Free The Nemesis Program (Ben Hope) by Scott Mariani Page B

‘Ah. Now I think I know what “cropped up”,’ she seethed at Ben, pointing at Roberta. ‘Her. Am I right?’
    ‘You must be Brooke,’ Roberta said, approaching her with an uncertain smile. ‘I’m Roberta Ryder. Listen, I don’t want to be the cause of any dispute between—’
    ‘I know who you are,’ Brooke interrupted. ‘Ben doesn’t like to talk about you. Now I’m wondering why.’
    ‘Roberta needs my help,’ Ben said.
    ‘And where the hell did she come from all of a sudden?’ Brooke demanded.’
    ‘Canada,’ Roberta said. ‘By way of Paris. I—’
    Brooke rounded on her. ‘Do you mind shutting up for a moment while I speak to my fiancé?’ Then, turning back to face Ben: ‘And so you’re just walking out on me?’
    ‘It’s not as if I want to.’
    ‘But you’re going to all the same.’
    ‘Ben,’ Roberta said, touching his shoulder. ‘It’s okay. I understand. You don’t have to do this.’
    ‘I’m involved now,’ Ben said, keeping his eyes on Brooke. ‘I can’t just back out.’
    Jude was shaking his head in consternation, staring at Ben as if to say ‘what is the matter with you?’.
    ‘Maybe I was dreaming,’ Brooke said, tight-lipped, ‘Or maybe I was delirious from fever. But I remember very clearly how, that day in the middle of the jungle when you asked me to marry you, you swore to me that there’d be no more of this running off on these insane adventures and scaring the shit out of me all the time, not knowing if you’re going to come back in one piece.’ Her tone began to rise. ‘Didn’t you make that promise to me, Ben? All about how you were going to change your ways? Telling me all you wanted was to be at home with me?’
    ‘You didn’t dream it,’ he replied. ‘You weren’t delirious either. I did say those things. And I meant every word.’
    ‘You mean you meant them then. But you don’t mean them now.’
    ‘Try to understand,’ he reasoned. ‘Roberta’s in danger. Look at me. Look at her. She needs my help.’
    ‘Well, I’m sorry if Roberta’s in trouble,’ Brooke burst out. ‘We all have our problems. Why does this have to become mine? Why does it have to be you? Is there no other man in the world who can help her?’ She turned furiously to Roberta. ‘What are you doing, you stupid bloody bitch?’ she yelled in a voice close to breaking. ‘Why can’t you stay out of our lives?’
    Roberta looked down at the floor and didn’t reply.
    ‘It’s not her fault,’ Ben said. ‘She’s got mixed up in this thing, and now I’m mixed up in it too. Brooke, please listen to me.’ He looked to Jude for support. ‘Come on, back me up here. Talk to her.’
    Jude scowled at him. ‘Hey, Dad , it’s your problem.’

Chapter Ten
    There was a long, palpable silence in the room. Brooke and Roberta both stared at Jude, then at Ben.
    ‘Oh, shit,’ Jude murmured, turning a few shades paler as he realised what he’d let slip.
    ‘What – did – you – just – say?’ Brooke asked him slowly.
    ‘Nothing,’ Jude stammered.
    Ben’s blood had frozen into ice crystals. He’d forgotten to breathe.
    ‘Yes, you did, Jude,’ Brooke insisted. ‘You said “Dad”.’
    Jude looked as if he wanted to run to the window and jump out. ‘It’s just, you know. A figure of speech. Like “daddyo”. The way he’s dressed. Er, or something.’ At that point Jude decided to clamp his mouth shut.
    Brooke turned to Ben. ‘Why did he call you that? Why?’
    The ice in Ben’s veins turned into molten lava and he felt his face flush. He took a deep breath and said, ‘He’s my son, Brooke.’
    ‘I thought there was something,’ Roberta murmured, glancing wryly back and forth at the two men.
    Brooke seemed to sag as if the air had been sucked out of her. She moved across to a stool by the breakfast bar and sat down heavily on it. She couldn’t speak.
    ‘Sorry, guys. It just slipped out,’ Jude mumbled. ‘We only found out about it at Christmas,’