Page 184 of Incisive

Leo snorts. “Dad, Stella’s worth over thirty million dollars and that’s not even counting her real estate holdings, or how much Ellis is worth.”

Now I’m as wide-eyed as my parents. “What?” we all ask.

Leo shrugs, cool as ever. “Yeah. She’s collecting hefty fees for her lobbying and consulting work. You didn’t know that?”

Mom slowly shakes her head. “No.” Anger furrows her brow. “And she sat right there on the phone with me last month while I was crying about the bills and worried whether or not we’d get our subsidies this year! She didn’t breathe a word about it!”

“Yeah, she’s not hurting for money,” Leo says. “Not to mention her husband buys her things, like vacations and cars, and funnels that through PACs buddies of his control. Trust me, she’s fine.”

“Let’s do it,” Dad quietly says. “Draw up the papers as soon as you can. We’ll sign them.”

“I have one condition,” I add.

“What condition?” Dad asks.

“I want you sitting in on the meetings when we start looking at site and building designs. I want your input.Bothof you. Please, Dad?”

He finally smiles. “You sure you want me sticking my nose into things?”

“Yeah, I do.”

He opens his arms and hugs me again and this time Ifeelit. “I love you, Elliot. And yes, I amveryproud of you. I’m sorry you didn’t know that all these years. I couldn’t have asked for a better son. I really thought you knew how I felt. And we’ll…get used to all of this. We’re just trying to process it. I don’t want to lose you, son. Not over this. Please, give us time. We’ll do better.”

When my tears hit I don’t bother trying to hide them or hold them back. Now the weight’s lifted from my soul. “Thanks, Dad. I love you, too. I’m here because of both of you. Because you raised me right. And I’m sorry I was too chicken to come out sooner.” I hug Mom next. “Love you, Mom.”

“Love you, too, honey.” They hug Leo, too. Once we all put ourselves back together we walk them downstairs to where their detail will shuttle them back to Blair House so they can finish preparing to return to Nebraska.

Leo and I stand under the portico and watch the cars pull away as he drapes his arm around my shoulders. “Well,thathappened.” I look and find him smirking, which makes me laugh. Together, we return inside. One down.

One to go.

CHAPTERFIFTY

My nervestightly wind inside my gut the closer we get to the arrival of Leo’s parents. They’ll be staying here in the residence with us for the next couple of days, along with Leo’s sister, Kayley.

Thank god Jordan thought to have me order Secret Service protection for them and for his sister ahead of time, and had details standing ready close by their residences, so they could move in once the news hit last night. They kept the press away and made sure his parents weren’t mobbed on the way to the airport this morning. Plus they got them quickly shuttled through security at the airport and onto the plane, where Jordan purchased extra first-class tickets for nearby seats to remain empty to give them more privacy.

The man is brilliant anddamndo I love him.

Leo’s remaining in the residence until they arrive and isn’t making any public appearances today. While we were eating breakfast with my parents, several Secret Service agents drove Jordan to Leo’s apartment to pack most of Leo’s clothes and a few other belongings. Jordan will arrange moving the rest of Leo’s things next week and empty their shared storage unit.

I’m not sure how Leo will retrieve his gun, unless he arranges it with his detail. For now, there’s an agent guarding the apartment until it’s completely emptied, so at least it’s safe. I feel a pang of melancholy hit me when I realize I will never again see the inside of his apartment, even though it’s been over twelve years since I was there. I spent so much time there with him in our early days together that my earliest memories of our relationship are completely twined with the place.

Maybe they’ll one day designate it a historical landmark. Can you imagine that plaque?President Elliot Woodley got fucked here for the first time by his future husband.

What, too much?

Eh, maybe you’re right.

I’m down in the Oval Office wrapping up a meeting with some economic policy wonks while a Secret Service detail heads to the airport to retrieve Leo’s parents. They will debark the plane on the tarmac, where Secret Service will retrieve them and their luggage and sweep them away, completely bypassing the press.

I would’ve flownAir Force Oneout to California for them except Jordan nixed that. It was, of course, far cheaper to fly them first-class commercial with several agents, and not use government resources.

And arranging forAir Force Oneto pick them up would’ve clued Leo in as to what was going on.

I’m not sure how they’re going to react to the news that we’re a triad but Leo says we can trust them not to tell anyone and that it’s time someone else knows.

Not sure how Kayley will react. She’ll arrive later this evening. Leo wants to go meet her flight himself so he can lay down the law to her in the privacy of the limo.