Page 107 of Incisive

“I mean it, El,” Jordan says. “Just like with the first campaign. If you don’t want to see it through, you tell me and I’ll take it from there.” But his tone bears no hint of Leo’s boy.

This is all my Sir.

Leo sighs. “I did create a monster,” he mutters. “I’d better get my boy back after all this is said and done.”

Jordan giggles and his voice sounds lighter, brighter. “You will, Daddy. All of me that you can handle.”

“Be careful what you wish for, Leo,” I caution. “I can barely handle the boy at full steam when Sir’s needed a break. I think he needs to let his evil side loose every once in a while or he builds up too much energy.”

“You might be right, pet. But that’s a chance I’m willing to take. Plus, I’ll have you to help me.”

I snuggle tighter against him and listen to the sound of his heart beating in his chest. “You’ll always have me to help.”

But as I drift to sleep the dark voice whispering deep inside my soul reminds me that might not be a promise I can keep.

Or that they might not even want me to keep if they knew everything about me.

CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE

It iswith no small measure of satisfaction that I make my campaign re-election announcement just weeks later, on January 12th, which turns out to be a bright, sunny afternoon in DC.

Behind me, where she stands on the riser, Stella wears a tight, painful smile and looks like she’d rather be anywhere else.

Like maybe strolling through the fifth level of Hell.

Casey-Marie pulls my sister aside just after Stella’s arrival, has my detail confiscate Stella’s phones, and then lays down the law that either Stella stays for the whole event and makes it look good or she can kiss her career good-bye when Casey-Marie bans her from the White House and starts spreading rumors that will make Stella too toxic for any legitimate lobbying groups to work with in DC.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to my sister, down in Florida on what is a paradoxically and uncharacteristically gloomy afternoon there, my brother-in-law is literally being chased by reporters in a Lakeland Walmart parking lot while they try to get a comment from him about the grand jury indictment handed down in an Atlanta courtroom a mere fifteen minutes earlier.

I don’t know about the impromptu foot chase until I see it on the news later. Apparently Leo’s contacts made sure to keep eyes on Ellis that morning so they could call local reporters and sic them on the now-embattled congressman.

Before Stella leaves the event, I am the one who returns her cellphones to her. As I smile and hug her, I whisper in her ear.

“Might want to call Ellis and ask how he’s handling his grand jury indictment.”

She pulls back, eyes nightmare-wide as she stares at me.

“No, I didn’t have anything to do with it.”

For once Stella is speechless. She hurries away from me without responding and I smugly watch her retreat.

Yes, that was evil of me.

For once I don’t even care.

It also means my sister hasn’t so much as texted me since the day of the announcement twenty-one months ago. She’s barely called my parents other than to say hello every few months and on holidays, or on their birthdays.

In fact, I realize that I hear absolutely nothing from and little about my sister. Especially around my birthday, or any other day where I’m in the news in a positive way. It’s like she goes out of her way to avoid being within a mile of a journalist and a camera so she can’t be asked about her opinion regarding me, or if she has a message for me.

Which, if you haven’t guessed, is nothing like my attention-whore sister and her usual behavior up until now. Normally, the most dangerous place to be is between Stella and a camera.

I’m certain the fact that I actively campaigned in Florida against Ellis didn’t help. I was instrumental in helping turf him in his GOP primary a couple of months ago.

He lost by a frickinglandslide. Which made the Florida GOP breathe a sigh of relief that he’s on his way out of their hair. Thanks to Casey-Marie’s work in that department, she coaxed a few House Republicans into helping me with some of my legislative agenda by crossing the aisle to vote in my favor as a silent way of thanking me for the assist.

Meaning the twenty-one months following my re-election announcement have been blissfully quiet on the Stellis front. Even my parents admit it’s been…relaxing.

While I would say that’s a sad thing, I can’t deny it’s been nice not having to deal with Stella’s bullshit.