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Why did I mention her clothing? Now all I wanted to do was take it off.
I grabbed my keys. “If you’re ready, then. Let’s go.”
I packed my gun and put my earpiece in. I had a strange feeling about this afternoon. Christian rarely called in reinforcements, so I wanted to ensure I was prepared for anything.
Nikole took a long sip of her coffee, then walked over to the kitchen and put away her dishes. “Okay, I’m ready,” she said, straightening her skirt and tucking her blouse in tighter.
When she pressed her shoulders back, stretching after being at a desk for hours, her breasts pushed against the middle buttons of her blouse. I pulled at my white collar as heat crept up my neck. I couldn’t get out of this stifling room fast enough.
***
Outside City Hall was a circus of reporters waiting for the governor and her daughter to show up. Christian and I parked our vehicles in a private spot with access directly inside the building. However, Christian just texted me that the governor wanted to say a few words to the media outside before meeting with the mayor.
“Shit,” I muttered.
“What is it?”
“The governor wants to hold an impromptu press conference right now.”
“Where?”
“Looks like it will be at the front steps of City Hall.”
Nikole blew out a heavy breath. “Of course she does. Never lose a PR opportunity, she would say.”
“Let’s get you inside while they’re distracted by her.”
She nodded. “That’s a good idea.”
As I suspected, when the reporters heard the governor would be saying a few words, they all flocked to the steps with their microphones pointed at her.
Christian stood behind her, wearing a dark gray suit and black T-shirt.
I pressed my earpiece. “Christian, I’m taking Nikole inside. Call me if you need a hand bringing in the governor. I’ll assist you once I have Nikole secured.”
“10-4,” Christian replied.
“Let’s go,” I said to Nikole and jumped out of my car. I wasn’t sure how long the governor would speak.
I huddled next to Nikole as we walked up the steps and discreetly passed reporters. We caught part of the governor’s speech as we made our way inside.
“My daughter’s kidnapping is exactly the sort of thing Bill C-125 would prevent. It will offer us the tools to be proactive with criminals instead of reactive.”
Nikole groaned beside me, and a growl gathered in my throat as well. Nikole had worked so hard to squash that story, not to give it any fuel, and with one sentence, her mother just put it back onto the front pages. She knew it would make her bill relevant and relatable. Who wouldn’t want to prevent the kidnapping of their child, even if it meant stomping on a constitutional right?
Turns out, I didn’t have to go back to help Christian. The governor’s speech was brief, and she didn’t take any questions afterward. They were up inside the mayor’s office within minutes after we arrived.
“Darling,” she said when she saw Nikole. “How are you? I’ve been worried sick about you.”
I’d spent a few days now with Nikole and not once had the governor called to find out how she was doing. Once, she called to ask Nikole if she had heard the rumor of the governor running for president, but had then laughed and said they were just rumors, of course. Nikole wasn’t pleased about them.
Another time, her mother invited Nikole to a special event and then argued when Nikole turned it down. She’d accused her daughter of trying to ruin her career.
Nikole was exhausted after phone calls with her mother. She put her head down on the table for several minutes before calmly walking into another room for at least an hour.
With a stiff upper lip, Nikole replied, “I’m fine, Mother. Just had a long day and want to get this over with.”
The governor didn’t hide her disapproving frown and turned to the mayor. “Do your children treat you with such little respect, or did the good Lord save this one just for me?”
