Game of Fear (Montgomery Justice #3)(44)

Niko pressed closer. “Ashley, succeeding at this mission is critical. Are you ready?”

“If I’m not, is the Warden going to shoot me, too?” she snapped.

Niko blanched. “I wouldn’t doubt that outcome for a minute.”




Washington, D.C.

The e-mail arrived just before 5:00 p.m. Congressman Raymond Reynolds, chair of the Armed Services Committee, clicked the icon from the familiar address.

A photo stared back at him.

Not just any photo.

“Oh my God. No.”

His cell phone rang.

Hands shaking, he answered. “H-hello.”

“Congressman, I see you received our message,” a smooth voice commented.

“Where . . . how? That’s private,” he sputtered.

“Not anymore. Your every secret is ours, Reynolds. Every little sordid detail.” There was a pause.

No. It couldn’t be. He kept everything encrypted. He was careful. It was only a diversion. A hobby. No one else was ever supposed to know.

The voice chuckled. “I see you know what I’m talking about. Most constituents don’t approve of their public officials being on the wrong end of a leather whip. You really don’t have the figure for leather, Congressman. Neither does your . . . friend. I can see he enjoys being in charge.” The voice lowered. “I especially like how much your wife gets off watching you take it up the . . .”

Reynolds sagged in his chair. “What do you want?” Resignation filled the room.

“Nothing. Yet. But you’ll hear from us soon. When you do, we expect complete compliance. Do you understand?”

He didn’t speak.

“I expect a response, pet. Isn’t that the term he used?”

Reynolds swallowed deeply.

“Y-yes.”

“Yes, what, pet. You know the rules.”

Teeth grated. “Yes, sir,” he spat.

“Actually, instead of ‘sir,’ I prefer the term you used with your friend, in that very interesting little room hidden behind your closet. What’s my name?”

“Master.” Reynolds bit the word out.

“Don’t forget it. I have you by the balls. But then you like that. Don’t you?”

“You can’t—”

“Silence!”

Reynolds trembled, his whole world crumbling to dust.

“We’ll have to work on your discipline, pet.” A delighted laugh sounded at the other end of the phone. “You’d be punished if I were there. And I would bring a special someone to make sure you’d . . . enjoy . . . or at least remember your submission.” There was a slight pause.

“Do exactly as we say, exactly when we tell you to, Congressman Reynolds, and these photos might not leak to the press. But say one word of this to anyone—Justice, Treasury, the Capitol guards—and the photos are on the Internet before you finish revealing this call.”

A click sounded. Reynolds closed his eyes and thrust his fingers through his balding white hair.

This couldn’t be happening.

God, what would they want?

He rose and walked to the window of his office, staring out across the Capitol Reflecting Pool. It didn’t matter. He’d worked too damn hard to get here. He’d do whatever it took to stay. And damn them all to hell, they knew it.





* * *





CHAPTER TEN




* * *




THE AIR HAD turned frigid with a nip of snow since Gabe last stood on the porch with John. Driven by demons he’d yet to confront, Gabe needed the space. He didn’t want to hurt his family anymore, which meant keeping his father’s secret, and lying to his mother for the foreseeable future.

The past might be a nightmare, but the present was worse. He was torn between two promises. One to himself to bring down those who had threatened his family, and his promise to Deb to find her sister. Two vows that ripped him up inside. He couldn’t give both everything.

He’d let someone down. There was no way around it.

The front door quietly closed and he gave a quiet sigh, recognizing Deb’s clean scent.

“I’m sorry for leaving you in there. I just had to—” He turned and leaned against the banister. “You shouldn’t have had to hear all that. Guess you didn’t realize who you were signing on with when you picked me to help you. Pretty screwed up, huh?”

Deb studied his face, her own expression sympathetic and strangely resigned. “Your family cares about each other. A lot. Nothing to apologize for in that. But, Gabe, you can’t afford to split your time. That’s clear to everyone in that house. If you’re already fighting Tower and his cronies, you’re in enough danger without adding Ashley and me to it.”

Gabe shifted slightly. She was right. The risks surrounding him were very real and it could spill onto her, too, just because she was nearby. Things were coming to a head on the undercover op case at the worst possible time.

“Ashley is in trouble, too.”

Deb nodded and straightened. “I’m so grateful you believed in me, Gabe, when no one else would. I won’t forget that, but Neil has bought into the case. We’ll find my sister.” She stepped back. “You should focus on bringing Tower down so that people like me can trust the sheriff’s office when we need them. It’s for the best.”