Page 13 of Kidnapped Forced Mate

Another shiver courses down my spine as I turn my attention to the binds around my wrists. My arms are held far apart, so I can’t use either hand to untie the other.

But I can wiggle my wrists deftly enough to wring myself free. I was always skilled as an agent – that’s why I was tasked to go undercover to intercept Luca’s dealings and finally put him behind bars.

***

Three Months Earlier

“And… Time!” The director of our department blows his whistle to signal the end of training when I’m the first to cross the finish line of the obstacle course.

The older man applauds me as I stumble forward, keeling over and lugging deep breaths. My heart is racing, adrenaline pumping through my veins from rushing to win the race.

What was supposed to be a team-building exercise turned out to be something of a test. I knew from the moment Director Sheffield entered the training center and took the reins.

The director is barely seen unless there’s an important task at hand. The moment I suspected this wasn’t just a friendly exercise, I knew I had to give it my very best.

I’m so tired of being confined to a desk, filling in paperwork for the other field agents.

“Agent Jackson…” Director Sheffield nods. “Nice work out here today.”

“Thanks, Director Sheffield,” I say through deep pants. When I straightened up, I noticed that the man looked at me intently, lips pursed in contemplation.

“You’ve really proced yourself today,” he praises. “You uncuffed yourself in record time. I’m impressed.”

I chuckle nervously. “It’s from watching the other agents in action, I guess. There’s a lot one can learn from behind a desk.”

“And a lot one can apply on the field, don’t you think?” he speculates with a raised brow.

Internally, my heart is doing flips inside my chest. But I keep myself composed for the sake of the director of the FBI. I know what he’s implying, and I’d like to fling myself into field duties.

It’s something I’ve been working towards for years. Extensive training, more studying. I often envied the agents who had the liberty of cuffing the most dangerous criminals in the world, often fantasizing how satisfying it would feel.

I nod curtly as he gestures for me to follow him, feeling the eyes of my colleagues boring into my back as they, too, realize that I’ve just been promoted.

When we arrived at Director Sheffield’s office, a team of agents was already waiting for us. Agent Matthews opened up a file in front of me, while Special Agent Hawks gave me a quick debriefing of the new mission.

“Do you think you can handle it?” Director Sheffield asks when Agent Hawks is done.

I affirm with a nod. “I believe I can, Sir. Although, I would like to make a suggestion.”

“I’m listening…”

I clear my throat before making my suggestion. “I don’t think it would be fitting for a female to enter Luca Mancini’s circle like this.” I pause, taking a moment to wipe away the beads of sweat on my forehead. “Women are hardly interested in purchasing arms, and he might become suspicious.”

Agent Hawks raises a skeptical brow, and I’m almost convinced this department has never had a woman on the field. “What do you suggest, then, Agent Jackson?”

“Luca Mancini is a gentleman in his personal affairs,” I reveal. “I’ve been paying enough attention, and doing enough research on him. He doesn’t have a girlfriend at the moment. Maybe a new love interest will be blind-siding.”

“Hm…” Director Sheffield hums contemplatively. “I can work with this.”

“I will go in and seduce him. That’s the only way I’ll have access to his villa.”

“What if he doesn’t budge?” Agent Matthews contends. As a fellow desk agent, she and I have been in the loop about Luca Mancini ever since he’d been placed on our radar. “He doesn’t take women to his villa.”

“If he doesn’t take me there, we’ll think of something,” I offer. “I’ll bring him to the brink, then maybe stage a kidnapping so he’ll think my life is in danger and want to keep me under his nose. In his villa.”

“You watch too many movies,” Agent Matthews chuckles, shaking her head.

“And you watch too little,” I contest with a playful sneer. “Sometimes, there’s a thing or two that can be learned from them.”

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