Listen To Her Heart, page 44
“Knowing Lebedev, I can see how he would think that,” Yalen said, nodding. “How did Demescko arrange for the trade with him?”
“As soon as she found out that the Albanians had the disk and was going to make the deal with Lebedev, she put me on them. I shadowed them for months before they left Prague and we knew that Sykes was watching you and the hotel. However, Sykes knew nothing about me, so we decided to get the disk from the Albanians and when Lebedev found out they were dead and the disk was missing, Demescko contacted Lebedev and told him that she could get the disk and would make a trade … the sleeper cell information for the disk.”
He leaned back in the chair and laughed. “Once we knew what you were planning, we had to figure out a way to help you and to get what we wanted. If I had known the fool was dumb enough to have it at his house, I would have just gone in there, taken it, and killed him on my way out the door.”
“This is unbelievable. Did Demescko know you were going to slip me the disk?” Yalen asked.
He shook his head. “I didn’t tell her that I was going to do that, so the answer is no but I knew you would know what to do with it.”
Yalen laughed. “When they told me the Albanians were dead and that their fingernails had been pulled out, for a split-second I thought it was you.”
“My one screw-up,” he laughed.
Yalen smiled at him. “You always said the best way to get someone to talk was to rip out their nails.”
He laughed a deep belly laugh, his head back. “It works every time, Chica.”
Yalen looked at her father and laughed. “By the way, the blond hair really needs to go,” she said, shaking her head.
“I agree. I don’t know how you women handle dyeing your hair all the time. It feels like straw,” he chuckled.
“Not all women dye their hair, at least not this woman,” Yalen laughed. She leaned forward in the chair. “So what happens now? Where are you going?”
He got up from his chair, holding his hands out to Yalen. “I’m leaving tonight for Iran. It seems they are closer to having nuclear weapons than what they expect all of us to believe. My job is to stop them and once I’ve completed my mission, I’m hanging up my hat. I’ve realized that I have missed out on so many important things in life where my family is concerned, and I’ve given enough for my country,” he said, pulling Yalen onto her feet.
“When will I see you again?” she asked, wrapping her arms around his waist.
He kissed Yalen on the top her head. “I will be here for your next birthday, so save me a seat and a piece of cake.”
“I love you, father,” Yalen said, her eyes watering.
“I love you too, Chica, and I’m very proud of you,” he said and with a final kiss on Yalen’s cheek, he left her office.
Chapter 18
“I really don’t want to do this,” Briana said as she climbed into the driver’s seat.
“Come on, Bri, it will be fun and you need to get out of the house for awhile,” Briana’s older sister Lindsay said as she climbed into the passenger seat beside Briana.
“I get out,” Briana said as she fastened her seatbelt.
Lindsay looked at Briana. “Taking Lexi for a walk around the block doesn’t count. You have been stuck in that damn house for the last six weeks since coming home. Besides, it’s only thirty minutes from your house if you get there and don’t want to stay.”
“Fine,” Briana said, pretending to pout as she pulled out of her driveway.
Yalen knew she shouldn’t have come here. That it would be too hard, knowing that Briana lived less than thirty miles away from Regina’s cabin.
Oh this was such a bad idea,” Yalen thought as Casey, Lorna, and Regina came walking up to her.
“You looked thirsty,” Regina said, cramming a glass of champagne into Yalen’s hand.
“Oh, I do, huh?” Yalen asked, her eyes roaming over the crowd of people. It was just going to be a small dinner party for her friends in the publishing industry, Regina had told her when she talked Yalen into coming to her cabin for a few days of R and R. There had to be at least thirty women in the two main rooms and that didn’t count the ones on the outside deck that overlooked the mountains.
“Yeah, you need to mingle, relax, and go chat with those two gorgeous blondes standing by the fireplace,” Regina said, nodding over her shoulder for Yalen to look.
“I’ll pass but thanks,” Yalen said as her eyes moved toward the front door that had just opened and then a grin spread across her face. Demescko, with Emily at her side stepped into the room. Sensing someone looking at her, Demescko looked up, her eyes meeting Yalen’s. A grin spread across her face as she and Emily came over to the four women.
“Well, hello stranger,” Demescko said, wrapping Yalen in a big bear hug.
“How are you two doing?” Yalen asked as she hugged Emily. “You definitely look better than the last time I saw you,” she whispered into Emily’s ear.
“I’ve never been better,” Emily laughed, squeezing Demescko’s hand.
“How the how hell are you, Charlotte Demescko?” Regina asked.
Yalen looked at both women with a confused expression on her face. “You two know each other?”
“Hell, yeah. We went to grade school together,” Regina laughed.
“Wow, what a small world,” Yalen said, shaking her head.
“So you’re the infamous Demescko,” Lorna said, a grin playing at the corners of her mouth.
“I don’t kn … know about the infamous part,” Demescko laughed and held her hand out.
“I’m Lorna and this is my better half, Casey,” Lorna said, shaking Demescko’s hand.
“And this is my girlfriend, Emily,” Demescko said as she looked at Emily.
“It’s nice to meet you both,” Casey said, smiling at Emily.
“We’ll be ba … back. We’re going to get something to drink,” Demescko said, taking Emily by the hand.
“It’s like old home week. I can’t believe…” Yalen’s voice trailed off in mid-sentence, her eyes coming to a stop at the patio door that led to the outside deck. Her heart started racing so fast, it felt like it was coming out of her chest. She blinked several times to make sure her eyes weren’t deceiving her.
Briana must have felt someone staring at her; she looked up, her eyes locking with Yalen’s. For several seconds neither woman moved.
“Go say hi,” Regina said, nudging Yalen with her elbow.
Yalen looked at her three friends who were now standing there looking at her with huge grins on their faces. “Remind me to kill all of you later,” Yalen said over her shoulder as she walked toward Briana.
“Hi,” Yalen said, stopping just in front of Briana.
“Hi back,” Briana said as she brushed her sweaty hands down the side of her dress. “Why didn’t you return my phone calls?”
Yalen took a deep breath. “I thought you would be better off just forgetting about me,” she said, answering honestly.
“Didn’t you think that I should have had some say in that decision?” Briana asked as she felt her temper begin to flare. “I’m a grown woman, Yalen, and I can make up my own mind about who is or who isn’t good for me.”
“I know and I’m sorry,” Yalen said.
Briana shook her head. “Didn’t I mean anything to you or was everything that happened between us some sort of fling that you could just walk away from and forget about?”
Briana’s words cut Yalen to the core and she was unable to stop the lump from forming in the back of her throat. “No, oh god no, Briana,” she whispered as a single tear slipped from her eye.
“Right now I should be so angry with you. Actually, I am very angry with you. Come on,” Briana said, taking Yalen by the hand.
Yalen didn’t say a word as she let Briana lead her through the kitchen and down the hallway. Briana stopped at the first door she came to and pushed it open. “In here,” she said, pulling Yalen into a bedroom. She let go of Yalen’s hand long enough to shut the door and lock it.
Briana walked up to Yalen and took her hands, lacing their fingers together. “You are going to listen to me right now, Yalen, and then if you want to walk out of my life, there’s nothing I can do about that,” Briana said.
“Okay,” Yalen nodded.
“I’ve changed, Yalen. I’m not the same woman who went to England with you. For the first time in my life, I know what love truly is and it took traveling thousands of miles and almost getting killed for me to realize what’s important. I’m in love with you, head over heels, and believe me, I tried to fight it but my heart did what it wanted to do. If you care for me at all, then give me a chance. Give us a chance, please.” Briana looked at Yalen with tears streaming down her cheeks. “Please say something,” Briana said after several seconds went by without Yalen uttering a word.
Yalen shook her head as she looked at Briana, Rheyna’s words echoing in her head: When you have doubts just listen to her heart.
Yalen brought Briana’s hands to her mouth and kissed both of them. “I have been … so miserable and I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind. I stand outside on my deck at night looking up at the stars, wondering and hoping that you’re looking at them too. Briana, I am so in love with you that I don’t know if I’m coming or going. I can’t even put a coherent thought together most of the time.”
“Don’t cry, baby,” Briana whispered as she wiped the tears from Yalen’s cheeks.
“I love you so much that it hurts,” Yalen said, pulling Briana into her arms. As Yalen’s mouth found Briana’s, it was if everything bad in the world had been made right.
“You feel … so good,” Briana whispered as she pulled Yalen’s shirt out of her slacks. “I want you, so bad right now,” she moaned as her hands moved over Yalen’s skin, her hands covering Yalen’s breast.
“We need to get out of here,” Yalen’s whispered as her lips trailed kisses up and down Briana’s neck, her mouth once again covering Briana’s lips. She groaned as Briana yielded to the pressure of her tongue, gently sucking it into her mouth.
Briana was the first to pull back. “We need to leave now, otherwise I won’t be responsible for my actions,” she said, taking Yalen by the hand. “My house is just a short distance away,” she said as she unlocked and then opened the bedroom door.
“I know,” Yalen grinned as the two of them walked down the hallway hand in hand.
They both came to a stop as they approached the family room. Huddled together near the door were all of Yalen’s friends along with Demescko, Emily, and Briana’s sister Lindsay. Yalen and Briana both shook their head as they walked up to the group.
“Would it be safe to assume that all of you were in on this?” Yalen asked.
The women all looked back and forth at each other with innocent expressions on their face. Several, “Not me’s, Who us? Nah, You’re crazy, Never,” comments came from the women.
Yalen laughed. “Remind me to thank all of you later.”
“Can someone please give my sister a ride home?” Briana yelled as she pulled Yalen toward the door.
“I will,” Yalen heard Regina yell just as she and Briana went out the door.
It was the longest drive of both women’s lives as they raced back to Briana’s house.
“I didn’t think we would ever get here,” Briana laughed as she opened the front door, pulling Yalen by the hand in behind her.
Yalen looked around. “Where’s Lexi?”
“Visiting his grandparents, so we don’t have to worry about the kid interrupting us,” Briana laughed as she began unbuttoning Yalen’s blouse. “I want you to know that I’m still mad at you,” she said as she pushed the blouse away from Yalen’s shoulders and then unfastened her bra.
“I think you should punish me,” Yalen grinned.
“Oh, I intend to, sweetheart. All night long,” Briana groaned as she took Yalen’s nipple into her mouth.
“Mmm, if this is punishment, I think I deserve a life sentence,” Yalen moaned, her hands in Briana’s hair.
By the time they made it to Briana’s bedroom, they had shed all of their clothes.
“Damn, I want you,” Briana said, running her hand up the inside of Yalen’s thigh. She groaned as Yalen’s desire for her covered her hand.
“I’ve died and gone to heaven,” Yalen whispered, as Briana slowly entered her, her fingers gently moving in and out. “I can’t stand up much longer,” Yalen groaned, her breath hitching.
Briana backed Yalen up against the side of the bed and with her fingers still moving, she gently urged Yalen down onto the bed. She climbed in next to her, her legs straddling Yalen’s thighs. “I need to taste you,” Briana whispered as she took Yalen’s nipple in her mouth, her tongue making slow circles before pulling it fully into her mouth.
“Damn. This is going to be too quick,” Yalen whispered.
Briana left a trail of kisses down Yalen’s stomach. “I have to taste you, now,” Briana said, using her free hand to hold Yalen open. “Oh, Yalen,” she whispered as her mouth covered Yalen’s clit, her tongue now moving in rhythm with her fingers.
“Please don’t stop, baby,” Yalen begged as her hips thrust against Briana’s hand. “Damn,” Yalen cried out, her legs shaking as the orgasm ripped through her body, leaving her with a feeling in her groin like nothing she had ever felt before.
“I love you, so much,” Briana whispered, her cheek against Yalen’s stomach.
“Come up here and lay with me, sweetheart,” Yalen said, reaching down to take Briana by the hand.
“Mmm, this feels, so good,” Briana said as she wrapped her arm around Yalen’s waist, her head on Yalen’s chest.
Yalen kissed Briana on the top of her head. “You were fantastic.”
“Thank you, I plan on doing that for as long as you will let me,” Briana said, looking up at Yalen.
“Then you will be doing that for a long time,” Yalen laughed.
Briana snuggled closer to Yalen. “I love you with all of my heart.”
“I love you too,” Yalen whispered.
Briana leaned back so she could look at Yalen. “I was at my parent’s house when I first saw the news reports on TV. They were discussing it and my dad realized that I was over there when all that happened and said how glad he was that I wasn’t around it. Right then, I understood what you have been through all these years, having to keep everything a secret. I wanted to tell him that I helped do all those things but I knew I couldn’t.”
Yalen brushed Briana’s hair back from her face, her thumb caressing Briana’s cheek. “I know, baby. There are things that I can never discuss and none of us can talk about what happened except to each other but knowing there are people who do understand, makes things easier to accept.”
Briana laughed. “If I didn’t have you to talk to about it, I think I would go crazy.”
“Guess who I got to see?” Yalen asked.
Briana looked at Yalen and smiled. “Is it who I think it is?”
Yalen grinned. “Yes, my father has decided that after one last operation, he’s going to retire. Remind me to tell you all about it sometime.”
“You can count on that,” Briana grinned. “Did you see where the Director of the CIA, suddenly resigned?” Briana asked.
Yalen nodded. “Yeah, I saw that yesterday and I’m not surprised. Right now, everything going on at Langley and in Washington is just one big cluster fuck.” Yalen looked at Briana. “I forgot to tell you that I talked to Holly and she said to tell you hi. She also told me they were putting all that money to good use and that the first thing they did was take all the girls to have that damned tattoo removed from their shoulders.”
“That’s fantastic news. Do you know how many women we got out of the club that night?” Briana asked, her finger making lazy circles on Yalen’s stomach.
“Thirteen, including the dancers, and Leeny joined them later,” Yalen answered.
Briana frowned as she looked at Yalen. “Leeny? Isn’t she the one that Suchin from the shelter, said helped her?”
Yalen smiled at her. “And here I thought I had a good memory and yes she is the one. I found out later from Demescko that Leeny was also her inside contact and neither she nor Emily knew the other was working for her.”
“Why wouldn’t Demescko tell them?” Briana asked.
“It was safer for them if they didn’t know and there was always a chance that Emily or Leeny were really working for Lebedev. Demescko couldn’t risk endangering the other if true. It was her way of protecting them.”
Briana kissed the side of Yalen’s neck. “Like you protected me,” she whispered against Yalen’s skin.
Yalen caressed Briana’s cheek. “Yes, baby, and I would have died if something had happened to you.”
“Damn, I love you,” Briana said, snuggling closer to Yalen.
“I love you just as much,” Yalen said, stifling a yawn.
“Oh no, you don’t. No sleep for you because I still haven’t punished you properly,” Briana said, rolling over on top of Yalen, a broad smile on her face.
“Hmmm, please, please, please punish me, baby,” Yalen moaned as Briana’s tongue raked over her nipple.
EPILOGUE
It had been six months since Regina’s party in Tennessee and Yalen and Briana had continuously exchanged time between their two homes.
“I’m, so excited about our trip,” Briana said as she looked out over the water.
“Me too,” Yalen said. “It will be fun to see the sergeants, Demescko and Emily again and Rheyna and her girlfriend will be there as well.”
“We have to stop in at the shelter and see Holly, too,” Briana said, looking at Yalen, whose skin had turned a dark mocha color. She looked good enough to eat.
Yalen nodded. “I agree, hon.”
“Have I said how much I love it here?” Briana asked, looking at Yalen who was stretched out in a black bikini on the pontoon boat’s sun pad.
