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“It was an accident; I took too much of my ADHD meds.” It’s still strange to me. I don’t remember taking it that morning, let alone too much.
“You’re quite accident-prone. Good thing you won’t be President. When the gala is over, you’ll go back to Florida and encourage your wife to run for office in the upcoming election. She should start small, maybe a congressional seat or a state position. With her turning thirty-five next year, you’ll support her run in 2028.”
“Jaclyn?” I bark a laugh. “You wantJaclynto run? She’ll lose. She’s too much like her father. The country won’t vote for her when she leansthatfar to one side politically. My own father had to become more centrist when he ran, and I intend to do the same. Plus, she’s a woman. You really think you’ll convince over half of the nation to support her? You’ve lost your mind.”
“You underestimate your wife, Mr. Blake.” He takes another sip of whiskey with a light hum as the liquid passes his lips. “She’s more than qualified, and the countrylovesher.”
I cluck my tongue. “Will they still love her when they find out she married Alex?”
“That reminds me.” Mickey pulls out his phone and types for a moment before setting it on his thigh screen side down. Seconds later, a woman walks in that I recognize but can’t place. “Your new aide, Lisa Johnson.”
Lisa approaches and I politely stand, buttoning my tux. It’s only halfway through the little slit when Mickey gestures for me to take a seat.
“Hi, I’m not sure if you remember me, I was your wedding coordinator.” She offers her hand, but I don’t take it.
“Why is she here?” I snap at Mickey.
“Alex and Jaclyn were careless discussing their fake nuptials,” she answers for him, sitting next to me. “So, for half a million a year and a position on your staff, I’ll remain here in D.C. to manage your office in your absence… Perhaps start a charity. What is your passion? Books? Animals?”
“No, absolutely not. Go work for Alex.”
Lisa is about to answer when Mickey interjects, “Lisawillwork for you. End of discussion.”
“This is bullshit,” I grumble under my breath. “So, I have to clean up Alex’s mess, now? All because he couldn’t keep his fucking mouth shut in front of her?” I gesture to Lisa with a wide swipe of my arm.
“To be fair, it was your father who was a bit too loud when speaking with your brother,” she retorts.
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Can’t you just take the money?”
“No, I enjoy working,” she replies with pride. At the same time, Mickey growls, “Lest you forget, Mr. Blake,who took care of your indiscretions? You’re not in charge here. You’ll return to Florida as we discussed, and Lisa will remain in Washington to run your office here.”
There’s nothing worse than being in debt to a Gallagher…
“Fine,” I mutter, but he can’t stop me from announcing. I won’t do it at the gala and upstage Jaclyn after the progress I’ve made with her. Fuck Mickey, and fuck his ridiculous plan to make my wife President. Tomorrow, I’ll find a way to get rid of this Lisa woman and coordinate everything with my media team.
“Wonderful.” Mickey finishes his whiskey and stands, fastening the middle button of his tux jacket. “Now that’s all settled, I’ll see both of you at the event. I hear there’s a bachelor auction again this year. Perhaps I’ll see if they need another victim; it’ll make for an interesting night.”
He walks out, leaving me with Lisa. I don’t have the mental energy to deal with her, so I excuse myself and make my way up to my room. Jaclyn should be ready and preparing for the gala, and I need some time to figure out how the hell I’m going to pull off announcing my presidential run… and not piss off the damn mafia.
Mickey is a fucking idiot if he thinks I’m handing everything over to Jaclyn. While I love her, the country isn’t ready to. At least not yet. One day, but not for at least a few more decades.
Chapter 37
Jaclyn
“Trust me, princess. I love you.”
Can I trust him?
Alex opens the door and checks both ways down the hall to make sure no one is lurking. He presses a chaste kiss to my cheek as I step out of his room, and I inwardly chastise myself. I shouldn’t have kissed him, but the moment I saw those brown-hazel eyes, every single fiber of my being begged me to.
My plan was to ask him to not do the auction. When our eyes met, all the air left my lungs, and I lost complete control of the situation. But it’s over; I need to cut myself off cold turkey. It worked when he left Hawaii. I’ll do it again. There is too much at stake.
As I approach the elevator, there’s a man waiting, rubbing his hand behind his neck as he checks his phone. I stand next to him, watching for the numbers to climb from three to our floor, but they don’t move.
“It’s been stuck for a while. I think it’s broken,” he grumbles. After waiting in uncomfortable silence for at least three minutes, he looks up from his phone, and does a double-take. He offers a wide smile, one that meets his sparkling, emerald eyes. Even with my heels, he still has several inches on me, and I’m woman enough to admit he’s an incredibly attractive man.
Find me anyone—doesn’t matter if they are a man, woman, or anything in between—who doesn’t love a green-eyed man, impeccably dressed in a designer suit. He’s built like he could rail you on any surface, without breaking a sweat…
