Текст книги "Fatal Scandal"

Автор книги: Marie Force

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Текущая страница: 20 (всего у книги 23 страниц)

Chapter Twenty-Two

They came at her with needles—lots of them. The cut on her neck and two on her legs required stitches, which in turn required several shots. After a couple of predictable jokes about punching her frequent-flyer card, Dr. Anderson got down to business, insisting on an IV to get antibiotics into her to prevent infection. And then there was the tetanus shot he’d given her because God only knew what kind of germs were on the razor wire.

By the time they were done with her, Sam felt like a tired, sore, cranky pincushion. Nick never left her side for a minute, holding her hand through each needle stick, wiping her tears when the pain became too intense. Once the tears started, she couldn’t seem to stop them as it came down on her how much worse this day could’ve been.

Though she desperately wanted to go home to her own bed, Anderson insisted on admitting her for observation.

“We need to call Scotty,” Sam said once she was settled in her room and the tears had stopped—for now.

“I already called him and told him something happened today at work and you were hurt but you’ll be fine. He said to tell you he hopes you feel better, and he’ll come see you tomorrow. Graham and Laine are staying with him tonight. Everything is all set.”

“You’re sure you told him it was nothing to worry about?”

“I did.” He brushed the hair back from her forehead, tucked it behind her ear and wiped away more tears with the sweep of his thumb over her cheek. She wanted to purr from the sweet pleasure of his touch. Even with everything hurting, she couldn’t get enough of him.

“Come closer.”

He’d removed his suit coat and tie hours ago and had rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt. “How much closer?”

“All the way up here with me.”

“We’ll start a scandal if they catch me in your bed.”

“Since when do we care about scandals?”

“True.” He worked his way around the IV tube and onto the bed next to her. Somehow he managed to get one arm under her neck and another around her middle without causing her a second of pain. He was just that good.

Sam settled into his embrace and breathed in the scent of him greedily. “God, you smell so good. You always smell so good. Have I ever told you that?”

“I think you have.”

“Do I still smell like gas?” The nurses had helped her to take a shower but the hospital soap hadn’t been scented and wasn’t able to do much against the pungent odor of gasoline.

“A little.”

“I need my stuff from home.”

“We’ll worry about that tomorrow.”

“I don’t like smelling like gas,” Sam said as new tears filled her eyes. She didn’t like being a weepy female either, but in light of what she’d been through that day, she’d decided to give herself one day to wallow in it before she got on with her life.

“It’s okay, baby. Everything is okay now. Why don’t you try to sleep?”

“I don’t want to sleep. I want to lie here with you and smell you and talk to you and touch you.”

“Samantha, sweetheart, you’re so tired. It’s okay to sleep. I won’t leave you for a second.”

“You must be hungry.”

“No way could I eat. Not yet.”

“Your reception at the White House! I totally forgot. I’m such an awful second lady.”

Laughter made his chest rumble. “Stop it. You’re exactly what I want, just the way you are.”

“I was going to be there. I swear I was.”

“I know that.”

“I want to see your new office as soon as possible.”

“We’ll do that. We’ll do everything you want.”

“I want to go back to Bora Bora for our anniversary.”

“I already scheduled the plane.”

“Damn, that’s right. We’ve got our own plane now. Maybe this new job of yours won’t totally suck.”

“Maybe not.”

“Do you like to ski?”

“Do I like to ski? What does that have to do with anything?”

“When I was in that basement, I was thinking about all the things I don’t know about you. Skiing was one of them.”

“I love to ski. I don’t get to do it as often as I used to when I lived in New England, but we can go sometime if you want to.”

“I suck at it.”

“I’ll teach you all the tricks.”

“So what happened with Scotty that you said you’d tell me later?”

“We can talk about it tomorrow when you’re feeling better.”

“I’ll never sleep worrying about whatever it is.”

His deep sigh put her immediately on alert. Then he told her about Andy’s investigator finding Scotty’s biological father and how the man hadn’t known he had a son. “He wants to meet him before he’ll sign away his rights.”

“That can’t happen! If he meets him, he’ll want him. Anyone would!”

“Babe, settle down. You don’t want to tear open your stitches and have to go through that again.” He settled her back against the pillow. “As I told Scotty when we talked about it earlier, he’s old enough to tell the court what he wants. And he wants to be with us. He was quite adamant about that. But he also wants to meet his biological father. I answered a lot of questions about how it’s possible a man could not know he fathered a child.”

“I hate that he has to deal with this after everything he’s already been through.”

“I do too.” He caressed her arm, his fingers moving lightly over her skin, setting her entire body on fire for him, as if she hadn’t withstood a major trauma that day. It didn’t matter. If he was close to her, she wanted him. “He got quite upset when I made the mistake of referring to the guy as his father. ‘You are my father,’ he said. He almost made me cry.”

“That’s so sweet,” Sam said, blinking back tears. “He chose you as much as you chose him. Don’t ever forget that.”

“It makes me crazy to think of him having another father,” he confessed. “Which makes me feel like a jealous child.”

“I don’t blame you for feeling that way. I do too. I don’t want any other parents in his life either, but we’re going to have to take him to meet this guy, aren’t we?”

“Yeah. Andy said the other option would be to continue as his legal guardians without formally adopting him.”

“That’s not an option. I want it legal.”

“So do I and Scotty does, as well. Besides, now the guy knows about him. We don’t want him making trouble for us later. Better to deal with it now on our terms rather than later on his.”

“He can’t take him away from us, can he?”

“Not with Scotty wanting to be with us. Andy was very clear that the courts listen to kids his age on these things. I’ll tell you what he told me—try not to worry. This is procedural stuff and we have to deal with it to get what we want. We’ve got a great lawyer looking out for us.”

“So you’re not worried?”

He paused, long enough to tell her his true feelings. “I don’t want to be, but I am. A little.”

“Me too.”

Nick’s phone buzzed with a text message. He pulled the phone from his pocket to read it. “Your dad, sisters and entire squad are here waiting to see you. Can they come in?”

“My dad is here? He hasn’t left the house in weeks!”

“His baby girl was taken hostage. Where else would he be?”

Goddamn tears! She swiped at them and then regretted it when her bruised face protested. “My dad and the girls can come in. Ask the squad to come back tomorrow. And tell them thanks for everything today.”

He typed the message and returned his phone to his pocket. When he started to get up, Sam stopped him.

“Stay right here.”

“Your dad is coming in.”

“He knows we sleep together.”

“But does he want to see it?”

“I don’t care. I need you right here.”

“Then I’ll stay right here.”

The whir of her dad’s wheelchair was audible through the closed door. Sam would know that sound anywhere after three years of listening for it. They could hear her family members speaking to Brant before Tracy came in first, took one look at Sam and burst into tears.

“Oh my God, Sam!”

Angela was right behind her and held the door for Skip.

“Goddamn,” Angela said, covering her mouth with her hand when she saw Sam in the bed.

“Do I look that bad?”

“Worse than the pistol-whip,” Tracy said bluntly.

“Much worse,” Skip added after taking a shrewd, assessing look at her. “Stahl did this to you?”

“Dad...”

“Don’t Dad me. Tell me what happened.”

“You’ve already heard.”

“Not from you.”

Knowing she’d have to do it again for the record probably tomorrow, Sam took them through the whole thing, beginning with Lori Phillips’s murder and culminating with her return trip to Marissa Springer’s house. “I’m so freaking pissed with myself,” she concluded. “I did everything wrong today.”

“How so?” Angela asked.

“She never should’ve gone back there without telling someone where she was going, and she shouldn’t have gone in there alone—once, let alone twice, knowing the beef the Springers have had with the department,” Skip said.

Sam shrank into the bed, hating that she had disappointed him.

“That said,” Skip continued, “it happens. We get shorthanded with a hot case to contend with, and we do what’s got to be done. And that’s what you were doing today. Working the case. Doing your job. Trying to help to free your colleagues from the veil of suspicion. You did what anyone would’ve done.”

“I didn’t get any hint of anything to be worried about with Marissa the first time,” Sam said.

“That was probably part of their plan—play the part of the wounded mother and lure you back there on the guise of something that would help the case. I could fucking murder that bastard Stahl for this.”

“Someone else will take care of that for us when he gets to prison,” Sam said.

“That’s a small comfort when I look at your bruised face and smell the gas he planned to burn you with.”

Sam shuddered at the reminder as both her sisters sniffled.

“Close call today, baby girl. You’re going to need to take some time to process what happened and deal with it before you go back to the job. You won’t be any good to anyone if you go back too soon.”

“I know,” Sam said with a sigh.

“So you’re actually going to take time off and not argue about it?” Tracy asked, incredulous.

“Yeah, I am. I’ve got some things to take care of and Dad’s right. If I’ve lost my edge, even temporarily, I’ll be no good to anyone.” She could only hope her edge would come back at some point or she’d be totally fucked on the job. “Gonzo is coming back. He can cover for me for a while.” She looked at Nick. “Tell them about Scotty’s biological father.”

“What about him?” Skip asked. He and Scotty had become close pals and the alarm in her father’s voice wasn’t lost on her.

Nick filled them in on what was going on.

“He can’t take him away from you,” Skip said.

“We won’t let him,” Nick assured him. “Andy says everything is on our side here, especially the fact that Scotty wants to be with us.”

“Does he know?” Tracy asked.

“Yeah, I talked to him earlier. He was upset but determined to do what’s necessary to finalize the adoption.”

“I can’t believe his father didn’t know he existed,” Angela said. “Imagine what a shock that must be to find out about a kid that way.”

“We have to hope he’ll be satisfied to meet him once and let that be that,” Nick said.

“What if he isn’t satisfied?” Tracy asked.

“I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Nick replied grimly.

Sam didn’t even want to think about that possibility.

“On another note,” Nick said, “I made some calls today and found out about a spinal cord research study that’s underway at the NIH. They’ve had some breakthroughs with spinal cord patients who experience painful sensation in their limbs. I told them about you,” he said to his father-in-law, “and they’re very interested in seeing you.”

“Are they?” Skip said.

“Dad, that’s amazing,” Angela said. “They might be able to help you.”

“Thank you so much, Nick,” Celia said.

“Yes, thank you,” Sam added with a warm smile for her husband.

“They want you to come in next week. Is that possible?”

Everyone watched Skip expectantly. “Yes, that’s possible. Thank you, Nick. Even if nothing comes of it, it’s nice of you to try.”

“Something will come of it,” Sam said. The alternative was unacceptable.

* * *

They let Sam leave the hospital late the next afternoon and by dinnertime, she was settled on the sofa at home, surrounded by family, friends and colleagues. The abduction and rescue of the nation’s second lady had dominated local and national news all day. Unfortunately, it had also drawn unwanted attention to the fact that she had chosen to forgo Secret Service protection.

“It shouldn’t be up to her,” one pundit declared. “This is a national security issue. Once the crackpots hear that the vice president’s wife is unprotected, she’s going to be a target for every lunatic who has a beef with the United States.”

“Turn it off,” Nick said. “I’ve heard more than enough.”

“Wait, I want to know more about how I’m a national security issue.”

“Samantha.”

“Fine.” She hit the power button on the clicker. “He ruins all my fun.”

Nick scowled at her playfully, trying to hide that he was deeply concerned about all the same things the newspeople were talking about. Before yesterday, no one had paid much attention to the fact that she had declined protection. Now everyone was interested, including the Secret Service and Nelson’s team, which had been more involved with and interested in their new vice president—and his wife—in the last twelve hours than in the last six weeks combined.

The thought of the crackpots taking an interest in his Samantha was making Nick crazy. That his new job could’ve opened her up to that kind of exposure was something he hadn’t fully considered beforehand—and that made him doubly crazy. That he’d thought they’d somehow go on like before. How could he have been so naïve?

Unsettled by the disturbing thoughts circling through his mind, he got up from the sofa and went into the kitchen, looking for a drink.

Christina was right behind him. “How you doing?”

“Fantastic. Never better.” He poured two fingers of bourbon and held up the bottle.

She shook her head. “No, thanks.”

“Want wine or something else?”

“I’m good. I’m worried about you though.”

“And I’m worried about her, as usual.”

“I can’t believe it was someone from her own department who did this to her.”

“He’s had it in for her for a long time. We failed to have the imagination to suspect he’d be capable of something like this, although after he tried to kill her once, we should’ve known he wouldn’t stop at that.”

“You had no way to know that, Nick. Most people, when they’re arrested on a charge of attempted murder, are scared and chastened.”

“Stahl isn’t most people. He’s a fucking lunatic, and she’s known that for a while now.”

“Still, you can’t blame yourself for what someone else did.”

“It eats at me to know I can’t protect her.”

“I feel the same way every time Tommy leaves for work. It’s an awful feeling.”

“You understand it better than most people do.”

“So how’s the new job?”

“It sucks.”

“Really? I didn’t expect you to say that.”

“I didn’t expect Nelson to basically ignore me until something happened to my wife. Now he’s all up in my grill.”

“What do you mean about him ignoring you?”

“He has no intention of using me for anything other than a boost in the polls. Derek says he hasn’t heard anything to that effect, but they wouldn’t tell him. They know we’re friends.”

“If they’re going to ignore you, then it seems to me that perhaps you should set your own agenda, and if they don’t like it, you could say you assumed they wouldn’t care.”

“I like the way you think. You’re sure you want to stay retired?”

“For now, but I’m always available to you. I hope you know that.”

“I do. Thank you, and I like your idea. A lot.”

Brant came into the kitchen. “Pardon the interruption, Mr. Vice President, but Director Pierce is on the phone and would appreciate a word with you.”

“Sorry,” Nick said to Christina.

“No worries.”

“Tell Sam I’ll be right out.”

“Will do.”

After the door swung closed behind her, Brant handed the phone to Nick and then left the room.

“Director Pierce.”

“Mr. Vice President, I hope you’ll excuse the bother when I’m sure you have other things on your mind today.”

“Not a problem. What can I do for you?”

“I was hoping we might get together tomorrow or perhaps the next day at the latest to discuss your wife’s situation and how we might be of assistance.”

“Is this coming from you or above you?”

“This is coming straight from the top.”

“Sure, we can talk if you’d like to, but I don’t expect anything to change.”

“Mr. Vice President, with all due respect, everything has changed.”

“Not from where I’m sitting. Sam has a job to do, and she can’t do it with a detail in tow. It’s that simple.”

“It’s hardly that simple. This has become a matter of national security.”

“Why? Because the media is saying it is?”

“I would think, after what happened yesterday, that you’d want to protect her—”

“Don’t talk to me about protecting my wife, Ambrose. You’re so far out of line with that insinuation it’s not even funny.”

“Again, all due respect, sir, but protecting you and your family is my job. I’m trying to do the job the people hired me to do.”

“My wife is not and will not be protected by the Secret Service, so that means she’s not your job. I made that very clear before I accepted this position.”

“Then I’m afraid we have a problem, and you’re going to need to consult with President Nelson. He’s very upset about what happened to her and the attention it has called to her lack of protection.”

“I’ll take it up with him as soon as I’m able to, but the only possible thing that’s going to change is who his vice president is. Thanks for the call, Ambrose. I appreciate your concern.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Nick hit the end button and put Brant’s phone on the counter. He was hardly surprised by the call or the concern from the administration. They had a valid point. He’d never deny that. However, they’d made a deal, and he was going to force them to adhere to it, even if he agreed with them.

He wanted Sam to have protection after what’d happened. He believed she would be at far greater risk than she’d ever been before now that the whole world knew she didn’t have protection. But he could never ask that of her. He couldn’t and he wouldn’t. He’d resign before he’d take away the career that meant so much to her.

Scotty came into the kitchen, skidding to a halt in front of Nick. “Sam is looking for you.”

“I’ll be right there, buddy.”

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, it’s all good.”

He eyed Nick skeptically. “You said that same thing to me yesterday when it wasn’t good. It wasn’t good at all.”

“I didn’t want you to worry.”

“I know that, but still.” He bit his lip and glanced at Nick almost shyly, which reminded him of when they first met.

“What do you want to say? Whatever it is, it’s okay to say it.”

“We’re a family now, right?”

“You bet we are.”

“I want to know what’s going on. I’m not a little kid, and I don’t want you to treat me like one. It scared me more to hear about what happened to Sam from the O’Connors than it would have to hear it from you. When they told me, I thought maybe it was because something had happened to you too.”

Nick winced. “You’re absolutely right, and I’m sorry. I know you’re not a little kid, and I didn’t mean to treat you like one. I didn’t know for sure what was going on with Sam when I left the office yesterday, and I didn’t want to say anything until I knew more. But I should’ve told you what I knew, and I will if anything like that ever happens again.”

“Let’s hope it doesn’t. That guy is freaking nuts.”

“He sure is.” Nick put his hand on Scotty’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, okay?”

“Yeah, it’s cool. I don’t mean to make a big thing out of it, but I want to know what’s going on.”

“Fair enough.”

“I think she’s tired but she doesn’t want to tell everyone to leave.”

“We can do that for her.”

Scotty smiled at him. “They brought a ton of awesome food, so we need to be nice about it.”

Laughing, he said, “Yes, we do.” Nick followed Scotty into the living room, where most of Sam’s squad and her entire family, less her niece Brooke who was in school in Virginia, were gathered around her. He took a close look at his wife and saw that Scotty was right—she was fading fast. “Hey, guys, I think the patient needs a nap.”

“No, I don’t,” Sam said.

“Yes, you do.”

“He thinks he’s the boss of me.”

“Someone needs to be,” Malone quipped.

“Ain’t nobody the boss of her,” Gonzo said to much laughter.

“Bite me, Gonzo.”

“I prefer my bites sweeter,” he said, slipping an arm around Christina, who gave him an elbow to the ribs.

“We should let you get some rest,” Lindsey said. “We’re all so damn relieved you’re okay.”

“Thanks, Lindsey. And thank you all for coming over and for bringing enough food to feed an army.”

“That’s the best part,” Scotty said.

“I made the brownies you love,” Angela told him.

“That’s why you’re my favorite aunt.”

“Hey!” Tracy put him into a playful headlock. “You better take it back, mister!”

Laughing, Scotty said, “You’re tied for first.”

“Look at him,” Terry said. “Already a diplomatic politician.”

“He’s a chip off the old block,” Graham said. “We’ll leave you all to get some rest. Sam, honey, don’t scare us like that again, you hear?”

“I’ll try not to, but something tells me...”

“Don’t finish that thought,” Nick said.

The private smile she sent his way lit up her battered face and made him melt on the inside. She was his kryptonite. There was nothing he wouldn’t do or give up to make her happy. Seeing her alive and well and acting like herself was all he needed to be happy.

“Hey, Jeannie,” Sam said.

Jeannie took Sam’s outstretched hand.

“I’m so sorry to hear about the continuance. Goddamn defense attorneys.”

Jeannie shrugged but the haunted look in her eyes belied the casual gesture. “What’s six more weeks after all this time?”

“An interminable delay,” Sam said. “But don’t worry. We’ll get him, and he’ll spend the rest of his life behind bars where he belongs.”

Jeannie leaned in to hug Sam. “Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I’ll be here.”

After the last of their friends left, Sam held out her arms to Scotty, who crawled into her embrace like he’d been doing it all his life. “How’s my best boy?”

“Good. How are you?”

“Much better now that I can hug and kiss on you.”

Scotty made a face but he put up with her need to love him. “I’m glad you’re okay and back to being annoying.”

“Annoying?” She tugged playfully on a tuft of his hair. “Annoying?”

“Tell her, Nick. She’s annoying when she wants to kiss my whole face.”

“I sorta like it when she kisses my whole face.”

“Ewww, gross. I need a shower.” He got up from the sofa. “I’m outta here.”

“Is all your homework done?” Sam asked him.

“Yep. They go easy on us the first week back after vacation.”

“We’ll be up to tuck you in,” Nick said.

“I don’t need to be tucked in,” he said as he did every night.

“Yeah, yeah,” Sam said. “We need it.”

Nick sat on the edge of the sofa and propped an arm on the back. “How you doing, babe?”

“A little tired, a lot sore, but otherwise, I’m okay. I’m glad he seems okay too.”

“He’s resilient like his mother.” Nick leaned in to kiss her and rubbed his nose against hers. “Ready for a lift upstairs?”

“I can walk.”

“Why would you want to walk when I love to carry you?”

“Because I have plans for your back that don’t include it being thrown out from carrying me?”

“Plans? What are these plans of which you speak?”

She reached out to caress his face and then ran her fingers through his hair.

“What?” he asked, after she’d studied him for a long silent moment.

“I like to look at you and touch you. Because I can.”

“Anytime you want.” He kissed her again. “Let’s get you comfortable upstairs.” Sliding his arms under her, he lifted her and headed for the stairs.

She curled her arms around his neck and dropped her head to his shoulder. “My hero.”

“Hardly.”

“What does that mean?”

“I wasn’t able to save you. They wouldn’t let me go near the place until it was totally safe. Made me feel like... I don’t even know how to describe how that made me feel. Like my safety was more important than yours.”

“I hate to say it because it’ll make you mad, but your safety is more important than mine and just about anyone’s.” In a whisper, she added, “You’re the vice president.”

“It’s not funny, Sam. It made me feel useless, and I hate that.”

“You’re extremely useful to me and don’t ever forget that.”

“I’m not talking about sex.”

“Who said anything about sex?”

He raised a brow and tried to scowl at her, but failed miserably because he was so damn grateful to be arguing with her. “You think you’re so funny.”

“I know I am. You laugh at most of my jokes and so does Freddie, except for the ones that are at his expense. Which is almost all of them.”

Nick set her down gently on the bed and settled her under the covers.

“Brant was looking for you earlier. What did he want?”

“Nothing.”

“Must’ve been something. He had that intense look he gets when something’s up.”

“Are you checking out my detail now?”

“Hardly. I pay attention, though, and he seemed stressed out.”

“Let’s talk about it tomorrow.”

“Aha! So it is something.”

“A little something.”

“They want me to have protection, don’t they?”

“Sam.”

“Just answer the question.”

“Yeah, they do, and it’s coming from Nelson.”

“What do you have to say about it?”

“I told Ambrose Pierce that if Nelson is going to insist on you having protection, he’s going to need to get himself a new vice president.”

“You really said that? To the Secret Service director?”

“I really said that. And I meant it.”

“Even though you probably want me to have protection more than anyone. You still said that.”

“I did, so what about it?”

“Do you know what I love best about you?”

“Did you suffer a head injury that hasn’t been diagnosed?”

Sam laughed, a deep guffaw that had her gripping her stomach. “No, I did not suffer a head injury. Now answer the question.”

“I suspect what you love best about me is what goes on right here in this bed.”

“Nope.”

“I’m wounded and more than slightly offended.”

“Oh, shut up. You know I dig the sex big-time. But what I love most about you is that you know me. You really, really know me. You get me, and even though you’d love nothing more than to let them push you into pushing me to have protection, because you’d breathe a hell of a lot easier if I had it, you’d never, ever do that to me.”

“No, I wouldn’t.”

“Because you know me.”

“I know you.” He kissed her softly, not wanting to cause her any more pain than she was already dealing with. “And I love everything I know about you, even the stuff that makes me crazy and gives me nightmares.”

“Did you really tell them you’d quit if they push the matter?”

“I really did.”

“And would you? Really?”

“I really would.” He tucked her hair back behind her ear. “When are you going to figure out that all I truly need are you and Scotty? The rest of it—the job, the White House, the attention... It could all go away in a heartbeat, and I wouldn’t miss it in the least. But you... If you went away, I’d never be the same. My life would be completely ruined in ways that could never be fixed. So yeah, if it came to that, I’d quit in a heartbeat.”

She reached for him, and he went willingly into her arms. “I love you so much. I thought I knew how much until it was possible I might never see you again. And then I realized it’s a million, billion, trillion times more than I thought it was.”

“Me too, baby. Quadrillion.”

She thumped him on the back. “Of course you know what comes after trillion!”

Laughing softly, he said, “Only because I’m keeping an eye on the federal deficit.” He held on tight to her, overwhelmed with love for her and gratitude that she was safely back in his arms where she belonged.