Leather & Lace: Trident Security Book 1 (26 page)
Read Leather & Lace: Trident Security Book 1 Online
Authors: Samantha Cole
"Please. Whoever fired the shot into Ernesto's heart did me a favor. I was going to have to have him eliminated at some point anyway. If someone found out about my relationship to him, my career would have been over."
His weapon still aimed at Beltram's head, Carter took several more steps forward, stopping between the two guest chairs on his side of the large desk. "Then why? What did Jeff Mullins have on you?"
Before answering, the senator took a sip of his expensive scotch, savoring the taste on his tongue and the burn down his throat. The man was cockier than a rooster in a hen house. "I was at a political function for one of my constituents in Virginia and was introduced to Mullins by Admiral Richardson. I didn't know who Mullins was but I got the feeling he knew me and wasn't happy about it. I had a friend do a little discreet checking and found out Mullins was a retired SEAL, specifically one who had been on a fact-finding mission in Colombia and Rio de Janeiro looking into Ernesto. I remembered meeting my cousin in Rio at some big shin-dig down there at the time and put two and two together. Mullins must've recognized me from there and if he made the connection, there was a good chance the rest of his team would, too. It was a risk I couldn't take." He shrugged as if ordering the deaths of seven highly-decorated SEALs was no big deal.
"Did you always know Diaz was related to you or is it something that came as a surprise?"
"After my mother passed away, God rest her poor soul, I found a copy of my birth certificate and decided to find my bastard father. The search led me to family I didn't know I had. Ernesto and I became...associates, I guess you can call it. He funded my education and lifestyle and I, in return, became a valuable asset in Dallas for him."
He paused. The back-up guards for his missing protective detail should be here at any moment, so he just had to keep talking. It didn't matter what he said since the intruder wouldn't be alive in a half hour. "Now, I've answered your questions, so how much is it going to cost me to get you to walk out of here and leave me alive?"
Carter fired one barely audible bullet into Senator Luis Beltram's head and another into his chest then turned around and strode out the door before the dead man's forehead hit the desk in front of him.
"Not a damn penny."
Ten Weeks Later
Devon peered at Kristen sitting next to him in their first class seats of their flight to Nepal. He normally didn't flaunt his money with expensive purchases, but he flew first class whenever he could, especially if they were spending sixteen hours in the air. She was staring out the window and he could tell she was nervous by the way she fingered the diamond and platinum collar around her neck. It was stunning on her yet simple enough so she could wear it every day. For when she got dressed up, there was a large blue sapphire pendant which could be added with a small hidden latch and hook. The sapphire was her birthstone and he loved how the color complimented her ivory skin. She said she loved it because it matched his eyes. He'd removed her black leather collar and replaced it with the one he and a jeweler with BDSM experience had designed for her during a surprise collaring ceremony at the club seven weeks ago. What she didn't know was he had also purchased a matching engagement ring for her at the same time. The ring was sitting safely in its little blue box in his carry-on luggage. He planned on them being an engaged couple before they returned to the states in two weeks, in time for Christmas.
They were on their way to meet up with his parents at a medical clinic located about an hour away from the airport they'd be landing at soon. It was the first time she would be meeting his folks and, although he tried to assure her Chuck and Marie Sawyer were down to earth and would love her at once, she was still anxious to get the introductions over with.
He'd met her parents and step-parents at Thanksgiving. Her step-mother had invited her mother and Ed to join them for the holiday after Kristen let them know she was bringing home someone special. Devon had liked her parents almost immediately and he'd won them over by the end of their first day together. Before they left for Tampa again two days later, he'd taken Kristen's dad aside to ask permission to one day put a ring on his daughter's hand and Bill Anders had granted it along with a handshake and back slap. Her father told Devon Kristen's limped-dick ex had never asked for his blessing and if he had, Bill would've told him no. He thought the guy wasn't good enough for his daughter but, at the time, she'd seemed happy and he didn't want to disappoint her by voicing his disapproval.
A lot had happened over the past ten weeks. After they'd returned from Pennsylvania, Kristen had moved in with him permanently. It wasn't as if she didn't spend every night and almost every day there anyway but she wanted her parents to meet Devon before making the final step. She'd been repacking her things since he'd first asked her to move in with him several weeks earlier so the actual process of moving her things had been easy a few days after Thanksgiving. With the help of the team and a few of the club's employees, they'd made fast work of the job and within one afternoon they were officially living together. He loved how Kristen's personal items were now mixed in with his and whatever furniture didn't make the move into Devon's place, was donated to a local women's shelter.
Nina DeAngelis had succumbed to her cancer five weeks ago. Marco and his sister's friend, Harper, were both devastated over their mutual loss. The team was pleased to see a large turnout of Trident associates and club members at the funeral. It had been a beautiful yet tearful moment when about twenty-five of Nina's former students stood at the front of the church and sang "Amazing Grace" in honor of their beloved teacher.
Brody bought a three-bedroom house, which was closer to the compound than his one-bedroom apartment had been and would be closing on it after the first of the year. He told Devon, although he didn't need all the extra space, the property was a good investment and a write-off on his taxes, which he needed. He also replaced his totaled truck with a brand new model thanks to his insurance money.
Jake had confided in Devon when he'd broken up with the guy he'd been seeing shortly after the whole drama of being the target of a hired assassin. His now ex-boyfriend was a cop in nearby Clearwater and had been pretty pissed because Jake never told him about the attempts on his life. He'd found out about them a few days later after coming across a newspaper picture. It was taken after the accident on the bridge and showed a soaking wet Jake and Devon standing watch over Jenn and Kristen while they were being tended to by the EMTs. Jake said he didn't tell the guy because he didn't want to worry him but Devon got the impression there was more to it.
Jenn was almost done with her first semester, but was having a hard time with the coming holidays. This would be her first Christmas without her parents and they were all doing what they could to make it a little less depressing for her. At least they'd been able to tell her that although the person responsible for killing her parents would never serve a day in jail, justice had been served. As for Carter, no one at Trident had seen him since the night he'd saved their lives with one bullet.
Kristen was also an official full-time member of the club now, along with her friends, Kayla and Roxy London. The wife and wife couple had brought Will Anders as their guest for Devon and Kristen's ceremony and Will was considering the lifestyle after meeting Shelby and Matthew, the submissive who worked the front desk at the club. Will clicked with the other two and become fast friends with them. The subs had been answering a lot of Will's questions about the lifestyle and although Will hadn't submitted a membership request yet, Devon expected one soon. There was a Dom who Will was interested in and his curiosity about BDSM appeared to grow as each week passed.
Devon glanced back down at the folded copy of the Tampa Tribune sitting on the tray in front of him. The article it was turned to was a follow-up story on the assassination of Senator Luis Beltram two and a half months ago, on the eve of his anticipated Democratic presidential nomination. Yesterday in a press release, The Deputy Director of the FBI, Larry Keon, reported how the man who'd murdered Beltram in his home was in turn killed by U.S. Navy SEALs in an attempt to capture him in the jungles of Colombia, where he'd fled. It was still unclear why Rueben Vega killed the senator and the investigation was at a standstill. The Trident Security team knew a motive would never be found and it wouldn't be long before Beltram was old and forgotten news.
Devon didn't realize Kristen had said something until she took his hand in one of hers and used her other one to touch his chin and turn his head toward her. "I'm sorry, honey, what did you say?"
She smiled because she'd caught him daydreaming. "The pilot said we're getting ready to land. You need to put your seat and tray up."
He was surprised he hadn't heard the pilot's announcement.
"What were you thinking about just now?" she asked as they prepared for descent.
With a seductive grin, he leaned forward and put his mouth against her ear. "I was thinking that I can't wait for you to read me the last chapter you wrote a few hours ago. While you were typing away your breathing and heart rate sped up a few times and I know I'm going to like it." He turned her hand in his so he could put his fingers on the pulse at her wrist and was pleased to feel it accelerate again as her face turned pink. He loved how he could still make her blush so easily and knew if he put his hand between her legs he could get her off before they landed. However, the stern-faced stewardess, who was now sitting in her jump seat less than ten feet in front of them, would have a fit.
Over the course of writing her book, he had Kristen read many of the steamy passages to him and the sex they had afterwards was always off the charts. Several nights ago he had her play with herself while she read aloud and he forced himself to sit across the living room from her while her fingers delved in and out of her drenched pussy. He ended up flipping her over the end of the couch and fucking her into oblivion before she even finished the chapter.
"I know you will since yesterday morning was my inspiration," she whispered.
His face lit up and his dick hardened as he remembered interrupting their morning coffee to bend her over the kitchen island and spread her ass cheeks. Before he'd rammed his cock in her tight hole, he first knelt behind her and tongued her rimmed opening driving her higher and higher until she begged him to fuck her hard and fast, which he was more than happy to do after he made her cum twice. Thankfully, because it'd been handy, he'd made sure there was a tube of lubricant in every room of their apartment and in both of their vehicles because it turned out his little pet loved to have her ass fucked whenever he wanted. But although he loved taking her ass and mouth, he would never get enough of her hot, wet pussy. And it's where he planned to shove his cock the first chance he got after they got off the stifling plane. He shifted his hips to give his hard-on a little breathing room.
"Are you sure they're going to like me?"
It took him a second to follow her change of subject. "Sweetheart, they're going to love you. Even Ian and Jenn told you they would before we left. I can guarantee my mom is going to be spoiling you rotten before the day is over. She's been bugging Ian and me to settle down for the past ten years. I'm just glad I'm no longer on her nag list."
She giggled at him. "At least until she wants grandchildren."
Devon's thumb which had been rubbing her wrist abruptly stopped and his brain seized. "Um, wow. We...uh...we never discussed kids, did we?"
Her pretty eyes filled with worry. "You don't want children?"
He thought about it for a moment. How could he have ever thought of being a father when he hadn't been able to imagine being a husband before meeting Kristen? There was no doubt he could be a good one, having been raised by one of the best. An image of a little girl or boy with soft brown hair and striking hazel eyes came to mind and he knew what to say. "As long as they take after the most beautiful woman in the world, I want as many as we can possibly have." He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. "I love you, Ninja-girl."
"I love you, too, Master Devil Dog."
Samantha Cole is a retired policewoman and former paramedic who has started a third career as an author. She has lived her entire life in the suburbs of New York City and has plans to become a ‘snow-bird’ between New York and Florida. Her two dogs, Jinx and Bella, keep her company and remind their ‘mom’ to take a break from writing every once in a while to go for a walk, of course with them in tow.
An avid reader since childhood, Samantha was often found with a book in hand and sometimes one in each. After being gifted with a stack of romance novels from her grandmother, her love affair with the genre began in her teens.
Samantha is continuing to work on the Trident Security series and also has a few other stand-alone books planned.