by Cassie Cole
His speech drifted across the space with the aid of speakers. He paused and looked out at our arriving crowd and said, “It looks like someone is here to protest my stance on equal pay.”
The press pool turned and began snapping photos. I don’t know when they realized it was me at the center of the crowd, but suddenly everyone was jostling to get close for photographs and microphone interviews.
The crowd at my back merged with the crowd for the speech, and then my bodyguards cleared a path over to the side of the stage.
Megan leaned in close so I could hear her. “You ready?”
“I am.”
“The pressure is off. You’ve got the VP slot locked in with Pollock.” She gripped me by the shoulders. “I promised I would get you to this point, no matter what it took. Well, here we are. We did it, Elizabeth. Think of this as a victory speech.”
Pollock left the stage and came down the stairs. Though he was pushing 60, he looked sharp in a blue suit and a red tie. “Senator O’Hare? You’re here!” His tan face was surprised, even shocked.
And as I looked into his eyes, I was struck with a flash of insight.
I knew who had been trying to kill me.
38
Elizabeth
“Senator Pollock,” I said, shaking his hand. “It’s great to see you, but if you’ll excuse me for a moment…”
I turned away from the stage.
“Where are you going?” Megan asked.
“I need to talk to you.”
“We can talk later. The stage is set for you to—”
“Now,” I hissed.
She shut up and followed me away from the crowd. “What’s wrong?” Luca asked on the other side of her.
“Nothing,” I said. “Just give us some space real quick.”
“You sure?” Anthony asked over my left shoulder.
“Yep. But stay close.”
Megan had a curious look on her face as I stopped behind a tree to give us a little privacy. My three bodyguards stayed a respectable distance away, but glanced over every few seconds. They were wondering what all this was about.
I looked at my campaign manager. Dressed in jeans and a comfortable blouse underneath her jacket, with her hair pulled back in an easy ponytail. She always did choose functionality over form for herself. Entirely focused on the goal of getting me elected rather than her own looks.
“Elizabeth,” she said impatiently. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know how I didn’t see it before,” I said. “You promised you would get me here. No matter what it cost. No matter what you had to do. You’ve said that often over the past few campaigns. Almost like a mantra.”
She hesitated before saying, “Of course.”
“The night before I was attacked outside my apartment, you reminded me to go jogging. Insisted on it.”
“I wanted you sharp the next day,” she said. “For the Finance Committee hearings. You know you’re always best when you make time for your morning jog.”
“But I always get my jog in,” I said. “There’s no point in reminding me. Unless you wanted to really make sure I did it that specific morning. Because you knew someone was going to be waiting.”
“Elizabeth…”
“Then at the Ohio Statehouse, during my candidacy announcement. You emphasized the need to stand very still behind the podium. You said it was because I didn’t want to look like I was flinching from the confetti cannons, but instead it made me look fearless while bullets were flying through the air. Until Luca ushered me away and I was hit by a bullet ricochet.”
Luca’s head whipped over, his jaw dropping. He was putting it together too.
“I don’t know how…” Megan sputtered. “Elizabeth! The fact that you would even entertain such a thought—”
“And here today,” I interrupted. “What did you tell me on the steps of the Capitol Building, when I was afraid of walking out in the open? Elizabeth. I want you to trust me. You are 100% safe right now. Nothing is going to happen to you. That’s what you said, Megan.”
“Because I was trying to instill confidence in you!” she shouted. “Are you honestly accusing me of trying to have you assassinated? Me, your campaign manager?”
“Of course not,” I said with a laugh that I didn’t feel. “You didn’t want me to be assassinated. You wanted it to appear like someone was trying to assassinate me. To generate attention, and media buzz, and everything else. That’s why you were so tearfully apologetic in my office earlier—because you felt guilty that the fake assassination attempt almost got me killed for real. I’ve never seen you cry, Megan, not once in all our years working together. Tell me I’m wrong.”
She looked scared, like she was about to break down in tears right now. The look in her eyes was the look of someone who was being falsely accused of something terrible. For a single heartbeat my certainty wavered.
Then the look disappeared, and was replaced with annoyance.
“I told you I would do whatever it takes to win,” she said, hands on her hips. “That’s literally what you pay me for. You don’t want to know the slimy details because that would taint your perfect little campaign. It would ruin your spunky, valiant demeanor. I did all of this for you, and kept it secret so you would never have to get your hands dirty. So you could pretend like you were pure.”
My jaw dropped. “Are you blaming this on me?”
“Who else’s fault is it!” she shouted. Anthony whipped his head around. “It’s not mine, Elizabeth. So what if I hired someone to scare you at 4:00 in the morning, or put a few bullets into the Ohio Statehouse? I’m just the employee! I’m just doing what I was hired to do!”
Even though I knew it was true while accusing her, hearing her admit it was chilling. Some part of me didn’t believe she was capable of this until I heard it from her own two lips.
“You’re crazy,” I said. “Legitimately crazy.” Anthony and Ethan had realized something was wrong and were closing in behind Megan, slow and cautious in case she made any sudden moves.
My campaign manager gestured. “Look around, senator. All of this media attention and polling is a result of what I did. You stand there and lecture me? You should be giving me a raise! Not to mention it brought you three fuck-boy bodyguards.”
My hand shot out all on its own, catching Megan across the cheek in a hard slap and knocking her sideways. Her eyes widened and she touched her cheek, which was already turning from white to scarlet.
“It’s one thing to attack my character,” I said, looming over her. “It’s even understandable to attack my campaign strategy. But don’t you ever attack these three men again. Unlike you, they’ve done nothing but protect me from danger. They would die for me.”
“Fuckin’ right we would,” Anthony said. Ethan gave an emphatic nod and grabbed Megan’s hands, restraining them behind her back. She didn’t resist.
“Elizabeth,” Megan begged. “You were never in any real danger! The mugger used blanks!”
“That’s why forensics never recovered any bullets,” Anthony said, realization spreading on his face.
“No danger?” I asked. “I was literally shot in Ohio!”
“You weren’t supposed to move.” Megan was becoming hysterical now that she realized it was all over. “The shooter was only spraying a few bullets into the marble columns! Nowhere near anyone else! Elizabeth! I did it all for you!”
She continued shouting while my bodyguards escorted her a safe distance away from the crowd, who was now watching curiously. Luca radio’d for the police to take Megan away.
Ethan put a reassuring hand on my back. “We’ll deal with her later. You’ve got a speech to make.”
I returned to the side of the stage, where one of the other senators was speaking. Pollock approached me before anyone else. “What was all that about?” he asked.
“My campaign manager and I had a political disagreement. Nothing to worry about.”
He watched her being escorted
away, but said nothing. “I trust she told you about my offer?”
“She did.”
“I want to amend it,” he said.
My heart sank. He was going to retract our cooperation agreement. Had my argument with Megan spooked him?
“Bob…” I began.
“Elizabeth,” he lowered his voice, “I don’t want to make you my VP at the end of the primary. I want to announce it right now, on President’s Day. Here in front of all the press.”
My mouth hung open. I closed it and said, “Nobody has ever announced their VP pick so early. Not in modern history.”
“Exactly!” he said. “We would sweep the primaries! Nobody else would dare challenge us. And with our home states of Florida and Ohio locked up, it would be impossible for us to lose the general election.”
The other senator was leaving the stage to a smattering of applause. Many of the photographers were aiming their cameras at me, preparing for my walk up onto the stage. “Bob, I have a speech already prepared…”
“Tack the announcement on to the end of it,” he insisted. “Mention how you have something exciting to announce, then welcome me back on stage with you. We’ll hold hands and tell them together.”
A coordinator with a headset and a clipboard stuck her head into our conversation. “Senator O’Hare? I was told you’d like to make a speech before the event ends?”
“Go get ‘em,” Pollock said, pushing me toward the stage.
The crowd erupted in applause and camera clicks as I climbed the steps onto the stage. Luca went first, with Anthony close on my tail. Ethan remained behind by the steps and scanned the crowd for threats. My own little security detail. Three men who cared about me as much as I cared about them.
It made me feel safer than a hundred Secret Service agents.
I smiled and waved my way to the podium, and then waited another long moment for the noise to die down. The crowd, which had only occupied a small area before I arrived, now spread out in every direction. It was larger than the crowd at the Ohio Statehouse. Everyone was excited to hear what the missing senator had to say.
“Did you miss me?” I said into the microphone, which drew another roar from the crowd. I cleared my throat and launched into the speech Megan had prepared for me.
“It feels wonderful to be back on the Hill. By now, most of you know that there was an attack on my life last week. I’ve spent the past few days with a Secret Service detail. They insisted on keeping me safe from danger. Hidden away where nobody could find me, but also where I could not do my job.
“Well, I’m here on President’s Day to announce that I’m done hiding. I’m done being afraid. If my candidacy terrifies my opponents so much, then that’s proof I need to march forward without fear. It’s proof I must work twice as hard to represent the people of this great country. It’s proof that our cause is worth fighting for.”
I paused for the crowd to cheer. Pollock was nodding at me from the stage steps, waiting to join me. It was time. This was it.
And in that moment, I made a decision.
39
Ethan
She was a lot of things. Ohio Senator Elizabeth O’Hare. Formerly Representative O’Hare from Ohio’s Fifth District. A junior member of the Senate Finance Committee who was already making a name for herself grilling corrupt bankers. Now she was Elizabeth O’Hare, candidate for President of the United States.
But to me, she would always be the client with the mask. The one I’d fallen for in a hotel room before I’d ever seen her face. The one I had dreamed about before realizing who she was. The one I still dreamed about now that I knew the truth. Dreams of getting tangled in the sheets on lazy Saturday mornings, and of cooking breakfast while naked. Dreams where we smiled and laughed and were never apart.
The reality might not line up that way since she was running for president. But this woman? This intelligent, gorgeous, incredible woman? I’d take whatever I could get from her.
Even if that means sharing her with Anthony and Luca.
“She’s something special, isn’t she?”
I glanced at Senator Pollock. “She sure is.”
“We’re going to crush the competition,” he promised. “Combining our campaigns into one ticket now is the smartest thing your boss has ever done.”
But then Elizabeth surprised us.
“I would like to wish the other candidates best of luck on the trail,” she said into the microphone. She turned to face Pollock. “Senator Pollock, hopefully we can keep things civil in the primary. But not too civil, especially regarding your stance on private prison reform. But in any case, may the best man—or woman—win!”
“What the fuck,” Pollock growled.
She was doing it her way. She wasn’t going to accept being Pollock’s VP pick.
I couldn’t stop smiling.
The crowd roared at the end of the speech and she spent several moments waving and smiling for the cameras. When she was finally escorted down the steps by Anthony and Luca, Pollock was practically crimson with anger.
“What happened?” he demanded. I carefully slid myself between him and Elizabeth, using my body as a barrier. One look at me and he took a step back. Only then did I step to the side again. “What about our deal?”
I admired the look in Elizabeth’s eyes. She was calm and confident while staring down the rival senator.
She looked presidential.
“Senator Pollock,” she said formally. “I’ve wanted to run for president since I was a little girl. It has been my core motivation at every stopping point along the way. And no matter what Megan, or you, or anyone else thinks is the most prudent political decision, I can’t just run to be someone else’s VP. I owe it to myself to shoot for the top.”
Pollock’s jaw hung open, revealing rows of too-white teeth. “I may not choose you as VP at the end of this! Not if you don’t agree to this now.”
“That’s fair.”
“Listen to me!” he insisted. “Don’t you understand what you’re giving up?”
“I understand completely,” she said. Her voice was level. “But don’t worry, Senator Pollock. When I win the primary, maybe I’ll pick you as my running mate. So, you’ve got that to look forward to.”
She strode off to the press area to begin answering questions and giving interviews. I turned my smile on Pollock.
“You said it yourself: she’s something special.” I patted him on the arm. “Good luck with the rest of your campaign.”
40
Elizabeth
For the first time in my life, I wasn’t afraid.
I knew what I wanted. And, more importantly, what I didn’t want. I didn’t want to pretend to be someone I wasn’t. I didn’t want to launch this campaign with the intention of losing.
That was what had been missing in all of this. I was unmotivated at the thought of merely running for a VP spot on someone else’s ticket. I wanted to run a legitimate campaign. I wanted to chase my dream. Even if it meant I would probably lose.
My three bodyguards formed up around me as I approached the press pen. It was totally natural for them. It felt natural for me to have them surrounding me at all times. It made me feel safe.
I steeled myself and began taking questions from reporters.
There were the obvious questions first. Where had I been while I was missing? Was I held against my will? Had the assassin been caught?
“I’m unaware of any progress of the investigation into my shooting,” I said. “You’ll have to speak with the investigators involved to get an update.”
“Senator O’Hare! Do you feel safe?”
“Very safe,” I said. I meant it, too.
“But how can you feel safe knowing the assassin is still out there?”
“I have the best bodyguards in the world keeping me safe around the clock.”
Then there were a multitude of questions that should have been asked after the Ohio Statehouse speech. I was asked about my campaign focus,
and what would be my top priority on day one if elected. I was asked if I would be raising money through a Political Action Committee, or if my campaign would be more grassroots-driven. Someone asked if my age was a concern.
“The people should vote for the best candidate to lead them,” I said, “whether that person is 35 or 65.”
“Senator, are you concerned about your love life?”
The question jolted me unlike any of the others. “I found the reporter who had asked it and replied, “Can you clarify what you mean?”
“It’s rare to see a politician who is unmarried,” the reporter said. A grey-haired woman who looked judgmental. “Especially a female politician. Are you concerned that your single status will be seen as a negative among family voters?”
“I would hope the voters would care more about my policies on campaign finance reform more than the lack of a ring on this finger.” I held up my hand.
“Follow up question! Are you presently seeing anyone? And if so, are you worried any love interests you might have would be unfairly scrutinized by the media and your opponents?”
My three bodyguards shifted their feet and glanced at me. I could feel the smiles from Anthony and Ethan, and the curious gaze of Luca while they waited for my answer.
It would have been easy to brush aside the question with a safe answer. It’s what Megan would have told me to do. Say something vague about focusing on my campaign rather than my love life. But what I was quickly realizing was that I didn’t want to do the safe thing, both in my campaign and in life. I had to be myself. I couldn’t allow the world to dictate what I was and wasn’t allowed to do.
The only person in control of my life was me.
I smiled back at the reporter, although the smile was meant for my three bodyguards. My three lovers. We were going to have a lot of fun on the campaign trail.
