Page 64 of State of Affairs (First Family 1)

“I already know that. Why do you think I asked you to run interference for me with the press? Because I know you can handle it.”

“Means a lot to me. I won’t let you down.”

“I know you won’t, but if I let you down, I want you to say so, you hear me?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And don’t call me ma’am.”

“Got it, sir.”

Sam was looking forward to working with Roni, even if she wasn’t looking forward to being first lady. Having Roni and Lilia and the rest of her second lady staff helping her would make it a little more bearable. That was for sure. “Well, I suppose I ought to get my frozen ass home before they send out a search party.”

“Probably a good idea.”

“Let me know when you’re thinking you’d like to start, and I’ll put Lilia in touch with you to handle the details.”

“I will, and thank you again, Sam. You’ll never know what this means to me.”

“Means a lot to me that you said yes when you had every good reason to say no.”

“Funny, I couldn’t think of a single one. Talk soon.”

Chapter Thirteen

Sam closed her phone and had to smile when she thought about Roni and the way she’d reacted to being asked to join Sam’s team. She was one hundred percent sure that Roni would do a brilliant job.

Since her ass was, in fact, frozen, Sam pushed herself to her feet and stretched out the stiffness that came from sitting on cold marble. She looked up at Honest Abe. “Keep an eye on things in the White House for me, will you?”

A good talk with Abe usually made her feel better. And while she was still deeply unsettled, the time with Abe and the chat with Roni had helped. When she went down the marble steps, the same guard nodded to her, but this time, he did a double take when he seemed to recognize her.

Sam put her index finger over her lips. “Shhh,” she said without slowing. She hoped it wouldn’t be all over social media that she’d spent time at the Lincoln Memorial. It would suck if she couldn’t visit Abe when she needed to.

The guard made a show of pretending to zip his lips, and Sam found another person to like.

“Best of luck to you and your husband,” he said. “We’re pulling for you.”

“Thank you so much.”

Her phone rang as she walked to her car, and when she checked the caller ID, she saw the word Dispatch on the screen. Just seeing that word gave her a kick of adrenaline. “Holland.”

“Lieutenant, I wasn’t sure if we’re still supposed to call you for every potential homicide.”

“Why wouldn’t you?”

“Oh, um, well…”

Not wanting to talk to the dispatcher about becoming first lady, she said, “What’ve you got?”

“A report of a bleeding, unresponsive man on Rhode Island Avenue.” The dispatcher gave Sam the exact address.

“Is he unresponsive or dead?”

“The woman who called it in said she believes he’s dead.”

“Was she with him?”

“No, she found him when she was walking her dog.”