He smirked when I reacted to his comment, "Claire and I met over at Janes compound eight years ago. I was freshly discharged from the Marines, serving three tours too many in the war and I couldn't shake it. I went to Janes for a job and met her." He leaned on his knees, "She is a good kid, takes good care of people. I worked for Janes for a little while and even did one or two of Claire's security details while she was on the campaign trail, it was the first time in a long time anyone treated me like a person and not a killing machine. I owe her for that, taking the time to ease me into life after the desert." Sgt. Sheehnan stopped, clearing his throat, "I left Janes for the department here two months before her attack." Sgt. Sheehnan's face went hard, "Anyways, when I heard she had been hurt, I did my own digging and recognized one of the fools from a liaison mission I did up in the Hindu Kush Mountains. He was CIA and a royal dick."
The conversation came to a pause when one of the FBI techs stopped to inform me that they were done and the final report would be sent to Senator Avondale when it was compiled. The fresh faced tech also informed me that his boss and the Secret Service would like to have a formal meeting with Senator Avondale on the following Monday. I was handed a business card with a curt ‘ma'am’ before the tech disappeared into the warmth of his van. I tucked the card into my pocket, turning back to Sheehnan.
I waited as another pile of officers walked around us, stopping to ask Sheehnan if they were done. After he cleared them I moved closer, trying to keep my voice low, "CIA? I thought it was the religious freaks that were targeting her at the time for her stance on genetic testing?"
Sheehnan slid off the hood to stand in front of me, "Well, Kit sometimes things don't make sense only to make perfect sense. That asshole who stabbed her was CIA, I will forever remember his face for the shit he did in the mountains. To be honest, he did not suffer enough that day Claire shot him. He got his easy out." Sheehnan paused, letting his bad memories slide away, "Anyways, we are done here, Kit. I will have the formal report sent over when I type it up, if you can still promise me that security recording."
I smiled lightly, "Of course Sergeant, I keep my promises."
Sheehnan smiled, opening his door on the patrol car, "Take care of her, Kit. You already impress me more than that last girl, Rebecca. She would never stand out in the cold for hours with us minions of the police department." He yanked his police hat off, tossing it on the passenger seat, "If you need us, Kit, call. Like I said, my boys and girls will do right by Claire." He threw me a slight salute, climbing into his car and pulling away, ending the last bit of red and blue lights swirling around the house.
I stood in the snow, enjoying the silence of the night. No hushed voices, no police cars and black SUV's stacked all over the street. I took a deep breath of the cold air, trying to relax before I went back into the house. Sheehnan’s little tidbit had my mind working, trying to figure out why would a former CIA operative link up with an extreme religious group. Why was the CIA so interested in killing Claire or continuing to scare her?
I took one last deep breath and went back inside. I relished how warm the house was after standing outside in the snow in just sweatpants and a coat. I went through the house one more time, double checking the locks, doors, windows and that the security system was back online before I headed upstairs. I was worn down and ready for bed, I would talk to Claire in the morning, she was already shaken up to have another heavy conversation about threats and what we needed to do about them.
I ran my hands over my hair, flashes of what almost was before the alarm went off making my body switch out of my protective agent to the woman who craved to have just five minutes more when I felt Claire's fingers on my bare skin. I bit my lip in pure sexual frustration as I climbed the stairs slowly. I had taken a chance out of the simple fact I could not resist any longer as I stood in her room, feeling her body warm close to mine, the light scent of the ocean still in her clothes, and the way she looked at me showing me her family pictures. It was my body begging me to take a chance and give it some release for the building tension over the last day. It was finally coming to life in a way that no one ever made me feel.
I could feel my want for Claire down to my fingertips, it wasn't just a physical want, but a complete want of someone. I wanted Claire on a whole, she made me feel complete and my body and mind wanted to become one. I wanted to give myself to her wholly, and take from her wholly.
I paused at the top of the stairs to collect myself, my body was telling me that it was a good idea to try to pick up where we left off, but I knew better. Claire would be mildly distant and care more that I was okay then focus on her.
I walked down the hallway to her room. Claire's bedroom door was closed and I saw the lights were off. I opened the door slowly, hoping not to startle her. She was curled up in the bed under the blankets, asleep. I moved slowly to the other side of the bed, setting my gun down and pulled back the blankets to scoot in.
The second my hand landed on her shoulder, Claire stirred, rolling over to me, a sleepy smile on her face, whispering, "Hi."
"Hi." I smiled in return, "They are all gone." I said nothing more, I wanted Claire to go back to sleep and get the rest she needed. Not wake up, start her mind up and overwork it trying to find the answers for tonight's incident.
Claire nodded slowly and didn't say a word. She moved closer to me, resting her head on my chest. Her arm came across my body, pulling me closer. In the way she held onto me tightly, I could feel she was still trying to settle down. I set my hand on her arm, pressing down just enough to let her know I was there. I stared at the dark ceiling, listening to her breath back into a deep sleep while I held her.
I would have to start my own digging in the morning, dig into the past and the present to find a firm connection between the CIA and the religious group from five years ago. There was some perfect sense there, I could feel it in my gut. There was a connection and a pattern forming, the CIA was possibly repeating their own history and I had to figure it out before they got closer to meeting whatever goal it was they had for attacking and threatening Claire.
Sleep eventually claimed me without my permission.
_______________
I woke up when the morning light poured through the large windows. I rolled away from them and to the sight of Claire sitting up in bed, tablet in her hands with black framed glasses on. She looked down at me, smiling, "Morning."
I yawned, not bothering to sit up with her, I was exhausted and had to fight to keep my eyes open. Instead I shifted closer to her so I could lay a hand on her stomach. I found lately I was drawn to touching her or having some sort of physical contact in any way I could. My hand rested flat on her stomach, making her smile more, "Morning to you. What time is it? And why are you awake Claire?"
Claire set the tablet down next to her, freeing her hands to cover mine. "It's eight and I am awake because I woke up at six like I do every day." She reached over, brushing hair out of my face, "But I couldn't find the strength to leave the bed, you are kind of fun to watch while you sleep." She smirked, "I decided to read some emails and a look at a few things on the tablet."
I squinted at her, shifting the pillow under my head so I could look at her better and still avoid sitting up, "You work too much." I looked at our hands, her touch was definitely waking me up in many ways, she was even more beautiful in her nerdy black glasses. I swallowed hard, "I can't believe you watched me sleep."
Claire laughed, "I am only kidding." She patted my hand, "But you do sort of talk in your sleep. Curious to know who Tom is and why he makes you giggle?" She raised an eyebrow playfully.
I groaned, closing my eyes, there was no way I was going to talk about Tom right now. I cursed my dreams and whatever it was that makes people spill their secrets while in the deep grips of sleep. I sat up, moving closer to Claire, "Maybe one day I will tell you that story, but for now." I bent forward, kissing her lightly, hoping to throw her off, "For now, I just want to lay in bed with you for a l
ittle longer."
Claire kissed me back, but when I looked in her eyes I knew my distraction technique barely worked, "You can tell me the story over lunch after we go to the mall." She grinned as my eyes widened.
"The mall? I can't remember the last time I went to a mall." My shoulders sagged, I really did want to stay in bed and maybe sleep a few more hours with her. I rubbed at my eyes, trying to clear out the temptress sleep could be, "Why are we going to the mall?"
Claire kissed my cheek before tossing the blankets back and hopping out of bed, "I have a charity ball to attend on Friday night. You are coming with me, of course." She stood up, stretching with no signs of the incident the night before anywhere on her face, "We need to find you a dress, a proper dress."
I groaned, "Why? I can wear one of my nice tailored suits and hide in the back with the rest of the protection people." I hated charity balls, they were always so stuffy with the amount of bullshit being tossed between politicians and celebrities. Not a damn genuine word or action from anyone at those types of events.
Claire grinned, moving to the edge of the bed, leaning closer as if she was going to kiss me again. "Because, after the event, I am taking you somewhere to collect my prize from our shooting competition and where we are going, I need you to look absolutely stunning." She winked at me and stood up, walking away from the bed and into the bathroom.
I closed my eyes, slinking back down into the bed. Claire was slowly driving me insane with her flirtation. I grabbed a pillow, covering my face as I groaned into it and bit the corner. I heard the shower turn on, and Claire's voice from the bathroom, "The FBI has forwarded the initial report from last night. It's on the tablet if you want to look at it." Walking out of the bathroom, Claire set her glasses down on the side table to look down at me, "I also have Sergeant Sheehnan’s final report. We can go over the rest in the car." She smiled lightly when I gave her a strange look. "I don't like to talk business first thing in the morning, Kit, it tends to set the mood for the rest of the day."
She turned to head back into the bathroom, "I want to try to get to the mall when it opens, that way I only have to compete with the mall walkers." She smiled before closing the door.
I sighed hard, envious of the shower and silently fighting the urge to barge into the bathroom and hop in the shower with her. Instead I rolled out of the bed, grabbed her tablet and retreated to my bedroom as I read over the reports.
In my room I looked up at Norbert on the bed, shaking my head I traded the tablet for him. Holding him up, I frowned at the stuffed penguin, "Can you believe it? She wants me to go to the mall."
Norbert just stared back blankly until I set him on the pillows, "You are no help buddy." I turned the shower on, stripped out of my sweats and hopped in. Squealing at the first rush of cold water I put myself through to chase away the tension before I let the water run as hot as possible.
I really hated going to the mall.
Chapter 17
I finished dressing and made an unconscious straight line to Kit's room. Turning the door handle, I could hear her singing lightly in the shower that one really catchy, but tepid song we had heard a thousand times in the VIP terminal when we landed.
My hand didn't move any further, frozen on the door handle. My Grandmother's old saying rattling around in my head, “Sensibility and sin were pulling double duty in my mind.” I closed my eyes, sin was pushing my hand to turn the handle, go in that room and wait for her, or not wait for her and charge into the bathroom and finish things from last night or start something new up. All sin wanted was for me to act on my carnal needs and desires so horribly interrupted last night.
Instead sensibility won, as it often does with me. I released the door handle and went downstairs to dig through the foyer closet to try to find the woman a warmer coat.
I sighed holding the double closet doors open, scanning over the endless coats I had. I blinked a few times, the blur of greys, blacks, and blues was adding to the tired feeling I still carried. My phone was the culprit, waking me up at five in the morning, wiggling around on the bedside table as emails flooded in from Ivan, Rebecca and Davidek. The phone almost made a one way trip across the room, but I didn't want to wake the mumbling redhead wrapped up in me like a pretzel. Her body smashed against me as she wiggled even closer to me in her sleep. Her face, at one point was mashed into my side as she told Tom that his car was big and shiny, and of course she would love to take it for a ride.
Jealousy made my elbow move on its own and nudge her less than gently. Kit snorted, shifting her head to share my pillow while throwing a possessive arm around me. I couldn't help but laugh as the small amount of jealousy eased away the second Kit squeezed me like she owned me.
In a figurative sense, she did own me. Heart and soul, and it grew day by day the more we spent time together and crept along the thin lines of this blossoming romance.
I had migrated into the middle of the walk in closet, sorting through endless coats, jackets, hats, scarves and other exterior clothing I had dumped in there. I pulled down and out a thick thigh length dark blue pea coat that would cover Kit for at least the ride to the mall. Hold her over and keep her warm until we found her a better coat.
I laid the coat over the bannister, returning to the beep of more incoming emails. Ivan was sending me over everything I had asked for over to the secured hard drive in my room. Davidek was sending the picture around to some of his contacts for confirmation and to trace the bomb components if he could. Rebecca was Rebecca, hiding her panic in stoic emails dotted with underhanded comments about Kit, but at least she was helping Ivan dig up as much as they could about Beekeeper.
I also knew that Kit would be digging in her own way, it was her nature and she would begin to place things together. Taking the little pieces of information I gave her or my trusted circle gave her. Her main goal was to be a bodyguard, but the woman was also fiercely intelligent and wouldn't ignore clues to a puzzle when they presented themselves. She was as focused as the rest to find what all these strange attacks and the small links all meant in the whole picture.
My trance was broken when Kit hopped down the stairs wearing her obviously favorite purple hooded sweatshirt and jeans. I couldn't hide my grin when I noticed she was wearing the converse I had left for her in Malibu. "Kit, you know that it snowed an inch on top of the three we got last week?" I pointed to at the canvas shoes, "That is going to end badly for you."
Kit huffed, "I need boots, a coat, more sweaters and sweatshirts." She adjusted her gun to sit closer to her hip, "When I left D.C. behind, I really left it behind, along with my entire winter wardrobe." Kit gave me a look, cluing me in that there were some bad memories left in this city.
I held up the pea coat, "This should fit you. May be a little long in the sleeves." Kit took the thick woolen coat, holding it up to examine it before pulling it on. "Why are we going to the mall, anyways? The house and you were just attacked a few hours ago." Kit settled the coat collar around her shoulders, looking down at the slightly longer sleeves covering most of her hands, "I don't know if it's a good idea to go somewhere open and public, Claire."
Kit looked up at me half serious and half trying to hide that she really did not want to go to the mall. I had heard all the mumbles and grumbles when I closed the bathroom door to shower.
I picked out my long, calf length black wool coat from the closet, one that had an old Russian militaristic look to it, "You are right, Kit, but I am not going to let them have any sliver of power over me. I am not going to let them rule my life and keep me in the house afraid, leaving only to go to work and back home." I buttoned the thick round gold buttons decorated with some random crest, "I am careful. The mall we are going to caters to the rich and famous. It will be safer than if we went down to the massive outlet complex by the river." I sighed, looking at her, letting my hand run over her cheek, "And I have you." I smiled at the woman, letting my hand fall from her to grab the car keys in the bowl by the door. "You need warme
r clothes and a dress. I can't have you freezing all the time bundled up in all of your beer t-shirts." I turned away from her, walking to the side door under the crest of the staircase, "And I need a corn dog."
"Corn dog? Did you just say corn dog, Claire?"
__________________
I kept the Cadillac on the other end of the garage that exited out onto the small alleyway behind the townhouse, allowing Kit and I to leave without driving over the small crater left by the pipe bomb. I already made arrangements for repair work, but it would have to wait for the weather to clear up.
The morning was sunny and bright, a stark contrast to how I felt from the night before and the dark, quick flights of terror Kit and I experienced. The garage door rising up slowly let in the bright sun, flooding the front seat with bright yellow warmth. So bright I had to slip on my aviators. I smiled when the rays warmed up the car and the bundled redhead next to me, grumbling at the heater vents that they weren't working fast enough.
"Kit, it will take a minute. The car sat all night in the freezing temps."
She leaned back, curling herself into more of a ball. "I know. I really hate being cold. I should have skipped the cold shower this morning." Kit mumbled the last bit under her breath, thinking I wouldn't hear it.
"And why the cold shower?"
Kit turned, staring hard at me while I sloshed the car through the wet streets. I glanced at her when I began to feel the stare. I instantly recognized her, "Are you kidding me?" look. It sunk in then, making me blush and return to the sloppy roads. I could see Kit shake her head out the corner of my eye, it obviously took me a little too long to understand her. She wiggled closer to the vent, "So, fill me in on Beekeeper. Why would beekeepers be after you or interested in you? You do genetic research, not bee breeding or honey farming."
Redemptio Animae Page 38