Chapter 13
"Care to give me a hint as to who you think is in charge?" Kahlan asked Hotch playfully as the song ended and he led her off the dance floor.
He smiled slyly. "Nope."
She wilted. "That's not fair."
He laughed. "Who do you think it is?"
She huffed. "I'm not telling you." She gave him a look that reminded him of Joey. "Besides, I'm probably wrong."
He chuckled. "Somehow I doubt that."
She smiled. "I need to use the facilities. Think you can behave if I leave you alone for a minute or two?"
He eyed her warily. "Are you sure that's all you are going to do?"
She giggled and walked away.
He shook his head as he watched her. Kahlan, I swear, if you get yourself into trouble. . .
He was pulled out of his thoughts by a small laugh and was almost startled by the woman who was suddenly beside him.
He smiled kindly at her and then tried to see Kahlan again. She was gone, though, and he wasn't sure she actually had gone to the restroom. Damn it!
"Normally a gentleman wouldn't leave a lady standing when such a lovely song is playing," the woman told him.
He looked around, not sure if she was talking to him or not. When she laughed at him, he knew she was indeed talking to him. "I'm terribly sorry, but I'm afraid I cannot dance."
Another woman came up to join them and the first woman smiled at her obviously knowing her. "Oh, don't try that. We've all seen you on the floor."
"And what a lovely dancer you are," the second woman put it with a nice smile.
Hotch fingered his wedding ring hoping they would get the hint. Both women were extremely beautiful and Hotch couldn't understand why they were talking to him and not some of the other younger, better looking men in the room.
"I think he's shy, Amelia," the first woman told the second with a little giggle.
Hotch licked his lips as another woman joined them. Jesus Christ! Hotch looked around quickly expecting to see someone laughing at the joke they were pulling on him. "I'm here with my wife," he told them with a smile trying to be polite.
Amelia laughed. "And yet she has left you." Hotch took a deep breath as he looked at the three women.
The third woman giggled and went to touch the side of Hotch's head, but Hotch evaded her fingers. "Oh, he is shy."
"I really must go," Hotch tried as another woman walked up.
"Please don't leave," the first woman said as she put a hand on his forearm. "We promise not to hurt you."
He swallowed hard but tried to stay a gentleman. "Really, I don't think. . ."
"He is charming," the forth one said to the others and they all nodded their agreement.
"And he's American," Amelia pointed out.
Kahlan came back from the restroom and froze in her tracks. She noticed the several women around Hotch and she felt her hands ball into fists. Really Aaron? Is this payback for that dance?
Clyde hit Emily on the shoulder. "And we were worried about Agent Hotchner blowing it. I sure hope Kay has learned to control her anger." They could see by her camera that she was focused on Hotch.
Emily reached up and keyed the mic for Hotch's earwig only. "Hotch, you might want to do something. Kahlan's on your six and she's coming up fast."
Hotch mentally winced and quickly pushed the woman's hand off his arm. "Really ladies, I must excuse myself," Hotch told them as he took a step back trying to disengage from the circle of women before his wife reached him, but as his back touched something, he froze.
"Quite the fan club you have, dear," Kahlan said into his ear.
He took a deep breath and turned with a smile on his face. "Kahlan, darling."
She huffed and then looked at the women surrounding her husband. "Is there something I can help you ladies with?" she asked them in a not so civil tone.
The woman closest to her smiled. "He was standing here looking so lonely. We thought he might need some company."
"I can assure you, he has all the company he needs," Kahlan told them with a smile, but none of the women missed the ice in Kahlan's tone.
Amelia huffed but the women slowly started walking away.
Kahlan shook her head at her husband.
He held up his hands. "What? That was not me! They just started surrounding me," he told her quickly.
She smiled, grabbed his hand, and led him out of the room. "I don't doubt it. I guess I can't blame them with you looking so damn hot in that tux." He gave her a look that told her he didn't understand, and she laughed sadly. Why can't you see how sexy you actually are, Aaron? She stopped and turned to face him as she put her arms around his neck. "You are the most handsome man here, Aaron," she told him seriously.
He huffed. "I think they had a bet or something to see who could humiliate the American first."
Kahlan sighed deeply. "Why must you doubt yourself?"
He gave her a crocked smile. "You're just biased."
She giggled. "That I am."
He pulled away from her and grabbed her hand. "Come on. Let's find someplace not so crowded," he told her and then took her into another room.
They found a room with a buffet and several little tables set up. He smiled at her. "Hungry?"
She laughed and they fixed a plate and sat down at a table in the corner. She gave him a disgusting look as he put caviar on a cracker and offered it to her. She scrunched up her face even more. "You do realize those are fish eggs, right?"
He laughed. "You could eat like this every day," he told her and then took a bite of the cracker.
She shook her head. "That would make it less special, wouldn't it?" she asked as she dipped a cool shrimp into cocktail sauce.
He smiled and shook his head as he looked at her.
"What?"
"Nothing," he told her and finished the cracker.
She studied him and put a hand on his arm. "Really, what are you thinking?"
He shook his head again and stuffed a bacon wrapped piece of melon into his mouth so he couldn't answer.
"Aaron Jackson! Don't make me hit you."
He almost choked with the threat, but he got melon down. He wiped his mouth with his napkin and locked eyes with her. "Sometimes I don't get it."
Her brows furrowed. "Get what?" she asked tenderly as she realized something was bothering him and she knew it had nothing to do with the op they were working.
His eyes darted around and she knew he was trying to find the right words. He finally looked into her eyes again. "You could live like this," he started as he gestured to everything around them. "And yet you chose to live a simple life."
She studied him. "Do you want to live like this?"
He put down his napkin and sat back in his seat. He knew she had enough money to give them that kind of life, but that wasn't what he was trying to say. He shook his head. "No. I wouldn't trade anything for the life we have. I'm perfectly happy with the way things are."
Her brows furrowed. "And you don't think I am?"
He shook his head again and scooted his chair forward so his legs touched hers. "I don't mean it like that." He licked his lips and took her hands in his.
"Then what are you getting at Aaron?" she asked as she tilted her head a little trying to figure him out.
"Why did you choose me when you could have had a man you could live like this with?"
She sighed sadly as she reached up and held the side of his face. "Because I fell in love with you," she told him seriously. He leaned into her hand and shut is eyes as he savored her touch. "Aaron," she started and waited until he opened his eyes and looked at her. She put her other hand on the other side of his face. "I have everything I want with you."
His eyes searched hers and the love he saw in them made his heart hurt a little because he had never really thought himself worthy of such love. But you could have anything and everything you ever want with a man more your caliber.
As his eyes drifted down away from her gaze, she noticed his eyes watering. She shook her head sadly. "Hun?" When he didn't look at her she lifted his face so he had to. "Only you can make me this happy." His eyes cut to the side in disbelief and she let him go. "If I wanted this kind of life, I would have been living it way before I met you." He looked back to her. "Even though I craved adventure, I have always wanted the kind of life we live."
He huffed. "A simple life."
She smiled. "Our life is anything but simple, Hun." He shook his head and she put her hands on his knees and he looked at her. "I know you don't think you deserve it, and no matter what I do or how hard I try, you probably never will; but if you can't think of it as something you deserve then maybe you should be looking at it from my point of view."
His brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"Do you think I deserve to be happy?"
He sat up quickly. "Of course."
"And if you had the ability you would give me everything I would ever want?"
He lifted his chin a little. "In an instant."
"Then stop second guessing yourself and give me what I want."
"And what is that?"
She put a hand on his chest. "You and your love."
His dimples showed as he smiled. "I can do that."
"Are you sure?" she asked as she grabbed his hands with hers and gave him a cocky grin. "Cause if not, I'm sure I could find someone else. . ."
He chuckled and put a hand behind her head. "Shut up and kiss me."
She giggled and let him pull her into a passionate kiss. Once she pulled away she looked at him. "Can we get back to why we're here?"
Both Emily and the tech had to wipe their eyes and they looked at each other and laughed. "I love these two," Emily told the tech as the van door opened and Clyde came back in. Thank God he wasn't in here to see that.
Hotch laughed and stuck a finger sandwich into his mouth. She reached up with her napkin and wiped his lips as she laughed.
Once he swallowed he fixed her with a serious look. "You do realize they will probably want to sell us a child, right?"
"Yes, that's why I told them we didn't have any. I figured it was easier for them to think we were rich and wanted a child than to think we were weapons dealers or such and just happened to be at the same party as them."
"And a brilliant move that was." He studied her face. "Are you going to be able to handle that?" he asked her seriously knowing that children were her Achilles' heel.
She smiled slyly. "Are you afraid I'll lose my temper?"
He chuckled nervously. "Just a little."
She laughed. "I'll behave as long as they do."
He eyed her warily and ate another sandwich. Why do you have to be so ambiguous sometimes, Babe?
"So what do you think they think we do, or are, or whatever?" she asked him.
He furrowed his brows a little. "I'm not really sure. I don't think they have quite figured it out either."
"Maybe they think we do a little of everything."
"That would make our job easier."
"I wish we had Cam and Pen here," she said longingly.
He raised his brows. "Why is that? I'm sure Emily's techs have given us an interesting background."
She smiled deviously. "Yeah, but Cam and Pen could have traced what they were looking for and filled in the blanks as they searched."
"Hey! I've done that," the tech beside Emily exclaimed.
"We got this," Emily told the couple, and Kahlan laughed.
"What do we do if this takes more than one night?" Hotch asked everyone listening.
"We play the part and make it up to the kids when we're done," Kahlan told him with a smile.
"We'll have to mention how we're supposed to be somewhere important the day after tomorrow."
Kahlan looked at him questioningly. "Why?"
"We don't want them to think they can take their time."
She raised her brows and nodded. "At least we don't have to track them across different countries," Kahlan told him as she patted his leg. He looked at her questioningly. "Which is what I would have done in another time to really seal their fate."
He chuckled. "We'd just run into trouble with every new country we went to," he joked and she smacked him on the arm.
"Alright children," Clyde joked.
Kahlan rolled her eyes and then noticed Cody walk into the room. With the way his eyes were searching, she knew he was looking for them. She leaned into to talk to her husband quietly. "Do you think they would like to talk to you alone?"
He thought about it for a minute. "Possibly. They don't have any women with them. Maybe they are a little chauvinistic. Why?"
She smiled as she stood up. "Cause Cody is on his way over here. I'll go powder my nose," she told him as she started away from him, her hand trailing down his shoulder and his arm as she walked away slowly.
He sat up a little straighter and watched her walk away.
Cody smiled widely as he came up to him. "It's easy to see how much you love her," he told him as he sat down in the seat Kahlan had vacated.
"I'd do anything for her," Hotch told him seriously as he continued to watch his wife until she disappeared around the corner. He finally looked at the man with a smile. "She's my everything," he told him honestly.
"She knows what you do?"
Hotch smiled. "She's behind some of it."
Cody raised his brows in surprise. "Really?"
Hotch gave him a sly grin. "She's very resourceful."
Cody nodded. "Do you travel alone much?"
Hotch could see the concern in the man's eyes. "Some, although I hate it. Some places aren't exactly fitting for a woman, if you know what I mean."
Cody smiled knowingly. "Bet she gets lonely when you're gone."
Hotch nodded slowly as if thinking about it. He pictured all the times he had to leave her when he left for a case and the look of regret on his face was genuine. "I don't like it when she's alone."
"It's a shame you don't have any kids to keep her occupied," Cody told him as he studied Hotch.
Hotch smiled as he considered it. "I think she would have been a wonderful mother."
Cody licked his lips as he studied Hotch some more. "Ever consider getting one privately?"
Hotch's brows furrowed. "Privately?" He scooted forward in his chair. "You mean buy one?" Hotch asked quietly.
Cody looked around them to make sure no one was too close. "There are ways," is all he offered as he studied Hotch some more.
Hotch shook his head ruefully. "Tried that, but the deal fell through when the mother changed her mind. US courts don't support the potential parents; they protect the biological ones," Hotch told him as he let anger seep into his voice.
Cody smiled. "How about not going through the courts?" Hotch studied him, and when he didn't say anything, Cody went on. "Would you consider. . ."
Hotch sat back in his seat. "Any child you can get like that probably has all kinds of problems, like a junkie for a mother or. . ."
"No, no. That's not what I'm talking about at all," Cody told him as he held up a hand to stop Hotch.
Hotch relaxed and studied him some more. "I don't want some kid that's someone else's problem."
Cody smiled. "Of course not." He leaned forward. "What if I told you I can get you a healthy child?"
Hotch raised his chin and licked his lips. He looked to where Kahlan had disappeared for a few seconds and then back to Cody. "Apparently this isn't exactly on the up and up?" He shook his head. "With the way we travel and. . . such, I wouldn't want to have to explain anything to anyone."
Cody smiled again. "I can get all the proper paper work." He sat back and actually looked cocky. "I can even get a birth certificate that says you're the parents for the right price."
Hotch raised his brows in mock surprise. He twirled his wedding ring around on his finger as he considered it.
"You think the little lady would like something like that?"
Hotch smiled and rubbed a hand along his chin. "It would be it the one thing I have never been able to give her."
Cody scooted his chair even closer to Hotch. "All I would need to know is preferences."
"What kind of time frame would we be looking at? We can't stay in London for very much longer. . . we have prior obligations," Hotch told him with a grin.
Cody returned the grin. "If you have the money, I have the child." He sat back and let that sink in. "I might even have some other things you might be interested in."
Hotch ran a hand down his vest to straighten it out. "Really?" He studied the younger man some more. "And how would you know what I would want?"
Cody chuckled. "While I may not know specifics, it's obvious that the circles you travel in are indicators that you have your hands in a few things. You might even have some contacts I could use or I might have some that you can use."
Hotch quirked his brows and smiled. "I don't know about that, but I do like the idea of making my wife happier."
Cody chuckled again. "What do you think she'd want, a boy or girl?"
Hotch tilted his head a little as he thought about it. "What age are you talking?"
"Any age. Newborn might be a problem with the time constraints, but I would think anything else could be accomplished."
"It would have to be young enough to not remember anything before its life with us." He mentally cringed to be talking about a child as if it was an animal or something, but he knew that these men thought of the children as a cash crop, cattle more or less, so he had to play along.
Cody nodded. "And it should look like at least one of you so it looks more realistic, too."
Hotch smiled as he considered it and then leaned in to speak quietly. "Any way to actually pick one out?"
Cody looked shocked. "You want to browse the merchandise?"
Hotch sat up. "Why not? I'd like to kick the tires, if you know what I mean."
Cody huffed as he shook his head. "I don't know about that."
Hotch sat back, crossed his legs, and took a drink of his wine. "She has very specific tastes, and I only buy the best for her; but you think about it." He smiled; he liked playing the demanding rich guy.
Cody bit his lip and noticed Kahlan coming back towards them. "I'll let you know," he told Hotch quietly as he stood up so Kahlan could have her seat back.
Kahlan smiled warmly at him. "Couldn't get the music changed, huh?" she asked him as she sat down on Hotch's lap and he wrapped his arms around her.
Cody laughed. "The band's done at ten, and then there will be a DJ. You have to promise me a dance," he started and then looked at Hotch. "If your husband would allow it, of course."
Hotch chuckled. "What the lady wants, she gets."
Kahlan laughed lightly and Cody left them with a smile.
As soon as he was gone, Kahlan looked at Hotch. He grinned. "We're one step closer."
"Do you really think they will allow you to see where they have the children kept?" Emily asked him.
Kahlan looked at Hotch with shock and then smiled. "That was fast work."
He tugged at the collar of his shirt. "It's a little warm in here; let's step outside for a minute."
She covered up his mic with her hand and leaned in to whisper in his ear. "That's just because I'm sitting on your lap," she told him and then giggled. He gave her a look that told her to behave and tried to push her out of his lap, but she wrapped her leg around his and forced herself down into his lap some more as she scooted closer to his chest. "What?"
He felt his manhood twitch as she pressed her butt into him. "Kahlan," he breathed quietly hoping Emily and them couldn't hear him.
She giggled. "You can handle a little distraction, can't you?"
He tried to push her away again, but she still wouldn't budge. "Please, Babe."
She looked in his eyes. "Please?"
"Not like that," he told her quickly.
She laughed and got up. "Come on. Let's go so you can cool down."
He took a deep breath, stood up, and adjusted himself discretely. "You are mean."
She giggled and grabbed his hand and started pulling him towards the balcony off the next room. He shook his head as he let her lead him.
Before they went out the door, Hotch noticed Cody talking to his four friends in a corner, and he smiled inwardly.
Once they were away from everyone, Hotch told her what had transpired with Cody in her absence. She paced a little as she considered the information and her eyes darted around quickly. Hotch studied her and he could almost see the wheels turning in her head.
In the van, Clyde was also pacing. "We can put them away for a long time if they actually take them to see any children they have."
"But?" Emily asked as she watched him.
He stopped and looked at her. "I was just thinking that if we can get a look at their contacts, we could take a lot of other people out of the picture, too."
Emily shook her head. "That wasn't part of the plan. They're supposed to get in, get close, and find out who is in charge, not do all that. He has already taken this way beyond what we expected." She didn't want to think of Hotch getting in any deeper than he already was. She may not work for him any longer but she still felt a strong need to protect him. She would never want to see him in danger, and she knew exactly how dangerous these men were. She took a deep breath as guilt made its way to the surface. If I would have told them everything we know, he wouldn't be taking this so far.