The Gentlewoman (26 page)

He walked around the bar and gathered her into his arms.

“Look at me,” he said as he lifted her chin. Her lips were
quivering and he caught a stray tear with his thumb as he held her face. “I
promise you all of that and more. I am completely serious. You are my girl,
forever. I want your trust and faith. I will never do anything again that would
hurt you or make you doubt that you can trust and count on me. I love you,
Rory.”

She couldn’t hold back the tears and he held her tightly
until she stilled. “I know this is hard for you, and I made it harder,” he
said.

“It’s okay,” she offered in a hoarse voice.

“No, it’s not. But I’ll show you. I’ll make it better.”

She sniffled and wiped her face with her hand, standing back
from him.

“Good,” she stated. “Because I do love you.”

“And that makes me so happy,” he said, pulling her in again
and kissing her. He held her close, rocking her back and forth.

“I need one more thing, Jackson.”

“Anything, baby.”

“Breakfast. Your bacon is burning.”

“I’m going across the hall and checking on those guys,” Rory
said, handing him her plate. “I want to know if there’s been any progress with
this mess.”

“Wait up, I’ll go with you.” He turned off the water and
wiped his hands on the dishtowel. Rory was making her way to the door when she
heard her cell phone and grabbed her purse off the dining room table. Jackson
watched as she answered.

“Hi, Landon.” She held her finger up and moved to the couch
in the living room. Jackson leaned on the kitchen island and watched as she
propped her feet on the coffee table. He scanned her body. She was so sexy in
those jeans and sweater. It made him hard just watching her talk on the phone.
The doorbell rang and he moved to answer it.

“Can I help you?” He recognized Agent Sutton from Rory’s
office.

“Good morning, Congressman. I’m here to collect Rory for a
briefing in her condo.” He tried to look past Jackson into the room.

Jackson pulled the door in to block his view. He wasn’t sure
why he didn’t like this bastard. He remembered Rory and Nicole had said he had
been on the case back in Ohio.

“I will accompany the congresswoman across the hall when
we’re ready.” Sutton gave him a stony stare. “Was there something else you
needed, Agent?”

“I just wanted to make myself available in case Rory needed
anything. She didn’t seem too keen about coming home with you when we were in
her office yesterday. I thought I’d make myself available to accompany her if
she’d like to get away for a while.”

Jackson stepped out into the hall and pulled the door closed
behind him.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” he bit out,
crossing his arms over his chest.

Sutton eyed him curiously before he responded. “I’m sorry,
Congressman, but I know Rory. I’ve known her very well for years.” Jackson
didn’t care for the smirk on the bastard’s face. “I could tell she wasn’t fond
of the idea of staying here with you. I just wanted to check if she needed
anything before the debriefing.”

Jackson wanted to coldcock the son of a bitch. He felt sweat
break out on his body at the effort it was taking to restrain himself. He took
a step forward and spoke slowly, over-enunciating his words.

“Agent Sutton, you are not needed here. I don’t care how
well you think you know the congresswoman. She’s with me. And that is all you
need to know. You can stick to your job and forget about the rest. I will be
continuing to take care of
my
Rory.” He had stepped forward until they
were inches apart, face-to-face, Jackson’s hands in fists at his side. “Are we
clear?”

They stared at each other. “Well, we’ll see you at the
briefing,” Shane said as he stepped back. He smiled smugly.

“Stick to your job, Agent, and I’ll take care of my woman.”
Jackson stepped back inside and slammed the door.

Rory and Landon had apologized to each other about the
silent treatment that had gone on for too long after their lunch date. Landon
had talked to Nicole and she had filled him in on the current situation.

He sounded worried and wanted to know that Rory was okay.
She assured him she was and that they’d talk more about it at Nicole’s house on
Sunday. Rory had warned Landon that she would be bringing Jackson. Landon
promised he’d be on his best behavior.

Jackson entered as she was hanging up the phone. “Everything
okay?” she asked. He looked pissed off and she had no idea why.

“Yeah, fine. How was your uncle?”

“Apologetic, as was I. What’s upset you?”

He took a deep breath and decided Sutton wasn’t worth it.
“Nothing.” He came forward and kissed her on the nose. “I guess I’d rather not
have all these agents hanging out either. We’re being asked to a debriefing
across the hall.”

She eyed him wearily. “I’m sorry. I know this is turning
your life into a circus.”

“I couldn’t care less about that. I just want this to be
over so I can have you to myself, and we can move our life together forward.”
He smiled and gathered her into his arms.

“Hmmm, pretty sure of yourself aren’t you, Playboy Dorn?”

“I’m nobody’s playboy but yours, Congresswoman.” He sucked
on her bottom lip.

“Mmmm, my own private playboy. I’m a lucky girl.”

“You’re my girl.” He kissed her deeply. “But let’s get over
there and see what the agents have to say.”

Rory entered her own condo and was irritated to find it
filled with men and littered with food and empty dishes. They had moved
furniture and set up tables with computers and other equipment.

“How long are you gentlemen actually planning on staying?”
she said, looking around incredulously. She had thought only two men were
camped here. At present there were eight standing around. They looked as though
they had brought enough stuff to stay on for quite a while.

Secretary Reynolds answered her. “We’d like to get this
wrapped up as quickly as possible, Congresswoman. That’s why we’ll need your
help.”

“Where have I heard that before?” she murmured, not caring
who heard her.

“Congresswoman, Congressman, please sit and let’s discuss
where we’re at.” Reynolds directed her to her own couch.

Agent Tagg began. “Congresswoman, in the last twenty-four
hours we haven’t experienced any activity here on your property. Likewise,
agents in Ohio haven’t detected any activity. The only activity was when the
two of you went to dinner last night. You were followed by an unknown subject
from Capitol Hill to the corner here, and then you were followed again to the
restaurant.”

Rory stared at him as her heart sank to her knees and the
hair stood up on her entire body. “We were followed?” Jackson squeezed her
hand.

“Were you able to make an ID?” Jackson asked.

“No sir, the subject is accustomed to moving in a random
fashion and subverting a direct line of sight. Which isn’t surprising for who
we’re dealing with. These guys are the best at what they do.”

Rory snorted and stared straight ahead.

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” Tagg offered. Rory didn’t say a word but
turned and looked directly at him. She couldn’t believe she was here again with
Tagg, the little fucker. She still held so much contempt for him for not being
there when she needed him.

“So it sounds to me like they know you’re here. What good is
any of this?”

Secretary Reynolds cut in. “I don’t think they know we’re
here in your home. I do think they’re being very careful, what with your higher
profile. They’re dipping their toes in the water to see what kind of
opportunity presents itself. You’re not their only business here, but you’re
important.”

“Can’t you just follow them and arrest them?”

Tagg answered her. “We’ve never witnessed them breaking the
law. We don’t have evidence enough for a warrant. If they’re observed doing
something illegal we will pick them up.”

“And I’ve heard that one before too. What are we going to
do, live together like this forever? What can be done?”

“We need to give it time.” Secretary Reynolds looked her
square in the eye while everyone else was silent. “I’m not going to kid you,
ma’am, Roan Sullivan is a smart bastard. Unless he has opportunity, he won’t
bother. Not even to avenge his brother’s death.”

“What does that mean?”

“Have you asked yourself why Sullivan is making an
appearance now, three years after his brother’s death?” She felt Jackson tense
beside her and looked up into his face. He breathed out and shook his head.

“Why?”

He grimaced. “It’s because he thinks you’re having too good
a life. Am I right, Marty?”

“You are,” Reynolds answered.

She was skeptical. “I don’t know about that. If he was
watching me at any time in the past couple years he would have seen a person
who appeared to be doing okay. Granted, I wasn’t jumping for joy, but in the
media I’ve seemed to have my life back, politically anyway.”

“He doesn’t care about your career.” Jackson sighed and
scrubbed his face with his hand, tilting his head back and cursing before
looking at her again. “It’s because of me.”

“What do you mean?”

Jackson looked at the secretary. “I’m guessing the profile
says Sullivan is a psychopathic narcissist who believes that women are
property. He holds himself and his family in high esteem, believing their
intelligence to be far superior to the rest of the world. He holds his mother,
although female, in highest esteem and she probably calls a lot of the shots.
His brother was equally important to him. Rory was a tool to be used to enhance
business operations in the States and no better than the property they move.
When she took his brother’s life, she stepped far out of line and must be
punished. That’s probably been on his to-do list but has escalated in
importance since word got out that Rory has been spending time with a man.
Personal happiness is not something that property has a right to, especially
since taking his brother’s life. He is appalled. So much so that killing her
would be moved considerably higher on his agenda.”

Rory gawked at him. She looked at the floor and thought
about what he had said. She could hear Aidan’s words coming back to her.
Roan
told me not to use a piece of ass like you for anything more than the whore you
are, but I didn’t listen
. She felt sick. “What the hell am I going to do?”

He brought her head to his shoulder and held her.

“Right now we watch and wait. Eventually he’ll make his move
and we’ll have him,” Reynolds offered.

Rory sat back and looked around the testosterone-stuffed
room. That answer didn’t satisfy her. Sit and wait for how long? That strategy
had not served her well in the past. Aidan had made his move right under their
noses. She almost hadn’t survived. Her father
hadn’t
survived. She
looked at Jackson. This time she wasn’t going to lose anyone she loved.

“No,” she said adamantly.

All faces swung to hers. Secretary Reynolds cleared his
throat. “I’m sorry? We need…”

“No, we’re not going to sit and wait. We need to draw him
out, make him come for me.”

Everyone was quiet. “What do you mean, baby?”

She turned to Jackson. “I’m not waiting to be taken from
under their noses again, I won’t do it. They couldn’t stop Aidan from taking me
and killing my dad. What makes us think that plan will work this time?” She
looked around the room. Tagg and Shane looked contrite, which only pissed her
off more.

“This time you’re being shadowed twenty-four-seven,
Congresswoman. You have Secret Service and Homeland, along with the FBI
accountable for you,” Reynolds said.

She stood and looked into his eyes. “No offense, Secretary,
but that’s cold comfort. Last time I was shadowed by the FBI my husband took me
and my father without breaking a sweat. Those agents had no idea anything was
amiss. I’m not going through that again. And I’m not willing to lose anyone
else.”

“Congresswoman, there really isn’t much else we can do.
Sullivan isn’t stupid enough to rush into anything. There isn’t anything to
lure him with, except you, and he’d know when something is off.”

Rory looked from Reynolds to Jackson. She felt desperate.
Alphabet agencies were taking over her life and she still couldn’t be sure
there wouldn’t be a repeat of three years ago.

“We have to turn up the volume.”

“What do you mean?” Jackson asked.

Rory looked around as she thought about it. “You think it
infuriates him that I would be happy? Well, let’s get fucking happy then. Let’s
get so happy he wants to take me out ASAP.”

“What are you suggesting, ma’am?” Reynolds asked.

“Jackson and I will make more public appearances. The
paparazzi liked us after the state dinner. We’ll do more of the same.”

“Rory,” Jackson breathed.

She sat back down and took his hand. “Hear me out. We need
to get him angry. Maybe then he’ll make a mistake, a misjudgment. Then we can
get him out of our lives.”

“I don’t know that it would do any good.”

“We could use the media and make it public, really advertise
our happy life together.” She turned to Reynolds. “You said yourself that you
wanted to use the fact that we were distracted with each other.”

“It couldn’t hurt.”

She looked back to Jackson. “I’m sorry to ask this of you.”

“Can I speak to you in the other room?” He rose and took her
by the hand. They walked into her bedroom and her nose crinkled at the messy
bed that an agent had obviously been sleeping in.

They turned to each other and Jackson took both her hands.
“I don’t want you in this kind of danger. I don’t want you doing anything
you’re uncomfortable with.”

“Jackson, I’m already in danger. And you yourself took me to
dinner last night stating that it was safer in public.”

“I know. I just worry that… Are you sure you want to do
this?” He searched her face.

“I want this over. I don’t see another way. I’m sorry you
have to be involved.”

“Oh baby, please don’t apologize. Remember, I’m the one who
wants to go public with an engagement announcement.” He looked deeply into her
eyes. “So if you really want to make things happen, maybe we should use that.”

“Jackson, I haven’t said yes yet,” she said, astonished.

His smile went a mile wide. “I know, but we could just
announce it and use it. It doesn’t have to be real…
yet
. Think of the
attention it would create, the playboy getting married…”

It was a damn good idea. Nothing would garner the attention
that an announcement like that would. She thought about it. “Okay.”

“Okay,” he said, smiling and leaning in to kiss her.

She reared back. “Remember, this isn’t real yet. I haven’t
said yes to your proposal yet.”

He snickered and leaned his hips against hers, rubbing his
hands up and down her back. “I know. But you keep saying
yet
at the end
of those sentences and it makes me so hard.” He rubbed his erection against her
belly.

“Everything makes you hard, Jackson.”

“Everything about you does.”

Rory and Jackson retreated to his condo after informing the
agents they were planning to announce their engagement. They had decided to
keep the false nature of it to themselves. Rory had blushed as they were
congratulated. Jackson had beamed. She had caught Shane’s eye. He seemed
shocked. He had remained in the background but came forward and shook Jackson’s
hand along with the rest of them. She felt another pang of guilt over the way
she had treated him.

They had discussed how this might speed things up with Roan,
and the agents had explained to them the coordination of their protection. As before,
Manus and Tagg would stay in the condo. The Secret Service agents would be
following Rory and Jackson. The agents’ presence would be detectable only
inside the federal buildings to reduce the chance of anything happening there.
All other times they would be in the shadows, as would the Homeland agents.
Rory was beginning to feel claustrophobic with so many people breathing down
her neck.

Tagg took Rory’s house key. Manus kept the only other. They
pointed out newly placed cameras in the hallway. Everything outside of the
condos would be taped.

They returned to Jackson’s condo. Anxiety was creeping up as
she took her bag of work upstairs and sprawled across Jackson’s bed. He
appeared in the doorway.

“You okay?”

“Just feeling a little caged in, that’s all.” He came over
and crawled onto the bed.

“Let’s get out then.”

“No, I have a lot of work to do.”

Jackson’s phone rang and he dug it out of his pocket. “Hey,
kid, how’s it going? Hang on a minute. It’s Ryan. I’m going to talk to him
downstairs,” he said, kissing her and leaving the room.

Rory rolled to her side and stared at the wall. She was
feeling melancholy, to say the least. She could feel her anxiety rising and
admitted that she was scared for herself and Jackson. She closed her eyes and
images of her father flashed in her mind. She sat up quickly, not wanting to go
there. She grabbed her bag from the floor and started going through paperwork.
Fifteen minutes later, Jackson was back.

“Let’s go out for lunch,” he offered.

She thought about it. They had to go out. Otherwise they
would never be rid of this threat.

Milo’s served the best burgers in town, or so Jackson
declared. They sat in a cushioned booth and sipped sodas, waiting for their
food.

“Are you warm enough, baby?” She looked down to see that she
was rubbing her left wrist.

“I’m pathetic.”

“Yes, but I love you.” He smiled at her.

She smiled. She did like to hear him say that. “So how’s
your son?”

“He’s good. Wanted more money, of course. But he’s doing
well.”

A thought occurred to her. “When was the last time you saw
him?”

He looked at her. “When I was at the hospital with my mom.
I’ll see him in a few weeks. It’s no big deal.” He shrugged, looking around the
restaurant.

“You told me you saw him a couple times a month. It’s
February second. Why hasn’t he come to visit?”

He shrugged and sipped his soda. “We’ve been off schedule.
It happens sometimes.”

“It’s because of me, isn’t it?” Tears welled in her eyes and
she grabbed her napkin. When the hell had she become such a crybaby?

Jackson rose and scooted in beside her. He put his arms
around her and pulled her to his chest. She did love his broad, rock-hard
chest, but she felt like an ass losing it like this in public.

“No, it’s not because of you, Rory. We really have been off
schedule. He was busy in January with that extra ski trip and then my mom was
ill. It’s true, he was supposed to come this weekend, but with everything going
on, I cancelled. But it’s not because of you. It’s because of the crazy
stalker. That’s not your fault.”

“I’m so sorry to make you miss out on time with your son.”

“It’s okay. Believe me, Ryan doesn’t mind and neither do I.
Stop worrying.” He hugged her tightly. “By the way, I told him we got engaged.”

Her head shot up. “What?” she gasped.

“Don’t freak, okay? I had to. If we’re going to announce it
I wanted him to hear it from me.”