affair with me. She loved you. Which was why when I explained to her if she didn’t fuck me, you would have a terrible accident and your career would be over. She was so proud of how you threw a ball around.”
His heart clenched. “You threatened her?”
“I blackmailed her. It was fun. Not the sex. That was a simple task. You see for a man like you, having your precious woman violated by a stronger man is devastating, and I wanted to devastate you. I didn’t expect for you to actually survive that accident.”
He forced himself to stand there, to not punch something. “Yes, that was clear. What do you want, Manny? I’m not going to discuss the past.”
“Because you think Deanna is in the past.”
The words stopped him. He heard the bathroom door open and Kenzie walked out, the robe carefully pulled around her and her hair in a long braid. She’d washed the makeup off her face and there was no expression there as she started to gather what she needed. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means you shouldn’t always believe your eyes, my friend. Haven’t you learned how women can lie and lie? Didn’t your girlfriend teach you that?”
“Don’t talk about Maggie.” He used the name he’d called her before he knew her real one.
Kenzie’s middle finger came up, though she didn’t look back at him. She was too busy picking up her shoes.
He hoped that was for Manny.
“Maggie? You’re still calling her that? I rather thought you and the boring one had finally given in to your forbidden passion,” Manny replied.
Kenzie started for the door. He was about to follow her when the weight of Manny’s words hit him.
The boring one. Like there was more than one. “What do you mean?”
A low huff came over the line. “Benjamin, please tell me you’re not sleeping with her and you still don’t know about her twin. Did she even tell you her real name? Women. This is what I was talking about. Her name is Kenzie Taggart. Unless you’re sleeping with the interesting one. I don’t know that I like that idea. I’m going to be honest. I find Kala Taggart infinitely intriguing. I’ve started to wonder if there isn’t a woman out there for me. Her.”
He felt sick. “You know. How long?”
“From the beginning.” He paused like he hadn’t expected this. “Did they not tell you? It wasn’t in those reports they send you? I’ve known since they came into our game. It was amusing watching you fumble and get confused because you couldn’t tell them apart, but I never expected them to take it this far.”
“No. If you know, you know, but they didn’t know you knew.” The words sounded dumb and confusing. Like the situation he found himself in.
She wouldn’t have done this to him. Not Kenzie. She wouldn’t have let him follow her around like a fool for Manny’s amusement. She wouldn’t.
“I assure you they know everything. We’ve talked about it. Did you not understand that I have a relationship with them? Or perhaps we’ve been working together all along. Anyway, they know I have no interest in their precious sunshine girl. She’s not, you know. She’s ordinary. Her sister is the extraordinary one. She’s a woman who doesn’t lie. Well, except to you.”
The world felt colder as he stood there in the room where he’d made love to her. Love. There was that stupid word.
“I can sense that you have some work to do, my friend. I’ll let you get to it. But I have a task for you, and I think you’ll be intrigued. I’ll send you a video tomorrow and let you know where we can meet and discuss the situation. Good night, Benjamin.”
The line went dead, and Ben’s world practically went red.
