Page 85 of Forged By Sacrifice

Her biting words were just Dani’s way. It was like she didn’t know when to hold back. And maybe she was right. Maybe that was all Mac and I really needed. A night of bodies entwined so we could leave whatever it was that existed between us behind.

The salesclerk came back into the room and stopped dead. “That dress was meant to be taken off.”

Dani and I shared a look before bursting out in laughter.

Dani finally said, “Yep. That’s definitely the one.”

Mac

IF OUR LOVE IS WRONG

“Why would I need their permission?

Skin and bones, I'm only human.

It's in my DNA,

Suffocating just to fit in.

Why do I care what people say?”

Performed by Calum Scott

Written by Scott / Parfitt / Plested

The week tugged by at a pace that drove me crazy. The Hill was slowly filling back up as people came back into town from their summer homes and vacations. And with them, came the waves of people in and out of the senator’s office. People looking for handouts, people looking for his support, and people who were just downright awful. People threatening, and cajoling, and leaving behind what they intended to be political time bombs.

Granddad and the senator relied on Dani more than I’d ever expected to defuse the bombs and set things back on track. Whereas, before, we’d sat at our desks, reading reports and writing bill language, now we were hardly ever at our desks. Dani was constantly in and out of Guy’s office as well as the other senators’. I tagged after her, feeling ridiculously more like a notetaker than an influencer. I gritted my teeth, trying not to let my ego take over.

At the Pentagon, I was known?not just because of my father—but because of my own achievements. Because the work I’d done had made a difference to the success of our JSOC missions. It was harder than I had imagined it would be to take twenty steps back and be, once again, the person who had to earn their spot.

Dani, on the other hand, was a force to be reckoned with. She was doggedly persistent, knew exactly what pressure points to hit upon, and rarely left a room without getting what she wanted. She was professional and respected wherever she went. She reminded me of Téa Leoni in Madam Secretary. I would never want to be on Dani’s wrong side when it came to politics.

On Thursday, we entered Senator Fenway’s office to leave talking points on the Matherton’s gun bill. The senator’s secretary smiled at Dani as she made her way into his office without stopping. The senator was on the phone but smiled once he saw us, waving to come in. I think Dani would have approached regardless.

He hung up and came around the desk.

“Dani. Nice to see you. What has Guy got you pitching today?”

“Don’t even start, Senator. You know perfectly well I’m dropping off the talking points on the gun bill.”

“Just dropping off? Maybe we should discuss it over drinks,” he said, and the way he took in my sister from head to toe had me clenching my fists.

“I’m sure Abigail will want you home long before I’m ready to leave the building,” Dani smoothly deflected him, handing him the notes we’d brought with us.

“Abigail won’t be back in D.C. for another week,” he said, and I swore his fingers held onto her wrist way longer than necessary. I cleared my throat, and he looked toward me as if seeing me for the first time.

I wasn’t naïve. I knew there were plenty of power-hungry, whore-mongering politicians in D.C. I just hadn’t paid attention to which ones were which. I’d been focused, instead, on wanting to change it all, and now it felt ridiculous and childish. Exactly the emotions I’d started to feel on Eli’s beach in Rockport. Had I really never thought further past my goals than an eight-year-old’s determination to “be the difference we wanted in the world”? I thought of my journal at home, full of aspirations and very little reality. My disgust with myself and the man in front of me continued to bloom when he spoke with his own, barely veiled, derision.

“Who’s your shadow?” he asked Dani.

“This is my brother, Macauley. He’s come over from the Pentagon to work for Guy.”

The senator reached out a hand, and I shook it, even though I had a feeling I was going to need to dump it into a bottle of sanitizer after I left the room.

“What did you do at the Pentagon, Macauley?”

“Can’t really talk about it,” I answered with a shrug.

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