Pandora's Pleasure: An Enemies-to-Lovers Romance

by Vanessa Fewings

  His staff had removed the landline so there was no way I could call Damien. The guard outside the room refused to let me leave.

  So here I sat, with nothing to look at but Godman’s plush office. A stately leather chair sat on the other side of his antique desk, a row of impressive bookshelves behind it, displaying thick tomes and photos of the Senator with public figures. There was even a picture of him with my dad.

  A widescreen TV hung on the wall, its volume turned down low. A newscaster was spouting political rhetoric on Salvatore Galante’s Real Nation. The man stated that later today they’d be releasing an exclusive story on Brenan Bardot.

  Oh, God.

  If I wasn’t allowed near a phone that story would run.

  Threatening words spilled from the presenter’s mouth, revealing that information pertaining to the Presidential candidate would shake the foundation of what had been a flawless campaign. They were going to run a story on Damien’s dad first thing in the morning.

  Galante had no idea I’d hacked into his BODI and transferred the entire collection of scandals into my own personal cloud. That man believed he was untouchable. He had no idea that two young women had the power to take him down.

  Time will tell.

  I needed my phone. I needed to call Galante.

  I needed to kill both of those poisonous stories.

  Did Senator Godman know what was going on?

  He at least knew that I’d visited Galante’s home. There was no other explanation for why my ass had been hauled in here, for why I was being sequestered away from Damien and my family.

  But he and his men couldn’t know everything.

  The door suddenly flew open and Senator Godman walked into his office with a determined stride. Tall and intimidating, he threw me a discomforting glare. Carter followed him in, his snide smile hinting that shit was about to hit the fan and he would enjoy watching.

  Theo Tamer hurried in after them and closed the office door. He threw me a reassuring glance, his expression a mixture of confusion and sadness.

  “Call Damien,” I pleaded with him.

  His sharp nod told me he’d already done so, but a disapproving glare from the Senator warned me that he would be the one dealing with this situation—and me.

  “We’re going to ask you a few questions,” Senator Godman began, dropping into his chair behind the desk. “As you can imagine, you chose a shit-awful time to do whatever it is you’ve done.”

  I swallowed hard. “Can I explain?”

  “Go ahead.” Godman leaned forward, his nostrils flaring with fury. “Explain what you were doing at Salvatore Galante’s home last night.”

  “Were you following me?”

  He ignored the question. “Galante’s network is now stating they have information that threatens my reputation. Coincidence? If you can’t be with Damien, you’ll destroy me? Is that it?”

  I squeezed my eyes shut, realizing how bad this looked.

  “You don’t deny it?” he asked.

  Theo looked devastated. “What did you do?”

  “I have to make a call.”

  “The fuck you do,” snapped Carter. “Just tell us.”

  “You can only imagine how disappointed your father is,” said Gregor. “We’re going to try to walk back the damage you’ve done.”

  “Pandora, you need to tell us what Galante knows,” said Theo.

  The door burst open.

  Damien appeared in the doorway. He was out of breath and looking disheveled, having been woken abruptly and brought here in a haze of confusion. He’d brought my purse. Goodness knows what they’d told him. Or what he believed.

  My heart soared at seeing him, even under these circumstances. But the pain in his eyes as he looked at me, along with his disbelief, cut me deep. It hurt every cell in my body knowing that I was causing him agony.

  “Pandora, come with me,” said Damien. “We’re leaving.”

  Carter glared at him. “Back off!”

  Damien came closer. “Tell them you never went to Galante’s.”

  Carter sneered. “Want to see the photos of her coming out of his house?”

  “She was with me,” snapped Damien.

  “For how long?” Carter folded his arms. “You were her alibi from what time, exactly?”

  Damien stared at me in confusion. “Say something, Pandora.”

  “It’s not what you think.” I rose to my feet.

  “Sit down!” snapped Carter.

  I crumpled in the seat.

  Carter was staring at the TV monitor. “Want to tell us what they have on my father?” He pivoted to glare at me. “We hate surprises.”

  “Get him out of here,” said the Senator, pointing at Damien.

  Damien handed over my purse to Theo. “I’m not leaving.”

  With the snap of an order, Damien was dragged out of the room against his will by two of Godman’s men. Agony ravaged my insides at seeing what this was doing to him. To him, this must have felt like being in the pit of hell…the ultimate betrayal.

  After this was over, I’d explain everything to Damien, tell him how I’d done all of this for my father and for his. I just hoped that I would get the chance—and if I did, that he would believe me.

  “I need to speak with Senator Godman alone,” I said.

  “Carter, get out,” snapped the Senator. “Theo, I want you to stay.”

  The sneer Carter threw me sent shivers up my spine. I breathed a sigh of relief when he left the room.

  I looked at Theo, and held out my hand for my purse. “I can stop the story from airing.”

  “How?” said Theo, handing me the purse.

  I pulled out my phone. “Galante was going to run the story on the Senator even before I went to his house. It has nothing to do with what I did.”

  “What did you do?” asked Theo, shock glimmering in his eyes.

  “Galante has no idea I was even there.”

  The Senator leaned back in his chair. “We’re listening.”

  “They are now in my possession, sir.” When the Senator didn’t follow, I added. “Galante’s secret files.”

  Comprehension flashed over his face.

  With shaking hands, I fished out Galante’s business card and dialed his number.

  “Who are you calling?” asked Theo.

  “Trust me.” I gave him a thin smile. “I’m making this go away.”

  Theo shook his head. “Pandora, if you say one wrong thing…”

  After a few rings, a woman’s tired voice answered the line.

  “Mrs. Galante,” I said, “this is Pandora Bardot. I’m sorry to wake you at this hour, but this is an emergency. Your husband asked me to call him. Can you hand the phone to him, please? This is regarding his imminent news story. He’s going to want to hear this.”

  Theo and the Senator swapped angry looks. I clutched my phone, afraid one of them might snatch it away at any second.

  I tapped the speaker setting on my phone so they could hear what was about to transpire.

  Galante’s gruff voice came on the line. “What do you want?”

  Swallowing hard, I said, “Mr. Galante, I need you to check the BODI. I believe you’ll find it’s not there. I have it. Your access has been removed. Your name has been added to the list of men who have ‘damaging indiscretions.’”

  Galante went quiet—perhaps he was trying to verify what I’d told him.

  Theo looked horrified.

  Covering the phone, I mouthed. “Not that kind of BODI.”

  “What the hell is going on?” Galante’s voice came back on the line.

  “Did you look?” I asked.

  “Young lady—”

  “Pull the story on Senator Godman.” My eyes were fixed on the TV. “And don’t run the story now, or ever, on my father, Brenan Bardot. Or I’ll release the intel I have on you. I have proof of how you like to spend your Friday nights.”

  “You and I need to have a talk,” said Galante, his voice stra
ined.

  “No…no, there’ll be no negotiating,” I said. “Pull the story. Both of them.”

  The phone went dead.

  A sharp, burning pain like indigestion hurt my chest. I rubbed my solar plexus with a shaky hand to soothe the ache, nausea welling up with the thought I’d just dared to threaten the most powerful man in the news industry.

  “What just happened?” Theo’s focus was on the TV.

  All three of us watched the screen.

  Within minutes, the newscaster was pressing his finger to his ear as though listening to instructions coming from off-camera—the producers, probably. His back straightened in his chair as he addressed the camera, stating that the upcoming story due later today about the Presidential candidate was being pulled until sources could be verified.

  Godman rubbed his face as though trying to release pent-up tension. Then his blue eyes refocused on me. “The BODI?”

  “You knew about it, right?” I asked, unable to keep my surprise from showing.

  The Senator threw a wary glare at Theo.

  “I had time to review the names in the file.” I shoved my phone back into my purse.

  “Are we talking about that mythical collection of scandals?” asked Theo.

  The Senator gave a reluctant nod.

  Theo shot me an astonished look. “Don’t mention anything else. I don’t want the Senator involved on any level.”

  “I get that,” I said.

  “Is that why you were in Galante’s home?” asked Theo.

  “He’ll never know I was there,” I told him. “I would never betray your family, Mr. Godman.”

  Theo shot the Senator an uneasy glance. “I think this matter is tied up, then.”

  “Take her home,” said Senator Godman.

  Theo rested a hand on my shoulder. “Your father sent a car.”

  I stood up slowly, my legs feeling shaky. “I wish you all the luck in the world on Election Day, Senator.”

  “I appreciate that.” It was as calculated an answer as I could expect from a Godman; though his eyes and expression softened, as though he were seeing me in a new light. “Stay out of trouble.”

  “You’re welcome,” I said, sounding cheeky. He deserved it.

  In the quiet of night, I was escorted out of the Senator’s home and led toward a car.

  Once inside the sleek limo, which I recognized as one of my father’s, I pulled on my seatbelt, my hands still trembling. This time, I’d stood up to the Senator and I’d spoken my mind. This time, I’d come through for me.

  Theo joined me in the back of the limo. “What the hell just happened?”

  “I diverted a disaster.”

  “I’m just trying to get my head around that.”

  “Last person on earth and all that, I imagine.”

  “You imagine right. Did you really break into Galante’s home?”

  “A friend let me in. We probably shouldn’t talk about it.”

  “He probably has cameras.”

  “He does, and I wiped all the footage from that day.” Poof, all evidence of Phoebe and I coming and going now erased from his security system. It had been easy to hack into from inside the house, using the last sixty seconds I had left after the files had transferred into my possession.

  Theo looked astonished. “I can see what Damien sees in you.”

  “Finally.”

  He gave me a sly smile. “I’m going to need access to the BODI.”

  I rested my head back and stared at him.

  “No more games, Pandora.” He held out his palm. “Write the password down, please.”

  “This car’s not taking me home, is it?”

  He looked at me with an expression I’d never seen on his face before, and then he looked away. “The driver has your passport.”

  I took a deep breath. “Take care of Damien. Tell him I’ll always love him.”

  He looked stunned. “You’re not going to give us access to the files?”

  The person who had the access held all the power. And I wasn’t ready to give it up just yet. “There’s a kill switch on it.”

  Theo stared at me. “Pandora!”

  “I need you to do me a favor, Theo.” I reached into my purse and handed him an address. “Her name’s Phoebe Walden. She needs to leave the city. Find her a new home where she’ll be safe.”

  “Who is she?”

  “She helped me save the campaign, Mr. Tamer. Treat her well.”

  “Got it.” He leaned over and whispered, “Will you tell me what Senator Godman did to put him on that list?”

  “Goodbye, Mr. Tamer.”

  With an uneasy expression, he climbed out of the car and shut the door.

  The driver maneuvered the limo out onto the thoroughfare. Peering out the window, I watched the darkness fall away as we drove through the city. I recognized the route that led toward the airport.

  My time in Washington, D.C. was over.

  I forgave my parents for doing this to me because I understood them. They didn’t know what I’d done. In saving my father, I’d sacrificed my chance to stay.

  What lesson had I learned from this experience? Even if someone has hurt you, even if someone has let you down, even if someone has tried to destroy your life beyond repair, it was a sure test of your character to do the right thing no matter what.

  This was the true measure of a woman’s strength.

  “Over there!” I pointed to the jet sitting on the runway.

  Recognizing the Bardot logo stamped on the side of the private plane of a lion wearing a crown, I gestured so the driver would pull up beside it.

  Theo had come through for us, telling me Pandora was being driven to the airport. He had told me everything. My old friend had procured this car and had all but shoved me inside it.

  Theo’s words to me: “Go get her.”

  The town car made it through airport security in record time. Being the son of a Senator came in handy at times like this when you were willing to break all the rules and people were willing to let you.

  The metal stairs were about to be pulled away from the plane. Scrambling out of the car, I rushed toward them. “Wait!”

  “You’re on this flight?” a crew member asked as I hurried up the steps.

  “Is Pandora Bardot on here?” Without waiting for an answer, I flew in, hurrying down the short aisle, stopping only when I reached the front passenger seat and saw her sitting in the cream chair.

  Pandora blinked up at me in surprise.

  “This is a small plane,” I said, out of breath.

  She waggled her eyebrows. “Usually, I prefer them much bigger.”

  This was the cheeky Pandora I’d fallen for.

  “You didn’t think I was just going to let you leave, did you?” I reached out to steady myself on the low ceiling. “Without saying goodbye?”

  A fleeting expression of sadness showed on her face, and then she said, “Did you hear the good news about my dad?”

  “It means our contract is back on. You’re tied to me irrevocably.”

  She didn’t smile. “Did they send you after me because of the access I have to the BODI?”

  “What?” I peered down at her. “It’s true? You actually went to Salvatore’s house? What were you thinking?” She started to buckle her seatbelt. “No, don’t get comfortable. You’re not flying off to God knows where so I can’t find you.”

  “Is there a choice?”

  “Yes, there’s a fucking choice.” I moved closer. “Dad told me what you did for him. That somehow you prevented Real Nation from airing some ridiculous lies about him.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “That’s good. That’s discreet.” Looking around me, I made sure we had privacy. “Was I on the list?”

  “Yes.” She looked at me wide-eyed. “You certainly were.”

  Shit.

  That meant my future was compromised. Though somehow knowing Pandora was the only one who had a
ccess to the files was vaguely reassuring. It also meant she’d been exposed to what Galante had on me.

  “In what capacity?” I asked, trying to bluff.

  “Really want to know?”

  “Who doesn’t have an orgy on their bucket list?” It had sounded funnier in my head.

  She rolled her eyes at me. “Seriously?”

  “You’re referring to the one at Vanguard?” I said softly. “I only watched.”

  “Of course, you did.”

  “That’s what my BODI entry indicated, right?”

  “And you took me to Vanguard, remember?”

  “You begged me.” I cringed as the memories flooded in of the debauchery we’d enjoyed.

  “I deleted all evidence pertaining to you.”

  “Thank Christ.”

  She looked amused. “Unless you intend to make some new memories, you’re all good.”

  “I think I’m done there.”

  “Well, you never know.” She brightened. “Tell Madeline I deleted all the evidence Galante had on her, too. She’s a kinky bitch. Though not half as kinky as you, apparently.”

  I grinned. “I had to come after you.”

  “To get me to hand over the BODI?”

  “I don’t give a crap about that.” I exhaled sharply. “I promise I’ll never bring up that database. It will keep you safe, I imagine. That’s more than I could ask—for you to be okay, more than okay. For you to thrive and be happy.”

  She rewarded me with a beautiful smile. “I’m sure your father’s going to win.”

  Right, there was still that monumental event occurring in two days that had haunted my nights for years. Yet here I was, trying to win my girl back as though this was all that mattered.

  But that’s truly how it felt.

  I took a deep breath. “It was you, wasn’t it? You put the Fairfield Project back on track.”

  “Helen and I had a lovely chat.”

  “Galante had something on her? You saw her name in the BODI?”

  Her lips quirked. “She’s a wild one.”

  “Helen?” I had trouble imagining it.

  “Luckily, I was able to persuade her to see how the project would benefit all of those needy families.”

  Her words made me wonder if I’d ever know what Pandora had on Helen King.

  “What’s to stop Galante from releasing the names anyway?” Then I realized the truth. “You have something on him?”