Chapter III
CHAPTER III
She winces as the man delivers another punch at her gut and she had to bite the inside of her cheeks to prevent from screaming in pain. She will not show them weakness. Not until she knows she’s safe.
“Stop! Stop it, please!”
She heard the blonde woman in front of her say; the voice was hoarse and raspy and sounded like it came from a different person and not from the woman she loves.
“I’ll tell you whatever you want just … please … let her go. Take me instead.”
A cold bitter laugh rang out and echoed across the warehouse. A brunette woman stepped in her line of view and gently caressed her face, “Oh, my dear. How sweet of you. But we both know I can’t let her go.”
She tried to regulate her breathing as the woman continued to look at her; she knew she was trying to look for any hint of pain. Lexa wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. “My, my, Agent. You’re a tough one to crack. I’m starting to think torture isn’t working.” The woman stepped back and turned to look over her shoulder, smirking as she continued to speak, “Well, at least not on you.”
It was like a bucket of ice cold water has been dumped on her when she realized what the woman meant and for a moment she failed to mask her expression as her mind was plague with scenarios that made her want to throw up. That one fleeting moment, that one unguarded moment, was everything the woman needed and she knew she had the agent around her fingers. “Love is weakness, Lexa. Didn’t anyone teach you that?” The brunette chuckled and the sound of it was enough to make a tingle run down Lexa’s spine and make the hairs at the back of her neck stand.
“Don’t you dare touch her.” She growled out. The panic and fear was quickly rising and she could feel her chest tightening at the thought of what this woman could do to her fiancée; her sweet, loving, innocent fiancée who got caught up in the middle of this god forsaken job. “I swear to God, if you lay a hand on her, I will end you.”
The smirk on the woman’s face only grew as she stepped aside and nodded at one of the men holding the blonde in place, and before she could voice out another protest, blow after blow landed on the blonde woman’s body and all she could hear was the sound of her own screams.
“Costia!”
Lexa abruptly sat up and was gasping for air as she was pulled out of the nightmare she just had. Beads of sweat were on her forehead and the sheets were tousled; clear evidence of her unpeaceful slumber. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was just half past two in the morning; she only had two hours of sleep. Letting out a long sigh, she pulled the sheets off of her, swung her legs over the edge of the bed and got up and made her way to the bathroom. After splashing cold water of her face and wiping it dry with a towel, she stared at the reflection staring back at her on the mirror.
It’s your fault. You killed her.
Closing her eyes, Lexa felt herself being sucked back in time; she could hear the screams, could smell the stale air and the faint smell of blood inside the warehouse, she could see punch after punch land on her lover’s body, she could vividly see the events happen over and over again as if she were watching a movie clip on a loop. Her knuckles were turning white as her grip on the sink tightened, her breathing becoming uneven, and her heart was beating wildly. She could feel herself starting to crumble, and with one loud cry, her right hand curled into a fist and the sounds of shattering glass echoed inside the bathroom. Green eyes snapped opened as the smell of blood grew stronger and her stomach twisted when she saw red staining her broken mirror and her hand; she clenched her jaw as she flexed her hand open and stared at the damage she unconsciously inflicted on herself.
“Damn it.” Lexa sighed.
She quickly got to work removing the shards of mirror that pierced her skin and cleaned up the cuts and wrapped her hand in gauze. She disposed of the bloody cloth and cottons she had used and exited the bathroom, going straight to the kitchen and grabbing her bottle of bourbon. Sitting down on a stool, she drank straight from the bottle trying to drown the bitter memories of the past.
As the night progressed and the hours ticked by, Lexa pondered on how far she had gotten in this job. Before she accepted the assignment, she had thought she wouldn’t last a week fearing that her past would sink its claws and drags her down deeper into the abyss she has fallen in to when Costia died. But it shocked her to realize that despite Clarke Griffin’s refusal to cooperate at times, she actually found herself enjoying this assignment. Before this job, the nightmares were consistent and happened every night. But the longer she focused on her job, the longer she kept herself busy, the nightmares began to fade. And although at times they sneak up on her, it wasn’t as frequent as it used to.
Lexa looked out the window and watched as the sun began to rise and wondered not for the first time if this meant that she was finally moving on, that she was finally accepting the fact that Costia died because of her and her job. She wondered if this meant she was finally forgiving herself.
Or maybe, Lexa wondered, if it has something to do with a certain blonde with blue eyes that she can’t seem to shake off her mind since she met her almost three weeks ago.
That afternoon, Clarke Griffin stood beside her window and looked down on the busy street below her as she watched Lexa get inside a car and drove off. Her eyes followed the car until it reached a corner and disappeared. For almost three weeks, she had only seen the brunette during their 11 o’clock meetings whenever Clarke discussed her plans and schedule. But other than that, she had no further interaction with the intriguing brunette. Since their first meeting, Clarke can’t seem to shake off the thoughts consisting of the brunette agent and it pissed her off. Never in her life had she experienced this; wanting to know a person better. She usually just picks some random stranger from whatever bar or club she’s in and enjoy the night, and when the morning comes, she had long forgotten about that person.
But this woman, Commander Alexandria Woods, spiked her interest more than anyone. Lexa’s cool and aloof demeanor, impressive self-control, and stoic personality only make the blonde want to break the woman until she submits. Clarke Griffin is someone who enjoys her power and control over any situation.
Decision made, she walked away from the window and sat on the couch. She pulled out her phone and dialed a familiar number. “Hey, stranger.” Clarke said with a smile as the person on the other end of the phone answered, “It’s been a while. How’re you? … Right, of course you are.” She let out a soft chuckle as she listened, “Listen, I need a favor. A really huge one. I need a … Not that kind of favor! Jesus. Why am I even friends with you, you dumb ass.” Her smile grew as she heard a bark of laughter from the other line, “I need a background check … Uh hmm, yes … Yup … I need you to do a background check for an Alexandria Woods … What? No, no. I don’t want the regular info. I want to know everything about this woman. Like the deep stuff.” Clarke nodded, “Yes. I know. I really owe you and I swear I’ll … In your dreams!” Clarke laughed out loud and enjoyed the easy banter, “Hey, look, I really appreciate you doing this. And to show you just how much I do, I’ll be your special guess at your bar tonight … Alright, I’ll see you then. I can’t wait to meet up with the gang, it’s been a while since I last went out … Oh, and I’ll definitely tell you all about my new private security … Bye!”
Clarke hung up and placed her phone back inside the pocket of her jeans. She contemplated calling the command center and letting them know she was going out but decided against it. After all, why would she change her routine now? For three weeks, Clarke had only been going back and forth from her art gallery and her apartment; preparing for her upcoming event. Hence, the reason why she hadn’t been able to go out with her friends for quite some time.
Let’s see how they work when I throw them off course.
Clarke smirked to herself as she slipped on her leather jacket. She grabbed her purse and keys and was out of the door.
She was just out the shower and finished cleaning the wound on her hand when her phone suddenly rang. She looked at the caller I.D. and saw that it was Agent Hosh calling her. Before leaving the command center, she had left specific instructions to call her whenever a situation arises. Clicking the accept button, she placed the phone up to her ear.
“Woods.”
“Wanheda’s on the move.”
“Did she tell you where she was going?”
“Negative. But we managed to get Agent Miller to follow in a car and so far we have visual on Wanheda. She’s on foot and Agent Lawrence is shadowing her.
“Has she seen them?
“Negative”
Lexa hastily pulled on some jeans and a shirt and quickly got dressed. She was out of her apartment the moment she had her shoes on and was running down the staircase to the garage. “Good. The moment Wanheda reaches her destination, I want the address. I’ll be there in 15 minutes. And Hosh?”
“Yes, Commander?”
“For the love of God, tell Miller and Lawrence not to lose her.”
“Copy that, Commander. We just got the address of Wanheda’s location. Texting you the information now.
Lexa hang up and got inside her car. She turned the engine on and floored the accelerator. Please, God, don’t let us fuck up.
Twenty minutes later she was parked across the street from a restaurant called Octavia’s and was watching the blonde talk and dine with a small dark haired woman. From what Lexa could see, they knew each other very well and they were comfortable around each other, like they’re best friends. A moment later, a tall man with a hair that looks like it hasn’t been combed in weeks, walked up to their table and joined them. She watched as Clarke stood up and kissed the man on the cheek as a greeting and in return the man hugged her. Lexa clenched her jaw at the action and instantly chastised herself when she began to wonder what it would feel like to have those lips touch her skin.
She clicked the radio frequency for the command center, “Green, what do we know about the man and woman Wanheda’s with?” Lexa tried to keep her tone steady and not show her irritation as she asked through her earpiece. She could faintly hear the click of keys before she heard Agent Green’s reply, “The woman is Octavia Blake, owner of the restaurant Octavia’s. The man is her brother, Bellamy Blake. He’s a neurosurgeon. Their father, Ryan Blake, is a dear friend of the president since college. The blake siblings and Wanheda were pretty much besties even before they uttered their first words.”
Lexa rolled her eyes on the way Monty Green speaks. While the other agents act formal around her and speak to her formally, Monty Green seems to be the exact opposite. And Lexa finds it oddly amusing. Confident that Clarke was safe around these two people, and that Bellamy Blake is no more than just a friend, she moved her gaze to the small black ford parked a few paces in front of her. Agent Miller was inside the car and was keeping surveillance as well. Since Agent Lawrence was the one who followed Wanheda on foot, she was inside the restaurant with her and was keeping a watchful eye on their subject. When she looked back towards the restaurant, she saw the Blake siblings walking out of the restaurant and was hailing a cab but Clarke isn’t with them. She was instantly on alert and switch radio frequencies.
“Miller, do you have eyes on Wanheda?”
“Negative, Commander.”
She switched frequencies again.
“Lawrence, tell me you have a visual on Wanheda.”
“Negative, Commander. She went to the restroom a few minutes ago.
“Get inside that restroom, right now!” Lexa ordered.
“On it.” Came the quick reply. It seemed like hours before she heard Agent Lawrence speak up. “She’s not in here, Commander.”
Lexa cursed under her breath, Goddamn it! How did we lose her so fast? “Check the entire restaurant. If you can’t find her there, start looking at the surrounding areas.” She switched frequencies again, “Miller, go with Lawrence. She’s on foot, at least for now.”
After getting confirmation that both agents heard her orders, she changed radio frequencies and contacted the command center. “Green, I want the address of every place Wanheda frequently visits in a ten mile radius around her apartment.”
While she waited, Lexa processed the situation. Clarke Griffin had managed to evade and slip past them, which Lexa thought, wasn’t at all surprising considering that she had done this before. What surprised Lexa was that the blonde seemed like she was unaware of them until she used the siblings as a diversion to get their eyes off of her just long enough for her to escape. The only thing that kept Lexa from freaking out that they lost her was that Clarke Griffin isn’t that easy to identify as President Griffin’s daughter but there was still a possibility that someone out there with a good eye could identify her.
“Commander, I got an address of a bar called the Dropship. It’s owned by someone they call The Mechanic but her real name is Raven Reyes. She and Wanheda went to high school and college together and apparently dated for a while. Clarke goes to the bar almost every weekend. It’s in Brooklyn, Wanheda probably is on a cab and is now currently on her way there.” Agent Green said as he came back on the line.
“Right. Got it. Let Miller and Lawrence know and tell them to wait outside the bar.”
“Copy that. Good luck, Commander.” There was a click and the line went dead.
Right, Lexa said to herself as she started her car and drove off towards her destination.
This is going to be a fun night.
An hour later, Lexa arrived at the Dropship and parked her car. Thankfully the line of people waiting to get inside wasn’t that long and after paying the entrance fee and having a rocket stamped on her wrist, she was allowed access inside the bar. Strobe lights were flashing all around the place and it was packed with people. The bar was divided into two levels and from where she was standing, Lexa could see that the middle of the lower level was apparently the dance floor and it was filled with bodies moving to the rhythm of whatever song the DJ was blasting through the large speakers. Two long bars were located on opposite sides of the lower level and despite having three bartenders each, the bars were also filled with people waiting to get a drink. Tables and stools and booths were scattered at random places and Lexa began sweeping the place. It appeared that the matter at hand was more challenging than she would have thought since every Thursday the bar holds a “lesbian party”. Thinking that she might as well make good use of her time here while looking for her subject, she squeezed past the maze of bodies and made her way through the bar. She bought herself a bottle of beer and began to wander around the place. She started roaming around the lower floor and checking every corner. At one point when she turned a corner, she saw two women who were practically about to rip each other clothes at the middle of the hall, obviously not caring about the people around them. She quickly did a u-turn and headed for the stairs leading to the second level. The upper level was pretty similar to the one below but half of the second floor was enclosed by a see through glass and was divided into V.I.P rooms that overlooked the floor below. As soon as Lexa shifted her attention to the V.I.P rooms, she saw her. The room has a mini bar of its own a personal bartender attending the people inside the room, Clarke Griffin was currently leaning against the mini bar, facing the glass wall, and was looking straight at her. Octavia and Bellamy Blake were also inside together with a man that was wearing weird looking goggles on his head. Lexa saw a hint of a smirk appear on the blonde’s face as their eyes met before she walked out of the room with which she assumed was Raven Reyes, the owner of the club. The agent found an empty table, placed her half-empty beer bottle, and leaned against it. She spoke through her ear piece and told her team about her location and that she has found Wanheda. She ordered them to retire for the night and that she would be the one to watch over Wanheda and to make sure she gets home safe. When she looked up, she saw Raven was walking towards her and stopped right in front of her.
“Are you Alexandria?”
Lexa nodded.
“Where’s the rest of your team and why …” Raven looked at her from head to toe. “Are you dressed like that?” Raven leaned forward on the table as she examined the brunette closely, “Shouldn’t agents be like dressed up in suits or something like that?”
Lexa shrugged and took a swig of her beer, finished the contents in one gulp. “I’m not Secret Service. And I’m not just a regular agent who’s assigned to protect Ms. Griffin.”
Raven snorted at the title Lexa used as she addressed Clarke, “You’re dressed so casually and yet you talk like a robot. Geez, what’s up with you people?” The woman nodded at Lexa’s empty beer bottle, “Let me get you a new one, you might be here for a while. I think our princess is a little bit … preoccupied at the moment.” Raven chuckled as she pointed towards the bar.
Lexa looked at what Raven was pointing at. Clarke was seated at one of the stools on the bar and a woman was standing in between her legs. The two were pressed close against each other. The stranger was currently whispering something to the blonde while running her hand up and down the bare skin of Clarke’s biceps. Clarke smirked as the woman began dropping kisses along her neck and she grips the woman’s hips, pulling her closer, all the while keeping her gaze on the agent.
Lexa observed them, keeping an impassive expression on her face. The woman was clearly trying to persuade Clarke into doing something more than just a make-out session at a bar as she dropped a hand on Clarke’s thigh and slowly moved up. She would’ve succeeded in her intentions to touch the blonde down there if Clarke didn’t grab her hand and pushed it away. This time it was Clarke who leaned forward and whispered something to the stranger. Lexa saw the stranger shudder at whatever Clarke has told her.
“Here you go, Commander. Enjoy the show. You’re clearly fascinated by it.” She heard Raven say as the bar owner placed a new bottle of beer in front of her and winked, before walking away and going back to one of the V.I.P rooms.
The place was dark enough that no one could exactly recognize someone unless you know who exactly you’re looking for. And it appeared that no one knew or even cared that the president’s daughter was here. Everyone was engrossed in their own pleasures or whatever that they’re doing. Lexa was here to make sure that Clarke’s presence remains anonymous and that no one would recognize her and take photos or videos of her with her tongue deep down a stranger’s mouth, although she wasn’t quite sure just how she was going to do that. The agent couldn’t exactly just walk up and extract the woman who now appeared to be riding Clarke’s denim-clad thigh and force the blonde to come with her and bring her home. The whole situation is just going to cause mayhem and attract attention and that’s exactly what she’s trying to avoid. Lexa decided that maybe letting this happen will be the best thing to do. Nobody seemed to be interested in whatever the two women were doing.
Clarke was still looking at her even thought the woman was now riding her leg harder, her thrusts and motions becoming jerky and tense. One of the woman’s hands was now under Clarke’s shirt and was fondling with her breast. The blonde appeared to be entirely unaffected by it. Lexa was certain the woman was so close on having an orgasm right there.
The blond could feel the heat of the woman’s crotch through the material of her jeans, and she heard her moans becoming louder as she pressed down harder and moved faster against her thigh. It wasn’t her intention to let things go this far with the woman—what was her name again? Niylah was it?—but when she saw the agent leaning against a table and was still looking straight at her with that ever stoic face, she was a bit shocked. The agent’s face may reveal nothing, but her eyes, those gorgeous green eyes, they tell everything. Clarke had wondered why Lexa and her team suddenly appeared at the second day dressed in casual clothes and only wore suits whenever she had a public appearance scheduled. And only now did she realize why. She hadn’t been aware of anyone following her until she saw Agent Lawrence sitting on a table in the restaurant earlier this evening. She was dressed casually and was eating a bowl of salad and was casually flipping through a magazine. The only reason why she saw her was because Bellamy pointed at her and told them she was pretty and asked that if he had a shot on landing a date her.
She had seen Lexa in casual clothes. But seeing her dressed in jeans, a black cotton shirt, and boots, and in a bar, she was clearly one of the hottest and sexiest women in the room. And when she saw Lexa take a drink from her bottle, her eyes immediately focused on her lips and she wondered how good it must feel to have them kissing down her body. Seeing the agent in this kind of environment made her incredibly turned on and the fact the her attraction to the brunette was growing stronger pissed her off, because she knew that even though Lexa was here, looking like the hottest woman on the planet, the agent was only here to keep watch on her.
Then I’ll give her something to watch. Clarke said to herself. She kept her eyes on Lexa’s as she brought both her hands to grab the woman’s ass; squeezing it and helping her move against her thigh. She shifted and lifted her thigh higher, pressing it harder on the woman’s damp center.
“That’s it, baby.” Clarke whispered seductively on the woman’s ear. “You’re so close to coming, aren’t you?” She nipped at the woman’s earlobe and heard her whimper. “I could practically feel you dripping inside your pants.” Clarke started to move her own hips, helping the woman reach her high.
“Oh, fuck … yes…yes..” The woman panted as she buried her head against Clarke’s neck. “I need … Oh fuck, aahh –” The stranger was clearly lost in the pleasure she was feeling. “Oh god, I’m so close …”
Lexa never averted her gaze as she continued to watch the sexual display in front of her. She kept her face passive and expressionless as she saw the woman’s body shuddered and her head thrown back, clearly reaching her high and tumbling over the edge of pure pleasure. The scene was erotic; she had never seen anyone come undone like that in public and fully dressed. There was no doubt that she was turned on and wet from what she had just witnessed.
As the woman came down from her orgasm, Clarke slowly pushed her off and stood up. She grabbed her glass and pushed through the crowds, not bothering to look back at the woman and ignoring the hoots and hollers of those who witnessed her little show.
“Enjoyed the show, Commander?” She asked as she reached Lexa side and purposely leaned a little closer. Her voice was sultry and was full of confidence. The woman was practically pushing of sexual vibes.
Not a single thing in the agent’s demeanor changed as she turned and face Clarke, “My car is outside. We can go whenever you’re ready to leave and I’ll escort you home.” Lexa knew that this wouldn’t be the only time she would witness something like this, but she didn’t have to involve herself. Clarke Griffin’s personal business was none of her concern. At least that was her mind was telling her. Her body, on the other hand … was completely saying a whole different thing.
“And what if I want to take a cab home or decided I want to bring my friends home?”
“If that’s what you wish. But whatever you decided, I’ll be right there.” Lexa easily replied.
“I think I need a couple more drinks and some fun, don’t you agree, Commander?” Clarke said .
Lexa simply shrugged, “Whatever pleases you, Ms. Griffin. I’m here to stay until you’re ready for me to take you home.”
“Oh, Commander,” Clarke smirked as she stepped in closer towards Lexa, effectively invading the agent’s personal space. She whispered seductively in her ear, “I’m definitely ready for you to take me home.” The tone in the blonde’s voice suggested that it wasn’t as innocent as Lexa meant when she first said it.
“You can go back to you friends, Ms. Griffin.” was all Lexa said, “I’ll be right here.”
Clarke stepped back and looked at her, trying to see any hint of her resolve crumbling but she couldn’t find any. To any stranger, they looked like two people who were just enjoying a conversation and was possibly trying to get to know each other better; except that they weren’t. Lexa may have told her that she was free to go back to her friends and have fun; but she knew that the moment Lexa saw her, her freedom for tonight has ended. She finished her drink and placed her glass down on the table.
“Whatever. I’m suddenly not feeling the party vibe anymore.” Clarke said bitterly. She was still incredibly turned on and was beyond pissed that her advances were rejected a second time by the same person. “I’m going home.”
The agent quickly followed her down the stairs and out the bar. She quickly lead Clarke to her car and then drove off towards Clarke’s apartment, all the while trying not to think about the woman shuddering in pleasure against Clarke Griffin and imaging it was her instead of that stranger.