UNSHAKABLE (Able Series Book 4) (11 page)

“Well, let’s get started. How are we going to kill this story?” Nicole asks with a tone so evil it makes every hair on my body stand at attention.

“There’s nothing to kill.” Damien’s answer is solid, leaving nothing to be questioned.

“Mr. President, I beg to differ. You don’t need this during an election year. I thought I told you about the dos and the don’ts, Sophia?” Nicole’s voice grates on my last nerve.

“Why don’t you sit down, honey?” Mom says, and I can feel Damien nodding his head.

He walks us over to the love seat and nestles me on his lap, tucking my head into his neck. I finally open my eyes and see my dad standing behind mom, who’s sitting to my right. I look further to my left and see Joe pacing while Nicole is perched on the chair next to my mom. Ms. Viv sits with her hands interlaced directly in front of us.

“My question is who leaked the photos?” Dad exclaims.

“Does it matter who leaked them? What matters is how are we going to clean this up? Right now, Mr. President, the news is calling you an irresponsible father, allowing such mockery to happen in the White House. The pundits are questioning your family values. Not to mention, Sophia is having an affair with someone who swore to uphold and protect this office.”

“Nicole, my daughter is in a relationship, not an affair, with a very respectable man. That’s how you’re going to spin this.” My mother answers sternly, clearly losing her cool.

Joe walks closer to my parents then says, “Amanda, the pictures are unbecoming of a daughter of the President of the United States. No disrespect to you, Damien or Sophia, I’ve been in your situation. I know physical connection is part of being in a relationship, but Sophia, you’re not most women out there. You have a reputation to protect, as well as the responsibility to the office your dad holds.”

“Sir,” Damien starts looking straight at Joe. “Those pictures were taken within these walls. Only the people authorized to be here could’ve taken those pictures. It would be different if we did it outside. There, all bets are off, but we were here. Someone took them without our consent, and then leaked them. I think that’s where we should start.” Then, he swings his cold hard eyes toward Nicole.

“Excuse me?” Nicole’s high pitched voice rises even higher if that were possible. “Are you implying I leaked them? Why would I do that? What time do I have to take those pictures?” She stops and looks at my dad, leaning toward him. “Mr. President, my job is to protect you. I’ve warned Sophia about how to act and handle her relationship once they decided to go public.” She sighs out loud as though she’s about to cry. “I’ve been nothing but accommodating and respectful of her.” She wipes her crocodile tears away. “I’m also nothing but professional with you, Damien. Our relationship was monogamous, no matter how much you want to deny that fact.”

“We never had a relationship!” Damien yells. “Why are you even bringing that garbage up? Unless, that’s the cause of all this shit!”

“Why am I the first suspect? There are other people around her that could’ve taken those pictures, who might have their own agendas.”

“Enough! We’re veering off topic. I don’t like this, Joe. We need to flush out who this person is. Do you have an idea who it could be?” My dad looks at me, waiting for an answer.

“I don’t know. If Nicole is implying that it’s Darcee or Bryanna, then I can tell you right now, it’s not them, Dad.”

“How can you be so sure? You’ve never sent them pictures of you and Damien?” Nicole chimes in as she looks at her nails.

“I beg your pardon?” Ms. Viv retorts. “Don’t play that game with me, Nicole.”

I lean toward Nicole staring her dead set in the eyes. “Leave my friends alone.”

“Enough!” Dad yells. “I want to see the logs with the comings and goings of every single person for the past two months. There are enough cameras in this darn place, we should have something!” He turns to face Nicole. “Any questions regarding Sophia and Damien, your answer is ‘they’re in a committed and monogamous relationship’. End of story.”

“Well, what about the picture of him going inside someone’s room? Though blurry it shows that it wasn’t taken here.” Turning our way, her eyes solely focus on Damien. “Are you sure you’re not involved with someone else?”

Mom stands up. “I’m tired of your insinuations. If you have an idea of who it is, then come right out and say it. If not and everything is just hearsay, then I suggest you hold your tongue until you’re sure.”

Joe holds his hands up, calming my mom. “Let’s all calm down. I understand everyone is edgy and emotional, but we can’t fight amongst each other. We can’t do anything tonight. Nicole, tomorrow you know what to say. Damien . . .” He turns our way and clasps both his hands. “ . . . when you leave tonight, you’ll be questioned. Your answer should . . .”

“Mr. Allen, with all due respect, I won’t deny my relationship with Sophia. It’s just too coincidental that this was leaked on prime time news the day after our first official date. It smells fishy to me.”

“Alright, Joe, we’re done here. I want to talk to my daughter and Damien, alone.” My dad’s voice leaves no room for any objections.

I slide off of Damien’s lap and sit next to him as he interlocks our fingers in solidarity.

Truth
—Aren’t we called to always tell the truth? The pictures shown tonight don’t lie. In fact, they’re my truth—the truth of my love for Damien and his for me. But they’re my truth that I want to keep private, and now it’s distorted, making it dirty.

Lies
—How can someone’s interpretation of a picture change the truth behind it? And now lies smear the beauty of it. Lies that say what exists between us is nothing but an illicit affair, cemented by the other picture with Damien and another woman.

DAMIEN

“I don’t know what to say other than those pictures were taken without our permission. The one with the other woman, Sir,” I stop, not knowing really how to go about explaining something I don’t even have a clue about. “I don’t know who the woman is, or when it was taken. One thing I’m sure of is I love Sophia. I know it’s too soon, but my intention is to marry your daughter.”

A loud gasp leaves her mom’s mouth, and I earn a raised brow from her dad. “After only dating her for three months, you can be sure?” He questions.

I look at my Wildflower as we share the same love in our eyes. I can ask her to marry me now and I know she’ll say yes, but it’s not the right time, at least not for her. For me though . . . I’m sure . . . sure as I’ll take a bullet for her. I’ve known for months when she captured my heart, but more so now that she’s mine.

Without leaving her eyes, I answer truthfully, “I’m sure. As certain as the day I joined the Marines. As confident as the time I swore to protect your daughter.” My thumb grazes her lips that are smiling at me. “As clear as the day I knew I loved her. So yes . . . I’m positive my love for her will be resolute now, distinct as tomorrow, and unyielding until God takes me home.”

Surprisingly, tears well up in my eyes. That’s how much I love this girl sitting beside me. That’s how sure I am of my desire to make her truly and forever mine. While my tears don’t fall, hers do and my heart stops for just a second, afraid that her tears are a representation of something else. But the seed of our love for each other, no matter how young has thick roots, wiping away the smallest of my fears.

She mouths ‘I love you’ and pulls me in for an embrace so tight, there’s no way not to return it with the same ferocity. I hold her close—her shield and the love of her life.

“Break! Sophia, release!” Her dad barks.

“Honey, Damien isn’t a dog,” her mother mumbles.

“Damien isn’t, but your daughter is like a German shepherd attacking him. Look at her,” he growls in annoyance.

“Baby, you have to let go before your dad loses his cool,” I whisper while I give her ear a little nibble.

She clears her throat and finally releases her hold then sits properly. “Dad, I’m sorry.”

He shakes his head at Sophia, and then looks at me. “When you leave, I’m sure you’ll be hounded by the press. Answer, don’t answer; it’s up to you. My only request is for you to tell the truth. And if it’s your decision to marry my daughter, please use. . . .”

“Dad! If you must know, we haven’t done the deed! He’s adamant about waiting.” She buries her face on her hands, and I immediately rub her back, soothing her.

“Princess, that’s not what I mean. I meant to use good judgement before making a decision, because once you both say ‘I do’, it’s a forever commitment. Sex is . . .”

“Oh my God, this is so embarrassing! I’m twenty-three years old for crying out loud,” she mumbles against her palms.

“Sophia.” Her dad starts slow to get her attention as she lifts her eyes to meet his. “What I’m trying to say is, that part of your relationship is between you two and God. I can’t stop you. As you say, you’re twenty-three. You’re old enough to make decisions just . . . make them wisely.”

“Okay on that note. Mom, Dad, my now-scared-boyfriend-who-might-break-up with-me needs to go home.”

I stand and shake both their hands as they walk to their room, leaving my very embarrassed girlfriend and me alone. She’s immediately plastered against my body which is my favorite place for her to be.

“Calm down. Your dad is giving us good advice. I’ll do the same thing when we have our little girl.”

Pulling back, she smiles and says, “Really? Marriage and now a baby. Are you sure about your propositions, Mister?” She scrunches her nose. She’s so adorable. “However, to have a baby means sexy time, which isn’t happening at the moment.”

I rock us back and forth as we stare at each other. If I’m this close to her, there’s no escaping the desire to kiss her. Her lips tilt upward in a teasing manner as I inch closer and closer to my prize. The moment our lips make contact, everything that’s happened today escapes my mind. My focus is only on how her tongue gently brushes with mine. How my tongue glides across her well-kissed lips. As I give her lips delicate love bites her moans intensify which drive me crazy, but not enough to completely forget where we are. I slow it down with a few small pecks on her cheek as I slowly run my nose against her jaw. Then my lips land on her exquisite neck leaving open mouth kisses mixed with a few nips while soothing them with my tongue.

“You’re getting hard, baby,” she murmurs.

She rubs her palm against my undeniable situation. “Okay. Time out.” I bury my face in her neck, not allowing her to tempt me.

I grab her hand away from my dick and put it behind her as she continues to grind against my ever worsening hard on. My Wildflower shows no mercy in her quest to tempt me into giving her what she wants. After giving her one last kiss goodnight, I walk out of the residence straight to my car.

Surprised there’s no sign of the press camped outside the exit gate, I feel confident I won’t be questioned tonight. But I was wrong. As soon as I’m about to enter the parking garage of my new apartment, a swarm of reporters crowd my car.

Like bees to honey, they converge on me. Allowing me only an inch to get out of my car, they fire questions in succession.

“Do you love her?” One asks.

“How long have you been dating?” Bellows another.

“Who is that other woman in the picture?” This gets my attention and annoys the shit out of me.

“Are you two-timing the President’s daughter?”

“Will you be fired?”

These questions don’t deserve an answer, at least in my mind. I’m not expected to answer them, and the only one I’m responsible to answer to is Sophia. However, when the questions become dirty and disrespectful, I can’t control my mouth any longer.

“Have you fucked her yet?” This makes my blood boil.

“Is she good in bed?” This question brings it to a scalding temperature.

I pull the reporter who asked the last question by the collar, shaking him in the process. My voice is heavy, nostril flaring while I try to control my anger.

“That better be the last time you ask me those questions. The next time, I won’t have the patience to correct you.”

Truth
—it’s hard to keep it hidden. It’s easier to shout it out to whoever will listen, but sometimes silence is the key. The person who deserves the truth is the only one who needs to hear the words.

Lies
—the worst kind of enemy. Why? Because they evolve. You give an answer, and it’s twisted into something else. Your words are used against you to create another lie. Truth is its slayer. Truth wins every single time.

SOPHIA

AFTER THE INFAMOUS PICTURES WERE
leaked, it took two weeks for the media to pin its focus on something or someone else. It’s on to the next best thing. However, the one picture no one wants to stop talking about is the one with Damien being pulled into a room by a mysterious woman. Every single time we go out, whether on a date or doing our own things, we’re asked who the woman could be, making our relationship look more like the illicit affair it’s tagged to be.

He’s sitting on the chaise by the window in my room watching me get ready for our date night.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay home?”