Chapter Forty-Four
It’s a looooong damn day. The president is understandably upset and stressed, meaning everyone around her walks on eggshells. The press didn’t make it back to the plane with us—and neither did most of the staffers who came with us—so I’m sure we’ll hear some howls over that.
Oh fucking well. Can’t be helped. Secret Service is already working to arrange transportation for staffers and press who were left behind.
Add to that everyone’s collective worry about Kev’s condition, with the subtly simmering rage all my fellow agents share over him being shot, and it leads to potentially volatile conditions.
Especially when we land at Offutt Air Force Base—ironically just outside of Omaha, Elliot’s neck of the woods—and there aren’t plans for us to leave anytime soon.
I herd Shae into the private suite and lock us in after interrupting her from going off on her head agent in an angry, stress- and grief-fueled tirade. “Talkto me, Leo. If the fucker’s in custody,whycan’t I return to DC and go to the hospital?”
Sucking in a deep breath, I force myself to remain calm and steady with her. “Ma’am, it’s procedure. The perp could be lying. Theyhaveto be sure.” I take her hands in mine and squeeze. “Shae,” I whisper. “He’s got the best doctors in the nation working on him. He’s healthy.”
She blinks back tears. When she replies, it’s barely a whisper. “Ican’tlose him, Leo. I thought I could do this. I alwayswantedto do this. This isliterallywhat I’ve worked myentirelife for. But if he dies, it’s going to kill me, because I know what it’ll do to Chris, too. Ineedhim.Weneed him. We can’t do this without him.” She swallows. “I love him. He’s my Sir.”
I pull her in for a long, tight hug. “I know, honey. Just keep breathing. Don’t say or do anything that will bite you all in the ass later.”
I’m not her Sir. I know Chris and Shae have some sort of a dynamic, but even Chris isn’t her “Sir.”
Not the way Kev is.
“I want to be with him,” she mumbles against my shoulder.
“I know, but you can’t go to the hospital. The logistics are shaky enough with Chris there. Other people are being impacted—the ER department, families of patients, other patients who are supposed to be having surgery today. If we take you there, it’ll be a total nightmare, even worse than it is now. You’re the president—youcan’tdo that to people. They’ve had to close their ER department to intake. Prophet will want you to think about the optics, and will beat your ass if you don’t. He’ll be upset enough at Priest.”
After a couple of minutes, she steps away and locks herself in the lav. Probably to have a hard cry alone.
It’s been a rough time for them lately. She’s a strong woman, but everyone has their breaking point.
Kev getting shot might be hers.
I think about Elliot and his hidden fractures and seismic emotional faults. I hope that, when the time comes, I can find a way to be a rock for him to lean on.
If he’ll let me. And Jordan, too.
I don’t want to contemplate Kev not making it, because it wouldn’t shock me if Shae resigns if he doesn’t. It’ll shatter her and Chris both, and the children. I wasn’t honestly sure if Kev was going to remain on the job after we lost Lauren.
Unfortunately, I don’t honestly believe Elliot is in any shape to take over right now. Not unless he lets me and Jordan help him.
I’m loathe to return Shae’s phone to her, as upset as she is. We finally strike a deal that she’ll let me see texts to anyone other than Chris before she sends them, and she starts texting with Chris.
I stand back, leaning against the bulkhead, my arms crossed over my chest and trying to channel as much of her chief of staff’s presence for her as I can.
It’ll have to be enough, for now.
* * * *
We’re finally cleared to return to DC and land at Andrews right around ten p.m. local time.
What a fucking day.
Kev’s out of surgery and is in a private room, with Chris and his detail standing watch over him. While Kev’s condition is guarded, he’s stable, and doctors are extremely optimistic. Only time will tell if he has any bleeds or infections. They were all belly wounds. It could’ve been so much worse.
The thing really bothering me is one of my contacts tells me Priest wasn’t the intended target. The shooter hitting Kev wasn’t an accident, or because Kev threw himself in front of Chris and took bullets meant for the First Spouse.
The shootermeantto shoot Kev. Aimed for him.
That’s all he’ll say. The guy also isn’t talking about why he went out of his way to target President Samuels’ chief of staff instead of her husband, when Chris should’ve been the obvious target. Agents are swarming the shooter’s house, questioning the guy’s family, and picking through his life with a fine-toothed comb in an attempt to discover a motive.
