Page 58 of Benjamin and the Thief

“I don’t know. But it has to be. They had no personal beef with my brother or his employer. They weren’t taking revenge on him for something. They just needed a fall guy. Can we find out about their financial situation?”

“We can try.”

However, simply hacking into their financials wouldn’t be enough. That was the easy part. They needed somebody who could interpret the records. Somebody who could audit them. And he knew exactly who could help him with that.

26

After getting assistance from one of Eddie’s IT staff members to get access to the Prestons’ financial statements at various banks and financial institutions, and making a few phone calls, Benjamin parked his car outside a massive Victorian mansion in Nob Hill.

“Is that one house?” Catalina asked from the passenger seat.

“It used to be two, but when Samson and Delilah’s kids were born, they bought the house next door and just broke through some walls and turned it into one house.”

“How old are the kids?”

“You met them at the party: Isabelle, Grayson, and Patrick. They’re in their late thirties like Damian and I. We practically grew up together.”

“You have wonderful friends,” she said with a warm smile.

“Wait until you really get to know them. You couldn’t wish for a more loyal bunch of friends.”

And he was certain that his friends would love Catalina just as much as she would grow to love them. She would fit perfectly into his extended family—just as soon as he’d told her that he and his family and friends were all vampires. Good vampires. Decent people with strong ethics and big hearts.

“Come, let me introduce you to my boss’s wife,” he said and got out of the car.

He reached for the computer bag behind his seat, then walked around the car to open the passenger door, but Catalina was already exiting, evidently not used to someone opening the door for her. It was one of the many old-fashioned manners his father had taught him and Damian: raising them as gentlemen who respected women.

At the door, he rang the bell. It didn’t take long until the door was opened. However, it wasn’t Delilah who stood there greeting them, but Monique.

“Oh, hi, Monique,” he greeted her. “We came to see Delilah.”

Monique waved them in. “Come in, come in. She’s in the playroom trying to get Ross to sleep.” She cast a smile at Catalina. “Nice to see you again.”

“Nice to see you too,” Catalina replied as they entered the house.

“I didn’t realize she’s babysitting,” Benjamin said, just as Grayson came out of one of the other rooms.

“Hey, guys,” Grayson said. “Isabelle thought she could drop her little rascal into our laps so she could be at the club with Orlando, but Mom saved us.”

“Your nephew is a sweet boy,” Benjamin protested.

“Yeah, if you have to hold him for ten minutes, but after that, he turns into work,” Grayson claimed. “Do you have any idea how exhausting little kids are?”

Monique rolled her eyes and put her arm around her blood-bonded mate. “Don’t listen to him, Benjamin. Once we have our own, he’ll sing a different tune.”

Grayson turned his head to nuzzle his face against Monique’s. “Baby, I’m not ready to share you yet, so get your fill of kids while we’re visiting.”

At the sound of a door opening farther down the corridor, Benjamin looked past Grayson’s shoulder. Delilah came out of a room, looking a little frazzled.

“Oh, hi,” she said and walked toward him.

Grayson and Monique both looked over their shoulders.

“How is Ross?” Grayson asked.

“I swear he’s more difficult than all three of you were together,” Delilah said with a sigh before she smiled.

Grayson chuckled. “Aren’t you glad that Monique and I have decided to wait a little with giving you another grandchild?”