Kristen Ashley - The Promise

“I’m almost there, baby. Then we’re out of there and safe.”

I stared at Tandy’s empty desk, saying, “Okay.”

“Don’t move, Frankie.”

He so knew me because I so wanted to move, search for Tandy, make sure she was okay.

I visualized rooting myself to the chair, even as I itched to jump out of it, and said, “I won’t, Benny.”

“Keep it together, babe. Love you.”

“Love you too, honey.”

He disconnected.

I deep-breathed and went about shutting down for the night.

In this time, Tandy didn’t come back.

At the end of this time, my phone rang again.

It was Benny.

“Ben,” I whispered as greeting.

“Stay where you are. I’ll be there.”

He’d already told me that.

Why was he again telling me that?

“Benny—”

“Promise me you will not move, Frankie.”

Shit.

Something was going down.

And Stark was occupied.

They needed Benny.

“Ben—”

“Promise me.”

“Is it Tandy?”

“Promise me.”

“Benny!” I snapped.

“I need you to promise me. ”

Oh God.

God!

“I promise, Benny.”

“Good, baby. Be there soon.”

“Be careful, Benny.”

“I will.”

“Be very careful, Benny.”

“I will, honey. Gotta go now.”

He sounded normal, if impatient. Almost businesslike.

Oh God.

“Love you,” I whispered.

“Love you too. See you soon.”

“Yeah.”

He disconnected.

I looked to Bierman’s empty office.

Then to Tandy’s empty desk.

Then I looked to my phone and called Sal.

He picked up in one ring. “We’re on it, amata. ”

Oh God.

On what?

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“Gotta go, Francesca,” he said as answer.

“Sal!” I snapped.

He disconnected.

I shot out of my chair.

Don’t move, Frankie.

Tandy sometimes went to the bathroom to freshen up before leaving work because she was going out to get a drink.

I knew that night she wasn’t going out to get a drink.

I couldn’t see her purse because she put it in a locked drawer. She wouldn’t leave for the day without telling me. Especially not early. But never.

I wanted to run to the bathroom and check it to see if Tandy was there.

I looked to Berger’s office to see him on the phone. He was far away, but he appeared business as usual and I wanted to run to his office and tell him what was happening. Get his big ass out of his executive chair and make him do something human for a change.

I didn’t.

I sat down in my chair, tipped my eyes to my phone, and willed it to ring.

Bierman had made a move on Furlock at Wyler .

Desperate.

What ends would desperate men stoop to?

Benny.

My Benny.

I heard police sirens outside, not one, many, but I didn’t look out my windows.

I stared at my phone, my brain chanting, call me, call me, call me.

The sirens got close and stayed close. The police were outside.

I clenched my teeth.

How did Benny do it, make a myriad of promises every day and then set about keeping them? Each one. Dozens of them. Small and large. Every day.

A promise kept.

And I could hardly contain myself from moving.

Promise me.

“God,” I whispered, my throat beginning to get scratchy. “ Benny .”

I had to stay where I was. I had to keep this promise to Benny. I had to prove to him that when he needed me to do something important, I could do it. When he came back to me, I had to show him that it was okay that he put his faith in me and I kept myself safe for him.

I had to keep my promise.

On this thought, I felt the wave of shock penetrate my office and my head snapped up. Two police officers were walking into Berger’s office with a member of Wyler security. Four more officers were fanning out across the space looking like they were looking for something.

No Tandy.

No Benny.

I kept my seat.

People were moving, freaking, I could hear whispering. I felt eyes on me from other staff, but I kept my gaze on the officers.

And kept my seat.

My throat closed. My eyes stung. I watched Berger move swiftly out of his office with the two policemen and the security guard, and they went directly to the stairwell. Squawky voices could be heard on police radios and two of the officers fanning out made a move toward Bierman’s office.

I watched, my hand clenched around my phone.

And kept my seat.

I quit watching and looked toward the elevators. I locked my eyes there. I kept my grip on my phone.

And kept my seat.

An eternity slid by.

Then the elevators binged.

My chest tightened.

Benny walked out.

My chest loosened, but a tear dropped down my cheek.

He looked around, his eyes came to me, and he walked direct to me. Two police in Bierman’s office, two of them with Heath, Ben passed them as he made it to me, walking through my door, tall, handsome, healthy.

I still kept my seat.

“Tandy?” I asked, my voice scratchy.

“Downstairs with the police,” Benny replied, rounding my desk.

I still kept my seat, twisting my neck to keep my eyes on him.

He came to a stop at my side, cocked his head, his brows drawing, and he asked, “Baby?”

“I can’t move,” I whispered.

Tenderness softened his features before he whispered back, “Come to me, Frankie.”

That was when I could move.

I shot out of chair and into his arms.

They instantly closed strong and tight around me.

***

“They got to her roommate,” Benny told me much later.

That later was after he spoke for-fucking-ever with the police, then got me the fuck out of Wyler and took me home. When we got home, we walked our dog. Then I got into yoga pants and a tee and called to order pizza while Benny talked to Stark.

Finally, we stretched out on the couch, me on top of Benny, which was where we were now.

“The roommate called,” he went on. “Told Tandy they had her and that she had to go to her car in the parking garage. Nabbed her there, put her in their car, took off, and since I was in my SUV, Stark called me and set me on them.”

“How did Stark know where you could find them?”

“My question too,” Benny replied. “At the time, I thought either clairvoyance or he had helicopters.” I grinned at his quip and Ben kept talking, “But he knew where their base was so my guess is he predicted the route they’d take to it. A route that was on my route so Stark called me.”

“And you…what?” I asked, even though I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.

“I was bein’ tailed by Sal and his boys, probably because he was bein’ cautious ’cause he kinda likes you.” That got him another grin. “They came with me and we…” He paused before he finished, “Took care of business.”

“Is that all I want to know?” I asked, having been sequestered in my office while Ben talked to the police so I didn’t hear the full story.

“That’s all you want to know,” he confirmed.

“Was it clean?” I asked.

“Good Samaritans, seein’ a couple of women hustled into a warehouse and investigating,” Ben answered. “I called the cops beforehand so they knew we were there. No gunplay as Sal came in heavy and hot and scared the fuckin’ shit outta them. Figure the police are still scratchin’ their heads that Sal and his boys just happened to be there and were playin’ Good Samaritans. I figure by now they’ve cottoned on to who he is. But their guns, and mine, incidentally, somehow disappeared between there and gettin’ the women back to Wyler. So it’s all good.”