BEHIND THE MASK- BOOK II

TWENTY-ONE: FOREVER WOUNDS

TWENTY-ONE: FOREVER WOUNDS

FIRE was burning.

Clara was enraged by everything she had heard from Riley's mouth. However, she was still convinced that Ben was the innocent one in all of this. She still believed that Sylvia and Cassidy were accusing of everything she read in that article just for attention. Little did she know, that in doing this, in believing that man, she was about to losing everything.

"When the both of you get discharged, I want you out the house. You're not allowed to come back," Clara told Cassidy.

Cassidy glared at her mother. "Fine, I'll leave. Believe him for all I care. This was the best thing you could have said to me. It's not like you were a mother to me, anyway."

That set Clara off. There's nothing worse having your character questioned. Clara raised her hand, but just before it could touch Cassidy's face, Riley grabbed her hand. Riley glared at her, pushing her hand back at her side. "This isn't the time to make a scene. Your daughter is here to heal from her injuries. And if you don't want to believe her nor your sister, then leave."

"You don't get to tell me what to do! If your mother just listened to your grandfather, none of this would have happened! YOU HAVE NO PLACE IN THIS FAMILY! HOW ABOUT YOU GO BACK TO BEING RODNEY'S LITTLE TOY!"

Riley did something that Clara didn't expect at all. She gave her a smile. "I was his toy for nine years, Aunt Clara. It went on so long that I was in your daughter shoes too. But you know what else happened?"

"You're carrying his child?" She guessed.

Riley chuckled. "I became his very nightmare. I grew a backbone unlike the rest of you making grandpa control your lives."

Cameron chuckled knowing that struck a chord with Clara. Then Riley continued.

"As I said before, Aunt Clara. You can use the nine years that I suffered as an insult all you want. Just know that, because of it, it requires me to be the bad guy in the family. It requires me to keep my distance as well unless I'm working a case. However, I also happen to make enemies out of the family. So, for the sake of your daughter's crippling sanity. Keep your projections to yourself. Lastly, lay a finger on her and I'll break your hand."

"You wouldn't dare." Clara spat.

"You don't know me, Aunt Clara. None of you do."

Then Clara grabbed her things. "This isn't over. All of you are going to pay."

"So are you, love," Riley told her before she left.

As she left, the air in the room was free. The tension was gone and the negative aura that Clara carried had disappeared as well. Riley, Cameron, and Cassidy were able to breathe again.

Riley gave Cassidy a comforting smile. "She'll come around."

"You think so?" Cassidy asked.

Riley nodded. "She won't have much of a choice."

"What do you mean?"

"Well—" just then Cameron was interrupted by his phone ringing.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Sir, we found Ben."

"Where is he?" Cameron asked.

"In the airport, sir."

"Find out, where he's heading to. When you do, alert the branch located there."

"On it, sir."

Cameron hung up earning a confused look from Cassidy.

"What happened?" she asked.

"We found your father," he revealed.

"What? Where is he?"

"He's trying to escape, isn't he?" Riley said knowingly.

Cameron nodded smirking. "He is, but he won't get far."

"What are you going to do to him?" She asked concerned.

Riley gave her a warm smile. "Don't worry, we're not going to hurt him. I promise."

***

Meanwhile, sitting in JFK airport, was Ben excited at the fact that he was going to escape successfully. He made sure that none of the security could recognize him and that everything went smoothly with boarding. He was boarding the plane to his next destination when someone bumped into making him collide with the other passengers in front of him.

They turned to him with a glare. "Watch—" one of them started.

"Well, well, if it isn't the ever so allusive Mr. Ben Carson," the other passenger said with a smirk making him confused.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Well, you'll find out eventually. However, you're under arrest for all of the crimes you have committed and alluded in the last five years."

Ben was handcuffed and then taken out of the line to board his flight. "What's the meaning of this?! Who sent you?!"

"I have a strong feeling you may already know." All Ben got was a mocking smile.

That's when it hit him. Cameron set him up. To say that he was angry was an understatement. Cameron knew that he was here the entire time. Played like fiddle, outsmarted with ease. Ben thought he had everything planned out, but Cameron was ten steps ahead of him. He tried to fight them off only to be pinned to the ground by them, ultimately making a scene.

"That wasn't smart, Benny. You're embarrassing your asset wife," one of them, provoking him.

"You think I care? Ha! I only used that woman for her daddy's money," He chuckled.

As he said, little did he know that she heard it all. Ironically, she was planning to get away too, but his words made her stop in her tracks. Hearing his words, she didn't know how to feel, but everything shattered. Her heart, her love for him, her world—the world she swore was beautiful. The world she lived in for so long. Giving him her, wasn't enough, giving him children wasn't enough. She wasn't enough. But he found what he needed elsewhere behind her back, used his own daughter as a means of settling his desires, quenching his thirst. Ultimately, impregnating her.

Loyal to him, she swore by him. She loved him. When Ben finally noticed her, he called out to her, needing her for bail. Instead, she ignored him disappearing into the large crowd with luggage and heading to her next destination.