The BennettsRyan’s jaw clenched. His hands flexed as though he was reliving the moment.“Well… when we got there, I was on this high. This… rush. Like I could do anything to this woman without repercussions, because I was going to pay her. I had the money. I was good for it. So when we got there, I got out of the car, and she asked me what I wanted. A blowjob, or whatever. But I told her…” His voice dropped. “I told her I just wanted her to run.”Mrs. Bennet nodded slowly, her expression unreadable. “And?” she asked, her breath barely audible.“And so I counted to five,” Ryan said. “And she started running.”Mrs. Bennet closed her eyes for a moment, bracing herself. “Okay,” she said softly. “And you let her go and left?”Ryan nodded once. Then shook his head.“No.”Mrs. Bennet’s throat tightened.“I went after her,” Ryan said, his voice cracking. “Like I told you, I was feeling low. And I.... I needed something to make me feel alive.. So, I just ran after her out there. It was…”He t
The BennettsMrs. Bennett took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay composed even as her fingers curled into fists.“Well, I’m sure that bastard played a trick on you,” she said, her voice sharp, “there were probably other people he had set up outside the bar, just waiting for you to step out so they could attack you. You walked right into it.”“Actually…” Ryan began, his voice trailing off.He knew the truth. There hadn’t been a group of men hiding in the dark. No one had jumped out from behind the bar, no ambush. It had just been the two of them. Every hit, every blow, every fist that split his lip and sent him reeling had come from one man.But pride, call it stubbornness, call it the need to hold on to some sense of control, kept him from admitting it. He wasn’t ready to confess that his father’s bastard had done this much damage to him alone. Not yet.So Ryan nodded slowly, keeping his eyes down.“Yes,” he said, forcing the words out. “You’re right. He had two other men waiting
The BennetsRyan ran a hand over his face, wincing as the bruises pressed against his fingers. He took a deep breath, steadying himself, letting the anger and the pain mingle just enough to fuel his resolve without letting them take over.“Before I tell you,” Ryan began, his voice low, measured, almost too calm, “I need you to calm down. I don't need your overreaction. I just need you to listen.”Mrs. Bennett straightened in her seat, folding her hands on the table. Her face was unreadable, but her chest rose and fell a little quicker. “Okay,” she said carefully, “I’m listening.”Ryan swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. “I did something...”Mrs. Bennett didn’t speak, didn’t flinch,just sat there, waiting. The silence was suffocating.Ryan’s eyes darted away from her for a moment, focusing on some invisible spot on the wall. His hands clenched against his thighs. “I don’t know what I was thinking,” he said finally, voice cracking just slightly. “But I did it, and now… now I have
The BennetsFinally, the water stopped. Silence filled the room. Mrs Bennett waited until Ryan opened the door and stepped into the room. A towel was wrapped around his waist, another draped over his head as he rubbed at his wet hair. He narrowed his eyes at her once he noticed her in the room..“What are you doing here?” he demanded, his voice low and tense. “I told you to leave.”“I just want to know you’re okay,” his mother replied, her gaze locked on his face.It was obvious something had happened. He had two black eyes and a split lip. Bruises darkened the skin on his chest and neck, and the tightness in his jaw betrayed pain he didn’t want to admit. She couldn’t help herself. Slowly, instinctively, she stepped closer. Her hand rose, about to touch his face.“What happened to you?” she whispered.“Stop it, now!” Ryan snapped, catching her hand in midair. His blackened eyes held a storm she hadn’t seen in years.“Can I please get dressed before we do this?” he added, his voice har
The Bennets“Just spit it out,” Mrs. Bennetts snapped.“Well, I was angry at him, and I had changed the password and the locks to the house. I was trying to make things hard for him, but when he came looking for me like that..... Oh God....”“Shut up!” Mrs. Bennett interrupted, raising her head sharply. Ariana flinched at the sudden interruption. Mrs. Bennett took a deep breath and softened her tone. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry for snapping at you. Okay. So, the maid… did anybody else besides the maid see him?”“No, it’s just the maid,” Ariana admitted.“Where is she?” Mrs. Bennett asked.“Um… well, I don’t know. She went, opened the door, and then she just disappeared. By the time I wondered where she had gone, Ryan was already inside the house, so... I don’t know.”“Call her,” Mrs. Bennett commanded.“Okay,” Ariana agreed, crumbling from the seat as she reached for her phone, determined to call the maid.Mrs. Bennett watched closely as Ariana made the call. When she was done, she report
The BennetsMrs. Bennett drove like a woman possessed, her hands gripping the wheel so tightly they ached. Every red light felt like an insult, every slow car in front of her felt like a personal attack. She kept dialing Ariana’s number over and over again, each time hearing that hollow, endless ringing until it went to voicemail.When she finally pulled into Ariana’s driveway, she barely put the car in park before she was out and rushing up to the front door. She knocked hard, then again, then pounded with her fist."Ariana!" she called, her voice sharp with panic.The door opened slowly. Ariana stood there, pale and looking shaken, as if she hadn’t slept."Where is he?" Mrs. Bennett demanded, pushing past her into the house before Ariana could even answer."In the guest room," Ariana said softly, her voice trembling. "But...."Mrs. Bennett was already down the hall, her heels clicking against the floor until she reached the closed door. She didn’t knock. She threw it open.Her breat