Risky Shot (15 page)

“Hmm, good morning, love.” Mo kissed her neck and pulled her closer to him.

“Mo, tell me what it is like being royal.” Maybe if she knew what to expect she wouldn’t be so nervous about their future together.

“It’s horrible. I won’t lie. There are so many expectations on you, but you have to be true to yourself. I grew up in a very strict home. Love was not commonplace, decorum was. That’s why I want a wife that I love and why I want to raise my children here without so many pressures on them. I will never be totally free from duty, though. There are meetings and events in Rahmi that I must attend. If I am fortunate enough to marry a woman of my choice, then I hope she would choose to come with me when I must travel. What was it like for you growing up?”

“I was lucky. I had a very loving and supporting family. Hugs, kisses, and celebrations for every milestone were normal in the De Luca household. I enjoyed seeing the world, but the only thing I would change was that I longed for one home. That’s why I want one so badly now. A loving home where I could raise my family.” Dani linked her fingers through Mo’s and brought his arm around her. She snuggled into his warmth and basked in the feel of him. She glanced up and looked around the room for the first time. It was a light tan color with a massive bed covered in the softest white fabric she had ever felt. The room had a fireplace, balcony, sitting area, a massive flat screen, and a separate room that was the closet next to the bathroom. Looking over at the nightstand, she saw a book Mo was reading and the clock.

“Oh crap. It’s already nine o’clock. We have a client coming into the office soon. I gotta go.” She jumped up and started searching the room for her clothes.

“I will call Ahmed. He will stay with you today. You will be safe with him.”

“What’s up with Ahmed? Why does just his name elicit fear in the FBI?”

“Ahmed is a trained soldier in my country. He is known for his interrogation techniques and his cold nature. He is fearless and will do whatever needs to be done to complete the mission. He is one of the main reasons our country has remained independent and not fallen under the control of one of the larger nations.”

“Wow. I would never have guessed. Why is he with you and not back in Rahmi?” She picked up her skirt and stepped into it while scanning the room for her panties.

“His brother is in control of our country’s armed forces now. Ahmed had been undercover for a couple of years and was ready for a break. After Ahmed foiled a plan to blow up our pipelines, my father rewarded him with this job. He has complete control over all security in the United States.”

After she slipped on her shoes, Dani brushed her fingers through her hair before quickly putting it into a ponytail. She ran over to the bed and kissed Mo. It was hard leaving him naked in bed, but her adoption client was coming in to fill out some paperwork for the social worker.

“I’ll see you later.”

In New York City...

Gene Pottinger grabbed another antacid from the bowl sitting on his desk. There was a brief knock at his door before it opened and Federal Judge Brian Voggel stepped in.

“What’s the big deal Pottinger? I have a murder trial in thirty minutes,” Voggel said as he took a seat in a leather chair facing the bank of windows overlooking the city.

“Not me. I cleared my calendar for this ‘crime prevention task meeting’. The Mayor was thrilled that I’m getting involved. When this is done, I am going to ‘get involved’ with that cute coffee girl downstairs,” Felting chuckled.

“Shut up Jarred. We have a major problem. The Lexington Office called this morning to let me know Edwards was killed in a robbery yesterday evening.” Pottinger watched the mood shift in the room.

“What was Edwards doing in Lexington? I thought he was gathering evidence against Chad?” LeMaster asked as he took a seat next to Voggel.

“Chad disappeared and I am positive he went after that attorney in Kentucky since he was having no luck finding the assistant here. I sent Edwards down there early yesterday morning to clean this mess up. The Lexington Office said he stopped for gas an hour north of Lexington and was killed when he tried to stop a burglary in process. I pulled his credit card records and saw where he purchased the gas. It looks like he went inside to pay and interrupted some thug holding up the clerk. Edwards tried to draw his weapon and the thug fired. At least, that's the story the Lexington newspaper says. Sounds like something Edwards would do.” Pottinger moved the picture of his family aside and thought about the hot piece of ass he was banging at the time Agent Parker had interrupted with the news. Damn Edwards for messing everything up.

“We were going to have to get rid of Edwards anyways. This is a blessing in disguise. Now we just have to take care of Chad and the women.” LeMaster brushed imaginary lint off his pant leg as he stood up, “Let’s just go forward with Plan B. Voggel, can you arrange it?”

“Of course. I think I have the perfect man in mind. I’ll let you know when I get the details finalized. Now, I have to get going. Gentlemen.” Voggel shook hands and walked out the door whistling a peppy beat under his breath.

In Keeneston...

“Ahmed. Stop scowling. You’re scaring off our clients,” Tammy chided. “Dani, every person that comes in the door is patted down and glared at. I know he’s eye candy, but geez, he’s scary eye candy.” Tammy gave him a once-over as she complained.

“I am just seeing to your safety.” Dani could have sworn she saw a slight blush in his face when Tammy called him eye candy and had trouble not laughing.

Dani felt horrible. It wasn’t like he was doing a bad job. He was actually doing such a good job that no one wanted to get near them.

“Thank you, Ahmed. You are simply too good at your job.” Dani gave him a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Don’t forget about me. I want to thank you for keeping me safe too!” Tammy jumped up and ran around the desk. Her new pale green highlights shimmering in her blonde hair. She grabbed Ahmed and gave him a hug. One hand resting on his chest and the other one slid down and grabbed a handful of butt. “Hmm. I am going to miss you.” Tammy let go and walked back to her desk with a huge smile.

Dani looked at Ahmed and couldn’t believe the size of a smile he had on his face. Apparently, Henry had an apprentice.

Dani was researching adoption procedures and writing a memo for Kenna when Tammy flung herself dramatically through the door. “I can’t take it. They just keep getting hotter and hotter.”

When Dani got done with the research, she wanted to go thank Marshall for the lessons. She was sure they helped her greatly. The bell rang over the door and then rang again and again. After a couple of minutes it rang again. Not being able to focus with the rising hum of noise coming from the lobby, she decided to take a break and go talk to Marshall. She walked around the corner and stopped. The lobby was filled with women. Some in jeans, some in outfits fit for a garden party. One consistency though, was the flirty looks they kept sending Marshall. Henry was in the conference room looking like he had died and gone to Heaven while working his way through the line of women.

Dani walked up to Tammy and whispered to her. “What is going on?”

“Well, in Keeneston the Davies brothers are something of legend. They raised hell and broke hearts when they were younger. Then they went off to the military and came back as decorated heroes. They are the most eligible men in town. Word got out that Marshall was hanging out here and the women came flocking to try to get his attention. I swear this has been the most fun I have ever had at work.”

Dani slowly worked her way through the crowd of women vying for Marshall’s attention and sat down beside him. She sat next to him on the loveseat and rubbed the top of her foot. She counted at least four women who had stomped their pretty heels onto her foot as she tried to make her way to Marshall’s side.

“Thank you for your lessons. I don’t think I would have been able to keep my head without them.”

Marshall leaned over and gave her a hug. The mood in the room shifted, and suddenly she was in fear for her life again. The group of women gave her the eye and began plotting amongst themselves.

“Are you ready to head home?” Marshall asked. A choir of outraged noise filled the lobby.

“You better get me out of this safely,” Dani whispered to him.

“Fine. You’re no fun,” he whispered back. He cleared his throat to gain the attention of every woman there. “I best get you back to your boyfriend.” The mood instantly shifted, bringing back smiles and adoring eyes. Dani shook her head and walked back to her things. She knew she was leaving early, but it had just been too weird of a day.

Marshall watched her climb the stairs of Mo’s house before driving off. She opened the door and walked into the foyer. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the lack of humidity for a second. When she opened her eyes, an older man was walking toward her. He was dressed in an expensive suit and his face was cold. She looked down at her tan sandals from Payless and her pink sheath dress from the Dress Barn and instantly felt inadequate.

“What do you want? What are you doing here?” he demanded. Dani recoiled and backed up against the wall.

“I am here to see Mo. Who are you?”

“There is no Mo here. There is only His Highness, Mohtadi Ali Rahman. You are certainly not here to see him. You are here to con your way into his bed, his bank account, and his title.”

Ah, Mo’s father. She wondered if Mo even knew he was here. Dani regretted not calling first, but she was too excited to see him again. And now, she was face to face with a bitter old man. If anything, she felt sadness upon meeting him. She was sad that Mo had to grow up under such a domineering and unhappy parent.

“You are nothing… nothing to my son and certainly nothing to me. You do not know how to be a proper wife or even a proper lady. You would be an embarrassment. You are just selling yourself in hopes of landing it rich,” he continued his attempt to degrade her.

She almost smiled at that. She was a very rich woman. If he had done any research into her instead of just assuming, he would have very easily found out she was the sole heir to the De Luca Winery. It may be a small winery compared to the factories that put out hundreds of millions of bottles of cheap wine, but it was still very lucrative. Her father’s wine starts out at five hundred dollars a bottle and goes up into the thousands. She hadn’t looked at her trust fund since she turned eighteen, and vowed not to touch it until she was thirty. However, nine years ago it had over thirty million dollars in it.

“You drive a car that is nothing but trash, just like you. You are here only a day and already you have a chauffeur driving you around at my son’s expense. You are a parasite.”

It was one thing to criticize her, but to criticize her car was something completely different. She had worked hard for that car and it was a symbol to her parents and to the world that she wasn’t a spoiled rich girl that was lucky enough to be born into one of the oldest family wineries in the world. That car was a testament to her character.

“Enough. You have already made incorrect assumptions about me, and that’s fine. That just shows your lack of intelligence and good manners. But I will no longer listen to you degrade me and everything I have worked hard for.”

“No, Danielle. He will not speak to any guest in my house like that. Father, please leave. We will conclude our talks tomorrow morning when I have calmed down.” Not waiting for his father to leave, Mo held out his hand for Danielle to take. When she did so, he pulled her along the hallway, never once looking back at his father.

Chapter Thirteen

Mo didn’t stop walking until he was in his study with the door closed and locked behind him. He paced back and forth in an obvious effort to control his anger. “I am so sorry. My father is an uncaring man.”