Leopard Hunt - 11. Chapter 11

Mitchell gave Ben another kiss. “I’m sorry, but you know the routine.”

Ben chuckled. The two were still intertwined in Mitchell’s bed. “You’re kicking me out again.” He knew Mitchell worked on Saturday mornings, and Mitchell had more than made up for the inconvenience the night before. Ben wasn’t bothered by the impending early-morning departure.

“Only after I make you breakfast.” Mitchell propped himself up on one elbow so he could smile down at the young football player. “But since it’s a long weekend, would you like to do anything special? Neither one of us has to work on Monday.”

That year, Australia Day, January 26^th, fell on a Monday, giving most people in the country a three-day weekend.

“What did you have in mind?” Ben was enjoying the sex with Mitchell, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted things to go too much further. He liked being with the university student, and the times out of bed had also been fun, but Ben didn’t feel a connection. He wasn’t sure if it was because there wasn’t one or if he was too scared to allow one to form.

“I’m open to suggestions. We could have dinner, see a movie, socialise at a bar, go to MANdatory for some dancing…whatever you want.”

“Was that one suggestion or four?”

Mitchell laughed. “Either. I wouldn’t mind it being one.” He walked his free hand up Ben’s bare chest until it reached the stubble on Ben’s cheek. He then leant over and gave Ben another kiss. When they eventually broke apart, Mitchell made a face. “Now I have to run and get ready or I’m going to be late for work.” He rolled out of bed, but rather than heading to the bathroom to take a shower, he smiled down at Ben. “You don’t know how tempted I am to tell work that I’m not well and I’m going to have to spend the day in bed.”

Ben blushed while grinning back. He wouldn’t mind spending the day in bed with Mitchell, but it would be the wrong thing to do. “Go and have a shower.”

While Mitchell was getting ready for work, Ben checked his phone. His hands started to shake when he read one of his emails.

His sister, Eve, was taking advantage of the long weekend to fly down to Melbourne to see him. She would be at the house in Lilydale around lunchtime.

* * *

“Mason?” Liam stepped back to let the tall American enter the unit. “What brings you out here?”

“House hunting.” Mason was pleased that Clarissa hadn’t told Liam what was going on. “Clarissa told me that the apartment at the back of your block is being auctioned this morning, and I thought I’d come along to see how things work in Australia. After the auction, I was going to check out some places to see if I can find somewhere to live.”

“Well, best of luck with that.” Liam led the way to the kitchen. “Coffee?”

“I won’t say no.” Mason looked around. “Is Neil here?”

Liam grinned. “He’s getting dressed.”

“I’m surprised you’re not helping him.” Mason winked.

“I was, but I got kicked out after an hour.”

Mason laughed. “You were up early, then. It’s only ten o’clock.”

Liam winked as he led the way to the kitchen. “Both of us were ‘up’ early.”

“Tell me about it.” A grumpy Clarissa greeted the two. She glared at Liam. “I believe they were watching porn with the volume up too high. At least, that’s what it sounded like.”

Mason saw Liam blush, but watching porn wasn’t what he thought the guys would’ve been doing. “Sounds exciting. Was it a DVD or something online? I may want to watch it myself when I get back to the apartment.”

He was further confused when Liam’s blush deepened and Clarissa started laughing. Once she recovered, she grinned at him. “Mason, I don’t think that’s an option. I had the impression it was a live performance. I didn’t catch both names, but one of the actors was called Liam.” She smirked at Liam. “Do you know the name of the other one?”

“Enough, Clarissa. We’re sorry, okay? We just got carried away.”

Mason finally understood. “Thin walls?”

Clarissa chuckled. “At least not thick enough for those two. The guys have been warned, but they still don’t seem to stop themselves.” She contemplated Liam for a moment. “Maybe castration would slow them down?”

“Don’t you dare!” Neil joined them and slipped an arm around Liam’s waist. “I like him just the way he is.”

Mason was interested that the dynamics weren’t what he expected. He would’ve expected it to be Liam who would stand up to Clarissa.

Clarissa narrowed her eyes at Neil. “What makes you think it’s him I’m intending to castrate?”

Neil chuckled. “It doesn’t make any difference; you’re still not doing it.” He gave Liam a kiss on the cheek. “You’re not going to do anything to mess us up. You and Karen went to too much trouble to get us together in the first place. You’d hate to see all that effort go to waste.”

Clarissa glared. “You may think you’ve won this argument…” She then laughed. “Whatever happened to the shy, meek Neil from last year?”

“He grew up.” Neil turned away and wiped a hand across his eyes. “He had to.”

Liam immediately pulled Neil into an embrace. Clarissa also moved over to rest a hand on Neil’s shoulder. “Sorry.”

Mason decided it was best to leave them alone. They shared a history he didn’t know, and it was obvious that there were more connections between them than he thought. Mason slipped past the group and put the kettle on for the coffee that Liam had offered him.

“I was going to do that,” Liam said.

Mason smiled back over his shoulder. “You’ve got more important things to do.” He smirked. “But if you want to make it up to me…” He grimaced as he realised how inappropriate the suggestion he’d been about to make was going to be. He would only have been joking, but asking for a copy of the ‘porn’ from the morning wouldn’t have gone down well.

“What do you want me to do?” Liam moved up next to Mason and pulled four mugs from the cupboard above the bench.

Mason thought quickly. “Allow me to buy you a proper coffeemaker.” He stared down at the coffee mugs. “There’s something wrong about using instant coffee. Coffee should be made fresh.”

“No, you don’t! You’re not buying us something else.” Clarissa glared at Mason. “You can’t keep spending money like that.”

“Think of it as a late housewarming gift. Everyone should have their own coffeemaker.”

Clarissa jabbed a finger into Mason’s chest. “Nice try, but you told us that the wine glasses were a late housewarming gift. No coffeemaker!”

Mason rolled his eyes. “Fine. Have it your way.” He deliberately shuddered. “I’ll just have to get used to instant coffee when I come to visit.”

Mason didn’t mind losing that argument. If things worked out, there would be a coffeemaker two doors down in the three-bedroom apartment at the end of the block.

* * *

“Please, she can’t find out!” Ben’s gaze darted between Oliver, Charlie, and Ross. “Whatever happens, she can’t know.”

Helena spoke up from where she was sitting at the side of the room. “Would it help if I had one of my cousins come around and pretend to be your girlfriend?”

“Yes!” Ben shook his head. “No.” He grimaced. “Maybe. We’d have to act as if we’d just started dating so I can tell my family later that it didn’t work out.”

“Ben, calm down.” Oliver glanced around the room. “We’ve still got a couple of hours before your sister gets here. Ross, how about you disappear? It’ll be easier to not mention Warwick or the fact that you’ve got a boyfriend if you’re not here. We can tell Ben’s sister that you’re out with friends.”

Ross smiled. “I’ll go to the gym for a couple of hours. Send me a text if you want me to stay out longer. I can always go shopping afterwards.”

Ben tried to find problems with the suggestion. “What if she wants to stay for dinner?”

“Then she can stay, but Ross already had other plans.” Oliver grinned at Helena. “That’s when we use some girl as an excuse, if needed. She doesn’t even have to be here.” He thought for a moment. “Glenda. That’s the name of Roscoe’s date in case it comes up.” He chuckled. “She’s always had a soft spot for Roscoe.”

Ben appreciated the moment of levity, though he didn’t join the others in laughing. Glenda was the front-office manager for the Leopards and a nice lady but way too old for any of the players, in Ben’s opinion.

“She’ll want to meet him since he’s one of my housemates. How should we do that?”

Charlie shook his head. “Don’t let her. The less she interacts with Roscoe, the easier it is to make him fade in the background.” He smiled at Ross. “Sorry, but it’s true. Too many people know about Warwick. We don’t want someone to mention him where she can hear, so it’s better if there’s nothing to prompt the topic.”

“I could go away for the long weekend. Lots of people do, so it wouldn’t be suspicious.” Ross shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll see if Warwick is okay if I stay with him, but if I have to, I can go back home. Mum would like to see more of me, anyway.”

“That’s probably safer,” Oliver said. “Better than making up a false date that we’d have to remember.”

Ross pulled out his phone. “I’ll check with Warwick first. If that doesn’t work out, I’ll ring Mum.”

Helena frowned. “Ben, do you know where your sister is going to be staying while she’s here in Melbourne?”

“I don’t know.” Ben checked the email again. “She doesn’t say anything about it.” He gnawed at his lower lip. “Do you think she’ll ask to stay here?”

Oliver shrugged. “If she does, we can work it out. But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. The main thing is to minimise the chance of someone slipping up. As long as we’re not talking about Ross, Jim, dating, or sex, we’ll be fine.”

Helena laughed. “Sorry, Ben, but it looks like you’re in trouble. There’s no way Ollie won’t talk about sex.”

Ben’s return smile was weak. He could trust Charlie to be circumspect, but Helena was right. Oliver didn’t have a filter, and when—not if—the topic turned to sex, either he or Helena was likely to say something that risked exposing his secret.

* * *

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome.” The auctioneer smiled over the small, gathered crowd. “It’s a beautiful summer’s day, and I’m happy to see so many people in attendance. There has been a lot of interest in this fine property behind me, suitable for a young family or an investor, and we have three registered bidders for today’s auction.”

Mason, Neil, Liam, and Clarissa were at the back of the crowd that stood outside the unit that was being auctioned. While the auctioneer explained the rules of the auction, Mason used his above-average height to look for the agent that his father had hired. He hadn’t been introduced—another source of anger at his parents—but he thought he’d try to work out who it could be.

He saw a young Asian couple with two small children standing on one side, along with an older couple. Mason suspected that the older couple were trying to buy a place for their children and grandchildren. Near the middle of the crowd, there was a rough-looking-and-tanned, middle-aged Caucasian man; a better-dressed man with a backpack stood nearby, and on the far side there were a couple of men in suits. The rest of the crowd appeared to be locals who were there to see who was going to buy the unit.

Mason initially thought that the men in suits represented his father’s agent until the auctioneer spoke with them, apparently giving instructions. That was when he realised they were part of the real-estate agent’s team. His next guess was the man with the backpack, as there didn’t appear to be anyone else appropriate. He didn’t look like someone who was there to buy an apartment for himself or a family member.

An elderly couple approached Liam, Neil, and Clarissa. “This looks exciting. I hope that young couple get the place,” the woman said. “It’ll be good to have some nice neighbours.”

Liam chuckled. “You don’t think a couple of university students are nice enough, Mrs. Provan?” He caught Mason’s puzzled look. “Mason, I’d like to introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Provan. They have the unit between ours and the one being auctioned. Mr. and Mrs. Provan, this is Mason. He’s going to be at Sydney Uni with us.”

Mason smiled and stuck out a hand. “Pleased to meet you.”

She raised an eyebrow as she greeted Mason. “An American! I’m pleased to meet you, too.” She smiled and then grinned at Liam. “You know I didn’t mean you. You and Clarissa are nice neighbours. We just hope we have nice neighbours on the other side of us, too.”

Mr. Provan shook Mason’s hand. “What brings you to Australia, Mason, and what will you be studying?”

“I want to get a degree in Space Engineering. Sydney University is one of the few places where I can study that.”

Mr. Provan’s eyebrows rose. “Impressive! There’s a lot of potential in space. It’s the final frontier.”

Mason stared at the straight-faced, elderly gentleman, wondering if he knew the pop-culture association for what he’d said. When Mr. Provan solemnly lifted his left hand, holding his ring and little finger away from the middle and forefinger and said, “Live long and prosper”, Mason grinned. “Peace and long life,” he replied. He didn’t try to return the salute; he’d tried enough times to know he wasn’t able to make his fingers move that way easily.

Mr. Provan grinned back. “Not many people know that response. I hope to see more of you in the future. I’m sure we’ll have lots to discuss.”

Clarissa narrowed her eyes. “What are you two talking about?”

“Star Trek.” Mason smiled at the old man. “Sorry, but that’s about as much as I know. I’ve got a friend back home who’s a Trekkie. That’s the only reason I knew the Vulcan response. He spent two years making sure I knew it.” Mason chuckled. “He also tried to teach me Klingon, but I gave up on that after only a month.”

Mr. Provan nodded. “I’ve thought about learning Klingon, but at my age the neurons aren’t firing as fast as they used to. I decided concentrating on developing warp-drive technology was a better use of my time.”

“That makes sense.” Mason raised an eyebrow. “You’re an engineer?”

“I was before I retired, but I’m sure there have been a lot of changes in the field since I went to school.” Mr. Provan smiled as he glanced over to where Liam, Neil, and Clarissa were talking to his wife. “It’s why Neil and I get along. He’s very excited about studying engineering.”

Their conversation was interrupted when the auctioneer called for opening bids. “Shall we start with five hundred and fifty thousand?”

Mason winced. He knew property prices in Sydney were higher than he was used to, and the weaker Australian dollar made the number appear worse than if it had been expressed in US dollars, but starting the bidding at $550,000 was, to his mind, excessive. It also created a conflict in his mind as to his parents. While he wasn’t letting go of his anger at being exiled to Australia, the amount of money his parents were willing to spend on an apartment for him indicated that they still cared.

The opening bid was made by the rough-looking man, but the backpack man and the patriarch of the Asian family soon joined in with bids of $560K and $570K, respectively. The rough-looking man’s gravelly voice was loud over the murmurs of the crowd as he responded. “Six twenty.”

The backpack man frowned. “Six thirty,” the Asian patriarch countered.

The rough-looking man crossed his arms. “Six fifty.”

The auction stalled at that point. After calling for more bids and not receiving any, the auctioneer announced that he was going inside to consult with the sellers.

“What does that mean?” Liam asked. “Why didn’t he declare the property sold?”

“It means that the property hasn’t reached the reserve price set beforehand,” Mr. Provan said. “The auctioneer’s gone inside to see if the owners are happy to sell at that price, if they’ll lower their reserve, or if they want the unit passed in.”

“Passed in? What does that mean?” Mason asked.

Clarissa gave him the answer. “That happens if the auction doesn’t reach the price the owners want. Essentially, the property doesn’t get sold.”

“It doesn’t look like that young couple will be buying the place.” Mrs. Provan’s disappointment was obvious.

“Not necessarily,” her husband replied. “If they expected the reserve price to be higher, they may have let the auction stall at this point to see if the owners will lower that price.”

“What happens if the reserve isn’t met?” Neil asked.

“Then the highest bidder gets the first chance to negotiate with the owners.” Mr. Provan frowned. “It’ll all depend on how greedy the owners are or how desperate they are to sell. If they’re too greedy, they’ll wait until they get the price they want. If they’re desperate, they may be willing to lower the price.”

“I was told they were moving to Brisbane,” Mason said. “They’ll probably want to sell.”

“Maybe. If they’ve got some cash reserves to tide them over, they may be able to leave the unit vacant for a few weeks while they continue to try to sell it.”

“I’m not sure I like that man who had the last bid.” Mrs. Provan shook her head. “He doesn’t look like a pleasant person. I’m not sure I’d be comfortable living next door to him.”

Mason stayed silent, but he was personally hoping the backpack man would win the bid.

The auctioneer reappeared. “I have spoken to the vendors, and the reserve has not yet been reached. They have authorised me to make a vendor bid of $690,000. Do I hear seven hundred?”

The backpack man shook his head and started to leave. Mason grimaced, realising that his chance of buying the apartment had just evaporated.

The response from the Asian gentleman was strong and confident. “Seven hundred.”

The response from the rough-looking man was immediate. “Seven twenty.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, the property is now on the market.” The auctioneer turned to the Asian family. “Do I hear seven thirty?”

Mason frowned. “What does he mean, that the property is now on the market? Hasn’t it been on the market the whole time? And what was that about a vendor bid?”

Mr. Provan chuckled. “The wording is odd, but it means that the reserve price has been met, and so the property will definitely be sold today. Whoever bids the highest will get the unit, there’s no backing out. In New South Wales, the person selling the property is allowed to make one bid themselves. I’d say they just used that bid to signal what price they were looking for.”

“Why don’t they just have a family member or friend bid on their behalf? That would be less obvious.”

“They can’t. Only the auctioneer can bid on behalf of the seller.” Mr. Provan made a face. “I can’t remember the details, but there were some scandals some time ago, and laws were passed to make dummy bids illegal.”

After a short discussion with his family, the Asian patriarch bid again. “Seven twenty-five.”

The reaction from the other bidder was immediate. “Seven thirty.”

“Do I hear seven thirty-five?”

The Asian family held a low-voiced conversation for almost a minute before the patriarch turned to the auctioneer and shook his head.

“Are you sure? Properties like this don’t come on the market often.” After a couple of minutes of trying to cajole the Asian family, the auctioneer admitted defeat and made the traditional ‘going once, going twice, sold!’ declaration.

“Okay, it’s all over.” Mrs. Provan sighed. “I hope he turns out to be nicer than he looks.”

The group turned away, the Provans heading to their unit and the rest heading to Liam’s and Clarissa’s.

“Mr. Rivers? Mason Rivers?” The gravelly voice caught them all by surprise. They stopped and looked back at the rough-looking man who had approached them.

“Yes?” Mason said, wondering how the stranger knew his name.

The man smiled. “I’m Lewis Invernell. Your father said you may be present. Since you’re here, it would expedite things if you came in and signed the paperwork. Congratulations, by the way. You’re now the owner of a wonderful three-bedroom unit.”

Mason blinked as he shook hands with Lewis. “You’re my father’s agent?”

Lewis chuckled. “I like to look like a rough-and-tumble sort. That—and bidding confidently—has been known to scare some other bidders off.” He shrugged. “It didn’t work today, but we still managed to get a reasonable price.”

“What’s going on?” Liam asked. “Did you just buy that unit?”

Mason grinned. “Yep!” It was beginning to sink in that he’d gotten what he wanted.

Lewis cleared his throat. “You haven’t bought it until paperwork is signed, so if you could follow me…?”

Mason dutifully followed his father’s agent back to the unit to sign the paperwork, a beaming smile on his face. The next step, after he found out when he’d be able to move in, would be to ask Deon and Kevin if they’d like to share the apartment with him. He was confident they wouldn’t say no.

* * *

“Eve! It’s good to see you again.” Ben leant forward and gave his big sister a peck on the cheek. “Did you have a good trip?” He noticed she didn’t have any luggage with her and hoped that meant she wasn’t going to ask to stay with him for the weekend.

“It’s been just under a month since Christmas, Ben. Did you miss me that much?” She smiled back. “The flight was fine. No dramas, which is the way I like it.”

“Come in, and I’ll introduce you to the others. One of the guys has gone away for the weekend, but the others are here.”

Eve grabbed Ben by the arm, halting his movement back into the house. “Before that, how are you, Ben? Really. No bullshit. Are you happy?”

Ben hesitated, wondering what she was after. “I’m happy. My teammates are all great, my housemates are fantastic, and I’m starting to make new friends. I like it here.”

She stared into his eyes for a moment and then nodded once. “Okay. Then I’m happy, too.” She waved a hand toward the interior of the house. “Let’s go.”

Ben led her into the kitchen, where Oliver, Helena, and Charlie were waiting. Oliver was stirring the contents of a saucepan while the other two were seated at the kitchen table. Charlie immediately rose. “G’day. You must be Eve.”

“That’s me!” She grinned and lifted a hand in greeting. “Something smells nice.”

Oliver grinned. “We weren’t sure what time you were showing up, so I’ve had a pasta sauce simmering. Now that you’re here, I can cook the pasta.”

“Eve, this is Charlie. The master chef is Ollie, and the young lady at the table is his girlfriend, Helena.”

Helena was standing by the time Ben finished the introductions. She contemplated Eve for a moment and then stepped forward to give her a hug. “Charlie’s also taken, but I’ve got a couple of cousins who I’m sure would love to take you out for dinner, if you’re interested.”

Eve stiffened, and her smiling expression looked forced. “That’s okay. I’ve already got plans for tonight.”

Ben chuckled. “Helena, settle down.” He winked at Eve. “Helena comes from a very large extended family. I believe she has a cousin for all occasions, no matter what those occasions may be.” He snorted. “She tried to set me up with one of those cousins soon after I arrived.”

“And she would’ve been good for you.” Helena chuckled. “How was I supposed to know that big-breasted Greek girls weren’t your thing?”

Oliver chuckled. “You left off aggressive. Arianna had him married with three kids and twins on the way within ten minutes of meeting him.”

Ben tensed, though he realised it was his own fault for raising the subject. Talking about love interests was not what he wanted to discuss in front of his sister. “How long before lunch is ready, Ollie?”

“Fifteen minutes. As soon as the water boils and the pasta is cooked, we can eat.”

Eve touched Ben’s arm to attract his attention. “Can we talk after lunch? In private?”

“Sure.” Ben felt anything but sure, but he tried to maintain a confident façade. His sister was the one member of his family who he thought may be okay with him being gay, but he also knew that it may be wishful thinking extrapolated from a handful of comments she’d made when they’d been alone.

Charlie spoke up for the first time since the initial introductions. “Eve, have you got any stories to tell about Ben? We know about his football history in Sydney, but he’s been reticent to say much about anything else. It’ll be good to hear what he was like growing up.”

Eve threw Ben an odd look that he had trouble deciphering. She then chuckled. “Oh, I have lots of stories that I’m sure he doesn’t want me to repeat.”

Ben wasn’t sure if he should be grateful for Charlie’s distraction, but embarrassing tales from his past was a much safer topic than his love life. He glared at Charlie, mainly because it was expected, but kept his mouth shut and didn’t object.

“Has he told you he’s a chocoholic?” Eve asked.

“He is?” Oliver frowned. “I don’t think I’ve seen him eat any since he moved in.”

“It’s not on my diet.” Ben frowned at his sister. “You know I don’t eat chocolate anymore.”

“Except at Easter, your birthday, Christmas, and whenever you think you can get away with no one knowing.” Eve smirked. “I’m sure you have a large block hidden somewhere in your room right now just waiting for a celebration—or comfort food after losing a game.”

Ben blushed.

Helena chuckled. “Should we tell him that there’s a chocolate factory about twenty minutes from here that provides free samples?”

Eve laughed. “Probably not a good idea. If he finds out where it is, he’ll become fat and unable to play football.”

Charlie shook his head. “We’ve got the perfect cure for that. Her name’s Julie.”

Ben flinched. He knew what Charlie meant.

“Julie?” Eve gave Ben a quizzical look. “Who’s Julie?”

“Our head coach.” Ben made a face. “If she thought I was getting fat, she’d have me running laps every day until my body-fat percentage was back to acceptable levels.” He snorted. “And she gets to decide what’s acceptable.”

“That’s Julie!” Oliver smiled at Eve. “Are you okay with a glass of wine with lunch?”

“You don’t have to…”

Helena chuckled. “Ollie doesn’t do things he doesn’t have to, apart from when Julie tells him to do something. It’s a long weekend, and we don’t have any special plans. We’re opening a bottle anyway, so it’s no trouble.”

“In that case, and as long as it’s only one glass, then yes, please.” The look she threw at Ben was one of playful fun. “Anyway, we found out Ben was a chocoholic when he was eight. Dad had taken us out for ice creams and said we could choose two flavours. Ben said he’d have chocolate.”

Ben rolled his eyes. Out of all the stories she could’ve told, this one wasn’t embarrassing.

Eve continued. “Dad reminded him he could have two flavours and asked Ben what he wanted for the other one. Ben replied, in a tone that indicated he wasn’t going to change his mind, that he wanted chocolate for the second flavour, too.”

“There’s nothing wrong with liking chocolate.” Ben crossed his arms and scowled at a sniggering Oliver.

“Does that include having your face covered with chocolate ice-cream? And then not letting Mum clean it up, but wiping it off your face with your fingers and then licking your fingers clean?”

Ben blushed again.

* * *

“Thanks again, Ollie. That was wonderful.” Eve patted her stomach. “If that’s the sort of meal you usually have here, I’m sure Julie will have all of you running lots of laps.”

The three guys all laughed. “She doesn’t need an excuse. She makes us run laps, anyway,” Ben said.

“I’m sorry if it looks like I’m rushing out after that wonderful meal, but I have some things I need to do this afternoon.” Eve glanced at Ben. “Can we talk now?”

“We can go to my room.” Ben thought Eve looked nervous, which worried him.

A minute later, the two were sitting on Ben’s bed with the door shut.

“Ben, you know that I’m closer to you than I am to anyone else in the family, right?”

Ben nodded but stayed silent.

“Will you be there for me if I need you?” Eve asked. “You won’t abandon me?”

Ben’s eyes opened wide. “Is there something wrong? You’re not sick, are you?”

“No…well, not really.” Eve grimaced. “Can you just sit there and be quiet while I explain?”

“Okay.” Ben wrapped an arm around his sister and gently pulled her up to him. He was glad she didn’t resist. “Tell me what you want to tell me, and I’ll wait until you’ve finished before I say anything.” He gave her a squeeze of reassurance. “I’m here for you.”

Whatever was going on, Ben knew it was about her, not him. That both gave him a sense of relief—she wasn’t about to accuse him of being gay—and a touch of fear about what she was going to say.

“It all started a couple of months ago. I was at a party and met this guy.” She gave an amused snort. “I thought he was hot until I found out he works for a Christian-outreach organisation. I hit him with both barrels on the evils of organised religion. I was surprised to find he gave as good as he got.”

Ben was baffled as to where this story was going.

“Anyway, to cut a long story short, we argued for most of that night and several times over the following weeks.” She dropped her head. “We fought a lot, but we kept seeing each other…including spending the night together.”

She looked up to reveal watery eyes. “He infuriates me at times, but he also does something for me that I can’t explain.”

Ben gave her another squeeze. He was beginning to understand why she’d come to talk to him. His father would never tolerate her having a religious boyfriend. That would be as bad—if not worse—as having a gay son.

“Anyway, I saw him off a couple of weeks ago. He’d only been in Sydney for a few months while working on a project, and he’s now back home in Melbourne, not too far from here. But since he’s been gone, I’ve realised how much I’ve been missing him. A couple of days ago, I made the decision to fly down to see him again. He picked me up from the airport, and he’s going to come and get me as soon as I text him. I’m staying with him for the weekend.”

Ben broke his promise to stay quiet, but he thought she needed to know he was okay with what she was saying. “It sounds like this is serious. I’d like to meet him.”

Eve’s face lit up, and she gave him a big hug. “Thank you! I was so worried.”

“Because he’s religious?” Ben gave her as soft a smile as he could. “You have good taste, Eve. If you like him, then I’m sure I’ll like him, too.”

A flicker of something crossed her face. “There’s more.”

Ben waited.

“I’m pregnant.”

* * *

Kevin frowned. “Let’s get this straight. You now own that unit at the end of the block, and you’re asking Deon and myself to rent rooms from you?”

Mason shrugged. “Technically, I don’t own it until the 23^rd of February, but yes.” He smiled. “You said you’d be happy renting a place with me, so what’s the problem?”

“No problem. I’m just in shock. I didn’t expect you to buy a place. I thought we’d all be renting.” Kevin glanced over at where Deon had an arm wrapped around Clarissa. “I take it you’re okay with this?”

“Sure, but I’ll admit that it was a bit of a shock for me, too.” Deon chuckled. “But they say real estate is all about location, location, location, and living two doors down from Clarissa is definitely a perfect location for me.”

Mason was trying to determine if Kevin had reservations or if it was merely that the surprise had knocked him off balance. Both Kevin and Deon had been sent text messages earlier, asking them to come to Clarissa’s and Liam’s apartment as soon as they finished training. It was only when they arrived—Kevin brought Daphne with him—that they found out what was going on.

Daphne frowned. “You’re moving in next month? I thought sales took longer than that to finalise.”

“The contract was originally for sixty days, but we asked if we could move in sooner. The people selling it were happy to do that, so we renegotiated for a thirty-day settlement.” Mason shrugged. “Everyone was happy with that, and my father’s agent said he can make it happen. I’m taking him at his word.”

“How much is the rent going to be?” Kevin made a face. “I thought we’d be splitting the rent three ways, but does this mean you’ll be setting the rent?”

“Ah, about that…” Mason was glad his dark skin prevented his friends from seeing him go red. “My father told me that I’m going to have to live on the rent you guys pay me. That’ll be my income while I’m living here, so I can’t make it as cheap as I originally planned. I hope that’s okay.”

Clarissa narrowed her eyes. “How much, Mason?”

Mason had discussed the matter with Lewis, but he thought the amount that his father’s agent had recommended was way too high. He mentally reduced that number by a hundred. “Can you guys afford $250 a week?”

“Is that between us, or each?” Kevin asked.

Mason cringed. “Each.”

Deon rose. “Kevin, can I have a word with you?”

“Sure.” The two football players stepped outside to talk.

“Is it going to be awkward being the landlord while living with them?” Liam asked.

“I hope not.” Mason hadn’t considered that complication. He was beginning to wonder if he’d made a huge mistake in telling his father he had two guaranteed renters.

Daphne smiled. “It’ll work out, but I think you should arrange for Deon and Kevin to have a look at the place before they make any commitment. So far, you’re the only one who’s seen what it looks like inside.”

Clarissa flinched. “Not quite. I was with Mason when he checked it out.” She gave Mason a weak smile. “Sorry, I thought they’d be thrilled. I guess we didn’t think things through.”

Daphne chuckled softly. “Give them time and they’ll be thrilled. You’ve just taken them by surprise, that’s all.” Her smile faded as she caught Mason’s eye. “Kevin wants me to move in with him. Is that going to be okay?”

Mason grinned. That was one question he was prepared for. “Of course! I was expecting that to happen, which is why you two will get the master bedroom.”

Her eyes widened. “But you’re the owner. That should be your room!”

“Hey, I just need a room.” Mason shrugged. “I’d like to have the private bathroom that comes with the master bedroom, but I can live without that. It’s not like I would’ve had one if I’d been living in a college dorm back home.”

Kevin stuck his head inside. “Daphne, can you join us outside?”

After Daphne left, Mason gave Clarissa, Liam, and Neil a nervous smile. “What do you think they’re discussing?”

Clarissa shrugged. “Probably whether your offer is too good to be believed.” When Mason frowned, she continued. “You’re offering them a rent that’s lower than what Liam and I pay, and it’s for a bigger place. Yes, they have to share it with you, too, but I don’t blame them if they’re wondering if there’s a catch.”

“I just want to live with some friends. I’m not interested in the money. If the ‘rents hadn’t told me I have to live off the rent money, I would’ve made it lower. Is that too hard to believe?”

“From most people, yes.” Clarissa cocked her head. “But from you…no. You keep spending money like you don’t know its value. The rest of us don’t have a lot and have to keep an eye on our budgets. The idea of spending over $700,000 so casually…” She shook her head. “We have trouble understanding the mindset that can do that.”

“It wasn’t casually! I want a place to live for the next four years. I want somewhere I’ll be comfortable. I don’t want to be lonely. I want people I can trust living with me—people I can share things with. They’re the important things, not how much I spent to get them.”

Mason hadn’t noticed Deon, Kevin, and Daphne’s return until Kevin spoke. “And those things are important to us, too.”

Deon nodded. “We still need to work out some details, but Kevin and I would love to share the unit with you. Daphne would, too.” He grinned and stuck out a hand. “What do you say, flatmate?”

* * *

Oliver clapped Ben on the shoulder as Eve and her boyfriend pulled out of the driveway. “She seems nice, and there wasn’t any drama unless she said something during your private chat. It looks like you weathered that storm.”

Ben shook his head. “The storm’s still coming.” He sighed and turned to go back into the house. “She’s thinking of moving down here.”

“You think that if she lives in Melbourne, she’ll find out the truth sooner or later?”

“Yeah, but that’s not what’s worrying me.”

Oliver frowned. “Then what is it?”

“My sister’s pregnant. She’s going to move in with her boyfriend while they plan on getting married.”

“And your parents will be down for the wedding.” Oliver shrugged. “It shouldn’t be too hard to keep your secret for that long.”

Ben shook his head again. “I don’t think my parents will be there. From what Eve said, I suspect it’ll be a church wedding, and there’s no way my parents will set foot inside a church.” He screwed up his face. “No, it’s worse than that.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

“Even if she doesn’t start World War Three by dating a religious guy, this will be my parents’ first grandchild. Mum, at least, and possibly Dad, will be down here to be with her as much as possible, and Dad will be down trying to make her break up with her boyfriend. They’re going to drag me into the whole mess even though I’m on Eve’s side. I’m not going to be able to avoid them, and it’ll only be a matter of time before the rest of the truth comes out.” His head dropped. “I’m here because I wanted to get away from them, but that’s not going to happen. I’m trapped.”

Oliver frowned and then punched Ben in the arm. “Idiot!” While Ben rubbed his bicep, Oliver continued. “You’re not alone. The whole team will stand up for you. They’ll even stand between you and your parents, if that’s required.

“You’re a Leopard. You’re family…and we protect our own.” Oliver scowled. “And if you need us to protect Eve, we’ll do that, too.”

* * *

Back in Los Angeles, Pedro Romero sneered at the weakling in front of him. “How many of the capsules did you swallow?”

José Rodriguez was visibly frightened, though he was making an unsuccessful effort to hide it. “I don’t know. It was a lot.”

“My cousin told me it was 187. How many capsules did you find in your shit?” Pedro didn’t wait for an answer. “It was only 185.” He pulled out a knife and started cleaning his fingernails. “What did you do with the other two capsules?”

“I didn’t do nothing!” José started shaking. “They must still be inside me.”

“Likely story.” Pedro knew they weren’t inside José because his cousin had told me that 185 was the number delivered, but both agreed that José was too stupid to know that. “Your first delivery was perfect, but this second one…” Pedro scowled and jabbed his knife in José’s direction. “You’re short, and that means you owe me.”

“But I—”

“But nothing!” Pedro knew that his unwilling drug mule had a limited useful life. After enough trips across the border, the immigration authorities would suspect the person identified on José’s passport to be smuggling drugs. The trick was to cut the fool loose just prior to that happening. “This time was supposed to pay for your flights and some spending money in Australia so you can fix that fuck-up of yours. But because of the missing drugs, you’re going to have to make another couple of trips to pay for what you’ve lost.” He glared at José, silently demanding a response.

José swallowed and nodded.

“Good. My cousin will be expecting you in three days. Just in case those drugs are still in your body, I suggest you save all your shit between now and then and check to see if they’re there. If they are, I expect you to clean them up and deliver them to me. If not…don’t fuck up again or it’ll be your last time. Got it?”

A pale José nodded again.

“Then get the fuck out of my sight!”

Pedro settled back into his chair as José left the room. His experience told him that two more smuggling trips would probably be safe. He would play it by ear as to whether to force the idiot to do a third or cut him loose and send him to Australia.

Killing José was another option, but despite him being an imbecile, there were people with power who would take offense if the young gang member was terminated. Pedro didn’t need that aggravation.

In the meantime, he needed to keep José away from the other members. Pedro didn’t need José finding out that he wasn’t in as much trouble for the failed robbery as Pedro made out.