Page 28 of State of Affairs (First Family 1)

“Give us ten minutes, ma’am.”

Sam went back in the house, stuffing the annoyance deep inside so no one would see how upset she was. Nick didn’t need to hear through any grapevine that she was pissed. Not today, anyway. But they’d be discussing her desire to move freely as soon as possible.

Twelve minutes after the agent had asked for ten, Sam was about to go back outside when the door opened to Vernon and Jimmy. The two agents had recently been assigned to her after Nick’s announcement that he didn’t plan to run in the next election had led to an uptick in threats against him and their entire family.

“Gentlemen.” Vernon was an older Black man with graying hair, his partner a baby-faced blond with an eagerness about him that annoyed her. “I’d rather hoped I’d seen the last of you.”

“Likewise, ma’am,” Vernon said with the cheeky sarcasm that had endeared him to her. She respected the hell out of anyone who could meet sarcasm with sarcasm. “Sadly for all of us, our time together is just beginning.”

“We’ll see about that.”

“Indeed we will, ma’am. I understand you wish to go to the George Washington University Hospital?”

“I do. One of my detectives is a patient.”

“We’d be pleased to get you there and back as safely as possible,” Vernon said, signaling to Jimmy to do something.

Sam wasn’t sure what the signal meant, but Jimmy clearly understood it.

“Right this way, ma’am.” Jimmy smiled widely, as if this was the greatest day of his young life. It probably was. He was protecting the nation’s first lady. He’d probably dine out on that for the rest of his days.

Sam got into the back of one of the black SUVs and put on her seat belt, determined to go with the flow and not to do anything to cause Nick any more grief than he was already contending with. If she raised hell with the agents, that would cause trouble for him that he didn’t need. So she kept her mouth shut and did what she was told.

For once.

If there was one advantage to the Secret Service, it was that people got the fuck out of their way, which meant they arrived at their destination that much quicker. As someone who rarely had time to waste, there was something to be said for that kind of efficiency.

Jimmy opened the back door for her, and the two agents followed Sam into the hospital.

The young woman working the reception desk did a double take when she recognized Sam. “Mrs. Cappuano… Ma’am. It’s such a pleasure to meet you.”

“Thank you. I’m here to see a friend. Giselle Dominguez. Can you please tell me what room she’s in?”

“Of course.”

While Sam watched, the woman typed in Gigi’s name, and if her eyes weren’t deceiving her, the woman’s hands trembled as she did so. For fuck’s sake. It would never be “normal” to Sam to provoke that kind of reaction in people.

“She’s in room 520. Take the elevators on your left to the fifth floor, and check in at the nurses’ station.”

“Thank you very much.”

“If I may…”

Sam, who’d started toward the elevators, stopped and turned back.

“I’m sorry about what happened to President Nelson, but I’m very excited that your husband is president and that you’re our new first lady.”

“Thank you. I’ll be sure to pass that along to Nick.”

The woman nearly fainted when Sam said that. She quickly headed toward the elevators, aware of Vernon and Jimmy following her.

“Ma’am,” Vernon said. “Let me go ahead.”

Sam forced herself to stop and allow the agents to arrange things to their liking before she followed Vernon onto the elevator, gritting her teeth and biting her tongue the whole time. On the fifth floor, she inquired about Gigi and showed her badge.

“We know who you are.” The nurse had short gray hair and wore glasses with gold frames. “Everyone knows who you are.”

Her words had an edge to them that put Sam on guard. “That doesn’t mean I can’t be polite and say please when I ask if I can see my detective.”