The Shepherd's Crook Pt. 03

When he returned, the nurse handed him another sterile container... with a smirk. He was certain it was a smirk, but she'd wiped it from her face when he glanced back at her again with a frown.

He walked to the washroom door in the hall and took a deep breath. Before entering, he glanced at Evelyn, whose face was hot pink as she looked away. Tatiana's face wore a sly smile as she enjoyed Ben's discomfort. He saw Liliya frowning at the other two, then she moved to stand next to Ben.

"Is there a problem?" she whispered.

He looked at her but saw only concern. He shrugged, but she continued to hold his eyes with hers, so he felt compelled to continue. "I'm not... good at doing this. Never have been," he sighed.

She nodded and opened the door for him. Once he stepped inside, he felt her hand on his back, pushing him further into the small room.

"What? What are you doing?" he asked as she stepped into the room, closed the door, and locked it.

"Ben, I have been trained in many aspects of espionage. You may say I have a very particular set of skills." She smiled at him, and he couldn't stop an amused snort from escaping at her movie line reference. "One of those skills can be used to assist you in getting the sample. Hand me the bottle."

He gave it to her, and she opened it, placing it on the edge of the sink. Then she reached down and unzipped his pants. She slipped her hand inside, past his underwear, and pulled his cock through the opening.

She smiled down at his member in her hand. "I think the last time I saw this, we were in the ballroom of a hotel on fire." She glanced around. "This place isn't much of an improvement."

Ben enjoyed the sensation of her fingers wrapped around his cock as she gently squeezed it in pulses, moving her hand slowly up and down the shaft.

At the same time, his brain was struggling with dealing with Rose's mother/his bodyguard doing him a favor by giving him a hand job. Physically, he was in the moment but mentally, he was all over the map.

Liliya must have noticed a decrease in firmness as she looked into Ben's eyes. She slid her other hand behind his head and pulled his face down to hers. Their lips met, and she gently kissed him. Her kiss deepened when she felt him hardening, and Ben followed her lead.

She squeezed her thighs together as she was tingling madly. She had to stay in control.

When she moved both hands to Ben's cock, he gasped lightly into their kiss.

It was true. She was... skilled.

Her touch was drawing his need higher and higher. He could feel the pressure building and knew his release wouldn't be much longer.

Ben desperately wanted to put his hands on Liliya's body, but aside from her lips, tongue, and hands, Liliya was standing apart from him.

She lightly raked his balls with her nails, and he pulled back from the kiss to gasp loudly. He was suddenly right there!

One of her hands slipped up to stroke the sensitive glans.

"Fuck!" he grunted, and she returned to pulsing strokes as he came in surge after surge.

Finally, he slumped back against the wall and closed his eyes momentarily to catch his breath. Tissues were used for dabbing him clean, then he felt a brief change in the air pressure.

He opened his eyes, Liliya was gone, and the sample bottle had its lid back on.

Feeling just a little awkward, he tidied himself, tucked himself away, and zipped up his pants. Then he glanced in the mirror and grabbed another tissue to wipe her lipstick from his mouth. He felt another throb as his mind returned him to the kiss.

He gave himself a shake, then put on his game face. He had more tests to do.

-=-

When Liliya left the small room, she glanced at the Sergeant's incredulous expression, then the conflicted one on Tatiana's face. She gestured to the ladies' room and went inside. It took a moment to reapply her lipstick and take some breaths to calm her tingling body. Ben was an excellent kisser, and she saw him struggling to keep his hands back. She'd done her best to maintain her distance, but her willpower would likely have cracked if he'd placed his hands on her body.

She returned to the others as she saw Ben returning from the lab where he'd turned in the sample container. She gave him a smile. "Where to next?" she asked in a friendly voice.

He glanced at her, and his expression relaxed into a relieved smile. He glanced at the paper Hannah had given him. "Up to the sixth floor. Stress test for my heart." He nodded and headed off to the elevators, with Evelyn leading the way.

Liliya followed Ben and could feel Tatiana's eyes on her. She glanced back with a scowl, and Tatiana looked away.

They rode the elevator up to the sixth and brought Ben to the Cardiologist's office. The Sergeant did a quick inspection, then stepped out into the hall while Ben followed the nurse into the back. Liliya took a seat in the small waiting room.

Tatiana suddenly sat next to her and leaned in close. "Did you have sex? Is there no limit to your submission to him?" Her eyes widened. "Did you kneel before him and take him in your mouth?" she hissed softly.

Liliya frowned slightly at her emotionally agitated partner. "Tatiana, we received the same training. Ben was not prepared to give this sample. He indicated that he's not skilled at achieving an orgasm with his own hand. So, I used mine and my training. This achieved the success required, expedited our way to the next test, and here we are."

Tatiana wasn't finished. "You used your mouth! Your lipstick was badly smeared?"

"I kissed him to draw his attention back to the moment. His body responded to my hand, but his mind did not. The kiss focused him." Liliya shrugged, then looked closer at Tatiana. "You know this. These lessons you have learned as well."

Tatiana stood quickly and glared at Liliya. "You jump too quickly to his aid!" She frowned. "He did not ask. You volunteered, like... his slut!"

Evelyn stuck her head in the door. "Tatiana! I can hear you in the hallway! Are you unable to do your job? Do we need to make alternate arrangements?" she snapped.

Tatiana stiffened and aimed cold eyes at the Sergeant. "Is that a threat?"

"No, it's a promise, like the one you made to do this job, to be a professional. Or was that a lie, too?" Evelyn said evenly as she watched the assassin calmly.

The air crackled with tension until Ben stomped back into the waiting room. All eyes turned to him as he looked at the three of them. He must have been undressing as he was bare-chested and clutched a medical gown wrapped around his waist.

"Could everyone just cool it for a while? I need to get my heart rate down into a normal range before I get on the damn treadmill!"

"Sorry, Ben," Evelyn said, then her eyes dropped to see the distinct outline of something large pressing against the tight fabric. Her face flushed, and she stepped back out into the hall.

Ben frowned and looked down. He sighed and loosened the fabric a little. "Just a little peace and quiet, please," he asked, and Liliya nodded. Tatiana gave him a stiff nod and sat a few chairs away from her partner, covering the exit. Ben turned to go back down the hall, and Liliya caught a glimpse of his exposed ass and barely stifled an amused snort.

She turned her eyes to Tatiana and caught the brunette looking away from Ben's ass, too. Liliya wasn't able to get a read on her emotion, though.

It certainly wasn't amusement.

-=-

Ben finally returned from the stress test and nodded to the two ladies as they moved for Ben to endure several other invasive and tedious exams. Room after room until Ben was sure they had pictures of every surface of every organ in his body.

He left the MRI chamber he saw Hannah waiting for him. He looked at her wearily. "Please tell me I'm done."

She smiled sympathetically. "You've run the gauntlet today. The only appointment you have left is with Dr. Granger. Do you think you'll be able to get Tatiana to join you?"

He frowned as he felt the weight of that task settle on his shoulders.

"Why don't you have both Liliya and Tatiana join you at first to address the argument they had when you were going for your stress test?" Hannah suggested.

Ben's face dropped. "You heard about that?"

She gave him a sad smile. "Unfortunately, they were a bit loud, and now everyone seems to be talking about it. I swear there are more gossip hounds in this hospital than anywhere I've worked. And gossip about you is gold."

He rubbed his face. He just wanted to go home, eat some of Tina's delicious food, then go to bed between her and Lucy... after he kissed his kids.

But this needed his attention now.

"Right. Okay. Dr. Granger it is."

He hugged Hannah, then joined his security detail in the waiting room.

Liliya looked at him expectantly, and he nodded. "One last doctor to see."

They followed him out into the hall, where they picked up the Sergeant and went to the elevator banks. Ben pressed the button for Dr. Granger's floor, and Evelyn glanced at him but said nothing.

Once they left the elevator, Evelyn led them to the psychiatrist's office. She'd figured it out.

When she stopped by the doorway to the waiting room, Ben gestured for her to enter. Her eyebrows rose, but she immediately went in. Ben indicated to the others to come inside as well as he stepped inside.

Dr. Granger was standing next to her open door with a friendly smile. "Good afternoon, Ben. Go right in. Ms. Killcade, Ms. Sokolov, Ms. Pushkin, you as well."

"What?" Tatiana balked. Liliya looked surprised, but she moved to follow Evelyn, who was already in the doctor's office.

"The session is for Ben and the members of his security detail. This includes you, Ms. Pushkin," the doctor said calmly.

"There is no need--"

"Don't make me come out there to get you," Ben growled from the other room.

Tatiana's eyes widened, her nostrils flared, and her jaw tightened, but she didn't step forward as her hands automatically slipped to her blades.

"We're just going to talk. There's no need for a confrontation," Dr. Granger said quietly.

Ben appeared in the doorway. His eyes locked on Tatiana's.

"I've just about had enough of your attitude. Am I going to have to take your knives from you again?" he said with quiet menace.

Doubt, need, and confusion flashed by in Tatiana's eyes as she saw the resolve in Ben's.

"Come inside and sit down," Ben continued calmly.

Tatiana stiffly moved forward, and Ben stood aside, but his eyes never left hers as she entered the room.

Four chairs were lined up facing a single chair before the doctor's desk. In the one closest to the door sat Evelyn. The chair next to her was empty, but Liliya had taken the next one. This left her sitting furthest from the door or next to the Sergeant. She chose the closest chair and sat.

Ben walked to the last chair as the doctor closed her door and moved to sit before her desk.

She smiled at them. "I'm Dr. Granger. I've been asked to help you with some issues that have surfaced as you work as a team. Today there was an incident in the waiting room of the Cardiologist's office. It's my understanding Ben was in the back preparing for a test when confrontational words were spoken between Ms. Sokolov and Ms. Pushkin. These words were spoken loudly enough that the hospital staff overheard, and rumors have begun to spread. Let's begin with those words. Who'd like to begin?" She looked to Tatiana, but her jaw clenched.

Liliya sighed. "I will." Tatiana shot her a surprised look, but the blonde continued. "We'd just left the lab area in the basement. While there, Ben indicated he'd have difficulty collecting a semen sample, so I assisted him. Tatiana and I have... training in such things. When we reached the Cardiologist's office, Tatiana confronted me about my actions, my willingness to assist."

Dr. Granger didn't seem at all phased about Tatiana's confession. She looked to Tatiana. "What was it about Liliya's actions that you took offense to?"

Tatiana frowned, and her lips tightened.

When she said nothing, Liliya volunteered another fact. "She accused me of being a slut. Too willing to fulfill Ben's needs."

"He didn't ask you to assist him! You jumped at the chance to be with him! You admitted to kissing him!" Tatiana snapped at her partner.

"I told you! Helping him expedited our way to the next appointment! The kiss was to help him focus! You know this! You have the same training! You have done this with many men!" Liliya yelled back, then her expression showed a cruel smile. "Why don't you just admit you want to fuck him? Your jealousy is out of control!"

"LYING BITCH!" Tatiana screamed, jumping to her feet, her chair tumbling back as did Liliya's. She kicked backward, sending Evelyn and her chair tumbling toward the closed office door. Blades were out, and the two assassins faced off.

Liliya was suddenly yanked backward to crash into the blinds covering the window.

Tatiana was facing Ben in full rage, and she froze. She cried out in pain when Ben grabbed her wrists and squeezed, forcing her hands to release the knives. As they dropped, she tried a counterattack, but Ben grabbed her by the throat and lifted her off her feet to slam her down on the plush leather couch against the back wall. She stared up at him in shock and desperation.

"You pull those blades once more in my presence against someone who isn't a legitimate threat to us, and it will be your last. Do you understand me?"

She clung to his arm as she struggled to speak, so he loosened his grip on her throat.

"Y-yes!" she finally managed to gasp.

Ben continued to hold her down on the couch as he looked at Liliya, straightening her clothes from when he grabbed them to pull her off her feet. She looked back at his scowl. "You need to control your temper and tongue," he said bluntly.

"Yes, Ben," she said contritely and dipped her eyes downward.

He looked down at Tatiana and finally noticed how tight her grip remained on his arm. Her eyes were locked on his, and something was unsettling about the desperation in them. She almost seemed like she might be...

Ben stood up and released Tatiana's throat. He felt a little ill once more. Not as bad as the time he'd punched her. He saw the beginning of the bruising on her neck and wrists, and his discomfort increased. He glanced over at Dr. Granger and saw her intense gaze as she watched him carefully. He sighed.

"Everyone out. I need to speak with Dr. Granger alone." He saw the Sergeant was sheathing her own blades. "You okay, Evelyn?"

"Yes, sir--I mean, Ben," she stammered. She spun and opened the door to step outside.

Liliya crossed the room and followed the Sergeant into the waiting room.

Tatiana gingerly stood up, collected her knives, sheathed them, and left with a glance back at Ben. She closed the door behind her.

Ben picked up the fallen chairs and dropped himself wearily in one before the doctor. "I'm so sorry about the violence. It escalated so quickly." He shuddered. "It's the only language Tatiana seems to understand. I've tried reasoning with her, but she just gets more sharp-tongued and hostile. She'll settle down for a bit after this."

The doctor paused for a moment as she gathered her thoughts. "How are you feeling about how you dealt with her?"

Ben smiled weakly. "I feel sick but not as bad as the last time. I only gave her bruises, not a concussion."

Granger nodded. "Tatiana is fascinating, and I wish I could have her in private sessions to dig through the trauma that brought her to this place in her life. Without that background, all I can do is give an impression from the surface. It's likely to be very inaccurate."

Ben nodded as he suspected as much.

The doctor continued. "She appears to be a very troubled woman. Life was not easy for her, and this training she endured is likely the source of her troubles. Her trainers must have been quite brutal with her."

"I believe so," he agreed.

"Liliya was probably right with her claim about Tatiana. From her reaction to your manhandling her, she was highly excited and appeared to want you to take her right there on the couch."

Ben squirmed. "I can't rape her. I won't. It's probably all she knows. She wouldn't understand tenderness. She'd recognize playacting, as that's all she does." He looked down at his hands which only moments before held a woman's neck in a stranglehold. A wave of nausea passed through him again.

"What do I do? She isn't settling in. She constantly challenges me and others. I don't believe having sex with her would suddenly alter her attitude. Much like these bursts of violence, it would be a temporary patch. It's moot anyway. I'm not going to rape her."

"If she doesn't work with you, what other options were available?" Granger asked.

"Maximum security jail and a life sentence." He shook his head. "She'd run first and be hunted until someone managed to take her out. She really is one of the deadliest assassins in the world... and she's stuck being a babysitter." He paused to think about it. "A significant number of people would die if she ran." He glanced up and caught the look on the doctor's face. "I know, I know. Those deaths wouldn't be my fault, but I'm not ready to inflict that upon the world."

"Instead, you restrict the misery to yourself and those around you," Granger said, and he scowled but couldn't argue.

"We should have a temporary cease-fire for now." He looked toward the door. "I gave her an ultimatum today. If I must deal with her again, there's a good chance one of us won't be walking away. Hopefully, that won't be for a while, and we can develop an alternate plan in the interim."

"Again, Ben, you don't have to take this responsibility completely on yourself. You have a significant support base, especially with the army involved," the doctor reminded him.

He nodded, then stood. "Thanks for seeing us on such short notice."

She nodded to him as she rose and walked him to the door. He gave her a hug, then stepped out into the waiting room, where three sets of eyes turned his way. Evelyn's held worship, Liliya's an apology, and Tatiana's showed confusion and desperate need. He didn't have the strength to deal with any of them.

"Let's go home. We're done for today."

Chapter 23

Ben spent his weekend at home just playing with the kids and enjoying the weather. It remained unseasonably warm, but he wouldn't complain as the long, cold winter months would be upon them soon enough.

The movers arrived first thing on Saturday morning, and shortly after the lunch hour, Beth's home was empty of the bubbly woman's and her two great kid's belongings.

He gave the family hugs before they drove away for the last time. He felt a little sad about that but balanced it with the thought that she'd found love.

A second move also began on Saturday. Karen, Penny, and Frank assisted Jayden with carrying his boxes from his childhood home to move in with Karen. Ben saw the group making multiple trips between the two houses, talking and laughing. Karen looked happier than Ben had seen her in some time.

They finished sometime mid-afternoon and came over to thank Ben with hugs. Frank looked like he wanted to speak to him, but Penny held his arm too tightly. Ben expected he might get a visit from the young man later in the week.

Shelly came by late Saturday evening to present the sale offer for Rochelle's home, and Ben agreed to the price. It was a little higher than he thought it should be, but Rochelle deserved, and likely needed, the extra funds. Shelly promised she'd have news on the sale by Tuesday. He'd arrange for another check.

Jayden dropped by Sunday afternoon to let Ben know he was officially moved out of his old home and thanked Ben for his help. He mentioned Frank would call him this week.