Page 85 of Bona Fide

“I think you’ve lost your entire shit, Governor.” I lift my shoulders and pull a k-cup out of its box, placing it in the Keurig. “You can’t do that.”

“I can do whatever I want.”

“If you think it’s going to save us, it won’t,” she snaps. Her words hit my gut, but I keep my frame straight and assertive.

She's seen me sweat, I've poured my heart out to her, and I haven't done that with anyone in years. If she thinks I'm going to beg, I will, but not when she's being a fucking brat.

“Who said anything about you?” I shoot back over my shoulder. “Maybe I’m tired of this shit.”

“And you want to give up now?”

“Better now than never.”

I hear her shoes hit the tiled floors. “You’re not a quitter, Lockwood,” she quips at my side. “I’ve listened to your speeches, the country needs someone with your passion. Someone who can lead them in the right direction and make—”

“My passion is gone,” I voice, reaching for a mug out of her cabinet. “It’s been sucked out of me for years. Running was just a vice to keep myself sane, and now you ran away with my sanity.”

“I’m not to blame for this.”

“Never said you were, Shelton. But I will say you’re the reason I saw the light.”

She shakes her head. “You can’t do this.”

“It’ll be done in the next forty-eight hours.”

“Does Emmy know?”

Nope.

“She’ll follow along with whatever I plan,” I reply. Reagan’s hand finds my bicep and turns me to look at her.

Peering up at me, she’s upset. She wants me to succeed, and I know that, but I’ll never be the man I want to be without her. Nothing in life will be what I need it to be if she’s not in it.

“Wade,” she says softly. “I know shit sucks right now. But you’re not going to let Demi win and take your dreams, are you?”

"Why?" I challenge. "You did." Reagan gapes at me, and, dare I say, I rendered her speechless. "You left because I didn't tell you the full story, and then Demi showed up; she fucked us both. But I can't continue living this lie and wait months until I possibly get into the White House to get rid of her. It's pointless, Reagan. And meanwhile, you're hurt, regardless if you want to admit it or not. And I'm still miserable, over one person. So, I want to get rid of her now, and she won't have a campaign to ruin."

“But you said you...bought votes.”

I nod. “I did.”

“That’s still going to cause shit.”

“Don’t really care. There is only one thing in this world that I want right now, I’m sure you can guess who and what.”

Her hand falls from my arm, and I miss it immediately. "You can't do this. You need to show her—"

“I don’t need to show her shit,” I gripe. “She knows what I’m capable of doing and what I do when I’m mad.”

“But she still did...this.”

“Because of the campaign, she knows I won’t be able to do much.”

Reagan shakes her head. “This is crazy.”

“This is reality, for just a little longer. She’s done things to my family that she won’t get away with. And I can’t take it anymore.” I brush a knuckle down the side of her face and lock our gazes together. “Whether you decide to stand by your decision to stay away from me or not, I need to do this.”

Her lips part, but she doesn't say anything, I think I've shocked the poor woman into shell shock for once. However, I don't need an answer right now. I need to protect Lucas and Phoebe. I have to fix what’s already been done, and I need to end her.

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