Page 14 of Protecting Charity

Charity made herself comfortable, crossing her legs away from him and tucking her hands in her lap. Her body language implied she wasn’t too keen on him, most likely from the inappropriate compliment he paid her. She didn’t know how to accept compliments from us, much less a complete stranger who was old enough to be her grandfather. I relied on her inclinations more than anything. She didn’t get this far in our world without having intuition.

She raked me up and down with her eyes and slicked her tongue across her lips, then pulled her lip between her teeth and bit. She was trying to seduce me while Adams was speaking—the vixen.

It was working. I was achingly hard, and damning images of curling her over my desk and taking what she was offering tormented me to the point where I wanted him to get to hurry and take off. Adams’ politician voice ripped me from fantasies with a grumble I suppressed.

“I don’t know exactly what else you want me to retell. The most important detail is there’s a masquerade coming up with an invitation-only auction downstairs.”

Charity broke her gaze from mine, and she glared hard at the senator while he spoke. “What kind of auction?”

He eyed her hesitantly before responding, “This doesn’t leave this room, right?”

I nodded. I was legally obligated to hold this man’s secrets, seeing as I was his lawyer and all, but Charity wasn’t bound by Attorney-Client Privilege. He knew this, seeing as he had a law degree as well. He wanted reassurance it wouldn’t get out that he was affiliated with people that dealt in human trafficking. Charity would be the last person to speak out, considering her profession. She had more intelligence than that.

“A slave auction.”

Charity’s face reddened with anger as she sat ramrod straight in her chair, diverting all attention to the conversation at hand. The playful, seductive Charity that was here just moments ago disappeared. “Go on.” Her gaze bounced back and forth from me to Adams as if expecting me to weigh in on the conversation, but this was all on him.

“Every few months, the higher-ups of the Sabinas Cartel have an auction. It’s designed for wealthy prospects to bid for…” he paused while squirming in his chair, “a captive. Mostly, it’s sex slavery, but there are people there for other reasons.”

Charity clenched her fists, causing her knuckles to whiten. I knew this would piss her off but hoped she’d have the self-control not to kill the messenger. She may be a killer, but she had a big heart, as contradictory as that may sound. “And what do they do to little girls about, say, the age of nine?” she asked through clenched teeth. She dug her elbow into the armrest and leaned towards him threateningly. Senator Adams wasn’t aware Charity held a position in the Moreno Family. Had he known the title she wore like a badge of honor, he wouldn’t have made his inappropriate comment and would undoubtedly have been more fearful. One of these days, I’m sure he’ll find out, right before she tears him up and feeds his scraps to the pigs.

“It depends on the kid. Sex slavery…” he said as he peered at me, then went on, “forced labor and even organ harvesting.” He sat back in his chair, subconsciously trying to flee as far away as he could from her piercing gaze.

“I’m assuming you have an invitation, and that is how you acquired this information. Is that safe to say?”

He nodded.

“He’s offered to give us his invitation, plus one,” I told her.

“Hmm, isn’t that so kind of him?” She smiled at me. “When is the party?”

“Uh, two days from now,” he stammered.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen the senator so flustered when speaking to a woman. It was quite amusing. He crossed his legs and squirmed in his chair.

“You best tell me everything there is to know about this party then.” She turned her body towards him, taking mental notes of important details.

“Dress code is formal and styled for Halloween this year. When it’s time to head downstairs, someone will inform you and escort you down. Just make sure you don’t have any weapons. When you go downstairs, keep your mask on. It’s there to protect your anonymity.”

Adams rose, then buttoned his suit jacket.

“What do they do once the auction is over?”

He adjusted his cuff links with an uneasiness I hadn’t seen him exhibit even in court, and he was risking his entire life being ruined by the media circus. “They take their property home.”

He picked up his suitcase and opened it up. “I hope that is all you need from me?” Adams passed me the cream-colored envelope with a black lace design across the middle. “You can’t go, Nico. They’ll never believe a big shot lawyer like yourself will want to be there, even though you are the son of Arturo Moreno.”

I put the invitation in my desk drawer, stood, buttoned my jacket as he did, then shook his hand. “Not to worry. I know the perfect replacement.” I grinned because I knew Charity wouldn’t be ready to receive it, but she’d get over it for the sake of the kid.

He bowed his head. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Charity.”

“Likewise.”

He shut the door behind him. And then it was us. The tension so thick you could pluck it like a string and sing to the ominous music. We didn’t move, just held each other’s gaze while she bit her lip as I fought the overwhelming urge to touch her. She made the first move and sauntered over to my side of the desk, taking away the distance that held my control. My feet felt like they were planted in cement, unable to move.

“Who do you have in mind?” she purred. She ran her hand down my tie close to my waistband, then patted my chest too far away from the destination she was heading, and I suddenly wished I no longer had a barrier between her and me.

I grasped her waist and drew her against me so I could prove to myself this wasn’t a dream. I’d tell her, but I was going to need to taste her before she bolted from this room, cursing my name. Our lips hovered next to one another until I couldn’t handle it anymore. I plunged my tongue in her mouth, desperate to relish in the addiction that was this sassy vixen.

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