Page 8 of State of Affairs (First Family 1)

“You owe me big.”

“Huge, and this won’t ever be forgotten.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Keep me posted.”

“Will do.”

She closed the phone again, satisfied that she’d done what she could under the circumstances. Hauling Gonzo out of bed on his wedding night was a big ask, but he was the one she needed to handle this since she couldn’t be there.

“I’m sorry you’re not able to be with them right now,” Nick said, sounding pained.

“It’s fine. I’m where I need to be.”

“Still…”

“It’s okay.” If she couldn’t be there, Gonzo was the next best thing. He’d keep a lid on Carlucci and make sure others within the department were doing everything they could to apprehend the guy who’d hurt Dominguez.

This is how it’ll be now, Sam thought, gazing out the window as the limo flew down deserted streets that would be packed with cars in just a few hours. Nonstop competing demands.

In a matter of minutes, they were pulling up to one of the White House entrances, where they were greeted by Nelson’s chief of staff, Tom Hanigan, and Derek Kavanaugh, Nick’s close friend and Nelson’s deputy chief of staff.

What would happen to Derek and the rest of Nelson’s staff now that he was gone? She remembered Nick saying after Senator John O’Connor died that the fortunes of political staffers rose and fell with their bosses. When John had been murdered, Nick had lost his best friend and his job as John’s chief of staff.

Hanigan shook hands with Nick. “Thank you for coming.”

“I’m very sorry for your loss.”

Hanigan and Nelson had been old friends from South Dakota.

“Thank you. It’s a shock, to say the least. I saw him two hours before the butler found him.”

“Do you know what happened?” Nick asked.

Hanigan shook his head. “It wasn’t immediately obvious to the medical staff, but there was no sign of foul play. They think whatever it was happened quickly.”

“I’d ask how you’re doing, but I can probably guess,” Derek said to Sam as they followed Hanigan and Nick inside. Scotty brought up the rear as they marched into the White House so Nick could be sworn in as president.

Surreal.

Sam glanced at their close friend. “One minute, I was complaining about being too full from Thanksgiving, and the next…”

“I was playing a game with Maeve while my parents watched a movie when Tom called. I came right over when I heard what happened.”

“Thanks for coming. It means a lot to us to have a friend here.”

“It’s so shocking. I saw Nelson yesterday.”

“You never know what’s coming.”

“No, you don’t,” he said with a sigh, probably thinking of his late wife, Victoria, who’d been murdered almost two years ago.

Sam held out a hand to Scotty to bring him along with them as they were led deeper into the executive mansion that would be their home. It would probably be weeks before Sam wrapped her head around the events of this evening. How long, she wondered, would it take for the shock to subside and reality to set in?

She was due back to work in three days. Would they let her go? The possibility that they wouldn’t was unthinkable.

One step at a time, she reminded herself. One step at a time.