Nothing but Trouble by Tory Richards

waiting for his call.

Chapter 6
     
     
    “Senator…”
    “What the hell is going on? I thought we’d decided not to contact Jonathan. This was supposed to look like Sophie getting cold feet about the wedding and taking off on her own!” the senator barked, interrupting Brent before he could fill him in. “Jonathan phoned me ten minutes ago with news he thinks she’s been kidnapped.”
    Brent released a deep sigh. “An unforeseen change in plans, Senator. The best I can guess is that someone called security with a complaint they heard something. When the guards came to investigate they must have grown suspicious when they found Sophie’s apartment empty. Being that Lord owns the building and his relationship with her, they apparently didn’t waste any time contacting him.”
    “What a mess, Brent. Knowing Jonathan, this will be on the news before daybreak. You know what this means, don’t you? Law enforcement will be involved, the FBI if they suspect a kidnapping. This puts you in a terrible situation.”
    “Won’t be the first time I’ve been in trouble,” Brent pointed out.
    “No doubt. Hell, Brent, for the first time in my life I’m not sure which direction to take. Everything seemed so easy when we discussed it, but now…”
    “Maybe we should release her and call the whole thing off,” Brent advised, picking up on the defeat in the senator’s tone. Turning Sophie loose was just fine with him. She’d been nothing but trouble from the get-go.
    After a long pause Senator Adams replied, “No. It’s done now. You might as well keep her for a couple days. Hopefully that will give me enough time to complete my investigation.”
    “It’s your call,” Brent retorted in a neutral tone.
    “How’s she holding up?”
    The senator should be asking Brent how he was holding up. “She’s fine for the time being,” he responded, his gaze shooting to the bedroom door. All was quiet. With a little luck she was sleeping now, or close to it.
    “I know having her kidnapped was a bit extreme but it was completely necessary in my book,” the senator said in a tone that sounded as if he was trying to convince himself. “Be careful with her, Brent, she’s a delicate flower and needs to be handled with kid gloves. Much too sweet for the likes of Lord.”
    Delicate flower, are we talking about the same woman? Sophie was resourceful and unpredictable, the marks on his chest proof of that. She wasn’t afraid to fend for herself. No, the senator obviously didn’t have a clue that behind those round innocent eyes his sweet, delicate flower was a she-cat in lamb’s clothing.
    “By the way, where are you keeping her?” The senator’s deep voice cut into Brent’s silent thoughts. “Somewhere close?”
    “You know I won’t tell you that, Senator, especially now. A slip-up would be easy. The less you know about her whereabouts or anything else, the better.” Secondly, it was the only way he could control the situation, which was what he was getting paid to do. He heard the senator expel an exasperated sigh, clearly struggling between common sense and paternal instincts. “You focus on your end and let me do my job.”
    “You’re right of course. Until I find out what Lord is holding over her…” He clearly couldn’t go on. Incensed into uncharacteristic silence and obviously consumed with the thought Sophie was being forced into something against her will.
    The senator had told Brent his suspicions a week earlier during their first meeting. He was convinced Sophie would never be attracted to a power-hungry, unscrupulous bastard like Lord. Brent only hoped his temporary solution paid off because if it didn’t the senator was going to lose his daughter, and he’d probably end up in jail for the next twenty-five years.
    “Have you given any thought to what you’re going to do next?” Senator Adams asked gruffly. “When are you going to officially contact Jonathan?”
    It was only natural he wanted