Page 27 of Escalating Alpha

“You had to see this,” he told me as he was already turning on the TV. “I believe I will need to fly out soon instead of in the morning.”

I dropped the sushi in my hand as I saw there were protestors at the White House. My official FBI photo was on the screen.

And then the news showed the promo for my interview that night. The focus was far from my nakie pictures. They clipped it together where I said someone took a hit out on me and my son and Summer asked if it was really the First Lady and I said I didn’t know but the timing was a problem. It wasn’t clickbait and was accurate.

But it was meant to start trouble.

“Fuck,” I whispered, but also was kinda thrilled? Maybe? I felt a bit faint but also touched when the protestors—human and supe—were demanding the First Lady recant her statements and apologize to me. “The head of the CIA is going to call me in ten seconds demanding the information I have. I was—I thought the interview was going up tomorrow?”

Dain gave me a look like I should know they would have pushed it up.

Fair.

I was thinking of who to call when there was a knock at the door and I felt who it was. I darted over there and opened the door, glad when I saw it was Lewis, the team lead of Enzo’s vampires who were now part of my ancient coven.

“Okay, so I was rash and about to be backed into a corner,” I admitted, confused when I saw Niall was there.

“My former master is willing to be named as one of your sources and will even share where the hitman was apprehended,” Niall told me. “He called me and said hopefully you would be willing to accept it as a down payment on his apology for his bad behavior.”

That was surprising.

“And the rest,” Lewis told me, handing me over some pages.

Relief filled me as I read over the backstory to put the pieces together. My phone rang and I blinked at Lewis. “He has a spy in the White House, doesn’t he?”

Yes. It was all over Lewis’s face, but he wouldn’t out Enzo.

And I really didn’t want to know that answer to lie.

“I was going to call you,” I said in way of greeting to the head of the CIA. “But if you’re in the room with the president or any of his people, that’s seriously out of line.”

“I agree, but I am in the White House, and it was made clear to me that you better have something to back up the claims or your ass is grass. You and Galvin will both be out if you took a shot without anything—”

“Like she did? All she’s been fucking saying and now they think it’s important to be accurate?” I seethed. “How veryChristianof them to be contrite and sorry that her words could have led to my son being fucking killed!”

“Shit, this is real, isn’t it?” he whispered. “I knew you wouldn’t talk out your ass, but I really didn’t think—”

“You didn’t think they’d go this far or you didn’twantto think they would go this far? Be honest with yourself, Director,” I pushed.

“You’re right. Neither of them see you as a person,” he whispered sadly. “I’m sorry. I’m really sorry, Thomas. We might never be friends, and I have beef with you for some things that maybe are petty or—but you are a damn good operative and good for this country. What the former director did and—let me help you on this. I’m on your side. Always Galvin’s.”

I knew that of him. He’d worked really well with Galvin, and Galvin wasthrilledwhen he’d taken over the CIA.

I sent him a couple of the screenshots from the blocked number and just the pictures of me holding Topher and the scout locations. “Donotlet those monsters see my son’s face or give them ideas of where to shoot me from. That’s what I received. You can see the time and date stamp. That was it. We freaked. I freaked.”

“Shit, I would too. My kids and—fuck, Thomas. I’m so sorry.”

“Thanks,” I whispered. “I don’t know much, but a known hitter was caught in Santiago. I have someone in my coven from that coven. Word reached that coven leader that a dead known hitter had those pictures on him and some communications that couldn’t be traced saying I was evil and it was for the good of the US that I be taken out—for all humans.”

“And today?” he asked.

“That someone tied to the US government had taken a hit out on me and my son because I’m ‘evil and will bring the end of everything and ruin humanity.’ It doesn’t take a leap to know where we’ve heard someone saying that.”

“I’m going to need a source,” he mumbled. “Someone to—”

“Councilman Enzo Dubois,” I told him. “I checked and he’ll go on the record withyouand Galvin. He is not giving his name to the president to be next or the First Lady to be torn allover. I’m assuming he got this from French intelligence, but he wouldn’t tell me that. All I know is they’re worried I’m going to be shot in the back or my son could be abducted from here by you guys.”

“I wouldnever—”

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