Page 71 of State of the Union (First Family 3)

“Where have I heard that before? Was it when you promised you were going to do one year in the Senate and then we’d get back to normal?”

“Am I ever going to hear the end of that?”

“Not ever.”

“Good to know.”

“You hoodwinked me, and now I’m living in the freaking White House and trying to pretend that’s normal. People at my job are whistling the tune to ‘My Humps,’ and if you laugh, I’m getting out the rusty steak knife.”

His lips quivered, but lucky for him, he held back the laugh. “It’s perfectly normal.”

“You need to be very, very thankful that I love you so much, mister.”

Nick pushed himself up on an elbow. “I’m thankful every minute of every day that you love me so much.” He punctuated that with a soft, sweet kiss. “You’re the best thing to ever happen to me.”

“Likewise, even if you’re a lying hoodwinker.”

Smiling, he kissed her again. “And you love me.”

“God help me, but yes, I do.”

Sam dreamed about Audrey and other victims who’d crossed her path. She dreamed of Stahl, Ramsey and Conklin. Good people, evil people, coexisting in the same community, and her in the middle of it, charged with bringing order to the chaos. Nick’s alarm ended the dream abruptly, startling her and reminding her of the painful injuries she’d sustained the day before.

Her sharp gasp had Nick sitting up. “Is it worse?”

It was much worse. How was that possible? “I, um, I’m not sure.”

“Wait for me.” He got out of bed and came around to help her sit up.

She wanted to scream from the pain.

“Babe, you need a doctor.”

“No. I don’t want to deal with it. I’ve got a body in the morgue that needs my attention.”

“If you have a broken hip, you’re not going to be much good to her.”

“It’s not broken. It’s just a bruise.” When she tried to straighten her injured arm, she immediately regretted that, too. Sam wanted to scream from frustration as much as the pain. She had too much to do to deal with this crap.

“Samantha, you need a doctor. Let me arrange to have you taken to GW. We can call ahead to your buddy Dr. Anderson.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Help me up.”

He took hold of her uninjured arm and helped her stand.

The second she put weight on her right leg, she nearly passed out from the pain radiating from her hip. But when she sat back down, it wasn’t any better. “Mother-effer.”

“Let me talk to Brant. We’ll get you to the hospital.”

“No ambulances or production.”

“Got it.”

While he took care of that, she placed a call to Carlucci.