At the Pleasure of the President Read online

  For the hundredth time, Zack asked himself why, when he and the guys had decided to bring the women closer, he had insisted Liz should come, too. The minute Mad suggested the women should be here, the room had exploded in chaos. But they’d all agreed on one thing: their women needed protection and they needed to understand the risk. Events were forcing them to huddle up, and he hadn’t been able to stand the thought that Elizabeth might be on the outside.

  “Mad, I want real explanations now,” Roman demanded. “You can’t just show up and expect us to wait around for…what? Do you have a presentation set up? You do. You asshole. You have a presentation, don’t you?”

  Mad shrugged. “I can’t help it if I know how to put on a show. And everyone involved needs to see it. I shouldn’t have to tell you how serious this is. I know you’re all pissed at the way I went about this. My ass may not be the only one at risk, but I’m the one who’s been alone all this time.”

  No, Mad was wrong about that, Zack mused. Lately, he’d felt so damn alone without Elizabeth. Since he’d forced himself to put distance between them, he realized how much he’d come to depend on her being part of his everyday life. She was often the first person he saw in the morning and the last person he spoke to at night. Even if he wasn’t with her, he would call her before he went to bed. Oh, he would say he had business to discuss, and he always managed to come up with something relevant. But then he would ask her about her day, and she would tell him all the crazy stuff that had gone on in the press room or laugh about how Gus had managed to take down some annoying lobbyist. Eventually, he would look at the clock and realize that hours had passed.

  He missed her so fucking much.

  “Apparently, you weren’t alone,” Dax argued. “You had Matthew Kemp, Thomas, and whoever this mystery guy is.”

  Zack listened with passing interest. Sure, he was curious about the mystery guy, too. Well, he should be. But he had an almost fatalistic acceptance that nothing they said or did would truly matter. If he was Sergei, then his whole life had been a lie and everything he knew, especially his days as president, were over. Even if he survived his resistance against the Russians, he would have to resign in disgrace. Then everything he’d worked for would have been in vain.

  Yet he could remember a time when the notion of not being the president had been the most freeing thought of all. If he hadn’t won the election, he might have had a life with Elizabeth…presuming she wasn’t a Russian operative. Maybe he would have embraced the career of his choice while bringing up a family differently than the way he’d been raised. He could have embraced love above duty for once.

  Without Elizabeth, all Zack had was the presidency and his legacy. Didn’t that sound empty as fuck?

  “You have to understand my partner in all this is actually quite intelligent. When I nudged you to look into him, I didn’t realize you would go crazy and fall in love.” Mad huffed at Connor. “I actually prayed you wouldn’t kill the pacifist chick because she was so obviously wrong for you, but I suspected from her blogs that she had valuable information. Except about Zack’s penis. I didn’t need to know any of that. But I was pretty sure Everly would work well with her. But most of all, she was close to my partner…and at the time I didn’t really know him, so I needed you to investigate.”

  Connor’s jaw had dropped. It might be the first time Zack had ever seen Connor Sparks completely at a loss for words. In fact, they all were.

  “Are you talking about Freddy?” Zack scowled.

  Freddy Gallagher had been living next to Lara Armstrong when Connor investigated her and her website, Capitol Scandals, which had been the bane of Zack’s existence since it hit the DC scene. Connor had gone in to find out what she knew about Mad’s “death” and the surrounding conspiracy. Her neighbor Freddy, a longtime conspiracy theorist, had discovered the proof that Joy’s death hadn’t been the result of an assassin’s bullet meant for Zack gone astray. Someone had intentionally murdered Joy to sway the voting public into sweeping Zack into office—and the plan had succeeded.

  Mad nodded. “Yeah, that’s him. At the time, Freddy wasn’t too keen on sharing what he knew, so I maneuvered Connor where I was sure he would come into contact with Freddy. Lara was the vehicle since I knew Freddy would peg Connor as a government suit and be too suspicious to talk to him outright. I gambled that Lara was aware of Freddy’s investigation and that Connor’s instincts would kick in. I worried like hell that Connor would fuck everything up. I never imagined he would get down and dirty with the vegan princess.”

  “Oh, he did both.” Dax looked like he was going to go pop some corn and enjoy the drama.

  Connor turned on his best friend. “Hey, since my courtship of my wife didn’t include marrying another woman and wasting years of our lives, unlike some people, I’m the smart one here. I had Lara under control in a couple of weeks.”

  “Really? Are you talking about the same woman who recently ran an ‘exposé’ about all the ways my company is polluting the earth?” Gabe asked with a sigh. “Because it doesn’t feel like you’ve got her under control.”

  “She loves the earth.” Connor shrugged. “Look, she and I have a deal. I don’t get involved with her protesting and she doesn’t ask me about my CIA contacts. Or why I sometimes have blood on my clothes when I come home. But she’s excellent at getting that out of dress shirts. Saved me a ton of money.” He turned back to Mad. “We need to have a serious discussion about Freddy. He’s a lunatic.”

  “And a menace.” For the first time since they started talking, Dax looked serious. “I barely survived breaking into his apartment. Did you know about that, Mad? Did you know about the land mine in his foyer? Walking into that place was like an obstacle course in a deadly Three Stooges cartoon.”

  Mad looked at him as if he’d gone mental. “Why do you think I didn’t go in myself?”

  Glowering, Dax stood.

  If Mad wasn’t careful, he would get another beatdown. Zack didn’t need to hang around for this. Clearly, Mad wasn’t going to divulge any important details until he made a big production out of it. That shouldn’t surprise anyone.

  Zack rose as Mad and Dax faced off and walked to the bar, his thoughts turning.

  How would Elizabeth take Mad’s return from the dead? Would she be shocked he was alive…or did she already know? He would have to watch her carefully. Yes. That was why he was bringing her here. He needed to watch her, keep her close so he could monitor her every expression, word, and move.

  Of course he couldn’t get any closer than being in bed with her.

  Maybe he’d played their game all wrong. He’d pushed her away so that no one would think to use her against him. But if she was in on the conspiracy, drawing her close made so much sense.

  All the better to eat you…

  Yes, he was the Big Bad Wolf in this scenario, and she was sweet Little Red Riding Hood with her basket of treats. Damn, but he wanted a taste of that. Needed it. Had craved it for so fucking long.

  “Can you believe this?” Roman had left the crowd to join him, empty glass in hand.

  Zack refilled it. “We should have known Mad’s death was a ruse when he made sure a good percentage of the ‘mourners’ at his funeral were his favorite hookers. Hell, nothing takes out Mad. He must have a deal with the devil.”

  “Sometimes I think he is the devil,” Roman shot back, then glanced into the great room where the guys were arguing about which one got to take off Mad’s head. “But I have to say, I’m fucking relieved he’s not dead. Something feels right about the world again. Despite the fact that he could have just called and told us what was going on.”

  “You know why he couldn’t do that.”

  Roman sighed. “You’re not Sergei.”

  Zack sent him a pointed look. The evidence was not in his favor, and Roman needed to acknowledge that.

  “Fine, we don’t know anything, and Mad’s not talking yet.” Roman leaned against the bar. “But I know this. If somehow you a
re this mystical Sergei, you won’t let the Russians use you. Their plans will fail because you’re a man of integrity. You’ll step down before you’ll steer this country wrong.”

  “Will I?” He’d been sitting up every night asking himself that question. “Haven’t I already let them manipulate me?”

  He hadn’t announced the natural gas pipeline that would free Europe from Russian control and fill American coffers. He’d put it off indefinitely. Was this the first compromise he would make in a long line of them to keep his loved ones safe? How easy would it become to give in just a little more each time?

  “You know how to fix that. I’ll release that correspondence between Joy and myself, and Gus doesn’t mind if her sex tape gets out.” Roman took a long swallow. “I will hate that part, but I bet she looks gorgeous. You’ve got Liz’s sister handled.”

  “There’s no way to manage the other threats. I’m at the end of my rope. Connor and Lara’s lives will be in danger. Gabe and I can probably deal with the heat from the FAA investigation, though. I did not kill that report.” According to everything they knew, someone from the press office had.

  No, he needed to call it like it was. Elizabeth had likely killed the report.

  She’d also been the one to “find” the blackmail letter. Everything pointed to her. She’d even been recommended by his father, who almost certainly knew something…or had at one point. Information had to be buried in that foggy brain of his.

  His father was the key to unlocking this mystery, but Zack couldn’t get the man to say anything lucid. He’d tried to question his dad many times over the last couple of months. He’d asked about the years they’d spent in Russia. He’d asked about his mother’s death. He’d absolutely asked why his mother had talked constantly about a mysterious baby when she’d been drunk.

  Had that baby been the real Zack Hayes?

  But whenever he posed these questions to his father, the man always stared at him as if he didn’t understand. Or he would melt down into a tirade, and Zack would have to bring in the nurse to sedate him.

  “I’m looking into what happened with that FAA matter, but I have to be quiet,” Roman murmured. “Connor is taking point on that. We’ll figure this out. You haven’t done anything to compromise yourself or the country. Honestly, now that we’ve got Mad back, I’m more positive than ever that we’ll win this fight.”

  “We don’t even know precisely who we’re fighting.”

  Roman stared at him for a moment, an almost nauseating sympathy in his eyes. “We’re going to have to deal with Elizabeth.”

  “That’s what I’m trying to do.”

  “By bringing her to Mad? By letting her in on all of our secrets?”

  “She already knows them. If she’s half the spy you seem to think she is, I assure you she already knows everything there is to know about me.”

  “And if she’s not, then you’ve wrecked the best relationship of your life. Don’t pretend you don’t love her and this isn’t killing you. For what it’s worth, Gus loves her, too. Honestly, I don’t know what to think anymore and I’m sick of playing the bad guy. I’m only looking out for you.”

  If there was one thing in this world Zack could count on, it was that Roman Calder always had his back. “I don’t want to believe Elizabeth had anything to do with this mess, but all the roads lead back to her.”

  “Maybe that’s because someone’s trying to divide us.”

  Zack clung to that suggestion like a damn life raft. “She would be the easiest one to get to. Mad admitted he isn’t sure about Elizabeth, either. But maybe he has some insights. When I told him I was having her brought here this weekend, he didn’t argue.”

  Roman held up a hand. “Look, regardless of whether she’s done anything wrong or not, you’re going to rest easier if you know she’s safe. I think you should try to repair your relationship with her.”

  “Maybe, but—”

  “There are two ways to think about this. If Liz isn’t involved in this conspiracy, then someone on the opposite side is damn smart. They’ve figured out what she means to you and they’re using her already. Pushing her away didn’t stop them in the least. But if she’s in on it…”

  “Then keeping her close is the best idea.” Zack always felt better having his conclusions seconded by a master politician. “And maybe if she’s not involved, letting her in will go a long ways to repairing our friendship.”

  Roman rolled his eyes. “You mean you might finally get her into bed. That will go a long way to fixing you two. But just in case, maybe we should run a little test.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Roman had his scheming face on. Of course most people would simply call that his face in general because Roman was almost always plotting something. “Give her some information no one but the two of us knows, something false. If it gets out, we know she’s involved.”

  And if it didn’t, then he might still have a shot at some kind of happiness, however temporary it might be. Though he had to consider all the ramifications of being with Elizabeth. “I still need to keep my distance. I don’t want her tied too closely to me if it turns out I’m a Russian plant. I won’t ruin her life that way.”

  “Let’s take it one day at a time.” Roman clapped a hand on his shoulder. “And tonight, let’s just be happy our asshole friend isn’t in the grave and that he might have useful information so we can end this once and for all.”

  Zack grimaced. “I know…”

  “Come on, man. Don’t feel guilty or wallow yourself into misery. Let’s have one night where we’re just happy that we’re all together again. How much do you want to bet that Everly and Sara both slap the shit out of Mad?”

  He smiled at that before reality intruded again. “Gabe needs to talk to Sara before she sees Mad.”

  How would the expectant mother handle her lover coming back from the dead?

  “She’ll be happy…eventually. She’s got to understand he did this to protect her. I believe that part of his story,” Roman said. “Now, let’s take a deep breath and get ready for the storm. I hear the chopper coming in.”

  Zack felt his whole body tense because that meant Elizabeth was here. She would walk in any moment with Gus, Lara, and Holland.

  Minutes later, he heard the door open. The click-click-click of Gus’s heels followed. Naturally, she was carrying a bottle of his best tequila. He should have known if he disrupted that woman’s party, she would simply make another one.

  “All right, guys, we’re here. Your explanation better be excel…”

  Augustine Spencer looked across the great room and fell uncharacteristically silent. She simply stood, rooted, staring at the dead man who looked very much alive. Lara and Holland joined her, each blinking in shock at Mad with their jaws hanging open.

  “Hey, Gus.” Mad might care about the other ladies, but Zack knew damn well Mad had always adored Gus. She’d been his touchstone for years. “I thought you might forgive me for hijacking your party.”

  Roman stepped up beside him, watching his fiancée with concern.

  Gus gasped and tears started. “Yep. You’re forgiven.” She walked toward Mad, her arms wide. “I knew you couldn’t be dead. Something inside me kept insisting. You bastard.”

  But she threw her arms around him and cried.

  Lara had her hands on her hips. “I’m glad you’re alive, Mr. Crawford, and I’m eager for an explanation. But we’ll need to talk about the environmental impact of your faked demise.”

  Connor managed to cup his wife’s shoulders before she could start the lecture. He knew exactly how to get her attention. He started kissing her.

  Dax moved in on his wife, Holland, taking her hand and explaining with quiet words, stopping when she had questions.

  Elizabeth stood apart from the rest. She still wore the suit she’d worked in all day. The Secret Service must have nabbed her before she could change for Gus’s impromptu party. It didn’t matter. She was the most gorgeous woma
n he’d ever seen.

  And Zack didn’t know for certain, but he’d bet she would be absolutely stunning wearing nothing at all.

  She turned to him, and those crystal blue eyes caught his. Caught was the perfect word. Every time he looked at her, that’s how he felt. Years ago she’d caught him, and even now she refused to let him go.

  He couldn’t think of another woman, hadn’t been able to in forever. He’d gone out with several of the world’s most celebrated beauties for appearances’ sake. A few had even indicated they were receptive to far more than a friendly dinner. Zack couldn’t stand the thought of touching them. Not a one of those women moved him.

  He watched the moment Elizabeth decided to be brave. She squared her shoulders and those eyes went steely as she marched his way.

  His heart rate ticked up, but he was sure no one would be able to tell. He’d learned early in life how to hide almost everything he was feeling. His father would have preferred that he feel nothing at all, but he’d been satisfied that Zack was usually quite good at putting on a bland face.

  She wouldn’t be able to tell that his dick had stirred to life the way it always did when she was around. He could ignore his physical needs easily—with the singular exception of this one woman. Sometimes, like now, he wished he’d never met her, never known how good it felt to be in love.

  “Mr. President, I understand why I’m here now, but I’m going to need to get back to DC tonight. The Secret Service agent told me they’re sending the chopper back shortly. I’d like to be on board so I can do my job.”

  She didn’t understand anything at all. He hated the fact that she called him Mr. President now, even when they were alone. Sometimes, he played a sick game with himself to see if he could fluster her enough to let his first name slip past her gorgeous lips. He always felt a rush of triumph when it did.

  “You’ve been assigned a room. If you need anything, let me know and we’ll have someone get it for you. Since we’ll be here for a few days, I’ve already sent one of the interns to your place to pack a bag for you.”