Page 65 of Ex-SEAL Bad Boy

In retrospect, my life before getting involved with her was rather meaningless. I was doing what I wanted and what I thought was right, but there was no real purpose to my actions.

Sophia made me look outside of all that and realize we could make a real difference in people’s lives.

“Ethan, we need to talk,” she says, pulling me away from my thoughts.

We walk out to her back deck and have a seat on the comfortable soft rattan as the sun begins to set.

“I don’t know where to begin,” she starts unsteadily. “I guess what I want to know is where you stand and where we go from here.”

“I’ve thought a lot about this,” I tell her. “I think, in fact, I’m sure I’ve fallen in love with you.”

“I know we’ve only been together for a short time, but I’ve known you since you were born.”

“Even though we’ve never really gotten along, Liam would talk about you all the time. I guess I always acted like I didn’t care, but maybe deep down I did.”

“I never really understood brother-sister relationships since I never had a sister, and I don’t want this to be that, obviously, but I always knew you were smart. Liam is so proud of you, and now I know why.”

“I want to take this to the next step, if that’s what you want. I want you to be mine, to go out with me, to be a couple, at whatever level you’re comfortable with.”

“I want you to be independent because I know that’s important to you, but I want to help you succeed at whatever you want to do. If you need anything, I mean financially, I want you to feel like you can come to me, no strings attached. More importantly, I want to be there to support you emotionally.”

“I love you, and your happiness is the most important thing to me.”

“I’m glad we’re on the same page,” she smiles.

“I want to be yours, to be your girlfriend—and maybe more. I’m not sure about the money thing, we’ll have to play that one by ear.”

“Would you still love me if I went to prison?” I asked, only half joking.

“I don’t know, do they allow conjugal visits?”

I show up at Homeland Security headquarters in D.C. promptly at eight o’clock.

“Good morning, Mr. Blackwood. Sorry to have to call you in on such short notice and at such an early hour, but trust me, D.C. traffic is such that you’re better off getting here as early as possible. You’ll thank me later.” Homeland Security Agent Raul Sepeda began politely enough.

I’m professionally dressed in a suit and tie, hoping I don’t stand out too much. I think I look more like an agent than a civilian.

The offices are pretty much standard government issue, although slightly more modern.

Surprisingly, I’m ushered into a small office rather than an interrogation room.

As if reading my mind, Agent Sepeda clarified the situation.

“Just to be clear, Mr. Blackwood, you’re not considered a suspect. We’re well aware of your military service, for which we thank you. So we know that a lot of things we’re looking into occurred while you were deployed. However, we feel that there is more deep background information that we think you can help us with in our investigation.”

For four hours I’m grilled by agents for Homeland Security.

Despite their assurances that I’m not a suspect, sometimes it doesn’t feel that way.

In the process of questioning me, they ask me questions that, even with my knowledge of how deeply my family is involved in the political process, shock me to the core.

The money that was paid to the man accused of planning the assassination of a candidate in the last presidential election was found to have come from a shell corporation established by my father.

My mother was involved with a women’s organization that had as one of its members the wife of a U.S. Senator. This woman had received a number of honors for her service to various causes, and these honors all seemed to carry with them financial awards, which all added up to over one million dollars.

This Senator then voted in favor of or introduced certain pieces of legislation that benefited the causes supported by this women’s organization.

There are several other charges currently being investigated.

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