Nick went into the bedroom to change into his favorite Harvard T-shirt and sweats. He exhaled a deep breath, thankful to have survived this day mostly intact, even if his emotions were still all over the place. He was about to text Sam to ask when she might get home when she came into the bathroom, where he was leaning against their double sinks with his phone in hand. “There’s my gorgeous wife.”
She came to him and wrapped him up in her love, holding him just right and filling him with a powerful feeling of homecoming. There was nothing she could’ve done that would’ve meant more to him. When she finally pulled back some time later, she looked up at him, studying his face, probably looking for signs of despair. “How’re you doing?”
“Hanging in.”
“Christina did an amazing job with the briefing,” Sam said.
“Yes, she did.”
“Still, it’s not the easiest thing to have made public.”
“I tell myself it has nothing to do with me.”
“And yet…”
“Yeah.”
“I hate her for continuing to hurt you this way.”
“Don’t waste the energy. She’s not worth it.” He tipped her chin up and kissed her. “Let’s go find our Littles and have dinner with the kids.”
“Give me five minutes to get changed.”
“Take your time. I’ll run upstairs to get them.”
“Invite Celia to come for dinner.”
“Will do.” He kissed her again and left her to get changed while he went upstairs.
The door to Celia’s suite was open, and the sound of little voices made him smile as he approached. “Knock, knock.”
“Nick!” Alden ran for him, with Aubrey in hot pursuit.
Was there anything better than a greeting like that from his Littles? He lifted them both into his arms and kissed them until they were giggling madly. “Did you guys have a good day?”
“It was Michael’s birthday at school, so we had cupcakes,” Aubrey said.
“Yum. That sounds fun.”
“They were red!” Alden said.
“Even better.” Nick put them down. “Grab your stuff. It’s dinnertime.” To Celia, he said, “Sam and I would love for you to join us for dinner, if you’d like to.”
“That’d be fun. I’ll be down in a few.”
Their social secretary and close friend Shelby Faircloth Hill came into the room and received the same greeting from her son, Noah, as Nick had from the twins. He toddled on chubby legs to get to his mother.
Since Shelby was heavily pregnant with her second child, she bent to hug her son but didn’t lift him. “How’s my big boy?”
“Mama.”
“Are you guys free for dinner?” Nick asked.
“In fact, we are. Avery is out of town.”
Nick suspected Avery was in Ohio dealing with his mother, but he’d talked about her enough for one day. “Come down to eat with us.”
“Thanks. We’d love to, wouldn’t we, Noah?”
“Mama. Dinner.”
“Yes, my love. We’re going to have dinner with Alden and Aubrey.”
They were his favorites. Hell, they were everyone’s favorites.
A few minutes later, with the people he loved best gathered around the dining room table for a dinner of chicken, potatoes, stuffing, green beans and corn, Nick felt like he could breathe again for the first time since the news had broken about his mother that morning.
Being with Sam, their kids and their loving extended family more than made up for the deficiencies of his childhood. These people and many others would do anything for him, and that meant so much to him. But underneath it all, lurking as she had from the beginning of his life, was the woman who’d given birth to him and then treated him with reckless disregard ever since.
Nick had learned that he could find the love of his life, build a family with her that filled him with joy and ascend to the highest office in the land, but his mother would continue to haunt him.
Nicoletta sat in a crowded jail cell, waiting for something to happen. She wasn’t sure what, but no one seemed to care that she was the mother of the U.S. president, which was concerning. How could that not count for anything? They’d asked if she had a lawyer, but she didn’t know anyone.
They’d said someone would be appointed.
That was probably the hang-up, waiting for the lawyer.
A man in a suit appeared outside her cell. He was handsome, with gorgeous caramel-colored hair, golden eyes and cheekbones she would kill for. “Who are you?”
“FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Avery Hill.”
He had a cultured Southern accent that was to die for. She’d always had a soft spot for a Southern gentleman.
“What do you want?” she asked.
“Have they called an attorney for you?”
“They said they did.”
“I’ll speak to you when your attorney arrives.”
“About what?”
The agent tipped his head. “The charges you’re facing.”
“Did my daughter-in-law send you?”
“Who’s your daughter-in-law?”
“As if you don’t know.”
“Enlighten me.”
“The first lady!”
“Of the United States?”
“Is there another first lady?”
“Well, each of the states has one, unless the governor is a woman. Then they have a first gentleman.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
“You asked if there was another first lady.”
She hoped her scowl told him what she thought of his sassy comment. “Do you know my son?”
“The president? Yes, I know him.”
“Did he send you here?”
“No, ma’am. I don’t work for him. Well, technically, I do, but there’re a lot of layers of bureaucracy between him and me.”
“Do you know her?”
“Who do you mean?”
“His bitch of a wife.”
“Yes, I know her. She’s a lovely person.”
“No, she isn’t. I know she’s behind all of this.”
“How so?”
“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. When I do, I’m going to ruin her.”
“You’re not threatening the first lady, are you? Because, as you can probably assume, I’d have to do something about that as a federal agent. If you’re threatening her, that is.”
“I never threatened her, but don’t tell me she isn’t a hateful bitch.”
“Okay, I won’t.”
“You DC people are all in bed with each other. It wouldn’t surprise me if you told me you were having an affair with her.”
The handsome, sexy man became even more so when he smiled. “If you know anything about your son and his wife, it’s that neither of them is having an affair with anyone, because they’re madly in love with each other.”
Nicoletta couldn’t believe her gorgeous, smart, successful son had married a shrew like her. “What do you want, Agent Hill?”
“I was just checking on when you think your attorney might arrive.”
“I’m here.” A short, balding man in a cheap suit came rushing over to where Agent Hill stood. A man like him should never stand next to someone like Agent Hill. Looking at the two of them was like watching the sun eclipse the moon.
“I’m Roland Ducharme from the public defender’s office, Ms. Bernadino.” To the agent, he said, “May I have a moment alone with my client?”
“Of course,” Hill said. “I’ll be in the interrogation room when you’re ready. I’m sure you know the drill.”
“I do. We’ll be along shortly.”
After Agent Hill walked away, Roland glanced around to make sure no one who mattered would overhear him. “Ma’am, you’re in a heap of trouble.”
When Avery entered the room the police had assigned for his use, he sent a quick text to Shelby. Might be here overnight. Sorry.
No problem. We’ll be fine, but we’ll miss you.
I miss you guys, too. How are you feeling?
Big like a whale, heartburn so bad it’s like I’m on fire and the usual nightly flatulence.
I’m very sorry to miss that. I look forward to it all day.
Her laughter emojis made him smile. You’re sick in the head.
Love you and Noah. Tell him Daddy said good night.
I will. We love you, too.
I’ll call you when I get to a hotel.
If I don’t answer, I’m dead asleep.
Should I just call in the morning, then?
That might be better. We had dinner with S&N and just got home. I’m so tired, I might fall over.
Don’t do that. Get some rest. Make sure you set the alarm.
Already done.
Good. Sweet dreams.
You, too!
He wanted to tell her what a bitch Nick’s mother was, but he’d never put that in writing. But what a piece of work she was. Of course, he’d heard the stories about her and had seen her in action during several TV interviews that’d cast a negative light on the son she claimed to love with all her heart. Meeting her in person had confirmed that she was every bit as vile as she seemed. No one needed a mother like her.
It made him sad for Nick to have to deal with her shit right when he was beginning to make inroads in convincing the American people to accept him as their president.
From what their investigators had unearthed, Nicoletta had been a busy, busy lady, dabbling in everything from prostitution to drugs to money laundering. And that was just what they’d found thus far. He’d be surprised if she didn’t spend a big chunk of time in prison.
The president’s mother.
It was almost too much to be believed.
His phone rang with a call from Shelby.
“Avery!”
“What’s wrong?”
“I think there’s someone in the house.”
His entire body went rigid with shock and fear. “Shelby!”
He heard a struggle, Noah’s sharp cry, and then the line went dead. For a second, he couldn’t remember what he was supposed to do at a time like this, and then his training kicked in. He called his deputy, George Terrell.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“My… My family, George. Shelby called to say someone was in the house.”
“I’m on my way, and I’ll call the cavalry.”
“George.”
“I’m on it, Avery. Hang tight. I’ll be back to you as soon as I know anything.”
After the call ended, Avery stood in the generic interrogation room that looked like all the others he’d seen during his career. A million things ran through his mind as he contemplated what was happening at home. Had someone come for him and been disappointed to find only his wife and son? Would he ever see them again?
He’d never felt that kind of panic as he ran from the police station, past the astonished officers he’d recently met and spoken with. He jumped into the government car that had met him at the tarmac and ordered them to get him to the airport as fast as possible. On the way, he kept trying to call Shelby, but the phone just rang and rang.
When he ran toward the government plane that had ferried him to Cleveland earlier, the two Air Force pilots who’d flown him there chased after him. He wasn’t sure where they’d come from, but he didn’t have time to care.
“Agent Hill?”
“I need to get back to DC right away.”
“Yes, sir. We’ll have you airborne as soon as possible.”
His heart raced from anxiety and exertion as he tried to call Shelby again. The call went straight to voice mail.
“What do you want?” Shelby asked the woman with the sunken green eyes, wild brown hair and track marks on her arms. Shelby figured her to be in her midthirties, but it was hard to tell for sure.
She pointed a gun at Shelby. “Where’s Agent Hill?”
“He’s not here.”
“I can see that. Where is he?”
Shelby tried to keep herself together as she debated whether it was in her best interest to tell the truth or make the woman believe that Avery might be home at any moment. She chose the latter. “He’s on his way home.”
“When will he be here?”
“I’m not sure.”
Her phone rang and rang. She ached when she imagined what he’d be going through, knowing they were in danger.
Noah cried so hard, his little body shook.
“Shut him up, or I will.”
“You’d hurt an innocent child?”
“He’s nothing to me.”
The nonchalant way in which she said that terrified Shelby. There was nothing she wouldn’t do to protect Noah and her unborn child.
A man came into the room, looking as unkempt as the woman. His teeth were as yellow as his eyes. “Where is he?”
“Not here.”
“I can see that.” To Shelby, he said, “Where is he?”
“On his way home.” That there were two of them truly terrified her. “What do you want?”
“We want to talk to him. Shut that kid up.”
“He’s due for his bottle. I need to go downstairs to get it.”
“We’ll go with you.”
Shelby’s legs felt like rubber as she went downstairs with Noah in her arms, trying not to drop him. She shouldn’t have been carrying him. He was too heavy for her in the third trimester, but when that woman had appeared in her bedroom, Shelby had reached for her son and held him tightly to her chest.
She held him with one arm as she prepared the bottle he had only at bedtime now. Her hands were shaking so hard, she could barely function. Would they kill her and Noah if they didn’t get what they’d come for? And how had they gotten in? They must’ve already been there when she got home, but how was that possible? She’d set the alarm when she left for work. Hadn’t she? They’d overslept and had been running late. Had she forgotten? When she got home, had she disarmed it? Why couldn’t she remember?
When tears flooded her eyes, she refused to let them blind her. She used her sleeve to mop them up. Noah needed her to stay focused, so that’s what she would do. By now, Avery had sounded every alarm available to him, and help would be on the way.
She went into the living room she and Avery had put together piece by piece over the last year and sat on the brown leather sofa he’d wanted. Had she ever told him that he’d been right about the sofa? It was gorgeous and held up perfectly against the shenanigans of a toddler.
Shelby wanted to scream from the outrage of strangers in their home, of a gun pointing at her, Noah and their unborn child as she fed Noah his bottle. In this position, it would be so easy for the man to shoot them. The bullet would hit Noah first, a thought that would’ve brought her to her knees had she been standing.
“Call your husband. Find out when he’ll be home.”
“My… My phone is upstairs.”
To the woman, he said, “Go get it, and hurry up about it.”
“Fuck you, Willy. I don’t work for you.”
“Move your ass, or I’ll shoot you in it.”
Shelby watched the scene with a sense of surreal disbelief. Was this really happening, or was she having one of the vivid dreams that’d been part of both pregnancies?
The woman returned with Shelby’s phone and handed it to her.
“Call him. Tell him his family’s life depends on him getting his ass home right away. Put the call on speaker.”
Shelby found his number first on her list of favorites and made the call.
“Baby,” he said, sounding distraught. “Are you all right?”
“There’re some people here to see you. They said to tell you my life and Noah’s depends on you getting home soon.”
“I’m two hours out.”
“Okay.”
“Are you…”
“We’re fine,” Shelby said with a defiant look for the man named Willy.
“For now,” Willy said, “but your old man needs to hurry home before someone gets hurt.”
His words struck terror in Shelby’s heart, but she refused to let him see that. She tightened her hold on Noah, who’d dozed off while drinking his bottle. She’d do whatever it took to protect him and the baby.