Marked for Murder

by Donna Raider

  “Um.” Leah sucked on her lip then slowly moved her lips against Mika’s. “It’s nothing dangerous.”

  “The babies are due any time.” Mika kissed her again. “Is Carlie aware of that? Does she know what to do if your water breaks?”

  “Yes.” Leah smiled. “She’s to call you instantly. Hopefully, the twins will wait until you and I are together to make their debut.”

  “Want to go over your lines again?” Mika kissed down her neck. “Or do you want to continue torturing me?”

  “Torture you.” Leah kissed her passionately. “But I won’t leave you in misery.”

  “That’s good to know, Detective Carter,” Mika murmured against her lips.

  ##

  The battle over celibacy had raged bitterly in the meetings. Father Branch and the older priests became more aggressive and hateful in pressing their arguments. Many of them had suffered through repressed feelings for the women in their lives. If they could sacrifice, so could everyone else. Choice was not a word welcomed in their religion.

  Mika wanted so badly to prove to them that God had given mankind the freedom of choice. Tell them about the horrific battles that had been fought between heaven and hell just to assure man’s freedom of choice. To make them understand that Lucifer and his minions wanted to rule the world and have God’s most prized creations as their slaves. She wanted so much to stop the evil she could see growing in the church.

  The more Mika successfully rebutted his arguments, the more Father Branch grew to hate the beautiful young priest. On many occasions, Mika had attempted to sit down with Father Branch to discuss their differences in opinion civilly. The older priest always repulsed her attempts, treating the younger priest with contempt.

  Mika was growing more and more concerned, but she didn’t share her fears with her wife. Leah had enough on her plate. Mika didn’t want to add to her burdens.

  ##

  Father Branch was never aware of the Watcher, who shadowed him whenever he left the meetings to go to his hotel at night. It was a nice hotel, nicer than any the church had provided him before. He knew he was being treated with great respect and reverence because he was fighting the church’s battle. He knew he had to win at all costs.

  A native of England, Father Branch was awed at the opulence and bright lights of New York. Even his time at the Vatican hadn’t prepared him for New York. He was a virgin. He had been amazed at the willingness of the women and men to—how did they say it?—“hook up” with a total stranger, for monetary compensation, of course.

  At fifty-five, Branch fancied himself as good looking for a man his age. He was six-two, a little on the thin side, with a thick shock of black hair. He was a distinguished-looking figure. When the attractive woman with the light scent of perfume had asked him to dance, he had been flattered. She loved his English accent. He had bought her a few drinks, and she had suggested they take their relationship to another level. She had a discreet hotel room they could use. Afterward, he had been shocked when she requested payment. “Didn’t you enjoy it?” she had asked. He reluctantly agreed he did. “Wouldn’t you like to do it again, sometime?” She had kissed him intimately. He nodded yes and had gladly paid the money. “Sometime” had become a twice-a-week occurrence.

  That was over a year ago. He had expected to be in the city only a few weeks, just long enough to stomp down Priest Mika and her lunacy about priests being allowed to marry.

  Today had been a particularly difficult day. Mika was an admirable opponent, cunning and wise beyond her years. Arguing with her had been much like fencing advance, attack, lunge, and cut. Mika always parried his attacks, riposted and forced him to retreat. To date, he had failed to cut Mika. He hadn’t even scratched her. Mika had a response for every point Branch had tried to make. Branch usually left the meetings soundly defeated.

  Father Branch had already determined that he needed something to take his mind off Mika. Ellen was waiting for him. She had become his consolation of choice. Something to ease his tensions and allow him to think more clearly. She was the only one he’d ever been with. She took care of all his needs, for a price of course.

  Watcher frowned when Father Branch walked around the block then headed in the opposite direction from his hotel.

  Watcher knew where the priest was going. He had so hoped Father Branch would get over this phase in his life. It was wrong on so many levels.

  ##

  Leah and Mika were at home for Easter when the twins were born. All the children had been home for the holiday and welcomed Athena and Luke with open arms. Nana had hired two more nannies, her sisters, Vonda and Wanda, to help her with the younger ones. The priest’s children now numbered twelve, ages from infant to twenty-two, and their adopted son, who was thirty-eight.

  Enough episodes of Marked for Murder had been shot to see the series through the rating sweep. Mika’s meetings had called a hiatus to calm tempers that were running high on all sides. The archbishop felt everyone needed a little time to cool down.

  Everything would return to business as usual on the first week in July. Leah and Mika planned to take Athena and Luke to New York with them. Nana had insisted on going with them, saying, “I go wherever my babies go,” so arrangements had been made to set up Nana and the nursery on the floor just below Mika and Leah’s apartment.

  ##

  Mika dropped the anchor and flinched as her wife threw herself from the wheel deck into her arms. Mika was holding Leah in the air, her arms wrapped just below her hips and Leah’s arms around Mika’s neck, resting on her shoulders. Leah looked down into Mika’s unfathomable blue eyes. “I cannot believe it.” She laughed gleefully. “Two whole weeks alone with my wonderful wife.”

  “I’ve missed you so much.” Mika kissed her slowly, savoring the feel of Leah’s soft lips against hers. “You’ll have to give me time to get to know you again.” Mika smiled seductively. “A lot of time.”

  “May we begin the introductions now?” Leah kissed her, urging her mouth open, dragging her into the undertow of her passion.

  Mika’s inexplicable need to whisper her appreciation of Leah’s extraordinary beauty overwhelmed her. “My Queen.” She moved quickly, carrying Leah below deck, to their bedroom.

  “All I’ve ever dreamed of is you. Your beauty is what inspires legends. I don’t even know the words to make you understand how I adore you. You have given me twelve incredible children.” Mika ran her hands the full length of Leah’s perfect body. “I love you so much.”

  Leah loved that Mika found her so desirable. She clutched her tighter, her nails digging into Mika’s back as she pulled her on top of her. It felt so good to hold Mika. Leah moaned her pleasure as Mika’s lips found their way to her full, taut breasts. “Yes, darling, yes,” was all Leah could gasp as Mika moved to please her.

  No one had ever talked to her during sex, declaring their need for her and their unbridled adoration of her. The way Mika touches me is the difference between making love and being used for sex, she thought, as they shared undeniable joy and satisfaction.

  They savored every day, making love, floating in the universe, exploring planets they had never visited. Mika was her angel, and she was Mika’s witch. They laughed, talking about their children, thankful that they would never have to contend with empty-nest syndrome.

  Both had left their cell phones at the house, eager to be incommunicado. All they wanted to do was connect with each other repeatedly, without interruptions.

  The time passed all too quickly, and they both felt a pang as their boat sailed back into the harbor.

  ##

  Leah finished letting Athena nurse and placed her in the crib next to her brother’s crib. Both babies were sound asleep. They were both blond and blue-eyed like Mika. She gently stroked their silky hair and smiled. Who would have believed that twenty-five years ago, when a gorgeous young priest entered her life, she and her children would become Leah’s world?

  Leah hugged Nana and bid her goodnight
before stepping into the elevator that would take her back to her wife’s arms. Neither had turned on their cell phones, not quite ready to launch themselves back into the world of television ratings and theological arguments.

  Mika was standing on the terrace, looking at the sailboats on the river. She joined her and Mika handed her a glass of wine. “It is so good to drink wine and make love to you.” Mika laughed. “Those three awful months are the worst part of having babies.”

  “You still don’t do all the heavy lifting,” Leah teased her.

  Mika blushed slightly, ashamed that she had intimated that pregnancy was harder on her than on Leah. She knew better.

  “I thought we would enjoy a peaceful glass of wine before we turn on our phones.” Mika raised her glass in a toast. “To the queen of my world.” She smiled thankfully.

  They sat snuggled up in the double chaise lounge on the terrace, sharing each other’s thoughts. They finished their wine then went inside to tackle the task of returning the many phone calls they knew would be waiting for them.

  Leah’s calls were all about the television series. Marked for Murder had obliterated every other show that had aired during the rating period. She had multiple calls from Stiles demanding that she return to work. Glad I missed those, she thought. All her co-workers were calling, encouraging her to cut her maternity leave short and work half a day so they would have enough episodes for the July sweep. I wasn’t out because I gave birth to twins, she thought. I was out because I wanted alone time with my wife.

  A call from Trey made her laugh. “Your public is demanding a love scene between you and me, my beauty. Of course, I told the world you were too homely for me to kiss.” She felt guilty that Trey had been called upon to fill all the guest appearances on talk shows and entertainment programs around the country. He had emailed her his appearance on the most popular late-night talk show. It showed him and the host drooling over how gorgeous she was. The host had asked the audience, “Do you want to see a steamy love scene between these two?” The audience had roared a resounding “Yes.” Numerous polls had been taken asking the same question, and eighty-five percent of the response had been affirmative.

  “I don’t know how to feel about this.” Leah laughed as Mika refilled her wine glass. “Eighty-five percent of our viewers want to see a steamy love scene between Trey and me, while fifteen percent want to see a hot scene between Lana Lawson and me.”

  “I’m not surprised.” Mika raised her eyebrows and laughed.

  Leah smiled as she listened to the call from Carlie wishing her a wonderful vacation. “Please call me as soon as you return. I miss you,” Carlie added as an afterthought.

  Marcus’s call was sweet and thoughtful, telling her to enjoy her time off and to call him before she spoke with anyone else.

  Mika’s calls were from various priests from all over the world, encouraging her to hold her ground on removing the celibacy requirement for priests. One call snapped her to attention. “Priest Mika Cross, your presence is requested at the Vatican. You will receive instructions.” Mika was worrying over how to tell her wife that she must go to Rome when Leah asked her to sit in on her call to Marcus.

  “Leah,” Marcus’s voice was jovial and welcoming. “It is so good to hear from you. Is Mika on with you?”

  “I’m here,” the priest answered.

  “Good. I wanted you both to hear this,” Marcus explained. “The network wants a guarantee on twenty-four more episodes. They think Marked for Murder could be another Law and Order, which has been running for over twenty years.”

  “Marcus, you know I can’t be seen in a series for twenty years,” Leah said seriously. “I was hoping to slip away as soon as Mika completes her conference.”

  “I know,” Marcus said thoughtfully. “The problem is you seem to be carrying the show. A lot of people’s livelihood are on your shoulders. Here’s what the network is demanding from you: a commitment to star in twenty-four more episodes and a steamy love scene with Trey Slater.”

  “No,” Leah said emphatically. “I don’t care whether or not I continue on the show. I’m not doing a love scene with anyone but my wife. I’ll complete the current contract then it’s back to motherhood for me.”

  “That’s what I told them,” Marcus said. “I was pretty confident you would feel that way.”

  ##

  The studio was working as quickly as possible to film the remaining episodes. Everyone was concerned that Leah would not budge in her refusal to do a love scene with her co-star. Mika informed her wife of the call she had received from the Vatican, explaining that all she could do was wait.

  The network caved and agreed to Leah’s terms to get her to sign for twenty-four more episodes. Marcus being Marcus had gotten her the highest-paying contract in the history of television. Unfortunately, the pressure for the love scene never ceased.

  ##

  Mika was sitting on the sofa with Leah on her lap. “What did you do today?” Leah mumbled between kisses she was raining on Mika.

  “I spent the day with our children.” Mika laughed. “We bowled. Went horseback riding and played a game of flag football. Amber joined us. Do you realize we almost have enough children for a complete team of flag football?”

  “That is nice,” she said distractedly.

  “Was your day okay?” Mika was concerned. It wasn’t like Leah to be remote. She knew there was mounting pressure on Leah to kiss Trey Slater in the next episode. Just alluding to a kiss between the two had jumped the ratings higher on the last episode.

  “I have something to ask you,” Leah said hesitantly.

  Mika hung her head, dreading the question. The thought of anyone else kissing Leah’s lips drove her insane, even if it was only making believe. Leah was sacred to her.

  “I have given this a lot of thought.” Leah struggled. “It affects many people. I’m not certain how you feel about it, but it’s important to me.”

  Mika watched her eyes in silence, not wanting to hear her next words.

  “How would you feel about moving our entire family here so we can be with them all the time?”

  Dear God, I love her, Mika thought, fighting to hold back the tears that threatened to fill her eyes. Her relief at Leah’s request was immeasurable. Mika hugged her, burying her face in Leah’s soft raven hair. She held her for a long time until she could gain control of her emotions. “Yes, darling. Oh, yes,” Mika moaned hoarsely.

  “If we start moving soon,” Leah said as she smiled broadly, encouraged by Mika’s obvious happiness over her request, “we can be settled by the time school starts.”

  “I love you so much,” Mika whispered in Leah’s ear then trailed kisses down her neck to her favorite spot on her throat. She hugged Leah tighter, gently massaging her back.

  Leah moaned. “I would have suggested this sooner if I’d known it would make you this happy.”

  “Everything you do makes me happy.” Mika kissed her softly, then urgently, as if she couldn’t kiss Leah deep enough, long enough.

  ##

  Mika was grateful that her meetings had not yet reconvened. While Leah worked hard to see that the studio had enough episodes to see them through the July sweep, Mika and the older children were overseeing the entire family’s move to Cross Tower. Adam had coerced Aunt Amber into helping them.

  Mrs. Worth had been astounded when the Cross children filed into the Tower lobby. She stood, open-mouthed as their parents introduced them. They were like facsimiles of their mothers. She had already met blonde Adam and Sara, the oldest. They would be away at graduate school but would still maintain apartments in the Towers. They were helping get everyone relocated and were planning to stay until school started.

  Twenty-one-year-olds Rachel and Jacob were entering their senior year of university. They were perhaps the most strikingly beautiful of all the children. They had their mother’s dark hair and coloring, but Mika’s piercing blue eyes. One felt as if those eyes could see into one’s soul. They
could be extremely disconcerting. They both had the priest’s dimples and easy smile. Rachel was more like her mother than the other children were. Refined and pensive, the young woman was very strong of character, with exacting standards. One rarely glimpsed the fire that burned just beneath the surface. Like her mother, she was pure magic.

  Regina and Matthew (Matt) were sixteen and would be entering high school. The Crosses didn’t believe in private schools. If all the exemplary students went to private schools, how could they serve as good examples for children that desperately needed good role models? Both were computer prodigies. They had written several applications for computers, cell phones, and iPads. Regina and Matt looked just like their mother.

  Eleven-year-olds Hannah and Mark were the most energetic of the children, not quite old enough to sit still for very long. They had Mika’s blonde hair and their mother’s deep brown eyes. Mrs. Worth knew they would love the gym located in the basement of the Towers.

  Six-year-olds Eve and Paul looked like little cherubs. With their mother’s dark coloring, they were continuously held and cuddled by the older children.

  The blonde babies Athena and Luke had already won the hearts of the Towers staff when they had come home with their parents in June.

  The children stood politely in a line as they met the entire management team. “Well,” Leah said, smiling at her brood, “why don’t we get you settled into your rooms and Cook will have dinner ready for all of us at six.”

  “Richie will be joining us for dinner.” Mika beamed at Cook. “That will complete our baker’s dozen.”

  Following their mother into the elevator, the children spoke excitedly about seeing their oldest brother.

  Mrs. Worth and James smiled as the family vacated the lobby. “Mika was a slow starter,” Mrs. Worth said as she shook her head, “but she has certainly caught up.”

  “I knew Leah was special the first time I saw her.” James grinned. “She is a perfect wife for Mika. It’s good to have children back in our lives.”