Nothing But Trouble
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 replace 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 things to move along at a fast pace, considering he was known as the senator without a watch. Patience was definitely not one of his virtues. Brent started to smile before

digesting the meaning in his comment. “You want me to contact him?” he inquired with disbelief.

“Why not?” Brent could hear the shrug of indifference in his brisk reply. “Maybe the truth will come out if it hits him in the wallet.”

Brent frowned. “Sounds like you want me to ask for a ransom.” He didn’t mind helping out an old friend but there was such a thing as going too far. Holding Sophie against her will for a couple days

could be overlooked with the senator’s help.

“I really don’t care what you do as long as you keep Sophie from him until I learn the truth,” he said with hatred in his voice.

Brent didn’t like the sound of that, deciding not to ask the obvious. If holding Sophie lasted more than a few days, he’d be forced to take matters into his own hands. “I’ll contact Lord in a couple days,

then.” After he had time to figure out what to say.

“What? Why the delay? You’ve always been a man of action, taking charge as soon as the situation warranted it. That’s why I asked you to help me.” In addition to the fact they were cut from the same

cloth. The senator had a vicious reputation for backing up his mouth.

“Control,” Brent said simply. “Lord is a control freak. Let him worry about what might be happening to his lovely fiancée. Once I contact him it will drive him insane knowing she’s with another man.”

“Jonathan doesn’t care for anyone but himself!” the senator snapped. “He wants Sophie as a trophy wife and to get to me. He thinks he’ll have me under his thumb once he’s my son-in-law. He has the

reputation of a shark. I can’t prove anything but I’m almost certain he’s the reason Phil Brody stepped down from running for governor last year.”

Brent had heard the same rumors about Brody. “That may be true, Senator, but he’s still a man with more than his share of pride. Believe me when I say he won’t welcome the thought that another man

might be touching Sophie. Those kinds of doubts have a way of acting like acid in a man’s gut.”

The smile was evident in the senator’s tone. “Yes…” he said, drawing out his response as though visualizing what they were talking about. “Good plan, son. I like the idea of planting those images in

his arrogant head. That will definitely drive him mad. From what I’ve observed these last few weeks he’s been overly possessive of my daughter.”

Brent could almost understand that. She was the kind of woman men coveted while they feared at the same time. Wealthy, intelligent, beautiful, the kind who’d never held any special appeal to him.

Nevertheless, in spite of the trouble she caused him and his peace of mind he couldn’t deny he liked her spirit.

“Has it occurred to you that maybe Sophie wants this union?” Brent had to ask, although his instincts, coupled with what he’d observed between her and Jonathan so far, indicated otherwise. He’d known a few women who’d married for convenience, and money was a powerful incentive.

The senator didn’t hesitate with a sharp response, his mind clearly made up. “No! Never! He’s blackmailing her; I’d bet my life on it. There was no way I would just stand by and let her marry him

tomorrow.”

The conversation they’d had the week before came back to Brent. The senator had explained that kidnapping Sophie had been a last resort and not something he took lightly. Brent didn’t take kidnap-

ping lightly either, especially when he was the one doing it. His services usually bordered on protecting people from this sort of thing.

Still, when the senator had first phoned Brent, detailing his plan, the distraught father wouldn’t take no for an answer. Brent had tried to reason with the senator but the desperation he’d detected in his

old friend’s tone had finally worn Brent down. Convincing Brent that maybe the senator was on to something.

At that point Brent had never met Jonathan Lord, but he’d heard enough about Lord to know he was bad news and not someone he’d like as a human being. He hadn’t met Sophie either. For some rea-

sons their paths had never crossed in the years he and the senator had known each other.

“I’ll stop by your office tomorrow at the scheduled time to see what your progress is,” Brent informed him before hanging up. It was late and he was tired. Tom was in the spare bedroom and that left

him with the sofa.

He glanced at it skeptically. The shape of it resembled a square box with a throw tossed over it, looking about as comfortable as a bed of nails. They hadn’t made a sofa yet that could accommodate his

tall frame, comfortably anyway. He glanced at the bedroom door wondering how much squealing Sophie would do if he joined her. The bed was big enough for the two of them. In the end he decided

against it. Everything is peaceful now, why stir things up and risk having security return?

Besides, he was sure Sophie would make enough noise to wake the dead if she woke to replace him in bed with her. Checking to make sure her door was locked he headed back to the couch, ready for a

very uncomfortable night.

Sophie waited until she was sure everyone was asleep before carefully trying the connecting bathroom door that led into the spare bedroom. Her heart was in her throat as she turned the doorknob and it

actually opened. Someone didn’t do their homework. With silent elation she waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room before continuing.

She made out the dark outline of a dresser in one corner and a bed in the center of the room, squinting until she recognized the outline of someone sleeping on it. Instincts warned her it was Tom.

Sliding her feet along the plush carpet she quickly made her way to the door, holding her breath as she opened it and praying it wouldn’t make a noise. The hinges squeaked slightly but to Sophie they

sounded as loud as a gunshot blast in the room, causing her to freeze in fear. Tom m****d and rolled into a sitting position, galvanizing her into action.

She was in the hallway heading toward the living room when she heard his voice question groggily, “What? Who’s there?”

As soon as her gaze landed on the sofa Sophie made out Brent’s tall form, realizing he’d been roused by Tom’s voice. He jumped off the couch just as she dashed by. With a cry of distress she ducked

beneath his outstretched arm, racing for the front door. Her fingers fumbled with the various locks. If only she could make it into the hallway. The next noise she heard was his low curse when his leg hit

the corner of the coffee table, causing the items on top of it to topple over and fall to the floor noisily.

There was nothing like a good dose of fear to get the adrenaline pumping but instead of aiding her escape, it crippled her fingers, slowing her down. They were trembling so badly they were useless.

Swearing softly, her lips quivered with frustration and tears filled her eyes. Why is this happening to me?