mayorcarlisle
Ben Carlisle for Mayor
Benjamin CarlisleMayor of Kingston
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mrs-s-carlisle:
Sofia visibility flinched at the hostility in Ben’s voice. She was silent, letting him go and her own arms drop to her sides as she felt herself go numb. It was happening all over again. He was building walls that she wasn’t allowed passed and it was selfish but that broke her heart more than Reid’s death had. They were meant to be a team, they’d promised a long time ago that they would stick through every thing together, and yet she felt as if she wasn’t trusted with his most vulnerable moments. Other people were, but she his own wife was being discarded again and she couldn’t do a thing about it.
She slumped against his desk, trying to figure out what she could do. There wasn’t anything that could make this okay, but she could at least make it better in some aspect - that had been her job after all, fixing things. But she couldn’t do that if she was being emotional, and so her own walls were built up as her fingers reach her face to wipe away the tears that she had allowed to fall. No more of that. “I’ll call them,” She stated, leaving no room for argument. She and Rebecca had hardly been the best of friends in the last few years, but before that had been a friendship. And they were family as much as their husband’s had been. “And your mother. She’ll be able to tell us about any arrangements that have already been made.” Had there been arrangements made? How long had everybody else known? How was this even happening? She didn’t look up to Ben once, her eyes trained on the floor and her mind sinking into professional mode. She could pretend this wasn’t happening to them, to their family, but she just had to keep up that emotional wall. She nodded along with his words, but she wasn’t listening. She was focused. The guilt was already gnawing at her gut, telling her that it had happened to their family and ignoring that would do nobody good, but she couldn’t listen to that if she didn’t want what remained of her emotional stability in the moment to crumble to the ground with her.
Ben's fury was winning out over his grief as he thought of all the ways he wished he could hurt the people that hurt Reid. He owed his family this much. It was the only way he was going to diminish the gnawing guilt in his core. "I have to call my lead at the precinct. See what I can find out about the investigation. The DA's office is probably swarming with detectives. It's too dangerous to look into things there right now. We've got to let things calm down there a little bit before I send anyone in to sniff around."
He stopped his train of thought as he turned to see the look on her face. "I'm sorry..." he sighed, dropping into one of the chairs that sat opposite his own. Ben took her hand in his, feeling selfish for the way he was going on and on about his own pain. "Are you okay?" Their relationship with Reid and Rebecca had been somewhat strained considering their personal struggles with conceiving, but family was family and even though they weren't related by blood, Sofia had known Reid for as long as they'd been together. This couldn't have been any easier on her. The timing was awful, he knew this. They had just somewhat gotten back to a place where they could work on the things that had gone wrong. Their conversations weren't shouted any one another and they were being honest, but this was beyond the two of them. "I don't even know how I'm going to face them all..." He felt like a broken record repeating his thoughts in a constant loop, but he honestly was dreading having to see his family face to face. He knew he would have to pretend that it was some accident unrelated to him. He would have to act as though in he and the rest of the council hadn’t in some capacity caused this tragedy to occur.
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Hunter Parrish on Late Night with Seth Meyers
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xjhanvis:
Jhanvi didn’t bother hiding her eye-roll from him this time as she listened to him quietly lash out at her. “I know I don’t have to do this for you,” she murmured before shaking her head, not missing the look on his face when he took in the sandwich she’d laid there in front of him. She understood why he was being stubborn, and while she’d probably be the exact same way—it didn’t mean she was going to let him completely neglect his own health this way. So when he finally picked up half the sandwich, took a few bites, she found herself taking a small sigh of relief. She knew in situations like these, it was hard to even want to swallow water, let alone food but to ensure he didn’t land up in a hospital it was imperative he took care of himself; especially after the state he’d been in the last time they’d met.
“Hey, hey, hey,” she heard the panic in his voice, something she’d never witnessed before and this time without caring about him thinking it to mean more than it was, her hand was on his own, “breathe. I didn’t tell you what I was thinking to freak you out, it’s just better to think about all sides in a situation like this.” Jhanvi hadn’t expected him to stand up so quickly though, but knew he was going to be in a rush to leave and if he didn’t look so pale and weak she’d have left him go as well but right now she wasn’t doing that. Instead she reached for him, an arm circling his waist, ensuring he didn’t fall to the ground. “Can you just—fucking stop Ben? You don’t need to keep pretending in front of me,” she paused for a second, her voice lowering again. “I’m not going to judge you for being tired. You know I can’t imagine what you’re going through, and so for your own sake—for the people who depend on you and who care about you—will you please just listen to me?” She was looking up at him, even as he looked like he was about to pass out any second, her hand was on his cheek, making sure he didn’t do just that. “Why don’t you just—let me get some more information from my sources while you sleep, that way you can be alert for when we actually have to go and find out more information?” She was almost worried he was going to lash out at her again but at this point—she would stand her ground and demand he take some rest before he did land up in the hospital and be virtually useless in every way.
"No, I don't... Nothing... It's not... Nothing about this is okay." He should have been prepared for this. He should have known this was coming. Is this what he had signed on for? His loved ones getting hurt while he sat in the fancy office and the big house untouched? And for how long? How long before someone came for him? "Reid is dead. Reid is dead, Jhanvi." He stood up a little straighter with Jhanvi's help, his grip on her as tight as her grip on him. He wasn't sure he could stand on his own without her support. "My cousin... They killed him." Countless memories he had shared with the other man over the year came flooding to the forefront of his mind and he couldn't stop the tears. Birthdays, Christmases, their weddings. The two men had been a part of each other’s lives for as far back as Ben could remember. They were family, blood. "My brother. He w-was like my brother. They killed him. He had a family. How do I look at his wife and his two little girls and not... feeling sick to my stomach. How? Tell me how?"
He couldn't support his own weight and even letting Jhanvi hold him felt like he was placing an arduous burden on his friend so he simply crumpled to the ground, shielding his face with his hands as he sobbed. His shoulders shook as he tried to rid himself of the pain and the guilt of what had happened. He hadn't cried like this since he was in that nursery those few years back and even now he cried over the loss of his family. The only difference was that this time someone was there to witness his meltdown and he could feel the shame growing tenfold. "I'm sorry..." he whispered brokenly, "I’m sorry... I didn't mean... I just... Please don't mention this to the others. Please." Her glassy blue eyes were still brimming with salty tears, the man not seeming to be able to slow the onslaught of emotions. How little she must think of him now. He was a broken man, nothing about him strong or resolute. He was pretending to be okay ever since he had heard the news when really he wasn’t. He was the furthest thing from okay right now.
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@xjhanvis
Just follow me. Follow my voice.
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xjhanvis:
Jhanvi kept her personal thoughts to herself when she heard the fierce loyalty in the way Ben defended Leo. She had her own assumptions still and would continue to work on making sure she wasn’t actually right. Because if for any reason, any of the families were involved in what happened—whatever peace they were all trying to maintain would be lost within an instant and she didn’t even want to think of what that would mean for both personal relations as well as professional ones. She heard his words then, surprised by the way he was being so honest and open with what he needed right now. There was a small frown on her forehead at the way he asked if he could count on her and nodded, her hand raising for a moment to reach out and grab his own before she dropped it back down in her lap, not wanting to do anything that would be misconstrued by any means.
Her eyes returned back to the laptop in front of her, when she’d spoken to Rebecca, she’d picked up certain tidbits from their conversation, small things about where Reid had been spending most of his time but of course it was all in casual conversation, not wanting to alert the other woman of her need to investigate in her friend’s gruesome death. When she heard his words, she found herself frowning—an eye-roll at his quick quip about not wanting or needing a babysitter. “Sure, and when you’re hooked up to a damn IV because you haven’t been taking care of yourself, I’m sure you’ll be fully capable of helping look for answers right?”
She left her laptop open before heading into the kitchen, it wasn’t much but given how the man had only had some soup—and that to over twelve hours ago—she knew he needed something to keep his energy up. “Contrary to popular belief, I don’t run a soup kitchen around here as a side business, but you—you need this to actually be able to find answers.” She held out a sandwich she’d made for herself and kept it on the table in front of him before reclaiming her seat and watching as he collapsed into the couch once more. Thankfully, she resisted the urge this time to tell him to sleep off the clear exhaustion she could see on his face and heard his words before shaking her head. She didn’t want to tell him why she thought Leo had gone radio silent and instead let him continue thinking that Leo was searching for answers.
“Eat,” she nodded towards the sandwich before turning her laptop towards him. “So from what I got out of Rebecca yesterday, it looked like Reid had also made a couple of trips up to Albany, and was always keeping his work private, as usual but—she mentioned that he looked almost harassed for lack of a better word. As for how the drugs landed up in Rosewood, there are a few reasonable explanations; some of the peddlers were new and weren’t paying attention when they were briefed and didn’t realize the area was off limits? Or they were bought out by whoever it was that did this..someone who wanted to make it more believable that everything had been orchestrated by the Kobayashi’s.” She took a deep breath and leaned back in her chair. “Someone who is either trying to protect all of us, or wants to send us a message letting us know that they clearly know quite a bit about all of us..”
Ben refused to even give into the thought that it had been any one of them. Right now, he was in the frame of mind that they were all a time, warding off the common enemy that had brought this upon them. He couldn't imagine what he'd do if he found out if one of the others had been responsible for Reid's demise. His mind had gone to some dark places over how he'd like to punish the killers and he wasn't too sure that he would be amending his plans if it was anyone he knew. If anything, they should have known better. But no, he shook such horrid thoughts away. Nobody from any of the families was responsible and that was the story he was sticking to.
"I'm doing fine," he seethed, not appreciating Jhanvi's condescending tone. "I didn't come here for a nap or for a free meal. You don't have to do this shit for me Jhanvi. I'm not here for that. I'm here to talk business, not to eat sandwiches." His body was betraying him, the sight of sustenance practically calling out for him, but his stubborn will winning out for now. However, Benjamin should have known that his resolve would pale in comparison to Jhanvi's, especially when he was feeling so drained physically and mentally.
At her order, he picked up half the sandwich, taking a really obvious bite of the bread. It was nourishing, but he felt awful wasting his time eating when he should have been talking about what they were doing to clean up the mess that had been made. Ben set the half of the sandwich he had eaten from and put it back on the plate Jhanvi had given him, the one or two bites he had taken already turning in his stomach. Any time he thought of Rebecca and the girls, Ben felt sick to his stomach. He took a few deep breaths, attempting to let them seem like sighs, but he felt that familiar feeling he had felt when he first heard about Reid’s death. His hands were cold and clammy, his mouth was dry, his legs feeling wobbly even as he sat there still. "Someone knows," he repeated, the thought only worsening the restless feeling he was experiencing. "Someone knows and they're trying to take us all out at once. I... I'm sorry. I should go. I'm not feeling very— Woah..." He had shot up from his place at the couch, but the sudden movement caused a lightheadedness that forced his knees to buckle beneath him.
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emerykobayashi:
She caught the movement of his hand to silence her, but Emery was still wondering what he was doing here if he didn’t think that they weren’t involved. It wasn’t like anyone else was here besides herself, and she was probably the farthest out of the loop in her family. She couldn’t help him right now, and that in itself was frustrating. “If you know, then what do you want from me? I already tried to figure out who sold what to who, but it doesn’t mean anything if we don’t know who dosed Reid. Even if someone bought it off one of our guys, that doesn’t mean it didn’t change hands after that.” Emery rubbed her temples. Of course she’d called in every dealer when the news had come out and demanded sales records and quantities. It was all in the safe at the office, but it was as good as nothing if they didn’t have a suspect.
Emery looked at Ben as he asked her how she was. She blinked, taken aback by the fact that he was somehow concerned about her when his cousin was laying in a morgue somewhere. “How do you think, Ben?” Emery hadn’t meant for the words to come out as bitter as they did, but there was no taking them back. “What’s the point of all of this? We’re supposed to be so fucking powerful, but we don’t have any power. Your cousin is dead, and my family is probably going to be skewered in the public eye and the legal system all over again. I’m so frustrated I can’t even breathe, but I don’t get to clam up. I’m the one that has to fix this mess, and I don’t even want to anymore. I don’t see the point in the council or the families if we can’t keep ourselves and those we love safe. Can you?”
The frustration that was evident in Emery's tone had not escaped him. In fact, it had shocked him. He had never seen her in such a state. She was usually calm and collected, ready to tackle whatever issues came at the council, but today she was neither calm or collected. The young Kobayashi woman was frazzled and out of sorts. She was snappy. Ben never thought he'd see the day that she would be in such a state. It pained him to see her like this. Whether anyone on the council was looking to comfort him or not, he at least knew he could turn to his family as they all did their best to console one another in this difficult time. Emery had no family around for miles and trying to keep everything from imploding must have been overwhelming to say the least.
He had to admit, for someone who had grown up around all this, it was a little disconcerting to see Emery panicking the way she was. That was the thing though: when you had something real to lose the fear and the dread was inevitable. It wasn't just Emery's life at stake, but also her brothers' and her father's. "Hey, look at me and listen..." he mumbled, his hands resting firmly on her shoulders to ground her to the sound of his voice. "If someone had figured it all out, we both would be behind bars right now. Nobody knows anything yet. I've got some sources at the precinct and the DA's office. I'm doing what I can, but I need you to be calm right now okay? I know your brothers aren't here and that's scaring you. I'd be scared too, but you're got to keep your wits about you if we're all going to get through this unscathed okay?" He made sure to maintain Emery’s gaze as he spoke. “Emery, it’s going to be okay.”
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ofwestons:
The news of Reid’s death had definitely come as a surprise for Weston, and then worry began coursing through him as well. For both Ben and the Kobayashi’s. Now, the Kobayashi were the last people he ever thought or let alone worried about given their history with the Maddox. This time, however, the worry was warranted due to the implications it meant for all of the families involved in the fold. Reid Bradley was close to tracking down the drug operations which by extension did not bode well for the remaining four families. The question remained, who killed the DA officer? Whoever had done it, we’re amateurs, leaving the body to be discovered. It was as if they had meant for the city to find the body. Either way, Weston knew the Kobayashi’s and now everyone else had major damage control to do. There was that inkling of worrying for Emery since her brothers were still out of town but showing his face to her would not be wise. Emery had others to look out for her personally, Weston for his part would handle the matters away from her vicinity. As cold-hearted as this was if Reid had been close to exposing the Kobayashi’s, he had to be stopped. The difference was the council would have adopted a more discreet method than dumping in a body into the river.
The problem was that while Weston was somewhat relieved that investigation seemed to be halted for now due to Reid’s death, he was worried what the effect his death would on the mayor. Weston knew the Carlisles’, especially, the blonde male was being bombarded by a bunch of strangers offering condolences. At the end of the day, Weston knew they didn’t mean anything. What could you say when they’ve lost someone they care for? While he didn’t know the sort of relationship Ben had with his cousin, losing a family member was no easy. Weston had learned this the hard way, and no one dared to offer him condolences at his father’s death because at the end of the day it would not ease the pain. The pain had to be dealt with and then you carry on.
“Ben.” Weston called out, glaring past the people blocking his way and now hovering around the elder man. It took one frosty look of his that sent everyone scampering away from Mayor. It appeared that it took the male another few seconds before he saw Weston. He didn’t offer any words of condolences and he got the sense Ben didn’t need to hear them. Nothing anyone would say could make this any better. Not to mention the last person to give them was Weston. They had pressing matters to attend to do, on how they would deal with the drug dealing on out in the open and trail coming close to home. When Ben finally walked over to Weston, his hazel eyes scanned over him. Weston started to dive into what he wanted to ask in regards to the findings but the look of absolute anguish on the mayor’s face had him pause momentarily before he opened his mouth. “I know exactly what you’re going through, so I’m going skip the condolences I’m sure everyone has already offered because they don’t help at all. Nothing will help you, you will have to learn to deal with the pain and move on.” The words were harsh but they were spoken in a tone resembling authority rather than coldness. “But I need to know, that you will pull yourself together while we work to solve this.” His hazel gaze for once didn’t contain the usual coldness but now were more natural as she looked towards the blonde. “And we will figure out who did this.”
Of all the people that could have walked through that door, Ben was not expecting Weston Maddox. The younger man was a man of few words and when he did utter those few words, they were rarely comforting or mild mannered. He didn't know what he was here for. Had he forgotten to pay him for something? Had he missed another training session? Whatever it was that Weston wanted, it could wait. Or perhaps... He had seen the news and was here for the same reason Ben was sitting in his office still and desolate. When the other man began to speak, letting him know as-a-matter-of-factly just what he thought, Ben felt glad almost. He wasn't coddling him like the rest of the city. Was he on the verge of some sort of reaction? Yes, but he was working so hard to keep it contained and keeping himself from losing it in city hall. Nobody had to see that. Nobody should see that.
Ben nodded solemnly, wiping a hand down his grave features. "Hey... When we find the person responsible..." He turned his head to look at Weston, letting him know just how serious he was about every word he was about to speak. "I want you to make sure they die a long, painful, horrific death." It was a line he had never crossed, always feeling as though the law would provide justice. And yet, here they were, criminals roaming free while his good and righteous cousin who had never so much looked at someone the wrong way was days away from being six feet under. "And I want to be there when it happens." It was what they deserved and Ben needed to know that he had done his part and bringing his cousin's wife and children some justice.
Ben stood, his blank and cold expression never once wavering. There was work to be done. "I know a couple cops around here who can pass along some information. I'll have it sent to you as soon I get my hands on it. There might be a lawyer I can talk to that worked closely with Reid. I'm sure they won't think it out of the ordinary if I ask a few questions. He was my cousin after all." His fists clenched and unclenched, the tingling sensation still not disappearing. Was it adrenaline or guilt he wasn't sure, but he hated it all the same.
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emerykobayashi:
Emery took a hard look at Ben before she nodded, waving her car by as it pulled up. “My penthouse.” She said with a soft sigh, stepping backwards before entering back into her apartment building. Emery pushed the button for her floor, typing in the entry code quickly before looking to her side at Ben. “Go ahead.” She whispered quietly as the doors opened. “Jaxon can wait in the foyer. Contrary to popular belief around here, my family is of no danger to anyone.” Emery sighed, gesturing for Ben to follow her into the living area where they could talk alone before following behind him.
She sat a fair distance away from the blonde, folding her legs beneath herself before releasing a sigh. Evergreen hues moved into somber blue orbs before she spoke. “I’m sorry for your loss, Ben, but we didn’t do this. I wouldn’t do this to you.” She pointed out, not letting her gaze move away from the other’s as she tried to get him to understand that he was her friend. Emery didn’t see him as an enemy, and the rest of her family was too busy trying to expand things to even think about sparking a war at this point in time. “It might have been our drug and our business that he was after, but we weren’t even aware that someone was close to figuring it out.” She added, toying with her fingers as she thought about the danger that her family hadn’t even seen coming.
“If you don’t believe me, there’s nothing I can do to change that, but do you believe my brothers would leave me here alone to take all of this heat by myself?” Emery whispered, bearing her own pain out for the other as she shook her head. “They wouldn’t.” The brunette took her gaze away, looking out at the skyline through the windows as she exhaled again. She wanted to feel sorry for Ben’s lost, but it was clouded by the fear for her own family. It’d been Ben’s cousin, but would they try to take one of them if they thought they were to blame? What would the council have to say? And if they did believe that her family was innocent, who the hell was out to get them?
Ben made his way into the building, a lump in his throat the entire walk in. He wasn't looking forward to this conversation anymore than she was. He had always thought that his association with Emery was a light one, the woman practically radiating positivity every time he had seen her. It was refreshing, reminding him of a time he had shared similar traits. "I know that." Ben didn't have to explain himself much further. He just wanted answers, pieces to a puzzle he was trying to figure out. He nodded back at Jaxon, letting him remain in the entry as he followed Emery up to her penthouse.
He held up a hand at her insistence that she and her family were innocent. "Em... Like I said, I know." How he knew Ben wasn't sure, but his gut wasn't telling him that he was looking his cousin's murderer in the face right now. He swallowed thickly, any time conversation about Reid got too real, he found it hard to breathe. He hated that Reid had been so good at his job that he managed to keep this even from him. Had they not been close? Could he not trust him? Or maybe... Ben looked out the window as his mind went to dark and dangerous places. Maybe Reid knew. Maybe in some sick, twisted way Ben and Sofia by extension had been spared because Reid was no longer alive to reveal the truth.
He could see the scared, worried look in emery's eyes and for the first time all week, his focus shifted. His mouth opened once or twice, scratching out the thought he was going to blurt out before finally settling on a decent question. "How are you holding up?" It was a simple question, but he wondered if anyone had asked her. She was all by herself here, trying to keep an ever growing fire from breaking out. It couldn't have been easy.
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xjhanvis:
When he’d entered her apartment, she’d almost wondered if she’d stepped into some alternate universe or something where his visits like these were normal and she was used to it. But that wasn’t reality and instead, she found herself waiting for him to announce the reason for his stopping by, almost sure given his appearance that it had to do with Reid. She wanted to say something to him, but she also knew that wasn’t needed right now and instead, she kept her eyes on him and waited for him to speak. “You’re not wasting my time,” she told him in a calm tone before taking a seat on the same couch he’d relaxed on before, her laptop open in front of her. She listened to his words, a subtle eye-roll at the eldest Villarreal’s name. “Yeah of course Ben, I get it—whatever help you can get at this point.” She didn’t comment on the police department, clearly having her very own view on the people who were meant to keep their citizens safe. “Are you sure getting Leo’s help is—necessary? I mean it happened in his backyard Ben..”
She wasn’t trying to start anything, not in the slightest, but the truth was, she found it a little strange how the man who claimed to know everything about everyone had no idea how something like this could happen in his neighbourhood. Still, she took a deep breath and listened as he told her about what he’d done so far, and couldn’t help the quiet question that was swirling around in her mind slip out of her mouth. “Have you slept or eaten since you found out..?” She’d known that he had taken a few days off from his mayoral duties but that didn’t give her an answer for what he’d been doing in terms of self care since he’d found out.
The last time they’d met, she’d been concerned about his health but that concern had grown substantially given the new circumstances that had come to light. Still, she listened as he rattled off what he’d done so far, and the things he’d found out, already trying to piece together some of the things she’d heard from her own sources. “I don’t think it was done by someone from the families, at least—not the drugs landing up in Rosewood.” She admitted before looking up at him before shaking her head, knowing he wasn’t going to like what she had to say, because he was trying to focus his anger and his rage on someone, anyone at this point and it wasn’t helping. “I agree that it’s hard to believe this happened under Emery’s nose, but don’t forget—she’s not as involved as her brothers are..” Jhanvi normally refrained from bringing them up, thinking that as long as they were gone, the talks she’d been made privy to about their impending alliance would also fade away. “I’ve tried calling but it’s been going to voicemail so I don’t think we’re getting any answers from there until they show up back in Kingston.” She took a deep breath and looked back at him. “What has Leo told you so far? Out of all people—he has to know something more. And it’s great that he is adamantly looking for answers and wants to help you, but he has to know more than he’s letting on.” She knew that while Ben had shown up here, it didn’t mean he trusted her any more than he trusted anyone else in this town—but really she had nothing to hide at this point.
"Leo's my friend. He wouldn't... He had no hand in this and if someone got past him and did this then he'll want to be included in the search. He'll want to know who managed to do this under his nose and how." Ben couldn't trust many people, his inner circle seeming to grow smaller and tighter with every passing day, but he trusted the man mentioned. "We all have something at stake here don't we? You two, your reach is far and your enemies fear you. My best chances are having both of you by my side. Can I count on you? I need to know who killed him and why."
His days had taken a dark turn lately. Ben had forced himself to keep up a brief conversation with his late's cousin's wife if only because it was the normal thing to do. He spoke of his genuine shock at the news and how he wished there was more he could do, but that the police force was on it. They were combing through every piece of evidence... What lies. Of course, he owed it to the sniffling woman on the phone and to her two young daughters to bring them some justice and closure, and perhaps earn some repentance for not being able to do more for Reid. "I don't..." know? "Last night. I had some soup." He didn't know why the god honest truth came slipping out, but it did and he immediately regretted it. "I don't need a babysitter right now Jhanvi. Can we talk about what we're going to do please?"
He nodded his head along to her own conclusions that she had drawn. He didn't think that any one of the families were responsible for this attack either. Who would go drawing attention to themselves in such a manner? If Reid was investigating one of them and wound up dead, were the perpetrators not just speeding things a long by turning him into a murder victim? It only shed more of a spotlight on the drug operation. It couldn't be long before they had a name. Even one name could condemn them all. Ben fell down on that same couch he had rested upon days before, holding his head in his hands as he thought. "I don't know..." he muttered helplessly, "I haven't exactly heard from him since our one conversation." He sounded stupid now. Here he was talking of trusting Leo when the other man had gone radio silent on him. "I'm just hoping this means he's out on the search for answers."
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xjhanvis:
The friendship she’d shared with the the DA had been one behind closed doors, not because they were up to anything illegal or illicit, but because it was just unconventional in most people’s eyes. His father and hers had been business colleagues and that friendship had transitioned into the second generation as well, particularly Reid and Jhanvi who were around the same age. She had been on friendly terms with his wife as well, and while the news had hit Jhanvi pretty hard, she’d still made a point to reach out to the other woman. What she couldn’t tell his family was that she was working with whatever useful contacts she’d had in the area to try and find any more information on what happened.
It wasn’t that Jhanvi didn’t believe the police would be able to figure it out; she was sure they’d follow some dead end trail and close the case like that—but the family and his loved ones would never get closure that way and it wasn’t alright. She had just gotten off the phone with another one of her associates who was looking into more dealings in the drug ring around Kingston, when she heard a knock on her door. Jhanvi hadn’t been expecting anyone to come over and so casually she opened the door, her eyes taking in the form of the visitor, surprise evident on her face as she greeted him. “Uh..hey? Come in.”
Jhanvi hadn’t missed the look he was opting for today, not to mention the fact that Jaxon wasn’t hovering around awkwardly behind him or relaxing against the wall in her hallway which meant Ben was trying to blend into the surroundings the best that he could. She hadn’t approached him with condolences, not because she didn’t care—she did quite a bit, but she knew her words weren’t going to mean anything to him right now.
Ben stepped into Jhanvi's home, his lips pursed as he took in the familiar surroundings. How different they seemed to him even though their last meeting had only been a little over a week ago. That encounter that had filled him with such solace felt like a distant memory. There was no solace in his heart after the devastating news he had been delivered this week. Surely, Jhanvi knew this. "I don't want to waste your time and I'm sure you're already looking into a few leads, but I was wondering if maybe two heads are better than one... Maybe even three. Leo has offered to help me find the bastard who did this to Reid. I just need to best minds and resources on this and I know that isn't the Kingston Police Department."
How many of those very same cops who swore to protect their city were crooked and looked the other way for the right amount? How many of them were possibly paid off by Reid's very killers, asked to chase down empty leads and let the case go cold? Ben didn't care what the police were doing. They were idiots and he was almost positive there was no way they were figuring out anything on the families.
"I'm having a source look into the investigations that my cousin was leading in terms of the drugs in Hurley, but we need to find out how the drugs ended up in Rosewood. We all agreed didn't we? Rosewood was No Man's Land. That was your rule. That's what you had me agree to." His mind and his words were racing a mile a minute. "Is it even really Ghost Rider? Has anyone checked? I somehow find it hard to believe that all this happened under Emery's nose. Has anyone contacted the brothers? Their father?"
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ofwestons:
Weston’s hazel hues scrutinized him as he sat there on the floor for several seconds, before finally standing up. Truth be told, he could have stopped the punches but purposely let him continue. He’d learn from a young age, that this had been the perfect way to blow off Weston’s own pent-up anger. Anger for his uncle he still had but couldn’t express by being impulsive. Weston would come down here any day he’d remember his father than his uncle who murdered him. Punching his way through until his hands hurt and his inner rage quelled for the time being. The elder Maddox brother had a feeling, Ben needed the same sort of out life in this time.
Weston easily waved off his apology, he’d been the one who offered in the beginning and nor was he looking gratitude. He had no clue as to stress that came with being a Mayor, especially one who had four other parties to please despite his own wishes. Weston’s fear, however, minor it was, that the blonde might completely snap one day with the pressures. Something he knew all the families including his own didn’t want occurring. The ideal hope was that Ben would find a way to not let the stress weighing him down if that meant punching his way through things so be it. Though, he didn’t see the blonde as the type to do that sort of thing.
His hand was still rubbing his now swollen jaw, which he hoped would reduce in the next day or two. While Ben had definitely had improved from last time and packed a bigger punch this time, he didn’t think there was any permanent damage done to his face. Weston then handed the other male a water bottle, his sharp eyes still fixed on him. “If you’re worried about getting unsolicited advice from me, then don’t. But I’ve been told I’m a good listener. Get it off your chest.” Weston’s tone a bit demanding now as he waited. He would have let Ben continue throwing punches elsewhere but even he knew the blonde had worn himself out.
Ben shook his wrist as if the action might shake the pain right off his skin. That wasn't going to happen and he knew it. What was he thinking? He had work the next day. He had to sign things and shake hands with people. This kind of impulsive behavior wasn't like him and he hated the way life's circumstances were forcing him to lash out. Thankfully, they were in a contained environment. Benjamin wasn't sure how he'd fare out in public given how angry he seemed to be. He didn't even realize he was so furious until now.
He let himself relax onto the mat, not caring how whether Weston had cleaned the mat recently or if his knuckles were throbbing angrily from the pain he had inflicted on them. His mind was so busy that it all kind of sounded like static, white noise. It was constantly irritating and not making anything clearer for him all at the same time. "I didn't do anything. I didn't fucking do anything." His back hit the mat as he stared up at the ceiling, his mind was still racing and he still felt that knot in his gut. "Easton came to see me in my office and had the nerve to go off at me. I warned him. I told him not to let my wife get attached to that baby and yet I'm somehow at fault."
He shot up, gaining more courage now. "Fuck him. Fuck all of this bullshit. I don't deserve to be lectured about something that I one: fucking predicted and two: didn’t have anything to do with. And Sofia... I had told her to stay away. I mean, that’s my wife and I’m sitting here wondering how stupid could she have been. Did she not realize the kind of people we’re dealing with.” His frown deepened, “No offense...” Even the heavy sigh that escaped him didn’t offer much in the way of relief. “Had she just listened to me we wouldn't have been caught up in Amrita's little scheme. We haven't spoken in days and I'm worried that when we do, it's going to blow up in our faces. I'm not looking forward to any of it." He had never divulged such private information with the other and hoped that he wasn’t going to regret it.
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xjhanvis:
Jhanvi’s eyes darted up to meet his when he spoke about not wanting to stir up trouble, she knew very well that it wasn’t his intention and really—he wasn’t stirring up trouble but what straight answer could she give him when she really had no idea what to say? The truth was she enjoyed the time they spent together, and she enjoyed the way he regarded her as an equal and yet in certain situations was able to relax and be normal with her. But saying all that—would lead to more conversation.
“I know that, you wouldn’t do something so silly,” she commented before taking a deep breath. “The evening wouldn’t end on a bitter note just because the two of us seem to enjoy running circles around one another.” And this was possibly the straightest answer he was getting from her tonight. It wasn’t that she knew what was really going through his head, but she knew they were both always behaving this way with one another and judging from his earlier question to her, she wondered if it was just a silly game for him.
She stood with him as they walked towards the door, not missing the heavy sigh that escaped his lips thanks to her last few words and maybe it was an impulse decision, one she’d either be glad she made, or one she’d spent the rest of the night contemplating. But she leaned a little closer to him, “rest assured, we’re not ending the evening on a bitter note,” she gave him a small smile before inching closer, one hand cupped his cheek while her lips pressed against his other cheek (maybe for a second too long), before she pulled back. “Thank you for tonight Ben, I hope you have a good night.” And she pulled the door open, allowing him to step into the hall and head on his way, hopefully leaving some of his troubles behind with her.
As he stood out in the hallway, uttering his goodbyes, there seemed to be little left to say between them. Still, Ben remained there, wondering if their conversation was still going to continue even though he was literally out the door. How badly was he avoiding going home in that moment that he'd rather stand outside in the lonely hallway than retreat and head for the exit of the building? "We seem to be really good at that." He gave her a look, one that conveyed how grateful he was for the evening she had gifted him, the silence speaking all his gratitude for him.
When she spoke, his eyebrows threaded together slightly in confusion. He thought they had established that point already? Why was she repeating what he already said? Then she leaned in and Ben instinctively flinched back half an inch, not sure what was happening. He felt tense until her lips pressed against his cheek, Ben instantly relaxing. Oh. He stared on at her as she pulled back, wishing him a good night and closing the door gently on him. He knew he should have turned and left right then and there, but he was in so much shock from that innocent move that he had to tell himself to turn around and walk away. Even as he made his way down the quiet halls of her building, Ben happened a few glances over his shoulder, still in awe that that had happened. Meanwhile, the dread of heading home grew, Ben resolving to keep the seemingly blameless act to himself.
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xjhanvis:
She was not impressed with the way Ben was laughing at her thoughts on how everything could potentially play out with Sofia. Of course, she wasn’t really ever going to do anything because while she wouldn’t admit it to him—she didn’t believe the other woman was even worth her time. She admitted that Sofia was an incredible woman, at least everything she’d initially read up about the woman when they’d first interacted with one another—had pointed Jhanvi into thinking that way. However, given how threatened Sofia was with her—it had made Jhanvi see the whole situation as comical.
Jhanvi leaned back in her chair, her feet slipping out of the heels she’d had them in and tucking them underneath her legs as he spoke. There was a look in his eyes that had her more curious to know what he was thinking about especially since at times she knew it wasn’t something too stressful. And as silly as it sounded, when he thanked her, she couldn’t help but shrug. She was glad he actually allowed himself to let some of his defences down around her and relieved himself of the burden that had seemed to be plaguing him for so many days.
What she despised the most, was what she’d admitted in front of him even if she’d done her best to keep her voice passive and emotionless. She kept her eyes down on the coffee table, watching his fully finished plate instead when he spoke. It would’ve been too much for her to hope that Ben would just let it go but of course once again he wanted to put her on the spot. Sometimes though she wondered what he expected her to tell him? Did he actually think she was going to tell him the truth? And then watch as he laughed before his ultimate rejection? That wasn’t happening. “Don’t take it the wrong way? What’s the right way to take a sentence like that Ben?” She lowered her legs once more, this time crossing them in front of her as she looked back at him. “Besides—what answer do you want to hear, why don’t you tell me that and I’ll think it over..?”
At his admittance of what they were to one another, she couldn’t help the small smile from appearing on her face. “Friends huh? I think I can live with that. It’ll definitely be interesting to be your friend Ben.”
Ben wasn't entirely sure why he had asked. He should have just left it alone. If he had, he could go on pretending that this was nothing more than a little innocent fun for her. However, with the way she was being so kind to him and the manner in which the pair was actually enjoying one another's company in the mundane setting of her home, Ben for some reason felt comfortable enough to ask her. This was possibly the most relaxed they had been in one another's presence in a long while. It was a nice change at least on Benjamin's end.
"I wasn't trying to stir up trouble or anything. I was just curious. I wasn't fishing for any answers. Nobody's holding a gun to your head or forcing you to say anything." The lack of a straight answer did make him nervous though. It seemed to say something without saying anything at all and suddenly Ben really felt like he should be leaving. "I don't want this evening to end on a sour note so we should probably end it there." The tension was returning and Ben was already dreading going home. He didn't think he had a single place to escape to in all of Kingston and the irony was he had found that sleeping on Jhanvi Yashvardhan's couch.
“Friends,” he nodded, smiling in response to her agreement. It seemed almost monumental, having never given their relationship much of a name before. He supposed they were previously acquaintances who did business with one another, but with the amount of face time they shared and the frank honesty with which they spoke to one another (well, barring Jhanvi’s roundabout answer to his previous question), they seemed to be much more than business associates. "I'll see you around..." He stood up with a heavy sigh, shrugging on his coat and grabbing his suitcase. Ben allowed her to walk him to her door, waiting for her to open it so he could step out into the hall and bid her adieu. "Have a good night Jhanvi."
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jaxrhodes:
Jaxon smiled and dipped his head in a nod. “I’m glad I could do it. I knew things were getting tense, and maybe we should’ve done something like this sooner.” He said honestly. The idea of setting up an escape every now and then f or the male didn’t seem like a bad idea. Maybe he wouldn’t take him out of the state next time, but something to get him out of the city for a few hours. “We’ll look into setting something up when we get back. You deserve a break every now and again. Fuck what the council needs you to be.”
“Kind of a part of my job. I have to be good at reading people. Otherwise, you’d probably have a few more scars than you do.” Jaxon said before grabbing his bottle by the neck and taking a long swig. “Tick tock, buddy.” The male said in a jest as the other seemed to have to think about the last time he’d done something fun. Having to think about it alone was indicator enough that he wasn’t having enough fun of it. “Did you use the words Leo and fun in the same sentence? That man is so uptight and business orientated that he puts you to shame. He doesn’t have fun.” Jaxon said through a laugh before nodding. “I mean, I wasn’t going to say anything, but since you put it out there, you sound like you’re retired.” He smirked before plucking the bills out of Ben’s hands and using his free one to clap the other on the back. “Atta boy.” Jaxon gave Ben’s shoulders a shake before disappearing to go round up a set of beers. When he came back, he set the tray of glasses on the table and began to orient them into a triangle before digging into his pockets to produce the ball he’d gotten from the bar keep. “You first.” Flicking the ball at him, Jaxon rested lazily against his side of the table.
When Jax had discovered his truth and his involvement with the other families, he had fully expected him to turn him over to the police. It would have made sense and he wouldn't have held it against him at all, but Jax did no such thing. Instead Benjamin was given the opportunity to explain himself and the reasons for which he had joined his name with the others. Now that he had gotten to know them all as people and not as stereotypical thugs, it was easy to see how much they all had in common. They were all people making the most out of what their circumstances had dealt them. They had families, they had worries just like him...
"You don't know Leo like I do then." Much like him, the eldest Villarreal sibling was once a vibrant individual. "I went to high school with that guy. He was not the guy you know today." They weren’t the bestest of friends then, but they shared many classes together. Leo had always been a hard worker, but Ben had never met a more free-spirited and fun individual. Nowadays he was caught up in diplomacy, but when they were young and Leo didn't have to answer to anyone, Ben had seen him as the guy people liked and wanted to be around. He was a kind acquaintance and a decent person. In some respects, he still held those qualities, but his carefree spirit rarely made an appearance these days. Ben had always done his best to give him a bit of that any time they were together, wanting his friendship with the other man to offer him a small part of his former self. Ben let the topic of his friend Leo go, already feeling guilty knowing that he was back in Kingston worrying for him alongside his wife. "Oh god... Okay." Ben lined up the shot before tossing the ball in the hopes that it would plop into one of the cups. Luckily for him, it did. He let out a sigh of relief and finally grinned. "Drink up."
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mrs-s-carlisle:
Sofia hated this, feeling so helpless, like she was no use at all when her husband needed her the most. She knew Ben was right, there was nothing she could say to him or the rest of the family which would somehow make this okay. There was nothing that could be done except grief, but that was much easier said than accepted and done. She felt the hand on her shoulder, flinching slightly at how little comfort she felt from it. It was as though it was what he needed to do, what was expected of him, but she could ask for little else from the situation they were in.
“I know,” She nodded her head against where it was still placed in the crook of his neck. She squeezed her own eyes shut in an attempt to hold back the few tears that were threatening to fall. The more it was said, the more Ben said it, the realer it got and the more difficult it became to not let herself react. Her tries were futile, the handful of tears streaming from her cheeks to the collar of his shirt. She pulled away from the embrace slightly, careful to wipe the wet patches from her under her eyes before she brought her hand up to caress his cheek in a simple sign of support. “Que no fue tu culpa. No podrías haber hecho nada,” She doubted it would help, but she didn’t doubt that somehow Ben would find a way to shoulder the guilt. She could feel it on her own heart, as though maybe if she had been better to the Bradleys they could have done something to stop it, maybe if they hadn’t been in DC they could have done anything. Doubtful, but if that was how she felt she couldn’t imagine what her husband was possibly imagining.
She bit her lip as she remembered their family, all the people who had loved Reid and would suddenly have to go on without him. “Rebecca. The girls,” She whispered almost in disbelief as she shook her head slightly. His aunt, his uncle, his cousins. Him. How was any of this supposed to get better?
When he was having such a hard time processing the news himself, how was he supposed to offer comfort to his wife. It was happening all over again. Their last loss had seen him being her rock, keeping his tears a secret so that she could cry freely. He knew he could let his emotions show and yet all he could feel in that moment was frustration, not at his wife, but at himself. How could he have let this happen? Why hadn't Reid come to him? If something was happening in Kingston, surely he knew he could have counted on Ben. Benjamin would have led him down a dead end. He would have given him a different suspect. If Reid had just approached him, he would have been alive.
"Stop," he gasped, feeling his chest tighten uncomfortably. "Don't. Just don't." He pulled out of her hold, pushing himself up from his chair. His hands reached for his tie, loosening it hastily in the hopes that the suffocating feeling he was experiencing would go away. "You think I haven't thought of them? I haven't even called her. I don't have the balls." His words were a hissed whisper, not wanting those outside of his office to hear him. All Ben really wanted to do was scream and shout; not because he was angry with his wife, but because he was just angry. His cousin was dead and his killer was still out there somewhere. Reid was gone and his poor wife and two little girls were left to pick up the broken pieces of their life. "I'm going to find the person that did this Sofia... I'm going to find them and when I do, they're going to wish they were dead."
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