The Neighbor III: The Dark Web

Chapter 8

Ben and Cassie both stumbled back in complete and utter shock!

Ben moved Cassie behind him and angrily asked, "You can talk? Are you fucking kidding me!" Tom put his hands up in defense. "Now, hang on, a minute," he said, "this isn't some ploy to come and hurt you. If I was going to do that, I would have killed you by now."

"That didn't work out so well for you last time, did it?" Ben growled. Still being cautious, he kept his hand on Cassie to keep make her stay behind him. However, she was able to get out of his grasp and moved in front of Tom. Ben tried to grab her, but missed.

Cassie stood in front of Tom, red-faced and oozing with anger. She slapped him hard across the face. Even Ben had to wince because he's felt that force before.

"You lying, manipulative son-of-a-bitch!" She shouted. "What the fuck are you trying to pull?! Does Sarah now about this? Zach?!" Tom sighed and shook his head. "No, they don't and I'd like to keep it that way."

Ben stepped next to Cassie. "Answer her question," he calmly told Tom. "What are you trying to pull?" Tom looked back and forth between them, then asked, "May I have a drink?" Ben eyed Tom cautiously up and down, then gestured for him to follow.

Ben went up to his collection of expensive scotches. He moved his hand over each of them, until he pulled out one that was starting to get empty. He poured three glasses, then distributed two of them to Tom and Cassie.

Ben sat down in his arm chair and Cassie followed, sitting on the arm rest. Tom sat down on the couch across from them. He looked down at his drink, then suddenly downed it in one gulp. He put the glass on the table, then sighed.

"It was a long process," he said, "but I was able to get my vocal cords fixed. Took seven surgeries, but it was worth it. I did it before Sarah and I reconnected. Honestly, it's none of her business." He got up and poured himself another glass of scotch.

"She's your wife," Ben said. "The mother of your child." Tom scoffed, then started to laugh. "Yeah," he chuckled. "A wife I don't love and son who probably isn't mine. I sure am living the life!" He downed another drink.

Cassie actually felt bad for Tom. Sure, he tried to kill her husband and some mafia looking Russian guy beat the holy hell out of him, but there was something about this particular pain she didn't like. She didn't like that her sister was the one causing it.

"You don't think he's your son?" She asked. "Why?" Tom sat down with a fresh glass and rubbed his eyes. "Because," he said, "as of five years ago, I found out I can't have children. I'm infertile."

Ben shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat. "There have been cases where infertile men can still get women..." He stopped when Tom started laughing again. "Ah, the great Benedict Carlton trying to give me words of comfort. Did hell freeze over?"

Ben clenched his glass tightly in his hand. Cassie put her hand on his shoulder to calm him. He took a deep breath, then said, "I'm just saying...if I were to find out that there were any possibility of my children not being mine, I'd be absolutely devastated. I can only imagine how you feel."

Tom huffed out a laugh. "Still, my point still stands. I know who his father is. I don't need to get a paternity test to find that out." Cassie nodded and closed her eyes. "Alec," she whispered. "Goddammit, Sarah."

Tom only nodded as confirmation. "She told me they got together a little before we did. She didn't tell me they had sex, but it was obvious. I had my doubts at first that he wasn't mine, but the idea of becoming a father clouded my judgment. Still, I love Zach more than anything on this planet, whether he's mine or not. There have been so many times where I've almost told him, but I can't. I don't have the strength."

"It takes strength not to," Ben reassured him. "It's the right decision either way." Once again, Tom laughed. "Who would've thought the three of us would be sitting here, chatting over a glass of scotch like old friends?"

He took a sip, as did Ben and Cassie. They stayed in silence for a long moment.

"What do you propose we do?" Ben asked. "About this situation we're in?" Tom set down his glass, then put his hands together. "I want this to stop," he said. "All of it. Fuck what happened in the past. Our children are going to end up paying the price if we don't just let this shit go. Sarah doesn't agree with me, unfortunately. She thinks I still have connections at MI6 and can get you hanged. No matter how many times I tell her I've burned every possible bridge, she's just...she's relentless! She's becoming a fucking problem."

He downed the rest of his drink.

"I could've told you that one, mate," Ben snickered. Tom snorted and Cassie smacked Ben's arm. She looked to Tom and said, "We live in the same city, our kids go to the same school, they know they're related. What, you think they'll just go back to pretending they don't know each other and pretend they don't know anything about what happened here?"

Tom shook his head, then sighed, "Sadly, no. Only in a perfect world. They're going to want to stick together, I know that. I also don't see us moving anytime soon." Ben quirked his eyebrow at Tom. "Well, we can't very well spend holidays together and pretend you didn't try to kill me, Sarah didn't try to kill her and Cass didn't shoot you in the bloody throat. We're not taking Michael and Jess out of that school, they have too many friends and Mike is set to graduate soon."

Cassie added, "Not to mention, Sarah and I wouldn't be able to hide our undying hatred for one another, especially after knowing who Zach's real father is. Goddammit, Alec would do anything to be there for Zach, even if it meant making amends with Sarah."

Tom nodded in agreement. "He's a good man, from what I've been told. He'll find out soon enough, I'll be sure of it. They both will. However, we have to figure this out. Sarah isn't going to let up and I'm afraid she's going to tell Zach everything. I can't let her do that."

"None of us can," Ben quickly said. "We've got to deal with it and we've got to do it soon." Tom looked at him curiously. "What are you going to do?" He asked. "Kill her?" Ben only stared dangerously at Tom.

"You are not killing my wife!" Tom screeched. "Are you fucking insane!" Ben stood up as he shouted back, "Oh, come on! You said it yourself, you don't even love her! Cassie just told us she has an undying hatred for her! She's toxic, Tom, she's dangerous to all of us, to our children!"

Tom stood up as well and shouted, "She's the mother of my child!" Ben scoffed, "Supposed!" Tom grunted, then started to pace around. When he stopped, he pointed to Ben as he said, "You are not going to murder her! I'll just...fuck! I'll figure it out on my own!"

He started making his way towards the door. "If you don't, I will!" Ben called just as the door slammed shut.

Ben raked his fingers through his hair and went back to the scotch. He was about to open the same one, but then put it down and took out the most expensive stuff he had. He poured himself some, then filled Cassie's empty glass.

"Well," he said, "I think that went rather well, don't you?"