are you still there?” she asked.
“Grace has taken the twins to the park,” said Benedict, changing the subject.
“That’s kind of her,” Siena murmured.
***
Benedict
“Siena, we will get through this,” said Benedict, his voice hollow. He sensed she was troubled…what was she hiding from him? “I’ll be home soon.” He sighed deeply, ending the call.
Grace had offered to stay longer when they’d gotten home last night, but Benedict gently refused. She had done enough, and he was grateful, but could manage. Bath and bedtime for the twins had taken precedence, and he had not called their lawyer as planned. By the time he got the twins settled, he crawled into the spare room, exhausted. He didn’t want Siena disturbed. He’d unplugged the baby monitor from their room earlier.
On his way home from Harrison’s, his mind dwelled on her panic attack. It was the worst yet. What had been the trigger? Dark memories flooded his mind. He tried not to think of Nick Waters, but it was impossible. He gripped the steering wheel. With grim determination, he closed down his thoughts because he needed to concentrate…he needed to get home. His flat had been unsuitable for them to move into as a family. He’d put it on the market and rented as a stop gap until they found something more permanent. The rental was a modern home, a little further out than he would have liked but it had other impressive features.
Their top priority had been security. Set back from the road with an enclosed garden, it had that in spades; with full CCTV security cameras and electric gates. Its windows and doors were new and secure, but still he worried. Siena and the twins were vulnerable, but she refused to let him employ full-time security. Guy had a number of trusted retired colleagues who were suitable and vetted, but still she said no. She told him she could not live with the intrusion; it was bad enough with the press outside their home without a stranger within. He saw Siena was under strain as the trial dragged on, at breaking point.
He immediately backed down, her tears of distress like a knife in his chest. God, if he could get his hand on Nick Waters…he’d make him suffer…he’d make him pay. Siena had been so strong throughout but as her testimony approached, she had become anxious and on edge. Her beautiful face was drawn and she had dark shadows beneath her frightened eyes. The twins were the only ones to make her smile.
Reeva was her mother’s image with white blonde curls and bright blue eyes that missed nothing. Her nature was gentle and sweet. Leo, in contrast, had dark curls and hazel eyes. He was quieter than his sister but also protective of her. Siena’s face lit up when she was with them. Like any new mum she was enthralled by her twins and didn’t have time to dwell. But when the twins were asleep or when she thought he wasn’t looking, he saw her face crumple with absolute despair as her fingers fluttered to her throat.
He found it hard to contain his rage at times. He had become very close to Guy, the shared experience of rescuing Siena a strong bond. Guy had been instrumental in finding her and understood only too well Benedict’s need for revenge; he’d been there, after all. The brutality of the attack was still fresh in both their minds as they worked together. They never spoke of it directly but just being with Guy was a comfort.
Benedict swung into the driveway, hitting the remote to open the gates. He tried to remain calm when every instinct he had screamed something was terribly wrong.
Chapter 11
The Braille Club, London, One Year On: The sensory suit now came as one entity. You slipped your feet into it and pulled it up your body before inserting your hands into the arms, and then your fingers into the gloves. The sleeves had zips that closed the suit right up to the wearer’s neck. This gave the patron two new areas to experiment on. The
“Grace has taken the twins to the park,” said Benedict, changing the subject.
“That’s kind of her,” Siena murmured.
***
Benedict
“Siena, we will get through this,” said Benedict, his voice hollow. He sensed she was troubled…what was she hiding from him? “I’ll be home soon.” He sighed deeply, ending the call.
Grace had offered to stay longer when they’d gotten home last night, but Benedict gently refused. She had done enough, and he was grateful, but could manage. Bath and bedtime for the twins had taken precedence, and he had not called their lawyer as planned. By the time he got the twins settled, he crawled into the spare room, exhausted. He didn’t want Siena disturbed. He’d unplugged the baby monitor from their room earlier.
On his way home from Harrison’s, his mind dwelled on her panic attack. It was the worst yet. What had been the trigger? Dark memories flooded his mind. He tried not to think of Nick Waters, but it was impossible. He gripped the steering wheel. With grim determination, he closed down his thoughts because he needed to concentrate…he needed to get home. His flat had been unsuitable for them to move into as a family. He’d put it on the market and rented as a stop gap until they found something more permanent. The rental was a modern home, a little further out than he would have liked but it had other impressive features.
Their top priority had been security. Set back from the road with an enclosed garden, it had that in spades; with full CCTV security cameras and electric gates. Its windows and doors were new and secure, but still he worried. Siena and the twins were vulnerable, but she refused to let him employ full-time security. Guy had a number of trusted retired colleagues who were suitable and vetted, but still she said no. She told him she could not live with the intrusion; it was bad enough with the press outside their home without a stranger within. He saw Siena was under strain as the trial dragged on, at breaking point.
He immediately backed down, her tears of distress like a knife in his chest. God, if he could get his hand on Nick Waters…he’d make him suffer…he’d make him pay. Siena had been so strong throughout but as her testimony approached, she had become anxious and on edge. Her beautiful face was drawn and she had dark shadows beneath her frightened eyes. The twins were the only ones to make her smile.
Reeva was her mother’s image with white blonde curls and bright blue eyes that missed nothing. Her nature was gentle and sweet. Leo, in contrast, had dark curls and hazel eyes. He was quieter than his sister but also protective of her. Siena’s face lit up when she was with them. Like any new mum she was enthralled by her twins and didn’t have time to dwell. But when the twins were asleep or when she thought he wasn’t looking, he saw her face crumple with absolute despair as her fingers fluttered to her throat.
He found it hard to contain his rage at times. He had become very close to Guy, the shared experience of rescuing Siena a strong bond. Guy had been instrumental in finding her and understood only too well Benedict’s need for revenge; he’d been there, after all. The brutality of the attack was still fresh in both their minds as they worked together. They never spoke of it directly but just being with Guy was a comfort.
Benedict swung into the driveway, hitting the remote to open the gates. He tried to remain calm when every instinct he had screamed something was terribly wrong.
Chapter 11
The Braille Club, London, One Year On: The sensory suit now came as one entity. You slipped your feet into it and pulled it up your body before inserting your hands into the arms, and then your fingers into the gloves. The sleeves had zips that closed the suit right up to the wearer’s neck. This gave the patron two new areas to experiment on. The
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