I reach beneath her skirt and kiss the back of her neck as she twists to look at me over her shoulder. “Who is Linsey?”
I slide my hand up the back of her thigh. “My paralegal.”
She grabs my wrist, stopping me from going further. “You’ve never talked about her.”
And I don’t wish to now, either. “I’ve had no reason to. We never discuss my job.”
“How long has she worked for you?”
I’m not surprised my wife wants details. I would if she were working side by side with a man I didn’t know.
“When I was in law school, Linsey came forward and volunteered to be my paralegal when I became defender for the brotherhood. The Fellowship sent her to college where she was properly trained to be my legal assistant.”
“So this has been in the works for years?”
“Yes. Only men must choose a service to The Fellowship when they come of age but some women do as well—the ones who want to work and contribute by means other than being claimed and taken care of by a man.”
“I’m sure it was a painful choice on her part to volunteer to be up your ass every day. Let me guess. She isn’t married?”
“No, but I am. Happily.”
I know where Bleu’s going with this. She’s suggesting Linsey volunteered as a close contact so she could pursue snagging me. And my wife’s absolutely right. Linsey has confirmed that as her intention on more than one occasion.
Complete honesty. It’s the only way to handle this.
“She has tried to fuck me but I turned her down.”
Bleu twists in my arms so we’re face to face. “Since we’ve been together?”
“Technically, we weren’t together. She didn’t come to work for me until after I finished my traineeship. It happened after you were back in the US.”
“She had no idea I left you. As far as she was concerned, we were still a couple when she tried to sleep with you. That’s a betrayal against me.”
I was wrong. She’s not jealous. She’s angry.
“You should know now that Linsey and I will be having our own Fellowship meeting later today.”
I look at the clock and see we’ve wasted three of our fifteen minutes having this asinine conversation. “Fine. You’re to become her leader. Handle it the way you think you must. Until then, shut up and kiss me,” I growl before my lips crash against hers.
She doesn’t push away. Instead, she melts into my arms.
Her mouth tastes minty fresh but it’s not what I’m craving. “Turn around.”
I help her twist so she’s facing the sofa again. I put my hand between her shoulder blades and push them down so her bum is bent over the arm—right where I want it. I glide my hand over one cheek before lifting it and bringing my palm down against it playfully, but with enough force to catch her attention.
She squeals. “Oh! What was that for?”
“I want your full attention on us and what we’re about to do. Your wild imagination conjuring things that have not happened has no place here. Understand?”
“Aye,” she says, a giggle escaping.
I laugh at her use of the word I so often say to her. “Good. I’m happy we’re on the same page.”
I lift the bottom of her black skirt so her bum is exposed. She’s wearing pink knickers, the ones barely covering anything. No surprise there. I saw her put them on when she was getting ready this morning. They made me hard then and they’re making me hard now.
I glide my palm over the silky fabric barely covering the cheek I spanked. “I’ve spent a lot of nights on this couch wondering where you were and imagining what I’d do to you if I ever got you like this.”
“And now that you have me where you want me, what are you going to do?”
I glide my middle finger down her cleft, only the fabric of her knickers preventing me from pushing my finger inside. “Things so dirty they should never be done in the light of day.”
She straightens her arms and presses them into the cushion of the sofa, bracing for what’s to come.
I look at the clock and then at the open door. Fuck! I should have closed it. My mistake. But in my defense, I didn’t know we were going to have a conversation about a sofa that would spark me bending my wife over its arm for an early-morning shag.
I’m wrestling with the choice of dragging Bleu’s knickers to her knees or helping her upright and offering a rain check for my dirty deeds.
My decision is made for me when I hear the closing of Linsey’s desk drawer, announcing her arrival. No kidding. She’s been working here for months and has arrived at a quarter after on the dot every single day. Until now. She’s nine minutes early. “Un-fucking-believable.”
Bleu looks over her shoulder at me. “What?”
“She’s in early today.”
Bleu drops her head and sighs. “Dammit. I was so looking forward to seeing what you classified as an act so dirty it should never be done in the light of day.”
I kiss the back of her head and pull her skirt down to cover her bum. I pat it lovingly before helping her to stand. “Later. You have my word.”
“That’s a promise I’ll expect you to keep.”
* * *
My wife is pleasant to Linsey when they’re introduced but I don’t mistake their meeting for anything other than what it is—the calm before the storm. Linsey has a special kind of hell waiting for her, and its name is Bleu Breckenridge.
Since I have last-minute preparations for court, I place Bleu in the capable hands of my mum’s oldest and dearest friend, Treva, for a tour of the third floor.
I’m finishing up the final touches of my argument when my father appears at my office door. “Got a minute?”
I look at the clock. “I have exactly fourteen to spare.”
“Good. What I have to say can be said in thirteen.”
“That’ll be all, Linsey.”
“Yes, sir.”
My father waits until the door is shut. It’s his way. He never talks shop in front of anyone but those who sit at the leadership table. Doesn’t matter how trivial. “You must be proud to see your wife showing an interest in BI.”
“Of course. Mum was right to suggest Bleu make a visit.”
“I agree. It’s very important for Bleu to understand the business part of The Fellowship but as your wife, she has another very important job as well. Is she aware of the expectations placed upon her?”
I’m a little surprised my father is already bringing this up. “She knows and it’s in the works.”
My father grins. “Bleu’s already pregnant?”
“Not yet, but she’s agreed to work on it. We saw a doctor last week and he gave us the go-ahead.” I’m not telling my father about Bleu’s reproductive issues. It’ll only cause unnecessary concern.
“My grandchildren will be Amanda’s grandchildren. They’ll each carry a small piece of her and me in them. You can’t imagine how incredibly special that will make them to me.”
I hadn’t thought of that.
“Your mum will be so pleased to have a baby in the family. She adores children.”
“I suspect as much.” I’m certain my mum is itching to get her hands on a grandchild since all of her children were taken from her so young.
I understand my father did what he thought was right for The Fellowship but he was wrong. And I don’t plan on repeating his mistakes. He needs to know this early on. “If we have a son, I won’t take him from her.”
“You don’t have a choice. Your son must be raised in The Fellowship way.”
“And he will be—raised by both of his parents.”
“The brotherhood will not agree.”
“Their approval is not a requirement.”
“Your son will be a weak leader if he’s not raised among strong councilmen.”
My father is wrong. “I’m stronger with Bleu by my side. The same will be true for our children. End of story.”
Chapter Fifteen
Bleu
Breckenridge
Treva has shown me far more than I ever wanted to see on the third floor housing BI. The average person walking through would only see a nice business front. What they wouldn’t pick up on is the slew of illegal activities happening behind the scenes.
They steal from thieves, terrorists, rival criminal organizations, and so on. I find myself justifying the acts they commit. The longer I’m one of them, the easier it is to turn a blind eye. The agent I was a year ago would never have done that.
I return to the legal department and to Sin’s office. I sit in his chair and pick up the framed photo of us on his desk. It was taken at my initiation during the vow ceremony. He had just cut my hand, and then his own. Our fingers are laced, a trickle of blood oozing down our arms. It was such a primitive thing for him to do. And hot. I still remember how much I wanted him afterward.
My phone alerts me to a new message.
*Tied up with a client. Don’t know how long I’ll be. See you at home in a little while. Love you.*
Well, no christening the couch tonight. And no dirty deeds that should never see the light of day. Not that they would have anyway. It’s already dark out.
I pull on my coat and situate my scarf so I don’t freeze my ass off when I walk out into the frigid wind. It’s going to take awhile for this southern girl to grow accustomed to the cold.
I leave my husband’s office and find Linsey sitting at her desk. It’s after five o’clock and she’s the only one left—besides me.
“Linsey.” She jerks at the sound of my voice. She’s undeniably surprised to see me.
She clears her voice and does a terrible job of forcing a faux cough as I move toward her. She fidgets, straightening stacks of files on her desk, moving the same pile three times.
“Did you have a good day touring BI?”
“Very good, thank you.”
I’m not like other women. I don’t feed into female drama. I’ve never played their catty games and I won’t now. But I strongly suspect this woman is hanging around the office to steal a moment with my husband. She needs to understand that’s unacceptable and I won’t tolerate it.
I wheel an empty chair from a neighboring vacant desk into Linsey’s space. I sit so we’re facing one another.
My original plan was to get in her face, threaten her with bodily harm if she ever tried that shit with my husband again. The scene played out in my head most of the morning. But my plan has changed. The strong woman Sin needs by his side wouldn’t deal with this situation in that manner.
Leadership isn’t a position or title. It’s action and example. Everyone is watching to see how I’ll react to the problems thrown my way.
“Say my name, Linsey.”
“Mrs. Breckenridge.” Her eyes are large, her voice unsteady.
“Correct. I’m Mrs. Breckenridge. That means Sin has a wife so there’s only room for one woman in his bed.”
“I … ”
I hold my hand up to silence her. “Distrust is our only defense against betrayal. And I’d like to thank you for making it clear early on that I should never trust you.”
“I don’t know what you mean.” There’s little that annoys me more than a woman playing dumb.
“Sin will be leader of The Fellowship when Thane steps down. I’m his wife. That will make me your leader. You’ve already lost my trust. Do you really want to lose my respect as well?”
She fidgets in her chair. Her legs bounce. She bites her bottom lip.
“I know what you think of me but you’re wrong. I’m not like those women who want to be claimed. I didn’t volunteer for this job so I could be close to Sin and make a place for myself at the top of the hierarchy. I want to work and be independent so I don’t have to count on a man for everything.”
I watch her body language as she speaks. I think she’s telling me the truth but I suspect there’s more to the story.
“That sounds all well and good until you factor in the part where you tried to sleep with Sin while I was away. I’m a firm believer that when someone shows you who they are, you’re wise to believe them.”
She looks defeated. “I didn’t want to do it.”
“Elaborate.”
“Abram made me,” she says.
That son of a bitch.
“What were his instructions?” I ask.
“He told me to fuck Sinclair until he forgot you.”
That bastard knew Sin loved me and would come for me.
“You realize you’re betraying Abram by confiding in me?”
“I value your trust and respect more than his. I’m hoping you’ll see it as a gesture of good faith. And perhaps come to forget what I did.”
Linsey isn’t stupid. She understands loyalty to Abram won’t serve her well for long since Sin will be replacing him soon.
Abram is cunning. I’m sure he made this woman feel as though her only choice was to carry out his orders.
Harry taught me that honorable people choose to restore dignity in others. “I think it’s possible we can put this behind us. But remember—you can’t ask for trust. It can only be earned.”
“I understand.”
“Good. I think this was a very productive meeting.” I get up and return my chair back to its home. “Would you like to walk out with me?”
“I think I would.”
She gathers her things and we step onto the lift together. “The other Fellowship women, I mean the ones you’ve spent time with this week, like you very much. I see why.”
“I’m happy to hear that.”
We stop in the lobby of the BI building to bundle up before stepping out into the cold. “Want to share a cab?”
“My sister is picking me up. We have a standing date for dinner every Monday night. You should join us.”
Sin has no idea how long he’ll be tied up. I don’t really want to go home to an empty house.
“I’d like that very much.”
* * *
After dinner, I part ways with Linsey and her sister. Sterling is busy with Sin so I’m left with cabbing it home.
The wind is brutal. I immediately want to return to the warmth I’ve just left. I pull on gloves and shiver in the faint drizzle. Though it’s not enough for an umbrella, I lift my hood to cover my head since it’ll eventually accumulate and leave me with a wet head.
I walk to the edge of the street to hail a taxi. Thank God I don’t have to wait long. I’m chilled to the bone.
I call out my address to the driver. His voice comes over the speaker into the back of the cab. “I’m sorry. Can you repeat that?”
It’s the accent. I think Scots ask me to repeat things so they can get another listen and try to peg where I’m from.
I open my mouth to repeat my address and see Abram leaving the same restaurant. He gets into the taxi in front of us.
Sin says I must have proof if I’m going to name Abram a suspect. There’s only one way to find proof. I must investigate him. “I’ve changed my mind. I’d like you to follow that cab in front of us instead.”
We leave the financial district. We take a bazillion side roads, finally landing in a small village on the edge of the city. Abram’s taxi stops in front of a tiny stone cottage. “Drive past slowly.”
This doesn’t look like the psychopath’s type of hangout. He enjoys the finer things in life so I’m intrigued by what would bring the high-and-mighty Abram to this neck of the woods.
I duck low in the back seat and watch him walk toward the cottage’s front door. “Pull forward and I’ll get out two cottages down.”
I backtrack to the house and note it’s a private residence. He’s visiting someone. Who?
I doubt this will benefit my investigation at all but one important lesson I learned from being an agent: a discovery can seem entirely unrelated and then turn out to be the crucial piece of evidence to blow the lid off.
I’m covered by darkness so I don’t fear gaining the attention of the neighbors as I dart around to the
back of the stone cottage. I tiptoe across the damp grass but I don’t have far to go. The backyard is tiny, as most are in Edinburgh.
I listen for a moment and then peek through the window of the back entrance. No sign of Abram or his host.
I turn the knob and discover it’s locked. No problem. I’ve been picking locks like this since I was thirteen.
I take my lock-picking instruments from my purse. I consider them a staple for my handbag, the same as some women carry lip gloss.
I insert the tension wrench into the lower portion of the keyhole. I put the pick into the upper part and rake the pins. In under a minute, music to my ears as the tumbler clicks over. “Boosh.”
That was too easy. No way this place belongs to someone from The Fellowship. Or any other criminal organization. There’s no deadbolt or barrier preventing a home invasion. The person living in this place isn’t concerned with such things.
I slowly crack the door. The creak of hinges is the only sound. No voices. Odd.
I move through the kitchen, coming to a sudden stop when my weight causes the floor beneath my feet to creak. Damn these old buildings.
No one is in the living area. That’s where one would expect a visit to occur. Again, odd. Until I hear the sound from the room at the end of the hallway. Grunts. Moans. Rhythmic squeaking. I can’t mistake it for anything else. Sex.
Well, well. The psychopath has a lover. And I’d bet my ass she isn’t Fellowship. No way a woman from within the circle would stay in a dump like this when she knows Abram could put her up in the finest flat in Edinburgh.
I don’t need to see what’s happening. I’ll vomit if I do. I creep out the same way I crept in.
I sit on the bench at the bus stop on the corner and pull my hood tightly over my head. I wrap my scarf around the lower half of my face for warmth. And concealment.
Abram leaves ten minutes later. Not a cuddler, I suppose. No shock there.
My mind goes into brainstorm mode on the best way to connect with this woman. Sometimes it’s like hiding in plain sight. The most obvious is the most oblivious. I’ll just knock on her door.