by Melody Anne
“Surely you’re doing well without her connections,” Eyes said as he looked at the lavish spread. Even the yard had been manicured and designed to perfection. “So, unless you want an even bigger mansion, I don’t see the allure of politics.”
“I’m never moving again. This is my forever home. More importantly it’s Sierra’s dream place,” Damien said.
“Well, I truly am glad for you, old friend. This is the epitome of making it.”
“I admit to being fortunate from the beginning and I don’t mind getting more if I can. Probably would’ve lost it all if not for Sierra and the kids. She taught me to be less greedy. In fact, I’m at a point now where I give away as much as I make,” Damien stated.
Eyes could see that Damien was getting lost in his thoughts and Eyes wondered where his mind was going. Was his old friend telling him lies or the truth? Eyes was unsure.
Damien broke the momentary silence. “You know, there are a multitude of ways to diversify your net worth. Sometimes people question the ethics behind some of the business dealings, but somewhere down the line, voluntarily or not, everyone’s hand gets a little messy. I figure — why not pre-empt it, make as much money as possible and then do something good. That’s what I do with the veterans center we met at. Almost all of it is funded by Joseph and Katherine Anderson, but I gift money for salaries, educational growth, and various programs the center offers.”
Eyes brought the bottle of beer to his lips, downed a large mouthful of the pale ale, then dropped the bottle with a small amount of tension. He had to wonder if what he’d heard was really what he’d heard. There was little room in the world Eyes lived in to allow any ethics to be questioned.
“What are you saying, D-train?” Eyes demanded. Before he allowed an answer, he started again. “Are you telling me if you steal a box of diamonds, sell them, and then give the money away, you’re okay with that?”
“Oh, no, come on Eyes, you know me better than that. I’m speaking purely business. Scenario — it isn’t en-vogue to use Chinese labor in today’s market, but outsourcing is the only way to make big money. Instead of China, I’ve found other labor markets, like India, Vietnam, or even Myanmar. It might cost more in those countries than in China, but not much more and who reaps the rewards? My company does, but then I turn around and give most of it away. This is what I mean by questionable ethics,” Damien shared.
“Ah, I see. You know I’m not a business guy. Just a knuckle dragger who needs everything spelled out for me,” Eyes said.
The two men looked at each other for a couple of seconds. A small tug of war in seeing who was going to speak next. Damien never had a chance to win, he knew it before even realizing the game was happening. That, and Damien was a natural conversationalist, while Eyes would pick and choose the time to talk.
“Hell, Eyes, why are we on this topic? This is a great day for me, getting to sit with you again. Let’s get the food going and drink a couple more beers,” Damien said while jumping to his feet and walking to his wife, who was bringing out a beer for each man.
Over the next couple hours Eyes, Damien, and Sierra told stories, laughed a lot, and had a great time catching up with each other. A couple times their daughter made her presence known, but she was more interested in talking to friends, as was the case with many teenagers.
As the evening wound down, Damien escorted Eyes to the front door, and as they departed Damien finished the night saying something that made Eyes’s brain jump. “Business is what defines me. My wife and kids are my heartbeat, but the act of making and moving money is the drive. It’s a strange idea for most and makes them cringe to hear it said out loud. Me, it drives me, and there are few things I won’t do to grow my businesses and overall net worth. I can tell that bothers you. It doesn’t make me a bad man.”
Eyes knew this wasn’t the time to delve into a deep conversation, or even argue with him about his philosophy. “I don’t worry any about how a man does business or makes his money. You should know that.”
“Though we haven’t seen each other in almost fifteen years, what you think of me matters,” Damien admitted.
“All good, D-Train. Give me a call this week so we can get together again. This was a great day. I’m glad we got to hang out,” Eyes said with as much positivity as he could muster.
“Yes, soon, for sure,” Damien said as Eyes made his way to his car.
As soon as Eyes was on the road he called Brackish, told him to do deeper dives into Damien. Then he called Chad and told him he wasn’t going to bet on Damien being involved, but he also wouldn’t bet against it. Damien surely was wading in waters that at least made him look dirty.
What did that mean? It meant they were still at square one. Dammit!
Chapter Ten
Green was bored out of his mind. What an interesting saying, one he’d heard many times before, but hadn’t fully understood as he’d never really felt that way. How could people be bored when there was so much life to live? He’d literally sat on rooftops and in small rooms with his eye on a scope and his finger steady for hours upon hours at a time — and he’d never been bored.
But having lunch with Senator Miller was boring . . . and he had a feeling she felt it too. But unlike him, she wanted him for a purpose, and she was willing to be bored in order to further her agenda.
They were sitting in a swanky Seattle restaurant in open view where reporters could snap their picture, and she could get a big media buzz about her second time out with the mystery man nobody could find information on. The senator loved the attention and figured he was a pretty boy for her arm.
It was funny to Green that he’d found her attractive when he’d first met her. He now only saw her fakeness and plastic smile. He’d been slightly turned on by her at first, but now he couldn’t find a single stirring of desire. And he knew that had far more to do with Mallory Black than either him or the senator.
It was fascinating how much Mallory was on his mind. Since their night together a few days earlier, she’d consumed his thoughts. And he’d rather be just about anywhere else in the world next to Mallory than spend a two-hour lunch with the senator, which was thankfully over half finished. Though that thought was a bit depressing. He wasn’t sure he could keep up his act for another hour. And if she wanted to go somewhere again, he wasn’t sure what he’d do — maybe set off a damn fire alarm.
“What got you so excited about the world of politics?” the senator asked as she speared some lettuce. Had she even put dressing on the salad? He didn’t care.
“I’ve never been interested, but I was bored at work and decided to join a political action committee. I’ve been fascinated with the ins and outs of our political world ever since. So, I’m new to all of this,” he told her. It was partially true. He’d always loved doing his job without having to know what went on back in Washington, D.C. But once he’d realized the power politicians actually wielded, he became more and more interested. There was so much damn corruption in the system. It really needed a reboot, and fast.
“Do you have any goals of running for office?” she asked. Her smile was pleasant, but he was under no illusions he was being interviewed.
He held up his hand and laughed just as his character would be expected to do. “No way, no how. I’m going to leave that to people a hell of a lot smarter than me,” he told her.
She seemed satisfied by his answer. She couldn’t date someone who might compete for the power she wanted. It took all he had not to roll his eyes.
“Hendrick, do you —?” Her words were cut off when an alarm sounded in the restaurant, making all conversation halt. Three men rushed toward them, encircling the senator.
“We have to go now,” they said, not even glancing at Green. She nodded, not attempting to argue. Green sat there and watched as she stood, throwing her cloth napkin on the table, and then walked away without a goodbye or concern for him. After a stunned few second, he leaned back and laughed.
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br /> “What’s going on?” he whispered. The conversation that had ceased a few seconds earlier had started again as people rushed about the restaurant.
“Sir, you have to get out. There’s a fire in the kitchen,” a harried waiter said as he ran past Green’s table.
“Yep, fire in the kitchen,” Brackish confirmed over his comms.
“Maybe wishing does become reality,” Green said with a chuckle.
“With how boring that conversation was, I was wishing for a fire too,” Brackish said. “You need to up your A game because right now I’d give you a C minus.”
“I’m having a hell of a time acting interested,” Green said, knowing he was safe to talk into the air as nobody in the place was paying the least bit of attention to him in their rush to get out the doors.
“That wouldn’t have anything to do with a pretty young aide would it?” Smoke piped up.
“She’s an FBI agent, Smoke, not an aide,” Green said oddly defensive of Mallory.
“Hmm, I’m sure you’re her hero with how you’re defending her,” Smoke said in a girlie voice.
“Blow me,” Green said just as he stepped through the front door of the restaurant, finding a few dozen people milling about the huge parking lot as they looked at the building, presumably looking for smoke. Green heard sirens in the distance.
“Nah, I prefer women,” Smoke told him. Before he could make a reply, another voice interrupted.
“Hendrick, over here,” the voice called. He turned to find Mallory walking toward him from about twenty yards away. He pulled out his earpiece, done talking to his team as he moved to meet her halfway.
“Hello, Mallory,” he said, feeling his spirits instantly lifting.
“Hi,” she said, unbelievably acting a bit shy. He hadn’t been expecting that. Mallory was confident in all she did and in how she portrayed herself. So, he didn’t understand this new side of her.
“What are you doing here?” he asked casually, incredibly glad to see her. Damn, she was stunning even in her work suits. He seriously wanted to peel off her layers, exposing her beautiful body to him one button at a time.
“The senator sent me to apologize to you for the men rushing her out. Whenever there’s any kind of situation like the one now, they have to get all high-level officials to safety,” she said as if she’d had to say this to other people before.
“And the peons are left to burn?” he asked with a laugh.
“No, of course not,” she said automatically, using her rehearsed lines before she seemed to remember she didn’t have to be the aide when it was just the two of them. “Actually, they really don’t give a damn about what happens to the peons. Just look at natural disasters. They’ll move heaven and earth to get out important figures, and the rest of the population is left behind to pick up the pieces. Do you ever wonder how messed up it is that these elected officials are supposed to be servants of the people, but the only ones they serve are those who put money in their pockets?”
“I’ve always wondered how a politician who makes a decent salary that I don’t fault, can then afford mansions, vacation homes, and travel all around the world,” he told her.
“The people working their asses off pay for all of that, and they do it every single time they vote for yet another tax or another law the politicians push on them for their own gain.”
“Didn’t we once have a big old party to tell Britain we weren’t going to be controlled?” he asked.
“Those days have been long forgotten,” she said with a shake of her head.
“So, what now?” he asked as they walked toward the parking lot.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I was picked up and brought here, so I’m sort of stranded,” he told her.
She laughed, her true smile showing. “I’m not worried about you being stranded anywhere, Hendrick. I have a feeling you have a friend or two who can pick you up.”
They reached her SUV and he leaned against the driver’s door, unwilling to let her go.
“I could have a chopper pick me up if I wanted, but I want to spend the day with you,” he told her, being more honest than he thought he’d be. Her smile fell as she tried to analyze him.
“Why?” she finally asked. Now he was the one who didn’t know what to say.
“Because we have more to discuss,” he told her. “And because I like being with you.” Her cheeks flushed at his words. She stood there as if indecisive on what she should do.
“I don’t have any more work today,” she finally said, and he felt as if he’d just won the Super Bowl.
“Then I say we play.” There was a definite double meaning in his words, but she seemed to like them. He was damned determined to get a kiss from her before the day was over. It would either be as spectacular as he assumed it would be, or it would be flameless, and they could move on with their lives and simply have a working relationship. He wasn’t quite sure which he wanted more.
“What do you want to do?” she finally asked after settling her internal battle.
“I haven’t had a lot of play time in the city so why don’t you find something fun for us to do? It’s a beautiful day and I’m game for anything.”
“We can’t get caught. There’s no work reason I should be with you,” she said as she hedged.
“Why don’t you call the senator, tell her you’re worried about me and going to try to get information from me. That will cover all of the bases if we get busted. In fact, why don’t you lead her into telling you to take me out, make me comfortable, and get me to talk. You can act irritated about it,” he suggested.
“Damn, you’re good. Should I be worried at your manipulation skills?” she asked with a sparkle in her eyes.
“Very worried,” he told her with a smug smile.
She picked up her phone and with quick wit and the right words, the senator fell right into the trap, eager to get Mallory to take him out. She hung up and looked at him with a wide grin and evil delight in her eyes that slightly worried him. Maybe giving her full-on power hadn’t been the smartest decision he’d ever made.
“Hop in,” she told him, hitting the key on her fob. He quickly walked around to the passenger door of her vehicle, worried she was bluffing him to get away from her driver’s side door and would suddenly take off. Thankfully, she didn’t lock him from the car by the time he reached the other side.
“Where are we off to?” he asked.
“I guess you’ll soon find out,” she told him . . .
***
Mallory wasn’t quite sure what she was doing. But she’d been incredibly jealous when Hendrick had met with Senator Miller for lunch. She knew he was investigating the woman just as she was, but she also knew how charming the senator could be. It’s why the woman had come so far in her career, why she’d gotten everything and everyone she’d wanted.
And Hendrick was a man. Would he fall for her charm?
When the senator had told Mallory to take care of the Hendrick situation, she’d been more than happy to do it, wanting to see how he was reacting to being left so completely behind once the first hint of danger had been discovered.
They went to the Seattle Aquarium, and she found herself sitting on the edge of a wall, playing with the various sea creatures the public was allowed to touch. There was something about this place that soothed her nerves. She loved water and most of the creatures that lived within the many depths of seas, rivers, and lakes.
What surprised Mallory was the burning attraction she felt toward Hendrick. It had been a long time since she’d felt that burn in her stomach, a need to be close to a man. She was so focused on her career and the steps she needed to take to not only be respected in her job but be the best. Some said it was more difficult for a woman to make that happen. Mallory’s philosophy was it depended on the woman. She hadn’t ever considered herself a victim. If she wanted something, nothing was going to stop her from getting it.
She was lost in her thoughts when something in the pool went by and splashed her, sending a spray of salt water up her nose, making her cough as she laughed. Hendrick’s laughter joined hers in a perfect medley.
“You’d think I’d learn by the third time that happened,” Mallory said as she scooted back. “But nope, I’m a glutton for punishment.”
“I could stand here all day and watch you get drenched,” he told her, still chuckling.
“Ah, my hero,” she said before turning her gaze back toward the sea life playing before her. It was easier to focus on the creatures than the man. The more she looked at him, the more she talked to him, the more time she was with him, the more she fell for him. How in the world was that happening?
Mallory had never been a fan of falling at first sight. That meant a variety of things. She didn’t believe in love, lust, or even like at first sight. She believed a person could enjoy another’s company, but she didn’t believe it was anything more than pleasantries. It took a while to get to know a person and know whether you were compatible or not. If both love and like were looked at more scientifically the world would have a lot fewer feuds on its hands.
“When I was a little girl I wanted to be a mermaid and live my life in the sea,” she said, shocking herself by sharing such a silly childhood dream. He didn’t say anything right away, so she risked a glance at him.
She was surprised to see his eyes burning as they trailed her body, which she told herself was perfectly covered. The look in his gaze was so intense she looked down again before their eyes connected. Would she jump into his arms if they were trapped in one another’s gazes?
This so wasn’t her.
It was at least a minute before he spoke again, and his voice was slightly husky. “I can see you swimming the seas as a mermaid,” he told her. Then their eyes connected, and he seemed to settle a little as he winked at her. “You know, they don’t wear tops.”
