Page 6 of State of Grace (First Family 2)

“No charge. I’d love to help you nail the guy who did that.”

“You’re the best. I’ll send you his info.”

“I’ll get on it tonight and let you know what I find.”

“Thanks, Archie. It means a lot to have friends watching our backs in this new situation.”

“Situation,” he said, snorting with laughter. “You mean the situation with you guys being the first couple?”

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

“We got you covered. I’ll text you later.”

Thankful to have him in her corner, she ended that call and put through another to her partner, Detective Freddie Cruz.

“You looked good on TV,” he said when he picked up.

“I always look good.”

She could “hear” his eyes rolling through the phone. “Whatever you say, rock star. What’s up?”

“We need to take a trip to Spring Valley.”

“What’s way the hell up there?”

“The guy who leaked the photos of Nick at the twins’ birthday party.”

“Oh snap, a revenge mission. I’m always up for that, even if it means a trip to the outer reaches of Northwest.”

Sam gave him the address. “Meet me there?”

“On my way.”

Chapter Two

As Sam sat outside the Thorns’ mansion—there was no other word for the massive contemporary home—and waited for Freddie, she thought about the differences between rich people and everyone else. Rich people needed huge houses with doorbells that sounded like air-raid sirens. At what point did things get so good for a person that they needed a doorbell that would scare the shit out of them every time someone rang it? Although, those doorbells probably got used only when the cops came to visit.

That thought made Sam laugh to herself. By some people’s standards, she was probably rich now. Nick had told her his salary as president would be four hundred thousand dollars, which was a king’s ransom to her as a public servant. After his presidency, he’d command millions in fees to speak and write books and generally be his awesome self. But one thing Sam knew for sure was no matter how much money her sugar daddy brought home, she’d never live in a mansion with an air-raid-siren doorbell.

She was still cracking up at the direction her thoughts had taken when Freddie knocked on her window.

Sam got out of the car.

“What’s so funny?”

“If I told you, you’d have me committed.”

“I’m already building a detailed case, so be careful what you tell me.”

“Good to know.”

“What’s the deal with the leaker?”

“His name is Bryson Thorn. His son Sebastian is in class with the twins.”

“Bryson and Sebastian Thorn. They sound like romance novel names.”

Sam chuckled. “Yeah, I guess they do. You wanna bet what kind of doorbell this place has?”

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