Codename: Kryptonite

Chapter Five

Gabby looked at the formidable man standing across the small balcony from her. He was truly beautiful in his fury. And, there was no doubt he was angry. He stood with his arms crossed over his wide chest. Even the elegant suit he wore couldn't disguise the muscular build beneath it. His blond hair was a bit shaggy and looked wind blown, a style other men probably spent a lot of time trying to achieve, and he probably just ran his fingers through it. His blue eyes were intense and almost glacial, his jaw tense. She'd seen that look many times in the five years she'd worked for him, but never had it been directed at her. She had seen grown men, powerful men, all quake at that look. She probably should be rapidly developing diarrhea of the mouth and telling him exactly what he wanted to hear.

She didn't.

Instead, she calmly stared him down. If she let him intimidate her now, it would set a precedent for the remainder of their working relationship. He would continually turn that glare on her and try to get what he wanted. He would display his temper and expect her to quake in her shoes, but she was a competent agent. She was very good at what she did.

Besides, she could easily kick his ass.

"Sir, this is not something that I can just blurt out." She tried to be diplomatic. He was her boss after all.

He took one menacing step toward her. "You better start blurting something out."

Her lips compressed into a tight line. He reached out with one hand, probably trying to grab her arm. In the blink of an eye, she had his arm twisted around behind his back and upward toward his shoulder, all by just using pressure on his thumb. She hissed over his shoulder, "Sir, it might be wise to remember that I am a government agent, and that given the right provocation I could easily kick your ass."

Mentally, she brushed of this severe breach in protocol. After all, she was supposed to protect him, not abuse him.

But, fuck it. He wouldn't be her boss for another twenty-six years.

Gently, she released him, taking a step back toward the railing, and taking on an air of total detachment, acting as if the previous seconds hadn't happened at all. To his credit, he did the same, even managing to somehow maintain a certain air of grace and dignity, while he tugged gently in all the right places to straighten his suit jacket.

Without thinking, Gabby stepped behind him and smoothed her hands across wide shoulders, gliding them down his back to tug gently at the hem of the jacket to straighten it. "There, all neat and straight again, Sir."

Every muscle in his body had tensed at her actions. His body had instantly reacted to the smooth glide of her hands down his body. He bit back a groan. Damn. What would it be like to have those hands elsewhere. He realized that for her it was a familiar action, as if she'd done it many times before.

"Sir," she began, as she stepped back around to face him.

"Please call me Jon," he interrupted her.

"Sorry. Habit," she explained. "Besides, you're my boss, and well..." she paused.

"Your boss?" he was genuinely surprised. He didn't remember hiring this woman, and he knew all of his employees by name and face.

"Well, not for another twenty-six years anyway," she said vaguely.

"What?" Jon was now sure the woman was out of her mind, and the look on his face told her so.

"Okay, listen closely to me, Sir." She decided it would be better to just rip the band aid off and get it over with. "I'm from the future. The year 2029 to be precise."

"Riiiight," Jon said, drawing out the word and looking over her shoulder for someone to come and rescue him from the lunatic.

"In the future, I'm the head of your security detail," she continued as if he wasn't looking for the nearest straight jacket.

Jon's eyes snapped back to her face. "In the future I need a 'security detail'?"

"Yes. In the year 2029, you Sir, are the President of the United States."

He started laughing then. Throwing his head back and really letting loose. He laughed until his eyes were starting to tear up. This had to be something Joker had come up with. "Really?" he finally managed to get out between barks of laughter. "And who's my Vice President? Sambora?"

She had expected him to have a certain amount of suspicion, but she hadn't been expecting downright disbelief. After all, his older self had assured her that the necklace would speak for her. Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, "No, he's dead."

Jon sobered instantly at her words. Just the thought of Richie dead, had that effect on him. "What? Then how did you get his necklace?"

"You gave it to me. In my future, you wore it around your neck everyday that I knew you."

They were interrupted then by Al, who had been looking for Jon. When the former Vice President stepped out onto the balcony, his eyes immediately went to Jon. "Jon, there you are! I've been looking all over for you. There's someone I'd like you to meet."

Jon leaned toward Gabriella. "We'll finish this discussion later," he said very softly. Then turned to his friend. "Sorry, Al. This beautiful woman had me just a little distracted."

"Understandable," Al said with a smile at the lady in question. "I don't believe we've met before."

Jon remembered his manners and introduced the two of them, but all the while his mind was whirling. What the fuck? Even Joker's sense of humor wasn't so sick as to kill off Richie, even in jest.