by Ivy Nelson
“Angel.” The warning in his voice sent a shock wave of heat through her body. What was it about that tone of voice? She still didn’t understand why it affected her so strongly.
“You can have a bare ass, or a bare, sore ass at lunch. The choice is yours,” he said as he tugged at her ankle.
Reluctantly, she lifted her foot. “Much better.”
“This dress is too short for this,” she whined.
“Nonsense. It’s perfect,” he said as he stood. “See how much easier I can do this?” His arms slid around her waist and he dropped one hand. A second later, she felt one of his thick fingers slide inside of her and she gasped. “Not too short at all,” he murmured in her ear. Withdrawing his finger, he slipped it into his mouth and sucked noisily. “Delicious.” She blushed furiously as he straightened her dress for her.
“Let’s go before we’re late. I know how you are about being punctual.”
“I think it’s weird that you already know so much about me, she muttered as they exited the hotel room.
“Curse of the job. I’m observant out of habit. More so of the people I care about.” He pressed the down arrow outside of the elevator. Ten minutes later, they were in a cab on the way to the restaurant.
As they sped through the city, Michael slipped his arm around her and pulled her close. At first, she thought he was just being sweet as he pressed his lips to her cheek. Then he moved his mouth to her ear and spoke. “If we were in my car, I would make you lift that little dress and plant your sexy bare ass on the seat. Then I would have you spread your legs and play with that pretty cunt for me.” She squirmed in her seat and tried to pull away from him and his dirty words but his hold was strong. “No escaping Angel. I would make you rub that pink little clit until you were begging to come.”
She glanced nervously at the driver, relieved when it was obvious he couldn’t hear them. Michael had threatened to make her beg a couple of times but so far hadn’t. She was glad, the idea of begging did not appeal to her and she was pretty sure she would wind up with a sore, red ass before she gave in to the command to beg. The little scenario he was painting for her sounded pretty delicious though. But now, she was going into lunch with her former boss and his new wife feeling horny and needy. That didn’t seem fair.
When they pulled up to the restaurant, Michael paid the driver and helped her out of the car. They spied Bradley and Darci almost immediately. Bradley had his arms around Darci from behind, whispering in her ear. Her face was red and Adar thought she looked about how she felt. Well this was awkward. She often forgot that Bradley was part of the same BDSM club as Michael. She supposed if she were ever going to be a member of the club herself she would have to get used to the idea of seeing Bradley in this kind of role. When the newlywed couple spotted them coming up the walk, they both waved.
“Welcome home, you two,” Michael said as they approached.
“It’s good to be home. Sorry all of this is happening to you Adara,” Bradley said releasing his wife and opening his arms for a hug. Adara accepted his hug, grateful for his friendship. The only thing she could focus on though was the fact that she wasn’t wearing any panties while they hugged. She could almost feel Michael laughing at her plight and she mentally cursed him. Inside the restaurant, they quickly fell into comfortable conversation and Adara almost forgot about her pantiless state.
“Adara, I’ve got some friends in Homeland. Want me to make a few phone calls and see if we can get this whole thing cleared up?” Bradley asked as they ate.
“I appreciate that boss. I just don’t know what anyone can do. I’ve been connected to an internationally wanted terrorist. I don’t think this is something they can just sweep under the rug. Especially not with the DNA evidence. They’ll never find any proof I’m actually part of a terrorist organization but just being Faisal Hadawi’s daughter is bad enough for them to not want me in this country anymore.
“Can’t hurt to try. I want you to think about running for office once this is all cleared up.”
“If they don’t strip me of my citizenship and deport me, I’ll think about it. You must really need a job if you’re wanting to work for me boss,” she teased, trying to lighten the mood.
“Adara, I’ve wanted to work for you since before Atleigh. You know I’ve always pushed you to run for yourself instead of working for me.”
It was true, even in college, Bradley had insisted she would make an excellent candidate and before her parents had dropped their bombshell of a secret on her, she had been on board with the idea. Bradley had been confused when she had backed away from the plan and insisted she just wanted to be his assistant in Washington. He never fully bought her story that she wanted more experience in a lower level position first. But because he was a good friend and respected her boundaries, he hadn’t pushed the issue and had happily hired her as his right hand.
“I know. I’m grateful for you not pushing too hard. This business with my parents has really slowed me down. I’m not sure what’s going to happen in the next few weeks but I’m grateful for your friendship.” She struggled not to tear up as she spoke but her voice wavered. Michael placed a hand on her thigh and squeezed, letting her know he was there for her too. She offered him a shy smile.
The group changed topics and were soon discussing Adara’s first visits to the c lub. It wasn’t as awkward as she thought it would be. Darci turned out to be an expert at navigating the conversation in such a way that no one felt uncomfortable. Adara didn’t feel comfortable enough to ask questions, but she did answer the ones they asked her and soaked up the information they offered.
Michael’s hand remained on her thigh, and as the conversation continued, it wandered under her short skirt, not quite touching her most intimate places. Instead, he chose to hover centimeters away. Adara was now all too aware of her lack of panties. It took all of her willpower not to break his rule and brush his hand away and there was no way she was going to ask him to stop in front of everyone. There was nothing she could do about the blush that was creeping up her neck. She hoped her friends would just chalk it up to her embarrassment over the subject matter.
When his fingers gently brushed her folds, she managed not to gasp but her breathing definitely changed. She was slick with need and she thought for certain there must be a wet spot on the back of her dress. How was she supposed to get up and walk out of here at the end of the meal? The thought was fleeting though because he applied pressure to her hypersensitive clit. She had just taken a bite so she let herself close her eyes. Her friends would simply think she was enjoying her food right? Or were they so knowledgeable about this kinky lifestyle they were all a part of that they knew exactly what was happening across the table from them. Then, to her chagrin, she found herself wondering if Bradley had ever fingered Darci in the middle of a restaurant. Gross. How embarrassing. She did not want to think of Bradley Givens that way. Suddenly, Michael’s fingers were gone, and she wanted to whimper. He casually slung his arm around her and she could smell herself on his fingers. Just another way for him to torment her. Something he seemed to enjoy to no end.
The waiter appeared and cleared their plates, leaving the check in the middle of the table. Michael grabbed it before Bradley, starting an argument over who would pay. Darci just sat back amused. When the waiter came back, Adara simply handed him her credit card. Both men stopped arguing and stared at her while Darci giggled. However, the waiter came back a moment later and handed her back her card.
“I’m afraid this was declined ma’am.” With a frown, she started to pull out another card but Michael stopped her.
“Let me get it, Angel. I have a suspicion that one won’t work either.” He handed the waiter his card and waited for him to leave before speaking again.
“We need to call your lawyer. I’m pretty sure Homeland has frozen your assets. It didn’t occur to me until just now that they might do something like this.”
And just like that, the mood at the table shifted.
This was a very real and serious problem. Adara took a deep breath and tried to put on a brave face.
“Sorry to be such a downer everyone.”
“Stop that,” Michael said sternly. “We’re in this together. You’re not being a downer.”
His reprimanding tone was not appreciated, but before she could say as much, Darci quietly said, “He’s right Adara. You’re going through a serious ordeal, we’re here for you.”
She offered a weak smile. “I appreciate it. I really do.” With her eyes closed, she willed herself not to cry, but a tear managed to slip out and slide down her cheek anyway. The waiter came back with Michael’s card and she quickly brushed it away.
The two couples stood and began saying their goodbyes. “I’m going to call my buddy at Homeland and see if we can’t at least get your assets unfrozen,” Bradley said as he hugged her. “And don’t even think about trying to argue with me.”
She sighed. “I won’t. I promise. I just want this to be over.”
“I know. We’ll get you through this.”
At the restaurants entrance, the two couples went their separate ways.
“I’m sorry Angel,” Michael said as they climbed into a cab. “I was doing my best to keep your mind off all of this for a while. It should have occurred to me sooner that Homeland might do something like this. It’s pretty standard protocol.
She squeezed his hand.
It’s OK. It was a nice lunch. I appreciate the distraction.”
“Well, let’s get back to the room. I can think of a few more distractions.” He said with a grin.
“I’ll bet you can,” she said with a laugh as she settled against him for the ride back to the room.
Three days later, Adara found herself sitting in a courtroom, a judge looming over her and her attorney standing to her left. They were at a hearing to determine whether Adara would be detained throughout the legal battle to keep her in the country.
“Your honor, my client has clear ties to the community. Her passport has already been seized, and she remains in the custody of Chief of Special Investigations, Michael Silas of the Metropolitan Police Department. We can assure you she will appear for all court dates. I think we can all agree this is an unusual situation and my client does not deserve to sit in a detention center.”
Adara tried not to fidget as she watched her attorney speak. The expression on the judges face was unreadable. Tabitha had assured her that this was a fair judge and perhaps one of the best ones they could have gotten considering her circumstances. When the results of the independent DNA test had come back this morning, Adara was swiftly hauled in by ICE. Thankfully they had been prepared and her attorney had worked hard to get them an initial hearing the same day so Adara didn’t have to spend the night in a detainment facility.
The judge flipped through the documents Tabitha Kelly handed him. “Very unusual indeed Ms. Kelly. My only concern is that Miss Kent was originally picked up by Homeland Security while leaving the country.”
“At the time your honor, there was no question about my clients citizenship. As far as she knew her parents were Ruth and Daniel Kent. Miss Kent had a legitimate passport and was traveling to Canada legally.”
It was a valid point even if the attorney wasn’t telling the whole story. It technically wasn’t a lie.
Judge Carr leaned back and folded his arms as he studied Adara. Then, he scanned the courtroom, his eyes landing on Michael who was seated behind her a few rows back.
“Are you Chief Silas?”
Michael jumped to his feet. “Yes your honor. Miss Kent is a material witness in an upcoming murder trial.”
“And you can guarantee she’ll be at all of her court appearances?”
“Yes Sir,” Michael said with confidence. “Miss Kent will remain in my custody through the duration and is currently staying in a safe location.”
The judge seemed satisfied with this. “Alright then, I’m releasing the defendant into your custody again. My clerk will hand you a trial date on the way out.”
“Thank you your honor,” Michael and her attorney said in unison. Adara felt too numb to say anything at all.
The court date they got landed exactly one week before the filing deadline to run for the at-large council seat. In her heart, she knew that dream was gone for now. But if she could ever get out of this mess, she promised herself she would run. Who was she kidding? There was no way she was getting out of this one. According to the law, she wasn’t actually a U.S. citizen. She couldn’t run for office. Even if they did let her stay and granted her documented alien status, she wouldn’t be eligible and it would take years to become a legal citizen.
Beside her, Michael gripped her hand. It gave her comfort, but it also made her sad to think she would probably never see him again after this was all over. The thought made her withdraw her hand from his. She couldn’t keep doing this, it was time to back away. They were both going to get hurt. Might as well rip the band-aid off right? A glance at the tall man next her told her he wasn’t happy that she had pulled away from him, but to his credit, he didn’t push the issue. Technically, they still had two days of their deal left, so he could have pushed. All Adara wanted right then was to go to the hotel and play with her dog. She had no idea what was going to happen to Hamilton if she got deported. Maybe Michael would keep him for her. It seemed unfair to ask.
At the hotel, Adara retreated to the bedroom saying she just needed to be alone. Again, Michael didn’t push her to spend time with him, just said he was going to nap on the couch. Oddly, she found herself missing his gentle dominance. It was still there, he was just giving her space today, and she was grateful for that. It would make backing away like she needed to easier.
She patted the bed and Hamilton scurried over and hopped up onto the plush comforter. He seemed to sense that she was having a bad day, so he curled his big body up into a ball and laid his head in her lap. She stroked his soft fur as tears began to fall. Today had been more than she could handle. Being paraded into court like a criminal all for the misfortune of having a terrorist as a biological father was just too much. She curled up on the bed and the sweet dog wrapped his body around hers. As tears continued to fall, she drifted into a fitful sleep where she dreamed of life in a country she didn’t even know anything about.
Chapter 11
Michael stared at the closed bedroom door. She had been in there for a couple of hours and he was positive she had been crying. Part of him wanted to barge in and demand that she talk to him. He could have, given that their week long deal wasn’t quite up yet, but he got the impression that she needed some space. Giving it to her was the hard part. It seemed selfish of him to want to push their arrangement on her. An even more selfish part of him wanted to convince her to agree to extend it, but considering everything happening in her life at the moment he hadn’t made any moves to do that. He only hoped she wasn’t trying to pull completely away from him. That, he couldn’t let happen without doing something.
Watching Adara in the courtroom today had been heart wrenching. He had wanted so badly to squeeze her hand, something, anything to show her she had his support, but that would have looked off to the judge, so he’d had to sit stoically in the gallery watching as they determined whether this woman he cared about would be locked up or not. Thankfully, they had gotten a fair judge, and she was now safely with him. For how long, he had no idea. The thought of her being deported was one he couldn’t bear. He prayed Carrie and Peter would be able to find something that would help their case and keep Adara in this country. She was American through and through, it didn’t matter what her DNA said. It was his job to keep her safe.
As he stared at the door again, his phone buzzed. He absentmindedly answered without looking at the screen. “Silas.”
“Get your ass into my office now.”
He winced. It was his boss, the chief of police. And he did not sound happy.
“Yes, Sir. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Next, he called Peter and half an hour later a guard stood outside the hotel room.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can. She’s sleeping so please don’t disturb her and don’t let anyone but me enter this room.” The man nodded and assumed his position outside the door.
With heavy shoulders, he hailed a cab and tried not to stress during the short ride to the main precinct where the chiefs office was.
“Are you trying to ruin your career Silas?” Chief Stanton did not waste any time with pleasantries when Michael arrived.
“No Sir, just doing my job.”
“Bullshit. You don’t need this girl for the Holden trial and you know it.”
“Need is subjective Sir. Technically, Miss Kent is on the list of potential witnesses for the prosecution. This trial has gotten national attention. I felt it would be better to keep her on hand. If she’s deported, she can’t be any help. Better to keep her here until the trial is over just in case.”
I’m still calling bullshit. What is it about this girl Silas? She’s got connections to terrorists for God’s sake. You just got promoted. Don’t make the mayor regret her decision. Why are you putting your career on the line?”
“Honestly, Sir? I care about this woman and it seems unfair what they are doing to her. I’m fully within the law here. She’s being housed in a secure location. She’ll show up for all of her hearings and I can swear on my badge that this woman is not a threat to national security.”
The chief eyed him carefully.
“I hope you’re right and I hope she’s worth it. The mayor is watching this closely and you don’t look good right now. You look like you’re risking your position here for a piece of ass.”
Michael winced. That was harsh of the chief. He stood tall and placed his hands behind his back. “If you ever feel I’ve crossed the line outside of the law, you can personally ask for my badge, but until then I’d like permission to carry on.”
Chief Stanton Scowled. “Fine. But if this escalates further, you need to hand this woman over to Homeland and walk away immediately.”