Reader: Book 2 (Princes of Prophecy)

by L. Ann Marie

  “No, I’m not okay I want to rip everything in my way off. You’re killing me with the fuckin’ sexy panties and bra that I can see through.”

  I smile and get everything off quickly before he loses it. He puts the dress over a chair and undresses. Now I’m shaking. We are too weird.

  “I’m not stopping for another fuckin’ thing–tell me we’re good.”

  “Yep.” His mouth crashes down and we’re off. When my brain catches up to me I’m against the wall and he’s telling me to put my fingers on my pussy. I do and I’m off again.

  ***

  Darren

  Jesus. I spin around putting my back against the wall and put my head on hers. This is fuckin’ nuts. I take slower breaths and lift her off me. “Love you Mrs. LaPonte-James.”

  She smiles looking up at me. “Love you too my new husband.”

  I carry her into the bathroom and get her cleaned up. She’s smiling the whole time but doesn’t say a word. When we’re clean and dressed again I kiss her and move away walking out the door with her hand. She laughs. “We never touched the bed. Again.”

  I nod, but don’t say anything. She’s never touching that bed. I need to find a place for us up here that wasn’t touched by whores and Club chicks.

  Back at the tent everyone is dancing or eating. They’re always happy and I love seeing that. Jeremy and Jacob are swing dancing with Aubrey. We stand and watch, every move is right and I laugh. Fuckin’ Jeremy. He smiles and throws a thanks at me.

  Since all she wanted was a big dance floor everyone dances. It’s their way of showing support. I take her out and we dance until she calls uncle. At the table Jess and Dakota sit. I’m talking to Dakota and see her conversation with Jess. She wants to know who the guy Jess was dancing with is. “Ben is one of my fathers. He taught me how to swing dance. J and K don’t swing dance. They leave that for Ben.”

  “How many fathers do you have?” I laugh, but I’m looking at Dakota so they don’t pay attention to me.

  Dakota gives me a funny look so I pay attention to him. Aubrey says we need to keep HS on Eliza. I nod, he warned me before and she doesn’t go anywhere without a partner. He doesn’t look happy with that, but I don’t know what to say. It’s what we already do. If he has something, I need it to change what we’re already doing. He tells Jess he’s getting food and walks away. Shit. If he’s not talking something’s coming and he can’t say or it gets worse.

  I look at my beautiful wife. She’s happy. I’m going to keep her that way. Dad sits down. “Hell of a show. Eliza said your pieces work better now. I’m happy for you son.”

  I smile. He’s always been my biggest supporter and taught me how to get around not hearing. “Thanks Dad. I didn’t know they weren’t working right, but they work now.”

  He smiles. “Good. Before you take your week we need to talk. Pres has the Officers in the meeting room in a half hour.” Shit. I look at Eliza. She’s never had a problem with anything I do or time I need for Club shit.

  “I’ll be there.”

  “I knew you would. She’s easy with this. Jared says he has bikes with stealth exhaust.”

  I laugh and tell him about the bikes. When it’s time the Officers all start heading to the room. I kiss Eliza’s head. “Babe I need to meet with the Officers.”

  She looks around then at me. “Okay. I’ll be waiting for a dance when you’re done.”

  I walk away laughing. She’s easy with this. In the meeting room I sit on the side of Prez and wait for everyone to sit. It’s only Security Officers and Baxters so this must be about the threat out of Washington. We need to find the backer so we can be done with this shit. We’re always a step behind.

  Pres stands. “We have warnings from Aubrey, Jeremy and Christian. Tess and Dakota aren’t talking so it’s one we have to work through, but be prepared for. Kate, Jess, Mitch, Tess, Lori, Aubrey, Joey, Eliza, and Jess are who we’re covering. I asked specifically about Sheila and didn’t get an answer. To me that means we cover her, but don’t rein her in.”

  My glasses register ‘Fuck’ going around the table. “Darren, we’ll mix MC with your Security while you’re away. Before anyone has a problem with it, we are taking the other half of your detail so we have fresh eyes in our yard too. I wouldn’t move anyone into our yard if I thought they couldn’t do the job.” I look at Prez. He nods so I throw chin at Pres.

  “We have no time frame, no details–just a warning.” Fuck. He sits down looking at Kevin.

  He stands. “The satellite is safe, but they got around Mitch’s virus. I want to say they’re smart, but I get the feeling it’s someone that knows about the program. Mitch agrees. Every IT person has knowledge of the program, but no one has the code. It has never left the compound. I’ve seen it, but have never worked with it. This is all Mitch. Since I know she didn’t leak it, whoever got in is smart enough to get around it.” Everyone is mumbling and I see ‘mumbling’ not what they’re saying. “She has new code in place but they got in once. It’s been years since she’s touched the code so it could be years before they get around it again. With the warnings from three I’d say that’s not likely.”

  VP stands up. “A program was sent to Brantley on your side. It monitors IT. Brantley and Darren get the alerts. Keep it close. Would be better if we monitored for all.”

  “No,” Prez says.

  VP nods. “Got that.” He smiles and sits down.

  Pres stands up again. “It would be easier if we did monitor all the stations.”

  “You’d be in and the very next week my father would be running our fuckin’ Ops. None of you respect boundaries when it comes to us. I understand that we’re your kids, but I’m not letting you in. I already have Mitch connected, if there is a problem, she has our back.”

  Pres throws his hands up. “She doesn’t work for us.”

  Prez smiles. “That’s why she’s in. She would never let anything happen, but she won’t let you in either. It’s no different than the warnings Pres. We have threats every day. We handle it and stay alert. There is nothing more we can do and letting you in isn’t going to change that. We call for advice and help when we need it. If we find anything, you will know. Right now we’re working on a maybe and a couple of years for someone to get around her code. We’ve been up for a year. The chances of this coming from us is slim to none.”

  “He’s right,” my dad and VP say.

  Pres looks at VP then nods. “All right. Fuckin’ kids are making me old.” I laugh. “Stay alert. VP and Jake will get with you about the schedule for HS switching out.” He sits down. “Go have a drink or whatever. I don’t give a fuck what you do but have fun.” He always says this, but he looks miserable and everyone laughs.

  I stand up and it hits me. Looking at Dakota I say, “It’s Chin.” He looks at me then Prez. I’m right.

  Prez sits down. Dad says, “Fuck,” and sits.

  Kevin is standing on the other side of the table. “Who is Chin?”

  We all look at Pres. His hands are in his hair. “A kid that we adopted. He was bad and run out when we found out he was older and planning to hurt the girls.”

  “And stole almost a million from me,” my dad says.

  “He never took it. The boys had it moved,” Pres says like that matters.

  Kevin holds his hands up in a ‘T’. “How would he know about the code?”

  “He was IT for the Kids Club,” Prez says looking at Pres. We didn’t want him there.

  Pres holds up his hands. “I get it, this is on me.”

  Prez stands up. “No Pres, this is on us. I looked at you because I have no fuckin’ clue what to do with the information.”

  Pres nods and looks at Geek. “Start looking for him.” He looks at Prez. “Get your people on him too.”

  “This means we don’t have a leak. I hated the thought of another fuckin’ person turning on us,” Kevin says and sits.

  “Jeremy said he would come back on us, but forget that we have him,” I te
ll Prez.

  “Yeah. The thing that worries me is he knows of the readers and seers. Why aren’t Christian and Jeremy in the mix under cover? Why Aubrey? The mix is of old and new. Eliza? This is more than Chin alone; it’s Chin backed or working for someone else with the knowledge of the Outlaws. Right now that’s three players from very different backgrounds. On top of that Hammer goes bad and we have Outlaws mixed with MC making a play for the women.” He’s looking right at his dad.

  VP nods. “We got nothing in Washington, bet that’s where it’s from.”

  “Cloud went through shit with the reservations and the elder tribe. There was someone that was reading then. They used the old language to cover what they were doing. What if someone is using that again?” Prez asks him. It’s like we aren’t here to them.

  VP nods again. “Feels right.”

  “So we have five players. Outlaws, MC turned, Chin, a seer, and then the puppet master.”

  “Yeah,” VP says and looks at Dakota.

  “The puppet master is in drugs, trafficking and politics. Works big business for his own profit.” Prez just keeps going. “He’s not a politician, he’s the head of something. What has the power? FBI, NSA, CIA, we keep getting caught up in Homeland. We should be looking at them, people that can do this hidden.”

  VP waves his hand and Prez gives the smallest nod. What the hell? I look at Jessie. He shrugs but watches. No one says a word. Prez looks at Pres. “We need to look at high offices that control an agency. It’s not a politician. It’s an appointed office.”

  Pres looks shocked but nods. He looks at VP then back at Prez without the shock. “We’ll get on it. Beau and Ben have pull all over the east coast and in Washington. Get on Chin and Geek will run Outlaw and MC.”

  Dakota raises his hand and Pres smiles at him. My glasses show laughing. “Go ahead Dakota.”

  “The reservations know of seers and readers from New England and some in New York. I can get a list and have Security start running the names if you would like.”

  I want to laugh, but this is getting us somewhere and it’s serious. The guy is funny though. Prez looks at him. “I don’t think we should give that to Security. Maybe the KC. They get readers and seers and it puts it closer to Jeremy and Christian. We need to keep that close.”

  “I agree. We could use the list, but keeping it close to the seer, and whatever the hell Jeremy is, may give us a heads up,” Pres says.

  VP is still watching Prez. “Yeah. What he said.”

  I laugh reading that everyone else did to. I touch Prez’s arm, when he looks at me his eyes are intense. “I can wait for the week, we need to end this.”

  “No Brother, take your time with Eliza. Nothing will happen until you’re back.”

  I’m surprised, but nod not sure if I should be happy or fuckin’ scared. “Be fuckin’ scared, but alert and keep Eliza covered.”

  Fuckin’ great. I nod.

  Chapter Twelve

  One week

  Eliza

  He’s crazy. We’re on a ledge, well I am. He’s balancing on his feet over the ledge upside down. I want to grab his toes and hold them, but I’m afraid I’ll scare him and he’ll fall. No I’m afraid to move or he’ll fall. I have his glasses so he can’t hear or see me talking and I let every swear I know go, cursing his dumb ass for being so reckless.

  Security is watching and laughs at me talking to myself, but I don’t care. This is just stupid. His hands show and I breathe easier. He’s holding the rock with two hands and his feet are gone. Fuckin’ guy. I’m going to have a heart attack. One hand moves and his head pops up with the biggest smile. Damn him. How can you be mad at that smile?

  When he’s sitting on the rock I sit and breathe normally again. ‘Don’t scare the shit out of me again!’ I tell him handing his glasses over.

  “You’re doing good with signing.” He smiles.

  What? I just laugh. Fuckin’ men. ‘That scared me. Next time a warning would be good.’ As I’m signing it I think about Jeremy and Jacob flying through the air. Our kids have no chance at normal. Shit.

  “I’ll tell you next time,” he says. Taking my hand, he pulls me up and moves off the ledge. The rest of the hike is calm as we climb higher. It’s beautiful up here. I had never been out of Rhode Island and in the last month I’ve been everywhere with him. I feel like I’m on the Travel Channel while climbing an outcropping of rocks. We make the top and sit. It’s an awesome sight. “It always feels spiritual to me up here. On the reservation Dakota says he feels the spirits’ acceptance all around him. I feel like that up here.”

  It does feel different. “Do you feel like that on the reservation?”

  He shrugs. “Sometimes. There’s a pow-wow coming up. You can see for yourself.” He pulls a granola bar and water out opening them for me. I just smile and take them. He gets his own and we look at how pretty everything is. This whole week has been just like this. We’ve done everything from swimming in the freezing ocean to hiking. He’s taken me to the little town and wharf for dinner, but mostly we’ve been alone. I have loved every minute of it, except hanging off the ledge, I could have lived without the ledge. He takes the wrapper and bottle from me and stuffs it back in the bag. I lean and kiss him because he’s sweet. I won’t tell him again though because he gets pissed–as if being sweet is a bad thing.

  He pulls away and pulls me up. “Need to fuck that right out of you.”

  I laugh. “We’ve been doing good. You haven’t jumped me with Security around.” I move away fast, but he’s on me.

  Hands around my waist he pulls me to him, “Never will they see what is mine. That’s the only reason I haven’t jumped you.” He rolls his hips into my ass, I feel he’s hard and moan. “Fuck. Let’s get back to the cabin.”

  I giggle and he laughs. “Giggle,” he says. His glasses registered the difference in my laugh and I think for the millionth time Mitch is a genius.

  The hike back is much easier and I’m glad. I’m all sweaty and keep thinking about kissing him in the shower. I have to remember to call Victoria’s. I need panties that work better for hiking. Mine are soaked.

  When I see the cabin I start getting excited and move faster. He doesn’t seem to mind so I run through the trail laughing. He pulls me from behind and stops. “Shhh, Eliza.” Security goes by us. He walks in front of me staying close to the trees. How the hell did he know something isn’t right? Security stops and tells him to hold. Damn. He was right.

  Chet is signing two. Darren pulls a gun out of the bag and tells me to hold. Since I don’t have a gun I hold right where I am. The Princes Security stays closer to me while Darren and Chet move away. As soon as I don’t see him I want to move forward. The guy stops me. “Orders are to stay.”

  Fuck! I hate orders. I wonder if I have to follow them if I’m not working. Probably. Darren isn’t mean, but he gets pissed if I don’t do what he says. I stay. Like a damn dog.

  The cabin isn’t really a cabin. It’s huge with a loft over the garage for Security. There are sensors everywhere so they know if someone is on the property. With six bedrooms upstairs and all the room downstairs I’m going to be a dog sitting here waiting for an okay to move for a while. I sit until I hear a shot. When I get up the Security guy moves closer.

  “What is your name? I should know it if I’m working with you. PS 17 doesn’t work for me.”

  He smiles. “John, ma’am. I’m not HS yet.”

  I look toward the house but don’t move. Shots fired and no sound means they’re looking for more. All he needs is me running in the middle putting myself as a hostage. Prez said they’re going to use women to get the men. This sucks. Another shot and I duck. This is right here. John falls and I grab his gun aiming to the side where the shot was fired from. I don’t see anything but don’t move. With one hand on John I stay frozen for a full two minutes. I hear brush moving farther down, but it sounds like it’s moving away. I pull John behind a bush and look to see where he was hit. He’s got blo
od on his stomach. Damn. I pull my shirt off and hold it on him putting pressure. He’s breathing heavy and moans softly, but doesn’t say a word. More shots are fired. I feel like it’s been hours before we hear running coming our way. A click and whistle tell me it’s Darren. I stand slowly and he stops.

  “Fuck. How bad?”

  “He needs to get to the hospital.”

  He nods and bends to John talking to Security. He hands his shirt to me while he’s talking. Chet and Princes HS 22 come up with a board and carry John back. Darren has a belt on him holding my shirt under the bag. That was quick thinking. He pulls me to the house and goes right up to the bathroom. I get my hands washed and he tells me to put some clothes on and take only what I need. I move quickly and I’m at the door by the time he’s getting his holster on. “You need to be dressed.” I pull my holster on and check my gun then nod. I’m ready.

  The SUV is waiting in the front. We drive to the clearing and wait for the chopper. I climb out and get into the back. They laid the seats down to get John in. His head is raised a little and I think that’s probably good. “How are you doing buddy?”

  “I’ve been better,” he says sounding like he’s in pain.

  “How long to the hospital by chopper?” I ask.

  “Twelve minutes,” Darren says. I wonder how he knows this, but look at John. “Not too bad.” We hear the chopper and he looks relieved. Security jumps out and helps get him on the chopper. They run to the SUV leaving two. I look at Darren. “Where are the other two?”

  “Dead.”

  Fuck! I look at John; a guy is working on him. I unbuckle and move to help him. He gets an IV in him and I tape it. Other than bagging my shirt and the gauze he used to clean him I am no help. Two died. Fuck.

  At the hospital we get out and wait until he’s transferred to a gurney then we wait in the waiting room. Security stays outside the room and I think they should be in here. They lost two and are waiting for word on John. I didn’t even know the guys’ names. I want to ask, but Darren already looks miserable, I know I’ll get them sooner or later so I let it drop and watch him pace.