Chapter Fifteen

 

“Are you sure nothing’s wrong?” Gus asked as they strode down the hallway toward the press room.

Liz wasn’t sure of anything after the previous night. Her odd spat with Zack had ended when she climbed into bed with him for a fitful night of sleep. This morning, he’d been his usual smooth-as-silk self, awakening her with kisses and making love to her like nothing had happened the night before. Still, when he looked at her, she’d seen something in his eyes she didn’t like, a distance she’d never seen, even when they hadn’t been lovers. She tried to write it off as his funky mood or her imagination…but worry lingered.

“Everything is fine. Well, as fine as it can be, given what’s going on.” She stopped because if they wanted to finish this conversation in private, they couldn’t get any closer to Vanessa, who waited steps away with a bottle of water and her notes for the weekly press briefing.

“I meant between you and Zack. He and Roman are scheming. I had a long talk with my fiancé last night, but I couldn’t get him to budge. He’s claiming Chinese wall privilege, the bastard.”

Only two lawyers would use that term in their romance, referring to the ethical division that kept their respective jobs separate from their personal lives. Basically, Roman had refused to tell his bride-to-be anything he and Zack exchanged. No doubt that made Gus crazy.

“He’s right, you know. He can’t tell you or Zack won’t be able to be open and honest with him.”

Gus’s eyes rolled. “Ethics suck. They’re up to something. I know it.”

Liz wasn’t sure what Roman would be up to besides his job, which entailed listening to Zack and advising him. “Is he worried about Krylov being in town?”

Gus shook her head. “No. They’ve got a security firm, someone Connor knows from his CIA days, tracking him now. They say he’s already back in New York. Well, what they say is he’s in New York and they can’t figure out how he left. Apparently they don’t have any footage of him ever exiting the hotel, much less stepping foot in DC.”

“He’s a mobster. I’m sure he’s had plenty of practice eluding cameras and agents.”

That’s what was bugging her. She and Zack hadn’t talked about the incident with Krylov at all this morning. After he’d made love to her, he’d dressed in sweats and his running shoes, then told her he would see her later. She would have thought Zack had put the whole thing out of his mind except he’d made her promise she wouldn’t leave the White House without an escort.

“Well, all I know is the guys have gone into hyper alpha-protective-asshole mode. All of them. When I told Roman I intended to go to your place and pick up some clothes for you, he had a hissy. Have you ever seen a six-foot, three-inch wall of muscle have a hissy? It’s a sight…” Gus sighed. “Apparently Connor will be selecting your wardrobe for the next week. I tried to take care of it for you but was told in no uncertain terms that he can handle shoving clothes in a suitcase. He’s going to get all the wrong shoes and probably forget your undies. I’ll apologize in advance for his fashion ignorance.”

Liz cringed at the thought of Connor rifling through her underwear drawer, but she acknowledged the reasoning behind it. “It’s all right. They’re worried. I didn’t really want to go back there in the first place, but now it’s a no. You probably shouldn’t go, either.”

“Hmm. So, I’m told the press is like a school of hungry sharks today.” Gus nodded toward the room where the briefings took place. “Don’t give them any chum. Put on a happy face, pretend like the world isn’t falling apart, and do what you do best. Once this is over with, we have a wedding to plan—and we’ve got to be quiet and fast about it.”

A genuine smile curled up Liz’s lips. Clearly, something good had come from last night because when she’d gone to the bunker to have morning coffee with Sara, she’d found a very cozy couple ready to tie the knot. “I’m so happy for them, but have we considered the fact that Mad’s death certificate has been filed? Officially, he’s dead. I’m not sure how we make their marriage legal.”

Gus brushed those details aside. “We don’t, at least not yet. The ceremony is for the two of them. Mostly, I think Mad wants a ring on her finger in case anything goes poorly. As soon as we can, we’ll get all the paperwork done and make it right. But this gives us an excuse to celebrate, and we all need that right now.”

“I think we can plan a serviceable wedding in a couple of days. They’re getting married in a bunker—a place where many a war was launched—so the ambiance will be…interesting. Have you considered it for your own ceremony?”

Gus laughed, the sound booming in the quiet of the hall. “Wouldn’t it be fitting? Roman and I are in a constant state of trying to figure out what the other is plotting. It keeps us both on our toes. Come on. It’s go time. I’m going to try to blend in at the back and sneak out before they can surround me. Be on your toes because you know someone will ask about the Capitol Scandals story. And now that our interview has been postponed, the questions are likely to start.”

That news jarred Liz. “I thought the guys were insisting that you two go through with it.”

Gus gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder. “I told Roman that until you were comfortable with it, he could do that interview all on his own. He knows damn well it doesn’t work without me. He’s looking out for Zack. Someone needs to do the same for you. Let me know if you need anything.”

God, she loved Gus. Liz had no idea what she would do without her. “Thank you.”

As they started down the hall again, Vanessa looked at her watch as they approached. “You’re cutting it close today. Here’s the briefing. I typed it up from your notes.”

“Thank you.” She took the papers and the water bottle.

“You had a call from Mr. Harding this morning,” Vanessa said, following her to the door.

The last person she needed now was Paul. “I think Zack should handle that one.”

After all, he wasn’t listening to her counsel about how dangerous Joy’s father could be to Zack’s reputation. Maybe if he talked to his former father-in-law himself, he would grasp the gravity of Paul’s threats.

A single intensely judgmental brow rose over Vanessa’s eyes. “I’ll let Mr. Harding know you aren’t interested in dealing with him.”

Liz scowled at the woman. “Do you have something to say?”

The younger woman shrugged. “The man lost his daughter publicly and violently. You were supposedly friends with her. It seems harsh for you to just dismiss him.”

“Well, this is a family matter best handled by family, which I am not. So until you know the whole story, maybe you shouldn’t form opinions.” Liz dragged in a bracing breath and stopped. Vanessa’s assessment didn’t matter. She couldn’t know the whole story. “I’ll call Mr. Harding when I’m done here and see if I can connect him with the president. Thank you for letting me know.”

Without waiting for Vanessa’s reply, she threw open the door and forced herself to step behind the podium with a smile plastered on her face. As she addressed the press, the chaos began.

 

 

Twenty minutes in, Liz nodded at the reporter in the front row. “Candace.”

The woman in the professional red power suit stood. “Does the president have any response to the story printed on the Capitol Scandals website about the affair his chief of staff allegedly had with his wife prior to her death?”

She glanced to the back of the White House briefing room and found Gus standing there. She gave Liz a shrug as if to say you knew that was coming.

“The president chooses not to respond to tabloids.” It was the simplest answer. And it was the truth.

“The New York Times will be publishing a story tomorrow corroborating much of what Capitol Scandals reported,” Candace insisted.

“I will ask the president if he wishes to respond after he’s read the article. Bob?”

Bob Hewitt, from one of the largest cable news networks, stood. “This is about the natural gas pipeline project. The original timeline for an announcement has passed without a single word from the White House about its status. Are there any new developments?”

They had originally planned to announce the project in London a few weeks ago. That would have launched the major platform for his second term. But the Russians’ blackmail threats had changed all of their plans. “As you know when attempting a project as technologically advanced as a transatlantic natural gas pipeline, many factors and issues must be considered. We have to take into account not only whether the project is viable, but also what effects it will have on the environment and the people affected by its building and maintenance. For all those reasons, the president wants to move cautiously and will keep everyone updated as to the project’s current status.”

Suddenly, every member of the room collectively bounced out of their seats. Liz quickly realized she was no longer the center of their attention.

She glanced over her shoulder to see Zack walking into the press room via the private entrance she’d used. He headed straight for the podium. Roman followed, looking big and grim in his tailored suit, like a fashionable reaper.

Anxiety churned Liz’s stomach. Was this the scheme Gus feared they were plotting and planning? Liz glanced across the room, and sure enough Gus was glaring at her fiancé. He stared right back in a silent battle of wills.

“Ms. Matthews, if I could have the floor, please.” Zack was solicitous, his face a polite blank.

She was not looking into the face of her lover, but an inscrutable stranger.

“What’s going on?” The question slipped out.

“If you’ll move out of the way, I’ll tell you.”

His words doused her like a frigid shower. He’d cut her entirely out of the decision-making process and would tell her whatever he’d decided when he told the press. Before he said another word, Liz already knew that whatever he uttered next would change things between them.

She stepped back. “I wouldn’t dream of standing in your way.”

His eyes gave away nothing as he climbed up to the podium, but the smile on his lips was the practiced expression of a career politician, nothing real.

Liz joined Roman a few paces away. “What’s going on?”

“Zack is tired of waiting, and I agree,” Roman said enigmatically.

“Waiting for what?” she whispered.

“Everyone, settle down.” Zack raised a hand as he turned on the charm and ignored questions shouted his way. The crowd seemed to calm. “I wanted to make a few things plain about the pipeline. This was a project conceived by my predecessor, and it’s one I believe in. We’ve done the work. As much as we can, we know both the positive and negative impacts this project could potentially have. So, with great enthusiasm I announce that we’re moving forward. I’ve got a group of the world’s smartest engineers meeting to plan the launch of a transatlantic pipeline that will bring American energy to the rest of the world. It will lower costs for our neighbors by introducing competition where there is none, and it will provide jobs for this country. I’ll have a more formal announcement and documentation available this afternoon. My press secretary will be more than happy to distribute it to you when it’s available.”

Liz stared at him, her whole body going cold. He’d just put a massive target on his back and he hadn’t once mentioned that he was even considering it.

“How could he do this?” she murmured to Roman. “After what happened to Holland…”

“He did it because of what happened to Holland. Now they have to make a move, and we can get this over with,” Roman explained, his eyes steely. “Now they’ll know we won’t be cowed and maybe find someone else to push around. Don’t worry, Liz. He’s determined to protect you.”

“He’s not protecting himself,” she sputtered.

“If you can’t hold it together, you should leave. They’re watching,” Roman said.

They were. Most eyes were on the president, but she could see a few reporters staring her way, their gazes razor sharp, like predators sensing a good meal.

She forced a passive smile on her face, so she didn’t give them anything that made the administration look less than one-hundred-percent in sync. No infighting. That had been their motto from day one. Of course they’d also promised to trust one another. Zack had never kept any job-affecting decision from her, so she’d always walked up to the podium with perfect confidence and the total trust of the pool of reporters who covered the White House.

Until today.

Now, she forced herself to stand serenely and look at Zack as if this had always been the plan and she was happy to serve.

Her heart thundered in her chest as Zack waved and brought the briefing to a close. He turned, ignoring the reporters who again leapt to their feet, shouting questions as he left the room. Liz fell into step behind him, Roman at her side.

Zack turned the minute they were safely out of the press room and in the hallway. “I’ll have those documents to you in a few hours. They shouldn’t expect anything before five. Let me know if you have any other questions.”

Oh, she had plenty of questions. “How could you ambush me like that?”

He took her by the elbow and drew her away from the others. She hadn’t even noticed Vanessa hanging around, but Zack obviously had. “I didn’t ambush you. The plan changed very recently, and I thought I should brief the press.”

“You could have mentioned it to me.”

“It was on a need-to-know basis, and until now you didn’t need to know,” Zack replied without an ounce of emotion. “You are my press secretary, not an advisor on this project. And you know there are things I can’t tell you. You’ve always known that.”

“I still don’t understand why you hijacked the press conference and dropped this bomb with zero notice.”

Frustration showed in the way his jaw tightened, in the set of his shoulders. “How I what? I proceeded with a project that we all agree is important. That’s all.”

She kept her voice low but couldn’t entirely hide her panic. “You’re acting like this announcement was no big deal, but you and I both know this could get you killed.”

“I’ve thought a lot about this,” he replied with a long sigh. “I don’t have any public appearances, so if they’re going to try to assassinate me, they’ll have to know my schedule. Roman and I discussed changing it up every day. I won’t be easy to find, and Thomas is on alert. Connor will also stick close for a couple of weeks.”

“Close enough to stop a bullet? Because that’s what he might have to do.”

He cupped her shoulders and forced her to look up at him. “Elizabeth, I can’t give in to blackmail. I have to move forward. I’ve got two choices at this point. I can move on and deal with whatever happens, or I can step down and allow them to work their worst on my VP, who you know is deeply vulnerable to blackmail. Which one would you have me do?”

She understood his impulse. Zack wasn’t a man used to being anything less than totally in control, but the Russians were serious. They’d killed before and they wouldn’t hesitate to do so again. “The one that makes you safe.”

“Then you picked the wrong man and we should have a long talk about our relationship.”

Frustration welled. “Zack, I’m just worried about you. If we had more time to think about this, to plan something—”

“But we don’t. Sometimes you have to force a fight out into the open in order to win it. I know what I’m doing. The question is, are you willing to stand with me or do you want to call it quits?” He loomed over her. “If you’re worried about your own safety, then I think you should hand over the press office to Gus and I’ll put you in protective custody. I know it doesn’t feel fair, but if you’re not completely with me, I’ll have to insist you stay in a safe house until this is over.”

She felt the blood leave her face. “You want me to leave?”

He shook his head. “I’m giving you all your options. You might not want to risk staying with me since you don’t agree with my plans and you’re worried it’s unsafe.”

“I didn’t know about your plans until two minutes ago,” she argued with a shake of her head. “You didn’t bother to bring me into any of your decisions and announced what was happening before I got any say. I thought we were a team.”

“We are, but you’ve always known who I am and that I won’t let you make decisions for me.” Zack’s voice had gone rough, the first sign that he was emotional at all.

“You can’t include me, even when the decision affects me? When it means our friends could be targeted?”

“Elizabeth, I have more to think about than merely our friends. Of all the people in the world, I would think you could understand that. I am the president. I don’t get to be selfish. I have to do what’s best for this country or get the fuck out of the way and hand the job over to someone who will,” Zack swore. “If I step down now, Wallace Shorn takes the White House. Then nothing will stop them. So what would you have me do? If I give in on this, they’ll want more. Should I give them our nuclear codes so you won’t be afraid?”

“That’s not at all what I said and it’s certainly not fair.”

“None of this is fair, and you arguing is only making it worse for me,” he pointed out, his jaw tight. “I’m trying so hard not to fail, to do the right thing, and you’re working against me.”

“How can you say that? I’m only asking you to be more cautious.”

“And that’s impossible.” He stepped back. “I can’t have this fight now. I’m supposed to be in a meeting in ten minutes. Following that, I have a call with the French president.”

She gathered herself with a breath. “I can feel you pulling away from me and I don’t know what to do. Would you prefer I step down and let Gus run things for you?”

“You’ll go in a safe house.”

“Zack, I’m asking you what you want. I don’t understand what’s going on between us, so you’ll have to tell me flat out. Would you like me to leave? I’ll go into the safe house if that makes things easier on you. I can be ready this afternoon, and you won’t have to see me again.”

He stared at her, expressionless. “That’s very martyr-like of you.”

“I’m not being a martyr. I simply don’t want to stay with a man who doesn’t want me anymore. I guess the chase was the excitement for you. The reality of living with me doesn’t seem to have met your expectations.”

“Elizabeth, I am trying not to fail my country.”

Liz scanned his face and did her best to see things his way. How much was this plot costing him? To her, he was behaving like a complete asshole, but the fate of the free world really was in his hands. She was caught between being selfish on behalf of the man she loved and potentially playing his doormat and fool. “I’m not trying to come between you and your duty, Zack. I don’t understand this distance between us and I don’t want to overstay my welcome. Tell me what you want from me.”

He said nothing for a long moment. Liz was terrified that he would turn and walk away from her, maybe for good. Then he bowed his head, almost as if it was too heavy to hold up, in addition to all the weight of his responsibility. “I want you to be waiting for me after work. I want us to be normal. I want to be able to concentrate on loving the woman I’ve sought for years without all the rest of this shit hanging over our heads.”

Liz felt her heart soften immediately and she reached for his hand. “I’m sorry. I’ll back off. After I distribute the pipeline documents you send me, I’ll be waiting for you this evening. We’ll shut the door and we’ll only talk about happy things, like how we’re going to make a wedding for a billionaire happen in a day and a half without actually spending any of his money.”

Liz forced a smile, willing to say almost anything to replace that hollow look in his eyes, to get back to the loving warmth they’d shared before Krylov had invaded her apartment and turned everything upside down. Was he still reeling from that incident? Zack played things very close to the vest, but his emotions also ran deep.

His lips curled up ever so slightly. “Technically, Mad is broke since he’s legally dead. Make Gabe pay for the nuptials. He inherited everything, according to Mad’s will. Besides, his sister is the bride, and her family is supposed to pay.”

“I’ll be sure to point that out to him.” She sent Zack a tentative smile.

How much was the strain of this Russian conspiracy weighing on him?

She started to walk away, but he wrapped his long fingers around her arm and tugged her back to him. “I really am trying. I won’t let you get hurt. No matter what happens. I promise. Even if things seem to go sideways, I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”

Liz felt like he was trying to tell her something, but she didn’t understand his message. Or maybe she was reading too much into his speech. “I know, and I’ll do my best to protect you, too.”

He hesitated, stared into her eyes. Gaging her sincerity? Then he blinked, and the look was gone. Before she could ask, he pulled her in and kissed her swiftly. “I’ll see you tonight.”

He stepped away to join Roman, who looked over his shoulder at her before they left.

She swore she saw suspicion in the chief of staff’s eyes.

What on earth…?

“I told you they were plotting,” Gus complained as she joined Liz. “Damn it. Let’s get back to the office. Apparently, we have a lot of work to do. Those bastards could have given us a freaking heads-up. And you know they won’t let us go anywhere now.”

Liz couldn’t disagree. Zack and his right-hand man were definitely plotting. Why did she suddenly have the feeling they might be plotting against her?

 

* * * *

 

Zack couldn’t get her expression out of his head.

I thought we were a team.

He hadn’t seen betrayal on her face. That he might have been able to take. Instead, he had seen sorrow. He’d made her and her feelings seem insignificant. The moment he’d realized that, he’d expended all his willpower to stop himself from dragging her into his arms and begging her forgiveness. But he couldn’t. That wasn’t part of the plan.

“I think that went surprisingly well.” Connor had been waiting in the Oval when they’d returned. He’d been a part of the early morning session hammering out the shift in their strategy for dealing with the blackmailers. Gabe and Dax had also been in on the move, which included getting Holland and Everly ready to move into the White House. Temporarily, he hoped.

Yesterday had proven they had to speed up this global game of chicken if they wanted to have any shot at winning.

“I don’t know about that.” Zack had projected cool and calm in front of the press, but inside he was so fucking angry he could barely see straight. Angry at the Russians and his own forefathers, who had apparently dragged him into this shitshow. Angry with Elizabeth for her seeming betrayal. Angry—so damn angry—at himself for wanting to believe her…and not quite being able to. In all his life, only his closest circle of longtime friends had never betrayed him.

Would Elizabeth be the first?

“I know that was rough, but you had to do it.” Roman’s voice brought him out of his thoughts.

“Did I? I couldn’t have talked to her beforehand? Given her even a five-minute heads-up that we’d decided to completely change the game? Or how about simply sitting her down, showing her the evidence we have against her, and asking her flat out for an explanation?”

Roman sank into the chair across from him with a sigh. “You know why that’s a bad idea.”

Because if she was working with the Russians, Zack’s element of surprise would be blown.

“I hate to admit it, but in this case Roman is right.” Connor paced the Oval Office.

“Thank you.” Roman waved a hand, looking relieved that someone backed him up.

Connor stopped, sending Roman a glare that could freeze fire. “Not because I’m saying Liz is an operative. And consider that if she even gets a hint that Zack thinks she’s working with the enemy, she’ll do something stupid like run off on her own, either to lick her wounds or to prove her innocence.”

“And if she is working for them, worse things than her telling them all our secrets could happen,” Roman shot back. “Do you think I’m such an asshole that I’ve given zero consideration to her welfare? I don’t know why she’s behaving this way or allowing herself to be manipulated into it, but have either of you thought about what happens if she’s no longer of value to the Russians? Hear me out. They killed Joy. We’re absolutely certain of that. They probably killed her because she was worth more to them dead than alive. They’d already determined she couldn’t manipulate Zack the way they’d hoped a wife could, so they waited for a moment her martyrdom would have maximum impact and pulled the trigger. But they probably knew a few years into the marriage that Joy had no sway over Zack, so they came up with a plan B and moved Liz into place.”

“We don’t know that.” Zack hated how certain Roman always sounded when he talked about Elizabeth working for the enemy. He knew Roman always operated from his convictions, and it had served them well over the years. Today, it rankled.

“We do know that these men will discard her if they think for a second she’s outlived her usefulness, whether or not she understands she was ever their tool.” Roman seemingly tempered his words. He’d always been good at reading Zack’s cues and adjusting. It was one of the reasons they worked so well together. “This is the best play. It protects her, too.”

Connor shrugged slightly. “It will tell us quickly how they’ll respond if we refuse to play along. We have to be ready for almost anything. I’m moving in this afternoon. Lara’s already picked out a bedroom.”

They’d decided to move everyone into the White House for the time being. If anyone asked, they would give some excuse about the preparations for Roman and Gus’s wedding. It wasn’t as if Zack hadn’t had guests before. He was a bachelor, so the staff was used to him having his friends stay for the company. Now, though, they all had wives or fiancées.

Would Elizabeth be around a year from now? How about six months? He’d meant what he’d said to her. No matter what happened, he would protect her. He would never allow her to be hurt or arrested.

He might have to question her at some point, though. Intelligence and surveillance both indicated that Krylov had never left his hotel yesterday. This morning, he’d been walking around New York as though nothing at all had happened. When the feds had brought him in for questioning, he’d claimed he’d spent the entire day in his hotel room, sick after eating bad sushi the night before. They’d been forced to let him go. For now.

If that was true and Elizabeth wasn’t working for the Russians, why would she lie?

Zack couldn’t think of a single reason.

Suddenly, Roman clapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t lose faith now. I know that was a pretty intense conversation you and Liz were having in the hallway. If she’s innocent, she’ll get over it.”

Easy for Roman to say. He didn’t have to sleep next to her.

“How did she take the sudden turnaround?” Connor asked.

“It wasn’t a turnaround. I never intended to shut the pipeline down forever. It’s a good project.” Zack hated being forced to wait and see what the other side would do, when the other shoe would fall. “She was surprised I hadn’t told her. I’m sure she wasn’t thrilled that I made it look like she was on the outside before I took over her briefing. She’s not the only one. Gus was giving me the glare. I could feel it from across the room.”

Roman winced. “I’m not looking forward to facing her tonight. Sometimes I’m worried she’ll manage to find a way to shoot lasers out of her eyes and deball me. She wants kids, though. That might save me.”

“I’ll talk to them both,” Connor offered. “I’ll explain it from an intelligence perspective. After what happened last night, we had to come back with a strong counter move or we seemed weak.”

Zack peered at Connor, who’d been in this business for a very long time. “Do you think she’s working with Krylov? I know we’ve talked about this, but now we have more evidence and I want to hear your perspective again.”

Connor ran a hand over his short hair, the gesture looking deeply frustrated. “Obviously the evidence points that way. If she’s innocent, then the fact that they’ve communicated through Liz both times is definitely an odd coincidence.”

Connor didn’t believe in coincidences. And he would have sucked as a politician.

“They communicated with Mad.” Zack stubbornly looked for any way around Connor’s logic.

“No, they beat the shit out of Mad, while Liz emerged from both of her encounters without a single hair out of place,” Roman pointed out. “Everything seems to flow through Liz, and I would love to know why she was in the Treaty Room the day we left for Camp David. And she spends time with your father. Think about that.”

“She checks on him for me because she knows I hate being in the same room with the old bastard.” Zack knew he should be a better person. His father was sick now, but he couldn’t see an invalid sitting there, just the tyrant who had pushed and pushed and pushed.

“Or she has an ulterior motive for talking to him, and Frank isn’t as mentally gone as we think,” Roman countered.

“I’m looking into his doctors.” Connor started pacing again. “Who picked these specialists?”

“Joy handled it in the beginning. And then, when we were in the middle of the campaign, Elizabeth took over those visits.” He’d been depending on Elizabeth for a long time. Both he and Joy had.

The sad truth was he’d taken Joy’s advice a lot of the time. She’d been his friend, a partner as much as Roman had been. They hadn’t been in love, but they’d had a shared goal and she’d been smart, competent, and quietly ambitious. Joy had been by his side when he’d won the senatorial seat on his first try, her steady head leading the parts of the campaign he hadn’t enjoyed or understood.

There was a hard knock on his door, then Thomas stepped inside.

“Mr. President, the vice president would like a moment of your time.” Thomas’s expression was the same stoic blank he always wore. “He’s rather insistent.”

Zack stifled a groan. He should have known this would happen. “I don’t suppose I can put him off.”

Thomas shrugged a single broad shoulder. “I can absolutely explain the situation to him in vivid detail, sir.”

That might be fun to watch, but it would only cause more trouble down the line.

Zack shook his head. “Let him in. I might as well get it over with.”

He stood, walking to the desk that dominated the Oval Office. The Resolute desk. It was fitting for him to sit behind it now as he faced down a man who’d never liked him.

Wallace stormed in. The man had taken the VP slot because he’d known he had nowhere else to go. The campaign had almost certainly been the last time he would be able to credibly run. It had made them wary partners.

“What can I do for you, Wallace?”

“You can tell me what the fuck is going on.” He glared, taking in the men in the room with a frown, then pointed at Connor. “You should leave. I need a moment alone with the president.”

Connor simply sat on the couch, bracing his ankle over the opposite knee in a casual manner that did nothing to disguise his predatory nature. “But I’m so comfortable here.”

“You think I don’t know who you are?” Shorn said. “I might have to put up with Calder’s ever-looming presence, but you’re not a part of this administration.”

“I assure you Mr. Sparks is, in fact, a trusted member of my administration, and he has all the security clearance he needs. You should feel free to say anything around him.”

“What? He’s nothing but your old drinking buddy,” Shorn said scornfully.

“Oh, the president and I haven’t merely imbibed together,” Connor replied. “We’ve also handled problems together. In fact, that’s my function.”

Shorn scowled. “No, that’s Calder’s.”

“Roman handles the legal issues. I make things disappear.” Connor sent him a wolf’s smile.

“Are you threatening me?”

Zack sighed. “Mr. Vice President, could you please tell me why you’re here or get the hell out of my office?”

Shorn turned back to him, lips pursed. “What’s going on? One minute we’re moving on the pipeline. The next we’re not. Now it’s back on. I’m going to get a crick in my neck from watching you play ping pong with one of the administration’s most important projects. And my environmental contacts aren’t sure the EPA’s findings are real. You could have a shit ton of lawsuits on your hands with this one, yet you don’t bother to inform anyone in this administration what you’re doing. I watched that press briefing.” He scoffed. “You didn’t even tell your girlfriend. You made her look like a fool, you know. At least now she understands what it means to be around President Zack Hayes.”

“That’s enough,” Roman barked.

“No, please let him tell me what a son of a bitch I am.” Zack sat back.

Shorn faced off with him, eyes narrowed. “You think you’re so smart, but I see through you. Something funny is going on here.”

“And what is that?”

He scanned the room before his stare landed on Zack again. “Something happened in England. You were supposed to make the announcement about the pipeline then. You were on a huge stage. It would have made world headlines. Yet you slammed on the brakes and refused to answer questions about it. Now you waltz into an everyday press briefing and announce the start of the pipeline like you’re announcing an upcoming summit. This project changes the face of the world economy, and you’re treating it like it’s a science fair project. Why is that, Mr. President?”

No one had ever said Shorn was an idiot. “I thought people would want to know my plans now that I’ve studied the final EPA evaluation. Since that’s accomplished, I’m comfortable announcing the decision I’ve made.”

“This is the project your presidency will be judged on. You’re one of the most careful bastards I’ve ever met, and yet Elizabeth Matthews had no idea what was going on. I don’t think Augustine Spencer did either. That makes me think you and Calder are up to something. Oh, and Sparks, too. I know his reputation and his line of work.” Shorn backed away. “Don’t think you fool me. Someone is poking around my background and my private life. Are you going to try some dirty tricks to force me off the reelection ticket? You think you can use my base to get elected the first time, and now that the pipeline is off the ground, you can get rid of me?”

“Who’s looking into you?” Zack was well aware that Roman and Connor had just tensed.

Shorn rolled his eyes. “Like you don’t know someone was out at my brother’s place asking questions.”

“Your brother’s place?” Zack asked pointedly. If Connor had nothing to do with that, he was deeply concerned.

“Yes,” he insisted. “My brother has a mistress. I’m sure you know that. But I find it curious that as we’re approaching the election cycle, now some very unsavory characters are asking questions. It won’t work, Hayes. I won’t step down. I won’t allow you to bully me. Before you try, you should think about the dirt I have on you.”

He turned on his overly expensive loafers and strode out.

Zack glanced Connor’s way and knew he didn’t even have to ask the question.

Connor held his hands up. “It wasn’t one of my guys. I think we’re pretty comfortable with the fact that those kids are Shorn’s.”

“Who else but the Russians would be poking into his business?” Zack asked.

Roman shrugged. “Are we sure it’s them? He’s trying to keep the pipeline going.”

“And I assure you he’ll change his mind if he’s sitting behind this desk and gets threatened with losing it.” Zack had no doubt about that. “It’s why they were okay with me picking Shorn. They knew he was vulnerable.”

“I’ll send someone to try to figure out what they’re doing.” Connor had his phone in hand. “Although I think we know. Don’t worry about this, Zack. We stay the course. We’re handling it the right way.”

“We hope,” Roman said under his breath.

“Have a little faith, huh? I’ll go do some homework and let you know where we stand.” Connor rose and left him alone with his closest friend.

The noose was tightening. Zack could feel it.

“Are you sure we should expend the time and energy to let Sara and Mad get married now?” Roman asked. “I can talk to him. Surely he’ll understand that now isn’t the time for distractions. I’m honestly thinking about talking to Gus about delaying our own wedding, and that’s still months away.”

“Let them be, Roman, and you delay your wedding at your own peril. I don’t think Gus likes kids enough to leave your balls on your body if you do that.” Zack turned and looked out the window. It was a beautiful day. He’d love to spend it by taking Elizabeth’s hand and walking through the Rose Garden just to enjoy the sunshine with her.

He wouldn’t be doing that anytime soon. He would be in hiding, protecting himself. Keeping his emotional distance from her until he knew whether she wore a white hat or an ushanka.

“Are you sure?” Roman asked.

He didn’t want his friends miserable because his situation was tenuous and dangerous. “I’m sure. Let them have some happiness.”

Because tomorrow wasn’t guaranteed. Not to anyone, and definitely not to him.