Protecting the Presidents Daughter

Chapter 7

Tanner was furious. She found a parking space and climbed out of her car. Then just stood for a minute and breathed. If she stormed inside the way she felt now, she'd make enemies. She'd rather not have. She slipped her sunglasses off and threw them back into the car. Tanner made her way to the gate of the White House and stood in line to be let in. The guard at the gate looked at her badge and raised an eyebrow.

"You do realize this is three years old?" His gruff voice was filled with humor. On any other day, Tanner would have grinned at him.

"Yes. I'm sorry, but I need to see her, Garth." Tanner held her hands at her sides, the urge to rub her temples where the headache brewed was too strong. And that show of weakness was impossible. "Please, she will want to see me too. I'm charged with protecting the cubs." It wasn't what the first daughter was called or Emily. But she didn't feel comfortable anymore, ears could be anywhere.

"I see. Let me make a call."

"Thanks." She stood back and let him make his call. He scanned two other people while on his call. She stepped back to the window when he nodded to her. "And?"

"You're clear. I'll have a new badge when you come out."

"Thanks, Garth." She signed in and then made to walk away, but turned back. "What's your take?"

He lifted that eyebrow again. "Ma'am?"

"Garth?"

"Woman, jealousy, or revenge."

"Mm, one of my agents has the same idea." She nodded and walked into the lion's den.

Tanner opened the door to the President's office and her anger jumped back to the foreground.

"She's a glorified bodyguard, yes, she's good, but she has no business barging into my office demanding answers!"

"I see you did beat me here." Tanner was surprised her voice didn't shake from the fury she held back. She ignored the surprise on the President's face and walked to a chair, and sat down. "Continue, I'd like to hear the rest of that speech."

"You have no right to be in here right now, I am briefing the President." The man, what was it? Agent Vance? Yes.

"Brief away," Tanner held his gaze as he tried to stare her down.

"I don't report to you. You are in charge of the first daughter's safety. Catching the bad guy is my job." He turned back to the President. Before he could speak, she stood.

"Tanner, what are you doing here?" The President asked.

"I went to meet with them this morning. First, I was told to stick to my lane. Secondly, when I asked for the person in charge so I could explain who I was, I was told that the person in charge didn't have time to meet with bodyguards. Lastly, when I did get to speak with Mr. Vance here, I was told the bare minimum. And frankly, what he told me, is what I believe is all he has." She spared him a glance and saw him pale. "If that is true. This stalker will get to us within the next day or two. Because he has nothing." She met the President's eyes. "My people delivered a letter to them, with someone who could describe the kid who gave him the letter, who could then lead them to who gave the kid the letter. You follow my drift here, they made a note, a note, of receiving the letter."

"And?" The President asked.

"And we're following up on it," Vance said. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, but Tanner saw them tremble before he hid them.

"You haven't even spoken to the security guard at the airport," Tanner snapped.

"Because we don't think that is going to help us." He shrugged. "The kid is long gone. And besides, we believe there is a better way."

"What way is that?" Tanner snapped.

"That would be above your pay grade," he sneered.

"Then tell me, Mr. Vance?" The President walked around her desk. "Or is it above mine too?"

"No, of course not Ma'am." He shuffled his shoulders uncomfortably. "We believe this person if we could use Ms. Roberts as bait..."

"What?" Tanner snapped upright. "No." She turned to the President. "Amelia, you can't be okay with this plan? What the hell am I protecting her for, if you allow them to do it..."

"Calm down, Tanner," Amelia said calmly. "No one is using my daughter as bait."

"Ma'am, with all due respect..."

"No. You have leads. Instead of looking for an easy way out, do your job. Find this kid." She walked back to her chair and sat down. "And from now on, Ms. Whitley gets an updated, full report on what you find and what you plan on doing."

"She's a fucking..."

"You will watch your tongue, or I will find someone who can do what I ask agent." She dismissed him with a wave. "That will be all." He huffed but left, he held back from slamming the door behind him, but barely.

"Is there something else, Tanner?"

"I don't care what you think of me as a person. But you know who I am professional. I will keep Braden and Emily safe. I will not let you or any of your goonies use her as bait to catch this person. I have to believe that you won't allow it either. And thank you."

"For what?" Amelia fought the urge to smile.

"Having my back with this. And making him include me. I don't believe I'll get everything, but I'll get something."

"You will get everything." Amelia stood. "Now, if there's nothing else, I have a meeting to get to."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Amelia did smile then. The woman had bigger balls than most of the men on her staff. There weren't many who would walk into her office the way Tanner did and not only barge in but call her by her name in front of someone that wasn't family. Not for the first time, regret burned in her stomach. Regret and a secret she'd kept buried deep.

"I can't believe this mom!" Amanda screamed. It reverberated inside Amelia's brain, along with the pictures her daughter dumped on her coffee table. "Look at this! Look at them! Naked, sweaty, and so bloody unaware that they are being watched."

"Where did you get these?" Her voice was calm, but her insides were in the eye of a storm.

"My private investigator. Tanner kept telling me she had to work, or she'd suddenly have to go back to the office, or a friend needed her help with something, but I knew. I didn't know it was Braden. But I knew." She grabbed the pictures and stuffed them back in her bag. "I confronted Braden, and she just cried and begged me not to tell Beth." She shook her head. "Nevermind that I was hurt, am hurt, no, just don't tell Beth!"

"What did Tanner say?"

"I left before we could speak. She was with Emily. So I left her the pictures on the kitchen counter. She's probably seen them by now."

"Where are you going now?"

"Home, to talk to Tanner. This has to stop. She needs to break it off and commit to me and Emily."

"You're going to forgive her?"

"Never. Neither of them. They will pay every day, being in close contact with each other but never being together. I will make sure they suffer the way I am."

"Honey, that's no way to live." Amelia felt like she was trapped between two walls pressing in on her. "We both know this was not just s*x. And if I stayed out of their lives back then, they'd be the ones together with a family."

"You're taking their side!" Amanda snapped. "I should have known." She stormed out and ignored Amelia calling her name.