Takedown by Heather Atkinson (latest books to read txt) 📕

CHAPTER 16

Faith, Vance and Caleb were sat at the bar in Eclectic, casually sipping coffee when Ben Cooper strode in. As he wasn’t here to tackle a blaze, Ben wore black trousers and a black shirt with the fire rescue services badge on the arm. In one hand he carried a black folder marked with the same logo. It was the first time they’d seen him up close and they all stared at him with interest. He was tall, the same height as Vance, who was the tallest of all the brothers. His light brown hair was thick and wavy. Ben’s eyes were light grey and sparkled with intelligence as he assessed the three Chambers siblings, who got to their feet to greet him.

“You must be Caleb,” said Ben, extending his hand to him. He smiled and retracted his hand when Caleb just glared at him. “I’m sensing a rather frosty welcome.”

“Are you surprised?” said Faith, arching an eyebrow. “Your face looks a bit bruised. Sore, is it?” she said, recalling with pleasure the moment she’d smacked him in the face.

“A little accident at work.”

“You call ramming people’s cars with a transit van work?”

“I suppose not,” he smiled. “How about I get the fire inspection out of the way first then we can discuss the real business? You can’t open without your certificate, so it doesn’t look like you have much choice.”

“I suppose not but just for your information, the only things we keep in this club are to do with the club. Nothing else.”

He chewed the corner of his mouth and nodded. “I see what you’re saying and understood.”

“Vance and Caleb will accompany you around the club, just to make sure you don’t touch anything you shouldn’t.”

Ben glanced around the room, reassured by the presence of all the workmen. “If it makes you feel better.”

“It does,” she said, folding her arms across her chest.

Faith remained at the bar, watching while Caleb and Vance flanked Ben as he worked, standing so close he almost fell over them a couple of times. Neither of them spoke while Ben chattered away, pointing out various things and marking them off on the checklist attached to his clipboard. For a while they disappeared upstairs to the first floor where the VIP room, staff room and office were located before they returned, Ben still chattering while the brothers followed him, not responding to any of his comments.

“Well,” said Ben as the three of them returned to Faith, who was waiting at the bar. “I’m pleased to tell you that you’ve taken satisfactory fire prevention measures and I can now issue you with your fire safety certificate.” He signed the certificate underneath the check list on his clipboard, removed it and held it out to Faith.

“Give it to Caleb,” she told him. “He’s in charge of this place.”

“Oh, I do apologise,” he said, handing it to Caleb instead.

“We thought you wouldn’t give us this to sabotage our new club,” Caleb told him, accepting the certificate from him.

“Now that wouldn’t be very professional of me, would it?” said Ben rather chirpily.

“Well,” said Faith while the brothers regarded him as though he were mad. “Shall we discuss the real business?”

“I think we should,” said Ben.

“This way,” she replied, leading him to a booth at the back of the club, out of earshot of the workmen.

Vance nodded for Ben to sit down first and he sat next to him, penning him in while Faith and Caleb sat opposite.

“So,” opened Ben with a cheerful grin. “Are we going to discuss you giving back what you stole?”

“What you stole you mean you cheeky bastard,” hissed Caleb.

“Do you seriously think that’s going to happen?” Faith asked Ben.

“It better, for your sake.” He said the words in an almost friendly manner but his eyes were hard.

“You think you can threaten us?” she said, amused.

“I know I can. I already have done.”

“If you’re referring to that pathetic attempt with the transit van then you’re really overestimating your abilities. You couldn’t even pull us out of a crashed car.”

“I’m not referring to that. I’m referring to this,” he said, pulling some photos out from under the pile of paperwork on his clipboard and tossing them onto the table.

Faith felt sick as she found herself looking at the same photos Adam had shown her at the pub. She glanced at Vance, who appeared equally shocked.

“You sick bastard,” exclaimed Caleb, shooting to his feet. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing throwing these nasty photoshopped pieces of crap around?”

Faith stifled a smile. He didn’t believe what his own eyes were telling him.

“They’re not photoshopped,” said Ben.

“Course they are,” he snarled, lip curled with disgust. “Do you seriously think Vance and Faith would do that together?”

“That’s exactly what they’re doing. They’ve been doing it for years.” He looked to Faith. “You’re quiet all of a sudden. Why don’t you tell him the truth?”

“He’s right Caleb,” she said. “They’re not photoshopped.”

Caleb turned ashen and he glanced at Vance, who was giving nothing away, waiting to see where Faith was going with this.

“At least part of them aren’t photoshopped,” she continued. “That is me but Vance’s head has been pasted onto Adam’s body. Adam set up the camera to take these when we were together without my knowledge. He tried to blackmail me with them, said he’d send them to everyone I knew if I didn’t go out with him again. When I said no he obviously upped his game and photoshopped them to make it look like I’m with Vance. He always was jealous of how close we are and this is his revenge.”

“It’s true,” said Vance a little tightly. He’d thought that finally the time had come to tell the world about their relationship but he was