by Marie Force
“I was pretty melty, but I held it together, thank God.”
“Celia told us how you came to get the Bible,” Tracy said. “It’s so scary and exciting and freaking huge all at the same time.”
“Yes, it is.”
“What about your job?” Angela asked warily.
“I’m keeping it. I’ve already told Nick that’s nonnegotiable.”
“Um, how will that work exactly?” Tracy asked.
“We haven’t figured out the details yet. It’s all still very new, but I’ve made my wishes clear. Nick said he’ll do everything he can to make it happen for me.”
“You’ll be the only first lady to ever hold a job outside the White House,” Tracy said.
“I might be the first, but I won’t be the last. It’s high time we had a first lady holding down a career in addition to being first lady.”
“We completely agree,” Angela said, “but you know lots of other people won’t see it the way we do.”
“I don’t care how they see it. That’s how it’s going to be. The end. I’m not debating it.”
The kids came into the kitchen with a grumpy Scotty, all of them dressed for an outing to the zoo. Scotty brightened when he saw Angela and Tracy.
“I guess this means you’ve heard the news,” Scotty said.
“Uh, yeah, the whole world has heard the news, sport,” Angela said.
Sam’s stomach started to ache at the thought of her husband and their family being a news story around the world. She hated being the center of attention, but she probably ought to get over that now that she was half of the highest profile couple on the planet.
Scotty grabbed a granola bar, and the kids got ready to leave with the Secret Service for a trip to the zoo.
Sam excused herself from her sisters to follow them to the door, asking Scotty’s lead agent, Debra, for a word. “I’m worried about them being bothered,” Sam said.
“We’re making arrangements to put space between them and the parties before and after them. We’ll make sure no one bothers them.”
“Thank you, Debra.”
Sam hugged and kissed the kids and Scotty. “Elijah is in charge. Whatever he says goes.”
“That’s right,” Elijah said. “I’m the boss of you.”
She watched them go down the ramp and get into one of the ever-present black Secret Service SUVs, her anxiety spiking as she watched them go. Only because she trusted the Secret Service implicitly was she able to wave them off and return to the kitchen.
“Why do you look panicked?” Tracy asked.
“I worry about the kids and crackpots.”
“They have the best security in the world with them at all times,” Angela said.
“We’re going to have to see about getting protection for Elijah when he goes back to school,” she said. “He’ll love that.” She dropped her head into her hands. “So much to think and worry about.”
“You’ll figure it out,” Angela said. “If anyone can handle this, you guys can.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence. Nick is worried about people making a thing of him becoming president right after he said he wasn’t going to run.”
Tracy bit her lip, which was a big “tell” for her.
“What?”
“They’re already making a thing of it,” she said, “but I think they’ll get past it when he shows he’s more than up to the job.”
Sam’s phone chimed with a text from Nick. I’m calling you. Her phone rang, and the caller ID reported the number as unavailable. “This is Nick. Sorry, but I have to take it.”
“Go ahead,” Angela said.
She decided at the last second to use one of her dad’s favorite opening lines. “Kelly’s Pool Hall. Eight Ball speaking. How may I help you?”
Chuckling, Nick said, “I’m looking for my wife. She’s a hot blonde, about five-nine, curvy and sexy as all hell. Is she there?”
“She’s flirting with a biker dude. You want me to get her?”
“Yeah, tell her that her husband loves her and needs her more than anything.”
Swoon. “What’s going on?”
“I have a favor to ask…”
“Another one? I just did you a rather big favor by becoming first lady. What more do you want?”
“Turns out that’s just the start of what I’m going to need from you. Trevor and the communications team are strongly recommending we do a joint interview in the next few days with one of the networks. Would you be willing?”
“Is that another rhetorical question?”
“It’s a yes-or-no question.”
Sam propped her head on her upturned hand. “I suppose I could do it for you considering what you’re going to do for me, right?”
“Right. We have a meeting Tuesday at two with the director of the Secret Service. Can you be here for that?”
“I’ll see if I can fit it into my busy schedule.”
“On Wednesday late afternoon, we’ll be the first to greet the Nelson family at the Capitol where President Nelson will lie in state for twenty-four hours before the funeral on Thursday. Obviously, we’re going to have to be there for all of that.”
“I’ll see about taking the time off.”
“Thank you.”
“Stop being so polite with me.”
“How else should I be when I’m asking you to upend your entire life for me?”
“Be normal.”
“I don’t even remember what that is anymore.”
“I’ll do the interview and the funeral and anything else you need.”
“And I’m working from my end to figure out what has to happen to get you back to work as soon as possible.”
“Thank you.”
“Quit being polite.”
Sam laughed and immediately felt better. “Are you calling me from the Oval Office?”
“It just so happens that I am.”
“I hope someone’s getting pictures.”
“One of the White House photographers has been here all morning recording history. I’ve got to run. I’m meeting with Nelson’s cabinet in twenty minutes.”
“Are you keeping them?”
“I’m giving them the choice to stay or go.”
“Will they be loyal to you?”
“Maybe not at first, but they’ll come around, or they won’t be invited to stay. Terry was up all night reading about what Johnson did after Lincoln died, what Truman did after FDR died and what Johnson did after Kennedy died. There’s some precedent, and we’re following it to a point.”
“That’s very interesting. Good luck with the cabinet.”
“Thanks, babe. I have to renege on the plans for later. I hadn’t had coffee yet when I wrote that note to you. I’m doing the address to the nation at eight p.m. It’s critical I send the message that I’m in charge and taking care of business. I’ll be home after that, but it’ll be too late for the twins.”
“They’re having a blast with Elijah and Scotty. They went to the zoo just now. Don’t worry about us. We’ll be watching tonight.”
“Love you.”
“Love you too.”
Sam ended the call and conveyed the gist to her sisters.
“You should go there,” Tracy said. “After dinner with the kids. Go there and be with him before he gives that speech.”
“She’s right,” Angela said. “He needs you.”
“Okay, I will. You guys will keep telling me how to do this, right?”
“We’ve been telling you what to do all your life,” Tracy said. “Why would we stop now?”
Chapter Six
An hour later, Sam was ready to visit Gigi in the hospital. She went downstairs, put on her coat and headed out the door like it was any other day. However, the Secret Service agents standing on the ramp, wearing black from head to toe and toting machine guns, were a stark reminder that this day was like no other.
“Gentlemen,” she said to agents she didn’t recognize. “If you’
ll let me pass, I’ll get out of your way.”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible, ma’am.”
“Why not?”
“You’re not to leave here without a detail, ma’am.”
“And where did that order come from?”
“The top, ma’am. The very top.”
Meaning Nick. Huh. That was surprising—and a little disappointing.
“I’d be happy to arrange transportation for you anywhere you wish to go, ma’am.”
Sam realized she had two choices. The first would be to make a scene with the agents, who, as fellow law enforcement officers, were merely following orders. The second would be to allow them to do what they did and take it up with Nick later. She chose option B.
“Give us ten minutes, ma’am.”
Sam went back in the house, stuffing the annoyance deep inside so no one would see how upset she was. Nick didn’t need to hear through any grapevine that she was pissed. Not today, anyway. But they’d be discussing her desire to move freely as soon as possible.
Twelve minutes after the agent had asked for ten, Sam was about to go back outside when the door opened to Vernon and Jimmy. The two agents had recently been assigned to her after Nick’s announcement that he didn’t plan to run in the next election had led to an uptick in threats against him and their entire family.
“Gentlemen.” Vernon was an older Black man with graying hair, his partner a baby-faced blond with an eagerness about him that annoyed her. “I’d rather hoped I’d seen the last of you.”
“Likewise, ma’am,” Vernon said with the cheeky sarcasm that had endeared him to her. She respected the hell out of anyone who could meet sarcasm with sarcasm. “Sadly for all of us, our time together is just beginning.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“Indeed we will, ma’am. I understand you wish to go to the George Washington University Hospital?”
“I do. One of my detectives is a patient.”
“We’d be pleased to get you there and back as safely as possible,” Vernon said, signaling to Jimmy to do something.
Sam wasn’t sure what the signal meant, but Jimmy clearly understood it.
“Right this way, ma’am.” Jimmy smiled widely, as if this was the greatest day of his young life. It probably was. He was protecting the nation’s first lady. He’d probably dine out on that for the rest of his days.
Sam got into the back of one of the black SUVs and put on her seat belt, determined to go with the flow and not to do anything to cause Nick any more grief than he was already contending with. If she raised hell with the agents, that would cause trouble for him that he didn’t need. So she kept her mouth shut and did what she was told.
For once.
If there was one advantage to the Secret Service, it was that people got the fuck out of their way, which meant they arrived at their destination that much quicker. As someone who rarely had time to waste, there was something to be said for that kind of efficiency.
Jimmy opened the back door for her, and the two agents followed Sam into the hospital.
The young woman working the reception desk did a double take when she recognized Sam. “Mrs. Cappuano… Ma’am. It’s such a pleasure to meet you.”
“Thank you. I’m here to see a friend. Giselle Dominguez. Can you please tell me what room she’s in?”
“Of course.”
While Sam watched, the woman typed in Gigi’s name, and if her eyes weren’t deceiving her, the woman’s hands trembled as she did so. For fuck’s sake. It would never be “normal” to Sam to provoke that kind of reaction in people.
“She’s in room 520. Take the elevators on your left to the fifth floor, and check in at the nurses’ station.”
“Thank you very much.”
“If I may…”
Sam, who’d started toward the elevators, stopped and turned back.
“I’m sorry about what happened to President Nelson, but I’m very excited that your husband is president and that you’re our new first lady.”
“Thank you. I’ll be sure to pass that along to Nick.”
The woman nearly fainted when Sam said that. She quickly headed toward the elevators, aware of Vernon and Jimmy following her.
“Ma’am,” Vernon said. “Let me go ahead.”
Sam forced herself to stop and allow the agents to arrange things to their liking before she followed Vernon onto the elevator, gritting her teeth and biting her tongue the whole time. On the fifth floor, she inquired about Gigi and showed her badge.
“We know who you are.” The nurse had short gray hair and wore glasses with gold frames. “Everyone knows who you are.”
Her words had an edge to them that put Sam on guard. “That doesn’t mean I can’t be polite and say please when I ask if I can see my detective.”
“She won’t be your detective for long.”
Sam told herself she shouldn’t engage, but damned if she could resist. “Why’s that?”
“You aren’t going to keep your job as first lady.” She paused, took a closer look at Sam and probably saw bullish determination. “Are you?”
“That’s the plan. If you don’t mind, I need to see Detective Dominguez.”
“Down the hall on the right.”
Sam walked away, but could feel everyone looking at her as she headed toward Gigi’s room, escorted by Vernon and Jimmy. Sometimes she wished people could just mind their own damned business, but she knew that was too much to ask, especially today when the world had woken to the news of a transfer of power in Washington. If she allowed herself to think about the implications of that seismic shift…
Nope. Not going there. Denial was her friend.
Outside of room 520, she glanced at Vernon. “You need to wait for me out here.”
“One of us needs to check the room before you go in.”
“That’s not going to happen.” The last thing Gigi needed was strange men in her room. “I’ll be fine. Please wait for me here.” Without giving them time to respond, Sam entered the darkened room, where Carlucci was standing guard over her partner’s bed. Dani, who was tall, blonde and curvy, came over to Sam.
Sam hugged her. “I got here as soon as I could.”
“You must be losing it. Both of you.”
Sam waved her hand to send the message that she didn’t want to talk about what was happening in her life. She wanted to talk about what was happening to Gigi. “How is she?”
“She had a rough night. She’s in a lot of pain. The son of a bitch ruptured her spleen. She had surgery overnight.”
“Jesus. Any sign of him?”
“Not yet. I want to be out there looking for him myself, but I don’t want to leave her, especially with him in the wind.”
“We can put people here to screen any visitors.”
“It’s okay. I’m in touch with Patrol and doing what I can from here. She doesn’t want her family to know she’s here, so I said I’d stay. I took leave.”
Sam finally ventured a glance at Gigi and bit back a gasp at the sight of her bruised and bloody face. The petite, dark-haired woman looked extra tiny in the hospital bed. “Son of a bitch.”
“I want to fucking murder him.”
“Don’t do that.”
“I won’t, but I want to.”
“Right there with you. What do we know about him?”
“Ezra Smith. Gigi went to high school with him in Fairfax. They’ve been on again-off again for years, and when she tried to finally end it with him for good, he didn’t take it well. That’s what I told you about last week. They’d had a big verbal altercation that’d nearly gotten physical, but she felt confident that she’d made her point.”
They already knew the guy had a sealed juvie record, but no record as an adult. Carlucci had investigated him on social media and picked up a vibe about him and past issues with other women, but had walked the fine line of giving Gigi a heads-up about that without tipping her hand that she’d been looking into him.
>
“Has she been awake?”
“Here and there. She’s due for pain meds soon, so she’ll probably be waking up. I haven’t asked any questions yet…”
“I’ll wait until she wakes up, and I’ll ask so you don’t have to.”
“Thanks for coming, LT. It’ll mean a lot to her, and it does to me too.”
“I would’ve been here sooner, but it’s been a weird day.”
“I can’t even imagine.”
Thirty minutes later, Sam and Dani were standing at the bedside when Gigi’s soft-brown eyes opened and immediately filled with tears when she saw Sam. “You didn’t have to…”
“Hush, of course I did.” Sam gently placed her hand on top of Gigi’s. “I’m sorry this happened.”
“My fault.”
“In no way was this your fault.”
“He’d changed into someone I barely recognize, but I kept letting him come back,” she said as tears rolled down her face.
Dani gently dabbed at her partner’s tears with a tissue. “Take it easy. It’s not your fault. Caring about someone doesn’t give him a right to do this to you.”
“I never thought he would… He said he loved me.”
“Can you give us any insight into where we might find him?”
Gigi closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh, wincing as she shifted to try to find a more comfortable position. “He has a group of friends he goes way back with. You could probably start there.” As she recited the names, Dani wrote them down.
“Go call it in,” Sam said to Dani. “Take a break.”
“I’ll be right back.”
“I’ll be here.”
“She’s upset,” Gigi said after Dani left. “Blames herself.”
“There’s only one person to blame for this, and we’ll make sure he pays for what he did to you.”
New tears leaked out of the corners of Gigi’s red-rimmed eyes. “I’ve known him all my life. We were in kindergarten together.”
“Which is all the more reason why he never should’ve laid a hand on you.”
Before Gigi could respond to that, the door opened, and Detective Cameron Green came in, looking as if he could kill someone. The blond detective, who was always dressed to perfection, looked like he’d thrown on clothes and run for the hospital the second he heard the news. He wore faded jeans and an old sweatshirt. His hair stood on end, and his jaw was covered in stubble. Sam had never seen him so undone.