The Kingmaker (Powerplay #1)

by Selena Laurence

  Derek knew that the party could, in fact, discourage candidates from hiring Nick, but he appreciated his old friend’s bravado on his behalf.

  “So how are you holding up?” Nick asked as the waiter delivered his scotch and soda. “I’m sure there’s more to all of this than the press is telling.”

  Derek sighed, running a finger around the cold, damp rim of his glass. “A lot more, and I can’t elaborate on all of it, but suffice it to say that someone’s after either Melville or me.”

  Nick nodded. “We can all tell there’s someone feeding this crap to the press, do you have any ideas about who it might be?”

  Here was the point of the meeting with Nick, and even though Derek had prepared for it, that didn’t mean he liked it—putting Nick on the spot, treating him like he might somehow be involved with all of this—it didn’t feel right.

  “So far, one name keeps coming up over and over—Ryan Williams, Donovan’s Chief of Staff.”

  Nick’s face went pale, then turned to stone, his jaw set, his eyes shuttered. Derek had hit a nerve of some sort, the only question was, did it have anything to do with the efforts to derail Melville’s campaign?

  “You’ve obviously done some of your famous research,” Nick bit out, raising his glass in salute to Derek.

  “Not really. Williams’ name kept coming up, so we were looking into him. When we found he’d been meeting with you, something about it didn’t seem right to me. So I’m here to ask you directly. I respect you, Nick. I think you’re a good man, and I wanted to give you the chance to tell me if you know anything about Williams that might be of interest to me.”

  Nick’s square jaw relaxed a touch, but the haunted look in his dark eyes remained, and Derek’s gut sunk with the foreboding that he wouldn’t like what came next.

  “I don’t know of anything directly related to your problems, but I can tell you that if there’s a man in town who is evil enough to try to take down a U.S. Senator and the mighty Derek Ambrose, it’s Williams.”

  Nick shook his head, dropping his gaze to the tabletop.

  “What’s he got on you?” Derek asked softly. “And what’s he making you do?”

  “A couple of years ago Marlene lost her job.”

  Derek nodded in sympathy.

  “We didn’t need the money, so I told her she should go ahead and take some time off, spend it with the kids, just enjoy life for a while. But you know she loved practicing law, and the mess that got her fired really stuck with her. She couldn’t shake it off, and spent all of her time rehashing what she could have done differently.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Well, don’t be yet. It gets worse. A lot worse.”

  Nick paused when their server arrived to take their order, picking the story right back up again when he’d gone.

  “About six months after the firing, Marlene started to gamble. Online stuff at first, then she discovered the track, and the Bel Air Casino in Maryland.” Nick’s expression was tortured as he looked Derek in the eyes. “I didn’t know about any of it, I swear. I was working on the New York Governor’s campaign at that point, travelling all over the state, plus prepping my guy in Massachusetts for his State Senate run. She was at home, she managed the family accounts. I had no idea what was happening.”

  “So she got in too deep?”

  “She got addicted, and she was running out of cash, she’d run through most of our credit, used up the savings, and was onto the home equity line when she met up with Williams at the casino one night.”

  Derek’s stomach churned.

  “He started giving her cash, a grand here, a grand there. Not much, but enough to feed her habit for a night or two. And there were always strings attached. In the beginning he’d ask her to wheedle some sort of information out of me—”

  Derek snarled, the idea so dirty and repugnant it made him want to scrub his hands.

  “Nothing that he asked for was very important, so she justified it to herself that way. But next he moved on to sexual favors.”

  “God.” Derek’s face got hot and he automatically reached out a hand to Nick, grabbing his wrist and squeezing it hard once before letting go.

  Nick’s eyes grew even colder. “She was so far gone that she did it—started an affair with him.”

  “Son of a bitch. How is he still standing?”

  Nick shook his head in disgust. “Because he’s smart. He kept track of every penny he gave her, and then he took videos of them…” He stopped, clearing his throat. “Of them in bed. And he brought it all to me.”

  “What did he want?”

  “Half of my business.”

  “What?!” Derek jarred the table in his shock, sending a knife clattering to the floor.

  “He’s tired of life on the Hill. Wants a cushy spot in an established consulting firm. Luckily, he doesn’t want any public involvement, just the authority, the income, and the assets.”

  The waiter cleared their plates, although neither man had eaten much, and Derek knew his appetite would be ruined for the remainder of the day. However, they both asked for refills on their drinks.

  “I didn’t have a choice, Derek. He was going to release the video of Marlene plus send an enforcer after her, claiming that all the money had been loans, even though she’d paid him back in other ways. She’s the mother of my children. I couldn’t let her be hurt like that. I signed the partnership papers about three months ago. I got Marlene into treatment for the addiction, but we’re done. I filed divorce papers as soon she finished rehab. I sold off the house to pay Williams the hundred thousand because there was no way in hell I was going to give him anything else to hold over us. Then I got Marlene and the kids a townhouse in Arlington. I’ve been staying at the office until I recoup enough to get an apartment.”

  Derek’s breath left his lungs in a rush. “Jesus, Nick. I don’t know what to say.”

  Nick chuckled as he took a healthy slug of his scotch and soda. “I’m a chump?”

  “No. Never that.” Derek looked at his friend, admiration filling his words. “You’re a man, in the truest sense of the word. You protected your family, at your own expense. You put them first, you made sure your kids and their mother are safe and taken care of, and you sacrificed yourself and your career to do it.”

  “Well, you’re the very first person to hear the whole story, but if there’s any chance that Williams is involved with what’s happened to you and Melville I wanted you to know what he’s capable of.”

  “And I know you’re taking a big risk telling me this. I also want you to know that I’m not going to let you continue this arrangement with Williams.”

  “That’s noble of you, but I really don’t think there’s much you can do. Trust me, if there’d been anyone who I thought could help I’d have gone to them.”

  “I have resources that you don’t know about,” Derek said, his eyes narrowed in thought. “If you’ll trust me to talk with a select group of people I know, we can help you find a way out of this. My friends are absolutely discreet. I’d trust them with my life.”

  Derek could see Nick weighing the options. Nick wasn’t the kind of guy to go hat in hand to anyone. He’d already been crushed and humiliated, having that humiliation exposed to more people wasn’t going to be high on his list of things to do.

  Finally he gave one sharp nod. “Okay. I guess I don’t have much more to lose.”

  “Good.” Derek stood, peeling a hundred dollar bill from his money clip and placing it on the table. “I swear to you, I won’t let this stand. There are too few good men in this town, Nick. You’re one of them, and I stand behind the good men. Always.”

  Nick stood as well and shook Derek’s hand, his firm grip a sign that Williams might have bruised him, but he hadn’t defeated him.

  “Thank you, Derek. And please let me know if I can help with your issue. I don’t know the real story, but I hope you’ll tell it to me someday when it’s all over.”

  Derek nodded and t
urned to leave.

  “Derek?” Nick called.

  Derek turned around and was surprised to see his friend grinning.

  “She really is gorgeous,” he smirked.

  “You have no idea, my friend,” Derek answered with a grin of his own.

  London hadn’t seen Margrite in weeks. Ever since she’d taken a leave from work in order to become Derek’s pretend girlfriend. And after making love to him, the first man she’d really allowed into more than just her body in eight years, she felt the need to visit with her mentor. Margrite had worked in the business as a call girl for several years before starting her own service and becoming the Madam. She’d also had a steady lover for years, and London figured if anyone could understand what she was going through it was Margrite.

  “Darling!” Margrite greeted her as she walked into the store.

  A pair of wealthy women speaking Spanish—probably diplomatic wives—were perusing the racks of the lingerie shop, and Margrite whispered to the girl she employed to manage the shop before she gestured for London to follow her to the back office.

  “You look gorgeous,” Margrite said, pouring her a sparkling water and topping it with a lemon before they took seats on the small loveseat.

  “Thank you.”

  “Your time off obviously agrees with you.”

  London’s face heated at the memory of the previous night in Derek’s arms. “It does have its perks,” she murmured.

  Margrite looked at her thoughtfully. “So have you come to give me your notice? You know all I want is for you to be happy.” She smiled at her favorite employee.

  “I don’t think so. I’ve been spending time with Derek. Quite a bit—it won’t last, but if you’re willing to give me some more time off I might try to just enjoy it a while longer.”

  Margrite’s lips pursed. “You don’t think it will last? He seems terribly fond of you. You can’t get more romantic than an ‘I don’t care if my girlfriend was a prostitute’ press conference.”

  “He’s wonderful. And if it were only the job…”

  “But you have other secrets don’t you, dear?” Margrite’s eyes were sympathetic.

  She plastered on a small smile. “You’re a very wise woman, have I told you that?”

  “I am, which is why I’m going to say something to you, and I want you to listen carefully. I love my life, darling, but don’t ever be fooled into thinking that I haven’t missed certain things along the way. I’ve traded away love, a family, children, and respectability. When I was younger I was so damaged from the abuse that my stepfather poured on me I couldn’t imagine ever wanting to have babies or one man to love me above all others.” She took a sip of her mineral water.

  “But decades later, I have to admit that I did long for those things, I simply didn’t know how to have them—and more still, I didn’t think I deserved them.” She picked up London’s hands in hers and squeezed them gently. “You remind me so much of myself at your age. You’re strong and in control on the outside, but inside you’re still confused and filled with remorse. I don’t know all the demons that haunt you, but I know that every woman in this job has some, and many of them are so great that this,” she swept her arm around the room, “is all those women will ever have.

  “But that’s not you. Whatever it is, you can get past it. You’re simply too intact not to. And you deserve to have the things that I can see you want. I’ve watched you around children, I’ve heard the sound of your voice when you talk about your charitable projects. I see the look in your eyes when we discuss Mr. Ambrose. You need more than a way to earn a living. And this could be your chance for that. Don’t throw it away.”

  London’s mind filled with Margrite’s words, and a fantasy wove itself around her heart. More nights in Derek’s arms, more events where she was his partner in the light of day. Her cooking him dinner in the evenings, him bringing her breakfast in the mornings, dinner parties with Joanna and Brian. She could envision it so easily, and yet a few days ago she wouldn’t have been able. Already being with him was changing her, and it hurt. It made things quicken, a feeling of the world and all its possibilities rushing at her so fast she was sure the impact would be violent and painful.

  She realized that this was what she’d feared all those years. If she’d allowed her body to respond then her heart and her mind would as well. And now here she was, sitting in Margrite’s office, imagining a future—with Derek. She shook her head, trying to force the visions away.

  “The thing I’m hiding,” she said, looking at Margrite with desperate eyes. “It wouldn’t ruin me, it would ruin him. He could never be with someone who’s hiding what I am. It’s a violation of everything he’s been, everything he represents. Derek is…” She paused, searching for the right words. “He plays on a field of manipulations and strategy, but he’s the most committed, ethical, genuine man I’ve ever known. He knows how to play the game, but he’s in it for real. Do you understand what I mean?”

  “You admire him.”

  “Yes, and so does anyone who knows him. He can play with the best of them, but his heart is so pure, he’s always playing for an end game that’s the right thing, the good thing.”

  “And how would your past hurt him?” Margrite’s brows furrowed as she tried to understand what London wanted to communicate.

  London looked at her glass, watching the bubbles rising to the surface like so many soldiers marching to their deaths.

  “My past would put his character in question…I’m from Iran, Margrite. It’s a country with a strong history of Islamic fanaticism. Derek operates in the American political system. There are people connected to me…”

  Her dear friend took in a quick breath. “Oh my dear.”

  They stared at each other for a moment, a thousand words being exchanged without a sound.

  “What if you came clean? Told him everything? Maybe he’d have a way to hide whatever it is?”

  London shook her head. “He would know though, and he would be horrified. He’s the epitome of the American dream. His world is one where your loyalty cannot be questioned. A sex scandal is one thing, being affiliated with foreign enemies is an entirely different issue. I don’t think he could know about my past and still care for me.”

  “Shouldn’t you at least give him the chance?”

  “No,” she answered concisely. “I couldn’t stand the hope.”

  Because hope was the most dangerous threat her heart knew, and it was far too close already.

  "What the fuck have you done, Marcus?"

  Derek stood looking at his baby brother with his pants around his ankles, hips wedged between Renee’s very bare thighs. He’d made an unplanned stop by the office, and was now wishing he could unsee the train wreck in front of him.

  “Jesus, Derek,” Marcus growled, pulling Renee against him so her half-clothed torso was hidden from view. “Can you give us a second?”

  Derek whirled around putting his back to them. “I’ll step out. Let me know when I can come back in.” He walked out to the hallway and leaned against the opposite wall, his head tipped back against the cool marble. Christ. As if he didn’t have enough on his plate. How could Marcus do this to him right now? He’d told him in no uncertain terms that Renee was off-limits. Marcus never went back for seconds, so now Derek would have to figure out how to keep Renee from getting her feelings hurt when his brother disappeared. God forbid Renee quit, he desperately needed his office to run smoothly in the middle of the mess he was in, and Renee was able to do that.

  The door opened and Marcus started to step out.

  “Listen,” he said, “this is all on me—”

  “You’re damn right it is,” Derek snapped, jabbing his finger in Marcus’s chest. “My office. Now.” He strode past Marcus, finding Renee standing stiffly in the middle of the reception area, her hair tangled, tears tracking down her face.

  “Sit down,” he told her, his voice sounding harsher than he’d intended. “We’ll talk in a few
minutes.”

  Thirty minutes later he was still yelling at Marcus, and he was certain that his blood pressure must be off the charts at this point.

  "She could make a case for sexual harassment and take both of us to court. I can't believe you would do something this irresponsible. There is no woman in the world worth destroying a career over, Marcus. Jesus Christ." Somehow in the back of his mind the irony of this statement wasn’t lost on Derek, but he was too angry to address his own inconsistencies. He just wanted to hit something—or someone.

  Derek turned away and shoved his hands in his pockets, struggling to maintain control. He felt betrayed, by the one person he relied on to have his back. He’d given Marcus everything a kid his age could possibly want or need. And all he’d asked in return was loyalty. Now Marcus had gone behind his back. It hurt, and the timing was about as bad as it could get.

  Marcus ground his teeth audibly. "She's not going to sue us for sexual harassment," he muttered.

  "And you know that how?"

  "It wasn't like that."

  "You were fucking her in my office lobby. Exactly what wasn't it like?" Derek roared.

  Marcus stood, his face red, and his hands shaking. Derek was so far gone in his own pain that he couldn’t see the warning signs. "That wasn't fucking. It wasn't like that. Don't you get it? I care about her. She isn't some fuck to me, and I don't want you referring to her like she is."

  Derek laughed harshly. "Oh please. You don't do some woman on a countertop in an office and then get all high and mighty about how people are referring to her."

  Marcus snapped, rage washing over his face, and in a mere second he was across the room, his fist wrapping around Derek's shirtfront.

  He gave Derek a shake and snarled, "What happens between Renee and me, where it happens, and when it happens, is none of your business.”

  Derek was shocked by his brother’s vehemence, but he recovered quickly. When Marcus tried to shake him again Derek held fast, his larger body like an immoveable boulder. They stood, eye to eye, staring each other down and a rumble started in Derek’s chest. He could feel the adrenaline rush through him, and his control waned with each passing second.