by Sienna Snow
“As a conservative, I value every single human life on our planet. I may not be able to affect change in the world as a whole, but I can in our great nation. With this said, I challenge all of you, no matter your party officiation, to join me in stopping the silent epidemic we should no longer ignore.
“Thank you and have a wonderful rest of the evening.”
There was quiet for a few seconds before the first clap echoed, followed by another and then another, eventually leading to a standing ovation.
The first lady held her head high as she moved to take her place by the president. This was the moment she took the spotlight from her husband and came out from the shadows. No one would doubt she wasn’t independent of the president again.
I hated to think what kind of explosion would happen in private between them. More than likely very heated, with Edgar doing most of the talking. In the end, I had no doubt Amanda Edgar would come out on top. The president may not realize it, but his wife just saved the legacy of his presidency by going against him.
“Checkmate,” Tyler whispered.
I responded with, “Not quite. We still have a bumpy road ahead, but soon.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Senator Camden, please follow me” were the first words I heard as I walked out of the ladies’ lounge.
There was no mistaking the man who stood in front of me as anything other than Secret Service.
I’d expected a reprimand to come in the next few days, but it surprised me the president was willing to do it on the same night as his wife’s announcement. For the last two hours, Edgar had played the supportive and proud husband.
I glanced toward Tyler who was deep in conversation with a Lousiana constiuant who was a donor. He motioned to come to me, but I shook my head. Tyler had to keep the big money people happy.
“Before I go anywhere, I will inform my team about my whereabouts.”
The agent opened his mouth as if to argue, but then decided against it when he saw Oscar and a few of his team approach.
“Senator, is there a problem?”
“No, everything is fine. It looks like the president would like to have a word. Would you mind telling Tyler where I am?”
Oscar glanced at a short, heavily built man. “I will accompany you.”
“That won’t be necessary,” said the agent, giving Oscar a glare that would have had a lesser man shaking in his pants.
“As I said, I will accompany Senator Camden. Personal security is allowed as long as they have authorization. I have clearance at all levels.” Oscar held the man’s stare.
Oscar was former military and FBI who’d maintained all credentials when he’d moved into the private sector. If there was anyone who knew protocol, it was him.
After a few moments of scowling, the agent turned. “Follow me.”
We were led to a bank of elevators and then to the third floor. I entered a private lounge where the president sat smoking a cigar.
“President Edgar, you asked to see me?”
He remained seated as he glowered at me. “You think you’re so clever, don’t you?”
“I don’t follow,” I said. It was better to pretend ignorance than admit anything.
“You got Amanda involved behind my back. Now if I oppose anything Tara Zain does, it’ll look like I’m against my wife. Zain is marrying one of my opponents, and because of you, my wife has all but aligned herself with them.”
I stared him in the eyes, not giving him even a flicker of uncertainty. This plan was risky, but until this moment I hadn’t realized how.
I knew without a doubt if I were a man, the current tactic of a private meeting to intimidate me would never have happened. I would have received a pissed-off phone call at most.
“I honestly have no idea to what you are referring. Mrs. Edgar’s involvement in the No Bride Initiative has nothing to do with me.”
“So, you’re saying Amanda contacted Tara Zain on her own and had no assistance from you?”
“This is something you should ask her. Mrs. Edgar is an intelligent woman who sees the merits of what Tara Zain is trying to accomplish.”
“I do not want my wife involved in some feminist crusade.” He slammed his hand on the table next to him.
“Saving the lives of young girls is not a feminist crusade.”
“Then what is it? Except a thorn in my side.” He stood, coming toward me. “You will advise her to step down. Do I make myself clear?”
I lifted my chin. He thought towering over me would scare me. Men in politics had used this move too many times to affect me anymore.
“I will do no such thing. Besides, you need this as much as Mrs. Edgar does.”
“Pray tell, young lady. Why do I need Tara Zain’s project?”
“To save the negative legacy of your administration, of course. If the polls are accurate, then your approval rating is at an all-time low and in severe need of a boost if you want any chance of reelection.”
I dared him to deny what I was saying. Instead, he laughed and patted me on the shoulder.
“Girl, I knew you were good, but this shows you can cut it with the big boys. Richard Camden is the best at behind-the-scenes negotiations. I’m glad he taught you well.”
Was the condescending man trying to turn this into something he orchestrated to show my skills?
“I am not my father’s puppet, nor yours.”
The smile left his face. “I see.”
“I believe it is time I returned to the benefit.”
He grabbed my arm a second before I turned to leave. “You may think you won this round, but remember you need me to have any hope of making it to the White House. Don’t ever fuck with me again or I’ll make it impossible for you to run for any office ever again.”
Oscar moved in my direction as did the Secret Service officers around the room.
I shook Edgar’s hand off before things escalated into something neither of us could recover from. I knew Oscar wouldn’t hesitate to put the president on his ass if he perceived him as a danger to me.
“Threats don’t work on me, Mr. President. Your friend Decker tried this, and now he’s lucky if anyone takes him seriously. Just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean I’m weak. At this juncture of your presidency, you need me more than I need you.”
“You’re working to get Kumar elected. I see it now. Where is your party loyalty?”
“My political association does not mean I will follow blindly. For the record, I have nothing to do with the Kumar-George ticket, but if they won, I wouldn’t be disappointed.”
I walked out the door, followed closely by Oscar.
I kept my body from shaking until I reached the main hall of the hotel.
Holy shit, I’d just challenged the president and essentially told him to fuck himself.
What had come over me? I was supposed to continue to play the game.
I placed a hand over my stomach. Sooner rather than later I’d feel the wrath of tonight’s confrontation. I hoped I was the only one affected by the fallout.
“Senator, why don’t you take a few moments before you return to the ballroom?”
I nodded and took a seat on a bench positioned near a wall of glass overlooking a large garden and pond.
I rubbed my temples as I felt the first pangs of a migraine developing.
“Oscar, would you mind getting me a sparkling water?”
“Sure. Please don’t go anywhere until I return.” He gave me a stern look that said he thought I’d disappear if he wasn’t around to keep an eye on me. I guess I deserved it since I tended to keep things from him.
“I promise. I’ll stay right here.”
For the next few minutes, I gazed at the beautiful play of lights against the rippling water on the other side of the glass. Once dinner was over, Tyler and I would make our exit and then spend the evening eating junk food and watching the lights of the city below us from our condo.
“Ahh, there she is—the party�
�s darling.”
All the hairs on the back of my neck stood up when I heard the voice I hadn’t had to encounter in almost seven years.
I knew this day would come, but I hadn’t expected it to be tonight.
“Go away, Grey, unless you want the police to arrest you for violating the restraining order I have against you.” I kept the tremor out of my voice.
Shit, I thought I was over what he’d done to me, but with him standing behind me, the anxiety and fear surfaced as fresh as the day he’d cornered me in his family’s estate. At least this time, there were security cameras to catch everything. And I knew with no doubt, Kevin would be the first one to help me leverage any tapes against Decker Junior.
“You think I’m afraid of you? You ruined my life.”
I glanced at my phone, pretending disinterest. Hopefully, Oscar would get here soon. A tinge of sweat broke out on the back of my neck.
I had to stay calm.
“You can’t ruin a life that wasn’t remarkable in the first place.”
Fuck, why had I said anything? I knew I shouldn’t engage him.
To hell with it. The bastard would never have power over me again. I’d worked too hard for the past years to let him even get a hint of how uncomfortable I was feeling.
“I did you a favor. If it weren’t for me, you’d never have gotten the balls to make it to Congress. You should be thanking me.”
My temper flared, making me stand to face him, and the fear I’d had disappeared, replaced by ruthless anger. “You’re an asshole. You tried to rape me. Do you have any idea what that does to a woman?”
“You’re a drama queen.” He rolled his eyes. “It’s not like my dick gave you what your hoity toity ass was begging for.”
The thought of his dick anywhere near me made me want to vomit.
“I suggest you leave, Grey. You have stayed past my limit for your presence. Besides, there are reporters hiding around every corner, and one of them is bound to hear you.”
I glanced around and cringed inside. Of course, when I wanted people to snoop into my interactions, there wasn’t a single soul to be seen.
“Good. I hope they record this. I think they need to know what a conniving bitch you are. They’d agree that you asked for it. You kept it quiet because you wanted to hold it over our heads.”
“Oh, come off it. The reason you can’t get a job where you don’t have to work is because you spend most of your days high or drunk.”
“I’m not a drug addict.” His face contorted to one of rage. “You and your family put that shit out to the public.”
“You are as delusional as ever.” That was the moment I noticed his appearance. His eyes were bloodshot, and he wasn’t in a tux as the rest of tonight’s gala attendees. He wore a rumpled navy button-down and jeans. He also reeked of alcohol.
Fuck, he was high. Why hadn’t I seen this earlier? He’d had a similar look on his face when he’d cornered me years ago. I couldn’t believe I’d just wasted the last few minutes of my life talking to a man who more than likely wouldn’t remember anything he said or did.
“I’m not crazy. Stop looking at me like I’m a bug under a microscope.” He moved toward me, making me retreat.
“Stay away from me. You’re already violating the restraining order. Don’t make it worse by getting arrested for assault.”
“Might as well make it worth it.” He advanced until my back hit the glass wall behind me.
I grimaced as he gripped my jaw in a painful hold. I tried to look around, but he tightened his hold on my face.
I dug my nails into the back of his hand, drawing blood. This fucker was going to learn I wasn’t going to take his shit. I hadn’t in the past and the hell if I would now.
“Get your fucking hands off her.” Veer’s face was a mask of fury as he strode toward us.
He grabbed Grey by the neck and slammed him against the wall.
“Don’t ever touch her. I will kill you if you ever touch her again.”
“What are you going to do, George? Someone is bound to see us. You lay one hand on me, and they will ruin your career. Forget about becoming vice president—you’ll wind up in jail.” Grey lifted his face. “Go ahead, hit me and see what happens.”
“Your threats mean nothing to me. Just like all those women that you didn’t care about when you put your hands on them, I don’t care.” Veer’s grip on Grey’s collar tightened.
I had to stop this.
“Veer,” I said softly. “Look at me.”
His gaze turned to me. “Jacinta, he would have raped you seven years ago if you hadn’t broken his nose. Who knows how many women he’s succeeded in assaulting? He would have hurt you tonight. He’s garbage.”
“Well, this garbage was about to have a dick in her cunt.”
At that moment, Veer threw Grey to the floor, with him on top of Grey.
“You motherfucker. I will kill you for even thinking to lay a hand on her.” Veer slammed his fist into Grey’s jaw and then followed it with one to his abdomen. “You will never.” Punch. “Hurt another.” Punch. “Woman.” Punch. “Ever again.”
Oscar ran up to us, followed by a group of Secret Service agents. They jumped in, pulling Veer off Grey.
“Let me, goddammit. That bastard deserves to die. That piece of shit was hurting her.”
My hands went to my aching cheeks and chin, knowing I would probably have bruises all over the lower half of my face by morning.
Veer caught my movement, and his eyes darkened with even more fury. He pulled free and charged toward Grey. “When I’m done with you, you’ll wish you were dead.”
The agents grabbed Veer, pulling him back again, but not before he landed three more punches to Grey’s face.
I had to get Veer under control, or without a doubt, I knew he’d kill Grey. The rage in him was bubbling over. Veer was so calm that when his anger set free, it was almost impossible to hold him back.
I stepped in front of him and hoped he would listen.
“Veer. Let him go. He’s not worth it. He can’t hurt me anymore.”
Chapter Seventeen
“Let him go, Veer.”
I cupped his face and then gripped his shoulder, hoping he would stop struggling against the hold Secret Service had on him and focus on me.
Veer’s eyes never left Grey Decker’s fallen form, but he wasn’t trying to pull free of the agents.
“Please. For me. He’s not worth it,” I pled. “He can’t hurt me anymore.”
Veer clenched his jaw and then turned to me. “That piece of shit doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as you, or any woman, as a matter of fact.”
“Let it go. He’s not worth it,” I repeated. “He doesn’t deserve your hatred. That’s giving him too much power.”
He opened his mouth to argue, but I cut him off.
“Don’t make me sing that song that makes Sam want to run for the hills. You know I will, and off-key on top of it.”
“You wouldn’t torture us like that.” A slight smirk touched his lips.
“Try me.” I ran my thumb over the swollen corner of his lip where Grey must have gotten in a jab.
The hard edge of his face softened.
The agents released their hold on Veer and moved to pick up Grey.
We stared at each other for a few seconds, as if we hadn’t just been in the middle of a brawl with a politician’s son or in the middle of a hallway of a hotel jam-packed with the political elite and the media.
This man had come to protect me. He wasn’t mine, yet he’d been here. Veer stood up to the man who’d taken a piece of my younger years and completely obliterated the memories, replacing them with new ones.
Maybe it was the violence mixed with the adrenaline of the situation, but all I could think about was getting Veer naked, inspecting his glorious body for any bruises and then kissing them better.
A throat cleared. “Senator. I think it would be wise to take the Governor to straighten his
appearance.”
I scanned Veer’s clothes. His tux was rumpled and stained with Grey’s blood. His normal messy hair was a bit more tousled, giving him an even more sexy edge than usual.
“Thanks, Oscar.” I glanced at him. “Can you do me a favor?”
“No need to ask. No one will know what transpired tonight.” Oscar glanced at the Secret Service agents. “The hallways are currently empty and I will have my men sweep the area and the security feeds for anyone who could have seen the altercation.”
“Don’t worry, Senator,” said the one who I assumed was the agent with the highest rank. “We are well aware of Mr. Decker’s history. No one will know what happened tonight. You have our word.” He then gestured to another man who threw Grey over his shoulder and took him away from us.
I wasn’t sure how all the internal politics worked, but I had no choice but to accept them at their word. Besides, Oscar would do his best to protect my interests as he’d done since I was a teenager.
I offered Veer my hand. “Come with me.”
His gaze had never left me since his focus had shifted from Grey to me. My pulse accelerated. He had to know what was going on inside me.
“Okay,” was all he said and moved toward the hallway leading to the private elevators with me a step behind him. His security and another set of Secret Service agents followed us, and although I wanted to be alone with Veer, I knew it was for the best.
We’d ended our intimate relationship for good earlier today, and it would break the necessary distance if we were in a room without supervision.
As we entered the elevators, I moved to a back corner, and then Veer came to stand next to me. His finger grazed my hand, making my breath hitch. He glanced my way but said nothing.
He cupped the back of my neck, and as he brought his palm down, it settled on the hollow of my back. His slightest touch sent a flood of desire through my core, and the throb of need I felt whenever he was near came fully awake.
Shit, there was too much sexual tension floating between us.
I tried to sidestep but ended up pressed against the wall of the cab with Veer even closer to me. I looked down at my hands and caught the distinct bulge underneath the front seam of Veer’s pants.