“What else can we call this besides punishing the poor? People…” the camera zoomed in, focused on the moisture building in her brown eyes. The passion burning within her. “This. Is. Wrong. Now, you might ask why he didn’t take care of this issue during his four years as District Attorney. Good question. The answer is opposition. More opposition than he could count. He was told that no matter how hard he pushed or how much he tried, it would never happen. But then came Chicago’s District Attorney, Mike Oalgate.”
The crowd cheered again. “Mike Oalgate showed us that itcanbe done. And we’re positive that this time around, people are going to listen. And that Nicolas Vasco will successfully stop this injustice in its tracks.” The cheers grew louder.
Blayze had agreed with some of the prior speeches a time or two. Enough to allow for a head nod or even a short round of applause from his spot behind the scenes. But this… listening to Sophia sparked a fire in him. Had him grateful he was able to, in a roundabout way, support the Vasco’s cause.
Chatter picked up among the back room even. Head nods, cheers, and high fives among the tech crew.
“Ladies and gentlemen… let’s make it better!”
The screen panned out to show attendees coming to their feet. Nodding. Clapping. Throwing fists in the air.
Pride welled within Blayze as he put his hands together. This was the America he and his brothers fought to maintain. These were the ideals Doug and so many others had fallen for. Andshe—Ms. Sophia Vasco—was a woman he could proudly stand behind.
As she brought her speech to a close, another thought came to Blayze. Sophia wasn’t just a person he could give his support to. She was also a woman he could lose his heart to, if he didn’t watch out.
That thought stayed with Blayze throughout the remainder of the day. A day filled with more shoulder rubbing, hand shaking, and “support lending” than he’d witnessed in a lifetime. Prior to the press conference, Isabella, Mr. Vasco’s campaign manager, called to run through a test-conference with her, posing one tough question after the next.
When it came time for her to step before the cameras, Sophia straightened her shoulders, lifted her chin, and responded with all the confidence of a woman who might someday own the world.
Save a few baffled moments of adoration—yes, he was a sucker for a strong woman—Blayze stayed trained on his purpose: to detect any potential danger or foe. By the end of the day, the green, glowing exit sign looked like a tempting fresh water river in a dry desert storm. A set of double doors awaited them, promising a glorious release from the demands of the day.
“My feet are killing me,” Sophia mumbled as they shuffled down the only quiet corridor they’d encountered that day.
“I can only imagine,” Blayze said, glancing down to eye her heels. Not that he needed to. He’d memorized her outfit from the silk of her deep blue blouse, to the nude-colored heels that strapped around her slender ankles—only because he had needed to keep track of her among the crowd.
“I bet you’re exhausted,” she said. But as soon as he caught her gaze she shook her head. “Scratch that. This was probably a cake-walk compared to what you’ve been through over the years.”
Blayze grinned. He was used to comments like that. Of course, the answer was yes—compared to a day on unfriendly soil, water, or air—any day was a cakewalk. But spending the day with Sophia definitely had been a new experience. “Like you say,” he said, “each of us plays an important part. I’m not fit to make the sort of contribution you and your father make, but I’m grateful for what you do.”
She slowed as they neared the exit, stepped back to lean against the wall. A dim light glowed overhead, casting the most beautiful glow over her skin. Or perhaps that was justher.The natural glow of a woman like Sophia.
“It’s kind of an awkward thing to express to someone at random, at least for me, but I do sincerely appreciate your sacrifice in serving overseas. Most of us will never know what you faced. But whatever it was… Ithankyou for being willing to do it. Truly.”
His heart hammered as she held his gaze. The truth was, Blayze was star struck after seeing her in action today. After hearing what she stood for, and what she planned to do about it. He wanted to tell her that—all of it, but the words wouldn’t come. At last he nodded, gulped, and spit out a simple but heartfelt reply. “Thank you.”
Chapter 7
Sophia pulled out her laptop on the way to the hotel. More often than not, she’d stay at the place hosting their final convention, but her father had insisted she and Blayze stay at one across town instead.
Darkness seeped in from every angle, countered only by fast-moving headlights as they dashed across the inner roof of the SUV. It had been a productive day. Sophia had been greeted by several new supporters. Many she’d heard of but never had the chance to meet. She pulled a stack of business cards from the small slot in her leather case. Once the laptop glowed to life, she tapped out the name, email address, and phone number of each new contact.
While she insisted on keeping all names in alphabetical order, Sophia also used her own method of color-coding, something that would indicate—at a glance—the occupation of each. Trusted prosecutors, neighboring district attorneys, political candidates and philanthropists. If they’d already mentioned a donation amount, something she’d indicated on each card, Sophia would put the contact in bold, then place them on a second list where she’d send invoices for the tax-deductible donation.
Blayze remained quiet on the other side of the SUV, scratching pencil marks on his mad-scientist looking notes. Sophia took a moment to watch him. He looked nice today in all black, his biceps and chest muscles testing the limits of that collared shirt. She’d noticed more than a few women checking him out through the day. A few even asked her about him. But none was quite so anxious to meet Blayze as Leona. The mere recollection made her cringe.
“Hey,” she said, leaning slightly over the middle seat that separated them. “I’m sorry about Leona tonight. She’s a little…” She died off there as Blayze’s brow furrowed in confusion.
“Who’s that?”
“My friend,” Sophia said. “The one who was running her hands up your arms like you were up for auction.”
“Ah.” Blayze tipped his head back. “Yeah, I was a little surprised by how … forward she was.”
Sophia studied his face as he spoke of her. If Blayze liked women like Leona, he most likely wouldn’t be interested in a woman like Sophia. Not that she should be thinking along those lines, she reminded herself. “There’s the whole woman’s movement, of course,” Sophia said. “But Leona’s not interested in equality. She’s more focused on turning the tables. Allowing women to behave badly now to even up the score.”
A buzz sounded from the cup holder where her phone rested. She glanced down to see a text glowing bright on the screen. Speak of the devil.
Leona: Hey, chica! Give me Mr. Wonderful’s name and number when you’re done with him. My body needs guarding too.
