Restrained Under His Duty

by Stacey Kennedy

  But then my fingers brush against a silky red ribbon, clearly some piece of lingerie, and my mind leaves this room…

  “We’re going to get married.”

  That’s when I feel a tug on my hand and I glance down at the little girl with the big green eyes smiling up at me, instead of looking at the hot blonde across the room. The girl is wearing a white sundress with a big red bow in her hair.

  Mom laughs beside me. “Is that so, Miss Hadley?”

  “Yes,” she says, staring doe-eyed at me.

  I roll my eyes, gently pulling my hand away from hers. Like I need an eight-year-old girl flirting with me. Especially considering she’s the daughter of my father’s law partner. I glance back across the room and see the pretty blonde is gone now. Tomorrow I leave to join the Army. I wanted a well-deserved send-off and that blonde had been smiling at me all night. Annoyance clenches my jaw when I feel another tug on my suit jacket, which I can’t wait to get out of. It’s too tight and too hot.

  “Oh, Ryder,” Mom says, garnering my attention. “Isn’t she just so sweet?”

  I look into the little girl’s eyes. She looks like trouble. A handful for her mother for sure. “Mm-hmm.”

  “Just absolutely the cutest,” says Mom, and then I ignore the rest of the conversation, as the little girl holds on to her dress, swaying from side to side.

  But that’s Mom, gushing over kids until you possibly can’t gush any more. As a kindergarten teacher, she loves children and they love her. Even Dad turns into a softer version of himself around children. By day, he’s a corporate lawyer. Around kids, he’s a giant baby. Too bad for them—I doubt they’ll ever get grandchildren out of me. And seeing as I’m an only child since Mom had trouble even conceiving me, I’m their only hope.

  As much as I want to live up to the standards that make my parents proud, kids aren’t part of my ten-year plan. My sights are on the Army Rangers.

  “Hey, stop ignoring me!”

  I sigh and look down at the girl again; she isn’t going away. “What do you want?”

  There’s a twinkle in her eyes. “We’re going to get married one day.”

  “You already told me that,” I grumble.

  “Good. Now you know it.” She gives me another big smile, full of attitude and sass, and then runs away, skipping down the hallway with her big curls bouncing on her back.

  I blink out of the memory and a wave of heat rushes across me. What the fuck, Blackwood? Even as a child Hadley had been a saucy little thing, full of spunk, and so sure of what she wanted. I don’t know why that ribbon brought on the memory. But I do know that I need to stay clear of Hadley, because that’s what happens. She invades parts of my brain and becomes all I can think about. Once that happens, I crave her in indecent ways that would make her father’s head explode.

  I refocus on why I’m at her condo, and by the time I settle the drawer back in place, I’m confident she’s not being recorded at home. “You’re safe here.” Then I look at her and goddamn wish I hadn’t.

  She’s leaning against the doorframe, eyes directly on her target. Me. She begins to look me over like she’s imagined me in here just as I’ve imagined being in her bedroom. I can tell both by the heat and by the brightness of her eyes that she likes how I look now. That she wants me in her bed, as much as I want to be there, too.

  I clear my throat. “We need to talk.”

  “Sounds good to me, but”—her eyes flick to the messy bed then back to me again—“since we’re in here…”

  I sigh and take the two final steps, closing the distance between us. “We don’t have time for this.” I grasp her by the arm, ignoring the cute way she laughs and how much I want to kiss that beautiful smile I see planted on her face. I smartly, and hastily, move us to her safe living room, where there are no wrinkled bedsheets and thoughts of Hadley touching herself beneath them.

  When I reach her dark gray, fabric-covered couch, I realize she hasn’t joined me. That’s when I hear the refrigerator door open and shut. And when she returns to me, she has two coffees in hand.

  “Here, you look like you need this.” She offers me a mug.

  “Thanks, I do.” I take a sip and admit to myself that I don’t hate that she knows I take my coffee with a little milk.

  Taking care not to spill, I sit carefully on a nearby chair, distancing myself from her flowery perfume. I take another sip, feeling some of the exhaustion she’s obviously seeing on my face. I got to bed late last night, and an urgent phone call came in at four this morning and I’m feeling the toll it’s taking on me.

  “Okay…” she says, taking a seat on the couch, hugging her mug in her hands. “Now that your Mission Impossible moment is over, what in the hell is going on?”

  I place my mug on the rustic wood coffee table in front of me. “Listen, I got word of something early this morning. You don’t need to worry about it, I’m going to handle this—”

  “You know about the sex tape.”

  I frown.

  She laughs awkwardly, shifting herself into the corner of the couch. “So I guessed right, huh?”

  I hold my mug in a death grip. “Please tell me how you know there is a sex tape?” No one on my team would have told Hadley without my permission.

  She pulls up her legs underneath her and gives a long exhale. “Well, because yesterday morning a message just popped up on my screen along with the video.”

  I slowly arch an eyebrow. “And you didn’t think to tell me about it?”

  “To be honest, I hadn’t exactly processed what to do about it. Of course, I knew I had to tell someone…”

  Someone? I want to yell at her, Dammit, Hadley, you should have come to me!

  Of course, I stay professional and calm. Besides, I know what I’m about to say next is going to derail her. “There are reasons you need to keep me informed,” I tell her gently, wanting desperately to reach for her fingers dangling before me when I drop this bomb on her. “You weren’t the only one to receive the video. It was also sent to your father late last night and was intercepted by my team.”

  The color begins to drain out of her face, and her eyes become haunted. “He didn’t—”

  “No, your father hasn’t seen it. I would never allow that to happen.”

  Instant relief washes over her face and her breathing slows, as she asks, “Is that why you came here and checked for bugs?”

  “That’s part of the reason. But it’s also because a couple nights ago the senator told me he’s concerned about some corrupt politicians.”

  “I think he’s onto something,” she says, taking a sip of her coffee.

  I note the shakiness of her hands before looking back into her troubled eyes. “Now why would you think that?”

  “Because whoever sent me the tape also sent a threat along saying they’d release the video if I didn’t get my father to retire by Monday.”

  From what I know now, I begin to consider all the reasons someone would want the senator to retire. It doesn’t add up. I’ve known the man since he and my father became law partners, which lasted a good seventeen years before Winters became a senator. He doesn’t have a corrupt bone in his body, leading me to believe someone must perceive him as a threat. But who and why remain out of my reach.

  Before I can say as much, she cocks her head and asks, “Did the video sent to my father not have that message, too?”

  “No, but I imagine the video wasn’t meant to get to your father. It probably was more of a warning that we are to take this threat seriously. I don’t doubt they knew it would be diverted before getting through to him.” Which only confirms the blackmailer—either by the hacker or by an investigator—knows the security I have in place for the senator. And that’s a disconcerting thought. “I’ll need time to investigate the corruption he’s told me about, to see if anyone stands out. But for now, we need to keep focused on the video.”

  She pauses. Then asks, “Can you make the tape disappear?”

  I want
to strangle whoever is behind this at the desperation in her eyes. “I’ll try my damnedest to erase it myself.” I finish off my coffee then rise, staring down into her stunning green beauties. “But that can’t happen here. And you can’t keep any more secrets from me, no matter how embarrassing they may be.”

  “I’m not sure I have more secrets than you already know.” She glances away to her hands on her lap. “You did see the video, right?”

  “Not yet.”

  She cringes but recovers quickly and looks me in the eye again. “I guess I can’t talk you out of watching it?”

  “I’ll only watch it if I need to.” I shove my hands in my pockets to stop her from seeing the clench of my fists. I don’t want to watch her with other men. But if it means catching the person blackmailing her, we both know I have to see it. “From now on, you need to share everything with me. No more secrets. Total transparency.” I am firm, making sure she sees my anger, letting that particular emotion bounce in the air a little bit, letting us both know and accept that slight twinge of jealousy that I know I’m going to suffer if I have to see her with other men. “But you need to tell me who the men in the video are. You can’t protect them. They might be behind this.”

  She flinches. “Well, there might be a problem with that.”

  “What problem?”

  “I don’t know who they are.”

  Chapter 5

  Hadley

  When we arrive at Blackwood Security headquarters a half hour later, I’m surprised by what I find. The location in the north end of the city isn’t at all what I expected. I figured Ryder would’ve picked a high-rise location or maybe even a building near one of the government offices. I totally did not expect to find an old factory, and when I read the faded word CHOCOLATE on the side of the graystone, I can only assume…“Your headquarters is in an old chocolate factory?” I glance over my shoulder at Ryder, finding his intense emerald green eyes on me.

  He nods then precedes me, trotting up the rickety old stairs and stopping in front of the steel door. I notice a camera lens and fingerprint scanner, indicating to me we’ve arrived at the right place. Only Ryder would have this type of security setup. “I bought the building when I first started Blackwood. I needed something cheap at the time and this was a good deal.” He presses his finger against the scanner, and after a click the door opens. “Later, when I could move into something a little more modern, I realized I’d grown fond of this place and decided to do some renovations instead.”

  He enters the building and I follow behind, not exactly sure what I’ll find, considering the outside had surprised me already. As far as I know, Blackwood Security is a multi-million-dollar company. Ryder’s done very well for himself. When the heavy door closes tightly behind me, I notice the vintage machinery sitting about. “I can see why you like it here,” I say, glancing at him. “It has character, charm even.”

  Stepping into stride with me, he smiles, revealing a dimple. “You like it?”

  God, that dimple weakens my knees, but really it’s all six foot two of him that warms my belly. I want to nip that chiseled jaw and explore all of his rugged features, including rubbing my hands across his dirty blond buzz cut.

  Sadly, he won’t let me.

  I watch him, and obviously he’s surprised that a girl like me would like a place like this—something with more character than new and modern. “Okay, so it’s a bit run-down, but…” I notice the large dirt-stained windows, barn wood floors, and industrial piping lining the ceiling. “…it’s also pretty cool.”

  “It is very cool,” he says with a soft laugh, one that I’m not sure what to make of as we approach a room at the back.

  I’m having fun, getting in his head and learning more about him. And maybe I want to know not only what’s going on inside his head but more about him physically, too. Like, how he feels beneath my hands, what sounds he makes when he’s being pleasured, how he looks when he’s thrusting deep…Okay, it’s probably not a bunch of maybes at all but a definite hell yes! that I want to know all of that about him.

  When we enter the room, my thoughts return to the reality that Ryder is still playing impossible to get, when I hear a feminine voice say, “Hi, boss.”

  “Mornin’,” Ryder responds.

  He steps to the side and there’s a woman standing in front of me who’s around my age, I’m guessing. I notice she’s wearing a black T-shirt that says BLACKWOOD SECURITY across the front. Her long dark hair is pulled up in a high ponytail and her sharp amber eyes are surrounded by thick black lashes. And those eyes are currently widening as she takes a good look at me before they narrow at Ryder.

  He chuckles, placing his hand on her shoulder. “Alex McCoy, please meet Hadley Winters.” He looks over his shoulder at me and gestures to her. “Hadley meet Alex.”

  Ignoring her obvious surprise at Ryder bringing me here, I hold out my hand to her. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you.”

  Alex recovers quickly enough, but with the surprise gone, all that remains in her eyes is suspicion. “Um…nice to meet you, too.” To Ryder, she adds, “I’m guessing we need to talk about something, so…er…do you want that to happen here?”

  “Probably not a good idea.” He gestures with his chin over Alex’s shoulder. “Let’s take this into the briefing room.”

  Once Alex spins on her heels and leads the way, Ryder gently places his hand on my lower back, nudging me forward. “She wasn’t expecting me to bring you here,” he says, and when I glance up at him, he continues, “That’s all that was.”

  “Well, I wasn’t expecting to come here either.” And here is a pretty impressive place. Monitors line the far walls, one on top of the other, all connected to street cameras. Beneath the monitors I count ten men and women, all working behind computer screens on cases that I’m totally sure are classified.

  I follow behind Ryder as he enters a black glass–encased room, where Alex takes a seat at the round glass table and opens her laptop. I glance behind me and realize it’s one-way glass, which makes me feel a little more comfortable than being that exposed when we’re about to talk about the video.

  Ryder pulls out a chair for me. “Take a seat, Hadley.”

  I give him a little smile and sit in the swivel chair, clenching my hands beneath the table, not letting anyone here see my discomfort. I could do this. Hell, I’m the one in the video. I did wild and crazy things. That was me.

  Though as I look at Ryder, who’s taking a seat next to Alex, being so strong and confident, and seriously hot as hell, I suspect this conversation won’t be the proudest moment in my life.

  “So…” Alex begins, placing her hands on top of her keyboard. “Care to enlighten me on what’s going on?”

  She doesn’t really need to say more. Because you must have lost your mind to bring her here was practically screamed through the air the second I walked into the room.

  The side of Ryder’s mouth arches, and I imagine his thoughts are in line with mine. “A few developments have occurred…” Then he proceeds to recap all that he knows about my father and the corruption he’s facing and also that I had the video sent to me as well, as if I’m not sitting here and this isn’t my crazy life.

  By the time he’s finished explaining, Alex mutters, “I see.” Her eyes begin to narrow in concentration as her fingers fly across the keyboard. “Oh yeah, I see the pop-up right here.”

  I put two and two together and frown. “Is she hacking my computer?”

  Ryder turns his head and watches me closely before addressing me again. “Would that annoy you if she was?”

  “I don’t know,” I answer honestly.

  “Then she’s not.” He grins.

  I roll my eyes. Apparently, Ryder works within that gray area between right and wrong. Vigilante or criminal? I guess there’s my answer for why Alex thinks it’s a really bad idea that I’m here.

  Before I can decide if I would give Alex permission to log on to my computer, she suddenly stops typing a
nd tells me, “It might be easier if you just give me the names of the men in the video.” She pauses, her eyes flicking upward. “I mean, there’s a very good chance they have nothing to do with this because how can anyone be that stupid. But I’ve seen it before, so—”

  “She doesn’t know the men in the video,” Ryder interjects.

  Alex frowns, leveling me with a hard look. “How is that even possible?”

  My face flushes red-hot and I shift in my chair. “Well, the date was set up, arranged you could say. One night at Afterglow, I received an invitation in my locker.”

  “Arranged by who?” Alex asks.

  “I only know the one man by his mask,” I tell her with a shrug.

  “So you’d been with him before?” Alex asks.

  “The one guy, yes,” I confirm. “He goes by Master M. It’s why I went to the hotel to meet him there. He was a member of the club. Vetted and sane.”

  Ryder arches a brow and asks, “But the other guy?”

  “I assumed he was a friend or something.”

  “But you don’t know Master M’s real name?” Alex inquires.

  “Sadly, no.”

  She exchanges a long look with Ryder. “That makes me wonder if that other man is behind this.” When she receives his nod of agreement, she finally looks at me. “Well, that changes our direction, but we still have ways to find the person behind this.” She cracks her knuckles and her fingers begin flying across the keyboard again. “Let’s turn our focus to whoever’s hacked into your computer.”

  Ryder’s lips tighten at Alex’s brisk voice before he asks me, “Is there anything on your computer that we need to worry about?”

  I shrug, hugging myself. “My father’s schedule and professional stuff like that. But even though there’s nothing personal, it’s just so invasive and creepy that someone was looking through all my stuff.” I turn and focus on Alex again, realizing she’s doing the same thing to me right now, and I squeeze my arms a little tighter around my middle. When did life get so fucking crazy?