“Certainly, Senator,”Lawrencesaid.
Jamie didn’t move, forcing the other man to walk around him to reach the door. Charlotte raised an eyebrow at his attitude, but no one said anything until they were alone in the office. Jamie checked that the soundproofing was activated before slipping the electronic jammer Katie had given him out of his suit pocket. He set it on the small table near the door, turned it on, waited a couple of seconds to make sure it was operational, then focused on hisparents.
“What happened?” Jamie asked, unconsciously using hiscaptainvoice. He wanted an answer, and he wanted oneyesterday.
“Nothing of note other than the general threats we usually receive,”Richardsaid.
Jamie was well aware of the threats his father had received over the years. Being a senator and a billionaire meant he had twenty-four-hour private security bought through a firm that specialized in providing such protection and paid for with his own money instead of tax dollars. The entire family was surrounded by loyal bodyguards; some of the longer-employed ones were aware of Jamie’s status as a metahuman and bound by ironclad nondisclosure agreements as well as discreet mental blocks. Out of his entire family, only Jamie didn’t travel with private security due to his position in the MDF. He was perfectly capable of handling his ownsafety.
“Then if it’s the normal kind of threats that you always receive and forward to the FBI, why accept help from the SecretService?”
“Because it plays well in the media. We all have Secret Service protection. Sowillyou.”
Jamie should have anticipated that answer—this was his father, after all, who understood media optics better than anyone save his mother—but anticipating his father’s plans hadn’t been a priority for him lately. Being blindsided by family wasn’t something that happened very often. The Callahans as a whole were prone to circle the wagons, so to speak, and band together when the family’s reputation came underattack.
“No,” Jamiegroundout.
“The story is already hitting the news streams. We’ve released a statement regarding the early appointment of Secret Service protection. It will look out of the ordinary if you don’t have a security detail ofyourown.”
The anger, mixed with a sense of betrayal, hit low and hard in his gut. “Did it slip your mind that I’m an active MDF field agent, and a metahuman on topofthat?”
Richard shot him a condescending look. “I’m well aware of your rank,Jamie.”
“Then why thefuckwould you go and agree to something like this on mybehalf?”
“Jamie,” Charlotteadmonished.
Jamie shook his head, grinding his teeth so hard his jaw briefly ached. “You don’t have the authority in any capacity to assign me a security detail, Father. What’s more, you should have notified the director of your intention to accept itearly.”
“As the director so often reminds me, I’m not in charge of the MDF,” Richard snapped back, blue eyes flashing with anger. “The same could be said that neither he nor you are invested in this political campaign to the degree youshouldbe.”
“I support you,Father.”
“When itsuitsyou.”
“My duty is to this country, not to you, not when politics are in the mix,” Jamie bit out after a long, tense moment. “Even if you win the presidency, that’s only four or eight years you’ll be sitting at the Resolute desk, but I’ll still be working for the MDF whenyou’regone.”
“I will be your commander-in-chief—”
“Then fuckingactlikeone!”
Jamie’s voice echoed off the office walls, and he was glad he’d thought to check the soundproofing before they started this conversation. For a split second, Richard looked stricken at Jamie’s outburst before the hard mask of the career politician slipped back intoplace.
“You will be assigned a security detail of Secret Service special agents because that’s what I require of you,” Richard snapped in an icy voice. “I’ll leave it to you to inform your director of the change in plans. But this decision is mine, and it isfinal, Jamie. For once, put your familyfirst.”
The old argument that hedid—hehad—rested on the tip of his tongue before Jamie swallowed it back. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself in the midst of the latest familyargument.
“I didn’t come here to fight,” Jamie said after a long, tensesilence.
“Then why did you come, Jamie? Whatelsedoes the MDF want from our family in exchange for absolutelynothing?”
The disdain in his father’s voice made Jamie grimace. Trust his father to see right through to the real reason why Jamie was showing up for a fundraiser dinner at the last minute. But he was here, and he wasn’t one to run from afight.
“I need to use Empyrean ascover.”
“No.”
“Father—”
