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Because Mitch knew what it was like to truly be afraid – to fear her fellow humans because of what they could physically and emotionally do to her. She wasn’t spending the rest of her life working through trauma for nothing.
All she had to do was convince Vanessa this was the right thing to do.
“Absolutely not.” Vanessa tossed a wadded-up piece of paper into her office trashcan as she snapped at her partner. “You’re absolutely insane if you think I’m letting you go with Candace Lister to the King’s Crown this weekend. What has gotten into you?”
“It makes perfect sense.” Mitch was not the most talented debater, but with Vanessa as her verbal sparring partner, she knew she could make her come around. “Not only will I expose more of her plans, but she’ll trust me more. Weneedher to trust us if we’re to get out of this case sooner rather than later. Do you think I want to keep stripping, dancing, and grinding in her shitty club through Valentine’s Day? Memorial Day? What a great way to honor the people I saw blown up in Iraq!”
Vanessa slapped her palms against her forehead. “It’s that kind of rhetoric that solidifies to me why I shouldn’t let you go. It’s too dangerous. Foryou.”
“Come on! She won’t let anything happen to me! Haven’t you been keeping track of how she acts around me? She’s fucking obsessed.”
“Don’t you dare insult me like that.” Vanessa’s bottom lip trembled when she said that, making Mitch take a step back from the desk. “You think I don’t know how much she’s fantasizing about you when we’re all in the same room together? She’s the exact kind of danger I wouldn’t let you get within ten feet of in any other normal circumstance. I’m not worried about what you might let her do – I’m worried about what she’ll dowithoutyour permission.”
“I’m telling you I’ll be safe with her.”
Vanessa sighed, an apology playing with her tongue. She didn’t say it, though. “What about the other people there? King’s Crown is one of the rowdiest no-laws-apply kink parties of the year. Rumors about people disappearing being made there exist for a reason.”
“I don’t recall being hired to assassinate someone, Van.”
“Don’t even joke about it!”
Mitch knew her partner would be unhappy about the potential arrangement, but she hadn’t expectedthis.What had gotten into her? Was it Candace? The threat of the FBI breathing down their necks?How do I make this better?Mitch inhaled a deep breath before panic settled into her chest. Panic was the last thing she needed to make her case.
“Everything good in here?” It was Luke, poking his head into Vanessa’s office. “Heard you guys arguing down the hallway.”
“Everything’s fine,” Vanessa snapped. “Just someone being a massive idiot in here.”
Mitch turned to Luke. “It’s fine. Really. Relationship shit.”
“All right…” Luke left the door ajar when he left. Mitch marched over and closed it so she and Vanessa would no longer be interrupted.
Because this was getting heated.
“I can do this,” Mitch reiterated with a softer cadence to her words. “I know you worry about me. God knows you’re the first person in the world toworryabout me.” Her mother didn’t worry half as much as Vanessa did. Sometimes, Mitch wondered if she should feel somethingmoreabout that. “Yet because you worry so much about me I remain convinced that I can do this. Think about those girls being victimized every fucking day by Candace Lister and herclients.I’ve met them, Van. They’re not your typical party-goers having a good time at the club. They get off on how miserable everyone is.”
“All the more reason for us to get the hell out of this. It’s time we put the kibosh on this undercover thing. It’s too dangerous. Lister is asking you to go somewhere the FBI can’t help you. Off the coast of Mexico… a few miles into international waters. What happens if they try to hurt you, Mitch? What if Candace can’t protect you because she doesn’twantto protect you?”
“I can take care of myself.”
“Against a whole yacht of coked-out heirs and their gun-toting bodyguards? You’re nuts.”
“The information I’ll get from Candace if she thinks I’m that close to her is worth more than spending the next several weeks in that club.”
“Why are you bothering to ask my permission, then?” Vanessa goaded. “Sounds like you’re prepared to go, with or without my knowing.”
“Vanessa…” Mitch marched around the desk, staring down that insolent face buried beneath a wave of curly hair. “Have I doneanythingwithout your knowledge? Since we went to that island and declared we’d be more than married for the rest of our worthless lives?”
“Darling, you’re the sneakiest woman I’ve ever had the honor of knowing. It’s part of what makes you appealing as a submissive pet.”
“This isn’t about roleplay right now, Van. This is dead serious.”
“I know!” Vanessa spun around in her chair. “Why do you think it’s making me want to throw up? The thought of anyone laying one hand on you is enough to make me homicidal. To think that I wouldn’t be there to protect you… I’d killmyselfif you died.”
Mitch sat on the windowsill behind Vanessa’s window, the gravity of her decision pulling her closer to the floor. She didn’t want to scare Vanessa, let alone hurt her. Yet this was far from over. Mitch threatened to leap into the lion’s den.
It is dangerous.Denying that was as stupid as throwing herself into this situation in the first place.Anything could happen out there…Would Mitch really trust Candace Lister to keep her safe on a giant ship full of rich people who weren’t used to facing consequences for their actions? Candace didn’t win by letting Mitch get hurt, but what if she had been playing a game Mitch hadn’t seen coming?What if I’m fucked?
“I know you’re used to doing some things on your own.” Vanessa still faced away from Mitch, the both of them gazing out the window without seeing a thing. “I know you can take care of yourself. You’ve proven that more than once. This is different. I won’t only be a few miles away to come running if you get in trouble.Nobodycan help you should they decide to turn on you. I know you think you’re untouchable sometimes, but people’s opinions are fickle. Just because they love you in certain circumstances, doesn’t mean they’ll worship you when you’re ontheirturf. Or maybe… they might worship you a little too much, and your safe word won’t mean a thing out in international waters.”
