"No, it's too soon. You can't just jump Dorothy. It doesn't work like that. You have to-No, I understand that, but it's really too risky, we can't-Sir, I under-Sir, I-Yes, I'm aware that this is an order, but-" Charlie said into her phone frustrated.
She paced her motel room, listening and watching carefully for any people nearby. If Dorothy knew...God, if Dorothy knew, Charlie would be dead. Worse than dead. Cement shoes would be a blessing.
As a daughter of the mafia, Dorothy would know all too well exactly what to do to get revenge on Charlie. She doubted she'd have many fingers left if Dorothy found out. Charlie looked out the blinds for what seemed like the hundredth time in a minute. If there was so much as a car out of place, she'd have to ditch that place so fast.
Charlie groaned as her coordinator reminded her of her undercover mission. "Yes, I know my assignment. That's why I'm telling you that I cannot arrest Dorothy Baum. I can't. Can. Not. She's too entrenched. I can't," she snapped.
Her coordinator shouted some more, but before Charlie could continue arguing, her other line rang. "I have to go," she said quickly, She picked up the other call and peeked out the window again. "Hello," Charlie said cautiously.
"Charlie, where are you? I want to talk to you," Dorothy said.
"Oh, I'm out," Charlie said, forming a plan, "What do you want to talk about?" Oh, God, if Dorothy knew...
"Just get over here," Dorothy said. The line went dead.
Charlie's fear subsided. She knew what that call was about. Charlie grabbed her coat and keys and ran to her car.
Once she got to Dorothy's sprawling mansion, Charlie knew her pit stop to buy Dorothy a rose was worth it. She slid the flower inside her loose sleeve and walked up to the front door. The rose petals were soft against her palm as she held the flower out of sight of the two guards inside the door.
"Is Ms. Baum in her room?" Charlie asked the imposing men with no necks.
One of them nodded, and Charlie quickly hopped up the stairs.
This could work. This was going to work.
She knocked on Dorothy's door and waited.
This had to work.
Dorothy opened the mahogany door and smiled.
"Are the cameras off?" Charlie asked, stepping inside.
Dorothy pressed a button on the wall and nodded, saying, "They are now."
Charlie slid the rose out and held it out to Dorothy. "For you," she said, watching a smile light up Dorothy's beautiful face. Charlie prayed this wouldn't be the last she saw of that smile.
Dorothy took the rose, and Charlie pressed her lips to Dorothy's. The rose hit the floor as Dorothy's fingers spread through Charlie's hair. Charlie wrapped her arms around the woman she loved and led her towards the bed. Falling back on the mattress, Dorothy slipped her tongue between Charlie's lips. Charlie returned the gesture, trying to savor every moment of this.
Oh God, this had to work. It had to.
They kissed sweetly several more times, Charlie occasionally sucking on Dorothy's lower lip. Charlie didn't want this to end. But it had to. She loved her. She had to do it.
Charlie pulled back and looked down at Dorothy. Her kiss swollen lips were more gorgeous than they had any right to be.
"I have to tell you something," Charlie said, "And you're not going to like it, but I love you, and I hope to God you love me, so I have to tell you."
Dorothy sat up and looked at Charlie, concerned. "Of course I love you. What's going on?" she asked.
"We've known each other for a long time," Charlie said, "I mean, two years is a long time, right?" She took a deep breath and continued, "I know that you miss your dad, and I know that you hate running the family business. I know that you like women, but you can't come out to the rest of the family. I know you, and I would do anything for you. I love you, and I'm begging you to remember that."
"You're scaring me, Charlie," Dorothy said.
"I work for the FBI," Charlie said before she could back out. She held her breath as Dorothy's amused laugh turned to disbelief and then to confusion proceeding straight through to anger and hurt.
"Please, let me explain," Charlie said, "Because it's more important that you let me talk than literally anything else right now."
Dorothy got up from the bed and said, "Explain. Now."
"I was assigned to go undercover and infiltrate your family to work through the ranks, get close to the head of the family, and gather enough evidence to take down the entire operation," Charlie said.
Dorothy laughed bitterly and asked, "Are you here to arrest me?"
"No," Charlie said, "No, I am not going to-I love you, Dorothy."
"So you've said," Dorothy said dryly.
Sure, Charlie probably deserved that, but it still hurt. She crossed the room to Dorothy and held her hand. She said, "My handler has been telling me to take you down since your father died. I've held them off, and I've protected you for months-"
"Then, why tell me any of this? You've lied to me for years. Why stop now?" Dorothy snapped.
"My handler went against my recommendation. He's sending people to dismantle the operation tonight," Charlie said.
Dorothy's expression tightened. That was all the fear she'd betray, but Charlie still recognized it.
"I'm not going to let anything happen to you," Charlie said, "I have a plan."
Dorothy met Charlie's gaze with stony concentration. Charlie knew her mask well. She'd spent over a year kissing those walls away. She was willing to do it again if she had to.
"Run away with me," Charlie said.
Dorothy laughed darkly and said, "Yes, Charlie, let's run away from the damn FBI. That's a great plan."
"The FBI recruited me, because I took myself off the grid so well they'd declared me dead. Why do you think they sent me undercover? Trust me, I can get us off the map so well, they'll never find us," Charlie said.
"Trust you?" Dorothy snapped, "Trust you? That's hilarious. I don't even know your real name."
Charlie hugged Dorothy and pulled back just enough to look Dorothy in the eye. "My name is Charlie Bradbury. That's the name you know, and that's the only one that counts. I know you hate me right now, but I need you to let me help," she said.
Dorothy searched Charlie's eyes for something, but what it was, Charlie couldn't guess.
"I don't need to be rescued," Dorothy said, but she didn't pull away.
Charlie said, "Dorothy, you are the strongest person I know, but right now, you need to let me save you. I can get us out of here right now, just you and me. We can go where ever you want, but I care about you too much to just let you wait here to get captured."
Dorothy hugged Charlie tightly.
"I love you," Charlie whispered.
Dorothy said quietly, "I know."
When several squad cars pulled up to the Baum mansion, the guards knew enough to take the safety off of their guns. they knew they had to protect the family. They knew they were going to be arrested if not killed.
When the FBI agents stormed into the house and disarmed several men and searched the house, Charlie and Dorothy were long gone. No one could say where they went, no one could even be sure they were ever there, but three years later, two women living on the coast of France lay on the beach next to a glowing bonfire, wrapped in each other's arms just happy to be together.