Dauntless (The Agency Dark Affairs Duet Book 2)

by Amélie S. Duncan

  “There’s more,” I spoke up. “In the conversation between Walter and Angel in the bathroom, he admitted he had been in contact with Angel while she was in captivity.”

  He glowered at me. “It doesn’t matter if she was there eavesdropping like an idiotic busybody, trying to be sure my friend really had Angel is hardly a smoking gun. He let me speak with her at times. That doesn’t mean Dimitri never threatened to hurt Dane if I’d told on him.”

  “I don’t believe you,” Dane said to him. “I don’t believe you’d ever try to protect me or anyone other than yourself.”

  “I’ve seen you, Walter,” Angel said. “You see me too.”

  Elliott leaned closer to Angel. “Did you see Walter when you were held captive by Dimitri?”

  “Angel didn’t see me,” Walter said. “She’s barely coherent, poor girl.”

  “Simon sees Melinda,” Angel said. “He looked after her.”

  “See? She has no idea what she’s talking about,” Walter replied. “Now I think it’s time we go. I have a long day of work tomorrow.”

  “Who is Simon?” I asked Angel.

  She giggled. “You want to know?”

  “It’s a code name,” Trish spoke out. “Any member of their club uses the name. Now would you please let Elliott and I finish up our questions, Gia?”

  “Thank you,” Walter grumbled. “I didn’t agree to have a private family issue intruded by a woman who shows her body off on camera and fucks both my son and his friend.”

  My lips twisted. “I don’t give a damn what you think about me. It still won’t change what I heard you tell Angel.”

  “Stop being mean to Gia,” Angel yelled at him. “You did say it, Simon.”

  My stomach lurched. Simon. There was the use of that name again. She had alluded to Simon in the bathroom, but…could it be? “Is Walter your Simon, Angel?”

  Angel giggled. “You know the game.”

  “She doesn’t know what she’s saying,” Walter spoke before Angel could continue.

  “Did Walter tell you to call him Simon?” Elliott asked her.

  “Would you believe me?” Angel’s eyes widened at Elliott.

  “Yes, I will,” Elliott said with conviction.

  “We all do,” Dane told her and squeezed her hand. She looked at me, and I nodded emphatically.

  “No, we don’t,” Walter snarled. “This is becoming a witch-hunt. The only way Elliott could believe all this is because he has something against me. I’m leaving.” Walter stormed toward the door. Elliott was on his feet taking ahold of his arms.

  “Unhand me,” Walter demanded, but Elliott held on to him.

  “You can stay a few more minutes to hear from the woman you said you love,” Elliott said to him contemptuously.

  “Tell us,” Dane prodded Angel.

  “Walter, it’s okay. You see Walter has to call himself Simon for my game,” Angel said, looking at him. “He brought me to the men who liked to play with me. He gave Melinda to a nanny, so she won’t be like me, but it’s not so bad now Walter, don’t you see? Nella will help me care for Melinda in New York just like I said it would be. You don’t need to trade or punish me again. Dimitri hurt me, but he wanted to hurt Dane as well. I won’t let that happen.” She turned toward Dane. “Would you help Melinda too, Dane? I’ll stay away just like Walter had with Dimitri. Melinda needs to be distanced from me so that she doesn’t turn out like me.”

  Dane placed his arm around her small frame and kissed her forehead. Tears fell down his face. “Melinda loves you. You’ll raise her. You don’t have to stay away from her ever again.”

  “She’s talking nonsense,” Walter hissed. “I wasn’t in contact with her. Simon was the name the blackmailer gave me too. The Agency must use it when they want to hide their names for blackmails.”

  “Walter, we’re going to need more from you if you want to remain out of jail,” Elliott said. “You’ll need to go in tonight.”

  “Tomorrow,” Walter said. “I’ve cooperated here. I’ll go in with my lawyer in the morning.” He took out his phone.

  Trish turned to Elliott and spoke in hushed tones. “We can’t let him go. He’s in deep with the trafficking ring. He might try to destroy evidence. Let’s go find a judge who will sign off on a search warrant tonight and arrest him now. I’ll follow up with the hospital and lab. There must be an answer somewhere. This could blow open her case.” She glimpsed over at me.

  “We need to act now,” Elliott told her then turned to me. “You should go,” I agreed. And so should I. I glanced over at Dane and Angel. The two of them were holding each other close. I didn’t want to interrupt them. It was clear Dane was still in love with her. Perhaps, in time, Angel would find her way back to him. Dane deserved that. I looked at Elliott and said, “I’ll see you when you’re finished.”

  “You can do what you like, but you won’t be able to hold me in jail for this, Elliott,” Walter said smugly. “You’ll embarrass yourself and your entire department by trying. It’ll be a lost cause, just like my stupid, blind son, and mark my words, I’ll never cooperate again.”

  “I want my father out of my house,” Dane said to Elliott and Trish.

  “The police are on their way,” Trish announced. “We’ll still need your statement, Walter, or you can go on record that you refused to give it.”

  “I’ll be right back,” Elliott said, then he took my hand and walked me out to the car.

  He opened the car door, but before I climbed in, he pulled me into a deep kiss. “I brought some tea with me. You can rest up before I come for you.”

  I grinned. “I don’t need it tonight.”

  “I wish I could go back with you now,” he said and stroked his jaw. “I’ll try to be…”

  “As long as you need to be,” I said. “I’ll be at the hotel.” He smiled and kissed me again.

  I looked over my shoulder and saw Walter by the window staring out at us and shivered. He was as cruel as they come. “You’ll pay for what you done.” It was a vow I made right then. I’d do whatever it took to stop The Agency and people like Walter from hurting anyone again.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  A side trip to a 24-hour phone repair shop with my new guard, Kevin, wasn’t as painful as I thought it would be. Although I didn’t agree with Elliott moving Tove to another job. There wasn’t any time to discuss his decision. He left with Trish to deal with Walter. After a brief wait in the repair shop, I had my phone back in my hand without losing any of the contacts and messages I had saved on it. Pair that with the plush comforts of the luxurious hotel Elliott had reserved, I relaxed, ordering the dinner I missed. I was starving.

  After eating every crumb, I soaked in a warm bath in the large, claw foot tub. As I did, I pondered on why Elliott chose the Waldorf Astoria. It was luxuriant and opulent, not a place I’d have expected him to choose to stay in New York on his own. Though he does enjoy finer things, there was a different ambiance to the room’s arrangement. Champagne and glasses, and flower petals on the bed. Romantic. Had he arranged it specially for the two of us? With that thought came the butterflies in my stomach. Was I reading too much into it? Or was I not reading enough?

  The thought came to call Astrid for advice, and my heart ached. While it was good to get away, I missed my best friend. I missed my life. And what this break showed me was that leaving didn’t stop bad things from happening. It was time to stop running. It was eleven in the night as indicated by the wall clock. Would have been too late; however, for the first time since I left Seattle, I was happy with the three-hour time difference. I could still call her.

  Drying off, I put on a robe and padded back into the bedroom for my phone. When I turned it on, I found a message Astrid had left only minutes before and laughed. We’d been thinking about each other. I sat down on the soft bed and listened to her message.

  I’ve been getting calls from around the world supporting you and the company. I thought you should know. You do whatever you feel is
right, but you’re not a social pariah. We’re all with you. I know you’re on break, but I hope you come home soon. Call me whatever time you can. I miss you.

  I immediately called her.

  “How was the show?” she asked. I answered by telling her all the things that stood out and ideas I had about possibilities for a makeup collection for Perfetto.

  “I’ve set up an alert for images from Justus’s fashion show, but if you can send me your new contacts, or better still, come back and work on it with me,” she said. “Sorry. I know that sounds selfish, but I miss you here.”

  “It doesn’t, I miss you too,” I replied. “I will be back soon, but something happened earlier here, and I want to see if I can be a support for Dane with Angel. Though I’m not sure if I’ll be needed now.”

  “Oh, what happened?” she asked. Her voice lowered.

  I told her about the show and the visit to Dane’s home. She gasped when I got to the part of Walter possibly being blackmailed and how he told Dane that he was Melinda’s father. How he knew where she was and hid her away even from her own child.

  “That’s unforgivable,” she fumed. “Who does that to their own children?”

  “Apparently, Walter,” I said in equal annoyance. “I had thought he was ruthless in business when he stole all that money and got away with it. It’s no wonder Dane wants nothing to do with him.”

  “Is he going to jail for hiding Angel?” she asked. “From what you shared, he must be involved in her disappearance.”

  “I think so too,” I agreed. “I hope Walter does get locked up for what he did, but things take time. It’s a process. God, I sound like Elliott.”

  “Oh, you do—do you?” she said in a teasing tone.

  “I do,” I said and giggled. “Anyway, I still have a slim hope that Melinda is Dane’s, but knowing Dane, that won’t matter either way. He’d never abandon her.”

  Or Angel. If I had any doubts left about Dane with Angel, they were gone after seeing them together tonight.

  “So where does that leave you?” Astrid asked. Her voice gentled. “I know you like them both, but Gia I watched you for years being sidelined by Patrick. Not that Dane’s mistreated you. He and Elliott have been good to you. But don’t you deserve to be with someone that would put you first?”

  I hunched my shoulders. “I want that too…. I don’t know.”

  “You do,” she said. “I see it, and I’m thousands of miles away. You wouldn’t be thinking of giving up Dane if you hadn’t already chosen Elliott.”

  I wanted to argue that I hadn’t. I had tried hard to keep myself open to both men, but, after tonight, I realized now I’d been closed. I shared myself, but I had kept a part of me back. I liked our friendships besides the sex. Undeniably, I’d known that things had changed the last time the three of us were together. Even Dane had seen a change in me that I hadn’t been ready to admit, mainly out of fear. However, If I had been honest with my true feelings, I’d admit that I liked and cared for the both of them, a lot, but I was falling for just one of them. Elliott. But would he be willing to be exclusive with me?

  “You still there?” Astrid said bringing me back to our conversation. “I have to go. Just think about it and come back home.”

  “I will, but I’m going to leave again when I get back. I want to visit my father in Palm Springs,” I responded before hanging up. Even if my father was having a hard time with his memory, being in his presence would be healing. But that would be later. For now, I would wait for Elliott.

  ***

  I worked on my computer for the better part of the morning, although my eyes kept drifting to the door, anticipating Elliott’s return. I couldn’t suppress my disappointment that he hadn’t returned last night. However, he did send word to me through Kevin when he was checking in with him with important updates, such as the warrant they had secured and Walter’s arrest. He also had him tell me that he would return as soon as he could. I was elated, though impatient. I was ready to share my feelings now that I was willing to admit them. I wanted him to give us a chance to start over. I wanted him to know I was in love with him.

  When he walked in close to noon, my mood immediately lifted. Having been up all night, I’d expected him to be dead on his feet, but instead, he was smiling.

  My brows rose in confusion. “Good news?”

  “Yes,” he replied with a lift in his voice. “We may have found the man that calls himself Dimitri.”

  I clasped my hands together, elated. “That’s great news. How did you find him?”

  “Some of the communications Walter hastily gave us to try to avoid jail pointed to a man in Los Angeles. The nanny that Angel spoke about turned out to be a private nurse with an address there. According to a tip from a neighbor, a man fitting what we gathered from Angel’s description of him was seen entering the building but never leaving. Our agent, who went there, spotted a young naked woman in the backyard. Still, it’s a long shot, but we’re going now, and I need to get moving. Trish’s a ball buster and can’t wait for another second when we have something. I’m ready to get in there too. I need to pack.”

  I followed him into the bedroom where he opened the closet and took out his bag.

  “You and Trish?” I asked. I hated how my voice went up at the end and immediately tried to rectify my meaning: “I’m not jealous or anything. I know you’re not together, not that I’d even have a right to complain. I’m… I’m happy you have a break in the case.” I grimaced. Now I was babbling.

  I wasn’t the only one who thought I was behaving oddly. Elliott’s hand paused on the closet door, and his pale blue gaze turned my way.

  I froze. My pulse increased as he studied me. “There is nothing going on between us, and you can ask. Trish and I only share the case. If we catch this guy, we can stop him from hurting someone else and bring the rest of the members to justice.”

  “I understand,” I said and bit my lip. “You should go, of course. I’m thinking of going home too… Did you find out about Melinda?”

  He sighed heavily. “Yes, we did. Walter lied about a lot of things, but not about Melinda. We confirmed with the hospital: Melinda is Walter’s child.”

  “Dane must be devastated,” I covered my mouth. He hadn’t answered when I called him, and I understood he must be busy with Angel and Melinda.

  “He’s sad and upset,” Elliott agreed. “But like you, he’s already working to fix things. He’s in contact with his lawyers to find a way to keep her with him...” He looked away. And Angel. He was being sensitive to my feelings, but he didn’t have to.

  I smoothed my hands down the front of my jeans. “I know he’s with Angel.”

  He turned his head so I couldn’t see his face. “Sharing people and having an open relationship takes a lot of patience.” His tone was soft.

  “True,” I said and hunched my shoulders. He would know. “I know now that I don’t have it.”

  “No, you don’t,” he said zipping up a carrier bag. “I saw your resolve as you watched them together at his house. Dane also told me you wouldn’t come up to him at the show after you saw him kiss Angel. You were hurt.”

  “I was,” I admitted. “I understand, though. He had always wanted to have Angel back. Whatever happens, they should be given the time and chance to work that out and without me interfering. I know Dane wouldn’t see it that way, but I do.”

  He started unbuttoning his shirt, and my eyes followed down the broad expanse of his muscular chest. “I know that too, but I also know Dane. If you would be open, he’d do everything he could to make a place in their life for you.”

  “I know, but I don’t want him to,” I replied softly. I couldn’t look at him, though it was clear now where our talk needed to go. What would breaking off what I’d started with Dane mean for Elliott and me?

  Neither of us spoke.

  I didn’t know why this was so hard or why I was feeling insecure. Elliott had been nothing but real with me. I liked that about hi
m from the start. In truth, the more I knew about him and his life, the more I wanted to be in it. What I was sure of now was that I would mourn the loss of him, if I didn’t try to give the two of us a chance. My pulse continued to pound hard enough to fill my ears as the moments stretched into minutes. Then I stared down at my hands on my lap.

  I walked over and sat down on one of the two chairs in the bedroom and sighed heavily. Maybe his silence was his answer.

  But then Elliott came over to me and took my hands in his. His touch was charged flaring the connection we had already shared. He had to feel it. Our eyes met then, and my heart thudded.

  “Come shower with me.” He had already removed all his clothing. When I looked down, I could see his semi-hard thick cock, and it was within reach. My body clenched in want, knowing how good it would feel to take him deep inside me.

  He pulled me to stand in front of him.

  Not waiting for my answer, he pulled my shirt from my jeans and up over my head. In my haste for him, I proceeded to take off my bra, but he batted my hands away. “I’m undressing you.” So was his way, and the only way I wanted him.

  He turned me around and unhooked my bra. Goosebumps broke on my skin as his fingers trailed down them as he moved the straps down my arms. I moaned. “Elliott.”

  He cursed, his hands unfastened my jeans pulling them down. “Seeing your body always makes me impatient.” His finger traced the lace of my thong between my buttocks before tearing the fabric and yanking it off. “I’m fucking you right here.”

  Pressing on my back to bend my waist, he dragged the slippery head of his cock between my legs, entering me from behind.

  I gripped the chair to keep my balance, moaning as he pushed inside me. I wasn’t as ready for him, but with every drive of his hot thick shaft, I grew wetter, my walls stretching to take him. It was fast; it was hot, but I was just as eager. Moaning and pushing back into his thrust. I didn’t want to wait either.