Page 86 of Lieutenant

“I love you, too, Sir.”

“Be my good boy,” he says. “Do what I tell you. Right now.Go.”

“Yes, Sir.” I set the phone down on my desk, put my head down, and allow myself five minutes to quietly sob.

Then I head for my private bathroom to wash my face and clean up. I’m still…in shock.

Fuck the state, fuck the election. I want to fly therenow, charter a jet, andgo.

But...

I’m his good boy.

AndHers.

So I’ll do as I’m told, for now.

I grab the bottle of eye drops from the medicine cabinet and dump in more than is recommended, hoping it’ll relieve the redness there. Dray stocked up for me, to help me look reasonably presentable.

Only once I’m sure I can talk without crying, or looking like shit and alerting the press, I summon Dray to my office without telling him why.

Not that it would trigger any suspicions in him for that. With Carter gone, and Susa…not here, Dray has been stepping in for Carter to help me keep the state running.

Dray has no interest in running for office himself. Like Carter, he appreciates where the power truly flows to and from, and wants to be tapped directly into it without the aggravation of being the public face all the time. The secret lightning rod and force of nature.

I’m standing behind my desk, looking out the window with my back to the door, when he arrives a few minutes later. I don’t turn when he closes the door behind him.

“Governor?”

“Lock it,” I softly say.

“Why?”

“Please.”

I hear the lock softly snap, like I’ve heard it snap so many countless times when Carter or Susa want privacy with me.

But in this case, it’s not Susa or Carter. And it’s not because we need the privacy for sex.

When I turn, I guess I look worse than I thought, because Dray’s eyes widen.

“Sir? Are you all right?”

“Carter just called,” I said, bursting into tears again despite hating that I can’t be stronger. “He thinks they’ve found her alive.”

“What?” he gasps, rushing over to me.

The story spills out of me. “Can you call Michelle, please? Make sure they’re home, don’t say why. Lie, if you have to. Then, if they are home, please handle getting the detail ready to get me out of here. Back entrance. Tell them I need to leave,now, and can’t be seen leaving.”

He looks…stunned. Like I feel. “Sure, yeah, of course, Governor.”

I grab his arm. “Nopress.Noleaks. Carter was emphatic about that. We’re not sure it’s her, not really. But I can’t have her parents hearing a rumor from the news.”

He hugs me tightly, a soft sob escaping him. I hug him back, sympathizing completely.

“Shit, we need to get ourselves together or people will think that she’s dead,” he says.

“I know.” A choked laugh burps free from me. “She’s gonna fuckingkillus if we fall apart now.”