"You were very brave, Hannah," Tiny told her somberly.
"You saved the mission, Hannah," Hound stated.
Hannah wanted to protest at their praise. She hadn’t done anything. She showedBenwhere Alejandro's computer was, nothing more.
"You ledBento Alejandro's office when most would have run out of the room in the opposite direction. All the other women did. And you tookout an enemy set on killingBen,plus you warnedBenwhen another guy snuck up on him.” She had done that, hadn’t she? She thought Hound was just being nice with his praise. Most of the rescue was a blur for her so she hadn’t fully processed all she had done.
Hound suddenly pulled out a piece of paper. "Can you draw us a map of the tunnels and write down any names that you might have heard?"
"Of course," Hannah said without hesitation and let go ofBen's hand and drew out the map of the tunnels and wrote names and the number of how many times she heard them mentioned. A name everyone stopped on was Fox and the 20 times he had been mentioned. It had to be a code name but for who?
"What do you know about this Fox character?"Benasked her.
"Not much, other than he’s been doing a lot of the money and weapons handling."
"How do you know it’s not the drugs?"
"Because I can read and write Spanish. I listened to the guards as they walked down the tunnels. Also, I was one of the few girls taken to Alejandro's office and saw papers."
"That’s how you knew the password on his computer. You really are something else,"Bentold her proudly.
Hannah beamed under his praise and kept writing. Once complete Hound left to get the information to his contact. The rest of the team hung out for a while getting to know Hannah.
It didn’t take Hannah long to discover there was a basement to Ben’s house and that he had a pool table downstairs. It was the complete bachelor pad. The guys took turns playing pool while Hannah sat on a stool and watched them. They were so at ease with each other. They laughed, made fun of each other, and called each other names when someone missed a shot. She was finding herself relaxing around them.
“Come play,”Benasked sidling up to her.
Hannah looked at him like he grew a second head. She couldn’t have heard him right. Play pool? She didn’t know how, and she didn’t want to embarrass herself in front of everyone.“No, thank you,” she said politely thinking the conversation done. She should have known Ben didn’t take the word ‘no’ easily.
“What are you afraid of? Do you not know how to play?”
“I’ve played before, but it was years ago. I was never very good at it.” Hannah looked around the room uncomfortably.
“Well, there’s no time like the present. Come,”Benheld his hand out to her, waiting for her to accept it.
Hannah looked at his offered hand and debated to accept or not. She had told him no, so she should stick by her decision. Then why was she debating it now? Because she wanted him to touch her again. She enjoyed his touch.
Hannah reached up, and his large warm hand clasped hers helping her off the stool. He guided her to the pool table, the guys stood back to give them room and just watched. The table was already set up, the cue ball in front.Benkept a light touch on her lower back and helped her get into position. He handed her the cue stick, showing her how to grip it. She tried to ignore the zigs shooting up her body every time he touched her but failed.Benleaned against her as he lined her up to hit the ball.
“Just take your time,” he whispered in her ear.
Hannah readjusted her stance and wiggled her ass against his hip earning a groan from him. Hannah bit her lip and did it again.
“Behave yourself,” he husked and pinched her ass.
Hannah yelped and struck the cue against the ball, it rolled into the others and dispersed them around the table, several sunk into the pockets.
“Good job,”Bencommended with a bright smile. A strange twinkle came into his black eyes that Hannah couldn’t identify.
“Thanks.” Hannah beamed under his praise. She moved around the table and continued to sink a few more balls in before she scratched. “Shoot,” Hannah pouted.
“Not bad for a novice. Now, let’s see if I can catch up.”Ben’s face turned from playful to serious in a second. A steely look of determination came over his features, the same he had when he rescued her. This was his warrior face, and it was intimidating. He lined up, sinking several balls in quick succession. She was going to lose.Bensunk all his balls and the black eight ball was all that was left. He announced which corner pocket it would go into and struck. As if in slow motion, Hannah watched the cue ball hit the number eight ball and it rolled towards the corner. It hit the edge and rolled back towards the middle of the table as the cue ball fell into the pocket. A hush fell over the room.
“I can’t believe it,” Tiny said in disbelief. “He lost.Bennever loses.”
“Way to go, Hannah,” Doc said. “Hound is going to be upset that he missed this.”
Hannah ignored them and watchedBen’s face. Given his name, she was sure he didn’t lose often. Would he be upset? Would he lash out? He didn’t look like it. He just looked at where the cue ball disappeared and shrugged, then looked back at her and smiled.
