Epilogue

When you couldn’t wait for something to happen, time slowed to a crawl. At least that’s how it seemed to Brooke as she counted down the days to her weekend with Nate. With each day that passed, she became less nervous and more excited to spend time alone with him. He’d sworn to her that if all they did was hold hands, he’d be happy because he got to be with her.

How lucky was she to have found a man who understood that trauma wasn’t something you just “got over” on some preexisting timeline? Her trauma was as much a part of who she was now as the blood that ran through her veins. There would be no “getting over it.” Not now, not ten years from now, not ever.

It’d taken a lot of therapy to understand that new reality after the attack, but because she’d done the work (well, her parents had made her do it), she felt like maybe she might be ready to move into a genuine relationship. But that was only possible because the other person in that relationship would be Nate, whom she’d come to trust implicitly.

He was patient, kind, understanding, indulgent and sweet—always sweet. He’d worn down her defenses over months of texts, calls, FaceTime conversations and a few strictly platonic in-person meetings, as if he’d known that pushing her for too much too soon would only push her away.

He got her, and that was such a priceless gift.

As she stood outside her dorm, waiting for him to arrive, she felt only excitement for the time with him and none of the nervousness she’d experienced when he’d first pitched the idea to her. He’d texted to say he was close and to watch for a black car, so when she saw a shiny black Mustang come into view, she figured that had to be him.

The car pulled into the half-circle drive in front of the dorm and came to a stop in front of her.

Nate jumped out to come around, shouldered her bag and opened the passenger door for her. “Hi,” he said, smiling.

That sexy smile as well as the affection in his eyes took care of any remaining nerves. “Hi.”

He had wavy dark hair, blue eyes and dimples. McDreamy, indeed, and even more so in person. “Are you going to get in?” he asked, seeming amused by the way she looked at him.

“I am, but first I want to do this.” She stepped toward him, put her arms around him and rested her head on his chest. “Hi.”

Nate returned her embrace, holding her tightly. “How’re you doing?” Understanding how nervous she was about their plans, he’d continued to reassure her as their weekend together had drawn near.

“Much better now that you’re here.”

“I thought today would never get here,” he said, echoing her thoughts on the matter. “Every minute felt like a week.”

“Same.”

“Do you have a ton of homework?”

“I did it all.”

He pulled back to look down at her. “All of it?”

“Every bit of it. I didn’t want to be distracted this weekend.”

“Brooke,” he whispered. “How is it that you get prettier every time I see you?”

“Do I?” Was it healthy for a heart to pound that hard?

“Yeah, you do.” He tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. “Let’s get out of here.”

She got in the passenger seat.

He stowed her bag in the trunk before getting in the driver’s side and pulling away from the dorm. After reaching for her hand and joining it with his, he didn’t say anything on the short ride to his hotel.

“Stay here for a sec. Be right back.”

When he got back in the car, he drove around to the back side of the hotel, retrieved both their bags from the trunk and held the door for her when she preceded him inside. Their room was halfway down the hallway and was actually a suite with a kitchen and living area.

“The sofa pulls out to a second bed. I can sleep there.”

Brooke ventured into the bedroom, which had a king-sized bed. She sat on the edge of the bed. “You can sleep in here. With me.”

Nate came into the bedroom and stood before her, hands on his hips as he took her in. “I don’t want to rush you into anything.”

“You’re not.” She patted the bed, inviting him to join her. “You’ve been nothing but patient and kind and sweet with me.”

He sat next to her, put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. “You’ve become very important to me.”

“Same.” She rested her head on his shoulder, at ease now that he was there. “I’m not going to lie to you. I’m scared of having sex. I’m not even sure I can do it, because every time I think about it, my brain is overrun with images I’ve imagined to account for the attack I don’t remember. And I know how bizarre that sounds, but I can’t help it.”

“We don’t have to, Brooke. I meant it when I said that’s not what this is about.”

“I know you did, but I was thinking… Maybe what I need is to replace those images with different ones, special ones, so that when I think about sex, that’s what I think of, not the horrible stuff.”

“You’re sure about this?”

She shook her head. “I’m not sure of anything, except that I want to try.”

Nate leaned in slowly to kiss her for the first time, going all out to ensure their first kiss would be unforgettable. The spark that had simmered between them since the night they met ignited into a flame so quickly, she barely had time to react before they were reclined on the bed, arms and legs intertwined as one kiss became two and then a dozen.

“I knew it would be like this with you,” he whispered.

“How is it?”

“Incredible.”

They kissed for so long that Brooke lost track of time as she let herself experience pleasure and desire for the first time. The attackers had taken so much from her, but she refused to think about that awful night while in the arms of the man she loved.

His hand dipped under her sweater, making her shiver from the feel of his skin against hers. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Are you?”

“I’m much better than okay because I’m here with you.”

She tugged on his oatmeal-colored thermal shirt. “Take this off.”

He sat up to pull the shirt over his head, revealing defined muscles that made her want to touch him all over. “What?” he asked when he caught her staring at him.

“You’re so hot.”

“Shut up,” he said, laughing.

“You shut up.” She got up on her knees. “Can I touch you?”

He scooted closer to her. “I really wish you would.”

Brooke ran her hands over his chest to his arms and then back again, before venturing down to caress rippling abdominal muscles.

He was so still, she worried he wasn’t breathing.

When she glanced up at him, she found him gazing at her with blue eyes gone hot with desire. “Feels good,” he said, sounding choked.

Brooke sat back on her heels and took off her sweater. She’d gone shopping with this moment in mind and loved the way he inhaled sharply at the sight of her sheer black bra. As she reached back, she wasn’t sure where the courage was coming from, but she wasn’t going to ask any questions. Not now, anyway. She unhooked the bra and revealed herself to him for the first time.

“You’re beautiful, sweetheart.” He brought her in close to him, her breasts pressing against his chest. “Beautiful, sweet, strong, brave, sexy.”

He arranged them so she was on her back with him above her, continuing to whisper sweet words of comfort as he kissed her neck and chest and then the tip of her breast.

Brooke had never felt anything like the electrical charge that raced through her when he sucked on her nipple.

He stayed there for what felt like hours, kissing, licking, sucking until she was half out of her mind.

She was so far gone, she almost didn’t notice when he unbuttoned her jeans or when he removed them and the panties that matched her bra.

He continued to kiss her all over, rendering her helpless to do anything other than lie there and wallow in the wonder of it all. Then his lips were on her inner thigh, moving toward the center of her desire.

Her legs fell open, almost as if someone else were controlling the movement, and when his tongue swept over her core, she came undone. The orgasm dragged her under, sucking the air from her lungs and every thought from her brain that wasn’t centered in the place where he touched her with his tongue and deep thrusts of his fingers.

“Talk to me, sweetheart,” he whispered. “Tell me how it feels.”

“Amazing,” she said, surprised she could speak at all.

He dipped his head and went back for more, making her come a second time before he withdrew from her. “Stay right there.”

She couldn’t have moved if the hotel were on fire.

Nate returned a second later, having shed his jeans and underwear and donned a condom.

Seeing him fully erect, Brooke swallowed the lump that suddenly appeared in her throat as she wondered how that would fit inside her.

“Are you sure about this, love?”

“Yes,” she said, certain she would never regret taking this step with this man. She held out her arms to him, and he came down on top of her, starting all over with deep, devouring kisses that quickly had her craving more. “Nate… Please.”

The tight press of his cock between her legs had her gasping, surprised by the pinch of pain that accompanied the pleasure.

“Nice and easy, sweetheart.” Nate brushed the hair back from her face as he gazed down at her with so much love. “We’ve got all the time in the world. There’s no rush.”

They were just the words she needed to hear as she struggled to take him in, to relax enough to allow this to happen, to not let the demons take over.

He’d been patient with her from the start and was again now, moving slowly and carefully until he’d entered her fully.

By then, she was having one orgasm after another, her body one gigantic nerve ending as he touched and caressed her until she was utterly mindless. It was safe to say that when she thought of sex in the future, it wouldn’t be with horror.

“Brooke.” His lips brushed over hers as he throbbed inside her.

She forced her eyes open and blinked him into focus. “Hmm?”

“I just want you to know…”

“What?”

“I love you. I really and truly love you.”

“I love you, too.”

He gathered her in close to him and began to move, teaching her one stroke at a time what it meant to make love.

At Camp David, the weekend had begun with a huge surprise. Eli had come with Candace and an announcement.

“We got married by a justice of the peace two days ago,” he said, seeming happier than he’d ever been.

“You did what?” Nick asked.

“We want to be together forever, and this way, nothing can stand in our way.”

Nick glanced at Sam, silently asking how they should react to this unexpected news.

“Congratulations.” Sam hugged them. “We hope you’ll be very happy together.”

“Thank you,” Elijah said. “We’re so excited and happy and all the things.”

Thanks to the fortune his father had left behind, Eli could easily afford to get married at twenty, but Sam could only hope they hadn’t been hasty.

Later that night, when she and Nick were in bed, he asked her what she really thought of Eli getting married.

“They’ve been through hell,” Sam said. “If they’ve found peace with each other, then so be it. If it doesn’t work out, they’ll survive, although I have a feeling they’re going to be fine. They’re obviously madly in love.”

“I’m worried he’ll want the twins to live with them now that he and Candace are married.”

The thought of that nearly stopped Sam’s heart. “He’s said he has no plans to uproot them, and we have to believe he meant that.”

“That was before Candace came back on the scene. Now he has a partner who can help him raise them.”

“Elijah has acted in the twins’ best interest from the start,” Sam said. “And he knows it wouldn’t be in their best interest to remove them from our home and family. They’re happy, healthy and thriving, despite the worst possible loss. He knows where they belong. Rather than worrying about things that aren’t going to happen, let’s celebrate gaining a bonus daughter.”

“A bonus daughter. I like that.”

“She’s estranged from her parents, so we’ll be her parents.”

“This family of ours just gets more interesting all the time.”

“Yes, it does.”

“I’ve been meaning to tell you that since the speech, we’ve been overrun with interview requests. Everyone is talking about what I said at the end about not campaigning.” The response to his speech had been unlike anything he ever could’ve expected, with praise for his sincerity and astonishment over his vow not to actively seek a full term, but to serve if elected.

“Because no one has ever said or done anything like that.”

“Maybe it’s high time they did. We waste so much money on campaigns that drag on forever. When I think of how many people that money could feed and house, it makes me sick. It’s such a hideous waste.”

“I’m so proud of my maverick husband,” she said, grinning as she used the nickname the media had given him after the speech.

“As much as that nickname makes me cringe, it beats ‘the unelected president.’”

“You shut that shit down with your airplane metaphor, which was so freaking perfect.”

“Enough about me. How’s Malone doing?”

“He’s okay, I think.”

He and Offenbach had both been placed on administrative leave while the Shane Ramsey shooting was investigated. “It was a clean shoot, and I’m sure they’ll both be cleared of any wrongdoing. Sergeant Ramsey, on the other hand, is making as much trouble as he possibly can for all of us. Business as usual where he’s concerned, even if he heard his son confess to the crimes before he was shot.”

“Ugh, I hate that for you guys.”

“Whatever. His son was a serial rapist-murderer who took a woman hostage. By taking his life, we saved hers. Those facts are irrefutable.”

“You have the truth on your side, although this case reminds me a bit of John and Thomas.” John O’Connor’s son had killed him and the women his father had slept with in some misguided attempt to gain justice for his mother.

“I’ve thought that, too, and yes, the truth is on our side,” Sam said. “Malone is using the suspension to try to find the captain who aided and abetted Stahl’s efforts to hide the fact that he didn’t do shit on the job. Captain Rosa seems to have gone missing, so we’ll be digging into that next week.”

“Do they think he was the one who helped Stahl?”

“Everyone else who was a captain or above at that time has checked out. Process of elimination has led us to Rosa, but now we just have to find him.” Sam ran her hand over his chest absently as they talked. “In other things I’ve been meaning to mention to you, have you noticed anything between Roni and Derek at work?”

“Like what?”

“Just a vibe I’ve picked up on.”

“I haven’t tuned in to that vibe, but I will now.”

“I like the idea of the two of them together.”

“As long as you like it, that’s what matters.”

Sam laughed at the truth of that statement.

Saturday was all about fun and games—sledding, horseback riding for the kids, hiking and playing in the game room until long after the twins’ usual bedtime. Sam didn’t feel confined or cut off or anything else this time, as she gave in to the camp’s relaxed vibe, determined to enjoy every second she could get with her family and friends.

That afternoon, she and Scotty held their long-postponed wrestling match at the Camp David gym, with Elijah serving as the impartial judge. Sam had to admit that Scotty more than held his own, but in the end, he was no match for her.

“Uncle, aunt, grandpa,” Scotty said when Sam had his face pressed to the mat and his arms in a tight hold behind his back.

“We have a winner,” Eli said. “Way to go, Sam, and nice challenge, Scotty.”

“Give me a year,” Scotty said, dusting himself off. “That’s going to go very differently for you, Mom.”

“I look forward to a rematch.”

“Moms are supposed to let their kids win,” he grumbled.

“Oh please,” Sam said. “That’s not how you want to win, and you say I cheat at Candy Land. Do you honestly think I’m going to let you win anything?”

“Obviously not,” Scotty said with a good-natured grin.

“She’s building your character, son,” Nick said. “One humiliating defeat at a time.”

“I’ll be nice and humble by the time she’s done with me,” Scotty said.

“That’s the goal.” Sam gave him a one-armed hug and a kiss on the head. “Even though you’re a wimp, I still love you.”

“Hey!” Scotty said. “Those are fighting words!”

“Enough fighting,” Nick said. “It’s time for lunch.”

Sunday morning, Sam and Nick had an early breakfast with Mike, Tracy, Terry, Lindsey, Harry, Lilia, Shelby and Avery at their Cedar cabin.

The kids watched a movie as the adults lingered at the table, enjoying second cups of coffee and the coffeecake Sam and Aubrey had baked the day before.

“Thanks again for having us,” Avery said. “Camp David is the bomb.”

“You know better than to say that word with the Secret Service within earshot,” Nick said to the man who’d once infuriated him, but who’d since become a friend.

“Whoops,” Avery said with a sheepish grin.

“An FBI agent should know better,” Sam said with a teasing grin for Avery.

“I’m so off duty, it’s not even funny,” Avery said, snuggling his and Shelby’s son, Noah, as he took a late-morning snooze.

“Where are Angela and Spence this morning?” Nick asked after he’d finished checking the headlines on his iPad.

“I don’t know.” Sam reached for her phone to text her sister. “She said they’d be here for breakfast. Maybe they decided to sleep in instead.”

She’d no sooner said that than Angela came rushing in the door, looking white-faced and panicked. “Spencer won’t wake up.”

Don’t despair! I won’t make you wait long to find out what happens next! State of Shock, First Family book four, will pick up right where this one left off and will be out in three short months on December 20th! Preorder it now at https://marieforce.com/stateofshock to read it Christmas week. Also, if you haven’t yet read Roni’s story in Someone Like You, grab your copy at https://marieforce.com/someonelikeyou. Sam and Nick appear in that book!

Want a bonus Sam and Nick after the State of the Union? Click here to sign up for Marie’s mailing list to gain access to the bonus scene!

Join the State of the Union Reader Group at facebook.com/groups/stateoftheunion3/ to discuss this story with spoilers allowed and encouraged and make sure you’re also a member of the Fatal/First Family Group at facebook.com/groups/FatalSeries to be the first to hear series news and updates. Also, join the Book Club chat, with spoilers allowed, for State of the Union on Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. ET at facebook.com/marieforcebookclub.

A huge thanks to my good friend, retired Captain Russell Hayes of the Newport, RI, Police Department, who was such a huge help to me during the writing of this book, answering a million questions, or so it seemed. Russ is always there for me when I need him and has been part of my journey with Sam and my fictional MPD for nineteen books and two novellas. I couldn’t write this series without his incredible help and support.

As I researched Camp David and Marine One, I enjoyed reading these books: Inside Camp David: The Private World and Presidential Retreat by Rear Admiral Michael Giorgione, CEC, USN (Retired), and Inside Marine One: Four U.S. Presidents, One Proud Marine and the World’s Most Amazing Helicopter, by Colonel Ray “Frenchy” L’Heureux with Lee Kelley.

Thanks as always to the team that makes it happen for me behind the scenes: Julie Cupp, Lisa Cafferty, Jean Mello, Nikki Haley and Ashley Lopez. Kristina Brinton is the wonderful cover designer for this series, and I appreciate her amazing work at bringing Sam and Nick’s stories to life on the covers. Thank you to Dani Sanchez and the team at Wildfire for the publicity help.

I’m thrilled to have Eva Kaminsky continuing as the narrator for the audiobooks for this series, and if you haven’t yet experienced Eva’s awesome work, check out the Fatal and First Family Series in audio. We’re working to bring back some of the earlier Fatal books in audio, rerecorded by Eva, since the rights have reverted to me. The earlier titles currently not on sale will be returning over the next year or so.

Thank you to my wonderful editing team of Joyce Lamb and Linda Ingmanson, as well as my beta readers Anne Woodall, Kara Conrad and Tracey Suppo. Gwen Neff, my editorial assistant, helps me with continuity and fact-checking of past books, and her assistance has been invaluable as she read this book four times checking for everything. Thank you, Gwen! A huge shout-out to the Fatal/First Family Series beta readers: Kelly, Irene, Jennifer, Karina, Jenny, Mona, Marti, Ellen, Maricar, Viki, Kelley, Juliane, Gina, Elizabeth and Sarah.

And finally, I can’t say enough about the fans of this series and how amazing you are. Your love for Sam and Nick keeps me going as we head toward the twentieth book in their story with no end in sight. Thank you for your amazing support of this story over the last twelve years. I love you all so much!

xoxo

Marie

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