Page 13 of The Senator

Vani took my hand and led me up a back staircase to the second floor. There was an open stairway from the first floor where we could hear the men speaking in the living room downstairs.

“Look, Spence, there was a note on my desk that said, ‘Issue a statement and confirm it’s Blaire in the pics. I need to be crystal clear about this and accept responsibility.’ Here’s a copy.”

Vani leaned closer to me and whispered, “That’s Mario Fernandez, Spence’s chief of staff. The other man is Mitchell Flora, the director of communications for the Senate office.”

“Does Spence know I’m here?” I was fucking confused by the entire situation. It wasn’t easy piecing together their relationship, much less my part in it.

No attachments. No regrets.

When the shouting began, Vani and I stepped back into the shadows. “You left a note on my desk!” one of them yelled.

“I didn’t write it. I put it there after it was left on my desk!” the other person yelled in return.

“What fucking note?” That was Spencer, and I was sure the neighbors heard him. When I looked at Vani, she took my hand and led me down the hallway to a bedroom.

“So, I think, but don’t hold me to this, someone is out to completely decimate our lives. We’re not sure why, yet, but we want to get out of town for a while. How strong are your ties to the area?” Vani asked, which completely surprised me. We’d only met about fifteen hours prior, and she was asking me to go away with them? It made no sense.

“Why? Why would you want me to go with you on a trip?” I asked, needing clarity.

Vani closed her big blue eyes before opening them and looking into mine. “You are a calming spirit, and right now, that’s what we need. We also need someone to watch our backs as we attempt to maneuver through this minefield.”

I was under her spell, but not because I wanted to fuck her. I wanted to make her feel safe, which was new for me. I wouldn’t allow it to become an attachment, but it didn’t seem right to leave the two of them alone when they were in such a bad place. Situations like the one where they found themselves tended to lead to bad decisions, and usually, there was no turning back from those.

Before I could answer, the front door slammed. “Vanessa!” Spencer’s deep voice boomed through the cavernous rooms in the majestic house.

She turned to me, offering a tender smile. “We need you, Nash. I can feel it in my bones. Please, think about it?”

“Think about what, Vani?”

“Think about becoming a dear friend who will support us during this mess, and maybe become family when you’re ready?”

I could only nod, not exactly sure what she meant by the odd statement, but not having the strength to tell her no. How in the hell could anyone tell her no?

I was in the kitchen while Vani and Spencer were upstairs with Spencer’s chief of staff. Apparently, something Mario said had Spencer on alert, and he’d called Vani upstairs. I went through the fridge to find cold cuts for sandwiches, so I went to work. Idle hands and all that bullshit learned from one of my foster mothers, who was a religious fanatic.

I heard Vani and Spencer coming downstairs, but there was another set of footsteps following behind. When they walked into the kitchen with a handsome man sporting a worried face, I stopped and turned to the couple. “Should I make more food?” I asked, looking at Vani for confirmation.

“No!” Spencer’s voice echoed off the walls.

“Spence, dear, don’t be an ass. Mario, sit down and have a sandwich that Nash has been so kind to make for us. What do you think is going on?” Vani picked up the platter of sandwiches and placed it on the table where I’d already stacked napkins and a few paper plates I’d found in one of the cabinets. I sat down at the island and allowed the three of them to settle at the table.

The other man took a seat and looked at the two of them. He seemed to be assessing the situation, which was probably a good idea. “I went into the office early this morning, and I was in the middle of making calls to see if we had any allies left, when Mitch came into my office with a typed note he’d found on the printer beside his desk.

“It instructed us to issue a statement that Blaire Conner was with you in Antigua, and since I couldn’t get you on the phone to confirm your directive, we went from the note, Spence. We’d have never done anything of the sort without your permission, I swear,” the man informed.

One thing I’d learned over the years was how to judge people, and as I studied the man sitting with Vani and Spencer, I could see he was telling the truth. He showed a lot of sympathy for what the two of them were going through.

“Ah, shit. You think Mitch is up to something? How did he… who the hell besides you, me, Vani, and Blaire knew we were going to Antigua?” Spencer asked.

Vani offered a giggle as she turned to Mario. “Sean Fitzpatrick seemed to know. He told us you were in Cock of the Walk one night looking for a hookup when you two ran into each other.” Based on the man’s face, she definitely caught him by surprise with her statement.

“I… I… Fuck! I forgot about that. It was months ago,” Mario responded. “Can I get something to drink?” he asked, looking in my direction. I stood and went to the fridge, grabbing three bottles of water and placing them on the table. I was a bartender at heart. Nothing new.

“Thank you, Nash,” Spencer offered. I winked at him and returned to my seat at the island.

“So, how come you never told me you’re into guys?” Spencer asked his chief of staff.

“I didn’t think it mattered to you one way or another,” the man sniped back. It was then I saw it—attraction and jealousy. The guy was into Spence, probably had been for a long time, but he knew Spencer wouldn’t be interested in him, and it pissed him off.

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