Page 43 of Accepted Precedent
Fucking hell. Can’t anyone properly do their job?
“Aye, it’s a fuckin’ mess. We need to keep this quiet. I’ll see if Ned or someone else is available for cleanup.”
Dave catalogs everything while I call Finn. He picks up on the second ring, greeting, “Hey, Mick, have you heard from Cara?”
“You’re not going to believe this!” I take a deep breath. “She got the dosage wrong. The heart attack didn’t hit until he was driving to the venue—No, don’t fuckin’ touch them, Dave—He fucking killed her.”
Finn snaps, “Killed her? How? When?”
“In a car accident. He is supposed to be married in?—”
“An hour, I know,” he groans. “Did he die?”
“No. Her face was in his lap.” I take a closer look. “Snapped her neck on impact. I want to transport him off-site. Who can we trust with this?”
“I’ll take care of it. I’ll contact the Blakes to see what they want to do.”
“I’ll do my best to keep everything quiet here. Let me know as soon as it’s taken care of.”
I hang up, trusting my brother to manage any political fallout. Christopher’s heart attack was supposed to cause him to stand Jaclyn up for the wedding. She’d be humiliated, but it would prevent him from having any chance of running for President. The bastard couldn’t keep his cock in his trousers, and now I have to clean up vehicular manslaughter and figure out hismedical care while he recovers. The story that he got into an accident on his way to the venue could garner sympathy from the public. We need to stick to the original plan where she is left at the altar. The last thing I want is him weaseling out of this one.
We’ll have to find a place to keep the accident off anyone’s radar. I own a building in Alexandria that could work, so Dave and I glove up and load Christopher into the back of his sedan, then adjust Cara to make it appear as if she was driving.
Ned arrives at the scene, and I couldn’t be more grateful for his help with this one. “Well, Mr. Gallagher, what do we have here?”
“Just Christopher Blake doing what he does best—fuckin’ everything up,” Dave answers for me.
Ned adjusts his glasses and blows out a long breath. “Will this one be a slice and dice to make him disappear? I haven’t used my wood chipper in a while. Or do we need to save him?”
“Save him… for now.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” he grumbles. “We’re having his brother, Alex, brief the family. Once they decide on a story, let me know what you want to do. For now, I’ll transport Christopher to the location you sent me and ensure there is minimal press around the accident. I’ll warn you right now, this one is going to be pricey.”
“Why the hell couldn’t he have died in the accident? It would’ve been so much cleaner—and cheaper.”
We finish staging the accident while Ned transports Christopher to our facility and arranges for an entire medical staff to meet them there. Part of me hopes that he sustained serious injuries, internal bleeding, or something to warrant us ending his life.The last thing we want is for him to be seen as a hero after cheating on his fiancée—on their wedding day, no less. An image of Evelyn and Andrew the morning they were married briefly dances across my mind, but I quickly brush the thought away.
I grab Cara’s phone and destroy it, then call in the accident on my own. We need to leave the scene before emergency services arrive, and as I get in the car, my phone buzzes in my palm with an incoming text from Finn’s new favorite little pawn.
Alexander Blake
I’m standing in for Chris.
The Taylors have been briefed.
The Taylors? Fucking hell, can’t anyone follow instructions today?
I call Ned, and everything has gone from bad to worse. He confirms that Alex spoke with Jaclyn’s family and will be pretending to be his twin for the wedding. Chris will be legally married to Jaclyn, which puts him back on track to the Oval. If he succeeds, I’ll need to secure the rest of Congress to ensure he doesn’t destroy this county. The man doesn’t believe in climate change and tried to ban queer books in his state. Alex, on the other hand, would make an amazing President, but insists he does more good as Senator. With everything shifting, I want to focus my attention on Jaclyn. She’s not ready to lead—spent too many years in the shadows like Ileah and Evelyn. Those poor women have been forced to dim their light for the men in their lives, and it’s about time they shine.
Once we arrive at the facility, we make our way through a labyrinth of doors and code boxes. My favorite fixer has a twisted sense of humor and has named this Project Snapped. Ifthis situation wasn’t so dire, I’d find it more entertaining, but now I’m reconsidering keeping Christopher alive.
Chapter 20
Evelyn
Jaclyn’s wedding has been… an experience.
For the majority of the evening, Andrew is networking with other government officials, leaving me at our table with Ileah. Any other day, I’d love spending time catching up with her. Witnessing our friend marry her fiancé’s twin—when no one believes us that Christopher is Alexander—has both of us reeling.
