Chapter 5
1457 Words
“Madam President.” Tanner looked around but saw no other cars or security. “You’re pretty unprotected.”
“Jim is all I need.” Amelia stepped up to the gate and met the cold dark eyes. “I wanted to come and make sure everything was settled and that they were safe.”
“Everything is taken care of at my end. It’s your end that has to step up now.” Tanner snapped.
“I’ve been assured that they are close to closing in on the unsub and that he will be taken into custody soon.” She lifted her chin.
“You just need to keep my daughter and granddaughter safe. That’s all you are here for.”
“Yes.” Tanner turned. She had more than enough of this woman. President or not.
“Tanner?”
Tanner sighed and turned. “Yes?”
“Thank you.” Amelia smiled. “When your name was brought to me, I almost laughed. You had no reason to pack up and take a job from me or Braden. But here you are, and I was told it only took one request. I can only assume it has to do with the fact that this maniac is threatening Emily.” Amelia looked past Tanner toward the house. “A lot of things were done wrong that night. None of them can be changed or taken back. But you have a second chance here to get to know your daughter.” Amelia laughed then when Tanner’s eyes widened, and she stiffened. “She is your daughter. She has always been more yours than Amanda’s.”
“Then why the f**k was she taken from me?” Tanner snapped. Anger that had been pushed down snapped out like a whip. “Why the f**k would you do that to her? I don’t even care about what it did to me. But she lost both parents that night. Why?” Tanner stepped closer and Dylan stepped forward ready to grab her before she did something stupid. “Why?” She asked again in a whisper.
“I lost my daughter that night. She was taken from me. And I blamed you.” Amelia said. “I was angry at you, at you and Braden. And I made you pay by taking Emily and I still punish Braden by making her look after Emily.” She turned. “I’m not proud of what I did. But it’s done and we all must live with that.” She stepped up to the car. “Get to know your daughter Tanner.” She said before she climbed in, and the car drove away, leaving her and Dylan in the dark.
“Do you have questions? If you do, ask them here and now, and then we won’t speak of this again.” Tanner said as they climbed back into the golf cart.
“No. But I will say I’m sorry.”
“I’ve been hearing that word a lot since I took this job.” She looked at Dylan. “Thank you.”
They drove back to the house in silence. When they parked, Dylan said goodnight and disappeared into the dark. She made her way inside and wanted to laugh when she spotted Meghan standing tall and ready to charge in the hallway between the two bedroom doors. “Stand down soldier.” She smiled. “Take a break, I have them for the next hour.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yes. It was the President,” Tanner knocked on Braden’s door. As she expected, it opened almost immediately, followed by Emily’s door.
“What’s going on?” Emily asked first. “What did grandma want?”
Tanner’s eyebrows rose. “How do you know it was her?”
“I was watching.” Emily shrugged. “You shouted at her.”
“We had a disagreement.” Tanner agreed. What would be the point in denying it if the kid saw it?
“About what and why was she here?” Braden asked.
“She wanted to make sure you were settled and safe,” Tanner said.
“And the argument?” Emily pushed.
“That’s between me and her, kiddo. Sorry.” Tanner winced when the door slammed in her face.
“Come in,” Braden said and held the door open.
“I have work…”
“Come in. Damn it, Tanner, just come in.”
“Fine.” She stomped in, ready for another fight. “What?”
“What did she say to you?” To Braden’s utter surprise, Tanner started laughing, then she sat down on the end of the bed and dropped her head in her hands.
“She told me to get to know my daughter,” Tanner said quietly. “She actually f*****g told me to get to know my daughter! The one she…” Tanner stood. “I’m sorry Ms. Roberts.” She walked to the door. “I’ll see you for breakfast.” She left and didn’t look back.
Dylan stared up at the night sky, she was positioned so she could see Emily’s window and also the stretch of yard outside. She didn’t move when she heard the soft footfalls. Just waited. When the person sat down next to her, she lifted her arm and the body snuggled into her.
“I hate them,” Emily said.
“I don’t think you should judge Tanner yet.” Dylan shrugged.
“Why not? It’s not like I’m judging or hating without good cause or evidence.”
“Maybe you don’t know the whole story. And maybe, when you do, you’ll see she deserves a chance to explain.” Dylan hugged Emily closer to her side. “I’m not going to tell you what happened at the gate with your grandmother. But I will say this, talk to her, get the whole story and not just what you’ve been told from this camp.” She kissed Emily’s forehead and then dropped her arm. “You should get back inside. I don’t think I want Tanner catching us like this.”
“We are friends. She can’t take that from me as well.”
“Em…”
“No.” Emily shoved to her feet. “I’ll go. Night.”
“Night,” Dylan whispered.
“You’ve been assigned to Ms. Roberts.”
“Sir?” Tanner stood at attention; she’d been in training when she’d been pulled out by her boss. She’d been through hell getting herself ready to serve. But now to be assigned to the woman who had been taken from her and, in a way, had been her motivation to train and reach the levels she had, was just cruel.
“Amanda Roberts. The President’s daughter.”
“Amanda?”
“Agent, do I need to get someone else?”
“No sir!” Tanner stood up straighter. “I am just surprised.”
“Get over it and focus. You leave in the morning. Be ready.”
“Yes sir.” Tanner waited for him to leave, then sat down on the bench behind her. “Fuck.”
“First assignment. Not bad, Whitley.” Jo, her friend said, and sat down beside her.
“Yeah.”
“What’s up? Most of us would kill for this?”
“I have a bit of history with the family.” She shrugged. “But that was a long time ago.”
“Then do the job, that’s what we train for.” Jo slapped her back and stood. “Beer at Mack’s to celebrate?”
“Yeah, I’ll meet you there.” It wasn’t like she had a lot to pack.
“Hello, Tanner.” Amanda smiled at her and stepped back to let her into the apartment.
“Hello, Ms. Roberts.”
“Amanda. Please.” Amanda touched her arm and ignored the way the other woman stiffened.
“I missed seeing you around here, Tan,” Amanda said. “Braden misses you too. But she has a new girlfriend now. Serious if you ask me.”
“Oh.” Tanner didn’t know what to say. What could she say?
“Come on. I’ve arranged for my tailor to come in and measure you. You need a few suits for the events planned for the next few months.”
“I don’t need…”
“Let me take care of this,” Amanda said. “It’s the least I can do after the way my family treated you.” Amanda smiled again. “And besides. Jeans and a T-shirt won’t do anymore. You are my head of security. Now you need to look the part.”
- Writer
