I finally nod, realizing that’s the best I’ll get from him, as unsatisfying as it is.
“Make me a promise,” I say.
Sir’s already returning because one eyebrow slides up. “What?”
“If you know something’s happening and Leo’s going to try to fall on a sword, but me resigning or coming out will circumvent that, you let me do it.”
He thinks about it for a moment. “He made me promise to walk away from him, with you, if the circumstances ever called for it. To protect you at all costs and keep you going.”
Of course he did. “Promise me, Jordan.”
“It would mean directly disobeying his order and breaking my promise to him.”
“Neither one of us would be able to forgive ourselves if we ever let him do that, though.”
Another sigh, because he knows I’m right. “Saving the sadist from himself, you mean?”
“Exactly.”
“Even if it meant the end of your presidency?”
“Even if,” I insist. “I’d resign in a heartbeat to protect him.”
A playful smirk quirks his lips. “And yet you can’t make yourself come out yet.”
“To save him? Yes, I would.”
And I would, too.
Jordan’s smirk fades as he studies me. “Okay, then. But you get to take my spankings from him for disobeying him.”
The laugh explodes from me, unexpected and welcomed at the same time. “Deal, baby.”
He kisses me. “We are a freaky little team, aren’t we?”
“Yeah, well, it could be worse.”
“How?”
I grin. “We could be Stella and McMurtry.”
His laugh rings through our bedroom like a sweet, bright sunrise chasing the shadows from my soul. “That’s true.”
Once we’ve taken a shower and return to bed to snuggle before falling asleep, I can’t help but wonder if my sister hates me so much that she’s willing to screw up her personal life just to try to marry into what she thinks is a political power-sharing arrangement.
I hope Stella knows what she’s doing because I can’t imagine how insufferable she’ll be if she’s more miserable of a person than she is now.
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
NOW
Over the nextcouple of weeks, as Christmas draws closer I let Jordan take point on dealing with the situation regarding Stella and Ellis trying to poach my parents. If Stella’s got a stick wedged up her ass she won’t have me to silently and willingly accept the blame for it.
Not anymore.
Although I feel beyond pissed she’s using our parents as a pawn in whatever bullshit power play she’s attempting. I wish I could say I believe it’s wholly Ellis’ doing but that’d be a lie.
Thistotallyfeels like a Stella move.
