just my age you don't like I'm getting older every day," I quipped.
Carlyle glared at me. "You're only here for the money, just like all the others he's met, aren't you?"
I straightened and scowled straight back. "I haven't seen a dime of his money." It was true; his wallet only had the large bills and some pennies.
"What lies have you told him to get on his good side, hmm? Told him a sob story no decent man like him could ignore and he took you in on his kindness?"
This man was really getting on my nerves, and I hoped that Benson would return soon; he'd been gone only a few minutes that were stretching out into eons. "I don't have a sob story, just mine," I snapped back.
His withered lips curled up in a sneer, and he leaned forward so his spittle sprayed all over me; an umbrella would've been really handy right then. "I know what kind of woman you are, trying to get at his fortune, and I won't let you do it even if I have to knock some sense into John myself." I glanced at his thin frame; he didn't look like he could knock down a bowling pin.
"I think Mr. Benson's old enough to take care of himself," I countered.
"You would like that, wouldn't you? For his friends and family to leave him alone to you." Carlyle glanced over me, and I shuddered beneath those cold, heartless eyes. I'd seen eyes like those in the stingiest, meanest customers at the diner, the ones who complained about everything and reveled in your pain as you tried to please them. There was no pleasing this man. This man knew how to hurt people, he'd had a lot of practice, and now he was going to put that practice to use on me. "Your story probably involved a family. Do you have a real one?"
"That's personal information," I refused.
His sneer lengthened; he resembled a snake. "That means yes. How would you like it if I made your family very uncomfortable? Hmm?" He inched along to the edge of his chair, and I inched back away from him until he caught my wrist. His hands were as cold as his heart, and not nearly as shriveled. "Everyone has secrets, and I'm a finder of secrets. I keep them, too, but only if I have a use for keeping them."
"Don't you dare touch my family," I hissed at him.
He chuckled, tossed my arm toward me, and leaned back comfortably in his chair. "Then leave. Take whatever plans you have for John and leave this house." I hesitated; a dark cloud passed over his brow. "Leave now ."
I gave him one last look of disgust before I stalked out of the room with tears in my eyes. Benson caught me in the hall. I tried to escape to the refuge of the kitchen, but he grabbed my shoulders and turned me toward him. "What's wrong? What's happened?" he asked me. I shook my head; this wasn't his fight. Unfortunately, he thought differently, and his eyes filled with rage. "What did he say to you?"
"I-it's nothing," I choked out. I didn't know whether to run for my car or fall into Benson's arms.
"Nothing my ass. What did he say?"
"He said...he said he knew what I was and he intended to harass my family if I didn't leave," I told him.
Benson's hands on my shoulders shook, and his grip tightened so much that it hurt. "He said that?" he asked me through gritted teeth. I nodded. Benson let me go and stalked into the living room.
"There you are," I heard Carlyle greet him. "I believe I just solved one of your-ah! What are you doing? Put me down!" the old man shrieked. The pair walked out into the hall, or rather Benson walked out carrying Carlyle by the armpits. The short man kicked and screamed. "Put me down right now, John! John!"
Benson stalked over to the front door, deftly handled the knob with his squirming load, and chucked Carlyle over the porch and out onto the gravel driveway. He stomped out onto the porch with me at his back. I was afraid the old demon had broken his back, but Carlyle staggered to his feet and shook his cane at both of us. "You fool! You'll be sorry you didn't listen to me!"
"And you'll be sorry you don't listen to me and
Carlyle glared at me. "You're only here for the money, just like all the others he's met, aren't you?"
I straightened and scowled straight back. "I haven't seen a dime of his money." It was true; his wallet only had the large bills and some pennies.
"What lies have you told him to get on his good side, hmm? Told him a sob story no decent man like him could ignore and he took you in on his kindness?"
This man was really getting on my nerves, and I hoped that Benson would return soon; he'd been gone only a few minutes that were stretching out into eons. "I don't have a sob story, just mine," I snapped back.
His withered lips curled up in a sneer, and he leaned forward so his spittle sprayed all over me; an umbrella would've been really handy right then. "I know what kind of woman you are, trying to get at his fortune, and I won't let you do it even if I have to knock some sense into John myself." I glanced at his thin frame; he didn't look like he could knock down a bowling pin.
"I think Mr. Benson's old enough to take care of himself," I countered.
"You would like that, wouldn't you? For his friends and family to leave him alone to you." Carlyle glanced over me, and I shuddered beneath those cold, heartless eyes. I'd seen eyes like those in the stingiest, meanest customers at the diner, the ones who complained about everything and reveled in your pain as you tried to please them. There was no pleasing this man. This man knew how to hurt people, he'd had a lot of practice, and now he was going to put that practice to use on me. "Your story probably involved a family. Do you have a real one?"
"That's personal information," I refused.
His sneer lengthened; he resembled a snake. "That means yes. How would you like it if I made your family very uncomfortable? Hmm?" He inched along to the edge of his chair, and I inched back away from him until he caught my wrist. His hands were as cold as his heart, and not nearly as shriveled. "Everyone has secrets, and I'm a finder of secrets. I keep them, too, but only if I have a use for keeping them."
"Don't you dare touch my family," I hissed at him.
He chuckled, tossed my arm toward me, and leaned back comfortably in his chair. "Then leave. Take whatever plans you have for John and leave this house." I hesitated; a dark cloud passed over his brow. "Leave now ."
I gave him one last look of disgust before I stalked out of the room with tears in my eyes. Benson caught me in the hall. I tried to escape to the refuge of the kitchen, but he grabbed my shoulders and turned me toward him. "What's wrong? What's happened?" he asked me. I shook my head; this wasn't his fight. Unfortunately, he thought differently, and his eyes filled with rage. "What did he say to you?"
"I-it's nothing," I choked out. I didn't know whether to run for my car or fall into Benson's arms.
"Nothing my ass. What did he say?"
"He said...he said he knew what I was and he intended to harass my family if I didn't leave," I told him.
Benson's hands on my shoulders shook, and his grip tightened so much that it hurt. "He said that?" he asked me through gritted teeth. I nodded. Benson let me go and stalked into the living room.
"There you are," I heard Carlyle greet him. "I believe I just solved one of your-ah! What are you doing? Put me down!" the old man shrieked. The pair walked out into the hall, or rather Benson walked out carrying Carlyle by the armpits. The short man kicked and screamed. "Put me down right now, John! John!"
Benson stalked over to the front door, deftly handled the knob with his squirming load, and chucked Carlyle over the porch and out onto the gravel driveway. He stomped out onto the porch with me at his back. I was afraid the old demon had broken his back, but Carlyle staggered to his feet and shook his cane at both of us. "You fool! You'll be sorry you didn't listen to me!"
"And you'll be sorry you don't listen to me and
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