Deadly

Chapter 15

" You're going to help bridge the gap between them."

It seemed to me like there was a lot of helping going around on my part. I was already in over my head. Agreeing to help Felicity wasn't a problem, I was confident I could help her. Then I went and agreed to help Bennett, ultimately screwing myself. As much as I didn't want to help Benjamin, I doubted he would give me much of a choice in the matter. So I made a decision. If I was going to willingly help him, he would be returning the favor.

" I'll do it on one condition." I said.

He raised an eyebrow curiously.
" Which is?"

" I want to know everything you know about the contract." I said firmly. " If there's another way to break the curse, the marriage is off."

He stared at me with an unreadable expression on his face. My heart started to race at the thought of him disagreeing. I'd just revealed that I knew about Bennett's curse. Benjamin said he could read minds and occasionally mine, but what if he hadn't known that I knew about it?

" Deal?"

A smile twitched across his lips. He didn't reply at first, instead he studied me some more. Reaching his arm across the table, he held his hand out to me. " You have a deal, Katherine."

Adrenaline raced through my body. I'd done it. Maybe he had a hidden agenda or maybe he thought he was getting the better deal, but I'd done it. Even if he didn't know anything about the contract, we were working together now. If there was another way other than marriage to break the curse, Benjamin agreed the marriage would be cancelled.

The exact moment I placed my hand in his, the doors to the room opened. Dallas and Felicity entered the room, surrounded by guards. Benjamin and I retracted our hands, giving them our undivided attention. My stomach twisted uncomfortably when I saw Felicity's bruised face. After all that had happened, I'd almost forgotten she'd been attacked. The bruises were worse now that they'd had time to settle and form. Seeing her like that, I couldn't help but wonder if I'd made the wrong choice by agreeing to help Benjamin and Bennett. It was one thing to put my own life in danger, but another to put her at risk.

" Good morning Katherine," she said with a gentle smile. Her eyes were red and puffy, her fingers currently clenched in the folds of her dress. Even with the dark bruises, her skin looked pale.

I wanted to take her in my arms and squeeze her until she laughed and complained that she couldn't breath. I wanted to take her home and make her forget that we were ever here. Most of all, I never wanted to see her so broken ever again.

" Are you alright dear?" Benjamin asked softly. He gave her a look of sympathy as she sat down beside me.

" Yes."

She wasn't. I could see it in her eyes.

" Where's Bennett?" Dallas asked.

Benjamin did a sweep around the room with his eyes, then smiled tightly. " It would seem he won't be joining us today."

The girl's that entered the room carried in platters of food. None of them looked at any of us, especially not Felicity. Word must have travelled fast since the incident last night. Not only that, they were also dressed slightly more appropriate. A lot of skin was still showing, but at least they weren't in lingerie. A shirt blond set down a platter of scrambled eggs across from me, next to her was someone I recognized. It was the girl from the other night. Though I'd only seen her for a minute, her pale blue eyes and hair as black as night had made an impact. Her eyes raised from the platter of bacon and sausage she placed on the table, meeting directly with mine.