Jordan’s completely alert now, watching me instead of Leo.
Leo’s gaze remains fixed on his glass. “Can’t,” he quietly says.
Kayley sits up. “Hellooo—”
Jordan silences her with an upraised finger, Sir totally in the house now, but the version who could easily be my chief of staff even if he doesn’t think he’s qualified enough.
This man could go toe-to-toe with anyone in my administration and probably send them cowering.
“Nothing actionable?” I ask.
Leo shakes his head.
“Yet?”
He nods.
“He here, or there? Or elsewhere?”
“Unknown. He dropped off the radar two months ago.”
Fuck. I sit back and take a drink and ponder this info for a moment. “Do we need to go down to the SitRoom and continue this talk there?” I ask.
“I’m yourhusband, Elliot. Even if I was still on the payroll there isnoway, short of me being in the SitRoom or in a PDB, that I could legally obtain or even know this information unlessyoutold me first. And we both know the timing does not work because I was not married to you two years ago.”
“This wasn’t in Shae’s security packet? To explain it like that?” I’ve authorized her to receive limited daily NatSec briefings. It’s a courtesy, a tradition, and sometimes a necessity if I need to pick her brain for info or advice. Just as once I’m out of office, if Ciro’s my successor I suspect he’ll ask me if I want to receive briefings.
Leo still won’t look at me. “No.”
Kayley sits there, her head swiveling as she watches us like the world’s slowest tennis match.
“Ties to Grace Martin?” I ask.
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“Ties to Stella?”
“Unknown.” I know he’s deliberately not looking at me in an attempt to conceal as much as possible.
“Ellis?”
His slight hesitation before he answers tells me more than his actual answer. “Unknown.”
“Possible ties?”
“Unknown.” He finishes his drink. Before he can make a move, Jordan takes the glass from him, silently stands, and heads over to the wet bar to fix him another.
I’m totally in work mode now. “Imminent threat?”
Leo sits with his hands clasped, elbows on his knees and staring at the floor now. “Uncertain.”
“Nothing actionable?”
“No.”
“Chatter?”
“Uncertain.”
