Bedmates

by Nichole Chase

  “I don’t get it.” I sat down on the edge of my bed.

  “I’ve been so worried about you, I can’t do my job. My job isn’t to make sure you’re not unhappy, it’s to make sure you’re safe and well protected.” He sat down next to me. “I’m sorry, Maddie.”

  “So, this is why most of the agents come and go so often.” I rubbed my cheeks.

  “Yeah,” he agreed. “But you can always call me if you want to talk. And Dahlia has already started talking about a guest suite, so you could always escape to the West Coast if you need a break from D.C.”

  “This sucks, Tony.”

  “I know.” He bumped my shoulder with his. “But you’re going to like Mona.”

  “Mona, huh?” I sniffled and tried to get control of my emotions. Tony had been part of my life for years. I couldn’t imagine not seeing him every week. It felt like part of my family was leaving. “With a name like that I bet she got made fun of a lot when she was little.”

  “I’m thinking it probably only happened once.” He laughed. “She’s a good apple.”

  “Only old people call other people good apples.” I cut my eyes up at him.

  “Well, I’m not getting any younger.”

  I snorted. “So, California. That’s a big state. Care to narrow it down some?”

  “Los Angeles.” He shrugged. “Lots of big names in that area.”

  “Makes sense.” I sighed. “So, are you going to make me godmother to your rugrats? Since I’m the little sister you never had?”

  “Let’s not count our eggs before they hatch.” He pulled at his tie and I chuckled. “But if there are babies in my future, you’ll get my vote.”

  “I’ll remember that.” I stood up and took a deep breath. I wasn’t going to make this any harder on Tony. “Okay. Let’s meet Mona.”

  He smiled at me sadly before nodding his head. I’d do my best to not make Tony feel bad. He’d put his life on hold to take care of me and I wouldn’t be the reason he waited any longer.

  Mona was nice and seemed to have a good sense of humor, but it would be a while before I really felt comfortable around her. Feeling like I couldn’t hide in my room any longer I got dressed and decided to go to the animal shelter. Some manual labor might help take my mind off things for a little while.

  Tony didn’t stay after he introduced me to Mona, so she was with me while I cleaned dog kennels and talked to prospective adopters. Four hours, a few splinters, and a blister later, I was too tired to feel much of anything. The numbness lasted until I closed up the shop and left to find a tiny silver sports car next to our black SUV.

  “Maddie.” Veronica Whitmire climbed out of the vehicle. “Do you have a minute to talk?”

  I froze in my steps. Ronnie was the last person I ever expected to see at the shelter.

  Mona stepped in our path and blocked my view of the other woman while I tried to find my voice.

  “I’m sorry, miss. You’ll need to schedule an appointment if you want to talk to Madeline.” The new agent’s pose was relaxed but confident.

  “Madeline? No one calls her that. Besides we’re old friends.” Ronnie laughed and my teeth snapped together.

  Mona looked back at me, not knowing if Ronnie was lying or not, but obviously not trusting the tall blonde.

  “What do you want, Ronnie?” If I let Mona railroad the reporter I’d be waking up to articles about hiding behind my Secret Service detail.

  “I was wondering if you’d like to give a quote for the photo we’re running tomorrow.” She held up a picture, but I couldn’t see what it was exactly.

  I walked forward and took it from her proffered fingers. I fully expected to see me and the Vice President nose to nose snarling. Instead I sucked in a sharp breath and would have dropped the printout if my fingers hadn’t clenched in shock.

  Jake was standing next to Kyla at a store, his arm casually draped around her shoulders. Korbin was holding his other hand and pointing at a toy. All of their faces looked happy and relaxed.

  I tried to find words but my heart squeezed in jealousy. He didn’t want me around, but he was happy to spend all of his time with Kyla.

  “I take it that you didn’t know about their relationship?” Ronnie’s face was so excited I felt like a bug caught in a spider’s web.

  I looked back at the picture and tried to find words, but they still eluded me. Anger and pain washed through my body. I took a step toward the other woman, ready to beat her until I felt better.

  “If you want a quote, I suggest you contact the Press Secretary.” Mona gently inserted herself between me and the reporter.

  “That’s fine. I’ll just say that you declined to comment.” Ronnie shrugged. “I think the readers can read between the lines.”

  “You—” I tried to shove past Mona but she was a lot stronger than I would have thought.

  “I hope you like strip searches.” Mona leaned toward Ronnie.

  “Excuse me?” Ronnie took a step backward.

  “Since you like harassment so much, I have a special list I’ll add your name to. The next time you’re at an event where any of the McGuire family is, you’ll be escorted to a secure area where we can thoroughly check you for any type of nefarious devices and question your agenda.”

  “You can’t do that.” Ronnie frowned.

  “When it comes to the protection of the McGuire family, I can pretty much do anything I deem necessary. And right now, I think it’s necessary that you not be within one hundred yards of Miss McGuire.”

  “I—I—you can’t do that.” Ronnie backed up until she stumbled into her car.

  “Why not? You think you are the only person that can do whatever you want?” Mona grasped my elbow with her fingers and gently started leading me toward the SUV.

  “You’ll ruin my career.” Fury lit her face. “You can’t do that!”

  I felt like I was stuck in slow-motion as Ronnie pushed off her car and stepped toward Mona. I watched as Mona turned, a gleam in her eye, and laid Ronnie flat on her back.

  I barked out a laugh before covering my mouth. The driver of the SUV and another agent jumped out, guns drawn. Mona led me to the car, leaving the others to call for backup.

  I sat in the front seat of the SUV and looked at Mona as she climbed into the driver side.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t know about Ronnie.” Mona put the car in reverse and pulled away from the shelter. “I’m not sure what happened between you two, but she won’t be getting near you again.”

  “You knocked Ronnie on her ass.” I managed to keep my face straight.

  “I’ve had worse first days.” She shrugged as she pulled onto the highway.

  “This week has been one of the shittiest I’ve had in a long time.” I watched the other woman as she drove. “But watching you slam the skanky reporter into the dirt was definitely a highlight.”

  “Glad I could help.” She looked over at me and smiled.

  “Me too.”

  The last week had been a complete storm, but maybe I’d come out of it okay.

  Maybe.

  Chapter 27

  Jake

  I always thought the Eisenhower Building was an underrated building in Washington, D.C. The architecture was like the stuff I saw in Europe. I didn’t know the terms for the roof or windows, but I knew enough to know it was beautiful. Of course, it wasn’t just the door frames and bronze fixtures. It was the history and the power that walked the halls of the building now.

  I could imagine Maddie telling me that Winston Churchill had walked the halls, that Theodore Roosevelt had once had an office in the Eisenhower Building. But it wasn’t the ghosts of Christmas past that I was there to visit. It just happened that the powers-that-be walking those halls right now were related to me.

  And she was going to be very pissed when I told her why I’d come to visit. Which was why I needed to pony up and take those final steps into the damn building.

  The men at the gate inspected my ID and called
my mother’s office to let them know I was on my way. Her office was all aflutter, which didn’t surprise me since she wasn’t the kind of boss that would take kindly to someone playing solitaire. She wasn’t going to win mother of the year any time soon, but she was one hell of a politician. My mother was going to shake the world as President one day.

  If I wasn’t so pissed at her all the time, I’d be proud of that fact. I sat down in a waiting chair and fought down my grimace. Doctor Beaudreau would think that I’d acknowledged there was something good in my mother was a step in the right direction. Of course, I’d never doubted my mother’s ability to run the country. If anything, I’d always comforted myself with the fact that her family suffered for the greater good; that our sacrifices paved the road for a better future for the country.

  And I was here to stop all of that.

  “Your mother will see you now.” The secretary stood up at her desk and motioned for me to go through the doors.

  Once I was fully in her lair, my mother walked around from her desk and held her arms out.

  “Jake.” She gave me a light hug before stepping back to look me over. “You’re looking good.”

  “Thanks.” I looked away from her. “You’ve been busy.”

  “Campaign stuff.” She motioned for me to sit down. “There’s a never-ending list of things to do or worry about.”

  “You’re up in the polls.” I sat down on one of her couches.

  “Yes, I am.” She sat across from me and smiled. It was the smile I hated, the fake, patient political smile. She must’ve decided I needed to be handled with kid gloves. “So what brings you to my office?”

  “I’m here to tell you it’s over.”

  “You and Maddie?” She frowned. “I already knew that, Jake. You haven’t seen her in weeks.”

  “Not Maddie.” I ground my teeth together. “You.”

  “You’re here to tell me I’m over.” She shifted on the couch so she could cross her legs. “I’m not following you.”

  “No more rallying flag, no more shoving me in front of a camera, and you’re going to stop blackmailing Maddie.” I kept my voice calm and even.

  “Excuse me?” Her eyebrows rose in a practiced move. “I’m not blackmailing anyone and the interviews you do are part of putting this family in the White House. You know this.”

  “No.” My voice rose a notch and I cleared it before going on. “We’re putting you in the White House and I’m done doing it.”

  “Jake—”

  “No, I’m not done. My earliest memory is you telling me to smile for the camera. I did an interview from the hospital bed in Germany, two days after I woke from surgery. I’ve danced with who you told me to dance with, smiled at the cameras when you asked, and let you direct my personal life, but that ends now.” I took a deep breath. “You’re not going to bully Caro or Ari anymore, and you’re not going to sink Maddie’s bill just because you can.”

  “I realize you’re going through a difficult time, but you don’t get to walk into my office and dictate to me.” She sat up straight. “I’m calling a doctor. You need to be medicated.”

  “You’re not calling anyone.” I leaned forward, resting my arms on my knees. “And you’re not going to threaten to do it again.”

  It was my mother’s turn to lean forward. “And why would I do that?”

  “Because I will tell the world everything you don’t want them to know.”

  “What could you possibly tell them?” Her eyes narrowed.

  “I’ll tell them that I was forced to give interviews while dealing with PTSD. I’ll tell them that I was forced to do interviews or you would use my sisters for publicity.” I didn’t let my eyes leave hers. “I’ll tell them that you used me to promote your campaign, that you blackmailed me into breaking up with Maddie, and that you threatened to have her bill canned. I’ll tell them whatever it takes for you to lose voters.”

  “You’re being ridiculous.” She stood up and walked to her desk before walking to the window and then back to the couch.

  If she was pacing, I was winning. I fought my smile and watched her calmly. Maybe this was going to be easier than I thought.

  “Going to the press is a bad idea, son. Who do you think they will believe?” She crossed her arms. “I can make my case to the media just as easily.”

  “It’s not about who they believe, it’s about how many votes you’re going to lose in the process.” I sat back. “And you’re too practical to ignore my point.”

  She didn’t answer, instead she turned to look out the window. “You’re doing this for Maddie.”

  I didn’t respond at first. She wasn’t looking at me, so I didn’t have to worry about hiding my expression.

  “It’s not just about Maddie. It’s about me, Ari, and Caro. It’s about you not playing God with our lives.”

  “You didn’t start acting out until you began to date Maddie.” She turned to look at me. “I knew that girl wasn’t any good. Her mother was—”

  “Stop.” I stood up. “I don’t care why you think she’s less than us. Who fucking thinks that way, Mom? This is what I’m talking about. Maddie is the most thoughtful, patient, loving person I’ve ever met. She’s brilliant and doesn’t try to run over people. This is why I’m done being under your thumb. You don’t get to choose who is worthy of being loved. Not by me.”

  Her entire body stilled. “You love her.”

  “What?”

  “You love Maddie.” Her eyes widened.

  “Of course I love her.”

  “You would sell out your family for her?”

  “I’m not selling out anyone.” I slammed my hand against one of the many bookcases. “I’m standing up for the people I love, just like you should have been all these years. Why don’t you get that?”

  “You’re threatening me for Maddie. I think I have a right to understand your relationship.”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat. I wasn’t sure if I even had a relationship with Maddie anymore. She’d stopped texting me every day and the radio silence was killing me.

  “It’s not just Maddie. It’s for Caro and Ari. They don’t deserve to be pawns in your political game.” I shook my head. “I’m doing this for me.”

  That last bit was thanks to all of the therapy I’d been doing every day. Somehow I’d come to terms with the fact that I deserved to be happy—to be more than my mother’s chess piece.

  “What exactly have I done that’s so wrong?” She moved behind her desk. “What have I done that makes me such a horrible mother?”

  “Besides pressuring me into joining the military? How about blackmailing my girlfriend? Or not allowing your children to be children? It’s not a short list, Mom.”

  She leaned forward and braced her hands on her desk. “I’ve been grooming you for our life as the First Family. This is the dream, Jake. We’re going to be able to fix the mess our country is and make it better.”

  “Save the spiel for someone who cares. Mom, that’s your dream, not ours.”

  “It’s our dream, our family legacy.” She stood up straight as if I’d surprised her.

  “Oh, yeah? When was the last time you asked any of us what our dreams were? What makes you so sure that being the First Family is what anyone else wants?”

  She crossed her arms and I knew I’d won. My mother was too well trained to cross her arms in an argument. It was a sign of weakness, closing yourself off from assault. It didn’t matter that I wasn’t here to attack her. She felt threatened.

  “Mom, you’re going to make one hell of a President, but you were our mom first.” I watched her as she began to pace behind her desk. “It’s time you remember that we’re your kids, not chess pieces on a board.”

  “I never meant for you to feel as though you weren’t important.”

  “Then start letting us make our own choices. We’re too much like you. The more you push us, the more we’ll fight.” It felt odd to have the upper hand with my mother. “I’m s
till going to vote for you. No one can do what you can for this country. I’m just asking for you to use a little of your magic for your kids for once.”

  “You’re too old to believe in magic.” She snorted.

  “You have a way with people, a way of accomplishing what you feel is important. I’m just asking you to make Caro, Ari, and me important.”

  “You are important, Jake. You all are.” She watched me with careful eyes. “You’re right. I should have been more considerate of what you and your sisters needed.”

  “I’ve heard that accepting the blame when you make a mistake is a sign of good leadership.”

  She snorted loudly. “Who the hell said that?”

  “A fortune cookie.” I smiled.

  She chuckled before walking around the desk and looking up at me.

  “If you love Maddie, then I won’t get in the way.”

  “And you won’t block the animal testing bill?”

  “No. Go forward with the legislation and my blessing.” She sighed. “I don’t have a problem with the bill actually. I’d sign it into effect if I was President.”

  “I’m going to hold you to that.” I smiled. “And Ari and Caro?”

  “I’ll try to take their feelings into consideration.” She narrowed her eyes.

  “Mom.”

  “Caro is practically grown. I can’t force her to do anything. And Ari is still too young to do whatever the hell she wants. If I didn’t keep a rein on her she would change the color of the White House to Tardis Blue, or whatever the hell that flying box is painted.”

  “You just made a Doctor Who reference.” I smiled. “Look at you paying attention to your daughter.”

  “Don’t push it, Jake.” She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed quickly before letting go. “Go before I change my mind.”

  “No changing your mind, Mom.” I leveled my gaze at her. “I mean it. Or there is no deal.”

  “And you think I didn’t raise you.” She laughed. “You’re negotiating like a pro.”