UNSHAKABLE (Able Series Book 4) (25 page)

“You can’t talk to me like that! You’re making me hard, babe.”

She giggles. “You’re so dirty, Lieutenant.” Her voice is what gets to me.

I lower my voice matching hers. “You want me to love you hard? We haven’t really used those bars in your studio. . . . wanna try them?”

Her audible gasps excite me, knowing she’s willing to try it with me. However, the plan needs to be set in motion tonight, waiting isn’t an option anymore. As the setting sun’s rays hit the cold bottle creating an illumination of twinkling lights, it gives me hope that by the time the sun rises tomorrow, I’ll be well on my way to California.

My lovely wife greets me with a smile on her face and equally appealing pouty lips that mine ache to kiss.

“Hey.”

“Hey, you.” Her arms find their home around my neck causing an even bigger smile to break on my face.

“How was your day?”

She scrunches her brow and a look of sadness eclipses her happy disposition from earlier. “My day? I think today ranks as the suckiest day on Earth when people close to me are the prime suspects in this crazy mess.”

Darcee’s voice surprises the shit out of me. “So can you dummy down what’s going on? Who do we trust out there?”

I’m not surprised Sophia told Darcee. They’re so close, there are no secrets between them. “You girls stick together. Don’t share what you know with anyone. I don’t care if you think they can be trusted. We don’t know who we’re dealing with.”

“Oh my gosh, it’s worse than I thought! This is bad . . . so bad!” Darcee exclaims as she pulls on my wife’s arm.

Sophia’s eyes are a mixture of a lot of things. There’s fear, doubt, and torment.

I sigh scratching my forehead, “Damn it, Darcee! Don’t you think your reaction is over the top?”

“How do you want me to tell her?” She clears her throat. “Molly, you’re in danger girl,” copying Whoopi Goldberg in the movie ‘Ghost’.

I glare at Darcee, not surprised at all she’s using that line since it’s their favorite movie. I grab hold of Sophia’s hand and lead her to the living room. “When we set up security in this place, we equipped every entry point and exit with infrared lights and cameras. If someone crosses those infrared lights, it triggers flashing motions on the surveillance screens telling us someone is either approaching or exiting a door. We reviewed all the tapes a month back from when Luke found the device. Two inconsistencies happened with Bryanna that day. One, she goes up to the studio claiming she doesn’t feel well. Do you remember that day?” They both nod in understanding. “Okay, what happened next? Try to remember it because I remember you telling me how Bryanna acted weird after you found her in our room, Sophia.”

“Um, I went upstairs a couple of minutes later to check up on her only to find her in our room kneeling by the bed,” Sophia answers, her eyes squinting as she tries to remember every single second of that day.

I raise my brow asking, “Then what happened?”

Sophia is already shaking, remembering only a few moments, but the trembling intensifies as she starts piecing the events together, including today’s.

Darcee snaps her fingers. “Oh! I know! She said she wanted to borrow Soph’s shoes, but she knows Sophia doesn’t put them under her bed. They’re in her walk in closet. Oh my God, that’s the second!” Darcee stops pacing and slumps on the love seat wearing the same shocked expression as my wife. “Thank God you guys discovered the bug before she got it!”

“I didn’t want to tell you this just yet, but I guess I have to now.” I sit across from them and start my story telling. “Everything we have on her is very damning. She failed the polygraph. . . .”

“But you said it can’t be used against her!” Sophia yells slamming her fist on her leg. “And, there are no cameras in our apartment, so it would be easy for her to deny she put it there.”

“Babe, listen. While what you said is true, her demeanor during the poly and the interview speaks volumes. What nailed her was the partial print we got on the device itself. Of course, we didn’t tell her anything other than we’ll call her, just like what Dan said to Mark, Michael, and Joanna. We can’t arrest her just yet because it would tip the head of all this. It’s certainly not Nicole. We know Bryanna’s family’s business is underwater, so accepting money to betray you would be her incentive.”

“She got bought?” Darcee asks.

I look at her pointedly. “Money talks, Dar. Just put two and two together. Her family needs money; no one does anything for free in D.C. If paid the right amount, why wouldn’t Bryanna accept it? She could save her family from going bankrupt. Finding out who paid her is the problem. We need to follow the money trail and doing that takes time. Look, no one would have suspected her at all, that’s why whoever is behind all this is backed not only by money, but knowing the ins and outs of your family.”

“What happens next?” Sophia asks sadly.

“I know I promised full disclosure, but I also told you that you need to trust me completely on this. Let’s put it this way, if I say or do something I wouldn’t normally do, then know it’s a set up for something else. Remember, we need to fool them first before they fool us.”

She sighs loudly as her shoulders sag in defeat. “So, you know something but won’t tell me until you’re certain.”

“Just be patient, okay. It takes time to follow a lead. Sometimes we might hit a dead end and start over from the beginning, or we could hit the jackpot and this will be over soon.”

“I wish I could read your mind so I’d know what’s going on. But if you want me to trust you, you have to promise me that you’ll forgive me if I act all crazy, okay?”

“I promise. Besides, I already do that.” She nods, and I reward her with a kiss on the lips. When she quickly gets lost in it, of course it turns into something more.

“And on that note, I’ll see myself out!” Darcee yells as she walks toward the door.

“Bedroom.”

“What? How could you think of that at a time like this? Are you sure there are no more bugs in our room or anywhere?” She punctuates every word.

“Trust me, there’s none.” My lips travel down her neck as I speak while her moans are a green light if you ask me.

Finally reaching our bed, I pull back the comforter as she climbs on while I take my pants off. Pulling the covers over us, I take her panties off tossing them over my shoulder as she unbuttons my shirt; thankfully I had the brains to take my tie and jacket off in the car. Her damn bra is the next to go, followed by her sundress, landing somewhere on the floor as my lips continue their assault on her hot skin.

Knowing this part of the plan is the part she’ll hate the most makes it all the harder for me to do. I completely stop kissing her, my heart at a standstill. I spear my fingers through her hair as I look into her eyes with as much intensity as I can muster, letting her know that I feel the same way.

“We need to set the stage for our fake break up tomorrow. Tonight will be our last night together, baby.”

She tenses under me as I hold my breath. “I hate this! Is this the only way? This is the most dangerous part, isn’t it?” She cries. Her voice is quivering with true sadness.

Her hands snake around my neck as I bury my face into her neck not wanting to see her cry. “It needs to be done, baby. This is the only way. My leaving town without any reason cause suspicion that we might be onto them.”

She grabs my face this time, her eyes lock with mine as fresh tears drown her green ones. God knows caving in isn’t an option . . . crushing the enemy is. My desire for my wife ramps up and the hardness she feels is evidence of that. At this very moment, I want to demolish the person ruining our lives because for now, they dictate our every move. Redirecting myself, I match her stare with a determined one of my own.

“This isn’t the start to the happy life I’d planned for us, but this is what we’ve been dealt. My main concern is finding a way to end this. As hard as this is for me, I’ll sacrifice a few weeks for a lifetime of peace without looking over my shoulder, checking to see if you’re safe . . . if we’re safe.”

“Weeks, not days? That’s too long.” Her quivering lips touch mine as another set of twin tears fall on her face.

“Don’t think about the time. It’ll be over before you know it. It could be just days, depending on what our source says. Just remember, if I’m saying something or doing something that I normally wouldn’t do or say, you should know that it’s all part of the game, alright?”

Silence covers us as I sheath myself inside her warmth. My lips capture hers in a sensual dance of pure love and fucking heartbreak, accepting the unwanted separation we’re about to face. This separation to some may seem trivial, but it isn’t to us. We waited so long to be together that every time we’re apart is as painful as it is unbearable. Every thrust of my hips is mirrored by my tongue while her lips comfort my own with each nip and butterfly kisses. Her fingers glide across my back, every touch conveying a message of understanding accompanied with pain as she shares my deep anguish of separation from her.

“I love you, Wildflower,” I breathe out as I rest my forehead on hers. “We’ll love each other from a far for a while, but know I’m counting every hour, down to the very minute to the very last second until my arms hold you, until my lips do this . . .” I kiss her, I just can’t help it. “. . . . and until you feel every beat of my heart against yours just as it is now.”

Fight
—I’ve done it all of my life. It’s nothing new, but the desire to defeat the enemy is more ferocious than I’ve ever felt it before. My reason is the person underneath me, who’s warming my body, loving my lips, and strengthening my heart.

Flight
—Not a fucking chance.

SOPHIA

WE’RE BACK AT THE WHITE
House having dinner with my parents, Ms. Viv, Darcee, Bryanna, and Joe. Surprisingly enough, Nicole isn’t present. According to Joe, she has business she needs to attend to in Ohio. Something she always does once a year and planned a long time ago. What a relief! I don’t think her services are needed since my father’s approval rating only suffered a one percent hit. There’s no fire she needs to douse at the moment, thankfully.

Just as we’re all getting comfortable, Joe turns on the TV and my husband’s voice fills the air while his face is once again epically plastered on the screen. His words completely shatter my heart even though the venom of its shock hasn’t fully sunk in. The poison is already spreading, cutting all reason and logic to my brain. My eyes remain on the television as the audible gasp of my mom keeps me tethered to my reality, while my brain tries its hardest to just escape.

Damien reaches for my hand, but I refuse to return the squeeze of love . . . not this time. There’s no explaining his side on this because his words already did just that. Divorce? Why would he imagine it ever entered my mind? My eyes focus on his tie and a gasp leaves my lips realizing he wore that yesterday. . . . a day when he loved me so sweetly, only to break my heart today.

“Sophia. . . .” He starts as my head shakes like a damn bobble head.

“Don’t Sophia me! Why didn’t you tell me about this? Why?”

My eyes land on Darcee, then Bryanna who both look at me with utter shock in their eyes. They get to witness this momentous break up, up close and personal.
Break up
? Those two words tickle my mind, taunting me to remember something. Remember what? But, my mind is too far gone. Anger is over ruling everything inside me.

I must have stood up at some point since Damien is too. His face is a flurry of emotions. “You have to calm down, Sophia.”

“Oh, and your solution is to say if I want a divorce it’s up to me. That you’re just giving her space, but eventually will seek her out?” I glare at him, not caring who’s watching us.

“I only answered a question with what I thought was a logical answer. If you’ll stop and calm down, you’ll get what I’m trying to do here.” He’s speaking firmly but slowly, as if he’s talking to a child. It’s the same tone he uses when he wants me to know I’m not acting right.

My parents are still glued to their seats, probably as shocked as I am. He adamantly denied that he couldn’t have been the father, but now he owns up to it? I’m confused as hell! I gaze at my mother’s face mirroring my own, her sadness in complete sync with my heart while my dad remains stoic, perhaps confounded by the revelation of his son-in-law.

“If you were thinking about it, why didn’t you tell me? Why do I have to find out like everyone else that my husband is contemplating talking to the woman who has been a thorn on our side? You know as well as I do she wants to destroy us, and thanks to you she has succeeded! I hate you!”

His eyes glaze over as disbelief and shock of what I just said hits him hard. “I didn’t tell you precisely because of this reaction! Think, Sophia! Why am I saying all this? Ask yourself that, or are you too immature to comprehend anything?”

“Enough!” My dad growls out.

My palm makes contact with his face. The sting of which is still vibrating on my skin. Pain lances its way through my soul, the gaping hole created by his revelation will take years to cover up . . . if ever. When Bryanna’s voice reaches my ears calling for my husband, I make my escape.