Page 57 of Mountain Security

Don’t get used to it.

Enjoying the sex was okay, but this … domesticity … was something she couldn’t afford to enjoy or to get used to.

He released her hand, seeming to sense the change in her. But he didn’t say anything.

“I’m going to the PGHM office this morning to meet with my team. I ran some searches last night, and want to see if anything pinged. Get dressed, and I’ll drop you off.”

18

* * *

Alex

The mayor reminded Alex of a Picasso painting. His face looked … reconstructed … as if it’d been stretched out, cut into shapes, and then pieced back together again by a mischievous child.

The mayor looked up when Alex opened the door, his face expectant for an instant. When he saw Alex, he gave him a shallow nod, then looked back at the papers in front of him.

Doodles.

He’s doodling.

Two doors away, the mayor’s team sat in a meeting room, but he didn’t pay any attention to them, nor did he ask Alex if he had any news.

Alex couldn’t help but feel sorry for the man.

A few minutes later, Yvette appeared in the doorway. The mayor stood up so quickly, his chair rolled until it hit the wall behind him. He didn’t seem to notice. He strode across the room in seconds, an eager expression on his face.

Yvette’s expression was unreadable.

“How is Vivienne, Yvette? What did she say?” He sighed. “It’s bad news, isn’t it?”

“For our careers?” Yvette asked tartly. “Yes, it’s bad news, Pierre.”

Pierre waved her words away. “No. Not that. I mean about Vivienne.”

Yvette sighed, her expression defrosting slightly.

“Let me talk, Pierre, and don’t interrupt me. Then we will talk about how to manage this. But you’re not going to use me as a go-between between you and your wife. Are we clear?”

The mayor nodded quickly.

“I hate what you did, and I hate how you hurt Vivienne, but I will stand by you if you come clean, Pierre. The papers already know most of it, so there isn’t that much more you need to add. But you will come clean with what happened. I won’t help you cover anything up.”

The mayor paled even further. He looked like he was about to faint. Yvette seemed to notice it, too. Her voice softened slightly.

“Sex scandals are nothing new in politics, Pierre. People will either understand or they won’t, but if you come clean, this will not become a shadow against your name.”

Chevalier’s eyes widened. Hope filled his expression.

“You’re going to—“

Yvette sighed. “I’m going to stand beside you, Pierre. And so is Vivienne, you lucky bastard. I don’t know if she’ll forgive you—that’s for the two of you to figure out—but she will stand beside you publicly, so this shouldn’t cost you the election.”

“So you think there’s some hope …”

“I get the feeling you’re not talking about the election.”

“I don’t give a damn about the election, Yvette.”

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