"I'm going to take Hannah to my place. Hound is going to analyze the data. I’ll have Hannah tell me everything she knows about Alejandro and the drugs."
"Works for me," Cricket said casually as if he didn’t expect any other reply fromBen.
"We’ll be over in an hour with pizza."
Benclapped him on the shoulder and headed out to the MP office to collect Hannah.
WhenBenentered the MPs office, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. No one would look him in the eye. Was Hannah hurt? Did she have another flashback?He grabbed the first person who crossed his path. "Where is she?" He didn’t need to state who she was.
The sergeant gulped audibly. "Room 3," he pointed down the hall.
So, she was still here. That was a good sign.Benlet the MP go and went down the hall until he came to room 3. He tried to open the door, but it was locked.
What the fuck?
He turned to see the sergeant beelining it for him and unlocking the door. "Why was this door locked?"Bendemanded.
"She tried to break out. Yelling about how she was lied to by Ben and she needed to get out. She tried pulling the furniture out of the ground and tried to escape through the ventilation shaft. We had to...subdue her."Ben’s face turned thunderous. They did what to her? She hadn’t been through enough. Now they restrained her?
Benpushed the sergeant out of the way and opened the door. Had he been a lesser man he would have dropped to his knees. Hannah sat in a chair in front of the table with each wrist handcuffed to the table and her ankles cuffed to the chair. If that wasn’t bad enough, it was the look of contempt in her eyes and they were fixed on him. She blamed him for this. He didn’t blame her. He had told her it was safe to go with the MP.He hadn’t allowed her beguiling eyes to sway him from his decision. What had he been thinking?
"Oh, Hannah," he whispered in horror at what had been done to her. He turned back to the sergeant. "Key." Once in hand he ran to Hannah and unlocked her. She recoiled from his touch. He unlocked her quickly and stepped back. She had a tendency of attacking him. But she stayed in her seat and rubbed her wrists. She didn’t look half as broken in Panama as she did now.
"Leave us, please," he said to the sergeant.
He watched Hannah’s eyes track the sergeant then land back on him when they were alone.
"You lied to me," she accused with malice.
"No,"Benshook his head venomously. "Their orders were to keep you safe until I debriefed. They thought you were escaping, and so restrained you."
"I was escaping because you lied to me. You never said I would be detained and chained down." Hannah’s voice caught, andBenflinched.
"Please, Hannah."Bentook her ice-cold hand in his. She tried to pullaway, but he didn't let go. He couldn't lose her now over miscommunication. "I never would have let you go with them if I had known you would be taken here. Please let me make it up to you."
"Why should I believe you?" Hannah tugged her hand from his, this time he let her go.
"I have never done anything to hurt you. This circumstance withstanding since I had no part in it. I only want to protect you. Will you give me another chance and let me take you to my house and keep you safe?" His hypnotic eyes bore into hers, pleading with her to give him a chance.
~
Hannah stared at Ben in stunned silence. After another botched escape attempt and being strapped down like an animal, Hannah had a lot of time to stew in her anger. This was what she got for trusting someone. This was what she got for trusting Ben. He was obviously not the man he used to be to allow a person to be treated like this. She was the victim here, and they treated her like she was a criminal. She had built up a good rant for when he showed up but seeing how angry he looked at her treatment and his anger over her imprisonment by his fellow soldiers, stunned her. If he was faking his anger, he should win an Oscar. Becausehe looked sincere. Should she trust him again?
"On one condition,” she told him before she could change her mind.
"Name it," he said without hesitation.
"I want the knife back, the one you took from me." She was tired of being defenseless and if he was behind her earlier treatment, she didn't want to be a victim again.
Bennodded without pause, pulling out the knife he had taken from her earlier and handed it to her handle first. "I am sorry, Hannah."
Hannah saw the sincerity in his eyes. "So, you’re taking me to your house?”
"Yeah," he said. The beginnings of the first smile since they were separated.
"You’re not asking me to move in with you, are you?” Hannah attempted to joke. Ben wasn’t the forever kind of guy. He had womanizer written all over him, she was sure he didn’t lack for female attention.He hadn’t when they were growing up. That Texas drawl and farm boy routine worked for him every time. Especially when he wore a cowboy hat.
"More or less I am until you’re ready to go home."
