Part One

 

 

Harpa Malhotra shrieked with joy as she threw her arms around Padme. “You came! Here I thought you’d be too locked into your first assignment to show up.”

Padme Kaur hugged her friend. “Miss your restaurant opening? Never, baby, never.”

Harpa grinned at her. “You are a good friend…let’s get really drunk and check out all the handsome boys I hired as wait staff.”

Padme laughed. “What will Mikah say?” Mikah Ray was Harpa’s long-time boyfriend, a sweet, serene African-American whom Padme adored. Harpa grinned.

“Oh, I hired some pretty girls too, I’m not stupid.”

She dragged Padme into the main room of Harpa’s new Seattle-based restaurant, Bedi. Bedi had been Harpa’s pseudonym when she had switched from fashion styling to her passion, cooking, a few years ago, and now she had become one of the most sought-after chefs in the world. Padme had met Harpa soon after she had gone through a traumatic time with her lovely older sister, Cosima. Cosima had been shot and nearly killed by her own F.B.I. Agent protector, Jack Hampton and it had been that almost-murder that had inspired Padme to go into training at Quantico. Padme, at twenty-eight, knew all about betrayal. Her birth mother had given her up, and she had spent years in the family services system, alone and vulnerable. When she was thirteen, a carer, a kind-faced man called Robert, had assaulted her then threatened her if she told anyone. Padme never forgot the feeling of having her trust wrenched away from her. She had worked three jobs to pay for college and had been headhunted by a man called Henry Jones to enter the program at Quantico. Padme had been top of her class, and now, she was three days away from her first assignment. She was nervous, but excited about the job, but now, on this Friday night, she wanted to kick-back and relax.

Harpa returned with some drinks, a violently bright cocktail which looked lethal. Padme chuckled at the mischievous expression on Harpa’s face. The cocktail was potent, but delicious, and Padme felt any tension slide away.

She spotted Cosima and went to say hi to her. Cosima glowed with health and pregnancy – her fifth, Harpa had told Padme with an astonished shake of her head. Cosima and her husband, the gloriously handsome Arlo Forrester, were as inseparable as ever. Cosima kissed Padme’s cheek.

“Girl did good, Pad. We’re all so, so proud of you.”

Padme flushed with pleasure. Cosima was the big sister Padme had always wanted: kind, sweet and generous. She smiled at her now. “Number five, eh?”

Cosima nodded at Arlo. “The Spermanator.”

Padme giggled as Arlo rolled his eyes. “How are your other offspring?”

“Tilly and Fen are in Paris on a school trip – delighted to be away from their nagging parents.”

“Typical eight-year-olds.”

“Yep. Mina is at her first sleep-over and loving it, and Bear is at home with the babysitter. They’re exhausting,” Cosima said, with an exaggerated groan, but Padme knew she loved being a mother as much as she loved being an architect. Cosima was a force of nature, managing to fit more in a day than most people in a lifetime. She nodded to Padme.

“Excited about your first real assignment?”

Padme nodded. “Nervous excitement. Dale – that’s my partner – and I are to protect an Italian businessman who has pissed off the wrong people. He’s going to testify against the Ingles.”

Arlo whistled. “Brave dude – they are some nasty, nasty people.”

“Tell me about it. I’ve seen the photos of some of their victims – and worse, their victim’s wives and children. So, I’m being thrown in the deep end here.”

Cosima was frowning now. “It sounds dangerous, Pad. You will be careful, won’t you?”

Padme smiled at her friend gratefully. “I will.”

“Did Severin make it tonight?”

Severin was Padme’s sort-of-adopted-mother if it was possible to be sort of adopted at eighteen. Severin had come into Padme’s life at a time when she needed guidance, a mentor, someone to help steer her away from the life of misery and degradation that had been beckoning. Severin Banks was one of Seattle’s most prominent activists. At age sixty-four, she showed no signs of stopping, her campaigns for equal pay for women, for the LGBT community, for the advancement of her own black community kept her in the headlines. When she had seen the young, lost, half-Indian girl almost destitute, she had taken her under her wing, inspired her to be the change she wanted to see.

Padme shook her head. “She has a date.”

Cosima chuckled. “With the same guy as last time?”

“Nah, that fizzled out. This guy is nice, a lot younger. Severin says it’s a good thing, he’ll have enough stamina to keep up with her.”

Cosima and Arlo laughed, and they chatted a little longer before Cosima was stolen away by her sister as Harpa made a small speech, thanking everyone for coming.

Padme refueled her drink and circulated, people-watching, her finely tuned observation skills in play. It was just after midnight when she felt someone staring at her. She glanced up, and her inside went to mush. Across the room, the most gorgeous man was smiling at her. He was tall, casually dressed in t-shirt and jeans, leaning back against the wall. His dark hair was shaggy and wild about his head, his smile sensual and confident.

Padme felt that smile everywhere. She sipped her drink, unable to tear her gaze away from him. He pushed himself away from the wall and walked slowly to her. Padme’s heart began to pound.

“Hey,” he said softly and took her hand. She let herself be led out of the main room into the corridor at the back of the restaurant. His hand felt so good, the fingers warm and dry, and she couldn’t help imagining them on her breasts, her belly, stroking her clit…

What the actual hell? She blinked back into reality and stopped. “Wait.”

He turned to her, his hands on her waist now. “For what?” He said, his voice was low and sexy, American – or at least trying to sound American.

And she didn’t have an answer for him. He bent his head, and as his lips touched hers, all reason fled and she kissed him back with as much passion as he did her. His hands tangled in her long dark hair, bunching it up in his fist as he pushed her against the wall.

Padme gasped as his hands slid under her dress and pushed it up, his fingers stroking her through her panties. God, yes…the mere force of him, his machismo, his hard body…

She cupped his cock through his jeans, stroking the hot, massive length of it. He smiled at her and then the frenzy began, him tugging her panties down, her freeing his rampant cock from his pants.

And then…oh… he was inside her, thrusting hard, filling her. Padme moaned at the feel of him plunging deep into her, clinging to him as he supported her. They fucked hard, not caring if they were caught, completely focused on the other. He was so beautiful she could barely stand to look at him, his green eyes fixed on hers, their connection one of pure desire.

Padme came, muffling her cries in his neck as she felt him come, pumping thick creamy cum deep into her belly. God…was this stupid and reckless? Probably but she didn’t care at this moment.

They caught their breaths, panting hard gazing at the other. “That was incredible,” she whispered, and he gave a low, sexy chuckle.

“Yes, it was…but, I have a feeling the best is yet to come. Come back to my hotel with me.”

And Padme couldn’t think of one reason to say no.

 

She hugged Harpa goodbye, trying not to think of the sexy man waiting for her outside in a cab. He was leaning against it, grinning at her as she came to meet him. God, this was…. there wasn’t a word for it. Insane? She didn’t even know his name, and yet it seemed right to go with him.

He kissed her all the way to his hotel, not caring what the cab driver thought, nor the people in the elevator on the way up to his room. Padme was completely under his spell, and when they finally reached his room, he began to pull her dress off, apparently eager to get her naked as soon as possible.

His hands on her skin made Padme’s heart race, his tongue caressing hers before he freed her breasts from her bra and then his mouth was on each of her nipples, in turn, sucking and teasing until they were so sensitive she could have screamed. Instead, she tugged his t-shirt over his head, and as her hands worked the zipper of his jeans, she explored his chest with her mouth, trailing her lips across his hard pecs, biting down gently on his nipples. His cock was hot and huge in her hands, diamond-hard and quivering as she stroked it.

Her lover gave a growl of pure desire and carried her to the bed, pushing her knees to her chest and slamming his cock into her. He pinned her hands above her head, his gloriously handsome face intense on hers as they fucked, his mouth almost savage as he kissed her.

Padme gasped and moaned through two orgasms, and when he finally released her hands, she cupped his face with her palms, watching as his orgasm hit, and his face became softer with the release. He gave a long groan, his cock pumping thick streams of cum deep inside her.

He kissed her as he withdrew, but Padme wanted more. She moved down his body and took his still-half-erect cock into her mouth, the silky skin salty with his cum. She traced the vein up the side, feeling his cock engorge with blood again, his hands gently stroking her hair. She brought him to the brink of another orgasm before he pulled her on top of him, and she rode him hard, slamming her hips against his, his hands cupping her breasts.

They fucked twice more before collapsing on the bed exhausted, panting for air. After a moment, they looked at each other and began to laugh.

“Well,” he said, softly, “Hello.”

Padme grinned at him. “Hello…and lose that American accent, would you? So far, it’s the only fake thing about you.”

He chuckled. “Fair point.” He rolled onto his side and kissed her. “Well, then, hello. I’m Danilo.”

Okay, so he was still lying, but maybe that was okay. “Penny,” she said, giving him a look that said ‘two can play that game, buddy.’

Danilo smiled. “I didn’t expect to go to a party and meet the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”

Her mouth hitched up on one side. “That’s such a line.”

“No, it’s true, but I can see your point. You don’t have to trust me.”

Padme studied him. His face was both beautiful and rugged, a strange combination – she could imagine, when angry, he could look hard and dangerous. But now, she saw no threat in his looks – especially when he was looking at her like he wanted to fuck her senseless…again.

“What’s your real name?” She said, risking it but his face grew pensive then.

“I cannot tell you, Principessa. It would be dangerous.”

Padme felt a frisson go through her. “For whom?”

“For both of us.”

Who was this dude? Was he a player who was trying to project an air of mystery? She studied him, trying to push past the crazy sex fog that came with being laid by a seriously sexy man to see the person underneath. He grinned at her scrutiny. “You like what you see?”

Padme smothered a grin. He was so cheeky, so obviously fun-loving, that she couldn’t quite reconcile that with his warning of potential danger. “Who are you?”

He shrugged. “No-one of importance.”

“Hmm.” She kissed him, enjoying the feel of his lips against hers. He tasted so good. As she reluctantly pulled away, she fixed him with a mock-serious look. “Now, I believe the proper thing to say at this point is that I don’t normally do this kind of thing. The one-night thing. But I’m glad I did it with you.”

He ran a hand down her body. “Me too, cara mia. Believe it or not, I don’t usually act with that much spontaneity – rather, I don’t get the opportunity or have the desire to act that way. It wasn’t a plan, it really was just you. You can believe that or not.”

Padme decided she did believe him and kissed him. He smiled. “Sweet one…would you spend the weekend with me? I have to work from Monday – or rather, I’m going to be somewhat absent from public life for a while. I would love to spend the next couple of days with you, if you don’t have any prior commitments?”

Padme hesitated. She had planned on just preparing for her first assignment on Monday, getting some time in at the gym. If she were sensible at all, she would leave now, before it got complicated, before she got too involved with someone who, by his own admission, would be gone by next week. Someone who might be dangerous. No. She would say goodnight now and leave it as a very, very pleasant memory. Be sensible. Don’t risk your career over a handsome man. Good girl, she told herself.

“I’d love to stay,” her mouth betrayed her.

Oh goddamn it.

Frederick Ingles waited while the airport staff brought the ladder to his private jet. He’d never been to Seattle before, and he wasn’t in the mood for sightseeing now. He hated to be dragged away from his Paris home, especially for something as ridiculous as this, but Enver Toscano could bring down his entire world, and Ingles was not about to allow that.

He got into the waiting limousine to see his private detective waiting for him. “Where is he?”

“Hotel. With some whore, he picked up. They haven’t left his room all weekend.”

Frederick’s bodyguard, Wes, spoke up. “Seems ideal for a hit. Kill him, kill the girl – we could even make it look like a murder-suicide. Paint her a crazy-obsessed chick.”

Frederick rolled his eyes. “Except we don’t know who she is and her family or friends could ruin that plan. Besides, we had to register a flight plan – the F.B.I. know I’m here. How quickly do you think they would come for me if Toscano and some random girl end up dead as soon as I fly in? Think, idiot.”

He stared out of the window. “No, we play the long game. See if we can avoid any violence, for now, intimidate Toscano into keeping his mouth shut.”

“Probably shouldn’t have offed his business partner then,” Wes muttered but quelled under Frederick’s furious glare.

“Wesley, when this trip is over, I want you to take some time. Think about if you really want to defy me at every turn. Now shut up.”

Wesley shut up. Frederick sighed. The murder of Maximillian Nero had been unfortunate but necessary, but Frederick had underestimated Enver Toscano’s grief for his friend, and what he would do for revenge. Even threatening one of Enver’s girlfriends hadn’t stopped him from vowing to being the Ingles down, and the girlfriend had been quietly whisked away somewhere they couldn’t touch her.

The Ingles family ruled most of Europe. France, Italy, Spain, Germany – there were very few countries which their malevolent presence didn’t reach. Their business – money laundering – was run under the guise of philanthropy and their enemies were dealt with ruthlessly and efficiently.

Until Max Nero had uncovered the evidence of their dealings, the Ingles had run rough-shod over their competition, the police, even Interpol. Nothing and no-one could touch them.

Frederick shook his head, remembering the day he’d killed Max. A mistake. Frederick’s first misstep since taking over as head of the company after his father died. He should have paid off Max instead of killing him. Max was malleable, unlike Enver. Max had given him the option. Fred would never forget what Max said. “Believe me, Frederick, this is a better deal for you. If Enver ever found this information…you may think he’s the playboy in this, that he’d rather fuck your wife than use this information, but you should never, ever underestimate him. He’s a good man, through and through. Any whiff of corruption and he’ll bring the force of law down on you. And then he’ll fuck your wife, and she’ll swear blind, even under the threat of death, that he was the best lover she’d ever known.”

Frederick had snarled, losing his temper and ordered Max killed. He was aware the second he had killed Max and his wife, Julia – and not quickly either - that it was the wrong move. Enver would mourn the loss of his friend and be like a tenacious puppy. It hadn’t taken Enver long before he’d found out what happened – some jerkweed on Frederick’s staff had sold the Ingles out. Enver had vowed to bring them down – Frederick had expected a bullet. But what Enver wanted was the destruction of the Ingles’ family business, not just one Engle. He went to the F.B.I. and told them he would testify, under oath, and destroy the Ingles’ reputation once of for all.

Which meant now that Frederick would have to kill Enver Toscano and soon. Whoever this girl was, Frederick hoped she was only a one-night stand because he hated to kill an innocent woman. He smirked to himself. No, you love it, you sick fuck, just admit it. He shrugged. He didn’t really care about this girl who was fucking Toscano.

But no-one would get in the way of Enver Toscano’s murder.

No-one.

Padme tried not to show how miserable she felt as Sunday night came around. She never, ever thought she would be dreading this particular Monday morning but the last forty-eight hours had been nothing short of…magical.

Danilo – or whatever his name was – wasn’t just a phenomenal lover, he was incredibly funny, sweet and fascinating. He told her what he could about his past – born and raised in Florence, Italy, by his Italian father and American mother, he had lost both of them young, his father when he was five, his mother when he was just eighteen. His best friend, Max, had died recently and Danilo was still raw from it. Padme marveled about he wore his heart on his sleeve, how the conversation between them was easy and fun and above all else, it felt genuine. Often, she thought about telling him about who she was, asking him to trust her to tell her his real name. She wanted to know…him. The real him. His name was important.

Now, she wondered why she had worried about it. Their connection had been deeper than mere names or even the sex, as great as it was.

And now, she was going to have to say goodbye, and she was struggling to find the word.

“Hey,” Danilo came from the bathroom – a white towel wrapped around his body. They had just showered together, making love under the hot water spray. His dark curls were damp against his face, his eyes such a beautiful color against his tanned skin. Padme ran her eyes over his body, open in her admiration.

“Dude, you are one gorgeous man.”

Danilo grinned. “Why, thank you.” He came to the bed and covered her body with his. “As long as you think so.” He was already hard, and Padme pulled the towel away from his hips.

“That’s better. You should always be naked.”

They laughed. “That would make business meetings difficult, but intriguing. How about we make a deal? If I’m naked, you’re naked.”

She kissed him. “Deal.”

He kissed her back, tenderly, as if memorizing the shape of her lips and then buried his face in her neck, making a strange growling sound. “Mio Dio, I don’t want to let you go,” he murmured, and Padme felt her chest ache. No, neither did she – she wanted to hang onto him, to them, to these last few moments.

He looked up, and she saw the genuine conflict in his eyes. “Hey,” she said softly, “We said one weekend. And it’s been perfect. I mean it…this has been the most incredible few days.”

Danilo nuzzled her nose with his. “It has…I just wish…” He sighed. “I wish that I wasn’t who I was, that I could just be here with you and not have to deal with…” He didn’t finish the sentence, just looked at her sadly. “I’ve never met anyone like you before. And it would have to happen now.”

Padme swept her hands over his face, gazing up at him. “My name isn’t Penny.”

He grinned that crooked smile she loved. “I know. And you know I’m not Danilo.”

“Yes.”

He kissed her. “Soon I hope I’ll be free to tell you my real name.”

“Just whisper it to me,” she pleaded, “I swear on my life, it will go no further.” She saw the hesitation in his eyes. “To sweeten the deal…my real name is Padme Kaur.”

“That’s beautiful.” She could see the conflict in his eyes.

“Trust me,” she said simply and he nodded.

“You’re about the only person in the world I do trust, even after this short time. But if I tell you my name and one day you slip – we are only human – then it could mean your life being in danger. I want to tell you so much, Padme, I really, really do. Please just trust me enough to say, when it’s safe – I’ll tell you everything.”

And she had to be happy with that.

They made love again and then, just after midnight, Padme said goodbye to the most sensual man she’d ever met and traveled by cab back to her apartment. Opening the door, she dumped her purse on the table and stood for a long minute in the silence, before bursting into tears.

“Why do you look so grumpy?” Dale, her partner, squinted at her as she got into his car the next morning.

“Mind your own business,” she snapped then relented. “Sorry, D, I had a weird weekend.”

Dale grinned at her. “Bet I can cheer you up. Guess who got the Cleveland posting?”

Padme suddenly perked up. “Tell me it was Maria; please tell me it was Maria…”

“Bingo.” They both cheered, and Dale was right, that did perk Padme’s spirits up. Maria had been at Quantico with them – an arrogant, incompetent know-it-all who delighted in telling them that her father had been an agent for thirty-five years and she knew it all by osmosis. She didn’t. Couple that with her abject jealousy over Padme’s brilliance, and Maria had been the focus of most of the class’s hatred. Now she had been posted to the least requested field office in the States.

“I have to admit, as much as it makes me a bad person, karma, bitch,” Padme was grinning now. Dale chuckled.

“See, told you I could cheer you up. God, this traffic today. All ready for our babysitting job?”

Padme rolled her eyes. “Guess we can’t be too picky right out of the Academy. Who is this guy?”

“No idea. We get our orders from the office then head out.”

 

Henry Jones greeted them both with a smile. “Welcome, welcome. Not to blow smoke up your ass’s right off the bat, but we hit pay dirt with you two. You know every field office was clamoring for you?”

Padme and Dale looked at each other, not knowing what to say. Henry grinned. “Well, now we have the good news out of the way…Here comes the real world. You may think we’re just handed you a babysitting job, but this guy is putting it all on the line to bring down the Ingles, and we’re going to have his back while he’s doing it. The death threats are real, and this kid, Enver Toscano, has already seen his business partner murdered. Also, Frederick Ingles flew into Seattle on Saturday. He knows where Toscano was at the weekend, but since then, we transferred Toscano to a safe house. You read the briefing notes? Good.”

He sat on the edge of the desk. “His lawyer, an arrogant asshole called Brian Dedalus, specifically requested new agents. The Ingles have spies everywhere, and he is betting on them not having gotten to you two – yet. So, get over to this address. You’ll meet the lawyer and the protectee, and work out the protection detail together. Don’t forget to brief me about what you decided.”

He stopped talking and studied them. “We’re throwing you in the deep end, kids. Look after yourself.”

Dale and Padme were quiet as they drove to the safe house, realizing just how much responsibility they had been handed. Padme drove while Dale looked over the case file.

“Jesus, this guy’s young to be in this situation. Thirty-seven and a multi-billionaire. Single, workaholic, playboy. The usual. Stepping up to the plate, though.”

Padme smiled at him. “You getting a crush on the protectee? Gonna be his best buddy?”

Dale grinned. “Screw you, Kaur.”

“You wish.”

“Shut up.”

Even though they spent the journey busting each other’s chops, both were still on high alert, checking they weren’t followed. Padme even erred on the side of caution when she saw a sedan with blacked out windows pull alongside their SUV. She turned off the highway and took a detour, but the sedan was long gone.

 

They arrived at the safe house and were greeted by a security team. After showing their i.d. they were led into the house. A young woman, thin in the extreme, with long blonde hair and nervous energy, smiled shyly at them. “Hi, I’m Chaley, Mr. Toscano’s personal assistant. Please come this way, he and Mr. Dedalus are waiting to meet you.”

They were led down a long, lushly carpeted corridor. Even if this was a safe house, Enver Toscano obviously wanted to be kept in comfort. Padme caught Dale’s eye, and he smirked, apparently thinking the same thing.

Chaley led them into a room. A smartly dressed man sat on a large couch, a briefcase by his side and a laptop open. He looked up, and Padme saw his ice-blue eyes take them in.

“Where the fuck have you been? We were told you would be here by ten a.m.”

Padme looked at the man coolly. His hair was artfully swept back and held in place – Padme was almost certain – by a buttload of hairspray, his blue eyes cold, his manner one of arrogance and entitlement. In other words, an asshole. Was this the protectee? If so, he could just go fu… “We were told to make sure we arrived here safely and unseen. Which is what we did. Now, how about you try that again?”

The man stood – Padme was amused to see he was smaller than her five-nine – and flushed angrily. “Fine. Well, now you’re finally here…”

“Let’s start over. I’m Agent Kaur, this is Agent Fortuna. Are you Enver Toscano?”

“No, he’s not,” said an accented and very familiar voice behind her, “I’m Enver Toscano.”

With a jolt and a pounding heart, Padme turned to see the man whose magnificent cock, a mere twenty-four hours earlier, had been deep inside her as he made her scream with pleasure again and again.

From his expression, Enver Toscano was as shocked to see her as she was to see him. This was the man whose life was in danger? God, no, please, not him. Suddenly everything made sense. To his credit, he immediately covered his surprise and shook both their hands.

“Thank you for coming. Do excuse Brian, he’s not had his Ritalin this morning.”

Padme smothered a snort of laughter with a cough. Enver invited them to sit, managing to squeeze Padme’s fingers inconspicuously. He was dressed in jeans and a vintage t-shirt, and Padme wondered how she could have ever thought the slime-ball lawyer Dedalus was Enver. Enver was careful not to stare at her, but as they talked, Padme was hyper-aware of his body close to hers, his eyes on hers when she spoke. She felt like she was stammering and gibbering like an idiot as she outlined the protection plan she and Dale had come up with, but the men in the room seemed to nod along with it just fine. Even Dedalus looked appeased.

“Obviously,” Dale took over from her, “when it’s time to transport you to the courtroom, we’ve arranged a decoy vehicle. We’ll actually be flying you via helicopter to the nearest helipad to the courtroom, and then more decoy cars will be sent out as we transfer you by car. We’re taking this very seriously, Mr. Toscano.”

Enver nodded. “And I couldn’t be more grateful for your help.”

“So, one of you will always be here with us?” Brian Dedalus looked at Dale and then raked his eyes up and down Padme’s body, apparently considering how a slim woman like her could protect a six-foot-two man like Enver. His judgment made her bristle with annoyance – he really was an asshole – Henry hadn’t exaggerated.

“Yes,” she said, her voice hardening. “And I will have to remind you that any and all decisions regarding Mr. Toscano’s movements must be discussed with us.”

She felt Dale nudge her discreetly and then he cleared his throat. “Agent Kaur is the lead on this, so she has the final say on any decision.”

Padme tried not to look surprised – they hadn’t discussed who would lead and she was grateful to Dale for his support – if Brian Dedalus thought he could pull any misogynistic crap on her, he had another think coming.

Enver was watching her, his eyes amused. “In that case, perhaps, Agent Fortuna, you can go brief my security team, with Brian, and I can settle things with Agent Kaur.”

“Call me Dale, and yeah, that’s a good idea.” Dale looked at Padme who nodded at him, a smile on her burning face – at least it felt like it was burning.

When Dale and Dedalus had left, Enver smiled at Chaley. “Chaley, would you mind giving us a minute? Take a break, get yourself a coffee.”

Chaley hopped off the end of the sofa, shooting Enver and Padme a smile – and then finally, they were alone.

Padme let out a long breath. “Enver Toscano.”

Enver came to her side, sweeping a loose strand of hair back over her ear. “Mio Dio, Padme, I can’t say it isn’t good to see you but the thought of you putting yourself in harm’s way for me…”

“I would take a bullet for you in a heartbeat,” she whispered, fiercely, “but it’s not going to get to that, Enver. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

His lips were against hers then, and for a moment, she fantasized that this could be their reality. She drew away after a moment. “But we can’t do this. Not if I’m going to protect you properly. If I was distracted and something happened to you…god, Enver.”

“And I cannot bear that you might get hurt because of me. This is just what I was trying to avoid.” He got up and paced around the room. “Maybe we should…ask for a replacement.”

“No,” Padme felt panicked. “No. I won’t be able to trust anyone else to protect you the way I would. I meant what I said…I would die for you.”

Enver’s eyes were sad. “You don’t even know me, Padme, cara mia.”

Padme stood and went to him. “I do know you. I know you love with your whole heart, that the loss of someone close to you could crush you. I feel the same way – about you. I know that’s completely opposite of what a woman is supposed to say after the weekend we had – I’m supposed to act cool, and god knows, professionally, but in this case…I don’t trust anyone else to protect you.”

Enver kissed her gently. “The moment this is over, Padme Kaur, you and I are going to spend a lot of time together. Naked. I think we agreed that at the weekend. Deal?”

She smiled. “Deal.” Her voice was a whisper. How had her life changed this much in this short a time? They heard Dale and Brian returning.

“Don’t mind Brian,” Enver said in a low voice, “He just wants this over and done with so he can get back to his life in New York.”

“He’s staying here?”

Enver rolled his eyes. “He doesn’t trust me to be by myself.”

“You’re not.”

Enver met her gaze as the others came back into the room. “Hopefully, not ever again, my beautiful Padme.”

He said it in a low voice, but it sent Padme’s heart into overdrive. He knew she should tell Dale and her bosses of her relationship with Enver, however humiliating that might be, but she was convinced – no-one could protect Enver better than her.

 

Chaley showed Dale and Padme to their respective rooms, Dale whistling in appreciation at the comfortable beds and wide screen t.v. Padme dumped her hold-all on the bed and wondered how she could possibly sleep knowing Enver was only a few rooms away. God, how she wanted him, but she would not compromise his safety for the sake of a fuck – even if that fuck were with that gorgeous man. Padme knew, if they even risked it, and it was discovered that they were sleeping together, she would be fired, maybe even arrested for risking the operation.

There was a soft knock at her door, and her heart began to thump. “Come in.” She was both relieved and disappointed when Dale opened the door, giving her a boyish grin.

“Hey you, just wanted to know if you want me to take the night shift. You look kind of done in already.”

Padme smiled at him. “And it’s only lunchtime. No, it’s okay, I’m kind of a night-owl, I’ll take the late shift.”

Dale flopped down on the bed next to her. “What do you think of him?”

“Enver? Nice guy, good for him taking on the Ingles.”

Dale nodded. “That’s what I think. That lawyer, though.” They both laughed. “By the look of him, he’s read American Psycho once too often.”

Padme snorted. “He’s not that interesting. He does know the Eighties are over, right?”

“You’re such a bitch.” But Dale was laughing. Padme punched his arm and got up off the bed.

“Come on, we have work to do.”

 

By the evening, they both realized that babysitting duty was as dull as it sounded. Brian Dedalus ignored them, jabbering away on his cell phone, Chaley, shy and nervous, would offer them coffee every time she saw them. Enver was working, but would stop when he saw them and chat, and Padme grew more impressed by him every time they talked. In sharp contrast to his lawyer, Enver was humble, apologetic for the situation, but fun and smart to be around.

Which made it harder for Padme as she got to know him over the next few days because he was everything she wanted, and everything she couldn’t have. She took the night shifts, listening to the silence around the compound as she walked the corridors. Enver had taken to joining her, and they would sit and talk until dawn, each desperate to touch the other, but know they couldn’t.

“When this is over,” Enver said, late one night a week after they’d come to the safe house, “I would love to take you away, to Italy, show you my home.”

“Have you any family left?”

“A few cousins scattered throughout the country. Claudio is the closest to me. He’s an artist. His sister, Soleil, she died a few years ago.”

Some memory pinged in Padme’s memory at the unusual name. “Are you talking about Soleil Fonseca? The murder down in Los Angeles?” Enver nodded, his eyes sad. “God, that was horrific, I’m so sorry, Enver.”

“Thank you. It was a bad time for us all, especially Claudio.”

Padme shook her head. “So much pain.”

Enver smiled a little and covered her hand with his. “You make it better.”

Padme’s eyes locked on his and then his lips were against hers. God, he was intoxicating… “We can’t do this…” she said, but then lost herself in the kiss. Enver pulled her into his arms and her body curved around his. “Enver… Enver…”

His hands were at the waistband of her pants, his eyes questioning and she could not tell him to stop. A frenzy of stripping and Enver was sliding his huge cock into her as they tumbled to the carpet. They fucked quickly, intensely, smothering their moans with their mouths, lips against lips, skin on skin.

Padme’s legs tightened around his waist as he plowed deeper and deeper into her, her fingernails digging into the finely-honed muscles of his back. She came, dampening her cry of release by pressing her lips to his shoulder as Enver buried his face in her neck to muffle his groan as he came.

They lay together, panting, listening for any sign that they had been heard. There was silence throughout the property. “God,” Padme said, her face flushed, her hair sticking to the sweat on her face. “We really shouldn’t have done that.”

Enver grinned down at her. “I think it was kind of inevitable, cara mia.”

She chuckled quietly. “You’re so cocky. Help me up, big guy, I’m supposed to be protecting you.”

He pulled her to her feet, and they got dressed, pausing to kiss often. Enver persuaded her to go to the large kitchen with him, and they made sandwiches, falling on them as if they were half-starved.

“Food and sex,” Enver grinned at her, “My two favorite things.”

“Keeping you alive, baby, is my favorite thing. Seriously, Enver, that has to be the last time until the case is over.”

Enver nodded, sobering up. “I know. I’m sorry, Padme, I could not stop myself.”

“Don’t apologize, I wanted you just as much – I still want you, badly, but this is your life we’re talking about.”

“And yours,” he said firmly. He set his sandwich down and ran a hand through his dark hair. “God, I’ll be glad when this thing starts.”

“The D.A. told me you’ll actually be testifying against one of the Ingles’ associates? Not Frederick Ingles himself?”

Enver rolled his eyes. “They won’t arrest Freddy Ingles himself, he’s too important. Their words. They’ll just take his knees out from beneath him. He has deals in place with so many high-ranking government officials in Europe, but the slightest whiff of corruption, they’ll pull out of his deals which will make his organization very hard to deal with.”

Padme blinked. “I just don’t get the business world. I guess I see things in black and white – you make a product, you sell the product, etc. As soon as you get more complicated than that, I’m out. I’ve never asked – what is your line of business?”

“Shipping,” Enver said and grinned when she grimaced. “Well, quite. Really, it was Max who brought me on board. We had known each other since we were kids. After college, I was adrift really – my major was in music – but I didn’t know if I wanted to pursue it as a career. Max inherited his father’s shipping business, and when I joined his company, I found I had a gift for negotiation. After I had brokered a huge deal with the Scandinavian governments, Max made me a partner. His father had run a low-key operation, but we expanded it to become the world’s biggest shipping company. I sound like a brochure.”

Padme burst out laughing as he pulled a face at the end. “A little, but please, go on. Tell me more about Max.”

Enver smiled a little sadly. “He was my best friend, and I loved him, but he got greedy. Unbeknownst to me, he approached Freddy Ingles to broker a deal. The specifics of the deal, I don’t know, but Max came to me one night, telling me he gotten in too deep, that he had underestimated Ingles’ grip once he had Max in his net. He told me a little about what he had discussed with Ingles, but then Ingles had gotten nasty, threatening to kill Max and everyone he loved if Max reneged on the deal. Three days later, Max and his wife, Julia, were murdered in their home. They made Max watch while they stabbed Julia to death, and then cut Max’s throat. They came after me, but I’d been pre-warned and wasn’t where they expected.” Enver let out a shaky breath. “Julia was pregnant when she died.”

“Jesus,” Padme felt a wave of horror flood over her. She didn’t think she had processed how much Enver’s life was on the line until this moment. “Enver…if they’re only going to hobble Frederick’s business, not arrest him, what’s going to stop him pursuing you for the rest of your life?”

Enver smiled sadly. “Nothing. And I’m aware that once I testify, all bets are off. The F.B.I. is under no obligation to keep protecting me.”

Padme wanted to argue, but he was right. “God.”

“I have been offered a pass into witness protection, but I don’t want that.”

Padme gazed at him, distressed. “If it keeps you alive, why not?”

There was a long pause. “Because I have someone who I cannot be parted from, now, Padme, and they wouldn’t let me see you again. I cannot live with that.”

“Oh, Enver…” Padme felt her body go cold at the thought of it. She took a deep breath in. “I can’t be the reason you get killed. I can’t.”

“You wouldn’t be. I’m saying…I don’t want my life curtailed by Freddy Ingles – and it is him who would come after you as well as me – he’s a sadist. Without him at the helm, the rest of them would crumble. They just want to be comfortable, gets as much money as they can without being bothered by scandal.”

Padme chewed this over. “I wouldn’t hesitate to put the asshole down. God, killing a pregnant woman?”

“And they knew it, too.”

“Cocksuckers,” she spat. “Just let me get a whiff of Ingles, and I’ll end him myself.”

Enver’s expression was hard. “I don’t want you within a million miles of that psycho.”

She gave him a lop-sided grin. “It’s kind of my job, Enver.”

He nodded, his expression concerned. “What made you go into the F.B.I. anyway?”

“I wanted to help people,” she said simply, “It was either this or the Military for me.”

“Did you go to college?”

She nodded. “A degree then a Master’s in Political Science. When Cosima…wait, do you know Cosima and Arlo Forrester?”

He nodded. “I do, a little.”

“Well, Cosima was shot and seriously injured a few years ago by her F.B.I. handler. We didn’t know if she was going to make it, but because of it, the restrictions on protecting foreign nationals were tightened up. I decided to join up to make sure they were – and now look where I am.”

“Isn’t that what you call irony?” Enver grinned at her, but she shook her head.

“More like…heartbreak. God, what am I doing?” Padme closed her eyes. “I’ve worked so hard to get where I am, Enver, you don’t know the half of it. Orphanage kid, mixed race, female…I had to overcome discrimination to get here. If something happened to you, not just on my watch, but at all…I don’t think I could survive it.”

Enver stroked her face. “I feel the same. And I don’t want to compromise your career, either, that’s not the kind of man I am.”

Padme gazed at him. “You would be easy to fall in love with, Enver Toscano, but I can’t risk it while your life is in danger.”

“Cara mia,” he said softly, “I’m already there.”

Padme felt tears well up, and she shook her head. “Don’t say it, please. Not yet. Not like this.”

Enver pressed his lips to hers. “Alright…but you know, right?”

She nodded, kissing him back. “I do. Me too, Enver, me too.”

The trial started on a Monday morning, three weeks after Enver had been transferred to the safe house. Padme flew with Enver in the helicopter, while Dale and some other F.B.I. Agents organized the decoy vehicles. Padme’s boss, Henry, had insisted on coming with them, which Padme was grateful for. She tried to put aside her terror that something would happen, someone would get close enough to Enver to hurt him, but she couldn’t help feeling sick the whole journey to the courthouse.

Only when they stepped inside its heavily guarded confines, did she allow her shoulders to un-bunch. She regarded every person she didn’t know as a suspect – even some of the newly recruited agents. Henry smiled at her. “That’s my girl,” he said to her, quietly, “always watching.”

She nodded back at him. “Do we have any intelligence of a specific threat, today?”

Henry shook his head. “We have eyes on Ingles and his associates.” He nodded at Enver who stood a little way away, talking to Brian Dedalus. “How’s it going with the protectee?”

Apart from wanting his cock inside me all day, every day, you mean? Padme swallowed a sudden giggle. “Good, he’s a smart guy, does what we want him to do.” God that didn’t even cover it.

“Big thing he’s doing, taking them on, all on his own. Brave guy.”

Padme smiled. “Yes.”

 

She walked over to Enver then, nodding at Brian. “Court says you’re first up, Enver.”

He smiled at her. “So maybe this will all be over soon?”

“Doubtful,” Brian butted in, “Your testimony could take days, even weeks.” He looked at Padme, his eyes cold. “Wouldn’t it be better to allow my client to live in a hotel adjacent to the court, rather than risk anything happening on the journey back and forth?”

Padme sighed inwardly. She really didn’t like this joker. “Which would be the first place any assassin would look for Enver. Yep, great idea.”

She was rewarded by Brian’s face turning red. He excused himself, and they watched as he went to talk to Henry. Enver chuckled. “He’s gonna tell Papa on you.”

Padme shrugged, dismissive of the lawyer. “Where on earth did you find that guy?”

“Tinder,” Enver said with a straight face, and Padme laughed.

“Yeah, well, you should have swiped left.”

“Got it.”

Padme looked at him. “You nervous?”

Enver nodded. “Just want to get this show on the road.”

“You’ll nail it, baby.” The epithet came out of her mouth before she could stop it and Enver smiled.

“I heard that.”

“Shut up,” she hissed and then laughed. A moment later, the clerk of the court called Enver in. Padme watched him walked inside the courtroom and mouthed ‘Good Luck’ to him. He winked at her and disappeared into the court.

Padme let out a sigh of relief. The public gallery in the court had been shut off, and even the journalists covering the case had a gag order until Enver was safely out of the country. There were armed guards in there with him - he was safe.

“Hey.” Dale came up behind her, and she turned. “We got him here alive. Feels pretty good, huh?”

Padme smiled. “Sure does.”

Dale grinned and lowered his voice. “He’s a good guy, Pads…I’m really happy for you.”

Her eyes widened, and she felt a cold fear spike inside her. “What?”

Dale put his hand on her arm. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to say a word, but it’s pretty obvious to me that you two are…”

“We are not anything,” Padme lied, “He’s just a friendly guy.” She hated to lie to Dale like this, but she didn’t want to risk being thrown of Enver’s case.

“Girl, after everything we’ve been through, don’t you think you can trust me? I’m not saying a word, I think it’s a great thing. But you want to deny it, go right ahead.”

Dale walked off, and Padme felt awful. Dale was right – she should have trusted him. She caught up to him and pulled him into a corridor. “I’m sorry, D. You’re right, Enver and I have…history. But we’re not together, at least, not while this case is going on. It’s too risky for him, for us.”

Dale’s expression softened. “I know. Listen, I meant what I said. I won’t say a word. And hey, just for the record, you’re a great agent. End of discussion.”

Padme relaxed. “You are the best.”

“Oh, I know.”

Enver looked drained after a day’s worth of questioning, and he was quiet on the trip back to the compound. Padme, sitting next to him, surreptitiously squeezed his hand and he gave her a weary smile.

“Bad day?” She said, but he shook his head.

“No, just draining. They talked a lot about Max and Julia’s murders. They showed the court photographs of the crime scene…and their bodies.”

“Oh god, Enver, I’m sorry.”

He nodded, and she could see the pain in his eyes. She wanted so much to hold him, kiss him, make him feel comforted but in this small confined helicopter, it was impossible without being seen by the pilot.

 

They landed back at the compound. The lights in the main house were out, and Padme narrowed her eyes, suspicious They had left Chaley and two security men in the property. Padme drew her weapon. “Enver, stay inside the copter with Mac and Wiley. Mac, if you hear shots, take off and go to the emergency safe house, got it?”

“Got it, boss.”

Enver leaned forward. “What it is?”

“Probably nothing, but Dale and I and the rest will do a sweep. I’ll come get you as soon as we give the all-clear.”

She stepped out of the helicopter, but Enver grabbed her hand. “Stay safe, Principessa,” he whispered, and she nodded.

 

Padme and Dale entered first, guns drawn, torches on. Padme flicked the lights on at the main switch, and the whole house lit up. There was silence. “Chaley? Chaley Sanders? Gary Holder? Kevin?”

There was no answer. Padme peeled off to search the living room while Dale took the bedrooms. Silence hung heavy over the whole compound and Padme could only hear her heart beating heavily. Something was wrong, she could feel it in her bones.

“Agent Kaur! We have two men down, kitchen area, repeat, two men down.”

Fuck. Where the hell was Chaley? She turned into the study and flicked the lights on.

She recoiled immediately. The furniture in the room had been pushed to the sides of the room, except for one chair in the middle of the room. Tied to it, a bloodied and unconscious – Padme hoped – was Chaley. Padme darted to the young woman’s side and felt for a pulse. Still alive – just. She saw the vicious stab wounds in the young woman’s abdomen, and her heart ached for the sweet young assistant.

Padme drew her gun and fired two shots into the roof, causing plaster to drop down on them. Dale and the other agents burst into the room as Padme untied Chaley and picked her up. God, she was tiny, probably less than a hundred pounds. Dale took her from Padme as Padme saw a note had been placed under Chaley’s limp body.

“Let’s get her to a hospital now,” she ordered, as outside she saw the helicopter carrying her love take off. Relieved, she followed Dale out to the car and sat in the back, cradling Chaley, who was coming around, pressing her hands down on Chaley’s wounds to keep the blood loss to a minimum.

“Chaley? That’s right, sweetheart, stay with me. Keep breathing, we’re getting you to a hospital right now, darling.”

Chaley opened her eyes and looked up at Padme. “Pad?”

Padme smiled. “That’s right, sweetie, we’re taking you to get help.”

“They told me it wasn’t personal. Don’t let them win, Pad, don’t let them hurt him…”

Padme moaned as Chaley’s head fell back, and the girl went limp in her arms. “Dale! Fucking step on it!”

Dale got them to an emergency room in super-quick time, but it was too late. The emergency room doctor declared Chaley dead on arrival. He was sympathetic, but matter of fact with Padme and Dale. “She didn’t stand a chance, I’m afraid. Her abdominal artery was severed in multiple places. She simply bled out.”

Padme felt hollow. Over the few weeks she’d known Chaley, she liked te young assistant very much – she didn’t deserve to die like this.

“Fuck,” Dale said, his face pale. “Fuck.” Padme followed him out the ambulance. Dale put his head in his hands and then screamed. “Fuck!”

Padme sat down on one of the benches outside and felt herself grow numb. Chaley had been murdered, and their safe house was blown. Enver had been spirited away – and now, she felt, she didn’t know if she could trust the people who had taken him. She remembered the note under Chaley’s body, and now, Padme pulled it out of her pocket, wincing at the blood that soaked the paper. She smoothed it out and read it.

Dale rubbed his hands on his head. “So, they know where we were keeping Enver. Someone must have blabbed…but who the hell else knew apart from a very few of us? They knew about the house!”

Padme looked up at him, her face pale and she held up the note. “And they know about me.”

Dale took the note from her and Padme watched as his eyes widened as he read the message on the paper.

 

Next time, we’ll gut your pretty Indian girlfriend.

Padme sat in Henry’s office. It had been two days since the murder, two days since she’d seen or spoken to Enver. After they had read the note, Dale had pleaded with her to tell Henry about the threat.

“You don’t have to say anything about your relationship with Enver. Just, take this threat seriously. If what happened to Chaley ever happened to you…I could not live with it, Pad. Neither could Enver.”

So, she was here, waiting for Henry to tell her what her next steps were. She had decided she would tell him everything, take her punishment. Ask if she could be put with Enver.

“Well,” Henry came into the room, shutting it behind him. “I guess we now have two people to protect. The threat on that note was very real, Padme, the Ingles won’t think twice about killing you to get to Enver Toscano.”

“How did they know about us? I mean, Dale and I being Mr. Toscano’s protection detail?”

Henry’s face was stern. “We are looking into it – believe me, when I find them…” He sighed. “So, assuming that you don’t want off this case, I propose we take you to the same safe house as Toscano. You’ll keep your badge and gun, but for all intents and purposes, you’ll be a protectee also.”

Padme sighed. “The babysitter being babysat.”

Henry’s mouth hitched up in a smile. “Suck it up. Mr. Toscano’s lawyer tells me he thinks his client will only be questioned for one more day. After that…”

“After that what? We just let him walk into a viper’s nest? They will kill him on sight, whether he’s testified or not. They can’t stop that now, but Freddy Ingles won’t just let it lie.”

Henry sat back in his chair, studying her. “We’ve offered Mr. Toscano witness protection, but he says he doesn’t want it. Rumor has it, he’s in love with a woman here in Seattle. You know anything about that?”

Padme prayed she didn’t flush as she kept a blank expression. “No, sir, the protectee hasn’t mentioned anything.”

Henry’s eyes never left hers. “I only ask because I know you and Mr. Toscano seem friendly.”

Padme nodded. “I would say that, sir, within the confines of our roles, of course.”

“Of course.”

He didn’t believe her, she could tell, but she was too deep in the lie now. Jesus, she really had laid it on the line for this man, hadn’t she? “Is Mr. Toscano safe where he is?”

Henry nodded. “He is. We told him about his assistant, and he’s obviously very upset. He asked if you – or Agent Fortuna – were hurt and we told him you were fine. So, what I think would be best, is if you pack a bag and we’ll relocate you to where Mr. Toscano is. He obviously trusts you, Padme, and in his position, that’s not an easy thing to do.”

“Will Dale come with me?”

Henry hesitated. “Agent Fortuna is being reassigned.”

Padme was shocked. “Why? He did nothing wrong.”

“I know that, Padme.” Henry’s voice was kind. “He asked to be reassigned. Said he felt guilty for not protecting you.”

“No!” Padme was distressed. “I’m fine, nothing happened to me. Chief, please, don’t punish him for nothing. It wasn’t his job to protect me.”

“Calm down, Agent. Go, talk to him but he seemed pretty set. If he changes his mind, of course, let me know.”

 

Padme sought Dale out immediately. He was eating a bowl of ramen in the mess. She sat down opposite him and glared at him until he looked up. He gave a resigned sigh. “You heard.”

“What the hell, Dale?”

Dale glanced around the room, making sure they weren’t overheard and leaned closer. “They know we’re a team. Maybe, by being separate, I can throw them off the track.”

Padme rocked back. “You are not putting yourself up as bait. No freaking way, Dale, no. I’m not some fragile little woman you have to save, Captain America.”

Dale rolled his eyes. “Putting aside the fact that I would take a bullet for you any day, Pad, I’m not that much of a Neanderthal. I’m talking about we work together, play cat and mouse with them until someone slips up. Then we’ve got them, even if we have to take them down one operative at a time.”

“We do not know who we are dealing with, Dale, or how many of them there are. And someone,” she hissed, lowering her voice, “is on the inside, I know it.”

“Paranoia, much?”

“How the fuck else did they find the safe house?” Padme felt tears in her eyes. “How else did they kill Chaley?”

Dale studied her for a long time. “Pad…do you think I ever want to see you like that? Do you honestly not know how much you mean to me?”

She looked up sharply, misunderstanding him and he laughed. “Slow your roll, I meant as a sister. A best friend.”

Padme relaxed. “Good. I love you too, Daleywhaley.”

“A hell-no to that nickname.”

Padme grinned, the banter cheering her. “So, Daleywhaley, what’s the plan?”

Dale laughed, shaking his head. “Pain in the ass-woman. Well, first thing, you do as Henry is telling you and get your ass over to Enver. He needs you right now – in every way.” He waggled his eyebrows, but Padme shook her head at him.

“I lied to Henry, told him nothing is going on.”

“Well, it isn’t, is it? Not during the investigation, anyway.”

Padme blushed, and Dale’s eye widened. “You didn’t?”

“Once,” she admitted, “when everyone was asleep.”

Dale considered and smiled mischievously. “Nicely done, Kaur.”

She giggled but told him to shut up. “I cannot believe I risked everything for a jump.”

“Except it was more than that, right?” His voice was soft now. “You’ve fallen for him.”

Padme hesitated and then nodded. “Maybe I should quit.”

Dale made a siren sound. “Emergency, call the Sisterhood, emergency.” He intoned it like a robot and Padme started to laugh at him and then couldn’t stop until they were both crying.

“You are such a loser,” she said, wiping her eyes.

“Yeah, but I’m your best loser,” he said smugly, and she grinned.

“Yeah, you are. Give me a high-five.”

All the way to the safehouse, going through so many detours and diversions she lost count, Padme practiced her ‘Greeting the Protectee’ reaction.

Hello again, Mr. Toscano, good to see you safe and well.

Mr. Toscano, hello, good to see you.

God, Enver, I love you so much, get your clothes off right now…

 

Her lips twitched with a grin. No, that last one really wouldn’t be appropriate – despite it being…. true. Shit. She loved him. No, no that wasn’t possible, she’d known him for a month. But everything in her body said it was true. She loved Enver Toscano. She closed her eyes and pictured him now, his crooked smile that changed his face from many to boyish, that dark beard, those green eyes, that golden tanned skin. The feel of his lips against hers, on her nipples, on her clit. Jesus, stop, she told herself, but then she couldn’t stop the memory of his huge ramrod-hard cock plunging into her swollen and wet cunt over and over and over…

 

When they arrived at the new safe house, Padme kept all her feelings inside her as she nodded to the security guard. “Mr. Toscano is in his study, Agent. Far end of the corridor as you go in.”

“Thank you.” She made to move then stopped. “Is Mr. Dedalus here, agent?”

“No, Ma’am, just Mr. Toscano.”

“Thank you.” She said again, and then, her heart in her mouth, she walked to the study and knocked. “Come in.”

She opened the door and saw him. Dressed in a sweater and blue jeans, he looked up from behind the desk, and the smile that spread across his face made her knees weak. Without a word, he got up, and with two long strides, he took her in his arms and kissed her. Padme, lost in his embrace, heard him lock the door behind her. A beat, then they were tearing at each other’s clothes, desperate to feel each other’s skin against their own. Enver lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he plunged into her, pushing her back against the wall as they fucked. Padme was glad the wall was concrete and not wood as Enver slammed his lips into her over and over, his cock reaming her into a delirious state of pleasure.

“I love you,” she gasped, not caring if he got freaked out. “I love you so much, Enver Toscano…”

“Ti amo, ti amo, ti amo,” he whispered with real feeling, with tears in his eyes. “I love you too, il mia amore.”

He made her come again and again as they clawed, and bit, and sucked at each other’s bodies. Nothing existed in the world for them at that moment, just the joining of their bodies, the gaze of their eyes. Enver laid her on the desk, stroking the length of her body from her throat, cupping her breasts, down to her belly, then he dropped to his knees and buried his head between her legs, sucking and teasing at her clit until she was moaning and coming again.

They caught their breaths, kissing and listening for anyone who might be close, then, grinning up at him, Padme took his already hard cock into her mouth and teased him, hollowing out her cheeks as she sucked at him, massaging his balls with her hand, hearing his groans and him saying her name over and over. He tried to draw out as he was close but she shook her head, and he came in her mouth, swallowing him down.

“God, Padme…Padme…ti amo…” He lifted her into his arms and kissed her, his green eyes soft with love. “When I heard those gun shots, I thought I’d lost you. I tried to get out of the helicopter, but they took off. I was screaming at them – I’m afraid I cursed them out.”

Padme chuckled, smoothing his hair back from his face. “And I’m glad they ignored you.” Her smile faded. “I’m sorry about Chaley. Such a sweet girl.”

Enver’s eyes were full of pain, and he nodded. “And they would not let me see her, or call her parents.” He set Padme down on her feet, and they got dressed. “Come sit with me, darling.”

He unlocked the door in case anyone got suspicious and opened the window to let some fresh air in. He sat next to Padme and took her hand. “I cannot imagine what it must have been like to find her like that.”

Padme sighed. “Yes, you can. The same people who killed Max and Julia murdered Chaley.”

“Henry told me there was a note with Chaley’s body? What did it say?”

Padme felt cold inside. They hadn’t told him about the threat to her. Good. Good, that was for the best because otherwise, he would send her away. “Just making sure you got the message. Forensics took care of it, I really didn’t read much of it.”

Enver seemed happy about that. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. Mio Dio…I am crazy for dragging you into this world. I am selfish.”

Padme kissed his cheek. “You didn’t drag me anywhere, I came willingly. It’s you and me now, whether it’s publicly known or not. I’ve said it before – I’d take a bullet for you.”

“And I’m going to ask you to stop saying that because it makes me want to break down.” But he said it with a smile on his face. He leaned his forehead against hers. “I don’t think the F.B.I. knows what to do with me. Once my testimony is over, I’m cut loose.”

Padme shook her head. “No…look, they’re offering witness protection. Take it.”

Enver’s smile faded. “They won’t let me see you again. That’s not an option. Look, it’s not as if I haven’t got the resources to disappear from public life on my own recognisance.”

“But why should you have to?” Padme felt a little hysterical. “It isn’t fair.”

He swept his hand through her hair and held her face in his hands. “Who said life had to be fair? As long as I have you, nothing else matters.”

“You’ll always have me.”

“Good.”

There was a knock at the door, and they moved apart, trying to look as casual as possible as one of the security guards, Sean, came in.

“Agent Kaur, we haven’t met, I’m Sean Gray, head of security here.”

Padme stood and shook the man’s hand. “Good to meet you. We should sit down and discuss Mr. Toscano’s protection while he’s here – I understand you’ve been working in shifts?”

Sea Gray gave her a bemused look. “We should also discuss your protection too, Agent Kaur.”

Oh, damn it. Padme could feel Enver’s stare. “I’m good, as long as Mr. Toscano is good.”

Sean nodded. “That’s fair enough, but we have specific orders to protect the both of you because of the threats.”

“Someone threatened Agent Kaur?” Enver’s voice was hard.

Padme glared at Sean, who finally caught on. “It’s standard procedure when a protectee’s safe house is compromised to then protect the lead agents.” It was a weak lie, but Padme was grateful for him trying.

Sean made his excuses, obviously embarrassed and left them alone. Padme could feel the weight of Enver’s stare as she turned to face him.

“Cara mia,” she saw him barely contain his anger, “we’re going to sit down, and you’re going to tell me exactly what the fuck is going on.”

Padme lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling. She’d escaped here after she and Enver had their very first argument, Enver furious that she’d lied about the threats to her safety. She’d shot back that she was a big girl and could look after herself. Enver had lost it then, and Padme realized just how scared he was of losing her.

“Do you know what they did to Julia?” He had raged at her, “I do. I saw the photos…they gutted her, Padme. They cut her baby from her and killed them both. In front of Max. Look what they did to Chaley. Do you think they won’t do it to you? Mio Dio, Padme, mio Dio…”

Eventually, she had left him to fume and came to find a bedroom to lie down in. Should she have told him about the threats?

Probably. Padme sighed and grabbed her cell phone and dialed the number of the only person she could talk to about this.

“Hey, cutie.”

“Hey, D. Can you talk?”

“Sure,” Dale sounded out of breath, “It’ll give me an excuse to stop working out. How’s the love nest?”

“Not very loving. Enver found out about the note.”

“Uh-oh. I assume he didn’t take it well.”

Padme sighed. “No, he freaked on me. We’re taking some time out right now.”

Dale was still catching his breath. “You can’t really blame him, after what’s happened. Hell, I don’t want anything to happen to you either. None of us do.”

Padme was quiet for a moment. “He told me he loved me.”

“Well now,” Dale’s voice softened, “of course he does.”

Padme felt tearful. “What a fucking mess this all is.”

“Yup, princess, it is. Have you discussed what you’re going to do after his testimony ends?”

“He won’t go into witness protection because of me. God, Dale, if he gets killed because of me…”

“You see? Don’t be too hard on him when you feel the same way. Do you love him?”

“Very much.”

“Then go makeup with him. We’ll figure out what happens. It’s not like he doesn’t have the money to disappear – the question is – do you want to disappear with him, give up everything you’ve worked for, all your friends, family?”

Padme let a few silent tears fall. “That’s just it, Dale…I don’t know.”

 

Later, there was a soft knock at her door, and Enver came in. He sat down on her bed, gazing down at her with pain in his eyes. Padme half-smiled at him. Enver slid his hand under her t-shirt and stroked her belly, circling her navel with his thumb, before pushing her t-shirt up, over her head. Padme sat up and kissed him as he freed her breasts from her bra and caressed them. Slowly, they undressed each other, and then Enver gathered to him.

“Ti amo,” he murmured as his lips trailing across her neck. Padme wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling his diamond-hard cock nudge against her sex. Enver teased her with the tip of it before plunging it into her. God, when they were like this, Padme knew she would give up everything for this, for him. Their lovemaking became more intense, their eyes locked on each other as they fucked, their panting synchronized as his cock plowed ever deeper into her swollen, wet cunt. Padme moaned as it hit every one of the sensitive nerve endings inside her, his mouth finding hers as their pace quickened.

“My beautiful Padme, my love, il mia amore…” His low, sensual voice made her skin vibrate with pleasure, and now his mouth was on her nipple, sucking, biting, teasing. Padme gasped through a shattering orgasm, her body shuddering and liquefying as she came and when she felt his cock jerking, pumping creamy cum deep into her belly, she tightened her legs around him, not wanting him to withdraw.

“Can we stay like this forever?” She whispered, and Enver nodded.

“We can, Principessa, we absolutely can. But it would mean leaving everyone and everything you know. Can you do that, Padme? Can you really do that?”

And right at that moment, Padme knew she could. She wanted to be with Enver more than anything, openly, freely, even if it meant giving everything up and living life on the run from his enemies.

Enver kissed her as he tightened his grip on her. “Cara mia, if I could keep you safe forever, I would do it.”

“I feel the same. Look, if tomorrow is your last day of testimony, then we have to decide tonight what our next move will be.” Padme rubbed her eyes. “I’ll have to tell my bosses that I’m quitting…” Her voice trailed off as she considered the weight of that decision. She had been so focused on her career for the last few years, so convinced it was the path her life was taking that abandoning now for a man seemed overwhelming.

No. Not for a man – for this man, this gorgeous, sexy, funny man who loved her. He was watching her closely, and Padme smiled at him. “A new life,” she said firmly, “with you, whatever the situation. We can face it together.”

“You’re sure?”

“I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life.”

He kissed her again and then they were making love again, not caring who heard them, secure in the knowledge that their love could overcome anything.

They had exhausted each other, making love until dawn and, wrapped in each other’s arms, they both awoke with a start as the door to the bedroom was flung open. Brian Dedalus stared down at them, a sneer on his face.

“Get dressed,” he snapped, his face raking over Padme’s body, only wrapped in a thin sheet. “We leave in thirty minutes.” He narrowed his eyes at Padme, and she flushed. With just a look he made her feel like a whore. Asshole.

“Remind me to fire that man’s ass,” Enver said darkly, then smiled at her. “Good morning, beautiful.”

She kissed him. “Good morning, handsome.”

“Come shower with me.”

In the hot shower, they made love, Enver lifting her easily and pressing her back against the cool tile as he thrust into her. Padme clung to him, his lips against hers, savoring every thrust of his huge cock into her cunt. They fit together so perfectly, and she loved the feeling of her nipples pressing against his chest, her belly against his. She tangled her fingers in his hair, pulling hard as she came, throwing her own head back and giving a long moan of release. Enver’s lips were on her throat as he pumped his seed deep into her belly.

Dressing quickly, they were about to leave the bedroom when Enver grabbed her hand. “Before we go, I want to say to you – thank you. Thank you for making my life something I want to keep living, with you. You have made me excited about the future. I was so down after Max’s death that I felt reckless, directionless. The moment I saw you at that party…I love you so, so much, Padme Kaur. I can’t wait to begin our life together.”

A tear escaped her eye then. “Oh god, Enver…you will never know how much you mean to me.”

Their lips met in a passionate embrace. “I do know,” Enver said softly, “I see it in your eyes.”

“I love you.”

“Ti amo, Padme Kaur. Ti amo.”

The journey to the court was uneventful, but Padme was aware of Brian Dedalus glowering at her. She stared back at him, challenging him to say something about her and Enver’s relationship, but the lawyer merely smirked and looked away.

Enver took her hand as they walked down to meet Henry Jones and the rest of the F.B.I. Agents. Padme hesitated, but Enver smiled down at her. “I’m not hiding anymore.”

Padme nodded, winding her fingers through his. Dedalus would no doubt tell everyone so why should they hide it anymore?

Henry’s expression when he saw their linked hands went from surprise to resignation to disapproval, but Padme, excusing herself from Enver for a moment, drew Henry to one side. “Henry…I’m sorry. My mind is made up.”

Henry shook his head, sighing. “I can’t pretend I’m happy, Padme. I championed you from the start, stuck my neck out for you, and you’re throwing it away.”

“For the best reason, Henry. For the only reason. I’m in love with Enver Toscano.”

Henry’s eyes were troubled. “I don’t think you have any idea what you’re getting into. They will never stop hunting you.”

Padme nodded. “I know. But he means everything to me. We’ll handle whatever comes together.”

Henry sighed. “Then, Agent Kaur, I’m going to have to relieve you of duty. Your badge and gun.”

Padme handed them to him. “Thank you for everything, Henry.”

Henry leaned closer. “Please, Pad…change your mind. Don’t make me fire you.”

Padme kissed his cheek. “You don’t need to fire me, Henry. I quit.”

“Think about what you’re doing.”

“I have,” she said, meeting his gaze. “I know what my life is meant to be now.”

 

She made her way back to Enver, showing him her empty gun holster. “So, I’m just here as your lover now, baby. I can come into the courtroom, support you.”

He squeezed her hand.

“Glad to hear it.” Brian Dedalus came up behind them. “I’ve just put in a formal complaint about you, Agent Kaur. I’m sure your bosses will be displeased with your behavior.”

Enver opened his mouth to speak, but Padme shook her head. “No, please, let me.” She turned to look at Brian. “Fuck off, Dedalus, you slimy-faced-Patrick-Bateman-wannabe. If you’re trying to get me fired – too late, I quit. Enver and I have been together since before I ever met you, so mind your own business, would you please? Jackass.”

She turned her back on the lawyer. Enver was having trouble hiding his smirk.

“Fucking little whore,” Brian hissed, apoplectic, and Enver lunged for him.

“Stop, stop,” Padme got between them. “Brian, walk away, right now. Enver, they’re calling you.”

Enver let go of Brian who dusted himself off. “Dedalus, the second this is over, you’re fired. Get out of my sight.”

Brian gave a strange smirk of triumph but said nothing more, stalking off. Padme breathed out, relaxing as Enver took her hand. “Ready, love?”

 

Padme watched her lover as he calmly answered the questions the prosecution and defense were putting to him. She looked at the defendants, lower-ranking members of Frederick Ingles’s organization. All this for them, she said to herself. Was it worth it?

As Enver was released from the custody box, it seemed to anti-climactic, but his smile when he rejoined her made her heart swell.

“We’re free,” he said, “Now, let’s disappear.”

He kissed her as she led him from the courtroom. She saw Brian Dedalus in front of them. He turned as they reached the stairs.

To Padme’s horror, she saw the gun in his hand at the last moment. He leveled it at Enver, and it all happened in a second. Padme threw herself in front of Enver, pushing him down as Brian fired the gun and she felt hot metal slam into her belly.

“Fucking bitch!” Dedalus’s shirt exploded with red as the other agents took him down, but he managed to get off another shot, this time aiming for Padme deliberately, the bullet ripping into her stomach. Adrenaline flooded her body, and she was more concerned with Enver than herself.

He was underneath her as she flipped around and checked him. There was so much blood. “Are you hit? Are you hit?” She was frantic now, her hands roaming his body searching for wounds. Enver’s eyes were huge, full of pain. He shook his head.

“No, baby, it’s not my blood, it’s not my blood, oh god, Padme…someone help her, please, he shot her…” He was screaming now as Padme realized that her whole body was on fire and that the blood soaking them both was her own. Someone pushed her aside and grabbed Enver, yanking him up as he screamed for someone to help her. Padme lay on her back, barely able to breathe as she watched Enver, still shouting, his eyes fixed on her, reaching out his arms toward her, as he was begin dragged away by his protection.

“I love you,” she whispered as the darkness flooded her vision…