by Donna Raider
“Not until I—” The archbishop suddenly found himself standing in the center of the ballroom with his pants down around his ankles. He tried to walk quickly to get away from the stares, but only managed to trip over his own pants and fall face first into the dance floor.
Mika knew immediately what had happened. She rushed to the ladies’ room as Leah walked out. “Take me home, darling,” Leah said quietly.
Sara, Adam, and Amber joined them. “I think it’s time to get our resident queen home,” Mika informed them as they all held back their laughter at the sight of the rotund archbishop rolling around on the floor, trying to pull up his pants and stand. Onlookers were trying to help the man to his feet when he uncontrollably urinated on them. Leah whipped her head around to look into her wife’s eyes. “I didn’t do that,” she whispered.
“Just me, doing my part.” Mika smiled.
A TV camera was filming the archbishop for the late-night news.
##
Leah was standing in front of her full-length dressing mirror when Mika entered the room. She was still wearing her ball costume and Mika was still dressed as the White Knight. Leah watched Mika’s face in the mirror, giving her a chance to study the priest without her realizing it.
Mika no longer had the desperate look she had worn, panting around after Leah all evening. In its place was the dark, angry look of a woman whose wife had been accosted. Leah didn’t want their otherwise enjoyable evening to end with Mika upset. She loved her too much.
Leah had already pushed her anxiety attack and the archbishop from her thoughts. The only thing on her mind now was her wife.
Mika stood behind her, admiring Leah’s shape in the incredible outfit she’d worn to the ball. The top was a blouse that wrapped around and tucked into the skirt, allowing the wearer to easily raise and lower the plunging neckline to expose as much or as little cleavage as they desired. Mika looked at her in the mirror. Leah had the blouse loosened so that it opened all the way to where it tucked into her waistband. It barely covered her nipples. Her breasts strained against the soft, silky material.
The skirt wrapped twice and buttoned down the side. The hem of the black skirt teased the floor as she walked in her high-heel boots. Still watching Mika in the mirror, she smiled as she saw the look in her eyes.
Leah turned slowly. “I believe I won you in the auction tonight. That means I own you, darling.” She slapped the riding crop against her leg.
“You’ve always owned me, Your Majesty.” Mika wondered why they still had on their clothes. Leah usually made them disappear.
“I want you to undress me,” Leah commanded.
Mika walked cautiously toward her and tentatively placed a hand on her cheek. She leaned down and kissed her slowly, softly. “You’re going to make me work for you,” she murmured against Leah’s lips, “aren’t you?”
The vibration of Mika’s lips against hers sent a quiver through Leah’s body. “Yes,” she whispered back, her lips still against Mika’s. “Am I not worth working for?”
“Working for, fighting for, dying for,” Mika whispered into her ear. Mika’s warm breath against her ear inflamed her senses.
Mika kissed her way down Leah to where the blouse slipped into the skirt, gently touching every inch of exposed flesh. She slowly pulled her blouse from the waistband and slid it back to expose her perfect breasts. Mika raised her eyes to stare into Leah’s and slowly smiled. “May I, Your Majesty?” Her voice was deep with her desire for the witch.
“Yes.” Leah closed her eyes as she exhaled the breath she had been holding from the moment Mika had touched her.
Mika let Leah’s blouse drop to the floor and ran her hands possessively down Leah’s smooth, silky back as her lips and tongue paid homage to her glorious neck and breasts. Leah moaned loudly and fought to keep from clutching her hands in Mika’s hair and pulling her hard against her.
Mika continued to caress Leah’s breast with her tongue, pushing Leah into her with one hand while the other hand expertly began to unbutton the endless row of buttons on her skirt. As the skirt fell away, Mika slowly slid her hands down Leah’s legs. Dropping to her knees, Mika kissed the hot flesh between her thighs.
Leah brought the riding crop down on Mika’s back. “You’re taking too long.” Her husky, luxurious voice made Mika’s heart beat faster.
“I’m just trying to be of service to you, My Queen.” Mika looked up at Leah’s burning eyes. “That was quite a price you paid for me. I simply want to please you.” …and she did.
Mika lay on her back, trying to slow the pounding of her heart. Leah propped herself up on one elbow and softly traced Mika’s full, kiss-swollen lips with her fingertips. “I have never known such pleasure as you give me,” Leah whispered. “The price I paid for you at the auction was a bargain.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Leah poured a cup of coffee then joined her wife on the sofa in front of the TV. “You know I don’t like waking without you in my bed.” She kissed Mika lovingly.
“Umm,” Mika hummed against her lips. “You were sleeping so soundly, I didn’t have the heart to wake you.
“Once again, you have captured the headlines in the print and electronic media.” Mika pushed the play button so Leah could see the morning news she had recorded. “I don’t know who got the most footage: you or the archbishop.”
The news anchor briefly explained how the archbishop had exposed himself to the attendees at the Masked Ball, a Catholic charity. As a video showed Pelosi rolling around on the floor with his pants pulled down around his ankles, the announcer said, “A spokeswoman for the Catholic diocese noted that Archbishop Pelosi has been under a doctor’s care and was heavily medicated at the time of the incident.”
“Medicated with liquor,” Leah huffed. “Honestly, darling, how do you tolerate these people?”
“If we don’t fight for the good, the evil will take over.” Mika frowned. “I just have one question. Was he trying to rape you?”
“Yes.” Leah bowed her head.
Placing her finger under Leah’s chin, Mika pulled her beautiful face up so she could look into her eyes. “I had guessed as much from the condition he was in, wallowing around on the dance floor. Enough about my work. I will deal with that Monday, when I go into the office. Today is just about you, me, and our children.”
Leah snuggled into Mika’s side and sipped her coffee.
The next news story showed stunning footage of Leah ascending the stage at the ball and removing her mask to reveal her identity. The news anchor discussed how much money the ball had raised for Catholic charities and thanked Leah Redman, Trey Slater, Scarlett King, and the Cross family for their part in the fundraiser. The female news anchor was particularly excited about the beauty of the actress and her perfect face. “Do you have any idea how much nerve it would take to try to pull off a look like that?” she asked her male anchor. “She not only pulled it off, she owned it. Mark my word, people will talk about her beauty for years to come.”
“You know, someone bid twenty million dollars for a chaperoned date with her.” The anchorman raised his eyebrows.
“A date with Leah Redman,” the anchorwoman said, smiling, “priceless.”
Leah turned off the TV. “Sounds like the Sisters will have all the money they need to bring their school curriculum into the twenty-first century.”
“Yes, but next year, let’s stay out of the auction and just make a donation,” Mika suggested.
“I agree wholeheartedly.” Leah moved onto Mika’s lap. “You paid a pretty hefty price for me, darling. Now I believe you own me.”
“Only if you let me.” Mika grinned her little-girl grin and she knew Leah would let her do anything.
Leah kissed Mika, glorying in the feel of her lips. Their tongues danced the dance of two people intimately involved with one another. “So…?”
“I believe I’ll save my demands for services for a time when I have not been so totally sated the night before.�
�� Mika’s voice was deep and suggestive. “Maybe on our anniversary cruise.”
“That’s almost four months away,” Leah whimpered as she straddled Mika and untied her robe. “Perhaps I could give you just a taste of what I have in store for you.”
“Perhaps you should,” Mika said, grinning, “a girl really should have some idea of what she’s purchased.” She pulled Leah into her arms for a deep, soul-clutching kiss. “Have I ever told you that witches and queens steal my breath away?”
##
Martin was mortified to be driving a man of the cloth who was behaving like the archbishop. The man smelled of liquor and urine. He was raving like a maniac. His lewd comments about Leah Redman made the driver’s stomach churn. He drove Pelosi to the employee entrance of the hotel and half carried, half dragged the inebriated man into the employee elevator. He prayed no one would hear the sexual vileness spewing from the man’s mouth.
He got the archbishop into his room and dumped him unceremoniously onto his bed. The man started snoring almost as soon as Martin rolled him onto the bed. He went into the bathroom to get a washcloth to try to wipe the vomit from the archbishop’s face and clothes. He wondered if Pelosi had given the Pope’s letter to Priest Mika. Just out of curiosity, he looked in the travel bag to see if the letter was still there. It was. He wondered when the archbishop planned to deliver this message to Mika.
Closing the travel bag, Martin walked to the door of the suite. He closed the door behind him. Pelosi could wake up in his own vomit. The man was repulsive.
Six out of seven, Martin thought as he pulled the limo away from the curb and skillfully guided it into the New York traffic. It had been disgusting, the way the archbishop had lusted after Leah Redman.
##
Carlie closed the door after Leah slid into the passenger’s seat. She dashed to the driver’s side and dropped into her own seat. “That was some show Friday night.” She grinned mischievously. “How does a man get to be archbishop? No! Let me guess. Get drunk and expose himself to large crowds.”
“I asked Mika the same question.” Leah chuckled. “I believe this particular fellow is a brother to some influential politician. Political influence or not, I am pretty certain his religious career has come to a screeching halt.”
“You raised a pretty substantial amount for the charities.” Carlie glanced sideways at the raven-haired beauty.
“The night was a tremendous success.” The actress nodded. “How is your investigation going?”
“It isn’t,” Carlie huffed. “I have come up with a motive, though.”
“What?” Leah shifted in her seat to face the detective.
“To protect the church. I believe all the murders were committed to save the church from additional embarrassment,” Carlie informed her.
“What makes you think that?” Leah inquired.
“The church was about to reassign the pedophile priest to another parish, instead of giving him the boot,” the detective explained. “I believe our perp framed him for the boy’s murder, thinking that we would lock him away until he died. When the police began to bargain with him for the names of other pedophile priests, he was murdered. The perp tried to make it look like suicide, but I know it wasn’t.”
“If it wasn’t suicide,” the actress said, biting her lower lip, “it must be murder. What about Branch?”
“Perp tried to frame him for the prostitute’s murder to remove him from the church.” Carlie glanced at the TV star again. God, she is beautiful. “Both men are strong proponents of priest celibacy but were doing what they professed to hate.
“I understand Bishop Cantrell is up for the position of archbishop. I suspect our perp somehow found out about Janet Cantrell’s little affairs and took her out to avoid any embarrassment for the bishop. Everyone knew Cantrell was strongly in favor of doing away with celibacy.
“My gut tells me Clinton is dead. Obviously, he was taken out because he is a homosexual having an affair with Janet Cantrell. From what I’ve read, he actively advocated celibacy, probably to guarantee a continued pool of sexual deviants on which to prey.”
“You have another point to make.” Leah looked hard at Carlie. “I can tell.”
“Each of these deaths helped further your wife’s battle to do away with celibacy,” Carlie said softly. “Effectively furthering her career.”
“I don’t see how—”
“Williams and Branch were immediately held up by the media as the type men of attracted by the priesthood. They were condemned as sexual deviants who supported celibacy but didn’t practice what they preached. A black mark—like an unfaithful wife—on Cantrell’s name might have prevented him from getting the archbishop position. The department is still treating Clinton’s disappearance as a missing person and Janet’s death as an accident, but I know I am right.”
“Do you just sit around making up these things?” Leah snarled at the detective. “It seems you are determined to tie this mess to my wife.”
“All I’m saying is that someone is watching out for Mika and her drive to do away with celibacy,” Carlie defended herself.
“If that is the case,” Leah hissed at the woman, “I’m surprised someone hasn’t arranged an accident for the archbishop. He is leading a vicious, personal charge against my wife.”
“Oh my God,” both women gasped at the same time.
Carlie reached for her phone. “Holly, this is Carlie. I am heading to the Catholic Church. Have four undercovers meet me in Mika Crosses office immediately.”
##
Mika was surprised to see the driver, Martin, in her office when she finished the sixth segment of the conference debates. “I believe the archbishop went to the coffee shop for something to eat,” Mika informed the man.
“I’m here to see you, ma’am.” Martin bowed his head reverently.
“Please, have a seat.” Mika motioned to the armchair closest to her desk. “What can I do for you?”
“First, I want to say how embarrassed I am over the archbishop’s behavior toward you.” Martin apologized as if he were personally responsible for Pelosi.
“You don’t owe me any apology.” Mika smiled. “I’m afraid the archbishop has behaved in this manner for a long time. The church owes you an apology for subjecting you to such a man.”
Martin half nodded. “Second,” he continued, “has the archbishop given you the letter from the Pope?”
“Yes,” Mika said softly. She didn’t think she should share her knowledge that the letter was a fake with Martin.
“I don’t… I’m n-not sure how…” Martin stammered. “I was putting away the archbishop’s things when I came across this letter. It was hidden in the bottom of his travel bag.” The driver hesitantly slid the envelope across Mika’s desk.
Mika looked at the letter without picking it up. It was addressed to her. It was in the stationery she knew the Pope would use to communicate with her. She knew this was the Pope’s true letter to her.
“Does Archbishop Pelosi know you have this?” Mika asked.
“No,” Martin said quietly. “I took it because I feared he would destroy it. I overheard him telling one of the other priests that you knew the Pope did not approve of what you were doing because he had hand-delivered a letter to you from the Pope telling you to stop your campaign to end celibacy.”
Mika nodded slowly. “Thank you, Martin. I appreciate you bringing this to me. Would you like me to assign another driver to the archbishop?”
“I’m not trying to shirk my duty,” Martin said, smiling reluctantly, “but I do find him extremely repulsive.”
A knock at the door interrupted them. “That’s probably the archbishop.” Martin jumped to his feet. “I’d better go.”
When Martin opened the door, Leah and Carlie rushed into the office. “Martin.” The beautiful actress smiled sincerely. “It’s good to see you. I’m glad to see you survived the aftermath of the ball.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He blushed a bright
red and hung his head. “May I just say that you were breathtaking in your queen’s attire?”
“Thank you, Martin.” Her gorgeous smile lit up her lovely face again.
“I must go,” Martin mumbled, “I’m sure the archbishop is looking for me.” He bowed low to her, as if he were addressing royalty.
Martin scurried off to find the archbishop. Leah Redman remembered my name, he thought. She is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside.
Martin cringed as he recalled how the archbishop had cursed her, calling her a witch. The crazy old drunk had even blamed the beautiful woman for his disgraceful behavior in the center of the ballroom. Blamed a witch. Yeah, like she made you urinate on everyone, he thought.
Mika’s joy at seeing her wife was almost uncontainable. She practically jumped her desk to get to her side. Mika looked into gorgeous brown eyes then leaned closer to kiss her wondrously soft, full lips. Mika lingered longer than she should have with someone else in the room, but Leah had leaned into the kiss and she wasn’t about to pull away.
Carlie cleared her throat after the kiss showed no sign of ending. Reluctantly, the lovers stepped back from one another.
“To what do I owe this pleasure?” Mika stepped away from her wife, but continued to hold her hand, leading her to sit beside her on a sofa.
“Where’s the archbishop?” Carlie asked.
“In the coffee shop getting a snack.” Mika couldn’t stop the smirk that crossed her face at the thought of the obese man eating something else.
“I believe he may be in danger,” the detective answered.
Of me choking him, Mika thought as her wife settled closer against her.
##
The conversation of four rather large, muscular men pulled Martin from his thoughts. “Can you direct us to Mika Cross’s office?” the tallest one said.
“I’ll take you.” Martin led the men to the door of Mika’s office. He wanted to know what they were up to. He ushered the four men in, noticing that all of them were armed.
“Hey, fellows.” Detective Carlyle stood and greeted the men. “Thanks for getting here so quickly. I need a twenty-four-seven detail on Archbishop Pelosi. I believe he will be the next one our serial killer goes after.”