Prisoner and Together: All of You series complete set (28 page)

“Here,” an agent says, and opens a door to the Oval Office. 

Riley and Killian have to wait outside, but Tony firmly has my hand.  He’s not leaving me anywhere.  My eyes grow wide, and I’m sure I have a stupid expression on my face when I glance back at Killian.  He nods, and takes a defensive stance.

“Chief Antony Roman,” the President exclaims when he sees us, and reaches out his hand to take Tony’s, and clasps it warmly.  “And you must be Detective Melanie Vaden.  Look this way,” he says.  I’m standing to Tony’s left, and he’s shaking hands with the president, and that’s when I notice there are cameras in the room.

“Another,” the photographer says.  “Smile!”

I look into the camera, and do as I’m told. 

“She doesn’t take too kindly to being ordered around,” Tony jokes.  Is that supposed to make me smile?

“I didn’t just bring you here to get pictures with you, son.  I want you to be the first to know, I’ve pardoned you.  You are as free as you were before the trial.  Your record is expunged.”  Tony doesn’t react, but the president laughs.  “I’ve spoken with the Secretary of the Navy.  You can go back into the SEALs, with the promotions you would have expected to earn had you been in the service.  Or, I believe, you can take your retirement package.  It’s up to you.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. President.  I wasn’t expecting this,” he stammers.

“You don’t have to decide right now.  We’ll mail you the documents.  To Detective Vaden’s address, I assume.  But we’ll give you this today.”  An aid opens a black leather box, then hands it to the president.  He hands it to Tony, and I look inside it to see a Bronze Star tucked into a bed of black velvet.  I hear the cameras clicking.  “These normally take place in public, but I’m sure you can understand, with the security threat, why we chose not to on this occasion.” 

Once the pictures have been taken, the president reaches over and takes my hand to shake it.  “I’m glad Chief Roman has found a champion who refused to allow him to become a victim of the system he was handed over to, so undeservedly.”

I shake his hand eagerly.  “Thank you, Mr. President.  I voted for you,” I admit. 

“Thank you.  I appreciate that.  We’ll contact you two for the next campaign.”  He really is personable, and charismatic.  Then he makes an almost imperceptible motion with his hand.  “I’m happy to deliver the news personally.  But now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a very important meeting.” 

One of the Secret Service agents escorts us out.  Tony’s hand is again firmly in mine.  Riley and Killian are still waiting for us right outside the Oval Office.

“I really need that cigarette now,” Tony exclaims.

“You may be a free man, Roman, but you’re still mine,” Killian retorts.  He’s in front of us, and Riley is behind us.  I feel like maybe Killian is feeling a little paranoid too.  A Secret Service agent drives us back to the hotel.  “Order your room service, then pack.  We’re headed to Pittsburgh.  And remember this, because I’m the best friend you’ve ever had.  One day I will ask for a favor you cannot refuse.”

I chuckle out loud.  I didn’t realize he was so funny.

“I was so stunned, I forgot to ask about my team,” Tony groans.  “Pittsburgh?”

“They’ve all been pardoned too.  And yes, Pittsburgh.  I think it will be safer than Winston right now.”

“What about your shit storm?”  I remind him, as we’re getting off the elevator, and walking toward our rooms.

“It’ll still be storming when we return,” he states, and stops at the door to his room.  “The plane leaves in four hours, I’ll knock in two.  And don’t open the door if it isn’t me.”

Tony rolls his eyes, but I move into his body and wrap my arm around his waist.  As soon as the door is open, I grab him, and hold him.  “I love you,” I remind him, as I place my cheek against his chest, and hold him tighter.  “I am so happy I met you.”

He’s quiet, and breathing deeply.  After several minutes, he says, “I’m hungry.”

Chapter Fourteen

Tony

“I’m so fucking nervous to meet Lauren’s lawyer.”  I’m not ashamed to say it, even while Riley and Burke are sitting in the taxi with us, on the way to the hotel in Pittsburgh.  “How can I convince her I’m trying to be a good parent?  I don’t have a bank account.  I don’t have an address.  I don’t even have a drivers’ license.”  Somehow, Burke had produced a passport, simply because he needed to get me on the plane to DC somehow. 

“We can take care of that for you,” Burke assures me.  “Don’t worry about any of that stuff.  Just worry about your kids.”

“Okay, because I have a check for a few million dollars in the hotel room, waiting on me to get a bank account so I can cash it.”  I glance at Lani, and she is unaffected by the announcement.  She already knew it was in the works, though.  It’s not like I’m surprising her.

“Wait, you left a million dollar check in a hotel room?” Burke wonders aloud, as he shakes his head at me.

“It’s in the drawer.”  It’s actually at the lawyer’s office, but I’m enjoying watching Burke’s conniption fit.  I like jerking his chain.  The publishing company sent a check for half of the contract up front, and of course I’ll have to give part of it to Worthington.

“Yes, because the maids won’t look in the drawer,” Burke responds sarcastically.  “And you’re paying the FBI back for this trip.”

“Can we stop talking about the check?” Lani demands, and glances at the driver.

Right then we arrive at the hotel.  Burke pays for the cab, and we all grab our suitcases.  Lani joins Burke at the desk, and walks back quickly with a small envelope.  Burke gets two envelopes, one each for him and Riley. 

“We’ll all meet down here in an hour,” Burke states, when he notices the restaurant in the lobby.  No one argues with him.  All four of us are silent in the elevator, and when we exit.  I notice, as we arrive at our rooms, that Riley is across the hall from us, and Burke is beside us. 

“See you two in an hour,” Burke reminds us. 

I nod in reply, and Lani gets the door unlocked.  Finally we’re inside yet another hotel room.  “I am so fucking tired of hotel rooms.”

“I think this one has a pool.  Maybe we can find you a swimsuit, and spend some time down there.”  She doesn’t stop in the living room, instead she walks straight into the bedroom.  “I don’t want to go down to the lobby.  I want to sleep for the next twenty-four hours,” she groans, as she sits down on the bed.  Then, she extends her arms out to her sides, and flops backwards. 

I crawl onto the bed, and lay on my side next to her.  “Lani, let’s run away.”

“Okay, let’s go.”  She rolls over to look at me, and her green eyes are glittering. 

“I’m serious, baby.  I don’t have a guard at the door.  I’m a free man.  I have a passport.  I have money.  We could go anywhere.”  I reach out and brush her hair out of her face.  It’s not blonde, but it’s still not the right color.  Maybe I’ll get used to it.  My fingertips graze her cheek, and she turns slightly.  Her lips brush my palm.  It’s like my insides still melt every time she touches me.

“Where do you want to go?”  She places her hand over mine, and holds it tight so she can kiss it.  She makes me so hard, with the smallest gestures. 

“Fiji.” 

She scoffs, and closes her eyes as she moves closer to me.  My heart tightens, and my stomach does flips.  The closer she gets, the farther I fall.

“I’m totally serious.  Baby, I’m tired of being afraid that something is gonna happen to you.  Look at what happened this morning.  If anything had happened to you, I would have had to kill someone.  Even in the White House, I was afraid I was gonna have to fight some crazy ass gunman for you.”  My voice sounds husky to my own ears.

“Me too,” she whispers.  It trails over my ears, and down my spine.

“We don’t need to live like this baby.  We can go somewhere, anywhere, and not have to worry about it.  Wouldn’t you like not having to look over your shoulder?”  She rolls her eyes.  “I’m serious.”

“And what about Max and Lauren?”  She knows how to grab my attention, and my heart.  “You wanna see them, don’t you?”

“What if they go after my kids, baby?  I would have to kill someone.”  Just the thought of it is making me see red.  I take a deep breath, trying to calm the emotions swelling inside me.

“Why do you think the prison guards would go after your kids?” 

“Why do you think they are the ones who came after us in the hotel?  Why would they be in D.C.?  How would they even know we were here?”  Saying it out loud makes it real.  Having suspicions that the last attack might be related to the Congressional hearing is one thing, but saying them out loud, and planting the idea in her head, is another. 

Her eyes squint up at me.  Then, I see the realization in them.  “Jesus, Tony, no.”

I sigh loudly, and wrap my arm around her waist to pull her into my body.  “I don’t know, baby.  I really don’t know.”  I wish now I hadn’t said it, but it’s too late.

Lani

My forehead is resting against his shoulder, and his hand is in my hair.  He is my safe place now.  His dark eyes feel like home.  But I just can’t believe what he’s saying.  “I refuse to believe that my government is trying to kill me.” 

“Maybe I’m wrong.  Maybe it was some rogue legislator who doesn’t want the public to know he attended death matches with Federal prisoners.”  His voice is my lullaby.  He is trying to remove the idea from my head, but he can’t.

“Has the FBI questioned the shooter?”  Now I’m in cop mode.  Now I have to know the answers.  He’s silent, and I glance up at him to ask him again.  There’s something in his expression, though, that makes me stop.  And breathe.  He doesn’t need a cop right now.  He doesn’t need me to be analytical, or to fix the problem.  He’s a smart guy, he doesn’t need me to think for him.  He needs a girlfriend. 

I reach out to touch his skin, and I hear his sharp intake of breath.  He didn’t shave today, and his cheeks are slightly scratchy. 

“Are you tired?”  He shrugs.  “Does your shoulder hurt?”  He nods his head a little.  “I’ll go downstairs and get you some aspirin.” 

“No,” he replies.  “Stay here with me.” 

“Okay.”  I trace his cheekbone, over his forehead, and down his nose.  He really is the most attractive, sexy man I’ve ever seen.  He doesn’t look anywhere near his age.  “I should check your bandage.” 

He nods, and rolls over onto his back.  I move up onto my knees, and lean down to unbutton his shirt. When his shirt is unbuttoned, I close my eyes for a moment, because his beauty overwhelms me.  I pull the tail of his shirt out of his pants, and my fingers brush against his gorgeous, defined abs.

“I haven’t seen you do a single sit-up.  How is your stomach still so sculpted?”  I’m trying to drag my eyes away from his incredible torso, to check his wound, but it’s hard.  When I let my eyes move up his bare chest, I see that he has a little bit of blood on his bandage.  “Honey, you’re bleeding a little.”

As I say it, I jump out of the bed, and look around in my make-up bag.  I search for, and find the extra bandages I’d shoved in there.  Then I glance back at Tony, and he’s watching me, with his right hand behind his head.  Shirtless, he’s stunning.  I smile at him, as I gently place the antibiotic ointment on the wound, then cover it with the bandage.  I trace the line down the center of his chest, before I begin buttoning his shirt back up.  Then I softly kiss his lips.

“Feel better?”  I wonder aloud.  But I understand the reason he’s watching me.  While I’m taking care of him, I’m completely focused on him.  I’ve forgotten all about the threat that we’re facing.  “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

“Maybe,” he murmurs, with a crooked grin.  He is unapologetic.  His dark eyes shine mischievously. 

“It worked.” I snuggle up against him, with my lips right against his ear.  “I know you’re nervous about seeing your kids.  But we can do this, Tony.  Together, we’re unbeatable.”  I love touching him.  I love touching and tasting his skin.  I like the trust that he gives me.  I love the way he feels, and the way he smells. 

“You’ll be there with me, when I see them?” he asks in a low voice.

“I’m going to be beside you for the rest of your life, and nothing is going to come between us.  You understand that?”  He nods at me, and I feel relieved. 

Tony

I feel incredible as I watch the hockey game on one of the TVs in the restaurant.  We are all four chatting and laughing.  Unlike the last time we all ate out together, this time I’m free.  And I feel free.  I glance at Lani, and she’s drinking a beer and eating nachos, but her eyes are on the screen.  Suddenly, she covers her mouth, jumps off the stool, and takes off running.  I step down, and follow after her. 

“You two okay?” Burke calls out.  Apparently he’s too interested in the hockey game and his food to guard his charges.

“Yea,” I call out over my shoulder.  I scan the patrons at the bar, and the people at the other tables eating dinner.  No one stands out as suspicious.  Then I glance toward the exits.  Everything looks clear.  So I follow after Lani, down the short hallway to the restrooms.  I’m not ashamed to go in after her, either.  Ladies go into stalls, they don’t have to stand there like men with their junk hanging out, so everyone can look at you like you’re some kind of freak of nature.  Having a ten-inch cock is not as spectacular as you would think.

When I enter, I hear her hurling.  I look under the stalls, find the pair of feet that are facing the commode, and knock.  “Lani, are you in there?”

Another woman yells out, “You shouldn’t be in here!” from the next stall.

“My girlfriend’s ill.  I’m just checking on her, ma’am.”  As I say it, Lani hurls again.  “Open the door Lani.”

“I’m fine.  Wait outside,” she moans. 

I just stand there for a moment, waiting for her to change her mind.  “I’ll be right outside the door, if you need me.”  I have to say it loudly, over the noise.  I really wish I could help her in some way.

The older lady exits the restroom, and gives me a dirty look.  I open the swinging door to find Lani rinsing her mouth at the sink.  “Can I help you?” 

“No.  I must have caught a bug while travelling,” she says, as she wipes her face with a paper towel.

“Let’s go up to the room, baby.  You’ll feel better up there.”  She gazes at me with a sad look, and I move toward her and take her in my arms. 

“You haven’t finished eating,” she says, with a frown.

“I’ll get it to take with me,” I assure her.  When I pull away, her hand is on her stomach.  I wonder if she’s wishing she was pregnant.  “I just want to take care of you.”

She nods, and sighs, “Okay.”

We walk back to the table, and she looks miserable.  I ask for a box from our waitress, and when it arrives I scrape the food remaining on my plate into it. 

When the waitress offers Lani a box for her nachos, she gives a resounding, “No.”  Her face goes all pale again. 

“Sorry,” I say to Burke and Riley, as I glance at the TV once more to check the score. 

“Do what you gotta do,” Riley answers, and waves us off.  So I have my arm wrapped protectively around her waist, while still trying to hold the Styrofoam container, as we head toward the elevators.  I’m looking around at everyone, waiting for someone to pull a gun.  No one does. 

“I’m okay, really,” Lani protests, but as soon as I let her go the elevator lurches, and she stumbles against me.  She grabs me tight, and I smile down at the top of her head.  When we are standing at the door, she produces the key and opens it.  I sit my food down on the desk. 

I make sure I’m facing her when I ask, “Baby, do you want to go see a doctor?”  I feel helpless, and I need to be able to gauge her emotions to help me figure out how to act, or react.

She shakes her head, and leans on me until we’re in the bedroom, then she hurries to the bathroom.  I think she’s going to be sick again, so I turn on the TV and find the game, and settle into the bed.  But she quickly comes out dressed in shorts and a tank top, showing too much of her delectable little body. 

Then, she hurries toward the sitting room, and returns with my food.  “Are you going to eat this?”  As she asks, she joins me on the bed and curls up against my body.  She wiggles around, until she’s comfortable, then opens the box.  She takes one of the chicken fingers, and offers me the other. 

I have absolutely no idea what’s going on, so I eat my chicken and watch the game, while she cheers beside me.  I don’t think I’ve been this confused in a long time.