Dauntless (The Agency Dark Affairs Duet Book 2) Read online

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  DAUNTLESS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN Epilogue -Two Years Later

  THANK YOU READERS!

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  DAUNTLESS

  The Agency Dark Affairs Duet

  Book Two

  Amélie S. Duncan

  Published by Amélie S. Duncan

  Copyright © Amélie S. Duncan, 2018

  [email protected]

  Cover Design by Sommer Stein and Perfect Pear Creative

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in a database or retrieval system without the prior permission of the author or publisher. This book is a work of fiction. Any references to real people or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All books, songs, song titles, mentioned in the novel DAUNTLESS are the property of the respective songwriters and copyright holders.

  CHAPTER ONE

  “Do you need me to repeat the question?”

  It was an early start, just after seven in the morning, and I still laid in my hospital bed. My ribs were tender under the thin gown. After weeks in recovery, the bruises on my face and neck were still there, though most have faded. Seated on the pastel plastic chairs to my right were my attorney, Stuart Miller and the criminal defense lawyer he'd brought with him, Joshua Stone. To my left were two FBI agents, one of whom was my lover, Elliott Carmichael. Lover? I suppose we are, though we never defined our relationship. What happened between us can be best put as complicated. He had been undercover at the time, and he wasn’t alone. We’d been with Dane Westbrook, the other man in my life.

  This wasn’t the first time I was questioned. I’d given the police a statement on my kidnapping over a week ago. And today, what I’d hoped for were answers, progress, not more questions. Elliott’s work partner, Agent Trish Walker, wasted no time in asking most of the questions as she made recordings and took notes. My answers were nothing short than bizarre, especially out of context.

  Yes, I did interrupt a private event on Mr. Westbrook’s property. I went there to speak with him about the sale of Perfetto, my cosmetic company. It’s a global brand available in sixteen countries, employing hundreds of people. I had previously been to his place on two separate occasions. I had assumed he was alone.

  No, I didn’t know the cruise was a sexual fantasy cruise.

  Yes, it was my first cruise and the only one I had been on.

  No, I didn’t believe I had a choice but to go with the armed guards present at Vincent Santiago’s insistence. Mr. Westbrook said I would be in danger if I tried to leave. This was further explained by Mr. Carmichael on the cruise.

  Then her questions became more invasive. Some parts I suspect were in Elliott’s report. It became clear my answers weren’t enough for Trish.

  “Did you engage in sexual relations during the cruise?”

  “Yes, of course,” was my answer. There was no reason to deny it happened, but then she pressed further.

  “So, Mrs. Walsh—Gia, you said you were held against your will, but during that time on the boat, you were willing to have sex with Mr. Carmichael and Mr. Westbrook?”

  “She’s not discussing her private life, Trish,” Stuart answered for me. “Next question.”

  Trish held her recorder out toward me. “Is that your answer, Mrs. Walsh?”

  I’d already attempted to stop her from using my ex-husband, Patrick Walsh, Jr.’s last name, but I decided not to remind her again, though it made me cringe inwardly at the mention of it.

  Nonetheless, there was no denying his name carried some clout and privilege because he was once the governor of Washington. In a way, I had a right to use it, although we were divorced. My connections and work on his campaigns had made his rise in government possible. I'd earned his seat just as much as he had. As for why I had sex with two men on a cruise I was being held on, I had no explanation. It happened. Whether or not I did have sex didn’t excuse what Marco and Vincent did to me.

  “As I have shared before,” I replied calmly, “what happened between Dane and Elliott came earlier. The drugging and kidnapping occurred later when I found Mr. Marco Santiago in the bedroom going through Mr. Westbrook’s belongings. Before that, I was trying to help Mr. Westbrook find Angel.”

  Trisha adjusted her glasses, which were perched on the end of her upturned nose. “By ‘helping’ find Angelica Browne, you had sex with Mr. Westbrook and Mr. Carmichael?” Her words came out as a question, but her tone was awfully judgmental. She left me temporarily speechless. Luckily, Elliott didn’t have the same problem.

  “She already answered your question,” Elliott said in a low grumble.

  I kept my smile inward. Apparently, Elliott didn’t take too kindly to criticism of his sex life. At least I could say that much wasn’t part of his undercover job.

  Once I looked at him though, it was hard to look away; he was magnetic. Elliott was suited up like his colleague, but instead of his usually trendy metro style, he had more of that John Wick movie star look about him. He had on an expensive tailored suit but appeared a little wild and rough in it. His dark, wavy hair was parted and hung a little above his collar with more beard than scruff on his square jaw. Sexy. The one difference between Elliott and my favorite action movie hero were Elliott’s piercing pale blue eyes. When he looked at me, I felt like he’d rip my clothes off any moment and have his way.

  “We need to establish when Ms. Ruiz-Walsh was kidnapped,” Trish said, bringing my focus back to her. A line was etched between her brows. “People in attendance reported nothing unusual, no report of screams, yells, or fights aboard the ship—”

  “Except when I was beaten and drugged on the deck,” I snapped. “Did anyone share that with you?”

  Trish spoke through a tight smile. “I can understand this may be hard for you, but we’re trying to help make a case against those who might have harmed you.”

  “Ms. Ruiz's injuries are not up for debate,” Joshua interjected. “She was admitted with bruised ribs, sprained arms, and wounds on her throat all of which were photographed by your team. You also have the reports of the police officers present at the scene and Mr. Carmichael’s confirming her statement. Toxicology came back with drugs in her system. So why are we going back to this?”

  “Yes, Trish does have all available information on the case.” Elliott sent a cool gaze to his colleague. “But more questions came up, and we need to have Gia’s answer on record.”

  “Like if she was nude and engaged in a sex act at the sex party,” Trish added.

  I frowned. “I didn’t consider it a sex act at the time. I played along to stay safe…”

  On the boat, I indeed allowed Dane to strip off my clothing and touch me in public at one of their social parties. At the time, I thought I was merely playing a part just to be safe. For the most part, I was right to do so. At least that was what
I had thought until now.

  “So, you did allow Mr. Westbrook to touch you intimately in front of Mr. Santiago and a room full of men?” Trish prodded. Her voice going up an octave.

  I lifted my chin. If her intention was to embarrass me after all I’d been through, she had picked the wrong woman. “There was a protocol in place for the women in the room. I agreed to follow it and getting touched in front of the whole room was a part of it. I was masked at the time and presumed no one will recognize me. Not that I was okay with it. Still, irrespective of the many ways you ask and try to shame me, the fact remains that I was drugged, kidnapped, and beaten. That much won’t change.”

  Trish pressed the pause button on her recorder. Her mouth set in a hard line. “I wasn’t shaming you. The FBI needs to know if what transpired was consensual; if you were coerced into having sex with Mr. Carmichael and Mr. Westbrook to explain your actions—"

  “You’re out of order,” Elliott growled. “This interview is over.”

  My mouth went dry. “You’re investigating Elliott for having sex with me? You’ve got to be kidding. He saved my life. The sex was consensual. The beating, drugging, kidnapping, and threats by Marco, Vincent, and The Agency, which kept me against my will, was not.”

  “I agree with Mr. Carmichael,” Joshua concurred. “She’s answered enough of your questions. Unless you have new questions concerning the drugging, assault, and kidnapping that was not covered in the affidavit, on-scene police statements, follow-up police reports, and your own FBI reports, we are done.”

  Trish tucked the loose curls of brown hair behind her ears before rising. “If you want to help the case, you’ll need to cooperate. The Agency has given their statement, and from what they shared, we needed Gia to go over her answers. I’m sorry if that makes you uncomfortable, but trust me, my questions are nothing compared to what you will be asked when crossed examined in court if this goes to trial. It’s best you prepare yourself for that eventuality.” She followed Elliott out of the room.

  I snorted. “This is ridiculous. They have everything including tapes from Elliott. I don’t understand why they are wasting time with me; they should be going after The Agency.”

  “Well, actually,” Stuart said, and my stomach turned— “Actually” was how he usually starts bad news. He was just as consistent this time.

  “The Agency seems to be cooperating,” Stuart continued. “However, in their statement, they maintained that Marco and Vincent acted against their policy. The Agency has since terminated their memberships. Vincent is blaming Marco, but both have joined together and shared a completely different story on what happened.”

  I tensed. “And what might that be?”

  “Vincent claims he invited you to the cruise and you agreed, participated and were never in danger. He wasn’t present when you were assaulted by Marco.”

  “He was still involved! It occurred at his home when I was forced to go to his place in San Francisco. He threatened to keep me against my will.” I paused for a moment, perplexed and then continued: “My story couldn’t be much different from that of the other women. I wasn’t the only one targeted. What about the statements of Liz and Angel?”

  “Liz, I can’t speak for, but for Angel, I believe Vincent admitted to some of the things that happened to her,” Joshua responded. “He’s holding out until charges against him are lessened for cooperating.”

  I grimaced. Evidently, there was no loyalty in the Santiago family, but there was no way I was going to let Vincent, or his nephew, Marco, get away with what they did to the rest of the women and me. “I must still have a case. I want to press charges. They need to go to jail.”

  “I understand you’re angry,” Joshua said, leaning forward. “But what about how the trial will affect you? You must think about that. Your lifestyle will be tried on the court of public opinion, and believe me, you will lose and so will everyone close to you, including your company.”

  My jaw tightened in irritation. He was right. Dane had made good on selling the shares of Perfetto back to me. I was now the owner and head of the company. Whatever happened would be on me, and I wasn’t the only one that would suffer the consequences. Hundreds of employees, who had no idea what The Agency was, would be harmed by the stories of my sex life. This was precisely what Vincent had told me The Agency would do, but there still had to be a way for me to do something. “So public shaming should make me shy away from justice?”

  “I’m just keeping it real,” Joshua said frankly. “I understand from Stuart you’re already involved in an embezzlement case—”

  “That was my accountant,” I cut in. “I’m not guilty of doing anything—”

  “The public will think differently,” Joshua said. “Your choices will go on trial. You think Special Agent Walker was being unfair? Compared to what is to come if this goes to trial, she was being kind. Once it comes out that you were on a sex cruise, fondled publicly, and engaged in threesomes, the public will prosecute not just you, but your sex life, too.”

  I opened my mouth and closed it. “Surely people would stand by and support me when details of what happened were revealed?”

  Even I could hear the doubt in my voice. Nothing the public and media like more than a salacious sex scandal. I could already imagine the story playing out more like a reality television show than my life.

  “I’m sorry, Gia, but I must agree with Joshua,” Stuart said in a gentle voice. “Now, we might try to keep as much of your private life out of the headlines, but the defense lawyers and connections wouldn’t, which could make things worse for you. Worst case, your association with your brand could be ruined. I’m sure Mr. Carmichael will agree that the FBI would be more interested in prosecuting The Agency and a possible sex-trafficking ring. They will want to go after the big fish than low-hanging ones like Marco and Vincent.”

  My stomach lurched. The idea of just walking away after what I had been through was unbearable. “So, I just let this go?” My voice cracked. “What about Angel?”

  “To be honest, Angel has a stronger case,” Joshua replied. “If she recovers, her testimony could help put her captors in jail.”

  “Yes, but in your case, we go after them financially,” Stuart added. “You have a solid civil case there. The money can help cover any immediate cost the publicity might have on Perfetto while we sort through the case.”

  “So, money makes all the legal charges go away,” I grumbled in annoyance. “I’ll be no better than them if I take money.”

  “I don’t agree,” Joshua countered. “It would make you smart. You let the FBI proceed with their case. Marco may get jail time for hurting you, but I wouldn’t count on it. A civil lawsuit is your best hope.”

  I shook my head. That wasn’t going to be enough. “No. I’m not just giving up.”

  “It’s not giving up,” Joshua spoke over me, his voice raised. “We proceed with a civil lawsuit for twenty million. Your connections with the community and your ex-husband’s Governorship would strengthen your case. His election team needs a spin to avoid any negative press associated with your involvement, even if you were hurt because of it. We start today. In fact, I’ve been in contact with Governor Walsh’s people. They agreed to have him meet you at your home when you return today—”

  “Cancel that right now,” I demanded, turning away from Joshua. “Stuart, I know you didn’t agree to this.”

  I hadn’t taken any of Patrick’s calls, but I had received his messages, most of them threatening to sue me for all I had if what happened to me cost him his re-election bid. The only hand I had to play with him was that he had sought financial help from The Agency members. To what extent, I didn’t know yet, but I would find out should he decide to pursue any legal action against me.

  Stuart adjusted his tie. “I’m sorry. I thought it would help bring some clout to your cause. The headlines might read, ‘A well-known and respected businesswoman; the Governor’s ex-wife caught up in a horrible situation.’ It brings mor
e public empathy to your side, and I agree with Joshua, you need it.”

  “I would have fired you over contacting Patrick for help if you weren’t my friend,” I told him. “As for you, Joshua, I don’t believe we are on the same page. I won’t be needing your services any lon—”

  “Please don’t do that,” Stuart interjected. “The Patrick idea isn’t set in stone. We came to discuss it with you and will cancel it…some of the public’s sympathy now is on your side now, but when they find out you were with two men, this will change. A part of your divorce agreement was that you won’t embarrass Patrick and date publicly for six months. I want to tell you different, but you are caught up in a serious mess. He told us his political party is waiting to see how this plays out, and if it goes wrong, they will dump him. If this happens, he’ll sue you.”

  “He had an affair,” I pointed out. “His sex life will be out there right next to mine.”

  “He knows that and will step down if it becomes public knowledge,” Stuart said. “But in that case, he will have nothing to lose. Sure, he’ll lament over his loss of power and position, but he’ll recover in the private sector and more than likely land a senior position there at a top-tier company. You’re the one that will suffer. Your reputation will be ruined. We both know he’ll make sure of it. We need to keep an eye on him and head off any negative press. We can donate to organizations that champion our cause. Contact organizations you have worked with in the past.”

  My pulse throbbed in my temples. Nothing Stuart had said was unbelievable. Patrick would throw me under the bus and rob me blind to save himself. Being with Dane and Elliott could ruin me. If I were to save myself, I wouldn’t be able to romantically pursue Dane and Elliott, not that I even had the option to date them both. And if the three of us did decide to be romantically involved, I’d have to change my whole world. Something I wasn’t prepared to do just yet. I had a lot to think about, but that I could do on my own. “Fine, I’ll leave you both in place for now. I’ll be in touch soon.”