Ben was shocked at how easily her family accepted her. He always assumed he wasn’t good enough for her in her parent's eyes. Rescuing her had probably changed their way of thinking. Hannah’s misconception of her family not caring about her had all been in vain. Her family had poured thousands of dollars and used all their resources to find her but always came up empty handed. Her parents and brother Jason admitted they stopped looking when all their leads dried up but Garrett never stopped looking.
They were about to sit down and eat when Ben’s phone went off. He stepped outside when he saw it was Hound calling.
“What’s up, Brother.”
“Commander Brady is dead. Killed in the hospital.” Hound told him without preamble.
“What? How?” Ben said in shock. “He was surrounded by guards.”
“All the guards were killed and the Commander was strangled to death. It’s a warning Midas.”
“From who?”
“Alejandro. Security footage shows him and a large number of his army in the hospital. Please tell me Hannah is staying up in Portland for a while.”
Ben tried calming his racing heart and tried to think logically about their next move. His first instinct was to get Hannah out of the country or into a fortified bunker but he knew his Goldilocks would never stand by while others were in danger. “She’s planning on staying here a few days to get to know her family better. I might be able to convince her to stay longer.”
“Do. Alejandro looks like he’s setting up shop down here in California.”
“I’ll head back tomorrow and we’ll take to son of a bitch out for good,” Ben vowed. Never would he see fear in Hannah’s eyes. She was his main priority. He didn’t care what it took, one way or another Alejandro would be behind bars and locked up for the rest of his miserable life and never come near Hannah again.
“What’s going on?” Hannah asked him from behind.
“I’ll call you later with details,” Ben told Hound before hanging up on him. “Nothing, why don’t we go back inside and visit with your family.”
“Tell me the truth, Ben. If it concerns my safety or that of my family I have the right to know.”
Damn her she was right. It went against his instincts to want to tell her. He wanted to protect her but by not telling her he could be endangering her. “Alejandro is here in the states. California to be exact. He and a team killed the commander and are setting up a command base in the area.
Hannah’s feet swayed under her but Ben was there to catch her. He would always be here to catch her. “When do we leave?”
“You stay here, Goldilocks. I’ll head back tomorrow and we’ll end this once and for all.”
“No,” Hannah told him firmly. “He has already taken so much from me. I want to be there when he falls. I need to be there, Ben.” She implored him with her hazel eyes. He knew he couldn’t deny her.
Ben nodded in defeat. He knew certain fights with Hannah he would never win and this was one of them. He knew what it was like having to be there to witness justice met. “I’m sorry this isn’t the reunion you wanted.”
Hannah shrugged her shoulders and pulled Ben back towards the house. “They’ll understand. We have the rest of our lives to visit them and they visit us. We’ll have to tell my brothers they need to keep an extra vigilant eye out. I’d hate for anything to happen to them because of me.”
“Have no fear, baby girl. I’ll never let anyone harm you or your family.”
“I love you, Ben. Thank you for rescuing me, and defending me. You’re my very own guardian angel.”
“I love you too, Hannah. You saved me just as much as I saved you. I was a hollow man before you and I walked away from you once because I was afraid of what my feelings for you could lead to. But I’m not afraid anymore. You make me a better man.”
