At the Pleasure of the President Read online

  Shorn turned back to him, lips pursed. “What’s going on? One minute we’re moving on the pipeline. The next we’re not. Now it’s back on. I’m going to get a crick in my neck from watching you play ping pong with one of the administration’s most important projects. And my environmental contacts aren’t sure the EPA’s findings are real. You could have a shit ton of lawsuits on your hands with this one, yet you don’t bother to inform anyone in this administration what you’re doing. I watched that press briefing.” He scoffed. “You didn’t even tell your girlfriend. You made her look like a fool, you know. At least now she understands what it means to be around President Zack Hayes.”

  “That’s enough,” Roman barked.

  “No, please let him tell me what a son of a bitch I am.” Zack sat back.

  Shorn faced off with him, eyes narrowed. “You think you’re so smart, but I see through you. Something funny is going on here.”

  “And what is that?”

  He scanned the room before his stare landed on Zack again. “Something happened in England. You were supposed to make the announcement about the pipeline then. You were on a huge stage. It would have made world headlines. Yet you slammed on the brakes and refused to answer questions about it. Now you waltz into an everyday press briefing and announce the start of the pipeline like you’re announcing an upcoming summit. This project changes the face of the world economy, and you’re treating it like it’s a science fair project. Why is that, Mr. President?”

  No one had ever said Shorn was an idiot. “I thought people would want to know my plans now that I’ve studied the final EPA evaluation. Since that’s accomplished, I’m comfortable announcing the decision I’ve made.”

  “This is the project your presidency will be judged on. You’re one of the most careful bastards I’ve ever met, and yet Elizabeth Matthews had no idea what was going on. I don’t think Augustine Spencer did either. That makes me think you and Calder are up to something. Oh, and Sparks, too. I know his reputation and his line of work.” Shorn backed away. “Don’t think you fool me. Someone is poking around my background and my private life. Are you going to try some dirty tricks to force me off the reelection ticket? You think you can use my base to get elected the first time, and now that the pipeline is off the ground, you can get rid of me?”

  “Who’s looking into you?” Zack was well aware that Roman and Connor had just tensed.

  Shorn rolled his eyes. “Like you don’t know someone was out at my brother’s place asking questions.”

  “Your brother’s place?” Zack asked pointedly. If Connor had nothing to do with that, he was deeply concerned.

  “Yes,” he insisted. “My brother has a mistress. I’m sure you know that. But I find it curious that as we’re approaching the election cycle, now some very unsavory characters are asking questions. It won’t work, Hayes. I won’t step down. I won’t allow you to bully me. Before you try, you should think about the dirt I have on you.”

  He turned on his overly expensive loafers and strode out.

  Zack glanced Connor’s way and knew he didn’t even have to ask the question.

  Connor held his hands up. “It wasn’t one of my guys. I think we’re pretty comfortable with the fact that those kids are Shorn’s.”

  “Who else but the Russians would be poking into his business?” Zack asked.

  Roman shrugged. “Are we sure it’s them? He’s trying to keep the pipeline going.”

  “And I assure you he’ll change his mind if he’s sitting behind this desk and gets threatened with losing it.” Zack had no doubt about that. “It’s why they were okay with me picking Shorn. They knew he was vulnerable.”

  “I’ll send someone to try to figure out what they’re doing.” Connor had his phone in hand. “Although I think we know. Don’t worry about this, Zack. We stay the course. We’re handling it the right way.”

  “We hope,” Roman said under his breath.

  “Have a little faith, huh? I’ll go do some homework and let you know where we stand.” Connor rose and left him alone with his closest friend.

  The noose was tightening. Zack could feel it.

  “Are you sure we should expend the time and energy to let Sara and Mad get married now?” Roman asked. “I can talk to him. Surely he’ll understand that now isn’t the time for distractions. I’m honestly thinking about talking to Gus about delaying our own wedding, and that’s still months away.”

  “Let them be, Roman, and you delay your wedding at your own peril. I don’t think Gus likes kids enough to leave your balls on your body if you do that.” Zack turned and looked out the window. It was a beautiful day. He’d love to spend it by taking Elizabeth’s hand and walking through the Rose Garden just to enjoy the sunshine with her.

  He wouldn’t be doing that anytime soon. He would be in hiding, protecting himself. Keeping his emotional distance from her until he knew whether she wore a white hat or an ushanka.

  “Are you sure?” Roman asked.

  He didn’t want his friends miserable because his situation was tenuous and dangerous. “I’m sure. Let them have some happiness.”

  Because tomorrow wasn’t guaranteed. Not to anyone, and definitely not to him.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Have I told you how beautiful you look? That bastard best friend of mine doesn’t deserve you.” Gabe slipped into the bunker unit the ladies had somehow managed to turn into a gorgeous bridal suite.

  Sara smiled up at her brother, savoring the sense of peace that came with knowing she was finally going to marry the right man at the right time. But she was also happy that Gabe had come to let her know that all the arrangements for their midnight ceremony were finally in place.

  “You might have mentioned your opinion that Mad is somehow unworthy despite being your best friend several times, but I’m happy to hear that I look beautiful on my wedding day.” Especially since she didn’t want to just feel pregnant. She wanted to feel like a bride.

  “Let me see you.” Gabe made a spinning motion with his finger.

  With a laugh, she twirled around so her brother had a good look at the gorgeous beaded Zuhair Murad that Gus and Holland had managed to not only find, but have tailored in less than twelve hours. Sara was afraid to ask her bridesmaids how much it had cost or how many favors they’d had to trade in. They’d said it was their gift to her. To Sara, it was both perfect and priceless.

  Gabe took her hand. “Stunning. You make a gorgeous bride, and I wish we were back in New York so everyone could see you. I wish Mom and Dad were alive to see you now.”

  They’d had an odd family dynamic. Their father had worked constantly, and Mother had been far more concerned with her social life and her charitable works than her children. Still, it had hardly been a rough childhood. She’d known her parents loved her. They’d merely led separate lives.

  “I do, too, but Mad and I don’t intend to raise Maddie the way we were raised.”

  “Maddie, huh? You know you’re asking for trouble with that name.” He grinned before he sobered. “Actually, Everly and I have had the same conversation. No nannies for us.”

  “Oh, are you getting rid of the maid, too?” Sara loved teasing her brother, and it felt good to be able to joke again. To be so incredibly happy.

  “Never. Everly would give me up before she let Gwen go.” He shuddered slightly. “I’ll never learn how to clean, especially to Everly’s high standards, so I’m better off not trying.”

  “I agree. The maid stays, and unless Mad learns how to do more than scramble eggs, we might need a chef, but we’re going to raise this baby ourselves until she’s an adult. And she’s going to need cousins, so get busy.”

  A grin lit her brother’s face. “We’re working on it.” He glanced around the normally utilitarian room, and Sara was again astounded by how the women had transformed the place with lush furnishings and carpets. A hearty tea service with accompanying snacks rested on a nearby table. Everywhere, evidence of the bridal party
primping and polishing in preparation for her big day was visible. “The ladies can work some serious magic. I’m sorry we’re doing this so late and so secretively. You should be able to walk out to the Rose Garden in the middle of the loveliest spring day. Or we should be doing this at Loyola.”

  She wrinkled her nose at the thought of getting married in that church. “Where we held Mad’s funeral? No, thank you. I’m just happy we’ll get to be outside in the moonlight.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to wait?” Gabe asked.

  Sara had never been more sure of anything in her life. “I want to marry the man I love, and I can’t wait until he’s officially back from the dead. I know you guys think you’re close to cracking this thing, so maybe this feels unnecessarily rushed to you. But we’re controlling the one thing we can. I want to give Mad the knowledge that I’m his wife. I need to know he’s my husband. And we’ve agreed that anything that happens after tonight, we face together. Now walk me up to the residence. I want to get to the honeymoon part.”

  Gabe winced. “I did not need to hear that.”

  She shrugged and picked up the lovely bouquet Lara had brought for her. “Well, I didn’t want to hear your honeymoon either, but guess who decided to spend their first week as man and wife in the Hamptons? In the room beside mine? Yep, you and Ev. You should be happy you get to sleep upstairs, far from Mad and me. Because we’re going to make some noise tonight.”

  Her very elegant brother made a retching sound, then offered her a hand. “They’ve already disguised Mad and sneaked him up to the residence. All the ladies are in place. We’re just waiting on you.”

  It was almost midnight. They’d selected the time to avoid staff and reporters. Connor and Dax had made certain they could walk to the residence without eyes on them. Freddy had even arranged a short window of surveillance blackout. Once they were in place, the wedding party would be alone without any eyes on them. Thomas would monitor the door to ensure it stayed that way.

  Sara was thrilled that her whole family was together for her and Mad’s big day.

  As she and her brother walked up the stairs, the heels Gus had brought her clicked along the marble. She was happy for Gabe’s steady hand because it had been months since she’d walked in any shoe that wasn’t flat.

  When they got to the residence, the women flocked over and buzzed around her, making sure her hair, makeup, dress, and veil all looked perfect.

  “I’m grabbing the wireless speaker,” Holland proclaimed, hurrying by. “Just another minute and we’ll be ready. Don’t leave the living room. We don’t want Mad to see you until we’re ready.”

  “The guys are on the balcony and I promise they’re all wearing their best,” Lara said, carrying the smaller bouquets the bridesmaids would hold as she made her way outside.

  “Wait up,” Gabe called to Connor’s wife. “I need to make sure Mad is ready. And if he’s misbehaving, Sara, I’ll throw him off the balcony.” He winked and departed.

  “I forced Roman into a tux.” Gus looked tall and beautiful in her elegant sheath. “He actually thought he might get away with wearing something casual since we’re getting married in Hawaii. Not happening. We’re going formal all the way. I did not wait this long to get married only to have him show up in shorts and a T-shirt.”

  Given the fact that less than two weeks ago Sara had believed Mad was lost to her forever, she would take him now wearing a speedo and a pink wig. “Thank you for making tonight so lovely for us.”

  “We did the best we could with the time and resources we had,” Liz assured.

  Sara took her hands. “It’s perfect. Please don’t worry that I feel like I’m getting the shaft with this quickie clandestine wedding. I don’t. I’m overjoyed. But Gus, word of warning: all those men have been so circumspect for the last few months. They’re going to cut loose at some point. Think about it.”

  Gus’s eyes went wide as the implication obviously hit her. “We’ve had three Perfect Gentlemen weddings, and not a single one of them have been marked with crazy pranks because we’ve had this thing hanging over our heads. Once everything is back to normal, they will revert to form and focus all their attention on my wedding. Shit.”

  “And I have it on the highest authority there will be neon dildos,” Sara said with a grin. “Many of them. I won’t even go into Mad’s thoughts about what he can do to your wedding cake.”

  Laughter rang through the room, Everly sounding the loudest as she headed outside. “I’m so excited about your wedding, Gus. It’s going to be amazing. And Sara is right, probably crazy.”

  “I will murder all of them,” Gus swore as she strode toward the balcony like a woman on a mission. “I’ll see you outside. I have some ground rules to set with those men.”

  Everly followed, waving her off. “Why? The guys will agree to everything you say…and there will still be dildos at that wedding. I can’t wait! I haven’t seen a real Perfect Gentlemen shindig yet, and they only have two more weddings to get it right.”

  Suddenly, Sara found herself alone with Liz. “You know you should get nervous, too. There’s nothing the guys like more than to tease Zack. They had to have a decoy limo for his first wedding because everyone was afraid of what Mad and the others would do to it.”

  Liz’s smile didn’t come close to reaching her eyes. “I’d heard that.”

  “Are you okay? You’ve been quiet all afternoon.”

  “Fine,” she replied. “Just work stuff.”

  “Your work stuff also involves boyfriend stuff. That’s got to be incredibly complex. I can’t imagine what Zack is going through right now. He has to be a giant ball of stress.”

  “You could say that.” Liz looked lovely in her lavender dress, her blonde hair piled artfully on her head and threaded through with white flowers.

  “You two picked a difficult time to finally start your relationship.”

  “I don’t know that we have one. I think I’m a convenient sexual outlet for him,” Liz admitted, then shook her head. “I’m so sorry. I don’t want to ruin your wedding with my whining.”

  “You’re not. Like I said, this is a very difficult time for us all, but you and Zack more than anyone else. I don’t think you should make any decisions until we’re on the other side of this cluster.”

  “I may not get that choice.” Liz drew in a long, calming breath. “You know, I always thought we would make time to be together after his first term. But now…”

  “Liz, I know Zack. I’m not as close to him as my brother, but I’ve watched him over the years. Even as a kid he had this gravity to him, like he knew the sort of weighty responsibility coming his way. He was always so serious. We all knew exactly what his marriage to Joy was, and I never thought it would work, even though everyone seemed to adore her. She wasn’t the right woman for him.”

  “But she was in a lot of ways,” Liz argued. “She was the perfect political wife. She let him have his career and built her whole world around supporting that ambition. He’s used to that. I’m something different.”

  “Yes, but you’re much better for him. You push him.”

  “I don’t know that he wants to be pushed, especially now. I think that might be our problem. I can’t be the woman he needs. When I try to give him space, he insists on having me with him. But when I’m close, he doesn’t seem to want me at all.”

  “He doesn’t like being away from you, but he has a lot on his mind,” Sara softly explained. “He’s in a bad position, Liz. There are things he can’t tell you, pressures that weigh on him.”

  “He’s always had those, and I’ve never asked him to tell me anything classified. I can’t explain, but whatever’s happening now is something totally new. He’s shutting me out of conversations and decisions he never has before and I don’t understand why.”

  “I don’t know, either. And I know that must hurt, but I hope you’ll give him more time. He wouldn’t use you. Zack Hayes is one of the most honorable men I’ve ever met.
If he’s acting like a douche, there’s an underlying reason.”

  Liz sniffled, and Sara’s heart went out to her. “I’m trying to be patient and stay calm.”

  “I hope you can be because Zack might have married Joy, but I never once saw him smile until he met you. When you first joined the team, Gus and I were worried because it was so obvious that he lit up when you walked into a room, and it wasn’t simply about sexual chemistry. You two flowed and worked together like magic or something. Gus says the same thing. I think that’s because you challenge Zack to be more than a politician. You’ve made him want something beyond this job. I’ve been worried for years about what happens to Zack when his presidency is over. How does anyone go on after they’ve already accomplished the one massive feat they’ve driven toward their whole life? Then I saw the two of you together, and I knew that Zack had a new dream. He’s probably running for reelection because it’s the right thing to do and because it safeguards us all, but I guarantee he’s marking time until the moment he can have a normal life. You gave him that drive. He wants all of that because he wants it with you.”

  Stark pain crossed Liz’s face. “I don’t know about that.”

  “I do. He’s never been in love before. Imagine what it must be like to be the most powerful man in the world and to be figuring out during the worst crisis of your life what it means to truly love someone.”

  “You’ve got a point.” Liz nodded thoughtfully. “And he’s facing his own vulnerability at the same time.”

  “That can’t be easy. He probably doesn’t even realize he’s processing so many heavy things at once. They’re all wrapped together in his brain,” Sara said. “He’s never been this vulnerable before—either professionally or personally. He’s never had to think about his relationships because they didn’t affect his heart. He’s in deep with you and he’s floundering. I should know.”

  “Because that’s how Mad was in the beginning?”

  “No, because I was Zack. I was terrified that Mad would break my heart and make me look like a fool. I know that’s not exactly what’s going on here, but the feelings are similar. I kept my distance from Mad for years. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if Mad had kept trying to get through to me when we were younger. Although that would have made him a little stalkery, so I guess things happen when they’re supposed to. But Zack needs you.”