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Chapter 15
Callie walked into the kitchen after her shower feeling much better—at least she had been until she came face-to-face with several new faces. She stopped just before crossing the threshold and considered returning to the safety of the master suite despite the fact she was starving. Damn her loud, growling stomach anyway, it had given her away before she had a chance to retreat. The stunningly beautiful woman who Callie guessed to be in her forties or maybe her early fifties looked up, and a smile lit up her entire face.
“Oh, there you are, come on in here and get something in your stomach, dear. I’m Catherine Lamont, and this lovely lady preparing our luncheon feast is Inez, Ian’s housekeeper extraordinaire. She is a treasure and grossly underappreciated I am sure.” There was just something about the woman that immediately put Callie at ease. Even though she looked like a runway model, she seemed very down to earth and genuine.
The large man sitting nearby spoke up just then, “Don’t be making trouble, my love, or you’ll get us both thrown out into the bay.” He turned to Callie and smiled before saying, “It’s nice to meet you, Callie. I’m Daniel Lamont, and I believe you have already met a friend of ours, Mitch Grayson.” Something about Daniel Lamont seemed so familiar, but she couldn’t get her mind to grasp onto whatever it was. It wasn’t his looks or his name, she was sure she would remember those, it was more about hispresence. Suddenly she made the connection, Daniel Lamont was a Dom. It seemed odd that she suddenly seemed to be surrounded by them. Was she just now noticing that personality type or was she just now recognizing the men she met for who and what they were? She couldn’t help wondering if she’d met a lot of Dominants over the years and just hadn’t realized it or maybe it was that Doms tended to stick together—like a flock or something? She gave herself a mental slap for her absurdity then started thinking about what a great angle it would be for her story. Then the realization that she wouldn’t be writing the story after all slammed into her. The depressing reality of what had happened last night brought her back to the present and with it all the details of that unpleasant memory.
Realizing that Daniel had moved to stand directly in front of her, she automatically dropped her gaze to the floor. She felt his finger under her chin and looked up at his urging. His words surprised her. “I see the same sadness in your eyes that I saw in our daughter Jenna’s eyes years ago. I made a huge mistake when I let her hide the truth—a mistake she paid dearly for—for far too long. I won’t let Ian make that same mistake, I promise you.”
When Callie looked over at Catherine Lamont, there were tears in her eyes, a fact that her husband hadn’t missed either. Callie watched as he pulled his sweet wife into his arms and gave her a comforting hug before swatting her ass and grinning. “When’s lunch, love? I’m starving.”
Just as they were sitting down to eat, Ian and Jace walked into the room. Both men leaned down to ask her how she was feeling before sitting on either side of her. Thanks to Catherine’s bubbly presence, Callie felt more at ease and it didn’t seem so obvious that she wasn’t really participating in the conversation. She’d tried to surreptitiously look out the window toward the small boat dock. She was trying to see if her small rowboat was still tied there. Ian leaned over and placed his hand over hers, stilling the fingers she hadn’t even realized she was tapping nervously. “It’s no longer there, pet. Jace had it returned several days ago, and your deposit is with your belongings. Stop fidgeting. And don’t even think about leaving this island without my permission.” When she looked at him openmouthed and wide eyed, he laughed out loud. “Don’t look so shocked, pet. It was written all over your lovely face.”
After lunch the men excused themselves to Ian’s office, pleading business, which left Callie in limbo. Catherine looked over at her and smiled. “I asked Jace to leave us a golf cart so we can go exploring. I do my best thinking when I’m moving. Come on, let’s go play.”
Callie learned quickly that Catherine Lamont was not a woman who was easy to ignore. She also discovered that the woman’s gorgeous body and face hid a wicked sense of humor and a Mensa-worthy IQ.
Late in the afternoon as they sat dangling their bare feet over the edge of the dock, Catherine told Callie about why they had started the domestic violence and sexual assault centers they founded in Denver. How they had found a young, badly abused immigrant cowering in an alley one night and how that woman had become a member of their family for all intents and purposes. Callie had laughed until she’d cried at Catherine’s stories about how Selita managed to completely butcher common American slang. But it had been the story about her daughter’s rape that had touched Callie’s heart. The monster who had raped the young woman was a member of the Lamont brothers’ Special Forces team and had used Jenna’s love for her brothers to keep her silent. He’d assured Jenna that her brothers would not make it home from their next mission if she told anyone what had happened. The madman had returned recently to silence her once and for all, but he’d come up against a very different woman this time. Callie’s tears of empathy and compassion for Jenna had been replaced by admiration at how she had trained tirelessly in self-defense so she’d never be a victim again. Jenna Lamont had even competed at the collegiate level and had beaten most of her brother’s fellow teammates before word had spread and they all but quit sparring with her.
Callie had tilted her head back and was laughing when she heard what sounded like a firecracker and then felt air rush by just in front of her chin. Catherine had grabbed her and thrown them both in the water just as she heard another shot and the roar of a boat motor a split second before she’d gone under the water.
When both of them surfaced, Catherine had grabbed her and asked, “Are you all right? Can you swim?” Callie had only managed to nod quickly when Catherine pulled her close. “Hang on to my shirt and stay under the water as long as you can. I know the men will be here soon.” They ducked under the water and moved so they were under the planking of the dock. By the time they surfaced the second time, Ian and Daniel were shouting their names. Callie was still too stunned to respond, but thank God Catherine had her wits about her. “Down here, Daniel. We’re both fine, but we’d sure appreciate getting out of this water. Damn, I just had my hair done, too.” She looked at Callie and winked. Callie shook her head, Catherine Lamont was the second-best thing that had happened to her in a very long time.
* * * *
While they waited for the women to finish dressing, Ian and Daniel met with Jace and several other members of the security team. They’d reviewed the tapes and forwarded the images of the boat to the local Coast Guard station. Of course the registration numbers on the side of the boat and the name on the back had been covered so it was unlikely they’d ever be able to get a positive identification of the vessel. Daniel had already called Alex and Zach, and no one doubted all the resources of the Lamonts were fully in motion. Ian didn’t imagine either man had taken the news very well that their mother had been in the line of fire.
When Ian heard doors opening and closing upstairs, he moved into the hall just in time to see Catherine emerge from the guest suite and join Callie. “Well, I don’t know about you, but that’s the most excitement I’ve had in a very long time. You, my dear, are a very interesting person to, as the girls would say, ‘hang out with.’” Catherine looked like she was enjoying all the excitement, but Ian could tell Callie had been deeply shaken by the incident.
Seeing Callie’s eyes fill up with tears and her entire body start to shake, he moved quickly to her and wrapped her in his warm embrace. Catherine looked up mortified at Callie’s distress. “Oh my, I didn’t mean to make her feel badly about what happened. I just wanted you to know we are with you on this thing.”
Callie pulled back and smiled at her. “I’m just sorry that I’ve brought trouble here. And I sure don’t want someone else getting hurt because of me.”
“Oh posh…I meant what I said. I never get to see any of the action. The girls back at ShadowDance have had all kinds of adventures, and I feel like a stick in the mud. But, now? Oh, sister, now I have a great story to tell at the next girls’ night in ’rita party.” She giggled, and Callie had to laugh at her new friend’s outlook.
As they all sat around Ian’s office discussing this afternoon’s events, Mitch Grayson called and asked to be put on the video feed. “I think I might have something for you. I used the face recognition software I’ve been working on and think I may have a possible on the woman at the club.” Looking at Callie, he asked, “Do you know a woman by the name of Trish Simmons?”
Ian watched as Callie paled visibly. “Yes, she was Charlie Ives’s girlfriend in high school. I thought I heard they’d gotten married, but I’m not sure about that.”
“They did indeed get married. And it seems good ole Charlie left Trish with a lot of debt when he died a few months ago. And oddly enough, she was recently offered a job in Senator Westmore’s office. And according to recent banking records, her debt seems to be mysteriously dwindling, and she has become good friends with Nanette Westmore.”
Daniel Lamont spoke up, saying, “This is enough to launch an investigation into where her money is suddenly coming from since she is now on the federal payroll. I’ll get the ball rolling on that, Catherine and I are heading into DC tonight for dinner with friends. It just so happens one of those is the head of the Ethics Committee and he is no fan of Senator Westmore’s, I assure you. Hopefully we’ll be able to stir up enough smoke that he’ll be busy covering his ass and he’ll forget about Callie. I’m sure he’ll have someone he needs to groom for the big toss under the bus.”
“Well, if they can’t find the money trail, they aren’t looking because I found it and have it all documented. All of the deposits lead right back to the senator’s Chief of Staff, Carl Remley. Let them know you have access to the information, that will probably motivate them.” Mitch smiled as if he’d just found the keys to the kingdom.
“Oh, indeed it will. They hate it when I know something they don’t. Damn I do appreciate what you do, Mitch. I swear if it wouldn’t piss my boys off so much, I’d get you transferred into something a bit more profitable.” Daniel Lamont had all but retired, but he loved keeping his fingers in the pie just enough to make Alex crazy and everybody knew it. He had also stepped up to take a larger role in Lamont Oil since his daughter had gotten married and was expecting her first child in a few months. “Now, when is that beautiful wife of yours going to bless us with ourbonusgrandchild?”
Everyone could hear Rissa yell from the background, “My water just broke so we’re waiting for Mitch so we can head down the mountain, Sir.” Callie wasn’t sure who was the most shocked, Daniel or Mitch.
Poor Mitch seemed genuinely flustered. “Oh shit. Oh, I mean shoot. I have to go. I’ll keep you all posted. Bye.” And they were all left staring at a black screen.
