Page 76 of Release

Chapter Seventeen

You would think I’d hate myself for manipulating George and Declan as much as I am. Except I don’t. Not really.

I mean, I do, sort of. A little.

Not like I’m trying to soak them for money or something.

Iamtrying to find a balance that will work for all of us. But I love both of them too much to put them at risk. If I tell them everything and they talk me out of my plans, I’ll end up resenting both of them and myself most of all.

Declan arrives exactly on time. He’s pitch-perfect as Alpha Declan when he lets himself in, his laptop case over his shoulder and not a damn hair out of place.

I watch George hold himself back. He wants to go up to Declan, hug him, and for a split second it crosses my mind to give Declan a head tip to allow him to do just that.

But I don’t.

The arrival of the EPU team just then spares me any further angst there. I send Declan out first. On the way out the door he grabs George’s things, too, and then he gets in the middle seat in the SUV instead of the back seat, where he’d usually ride with us.

EPU knows George isnota morning person. At all. So they won’t think anything’s amiss when there’s not much chatter between the three of us.

But I watch how George stares at the back of Declan’s head as we ride to the airport. Like he’s trying to will his boy to turn around.

At the airport, Declan and I exit the door on my side before George can exit. I send Declan aboard the plane ahead of us, and what happens in the next ten minutes will make or break today, I’m sure.

I board ahead of George while he’s being his usual polite self and greeting the head of his security detail on the tarmac, as well as campaign staffers who are accompanying us today. It’ll be a full flight. Declan’s already stowed George’s garment bag in the front closet and is awaiting me before taking his seat.

Grabbing his shoulder, I steer him ahead of me and pick seats in two different rows for us on the starboard side, behind the wing. That puts Declan and me both on the window, with me seated in the row ahead of him.

There literally won’t be any empty seats on today’s flight because of the extra campaign staff and security detail going with us.

I ask one of the security detail already on board to take the aisle seat next to Declan, and the suit-clad officer does as I ask. This officer is one of the original team first assigned to George upon his return. He knows me, and George’s strange flying requirements, well enough that he doesn’t question when I give him a request like this that won’t negatively impact EPU’s security logistics.

I lean in and speak just loudly enough they can hear me, but no one else can. “Buckle your seat belts.Now. I don’t carewhatthe governor says or does, you twostayrightthere. I want him seated next to me, or somewhere else, butnotnext to Declan. Understand?”

“Yes, ma’am,” the trooper says.

Declan’s wearing a disgruntled scowl, but he nods.

I’m sure he understands what’s about to happen.

When George boards, he immediately focuses on the seats on the port side we usually occupy when we take this plane, and he actually freezes and blinks, like he’s trying to process we aren’t there.

Then his head swivels and he realizes where we’re sitting.

Here we go.

A blank mask engulfs his face, and he looks at me as he points at our usual spots.

I pretend like I don’t see him do it and stash my purse and laptop case under the seat in front of me.

Others are hanging back now, waiting for him to take a seat before they start filling in the rest of the seats.

George steps forward, toward me. “We sit over here.”

“I’m sittinghere, George. I don’t want the sun on me for the whole flight.” Which is bullshit, because I can pull the shade.

I watch his throat work as he swallows, and I briefly wonder if I should’ve packed a second spare suit for him today. If he pukes all over himself on the flight over, it won’t be pretty.

He walks up to me. “Casey.” He points to the port side of the plane.