Hurry Up And Wait (Owens Protective Services #24)

30. Kavanaugh

30

KAVANAUGH

“It’s all over the fucking news,” Eli said, flipping the channels to every news program. “There’s no way she didn’t see this.”

I glanced at my phone again. It had been two days since the rally and she hadn’t called or texted. I hadn’t attempted to reach her either. Call me a chicken shit, but I was avoiding the inevitable for as long as possible.

“She hasn’t called,” I pointed out.

“Because she saw you on the television with a fiancée and decided you could fuck off,” Red said, flipping through the latest Guns and Ammo magazine.

“She’s not like that. We’ve known each other a long time. If she was pissed at me, she wouldn’t just drop me. She’d call me out on my bullshit.”

“You should have told her,” Red muttered, flipping another page.

I shoved my fingers through my hair and paced the room, staring at my phone again. “I should call her.”

Eli sucked in a breath. “Are you sure you want to have this conversation over the phone?”

“I have to be with the senator today for a lunch.”

“So, go to the lunch and leave afterward. ”

“And tomorrow, we have another rally.”

“Sounds like you’re avoiding her,” Red said, still not looking at me.

“I’m not avoiding her. I just can’t drop everything to explain this shit to her.”

“Right,” Eli chuckled, tossing the remote on the coffee table before taking a seat. “This small thing of you being engaged while sleeping with her.”

“I’m not engaged,” I seethed.

“According to that,” he said, pointing to the TV, “you are. And you can’t just expect her to understand that.”

He was fucking right. But why hadn’t she called? She should have called. Isla was never one to hide behind her feelings. If she had a problem, she said something. So, why the fuck hadn’t she called?

“It’s not even real,” I argued. “None of this is real.”

“So, tell her that,” Eli shrugged. “She knows your father. Explain that he’s a douchebag and set this whole thing up.”

“But I didn’t tell her,” I argued.

Eli gave me a pointed look. “Didn’t I tell you to tell her?”

I winced, turning away from him as I began pacing again. “Maybe she’ll find the whole thing funny.”

Red snorted. “Yeah, I would find that funny too. Hey, baby. I know we slept together, but I have to pretend to be engaged for the foreseeable future. Oh, and I might have to kiss her. But it means nothing, and you have nothing to worry about. Oh, and by the way, this has been going on for over a month. I just didn’t tell you because I’m an asshole. I don’t see why she wouldn’t find that funny.”

“So funny, she might even punch him in the face for it,” Eli added.

“Shit.”

“Bradford,” Olivia called out from the other room.

“Oh, look, Bradford . Your fake fiancée is calling you. Better run off and see what she needs.”

I flipped him off and headed for the kitchen. She was standing behind the counter with an apron on, arranging appetizers on a platter. When she looked up, her face slackened in shock.

“You’re not ready yet?”

“For what? ”

“For the party. Bradford, don’t you remember? We’re holding a small gathering for your father.”

I ground my teeth at the usage of the senator as my father. She knew I didn’t want her to say it, but she still did. She hurried around the counter, her heels clacking on the tile as she wiped off her hands on a towel.

“We only have an hour.”

I sighed heavily. “How many people?”

“Just ten or so. It’s a small gathering.”

I glanced at the counter, then back to her. “Are you making all the food?”

“Well, of course,” she chuckled. “Who else would do it?”

“I thought you would hire a caterer or something?”

She smiled coquettishly. “I want to make a good impression. Besides, I like to cook.”

She raised her hand, brushing her fingers through my hair. “You should really shower. You look a little disheveled.”

I cleared my throat, stepping back from her touch. She was playing the part of my fiancée a little too well. “Olivia, I need you to remember that we’re not together.”

“I know that,” she whispered, dropping her gaze.

“All of this…” I said, motioning around the kitchen. “This is all for show. None of it’s real.”

“I know. I just…I get lost in my part sometimes.” Her eyes finally met mine. “You’re a good man, Bradford. I see that. I just wish you could, too.”

Confused, I didn’t say anything as she backed away and went back to preparing the food. Why would I think I wasn’t a good man? I wasn’t the man for her, but I knew deep down that I was a good person.

In the end, it didn’t really matter what she thought. I was only here to do a job, and that included playing the part of her fiancé for the night. I would do my part and ensure all of my father’s closest supporters believed the lie. Not to help him, but because I had an idea about how to turn the tides in my direction and end this entire fiasco.

I headed back out to the living room and jerked my head at the guys, motioning for them to follow me to my room. Their room. They’d basically taken over, but then we slept in shifts, so it didn’t really matter.

“I forgot about this fucking dinner tonight.”

Red winced. “We don’t have to go, do we?”

“No, but I have another job for you.”

Eli shook his head immediately. “I’m not talking to your girlfriend.”

“I don’t need you to. I need eyes on everyone who attends tonight. I need to know what their stance is on the military and veteran issues.”

“What are you thinking?” Eli asked.

“I’m thinking that if enough of them could be swayed to throw their support behind a special veteran funding bill, it might be just the push I need to end this fiasco.”

“Hit ‘em hard with the numbers,” Red surmised.

“Exactly. It’s perfect, considering that I already ran off stage the other day,” I grumbled. “Not that I want to use my personal issues for gain, but you saw how the senator twisted my own past to his advantage. He’s already laid the groundwork for such a bill, which means if we can get him to support it, he’ll gain huge numbers in the military community.”

“You seriously want to let the senator use his fake concern for you during his campaign?”

“I don’t give a shit,” I snarled at Red. “The only fucking thing I care about is getting him a big win so I can get the hell out of this job and get him to turn over the information we need.”

“Why are you so sure he’ll do it?” Eli asked.

“I’m not, but it’s a good opportunity for us. And not many candidates put out big proposals like this in the beginning. It would give him an edge, and since everyone already knows I ran off the fucking stage, I won’t be expected to show up at any more rallies.”

“You hope,” Eli pointed out. “That’s a huge fucking gamble. The senator may decide to rope you into more rallies so you can throw your weight behind it. And once you bring it up with him, there’s no way to know for certain that he won’t try to manipulate you later with it. ”

He was right. There was no guarantee that by offering him this that he would hand over what I needed or stop trying to use me. But it was a risk I had to take. If I could get that information, I could stop this whole charade. Everything would go back to normal, and I could get back to my life and, hopefully, still share it with Isla.

“If it works, this could all be over by the end of the week.”

They both nodded, but it was Red who delivered the final blow. “Yep, and if you’re wrong, we’ll be working for the senator for the next fucking year. And your engagement could become the real deal. It’s a hell of a gamble.”

“It’ll work,” I grumbled.

“I really do hope so,” Eli chuckled. “Suits aren’t really your style.”

I had to get out to the party. People had already started to arrive, but I couldn’t put this off any longer. I didn’t know if Isla saw the news and was ignoring me or hadn’t seen it and was just giving me space on the job. She hadn’t called me once the entire time I was gone, and that shouldn’t bother me because it showed a great understanding that I couldn’t be disturbed.

But it did bother me.

I dialed her number and held my breath as I waited for her to answer. After five rings, I was about to give up, but then she answered. Relief poured through me. I wasn’t even sure why. She hadn’t said a word and neither had I. But she answered.

“Isla,” I said breathlessly, tugging at my hair nervously. “You answered.”

“Did you think I wouldn’t?” There was an edge to her voice, but she hadn’t hung up yet. That was a win, right?

I swallowed hard, trying to figure out how to tell her, which probably would have been easier if I had considered that before I dialed. “I don’t know if you’ve seen the news…”

“You mean about the senator?”

Shit. “Yeah. ”

“I had no idea he wanted to be president,” she said conversationally.

“Yeah, I didn’t either.” I waited for it, sure it would come at any second, but she said nothing. “Um…listen, we should talk.”

“Sure. What do you want to talk about?”

She knew. Fuck, she knew and she was going to make me say it. “I didn’t know.”

“That you had a fiancée or that your father was going to announce his candidacy that day?”

“Both.”

She made a humming noise, but otherwise stayed silent.

“When I took this job, it was just to gain intel for Cash. I was just supposed to help the senator with his re-election. I swear, that’s it.”

Silence filled the line again.

“Isla?”

“Kavanaugh, what do you want me to say? You didn’t even tell me you were working with your father. I thought you were going on a protection job, and then I saw him on the television. And found out that, apparently, you’re engaged.”

“I’m not,” I said quickly. “When I arrived for the job, he sprang it on me. I suddenly have a fiancée, an apartment with her, and we’re having a dinner party in like five minutes. I didn’t plan any of this,” I pleaded.

I wished I could see her face, to know that she wasn’t completely pissed at me, that she was going to forgive me. I couldn’t see her, and I had no idea what she was thinking right now. But there was no way I could put off telling her any longer. It had to be done.

“Isla?”

“You knew?

“What?”

“You left on your job over a month ago. You’ve been home several times since then. You were on my roof. You snuck into my house. You slept with me, and you knew!”

My mouth opened, but nothing came out. I suddenly realized what I’d admitted and how deep of shit I was in .

“You knew then that your father planned all this and you didn’t tell me.”

“I didn’t want to?—”

“You slept with me and you didn’t bother to tell me that this little bombshell was coming!”

Fuck. I thrust my fingers through my hair again, sure I was going to tear out every strand as I tried to figure out a way to make this not sound quite so bad.

“Isla, I—how the fuck was I supposed to explain this to you?”

“I would have started by opening my mouth, but that’s me. You know, those small details that would have sounded a hell of a lot better if you had just told me the moment you found out. How could you let me do that? I slept with you!” she shrieked again. “I’m a homewrecker!”

“No. No, you’re not,” I assured her. “It’s all for show.”

“Yeah, and if anyone finds out, I’m the woman that’s ruining your relationship with this woman.”

“No one will find out.”

“But if they do,” she snapped, “I’ll be the one who looks bad. Did you even think of that? This is what candidates do in elections! They dig up dirt on their opponents and their families. You’ve turned me into a potential headline!”

“I swear,” I swallowed hard. “I’ll keep anyone from finding out. It won’t touch you.”

“It doesn’t matter, Kavanaugh. It’s over.”

“No. Don’t say that,” I pleaded, panic filling my mind. She was just back in my life. I barely got a chance to spend any time with her. The senator was destroying my life and he barely lifted a finger.

“You’re living with her. You’re having a dinner party in five minutes. And that’s when you thought it was best to contact me? When you had to leave?”

I closed my eyes and pleaded to find a way out of this. There had to be a way. I couldn’t have messed this up so badly right when everything in my life was coming together.

“I’ll fix this. I swear to God. I have a plan.”

“It doesn’t matter what your plans are,” she said softly. “ Kavanaugh, I never planned to be with you. It just happened. And now…now this is all too complicated.”

“I’ll uncomplicate it. I swear to you. Just…don’t give up on me.”

“We don’t even know each other anymore.”

I grasped the air around me for words. There had to be a way out of this—something I could say or do to make this work in my favor, but as the seconds ticked by, I found it harder and harder to think of a single thing that wouldn’t make me sound like the asshole I was.

“Isla…please, remember who I am.”

She sighed heavily, making me lose even more hope.

“Please, for all that’s happened between us, remember who I am. I swear, I will not let you down.”

The door opened behind me and Olivia called out before I could cover the phone. “Sweetie, our guests are waiting!”

I closed my eyes, gritting my teeth. “I’ll be right there. Isla?—”

“Go. Your fiancée is waiting for you.”

A dead weight sank in my stomach as the call ended. I wanted to yell at Olivia for interrupting me when I was so close to getting Isla to give me time. But it wasn’t her fault. She was just playing the game like I was, dragged into the senator’s machinations and forced to abide by his rules.

That was all going to end now. The gamble might not work, but I had to try. It was the only way to get back to my life with Isa. Maybe I would have gone along for the ride for longer if it weren’t for her. But she was here, and I wasn’t going to lose her because of the senator.

I slid my fingers through my hair, making sure I looked presentable, then headed out into the living room with a smile. I clasped the senator on the shoulder and squeezed hard so he would know I was about to do something he would hate.

“Thank you all for coming tonight.” The room quieted as I stared at all of my father’s greatest supporters. “I know you all saw my less-than-stellar performance the other day on the stage. It was…not at all what the senator needed to boost his numbers. However, after discussing it with him,” I said, shooting him a side-long glance that had him narrowing his eyes at me, “we’ve decided that a huge part of his platform should be about helping veterans like me. ”

I caught the senator just as he was about to take a sip of his drink. I could swear he choked on it, but nodded along, pretending like he knew what I was doing.

“As he said at the rally, coming home was extremely difficult for me. Thousands of veterans are struggling right now, and with the senator’s firsthand knowledge of the struggles going on in the world, there is no denying that he can be the face of this new movement, pushing for our military families and veterans to get the help they need.” I paused for effect. “This campaign promise means more to me than I could possibly ever explain, and I know he is doing good work not only on my behalf, but for others in need.” I picked up my glass and raised it. “To Senator Kavanaugh.”

They all mimicked me, raising their own glasses. “To Senator Kavanaugh.”

The room burst with excitement at my announcement, but it was the senator who dragged me away, gripping my arm way too tight as he ushered me into the office and closed the door.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

“Moving our plan forward.”

He stabbed his finger at the ground, pissed at what I had done. “This was not something we discussed. You do not get to tell me what platform I’ll be running on.”

“You should be thanking me. Most candidates don’t announce anything they’ll be running on this early in the game. I just gave you a leg up.”

“I planned to reduce military spending!” he practically shouted.

“Well, I guess you’ll have to change your strategy,” I said simply.

“If you think for one second I’ll give you what you need?—”

I cut him off, getting in his face. I lowered my voice, making sure it was just as threatening as I intended. “You will give me everything we discussed. I just handed you a win, and it’s up to you to make sure to follow through. You wanted me to stand by you and support you. Well, I gave you something better. You have the footage of me running off the stage. As much as I don’t like the fact that you’ll be politicizing my issues, I’ve given you something you can actually use to your advantage. The damaged veteran angle should really rally your supporters. And in return, you have to pretend to be a human being and actually care about helping those serving your country. I know it’ll be a struggle for you, but believe it or not, it’s a very good cause that people can get behind. No one gives a shit about what you want. They want to know you care about your constituents. Now’s the time to prove it, as hard as that might be.”

He was quiet for a moment, but I knew the wheels were turning in his head. He was considering all the ways this could help his campaign. “I’ll consider it.”

“No, you’ll fucking do it. And to be sure you follow through, OPS will be taking on all advisory roles in your campaign on this issue. We will tell you what you support and what you don’t. We will guide you on what kind of funding you need and how to help veterans. God knows none of the politicians in this country can get it right.”

“And if I don’t?”

“If you don’t, I walk away. I don’t care that I’ll never get the information I need. You already tore apart my life with your stunt on stage the other day. Don’t think I won’t walk away. We do it this way, or I don’t lift a goddamn finger to help you.”

Game. Set. Match.

I had him where I wanted him. I could see it in his eyes. He knew if he wanted my support, he had to play ball. Now I just had to finish him off.

“I’ll be expecting the names of those involved with The Syndicate by tomorrow morning. Any later and I’m gone.”