by Ivy Nelson
“Do as your told, Angel. It works out so much better when you do, don’t you agree?”
“Sure, when I do what you tell me. I’m not listening to these ogres.”
Both men quirked their eyebrows. Bradley looked at Peter. “Ogre? Did she just call me an ogre? I think I’m hurt.”
“Oh, bite me. All of you.”
“I didn’t know you liked that, Angel. We’ll try it out later.”
“Oh. My. God. Can we please just go now?”
She reached out and pressed the end call button on Peter’s phone and stalked out of the room before anyone could respond. She heard Peter laughing behind her as his phone rang again.
“Yes, yes she did just hang up on you.” A pause. “Too bad I need her consent, or I would take you up on that.”
She didn’t bother turning around, simply walked out of the building and got into Peter’s SUV. They could all go to hell.
Peter had ended the call by the time he slid behind the steering wheel.
He looked at her in the rear-view mirror. “Hey, you know we’re just giving you a hard time, right?”
She sighed. “I know. I’m just not used to it. Sorry if I seem like a stick in the mud.”
“Not at all, Adara. I just want you to know that you’re family. I wouldn’t be giving you a hard time if I didn’t think of you that way.”
“And you know I think of you as family too,” Bradley said from the passenger seat.
“I appreciate it guys. I’ll try to lighten up.”
“I’ll try not to go all protective Dom on you. But it’s in my nature. Just ask Carrie and Darci.” Peter said.
“They’ve both known you a lot longer than me.”
“That’s certainly true.”
“Michael isn’t going to like… let you guys punish me, is he? Because that would be weird.”
“That is something that is totally up to both of you. Darci has known Peter for a long time and I trust him with her life. He has my full permission to discipline her if she steps out of line in a way that puts her in danger. But that’s something we agreed to as a couple.”
She thought about it for a moment and crinkled her nose. “Nope. Don’t care how long I’ve known you, boss. Too weird.”
Bradley laughed. “To be fair it’s a little strange for me too. Punish you I may not, but you can bet your ass if you put your life in danger Michael is the first person I call. We don’t play with our girls’ lives.”
She sighed. “Fair enough.”
Soon, they pulled up in front of Peter’s office where Tabitha Kelly was waiting. When she was out of the car, she thanked the attorney for coming and caught her up to speed on what was happening. They had arrived with enough time to come up with a brief game plan before the homeland agent arrived.
When Agent Miller got there, Adara led him and her attorney to one of Peter’s private offices. The agent didn’t waste time or pull any punches. He knew exactly what he wanted, and if Adara didn’t already think he was the biggest douche on the planet, he might have had an easier time convincing her to help him.
“Adara. This prick has killed thousands of innocent people. It’s likely he killed your birthmother. At the very least he’s complicit in her death because he was holding her and dozens of other innocent people hostage. He’s been a menace to society for over thirty years. Don’t you want to see him brought to justice?”
Adara closed her eyes. He had a point.
“It’s not my client's job to put herself in harm’s way. She has provided you with all the information she has regarding her potential half-brother and the whereabouts of her birthfather. That is all she should need to do. It’s Homeland’s job to catch terrorists, not a civilian’s.”
The interview went back and forth like that for a while before Adara finally held up her hands and asked for some quiet.
After a moment, she asked, “What exactly are you asking me to do?”
“Adara,” Tabitha said, clearly objecting.
“Please. I just want to know the details of what he wants. I’m not agreeing to anything.”
The agent looked smug. “It’s really quite simple. It’s unlikely that you’ve heard the last of your brother. We’re asking you to let us put a trace on your calls. When he reaches out again, try to get more information out of him. Get him to agree to a face-to-face meeting. We’ll handle the rest.”
“I’ll agree to the trace on my calls. But just my personal cell. That’s the one he called. No face-to-face meeting though.”
The agent seemed content with that. Her attorney—not so much.
When they exited the office, Peter and Bradley were sitting in the reception area talking. They both stood when she arrived.
“Ready to go?” Peter asked.
“Yep.”
“How did it go?” Bradley asked.
“I’ll tell you in the car.
In the car, she told them that she had agreed to a trace on her calls. She didn’t tell them that the agent had asked her to set up a face-to-face meeting. She didn’t see the need to get them all agitated when she had no intention of doing anything of the sort. At home, Michael made her go over the entire meeting. She once again left out the part about the face to face. She knew if she said anything, Michael would be up Stephen Miller’s ass in a heartbeat. She had other ideas in mind. After clearing away their dinner dishes, he kissed her cheek and told her he needed to work in his office for a little while.
She would wait for him in the bedroom—naked of course. She wanted to show him that she did take their commitment seriously. In his bedroom, she looked around at the masculine surroundings and smiled. He was male through and through. If she was going to spend any time here, she would try to add some feminine touches. But ultimately, she liked his room. It was warm and inviting and she felt safe and cherished there.
Stripping off her clothes, she hopped in the shower to rinse off the day. After toweling off, she thought about something he had said to her once and went to the rug that sat in front of the cushy chair he had watched her masturbate from the other night. There, she sank to her knees and parted her thighs. She had looked at some websites and knew this was a position that Doms seemed to enjoy. Hopefully it would please her dominant police officer. That reminded her, she would have to ask him about handcuffs sometime. Surely he’d handcuffed a girl for fun before, right? She was mid cop-criminal fantasy when she felt him enter the room.
“Well, isn’t this a pleasant surprise? You look stunning, Angel.”
“Thank you, Sir.” She looked up and smiled at him. God she was falling for this man. The heated look of pure lust in his eyes was reward enough, but she was looking forward to whatever else he had in store for her tonight.
Chapter Twenty
The next morning, Michael was gone when she woke up. She stretched in his bed, sore from their night together. In the shower, she tried to focus on the list of things on her schedule today, but her mind kept wandering to Michael’s hands on her body. Sore as her body was, she still reacted to just the thought of his touch.
Leaning against the shower wall, she found her clit and massaged in gentle circles as she thought of the dirty words he’d whispered in her ear and the way his fingers had filled her pussy last night. Increasing pressure, she rubbed the sensitive button between her legs until she was on the brink of orgasm. As she fell, she imagined Michael’s voice commanding her to come. Not a bad way to start the day, she decided.
While she was drying off, it occurred to her to wonder if she had broken some rule. There had been several times when he told her she couldn’t orgasm without asking. They would have to talk about it later.
The clock on Michael’s dresser told her she was running behind, so she dressed quickly and grabbed coffee from the kitchen. The car sitting at the curb reminded her that she was being watched. She stuck her head out the door and asked the team in the surveillance car if they wanted any coffee. They gratefully accepted, and she brought them a th
ermos and two cups she’d found in Michael’s cupboard.
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“Thank you for keeping me safe. It’s the least I could do.”
The security guards gave her a wave as she headed back into the house.
Inside, she pulled out her cell and called Bradley. “I’m leaving in ten minutes.”
“Hey great, there’s an event happening today I think we should make an appearance at. Some protest Darci is helping organize.”
“Is a protest really a good place to make a statement?”
“I think so. Especially considering the cause.”
Adara agreed to think about it and headed to the office.
It was going to be at least a twenty-minute ride and she was alone in the backseat, so she typed a quick message to Michael.
I have a confession.
His response came quickly.
Uh Oh. Do I need my hairbrush?
Her face warmed, and she looked at the guard driving her car. He wasn’t paying attention.
I’m not sure. It didn’t occur to me until after that it might get me in trouble.
His face filled her screen. He was calling her.
“Hello.”
“Spit it out, Angel.”
“I’m not alone. The guards are driving me to work.”
“Tell me anyway. They’re trained to ignore your private calls.”
She hesitated.
“I have a free morning, Angel. I can always come to your office and you can tell me in person.”
“I kind of got off in the shower this morning.”
“Did you now? What were you thinking while you did?”
“I was reliving last night,” she whispered.
“Good answer.”
“Am I in trouble?” she asked hesitantly.
His laugh was low and sexy, and she wasn’t sure if that was good or bad. “No, Angel. You’re not in trouble. However, in the future, ask first. That pussy belongs to me now.”
Said pussy clenched at his naughty words.
“Michael!” she exclaimed.
“Am I wrong, Angel?”
“No, Sir.” Her voice was trembling.
“Do you want to get off again? I can stay on the phone until you lock yourself in your office where you can play with that smooth, sexy cunt until you moan my name and beg for an orgasm.”
“Jesus. I wish I could. Now I’m going to be all worked up all day.”
“Good. I hope you stay horny for me until we get home, Angel. I plan to fuck your mouth before I take your pussy tonight.”
She groaned. “Are you trying to make me explode?”
He laughed. “No. Just getting you all worked up before I tell you no more touching that pussy without my permission, young lady. I hope you’re dripping wet when I get home tonight.”
With that, he ended their call, and she laid her head back and closed her eyes.
The phone rang again. It wasn’t Michael calling to tease her some more and she was mildly disappointed.
“Adara Kent.”
“Hello, Miss Kent. It’s good to see your campaign is going well.”
She recognized the voice instantly and all thoughts of Michael left her. It was James. The man claiming to be her brother. This was the call Homeland said was bound to happen. She hoped they had everything in place to capture the call. She did want to see him caught. At the same time, she really wanted to know more about who she came from. She had him on the phone. Might as well keep him talking right?
“Why are you calling me?”
“I still need your help. I think I can convince you.”
“I’m pretty hard to convince once I’ve made up my mind about something.”
“I can be pretty convincing.”
“Is that a threat?”
“Not at all. I have a degree in communication.” That surprised her. So did she. She had double majored in political science and communications in college. “That surprises you that we share a field of expertise. We are related you know.”
“I’m nothing like you.”
“Don’t be so sure. Let’s have coffee and chat. I’ll answer all your questions about your family history.” Did a terrorist just invite her to coffee?
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she managed to say.
“Think about it. I’ll be at the little coffee shop off the national mall until two.”
Surely he had to know this call was being recorded. Would he really be there? Was it going to be this easy to catch him?
“I’ll think about it, but don’t hold your breath.”
She ended the call before he could respond. She had to admit, the idea of knowing more of her family history was appealing. But could she trust him? He was a criminal after all.
Bradley was waiting when they arrived at her office.
“Hey boss,” he said with a wink. “I’ve got more information on the protest. It’s at the national mall. Always a good photo op there. It starts at one, but we could show up early and mingle with the crowd that is already starting to gather.”
She agreed. But another idea was forming in her mind. The coffee shop her brother wanted to meet at was near the national mall. She could sneak in for a few minutes before the event and have a chat. Homeland would arrest him and then she could be on stage at the protest by one. Couldn’t she? Yes. She could. Especially if she called Homeland and told them what she wanted to do.
Excusing herself, she locked the door to her office to do just that. She was going to make this happen. Michael would be pissed, and she fully expected him to punish her, but he would be happy they had caught him, right?
“Agent Miller, It’s Adara Kent. Are you listening to my calls yet? I got a call from my brother and I think I can help you catch him, but you’ve only got about two hours to prepare.”
“I’m all ears. We don’t have the manpower to listen to calls in real time. Thanks for the heads up. We’ll take a listen.”
“Let me give you the short version,” she said before launching into the story of the phone call. “I want to meet with him, but we have to be discreet. My staff and my security detail can’t know what I’m up to.”
“We can work with this, Miss Kent. I’ll call you back shortly with instructions. Stay by your phone.”
An hour later, they were in the car on the way to the national mall where Darci had apparently gathered quite a crowd. After shaking at least two dozen hands and posing for as many selfies, she made her excuses.
“I need to step away for a minute. I’m going to the coffee shop over there,” she told several of her staff. Bradley offered to send a volunteer, but she waved him off. “I’ll take security with me. I just need a minute to myself and some coffee before things kick off.”
He eyed her quizzically. “You sure you’re OK?”
“I’m fine,” she said waving him off. “I’ll be back before it’s time to go on stage. Next, she had to convince security to wait outside. Since there were two of them, she managed to convince them to each take up a post outside one door. They had no reason to believe a threat was in the coffee shop anyway. Homeland had given her instructions to enter the coffee shop from the side door where they would have a better vantage point.
Inside, she scanned the crowd looking for the man who had once posed as a volunteer on her campaign. It didn’t take her long to spot him. He waved her over with a huge smile on his face as if he recognized her and they were the best of friends. She reacted in kind just in case security was watching. They hadn’t gotten a look at him the other day. When she approached, he spoke.
“I see you brought security. Don’t trust me?”
She didn’t respond right away. She didn’t trust him that was true. But she only brought security because there were no other options.
“Ah. They don’t know what you’re doing. Well then, if they ask, we’re two old friends who ran into each other. I hope you don’t mind, I remembered how you like your coffee and took
the liberty of ordering you a cup.”
“How did you know I was coming?”
“I had a feeling. And I saw your entourage arrive a bit ago.”
“Well, I’m here now, and I don’t have long. Tell me what you want to tell me.” She took a sip of her coffee. It was indeed made just the way she liked it.
“I want to appeal to the goodness inside of you, Adara. Help our father stay alive.”
“Why, so he can continue to kill innocent Americans? That hardly seems like something to do.”
“Have you seen the carnage that America has brought upon our people? They continuously side with Israel in our plea for a country of our own. A country we have God-given rights to. We are simply fighting back.”
“By blowing up innocent civilians?”
“Nobody is innocent sister. Surely you realize that, working in politics as you do.”
“Three-year-olds are innocent. I am not your sister. Just because we share blood does not mean we are family.”
She had read up on the acts of terror her father had been credited with. It made her sick to her stomach just thinking about it.
“I do not expect you to understand since you were raised by Americans.”
“I think I should go.”
“Stay. Finish your coffee. I’ll answer your questions.”
She sighed and took another swallow of her coffee. “How many siblings do we have?”
“Twelve. Three are dead. Killed by American drones at a wedding.”
“Where is your father?”
“Canada.”
She raised an eyebrow. How had a terrorist as wanted as Faisal Hadawi gotten into Canada?
He smiled knowingly at her unspoken question. “We are masters of disguise.”
“So, if he’s in Canada, why did you ask me to go to Los Angeles?” she asked.
“To be honest, we weren’t sure if you had a valid passport. Our family has a connection at the embassy in Los Angeles who would have been able to get you out of the country if you didn’t.” It was disturbing how practical his answer was. To the onlooker, this conversation would appear normal. There was nothing normal about it.