The Senator's Daughter (Heritage Series Book 3)

by Ciana Stone

  Wiley laughed. "Isn't that the truth?"

  "So, why don't you have a seat and as soon as Linc's here we'll get started. I'm going to set up a program to start going through the security feeds in the Ambassador's house. I already have enough photographic data input for facial recognition, so if Delaney or Petrov is there, the system will alert us."

  Just then, Linc walked in. "Hey, bro," he greeted Wiley. "I brought goodies. Want to see?"

  "You know it," he glanced at Riggs. "You interested?"

  "Actually, I'd like a few minutes with Naomie, if you don't mind."

  "Take all the time you need."

  "Thank you."

  Once they were alone, Riggs pulled Naomie into his arms and hugged her for a long moment, then released her. "Does Dad have any idea what you're doing?"

  "No."

  "You didn't tell him?"

  "I told him I was the only one who could get Delaney out and he told me not to come."

  Riggs blinked. "He–he didn't want us to save her?"

  "He didn't believe it was necessary for me to be part of it. He told me to let whoever I was working with do it. I didn't mention you or anyone else by name."

  "And?"

  "And I said I couldn't do that."

  "Don't make me drag it out of you. Bottom line it for me."

  "He said if I left, I shouldn't return."

  Riggs took her hand. "He didn't mean that."

  "Your father rarely says anything he doesn't mean."

  "And you came anyway?"

  "I didn't have a choice. Riggs, we have to get her away from Petrov. He'll break her."

  "Something in your voice tells me you know this from personal experience."

  She nodded. "He almost broke me, so I know what he's capable of doing."

  "Can you tell me?"

  It wasn't a story she wanted to tell again, but he needed to know what his sister faced, so she gave him a concise but brief account of what happened. When she finished, he gave her hand a tight squeeze. "Just when I think you couldn't be more amazing, I realize you are."

  "Not really. I had help, and now Delaney needs help."

  "Dad won't turn away from you, Naomie. He didn't mean it."

  "Then he should never have said it. I can't be with someone who sees me as less than an equal partner, Riggs. He gave me an order and then an ultimatum. He isn't who I thought. He doesn't love me like I thought. And if, when I see him again, he doesn't prove me wrong then I guess we're done."

  "Well, you and I aren't. And yeah, I know, you're in love with him, and you don't want a hook up or a rebound or any of that shit, but you and I are more than any of that. We're friends, and we're family, and I'm here for you."

  "I know. That's why I called. So, is there anything else before we ask the others back in?"

  "Nope, I'm good."

  She smiled, gave his hand a squeeze, then released it and texted Linc. Less than a minute later, he and Wiley walked in. They all took seats, and everyone looked at her.

  "Okay, bring me up to speed," Wiley said.

  "We have total access of the surveillance and communications of both the Embassy and the Ambassador's house, and we're within a ninety-eight percent degree of certainty that Petrov is not keeping Delaney at the Embassy.

  "Just before you arrived, I started a sweep of the Ambassador's home. Facial recognition will let us know if Petrov or Delaney is there, and then we can start tracking them. Within forty-eight hours, we should have enough data to determine a dependable model of their routine and get all of the elements of our plan in place.

  "And just to be clear, you're going to run Comm on this," Riggs said. "You're not going in."

  "Oh, hell, yes I am. Linc can run Comm just as well, and he's done it enough that he'll have more experience to draw on if an unplanned-for scenario occurs and a command decision has to be made. Not to mention he has sources he can call on that I don't. Wiley has to go in because he's fluent in Russian, has experience undercover with the Diplomatic Corps, and I've already faked credentials for him that will pass. You have experience in clandestine rescue operations that makes you invaluable and–"

  "So, Wiley and I will go in." He interrupted.

  "No," she cut a look at Linc, and he grinned.

  "Okay, what the hell?" Wiley asked. "I know that grin, so what the hell have you two cooked up?"

  "Naomie did the cooking," Linc replied. "I just helped with a bit of refinement and called in some favors."

  "Care to elaborate?" Riggs asked.

  "I think I'll let Naomie have the honor," Linc grinned.

  "Okay," Riggs looked at Naomie.

  "As you may or may not know, some of the Ambassador's friends, oligarchs who like to visit the US, enjoy being serviced sexually while they're in residence. Many of them are drawn to sadomasochism. So, based on some little snippets Linc and I found secreted in what someone thought was an encrypted server, we discovered it isn't out of the ordinary to have sex workers visit the Embassy and the Ambassador's home to service their needs."

  She looked around, and Wiley looked at Linc. "You're still grinning. What the hell?"

  "Just wait."

  Wiley crossed his arms and looked at Naomie. "Continue."

  "So, with some creative programming, sound editing and redirected phone calls, Petrov is going to call the owner of one of the establishments who specialize in such matters, and request services. Wiley will report to the Ambassador as a security specialist hired by the big kahuna back home.

  "Thanks to orders the Ambassador will receive when he places a call to confirm, Wiley will be given run of the security center. He'll insert a flash drive into the main computer that contains programming that will reroute the video feed from wherever Petrov and Delaney are, to here, where Linc will capture the footage.

  "Meanwhile, Riggs and I will be invited in the front door as the personnel requested by Petrov.”

  Linc laughed at the expression that came onto Riggs' face, and Riggs gawked at Naomie. "I'm going to be a –I can't even say it."

  "A Dom. You're going to be a Dom. You and I will have lovely leather outfits, complete with masks and we will find Delaney and knock her out. Wiley, in charge of security, will be called, ostensibly by Petrov to say Delaney is very ill and to summon help. Linc will send an ambulance. A private one, of course, who will drive to a hospital, move Delaney to a car and transport her to a rendezvous point where Linc will get her and bring her here once we are clear of the house.

  "In the meantime, Riggs and I will be partying with Petrov. I have a nice little drug cocktail that will have him virtually capable of doing anything, so we'll make it look like we're having a good time doing all sorts of naughty things to him that do not involve our body parts, but will certainly be quite humiliating should anyone watch what ensues. And then we'll leave him bound, gagged and stuffed at both ends so that when he's found, it will be a moment not soon to be forgotten."

  "Then we will leave and come back here, and all of you can get Delaney back home."

  Riggs and Wiley looked at her for a few seconds then Wiley burst out laughing. "Girl, if anyone ever tells you that you can't cook, you tell them to come see me. I think it'll work and it sure as hell isn't something anyone would ever see coming."

  "That's what I said." Linc offered his brother a fist bump.

  Riggs ran his hand back through his hair. "Leather outfits? Seriously?"

  "Just pants and a chest thing- you know all beast-master shit. And gloves, of course. And the mask. Kinda like sex-fiend Batman."

  "Oh god," he leaned back and closed his eyes.

  "It won't be so bad," Linc said, "Especially when you get a look at Naomie's disguise."

  "Oh, really?'

  "Trust me," Linc said and then grew serious. "We'll spend the next two days going over every detail, listening to make sure nothing is scheduled that would prove an inconvenience to our plans and if at the end of that time, we're within a ninety percent probability window
of success, it's a go. Are you with me?"

  "I'm in," Riggs agreed. "Let's get my sister the hell away from that jerk and make him a laughingstock."

  "Amen to that, brother," Wiley said and laughed. "Now, is there any food in this place?"

  "Thanks to Tarzan, we're well stocked," Naomie smiled at Linc.

  "You do know that calling him Tarzan has gotten more than one man killed," Wiley said as he stood.

  "Yeah, but they did say it with the same damn it's a shame you're married vibe that I did?" she retorted, earning a laugh from the men.

  "Well, I can't argue with that," Wiley replied. "So, which way to the food?"

  "Linc will show you. I'm going to have a look at the scans so far." She got up and went to sit in the chair at the desk. Linc and Wiley left, talking to one another, and Riggs walked over to sit on the edge of the desk.

  "So, what happens once we get Delaney back here?"

  She looked up at him. "Wiley has a plane. You all get on it and go home."

  "And you?"

  Naomie considered before speaking, knowing she could well be setting up another situation that could put Riggs in an uncomfortable and potentially dangerous position.

  "Naomie?"

  "Look, there's more going on here than Petrov just threatening your family to try and get what he wants. He's a genuinely evil person, and I'm very close to getting hold of data that will prove he's part of a sex trafficking operation. One that involves children. And there's a lot of other stuff as well. If we can get the goods on him, we can make damn sure he's tossed out of this country, never to return. Maybe we can even get him indicted, but that's a long shot. Still, I have to keep going, even after we rescue Delaney."

  "Okay, and?"

  "And I have another problem. I have a friend who may be close to making a very big mistake. I'm afraid she's not thinking straight right now and I worry she might do something ill advised. I might be needing some help with that."

  "What kind of help?"

  "The kind that might involve someone dying."

  "Would this someone be deserving of such a fate?"

  "A hundred times over."

  "Then let's get Delaney home, and once she is, we'll help your friend."

  "Are you sure?"

  "You're willing to risk getting caught illegally in a Russian embassy to help my sister, so of course I'm sure."

  "Thank you. Now, go get something to eat. Have a beer, relax. I have some things to take care of here."

  Riggs stood, leaned over, and kissed her on the top of the head. "I hope when all this is done, you go back home to Dad. It's where you belong."

  Naomie didn't comment or even move. At least not until he'd left the room. Then she swiped at her eyes and cursed herself for crying. Going back home to Russell was the one thing she wanted and the one thing she was terrified to do. She might have enough courage to attempt this rescue and then try and get a friend to change her course of action, but she was pretty sure she didn't have enough courage to look in Russell's eyes and see no love there.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Washington, D.C

  "Holy mother of God."

  Naomie turned around, startled by Riggs voice. She hadn't heard him enter the room. "I can't get this damn thing tightened. Help?"

  "I'm pretty damn sure we can't ever let my father know about this," he said as he walked over and turned her so that he could take hold of the laces that cinched the black leather bustier she wore. It started just above her ass and ended just below her breasts, turning her already hourglass figure into something dangerous to any man with a pulse.

  "Whoa, cowboy, I still need to breathe," she complained as he pulled the laces tight.

  "Sorry. How's that?"

  "Fine," she turned to face him and saw how his eyes moved to her breasts. She couldn't fault him. With the push-up leather and mesh, her girls were very much on display. But then so was her ass. In a leather thong and thigh-high boots, she was every inch the Domme. All that was missing was the mask and the leather trench coat which she'd put on when the time came.

  Truth be told, she was more focused on ogling Riggs. He might not be comfortable in the costume but he damn sure wore it well enough that it'd tempt any woman into trying a little domination.

  "Damn Riggs, look at you."

  "This get-up is ridiculous. Do people seriously get into this stuff?"

  "Oh yeah, and tonight we're going to get into it. Only not on the receiving end, thank God."

  "Amen to that. Listen, Naomie, I've been thinking, and maybe you should go with me to take Delaney home. I bet Dad was just trying to scare you into staying. He probably didn't mean what he said."

  "I don't want to talk about that now. Besides, I need to keep digging into the sex trafficking thing and money laundering stuff. We have to nail Petrov, Riggs. You have no clue what they do to the people they take."

  "Anything like what they did to you?"

  "So much worse. They torture children to death. Sexually abuse them. It's inhuman, and he's part of it."

  "Then let's end the bastard."

  "You mean kill him?"

  "That's exactly what I mean. We'll make it look like kinky sex gone bad. You can still finish what you're doing and nail the rest of the people involved, but we can end him, Naomie and we'll never have to worry about him escaping justice because of diplomatic immunity."

  "No. He's too high profile. We'll get the proof we need, and with your Uncle's help, we'll make sure it gets into the right hands, and he'll be dealt with."

  "And what if he isn't? You know bastards like him walk Scott-free all the time."

  "Then we'll end him. You and me. We'll find him, wherever he is, and we'll make sure he's punished. In my mind, the punishment should fit the crime, and I'm betting some slavers would buy him just to make him suffer."

  "You could do that?"

  "Without blinking."

  Riggs smiled at her. "I wish you hadn't fallen for my Dad."

  "Sometimes I do, too. Now, let's get a move on. We have a rescue to get underway."

  As they made their way to the garage, Naomie said a silent prayer that none of the men who volunteered to help her would suffer any harm or loss of freedom. She wanted to save Delaney and to shame Petrov but not at the expense of their lives.

  With luck, she was as smart as everyone believed her to be, and the plan would work. Otherwise, they were screwed.

  *****

  Russell jolted awake with his heart hammering in his chest. A glance at the clock told him it was half-past three in the morning. Calls that came in at this time of the night were rarely good news. He snatched up his phone and turned on the lamp on the nightstand as he answered. "Yeah?"

  "Dad? Can you send the helicopter to the county airport?"

  "Now?" Russell couldn't imagine why Riggs would call with such a request. He sat and threw his legs over the side of the bed, feeling the fibers of the rug against the bottom of his feet.

  "Now, Dad. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."

  "I'll have it there within the hour."

  "Thanks, Dad."

  The line went dead, and Russell quickly called his pilot. "Jim, I hate to wake you at this ungodly hour, but I need you to get to the county airport for Riggs. Thanks, buddy."

  Knowing he wouldn't get back to sleep, Russell got out of bed, showered, dressed and went downstairs to put on a pot of coffee. He opened the door and stood looking out through the screen. A soft beep let him know the coffee was brewed. Russell poured himself a cup and walked out onto the porch.

  For a few minutes, he just stood there, sipping his coffee and looking out over the land. The moon provided ample light to see the roll of the hills, the way the thick grass of the lawn gave way to taller growth that eventually became littered with stalks of seeds that waved gently in the breeze like a dance under the stars.

  Russell never failed to see the beauty of his home and this morning was no exception, only now, for the first time,
he felt an emptiness he'd never noticed before. He'd learned to live with his children having their own lives, being adults and involved in their own careers and interests. They were still in and out of the house all week long, and he loved it, but something was missing.

  Naomie.

  Just thinking her name brought a tightness to his chest. He'd screwed up by trying to bully her into staying and should have known better. Hell, he should have called and said as much, but his damn pride got in the way. He was angry when he discovered she'd gone and let that anger fuel his foolish pride.

  Now, she wasn't answering his calls, and he was scared maybe he'd ruined everything. Russell didn't know how he was going to live with that. Oh, not that he'd die. He'd live, but he sure wouldn't be happy.

  His mind traveled back to times they'd shared. He remembered the first time they met. She took a bullet that day to save her friend and his business partner, Reese Quinn and somehow that day she sunk her hooks in him without even trying. Hell, they both fought it, but the wanting was too strong, and there was something more there, a connection he'd never experienced before.

  And one he'd blown all to hell it seemed.

  His phone rang, and he realized how long he'd been standing there thinking about Naomie. It was Riggs. "Yeah?"

  "We'll be setting down in five. I need you there."

  "On my way, son."

  He went back inside, set his cup in the sink, and then grabbed his keys. As he walked out to his truck, he remembered walking out one evening when Rich was visiting to find Naomie sitting on the steps, waiting on him. That thought nearly made him weak with longing. Where was she now, and what was she doing?

  That thought prompted another. Riggs never asked for anything. Not since the day he enlisted. He'd marched to his own beat, and Russell was proud of him for that. It had to be something extraordinary for him to ask a favor. He wasn't sure what to expect when he met the helicopter but hoped like hell it wasn't more bad news.

  Inside the helicopter, Riggs was about at the end of his rope. He had a small case with three hypodermic syringes. Naomie said for him to give Delaney one after he got her home so everyone could get some rest and decide what to do, and then not again unless they needed to knock her out.