Protecting the Presidents Daughter

Chapter 3

Tanner watched Emily, now fourteen, lean and fit, her blonde curls now straight as an arrow, cut into a short bob. She was throwing things on the floor just like any teenager as she discarded items. She was reaching for her guitar when she spotted Tanner in the doorway. She froze, and a million emotions flashed across her face before her eyes went blank.

“What do you want?” Emily snapped. “I don't want you here.”

“Hi Em,” Tanner said and ignored the angry outburst. She’d expected nothing less. Seven years ago, she’d disappeared from her life with no excuse. She hadn’t had a choice, but that didn’t matter to a seven-year-old child. All she’d remember was that Tanner had left her, left her at the most horrible time in her young life.

“Does Braden know you’re here?”

“She asked me to come, yes,” Tanner said. “Look, I’m…”

“Don’t say sorry, don’t you dare say sorry! You left me! I don’t want to talk to you.” The last was a quiet broken whisper.

“I understand. But unfortunately, you are going to be stuck with me for a while.”

“Just stay out of my way,” Emily said. She shoved her guitar into its case and, after grabbing her backpack, shoved her way past Tanner and stormed out of the room.

“She’s just in shock and anger is a part of the teenager phase,” Braden said quietly.

“She has a reason to be angry,” Tanner said shortly.

“Tanner, I…”

“The car is waiting, Ms. Roberts.” Tanner interrupted. “We should go.”

“Yes. Of course.” Braden watched the stiff shoulders as Tanner led her outside. Emily wasn’t the only one angry. Or with a good reason to be so.

“You could have warned me,” Emily grumbled as the car drove out of their driveway. She’d pressed the button for the privacy screen. She had no intention of looking into the profile of the woman who’d left her. Didn’t want her.

“To be honest, I didn’t know if she would come,” Braden admitted.

“Why did she?”

“Grandma asked her.”

“Oh, that explains it. We’re just another job.”

“Emily.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s better that way. At least this time I know where I stand with her.”

“The one thing you never have to doubt is that she loves…”

“Don’t.” Emily let out a harsh laugh. “Don’t bullshit…”

“Language.” Braden snapped and Emily, to her credit, looked chastised.

“Sorry, I’m just surprised and apparently not over her leaving me when Mom died. Not wanting me.”

“Emily…”

“I don’t want to talk anymore.” She set her headphones in her ears and turned the volume up on her phone. Braden didn’t have to know there was no music playing. She just needed silence for a while.

A soft buzzer sounded a half hour later and Braden pressed the button to lower the privacy screen. She met Tanner’s eyes, who looked over her shoulder.

“We’re at the airport. We should only take a few minutes to load up the bags. Stay in the car until I fetch you, Ms. Roberts.” Her eyes flicked to Emily’s, who steadily ignored her. “I’ll be right back.”

Braden waited for Elliot and Dylan to escort Emily to the plane, then her door was opened, and Tanner looked down at her. “Come on,” Tanner said. Braden had just gotten out of the car when a man came running toward them, his arms waved frantically as he tried to get their attention. Tanner shoved Braden between her body and the car and pulled her gun out and pointed at the man. He skidded to a halt and fell to the ground screaming.

“Don’t shoot, don’t shoot!” Elliot rushed him and pinned him to the ground. The man’s arms were in cuffs within seconds. “I have a letter. There.” He gestured to the envelope a few feet from his left shoulder.

“Who gave it to you?” Tanner snapped.

“A kid. Sixteen, seventeen. He said that a man asked him to make sure Ms. Roberts gets this. It was important for the country. I worked security inside, I said I would get it to her.” He spoke rapidly, his words almost falling over each other. “I don’t want trouble, just to make sure the letter was delivered before she left.”

“Elliot, take him, make sure he’s telling the truth. We can try to get fingerprints, but too many people have handled this already. She bent and picked up the envelope in one corner. Carefully she pulled out the letter and read. Her fury was palpable. She held out the letter for Braden to read, then carefully put it back. Take it, and have it analyzed too. Maybe this time we are lucky.”

“I can stay with Elliot, help him,” CJ said.

“Yes, join us as soon as you’re done with him.” She gestured to the man. “Meghan, help me get Ms. Roberts to the plane.”

Dylan had Emily in a death grip around the waist when they stepped onto the plane. “Please stop fighting me, Emily.” Dylan groaned.

Braden rushed past Tanner and reached for Emily. “Hey, I’m okay, you are okay. I’m here.”

Emily seemed to snap out of a trance and her body went limp. Then she looked up at Braden and the fear in her eyes made fury boil in Tanner’s gut. The kid was petrified of losing someone else. “Dylan, it’s okay, you can let her go. Braden, you and Emily settle in. I’ll speak to the pilot and get us in the air.”

“Thank you.” Braden led Emily to the back of the plane and settled into the seats with her. “Are you okay?”

“Fine.”

“Emily, you don’t have to pretend with me, remember.”

“Is Tanner going to stop this maniac from hurting you?”

“Yes,” Braden said, simply because she truly believed it. “And you.”

“Why her, Brad?”

“She’s the best. And it’s not just me in the line of fire here. You are too. Grandma wanted the best. It had to be her.”

“It hurts to see her.”

“I know.” Braden pulled Emily to her and held her tightly. God, did she know?

“We shouldn’t be in here, Tan,” Braden protested as Tanner closed the cabin door behind them. “What if the guards come looking for me?”

“They won’t,” Tanner said and stepped into Braden’s space. “I want to kiss you. And I don’t want to worry that it will be on the front page tomorrow.” Tanner reached up and touched Braden’s cheek. “Let me.”

“I want to.” Braden leaned forward and placed her hands on Tanner’s waist. “It’s been so hard going home and pretending to enjoy all the guys and their stupid attention.”

“I know. But for now, until we can be free, that’s what you have to do. I understand that.” Tanner said. She would never let Braden feel guilty for doing her duty to her country.

“I don’t! My dad should be my dad first. And who I am should not be an issue for him!” The anger she always kept so tightly bottled up burst out. “I hate this, Tan!” She shoved away from Tanner and kicked at a bucket, then spun and glared at Tanner. “How can you be so calm?”

“Because if I lose my s**t, I might grab you, shove you into a car, and drive as fast and as far as I can.”

“Why don’t we do that?” Braden asked in anger, her tone still tight.

“Because they will find us. Within minutes, or hours, I’d be locked up in a prison with the key thrown away. And you will never have a moment’s peace again. They’d pull ranks around you and never let you out of their sight again.” Tanner stepped to her again and pulled her tightly into her arms. “I’d survive prison, but you’d never be okay living like that.”

“Amanda gets to do what she wants,” Braden complained.



“Amanda was out before your father started his campaign.” Braden sighed as Tanner started kissing her neck. “Forget that for now. Let me take away your worries for a little while.”