Page 62 of Senator

“If I may add something, Senator?”

I turned my attention to Frank again.

“Every one of those pictures was taken before the first lady announced her involvement with the No Bride Initiative. I have no doubt President Edgar is involved.” He paused.

“But…” I probed, resting my hand on the back of a nearby chair.

“…but the one who had you followed was Grey Decker Senior. He blames his tarnished career on you and Senator Kumar-Camden, he blames you for his son’s drug habit, and he blames you for the fact he is under investigation in Texas.”

I nodded. “You’re right. Decker Senior is the reason the photos of my lunch with Tara and Sam were leaked to the press two months ago and most logically the reason these images were available for the media now.”

“Plus,” Tracy interjected, “the Deckers are spending more time with the president than usual. If you noticed, anytime a rally or event happens, one of the Deckers is present. This was not the case during the last election.”

I clenched my jaw. “The bastards have been planning something against me for a while. Why else were the pictures ready for distribution while they were enjoying an afternoon together on the golf course? This was Edgar’s way of trying to put me in my place.”

“Tryingis the operative word.” Kim smiled. “I think it’s time to call in some favors, Senator.”

My lips turned up at the corners. I could handle anything these guys threw at me. “I couldn’t agree more.”

My phone buzzed. Glancing down, I saw it was a message from Tyler saying he was on his way up with Sam. Immediately, my confidence from seconds earlier faded. I could keep the cool, always-in-control image up with everyone except Tyler and Sam. They’d see right through me.

Releasing a deep breath, I moved toward my office. “If you’ll excuse me. I need to gather my thoughts and make a few calls. Keep the media lockdown going, and once I talk to my advisers and my family, we’ll implement a plan on how to handle this.”

No one said anything, but I felt the weight of their gazes.

As I entered my office, I let the door shut behind me and collapsed onto my chair.

I hated Edgar with every ounce of my being. He wanted to pay me back for flouting his authority. He was determined to humiliate me, to make me look like a whore, to ruin my reputation.

I guessed this was the price a woman paid for entering the political game. The fucker had a full-blown affair as a married man, but he was pretending he was morally superior. I couldn’t understand how he could stand next to Grey Decker, a man who was currently under investigation for harassing and manipulating anyone who got in the way of his political career.

Samina was right. Men like this had to go. It was the reason we’d entered politics in the first place.

I clenched my fists. God, how stupid was I to play the game with the very people I wanted gone. I let the public think I was a huge supporter of Edgar. I let everyone think I was a modern, more progressive version of the Republican Party but in actuality, I was only a younger form of the same old GOP.

I’d let myself get so caught up in outmaneuvering and winning against my opponents that I’d aligned myself with the enemy who would slit my throat if it meant they’d come out on top. Something that was happening while the good old boys sat back, playing fucking golf.

All of a sudden, an idea came to me. I was going to do what Kimberly suggested. I would call in a favor or two. I wasn’t the only one in the party who had issues with Edgar or Decker. Contacting these people would be risky and possibly backfire, but if I could pull it off, neither the president nor any of the Deckers would ever bother me again.

I picked up my phone to dial the person who would help me implement the first step in my plan. However, my phone rang with the tone I’d assigned to Veer. Releasing a sigh, I answered, but before I could say anything, he said, “Jaci. Are you okay?”

His raspy voice washed over me, making me miss him more than ever.

“Veer. I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about. The only thing those pictures show is two people who are in love.”

I bit my lip and stared out through my window to the DC landscape. He was right—none of the images were dirty in the sense that made politicians’ careers end, but they were intimate, showing a side of our relationship we’d shared with no one but each other.

“This could be very bad for Ashur’s campaign. Aren’t you worried?”

“I’m more worried about you. Edgar is gunning for you. When you helped Tara, you became enemy number one.”

“I can handle him. This isn’t the first time someone has decided to tarnish my reputation. I’m not going to bring your name into this, but I am going to fight.”

The vision of Decker and Edgar on the golf course from the picture in the article flashed behind my eyes. Anger as I’d never felt began to surface.

Did the bastards think I would hide?

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