CHAPTER SEVENTEEN-THE BODYGUARD

Ben squinted at Thorin as his heart began to race. Could this man know something about his past and how he ended up here? “Remember? What are you talking about? Do you know something about me?” 

Thorin looked at him then took a breath to say something but stopped. He looked around the ground before him and blew out through twisted lips as he glanced into the street before looking back to Ben. “How far back can you remember Ben?”

Ben stood and wiped his hand across his mouth. “How do you know that?” 

Before Thorin could answer, Aster appeared and said, “Mr. Parker, Jasper Mason on the phone for you.”

Thorin looked over Ben’s shoulder and nodded. “Yes, I’m coming Aster.” Then he said, “Ben please don’t leave yet. I need to speak with you.” As he walked away, he looked back over his shoulder and said, “Just come in and make yourself at home. I got a lot to talk to you about.”

Ben nodded his head. “Alright then. I’ll bring your bags in.”

“Thank you,” Thorin yelled as he walked into the house.

Ben didn't know much about what had happened to him, but he now knew that Thorin did. Ben had little memory of his life before Savannah. The last he recalled was living with his parents in a small town in Louisiana, then woke up one day in the infirmary at the Order with a chest wound.

When Ben brought in the last of the bags, he set them down in the foyer and then waited for Thorin. He heard him speaking on the phone to Jasper, “Yes, we need to get Haldir here at once. Please send a cable to Norway. Now, do you mind terribly if I take him off your hands?” As Ben wondered what they were discussing, he caught Imara’s scent. 

He followed the smell of apple pie to the back garden. From the window, Ben watched Imara as she sat on the edge of the rectangular pool with her feet in the water. Her hair glowed as the sun highlighted the red tones in her hair. She wore it long and it flowed down her back to her waist. She was like a beautiful painting that he wanted to hang in his room and stare at forever.

“She is a lovely creature, isn’t she?” asked Thorin, interrupting Ben’s thoughts.

Ben glanced over to Thorin and said, “Yes, she is. You wanted to talk to me, sir?”

Thorin put his hand on Ben’s shoulder and nodded to the foyer. “Yes. Please let’s have a drink.”

Ben followed Thorin into the parlor and had a seat on the sofa. Thorin poured Ben a bit of whiskey and handed it to him.

“Thank you,” said Ben.

Thorin took his drink and sat in his father’s brown leather tufted club chair facing Ben. He took a deep breath as he decided how to begin a conversation like this. “So, tell me Ben. How did you end up here in Savannah?”

Ben pushed himself back in his seat and cleared his throat. “I, uh, I’m not sure, really. The cleaning lady found me up in that back bedroom upstairs with a stab wound in my chest.”

Thorin scrunched up his face and rocked like he was in pain for a moment. “Oh, shit, Ben. I’m so sorry.”

As he knocked is fist against the wooden arm of his chair, Ben looked around the room and sniffed. “Are you going to tell me how we know each other or what?”

Crossing his leg over the other, Thorin relaxed back into his chair. “You’ve seen my sister before haven’t you? Perhaps in a dream.”

Ben shifted uncomfortably in his seat as visions of their nights together flashed across his mind. “Yes, I have.”

Thorin grinned sympathetically and nodded. “Tell me about them.”

Ben licked his lips and rolled his neck from side to side. “What do you want me to say?”

Thorin swirled his drink as he looked Ben in the eyes. “The truth, of course. It’s alright. I can promise you it won’t offend me in the slightest.”

Ben leaned over with his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together as he looked at the floor. He wanted Imara more than anything and the thought of not seeing her again was too much to handle. He took a deep breath then looked back to Thorin. “You want the truth? You want to hear about how I make love to Imara every night in my dreams? Or do you want to hear about the bloody bodies on the floor?”

Thorin smirked and looked away to the cars passing by on the street outside the window. “There will be someone delivering a suit to you later. There’s a party tonight at the Order and I want you dressed appropriately. You might want to shave that mess on your face too. I don’t care what my sister says, it’s not a good look on you.”

Ben chuckled uncomfortably through his nose and looked at Thorin with confusion in his eyes. “Why in the world would I go to one of their goddamn dog and pony shows?  If you want the truth, I think you Order socialites are a bunch of assholes and I damn sure don’t want to spend the evening watching you people act like fools.”

Thorin bit his lip back as he grinned at the brutally honest and down to Earth brother he remembered. “Yes, well, my sister will be attending this particular event and you will be escorting her for the evening. We’ll arrive at 7.

Ben exhaled forcefully through his mouth as his eyes began to tear at the thought of having Imara on his arm. He thought for sure this was a joke. “You want me to take your sister to a dance after I just told you about the things I want to do to her? What the hell kind of brother are you?”

Thorin took a drink then grinned as he set down his cup. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. As of right now, you’re going to be working as Imara’s personal bodyguard. You can gather your things back at the Order, you’ll be returning home with us to live after the party.”

Ben knitted his brows together and sat up straight. “Are you serious?”

Thorin chuckled as he knocked his fist against his chair. “I am. I’ve already spoken with Jasper, it’s all settled.”

Ben wiped his hand across his mouth. “Why me? I don’t know anything about protecting people. I’m just a caretaker, Mr. Parker”

Thorin sighed and swirled his drink around. “I need someone I can depend on to guard my sister. Someone I can trust with her life. I can trust you to do that, can’t I?”

Ben nodded. “Yes, Mr. Parker. I’ll die for her a hundred times to keep her safe if I have to.”

As Thorin’s eyes teared, he swallowed down the painful memory of Ben saying that same thing to him fifty years ago. He sniffled back the tears and said, “Thank you Ben.”

Ben looked over Thorin. He knew there was more. “Mr. Parker?”

“Thorin.”

Ben looked closely at Thorin’s face. “Thorin. Do we know each other? Do you know what happened to me? Why I ended up in Georgia? I can’t seem recall anything.”

Thorin sighed and glanced at the fireplace. “Ben, after tonight, things will start making more sense to you, I promise. You need to trust me like I’m trusting you with Imara. I can’t really tell you everything right at this moment because I still need some answers myself, but soon. Just hang in there. Alright?”

Ben scratched his head and stood up. “Are you sure this is a good idea? The way I feel about her…”

Thorin raised his hand and nodded. “It’s alright, Ben. We’ll see you there at seven sharp.”

Ben rubbed the back of his neck. “Right, I’ll see you then I guess.”

As Ben left the Parker house, he started to laugh to himself. “Holy shit! What is happening right now? I don’t know what I did to deserve this but thank you.” He sniffed back his tears and laughed into his hand. “Thank you.”

Thorin glanced at the grandfather clock in the foyer, then looked back at his reflection and straightened his tie. “Imara! Are you about ready dear?”

As the click of her heels started on the marble floors, Thorin pushed back his slick hair and turned from side to side as he inspected his face.

“I’m ready. How do I look?” Imara asked as she rotated her knee inwards while she checked out the back of her shoe.

Thorin turned and looked her over from head to toe. Her green beaded dress left little to the imagination, but she was a married woman attending a party with her husband and it was hardly his place anymore to chastise her about her appearance. “Well, darlin, you look beautiful as always, of course.”

Imara sighed in relief. “I was afraid it was a tad, you know.”

As he took her arm in his, he said, “Awe no, Imara, you’ll be the belle of the ball, for certain.”

While Thorin and Imara walked across the park to the Order, Imara straightened her necklace. “Do you suppose Ben will be there?”

“Yes, my dear. Ben will be escorting you this evening.”

Imara’s eyes snapped over to Thorin. “Are you serious?”

Thorin looked around at the people walking back and forth. “Yes. There’s something I need to discuss with you. Ben’s going to be staying with us starting tonight.”

Imara stopped him then chuckled. “When I asked if he was for me, I didn’t really expect for you to make it so.”

Thorin took her hand again and pulled her along the path. “We’re going to be late. Ben’s going to be working as your bodyguard.”

As she struggled to maintain pace with him in her dainty heels, she asked, “Bodyguard? I can’t say I’m not thrilled with the concept, but how did this come about?”

“He’s very highly recommended, my dear. Trust me.”

“Well, far be it from me to argue with that. He’s so handsome he makes my knees buckle.”

Thorin smirked to himself. “Yes, well, he’s all yours now.”