by Iris Bolling
“The Akande situation,” she nodded.
“Yes,” he replied. “The one thing I do know is if it’s right, it will come to fruition. Don’t give up.” He shook his head. “Don’t let him give up.”
Roc smiled at Royce. “Shelly is a very lucky woman.”
Royce stood with a broad smile on his face. “That she is, and I’m fortunate to have found a treasure. Call her soon, she worries about you.”
“Will do,” Roc watched as Royce walked away. The question still bothered her. She wanted to believe she gave him an honest answer, but she just wasn’t sure. Roc stood, leaving a tip on the table as she grabbed her tea cup and shook her head.
The pain was subsiding, he could tell when he rolled over. He didn’t feel like breaking someone’s neck. No, he felt remarkably comfortable. Roc was right, he thought as he turned over, he just needed to take a day to rest and his body would begin healing. It wasn’t so bad having her around after all. He smiled at the thought then began drifting back off. There was a time not long ago when closing his eyes had been the last thing he wanted to do for he knew what was coming. What once was a precious memory had turned into a nightmare to him. He used to fight sleep, pushing his body to exhaustion, knowing the nightmare would soon consume him. He wasn’t feeling that at the moment, no, he was relaxed, content, at peace. Now that was something different, he drifted deeper expecting the memory of a lost love to invade his sleep soon, but...there was something different. It wasn’t Akande knocking him to the floor. It was Roc. He sat straight up in the bed. Eyes wide open. He wiped his hands down his face. “What in the hell was that?”
He looked around the room. She wasn’t there. But damn if she hadn’t been there. He could still smell the essence of their loving making in the room, feel the passion that had exploded. “Damn if she didn’t put me to sleep,” he said as he wiped his hand down his face, then fell back on the bed. The woman literally sucked the life out of him. He hadn’t been that satisfied since…hell he’d never been satisfied to a point where he fell asleep. He’s the one who puts women to sleep, then leaves. The thought caused him to sit up. Did she leave? “Roc?” he called out. No response. He got out of bed and walked into the bathroom, she wasn’t there. He looked around. The bag from the store was still there, but that didn’t mean anything, the woman was just like him, she traveled light. He jumped in the shower, all the while wondering whether she would leave without saying goodbye. Yes, she would, he knew because he had done it many times. Frantic now, he dried off, dressed, then left the room to search for her. He hit the elevator button, decided it was taking too long, so he took the stairs.
Why was he acting like a woman who felt as if she had been laid and left? Because it was wrong. Wrong for her to just use his body, then up and leave. He began to slow down. No, that wasn’t right. It shouldn’t matter to him if she was gone. Hell, that meant he was ready to work independently again…right. He pushed the door open when he reached the lobby. For a minute there, he was angry. Not seeing her in the room made him feel some kind of way. The least she could have done was feed him breakfast, take him to the movies, leave twenty dollars on the table, something. But you don’t just get up and leave. Walking towards the front desk he began to wonder why her not being in the room was affecting him. It wasn’t like they were a couple. No, they were just comrades working to finding truth, justice and the American way. Hell, he sounded like a commercial for the Justice League.
He was about to approach the desk when he looked over and saw two people sitting at the table in the restaurant drinking. His heart skipped a beat, then settled at the sight of her. He exhaled audibly, stepping back so he would not be seen. Seeing her magnified the memory from the night before. Roc was definitely a contradiction. He leaned against the wall and watched her. She was as lethal as he was, yet was gentle and caring, like his mother. His body still tingled from the touch of her tongue. Yes, she was a contradiction indeed, but one he couldn’t afford. The last time nearly killed him. No, allowing her to get close to him was not in the cards. He watched her a moment longer as she talked with the Director of Homeland Security, Royce Davenport. Roc could be dangerous to his health. He turned to walk towards the elevator, then leaned against the wall. The sun had just risen so there was no one around. He had to take a moment to assess what was going on with him.
There were three Lassiter men in her life. She did not know all the connections until their mother told her about all twelve of her children. There was the oldest, who she’d had a crush on for years, then the youngest one, whom she could never figure out why she had such a soft spot for him and now this one. This one was different from the other two, she thought as she walked out of the restaurant. Yes, this one she had lost herself with. With Samuel she could control herself, never would have crossed that line. With Joshua, she couldn’t stop, didn’t want to stop. From the moment he regained consciousness, she knew there was an attraction. The more she cared for him the deeper that attraction became. When the President ordered her to stay with him, a part of her was relieved, for she wasn’t ready to leave him. Hell, as much as she loved her normal life, she knew when she returned it would not be the same after the Absolute experience. She walked around the corner to the elevator still thinking about the situation. All she could do was shake her head. “Those damn Lassiter men.”
“What about us?”
Roc looked up stunned to see Joshua casually leaning against the wall, dressed in another suit. His eyes narrowed as he looked her body up and down, remembering all they had shared the night before.
There was no way a man should look that good all the time. She smiled then, for there was a time not that long ago, that he did not. The fact that she had seen him at his lowest point and was now watching him regain his strength, gave her a little more insight to him than his precious Akande ever had. She closed her eyes and exhaled. That was wrong. She did not know the woman and had no right to think ill of her.
“We can’t make love again,” she opened her eyes. “It’s not going to happen again. Do we understand each other?”
Her statement surprised Joshua even though he was planning to say the same thing to her. “Why the hell not?” he asked in a tone that clearly indicated his disagreement.
“I have a life I have to return to. You are not a part of that.”
“I could be,” he said before he could stop himself. Where in the hell did that come from, he thought.
“No,” she pushed the button. “How are you feeling?” She asked in a tone he wasn’t used to hearing from her.
“Remarkably well, until I discovered you left my bed to be with another man.” He stepped away from the wall, not giving her a chance to respond. “What did Davenport want?”
A small smile creased her lips. “I called him to inform him of my indiscretions. Are you jealous?”
“I…don’t get jealous.” He glared down at her as he pushed the elevator button. “Are you always so straight-laced?”
“Only when I cross the line.”
The door opened and they both stepped inside. “Is that what we did?”
“Not we,” she pushed the button to their floor. “I crossed the line. My duty was to rescue and recover. It was not to bed you.”
“To bed me,” he grinned. “Is that what it’s called these days? I thought we had sex…damn good sex.”
Roc held his gaze, then looked away. That in a nutshell was the problem. He called it having sex. She called it making love. “Davenport heard from Ned,” she said in an effort to change the subject. Joshua raised a questioning brow. “He’s good, pissed, someone hacked him.”
“I figured as much,” They stepped off the elevator and began walking towards the room. “He will have another built before nightfall.”
They both stopped, glanced at each other, then pulled their weapons. They saw it at the same time. “Did you leave the door open?”
They moved, flush against the wall. “My darling you know damn well, I’m
not that careless.”
Roc crossed over to the other side of the door, as Joshua slowly, pushed it open with his hand. Roc dipped low, Joshua went high as they rushed the room. They both checked, the bathroom and closet, then stood in the middle of the room looking for anything that was out of place. There was nothing missing, however, there were two devices on the bed.
Joshua walked over, examined them. He picked them up smiling, “Ned’s been here. He turned the device on. “Talk to me.”
“It’s good to hear your voice Absolute.”
“Same here, my geeky friend,” Joshua sat on the bed.
Roc wondered if he knew the play of emotions running across his face. She gave him a moment, then realized he wasn’t going to say it. Men. “We were concerned, Ned.”
“Aww, Roc, my angel in disguise. You brought him home.”
“That I did.”
“Don’t mind me I’m just sitting here.”
“It’s time for you to stop playing injured and get back to work.”
“What in the hell do you think I’ve been doing?”
Ned laughed. “It is good to hear your voice. But we have a situation.”
“Tell me about it. What do you have?”
“Someone high up is pulling strings with the Senate. They have a resolution about to hit the floor calling for the Attorney General to resign. If he doesn’t, they are prepared to demand the President relieve him of his duties.”
“If the President doesn’t,” Joshua added, “they plan to impeach him for not protecting the interests of the United States.”
“Do we have any idea who’s behind this?” Roc asked.
“Still working on it,” Ned replied.
“What do you have for me?” Joshua asked.
“A connection between Jonas Gary, David Holt and the Vice-President’s office,” Ned replied.
Joshua and Roc glanced at each other. “Let me have it.”
“I traced several money transfers to an account in the Caymans. Payments from the account have gone to both. Want to take a guess as to who the accounts belong to?”
“The Vice-President,” Roc replied.
“That’s where the paper trail leads me. Not sure that’s where it originated.”
“You think whoever is doing this is trying to implicate the Vice-President?” Joshua asked.
“I do. Too many coincidences leading one way tends to make me look in the opposite direction.”
Joshua stood and began packing things into his bag. “You have a lead.”
“Of course I do,” Ned laughed. “I always have a lead.” The device buzzed. “Jonas Gary is in Laredo. I’ve sent his coordinates to your device.”
“Got it.”
“Absolute, don’t kill the man,” Ned implored. “We need answers.”
“You know my motto.”
“That’s precisely what concerns me. Keep in mind, the presidency may be at stake.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Joshua terminated the communication then turned towards the door to see Roc packed and ready to leave. He walked over to her. “Does this mean we’re going to Texas?”
Roc smiled up at him. “I think you’re ready for a test run.”
Joshua could not help remembering the taste of those lips, the feel of them on him. Nothing was as tempting as a woman first thing in the morning. “I did not have a chance to properly say good morning.” He pulled her into his arms, parted her lips with his tongue, then proceeded to give her a scandalous kiss. He slowly pulled away for the sweetness of her taste was wreaking havoc on his senses. “Let’s keep this simple. I can’t do anything more than that.”
Roc pulled him by his lapel until their lips were a mere inch apart. “I don’t recall asking for anything.” She kissed him, long, slow and deep. No region of his mouth went untouched. When she was satisfied, she broke the kiss, turned and then strutted out of the room. “Let’s go get Gary.”
Joshua watched the sway of her hips in those black pants as she walked away. He shook his head as he closed the door. “Hurt me baby, hurt me.”
Chapter Eighteen
Laredo, TX
“The President is expecting you in the Oval Office sometime today. How do you intend to handle the situation?”
“I will simply indicate to him, my mission is at a critical point. Deserting my post at this time could cause deaths.”
“Do you think he will buy that?”
“He’s a bleeding heart liberal, of course he will buy it.”
“Don’t make a mistake by underestimating this President, McGary.” The voice on the telephone cautioned. “Better men than you have made that mistake. Harrison is still standing.”
“You handle the situation in D.C. I’ll handle Harrison.”
“Know this,” the voice warned. “One wrong move, I’ll have you taken out of commission. Do we understand each other?”
“You wouldn’t dare? It would jeopardize your position.”
“Stupid moves jeopardize my position. As I see it, I’ll have nothing to lose. Release the serial numbers to those weapons to the press, then get those weapons off U.S. soil before night fall.” The call was disconnected.
“It’s time to disband, McGary,” Jonas stood in the corner in the room listening to the conversation. “Your plan is falling apart and I have no intention of being around when it all crashes down.”
“Send the serial numbers to your man in D.C. Then pack the weapons up and move them back across the border.”
“I can do that, as soon as I receive payment.”
“You’ll get paid,” McGary nodded.
“Now, would be a good time,” Jonas added.
“You don’t trust us?”
“No.”
McGary watched the man for a few moments before realizing he was serious. He stood then walked over to the wall safe, which was behind a picture of a confederate flag. “Whatever happened to your patriotism, Gary?” He pulled out a small computer, powered it up, then made a quick transfer.
“Patriotism is overrated,” Jonas stated as he waited to receive notification of a deposit into his account. “My patriotism to my country ended the day my wife was taken from me. My loyalty now goes to the highest bidder.”
“A man without a country isn’t a man.”
Jonas pulled a knife from his pocket, and with a flick of his wrist, he whirled the knife pinning the Admiral’s pants to his chair. “A man without his genitals isn’t a man. You want to question my manhood again?” Jonas let out a cynical laugh. He walked over and pulled the knife out. “You’re a patriot, yet, you are trying to over throw your government,” he said soberly. “I believe my way of living is a lot more honorable than yours.”
Sly watched as Jonas Gary walked from the hotel to his vehicle. From the conversation he’d just overhead him have with the Admiral, he knew Gary was instructed to move the weapons back to Mexico. The Admiral was about to be double-crossed.
“Ready to give up your post?” Joshua stood behind Sly as they both watched Gary.
“How’s your back,” Sly never turned around.
Joshua wasn’t surprised Sly knew he was behind him. The man taught him how to detect movement, without actually seeing it, among other things. “Tolerable.”
“Roc?”
“Day by day.”
“Gary,” Joshua asked as he glared at Roc.
Sly did turn then. He looked from Roc to Joshua then back to Roc. He shook his head. “This man is dangerous,” he glared at both. “Now is not the time for distractions.”
Neither was going to insult the man’s intelligence. “Understood,” Joshua replied. “What’s going on with Gary?”
“He’s about to double cross the Admiral.”
“How so?” Roc asked.
“He has a stock pile of weapons used to setup the Attorney General. The Admiral who is in cahoots with Gary has ordered him to return the weapons back to Mexico. Gary has other plans.”
“He’s made
a deal,” Joshua stated.
Sly nodded. “He made a deal.” Sly began walking towards the building. “You two handle Gary. I’m taking McGary to the President.”
With that, Sly was gone.
“You think Gary will lead us to the weapons?” Roc asked as she stood behind Joshua looking over his shoulder at the man.
“Yes, he’s going to take us to those weapons, then I’m going to kill him for what he did to me.”
“I’m down with that.”
Joshua turned to look over his shoulder at her. “You’re after my heart, aren’t you darling?”
“He’s the one who started this. He put you in this position. He has to pay.”
“If you look at it that way, he’s responsible for me meeting you.” Joshua shrugged his shoulders.
“Once this is over with I’ll determine if I want to kill him fast for that atrocity or let him suffer. He’s moving.”
Joshua turned back to see Gary get into a black sedan. “Let’s roll.”
They got into the black SUV they had rented and began to follow him. They held back so they would not be detected. The black sedan parked in front of a building that looked like a warehouse. Neither moved from the vehicle until they saw Gary walk inside.
Joshua surveyed the building. One of his specialties was being able to gain access to a building that seemed to be impenetrable. There were several entry points he could explore to see what was inside the building. “I’m going in.”
Roc opened the door to step out, but Joshua put a hand on her shoulder. “You have to let me go at some point.”
He was right. Roc nodded. “You have ten minutes. If you’re not back, I’m coming in to get you.”
Joshua smiled displaying the deepest set of dimples. “I know you will, Angel.”
Roc grinned and watched as he crossed the street, then walked towards the back of the building. She scanned the area to get a feel for the layout. The people walking the block were mixed, but mostly Hispanic. There was clearly a lot of illegal activity taking place, however, that wasn’t their mission. Gaining control of those weapons was their number one priority. Joshua appeared on the roof of the building. She watched as he went undetected by those down on the street, then disappeared. He was indeed an amazing man, she thought as the feel of steel against her temple drew her attention.
