SECRET SERVICE

Chapter Nine

It was not often Alaric needed to call his friends for help. To an outsider, he could barely consider any of the people present as friends because they could easily go months without talking or seeing each other.

In the world Alaric was used to, you rarely had friends. Instead, they ruled by the weapon of loyalty. It was something that took longer to grow than friendship and had made this group of people in his presence the most reliable/

Every one of them had saved the other's life in one way or another. It was common for mercenaries to stay on their own, not wanting to share anything reward.

But with Cammie, Jason, and Zack, they might as well have been family. While they hadn't always gotten along, at the very least they would be there for each other.

Cammie who hardly spoke, watched Jason mused aloud intently while Zack scrolled on his cell phone. Despite Zack's apparent indifference, Zack was the smartest out of them all so it was no shock that he was multitasking.

"I don't get it. Stalkers are dumb and unorganized, how have you not found this guy yet?" Jason said.

"He is incredibly illusive, we don't even have any leads yet. While we are chasing leads, he is making moves to get closer and closer. His anonymity is his best strong suit." Alaric answered before he took a swig of the beer in his hand.

It was his only way to keep himself awake and alert at this moment since he was on guard at Gwendolyn's empty townhouse all night without having any prior sleep.

Of course, Michael, who was still displeased with him, had demanded he stay far away from Gwendolyn until the footage from her neighborhood came back.

"And all this person is doing is leaving flowers?" Jason questioned.

"Have you not looked through her relationship history? Billion-dollar heiress turns into America's Sweetheart? She has to have skeletons in her closet." Cammie smiled as if the idea thrilled her.

"No, she has hardly ever dated." Alaric dismissed.

"You don't have to date to fuck." Zack interjected, "I would know, I have three kids."

Alaric rolled his eyes, "She isn't the type."

"Oh, and you know her so well?" Cammie asked, "You do know people like her have an art in hiding who they truly are."

"He may not be speaking off of experience, friend. I think it is emotion." Zack pointed out.

"I didn't invite you all here to match make. I am just asking for new ideas." Alaric said.

"But you reject any form of new ideas we provided to you." Jason pointed out.

Alaric's jaw clenched in irritation at the comment. Not because of its inaccuracy, but because it was true. Instead of complaining about it aloud, Alaric moved from his pacing stance over to the couch, sitting down in defeat.

"Well, I hate to point out the obvious," Cammie started, "But why are we assuming it's a guy?"

"Have you been listening?" Alaric snapped.

"Yes, and that's why it's obvious. You all are so desperately looking for a guy when it could be a girl. Girls can be stalkers too, you know."

"Girl power!" Jason said sarcastically, earning him a punch on his shoulder that was surely to bruise by tomorrow.

"If I wanted to get close to her, and had been succeeding, it would be because I went out of my way to send a red herring." Cammie took a sip of her beer, "The president is a politician, it would only be obvious on a way to get back at the most powerful man in the country."

"Yeah, but why?" Alaric thought aloud.

Opposite from before, his mind was coming up with numerous scenarios to fit what Cammie was saying. The more ideas that had come to mind, the bigger the project appeared to be.

"I can think of seven genocides, and four conspiracies to get you an answer to that. " Jason said sarcastically, "I say you find someone you have beef with, blame them, take the pardon, and disappear."

It was most certainly an idea. Yet, the threat was real, and without Alaric finding the true culprit, harm to Gwendolyn was almost certain at this point.

They were aggressing and soon whatever plan they had would be executed. It was driving him mad to think that he would have to be reactionary rather than proactive.

Before he could speak again, his cell phone let out a shrill ring, signifying it wasn't his cell, but the one provided to him by his presidential benefactor.

It could be a call telling him that Gwendolyn was dead and he was too late due to Michael sending him off on busy work or another meaningless errand.

Had it been the latter, he would remind Michael the reason he was hired under the table. Shockingly enough, the number on the phone was that of Gwendolyn's.

Since they had met, Alaric had provided Gwendolyn with his cellphone number, not trusting everyone around her just yet. It would be better if something remained a secret.

Now, more than any.

So it had been odd to see her name on the screen, saved with her surname, Titus.

"Duty calls?" Cammie asked Alaric's retreating figure as he stepped out of the apartment for privacy.

"Gwendolyn, what's wrong?" Alaric asked quickly.

If he had thought her voice would calm his anxiety, he was wrong.

"Um, nothing I just..." She hadn't finished her sentence, doing the most annoying thing Alaric had found about her, her insistent need to beat around the bush.

Knowing this, Alaric pulled his keys out of his pocket. "I am on my way."

~*~

Gwendolyn watched the black screen on her phone in shock. "What did I do?"

"Did he answer? Damn, that was quick." Willow said.

Willow had come over the next morning after Gwendolyn's father's team left her townhome. They took numerous items as 'evidence', leaving her apartment in dismay.

It wasn't long before her father called, but now that she thought of it, it was a long time it took her father to reach out after hearing about the attack.

"Sorry, darling, I got held up in a meeting." He had told her in their four-minute phone call. She knew her father loved her, but she truly debated it often enough. It was his demand at the end of the call that had left her unsettled.

"You will be moving into the house until this matter is handled. It will be the only place you are safe." He had disconnected the call soon after that.

It wasn't until then that Gwendolyn realized how alone she had felt. Calling Willow made sense, but listening to Willow made her look foolish.

Willow stood, shoving her feet into her sneakers, "Then I should get going, shouldn't I?"

"Wait!" Gwendolyn called out, "Where do you think you're going?"

"Babe, I love you but I don't want to have a threesome." Willow's empathetic tone was riddled with sarcasm as Gwendolyn glared at her.

"It is about time you have some fun. You'll be locked in your castle soon enough, you might as well have good memories to get you through the night."

When Willow opened the door to her townhome, Gwendolyn couldn't help but see the two men who stood at the bottom of her steps, heavily surveying her home while she was supposed to be packing.

"Call me tomorrow, I want to hear all about it." Willow gave Gwendolyn a tight hug, and for a moment, Gwendolyn didn't want to let go, realizing the implications of her being alone with Alaric forced to face her emotions for him.

Besides, what was she getting herself worked up for nothing? It was likely Alaric would come back and scold her for taking advantage of him. Scold her for her unprofessionalism, possibly even threatening to quit. He had hung up in less than a minute when they had spoken.

What if he was angry and she had walked herself into a confrontation?

Her thought process had caused her to pace back and forth in her living room.

Surrounding her had been empty boxes. The farthest she had managed to get was by labeling them. It wasn't long before she opted to just pay for someone to bring them to her once she was moved in.

It wasn't like the place was lacking in furniture.

Gwendolyn froze when she heard the sound of her window opening up the steps in her loft. She stood as still as possible, listening for confirmation. The sound of the window opening was soon followed by two heavy footsteps.

"It's just me." Alaric's voice called out, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin.

Alaric stood there, dwarfing her bedroom compared to his size. He had a fall leaf stuck in his hair from the tree that grew in the rear of her house.

"Why did you come through the window? I have a door." Gwendolyn asked while pulling the leaf out of his hair.

"Michael has ordered me to stay away from you."

"Really? He can do that?"

"I'm here, aren't I?" Alaric stepped over to the banister blocking the loft off from the rest of her apartment, "What is wrong? You sounded worried."

What was wrong? Gwendolyn asked herself, Willow never told her what was wrong. She was a terrible liar, that being proved by Alaric having to climb the window after she had confirmed that he was here just for assistance and not nefarious reasons.

"Oh, I thought I heard a noise."

Alaric raised an eyebrow, instantly skeptical. "I thought I was the noise you heard."

"Well, were you here thirty minutes ago?"

Alaric sighed, "Good point. Where did you hear this... noise?" Although he tried, he had failed to hide his skepticism.

"Over there." Gwendolyn instinctually pointed to her bed. Alaric walked over to the bed with his eyebrow raised.

"Here?"

"No, underneath."

"Are you serious?"

Gwendolyn only gave him a pleading look, at this point the lie didn't need to be good, it just needed to be believed.

"Okay..." Alaric murmured, kneeling until he was level with the bed. He pulled the bed skirt up, peering beneath the bed. "Nothing." His voice said from underneath.

"Odd."

Alaric sat back on his hind legs, "Indeed."

"Well... thank you for your time." Gwendolyn asked.

"That was all?"

"Yep."

He crossed his arms over his cheek with a deadpan face, "You're not a good liar, tell me what you called me away for."

Gwendolyn took in a deep breath, "In all honesty, I had no reason to have called you over here... This place just feels incredibly lonely and I... I find that I enjoy spending my time with you."

Alaric relaxed, "The feeling is mutual."

"I am not speaking in terms of you working for me."

"Working for your father." Alaric corrected yet again.

"Of course," Gwendolyn said, rolling her eyes.

"The feeling is mutual, Gwendolyn." Alaric reassured, stepping closer towards her, "You saying that would make me feel better for what I am about to do now."

It was her turn to furrow her brows in confusion. She wasn't left in confusion too long before Alaric's lips were on hers.

The kiss was short, him pulling away a moment later, asking for permission to continue.

Goosebumps followed his touch on her body, causing her to realize that she wanted more. A kiss, this kiss, would never be enough. If anything, it had only added fuel to the burning fire inside of her.

Gwendolyn pulled on Alaric's shirt, pulling him over to the bed, pushing on his chest until he fell into a sitting position on the edge. Not for a moment did she break the kiss, falling on top of him, straddling his legs.

The feeling of his body underneath hers was satisfying, but she wanted more.

Alaric's hands roam slowly over Gwendolyn's body as if he were trying to memorize every curve. His rough finger pads pulled at the hem over her shirt, and she assisted him in removing it.

Slowly, Alaric let his hands travel down her shoulders, covering her breast for a moment before he let go.

Gwendolyn arched into his touch, her body buzzing in response. Alaric moved from her lips and began to work his way down her neck, marking every inch of her flesh as his, even if only for that moment.

Alaric's grip tightened on her waist before he flipped her body until she was flush against her cream comforter and it was now Alaric straddling her. He pulled off his shirt and Gwendolyn watched as his abdomen contracted with the movement. Just as she had expected, he was all muscle. His skin felt like an inferno and she couldn't tell if it was the temperature or the chemistry.

He was back on top of her again, both of them being naked from the waist up. Feeling his skin against her own chest caused her to open like a flower.

Alaric pulled away from her kiss, looking into her eyes, he looked for regret but only found desire. He kissed her again, this time the kiss was desperate, her warm flesh pressed against his own.

Her arousal was unbearable, feeling as if he would rip out of his skin.

Jesus, it was like she was crafted by angels themselves, Alaric thought as he watched her.

Gwendolyn fondled with his belt buckle, attempting her hardest to free him from his constraints. When she finally succeeded in taking him into her hands, Alaric nearly faltered, not realizing how badly he had wanted her.

He was large in her hand, as hard as a diamond, yet smooth like a feather. She stroked him slowly, mentally attempting to figure out if it would actually cause more pleasure than pain.

"I won't last if you keep stroking me like that," Alaric said, his voice breathy across her lips.

Gwendolyn giggled, watching as Alaric sat up properly pulling off his pants and underwear. Gwendolyn's gaze fell on his erection, she silently thanked whatever god that was listening for gifting her with a man as endowed as he.

She wondered how he wasn't already snatched up. Alaric knelt down, hooking his finger in Gwendolyn's pants before tugging them down. He could see a blush nearly cover her entire body as he gazed at her in appreciation, but Gwendolyn didn't attempt to cover herself.

There was no turning back now.

~*~

Gwendolyn lay collapsed on top of Alaric's chest. A sheen of sweat covering both of their bodies, their heartbeats racing after their climaxes. Alaric had been... amazing.

It was as though he was made for screwing, every part of him worked its hardest to bring her c****x after c****x.

It wasn't until she had her fourth one, that Alaric decided to let himself finish, even that caused her to c****x one last time. Now, she lay there as reality seeped into both of their minds.

The longer she lay on top of his chest, the more trepidatious she had become for the confrontation.

She knew they had both crossed a line they couldn't take back. It was something she didn't want to take back, but she didn't know if Alaric felt the same.

She found herself liking him, but for Alaric, it could be different. Maybe he did this with all of his hires. She wouldn't be able to notice the difference.

"I can hear you thinking from here," Alaric murmured into her hair, his voice vibrating beneath her ears in his chest. Gwendolyn sighed and sat up, looking down on Alaric.

"I'm not."

"You lie," Alaric said, hooking his arms behind her and lifting her gently until she lay beside him, before walking to the bathroom.

He came back with a cloth, cleaning himself then Gwendolyn before laying down beside her, "I can nearly feel when you're thinking hard."

"I have a lot to think about," Gwendolyn said quietly.

"Any regrets?" Alaric asked, nerves building up in his lower gut.

"No," Gwendolyn assured, sinking into his arms and cuddling close, "I am thinking about how complicated this is because that one time was not enough."

"Five times." Alaric corrected playfully. Gwendolyn blushed, "I like you naked. You blush all over."

Gwendolyn slapped his arm, rolling his arms, "You're not paying attention."

"I am, I just don't want to turn something good and find everything bad in it all."

Gwendolyn sat up, looking him in his eyes, "So you're not worried."

"The only thing I'm trying to figure out is how to keep this going without getting into any trouble." Alaric said with a chuckle, "Your father would kill me if he could see me now."

"Well, he hired you so he can only blame himself," Gwendolyn said.

"He didn't hire me for this, I'm afraid that'd be illegal and immoral," Alaric said.

"Well, we can keep it secret until this mess is over, then we will be fine."

Alaric felt uneasy, knowing that Gwendolyn hadn't known the full truth of it all. While he normally would keep it to himself, his morals spoke loudly at anything otherwise than giving her the full truth.

He had also seen how her father and Michael treated her like a porcelain doll. While he had assumed his most important task was to protect Gwendolyn, it was more important to keep secrets from her.

"Well, now you're the one who is doing all the thinking. Do you regret it?" Gwendolyn asked as Alaric settled back in the bed beside her.

Alaric shook his head as if he were offended, "No, never." His answer was quick enough to calm any insecurities she was forming, "I am just thinking about when this will all be over."

"Well, that depends on you."

"I know." Alaric murmured, "I am thinking about what Cammie said today."

"Cammie?"

"Yes, she is one of my friends who is helping me on this case."

Gwendolyn raised an eyebrow, "I had no idea you had friends helping on this case." While she wanted to sound neutral, even she could hear the jealousy in her tone and was thankful Alaric hadn't commented on it.

"If I am being honest, I am at a dead end and all your father's men are numbers with no brains. We are looking for new leads."

It was incredibly odd to Gwendolyn that they would try to find enemies of her without asking her a question, but her circumstances in the past had taught her it was a waste of her breath to so much as ask.

"How well do you know your father?" Alaric asked.

Gwendolyn's eyebrows furrowed, "What do you mean? He is literally my dad."

"I am not asking you for his favorite color. I am asking if you have noticed anything... different in him. Not just recently but in the past five years."

Gwendolyn tried to rack her memory for an idea, but her bed was soft and Alaric's arms around her had finally made her feel like she was safe enough to sleep after weeks of restless nights.

"Not really, he is pretty boring." She yawned, burrowing herself deeper into the covers. To her surprise, Alaric pulled her closed until her leg was across him, holding her snugly against his side.

"The only thing I can think of is his secret girlfriend." She commented, "He swore he was so incognito, but I am not the public, I am his daughter."

Alaric gave a small laugh, knowing she would be asleep soon momentarily, and left with the last words she said.

'I am not the public, I am his daughter.'