Page 35 of Celebrity

“Are you aware my running does not affect Texas politics? I’m a resident of the state of Washington now.”

I’d made the decision to stay in Seattle a few days after moving into the house. I had a successful career, and whether Devin was in my life or not had no bearing. Yes, I missed my friends and my old life in Texas, but it had been years, and things would never be the same.

“We aren’t the only ones she’s on a mission to get elected.” Veer shook his head. “She’s called half of your old study group from Stanford and every non- overly left-wing or right-wing friend to get involved in the election system.”

“If all goes according to plan—” a calculating gleam hit Jacinta’s eyes, “—the three of us, plus at least twenty-five others I know, will go head-to-head against incumbents who represent the bureaucracy our nation is tired of dealing with every day. We will be a group of leaders who take into account not only our parents’ generation but also those who are children right now. We are the bipartisan wave of the future.”

The girl had her pitch down pat. “Jaci, how long did you practice that speech in front of the mirror?”

“About an hour. How did I do?” She grinned at me.

“You could work on your enthusiasm a bit.”

“I’ll be sure to do better next time.”

“The both of you are mental. I almost feel sorry for Devin when you two get together.” Veer took a sip of his drink while shaking his head.

“When did you and my brother become buddies?” Jacinta crossed her arms in front of her and cocked a brow.

I wondered the same thing. Veer and Dev barely said two words to each other whenever our friends circle gathered. They tended to speak to everyone else but each other.

“We aren’t. I said, I almost feel sorry for him. Until Devin Camden does right by her, the only side I’m on is Samina’s.”

“When have you been on anyone else’s side?” Jacinta grumbled, making me think I was missing something. “You take the almost-big-brother thing to a whole new level.”

“When Ashur and I deployed overseas, I made a promise to always watch out for Samina, whether Ash was around or not. It was a vow Ash never had to ask me to make. I’m an only child, and Ash and Sam are the closest I’ll ever get to having siblings. They are my family. I’ll do whatever I can to protect them.”

“We love you too, V.” I reached over and clasped Veer’s hand in mine. “I’m so thankful both my brothers came home. Although a little banged up.”

I remembered how scared I was when I’d heard Ash and V were injured during a firefight in South Sudan where their planes had gone down. The three of us would do a weekly video chat to keep me up to date, but for weeks I’d heard nothing from either of them. And then my father had gotten a call informing us that both Ash and V had suffered brain injuries and were in comas. It was one of the worst times of my life.

The Air Force had transferred them to a military hospital in Germany and then returned them home once they woke and were stable enough to endure an overseas flight.

“You and me both.” He squeezed my fingers as he rubbed the scar that ran from his right temple down to his jaw with his other hand.

Before the accident, Veer had been handsome in the Bollywood dark, brooding, and sexy way, but the scars had given him an added bad-boy appeal. Ash would say V now had a pirate look that made panties drop.

I needed to set him up with one of my girls from back home. He was a total catch and deserved someone who loved him and saw past his money and his always-controlled demeanor.

“Hey, I have a fabulous idea,” Jacinta said, snapping me out of my matchmaking thoughts.

Veer and I looked at each other and winced. Jacinta’s ideas had a way of putting me in situations I regretted later.

Our parents should have thought better than to put two overly sheltered eighteen-year-old child prodigies together. I still remembered when Papa told me the only way I’d attend Stanford was if I lived with Jacinta, whose father was a conservative politician from Louisiana. It had taken less than an hour after our parents left us in our apartment for the first adventure to start, something to do with trying to sneak into a bar, and our escapades continued for the next three years.

I still remembered the hell Devin, Ashur, and Veer gave me when they had to fly to California to keep Jacinta and me from getting expelled for public streaking. It started off as a fun celebration of our mutual twenty-first birthdays that fell close together. Then it turned into too many shots and a game of truth-or-dare with our much-older classmates. Thankfully, the three men were able to keep any news of the incident under wraps, and our parents never heard a peep about it.

“Okay, let’s hear it. And for the record, I am not announcing my candidacy yet. Veer can be your one conquest on your election endeavors for this weekend.”

I wanted a few more weeks to solidify my strategy before it became public knowledge.

“Even though that would be a wonderful addition to this weekend, my plan involves something a bit more fun. Well, for me anyway. It will also solve many of your problems.”

This should be good.

“Spit it out, Jacinta.”

“I want Devin to think Veer is replacing him.”

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