“There are,” I said. “But I don’t think so. I’m not sure I want to move back to the same city that Kevin’s in.”
Her brows lifted. “That young agent that your father introduced you to?”
“Don’t tell Daddy, but he’s kind of a jerk.”
“Is he? Or did you just meet someone else?”
I grimaced. “There was a guy,” I said. “It didn’t work out.”
“Why not?” she asked, and I kicked myself for opening that door.
“A bunch of stuff.”
“Do you want to tell me?”
I shook my head. “No.”
We walked in silence for a while. “Did you love him?” she asked.
I almost lied, but I couldn’t do that to Evan. Even if he was no longer in my life, I couldn’t lie about the way I felt about him. “Yes,” I said. “Yes, I love him.”
She glanced at me sideways and I expected her to launch into some sort of maternal pep talk. Instead she said, “Your father wasn’t the first man I loved.”
“He wasn’t? Who was?”
A whisper of a smile touched her lips. “It doesn’t matter. But he was exciting and bold and he made me feel like anything was possible so long as I was with him.”
“I know that feeling,” I said. Evan was the rush I needed in my life, that extra something that made me feel alive. And, I knew now, I was the same for him. “Do you feel that way with Daddy?”
“I love your father very much, but it’s tamer,” she said. “It’s more of a partnership. And there’s nothing wrong with that, Angie. But if you can find the passion and the partnership—” She cut herself off with a wavering smile. “These are not the kinds of things mothers are supposed to talk about. But I want you to have everything good in the world.”
“So why didn’t you marry him? The first man, I mean.”
“He didn’t want me. Or, rather, he wouldn’t have me.”
“Why not?”
“He was involved in some things that skirted the law. He said that was no life for me.”
I stopped, turning to look in a gallery window so she couldn’t see my face. Jahn. That’s why their pictures were in those albums without my dad. Because my dad very literally wasn’t in the picture when those photos were taken.
“Did you agree?” I asked softly.
“I never let myself think about it,” she said, though I didn’t believe her. “He thought he was saving me. That he was making some grand sacrifice to protect me. But really he was just hurting us both. And I think he regretted walking away.”
I felt hollow inside. “How do you know?”
“Things he said when I saw him years later.” She waved the words away. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll never know for certain.”
But I knew, I realized. That was why he’d kept those photos. And what was it he’d told me so many years ago? Sarah is special.
Yes, I thought, she is. And although I loved my dad desperately, I couldn’t help but want to weep for my mother and my uncle, and the love they never truly got to share.
And I tried hard not to think about Evan, or the sacrifice I was making for him. A sacrifice that I was making without his consent. And one that I was starting to fear I would regret. But I still didn’t know what choice I had. I couldn’t leave him or my father to the wolves, and right then, with Kevin waiting so eagerly for any mistake, I was certain that those two men I loved would get eaten alive.
I made an effort to be more upbeat for the rest of our shopping trip, and when we returned home, laden with bags, we were both laughing about the horrible outfits we’d tried on at a local boutique.
“You should have bought the pink one,” my mom said.
“Are you insane? I would have looked like a marshmallow Peep.” I was about to counter that she should have bought the blue caftan-looking thing, but we’d reached the living room, and I stopped dead in my tracks. Evan was there. So was my dad and three men I didn’t recognize, but who were wearing suits and looked very official.
“Um, hi. What’s going on?”
“I had some business to conduct with your dad,” Evan said, which made absolutely no sense to me. “But I think we’re square now.” He stood up and extended his hand. “Senator, it’s been a pleasure.”
He finished the goodbyes, then turned toward the door. “Angie, could I have a word?”
I saw the realization bloom on my mother’s face, but now wasn’t the time to confirm or deny. I followed him outside feeling lighter than I had in days—and at the same time angry that he’d come out here just when I was starting to get the pain under control. Because nothing had changed. There was still no possible future between us—not when my father’s career hung in the balance—and seeing him only created fresh wounds.
“What the hell is going on here?” I demanded.
“It’s done,” he said. “The bullshit Mann Act threat—it’s dead and buried.”
I gaped at him. “How?”
“We cut a deal. Cole. Tyler. Me.”
“A deal?” Fear and disgust twisted in my stomach, all knotted up with disbelief. “So Kevin was right? You were really—”
“Hell no,” he said. “Just the opposite, in fact. There’s a group working out of California and Mexico that’s doing the very thing that Kevin was accusing us of—luring girls in and forcing them into prostitution. We learned about it and have been running interference, bringing the girls into our clubs, giving them legitimate jobs. We’re doing nothing illegal, at least not on that front. But we’ve pissed off the ring—Larry’s one of their flunkies—and after you told me what Kevin said, I knew they must have threatened some of the girls into making false statements. So I came out here and met with your dad—he’s been on a task force to shut this kind of thing down for a few years now. And in exchange for immunity against the bogus Mann Act charges, Cole and Tyler and I are going to work with the FBI and local authorities.”
“In other words, Kevin’s got shit,” I said. “Nothing on you, and nothing to hang over my dad. And since you and my dad are doing this task force thing together, if Kevin tries to make a stink, it’ll just come off making him look bad.”
He grinned. “It’s easy to see you’re a politician’s daughter.”
“But—but this is incredible.” So much so that I had to lean against the hood of his rental car. “Thank you,” I said. “Thank you for getting my father out of this mess.”
“You’re welcome, but my motive was a selfish one, too. I don’t want to lose you.”
“I don’t want to lose you, either,” I said. “I miss you so damn much.”
“But you need to go in with eyes wide open. Because Kevin is going to be pissed and he just might be vindictive. I’m getting out—I already told you that. I’m cleaning up my various businesses, and if I can’t clean them up, I’m dumping them. Ending them altogether or selling my share to Tyler and Cole. I’ve been cleaning up for a while now, ever since my mom died, and I don’t think there’s a stitch of evidence for him to latch onto. But that doesn’t change the fact that I’ve done things. Things he can jump all over. He might not be able to make it stick, but he can still make life miserable for us.”
Her brows lifted. “That young agent that your father introduced you to?”
“Don’t tell Daddy, but he’s kind of a jerk.”
“Is he? Or did you just meet someone else?”
I grimaced. “There was a guy,” I said. “It didn’t work out.”
“Why not?” she asked, and I kicked myself for opening that door.
“A bunch of stuff.”
“Do you want to tell me?”
I shook my head. “No.”
We walked in silence for a while. “Did you love him?” she asked.
I almost lied, but I couldn’t do that to Evan. Even if he was no longer in my life, I couldn’t lie about the way I felt about him. “Yes,” I said. “Yes, I love him.”
She glanced at me sideways and I expected her to launch into some sort of maternal pep talk. Instead she said, “Your father wasn’t the first man I loved.”
“He wasn’t? Who was?”
A whisper of a smile touched her lips. “It doesn’t matter. But he was exciting and bold and he made me feel like anything was possible so long as I was with him.”
“I know that feeling,” I said. Evan was the rush I needed in my life, that extra something that made me feel alive. And, I knew now, I was the same for him. “Do you feel that way with Daddy?”
“I love your father very much, but it’s tamer,” she said. “It’s more of a partnership. And there’s nothing wrong with that, Angie. But if you can find the passion and the partnership—” She cut herself off with a wavering smile. “These are not the kinds of things mothers are supposed to talk about. But I want you to have everything good in the world.”
“So why didn’t you marry him? The first man, I mean.”
“He didn’t want me. Or, rather, he wouldn’t have me.”
“Why not?”
“He was involved in some things that skirted the law. He said that was no life for me.”
I stopped, turning to look in a gallery window so she couldn’t see my face. Jahn. That’s why their pictures were in those albums without my dad. Because my dad very literally wasn’t in the picture when those photos were taken.
“Did you agree?” I asked softly.
“I never let myself think about it,” she said, though I didn’t believe her. “He thought he was saving me. That he was making some grand sacrifice to protect me. But really he was just hurting us both. And I think he regretted walking away.”
I felt hollow inside. “How do you know?”
“Things he said when I saw him years later.” She waved the words away. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll never know for certain.”
But I knew, I realized. That was why he’d kept those photos. And what was it he’d told me so many years ago? Sarah is special.
Yes, I thought, she is. And although I loved my dad desperately, I couldn’t help but want to weep for my mother and my uncle, and the love they never truly got to share.
And I tried hard not to think about Evan, or the sacrifice I was making for him. A sacrifice that I was making without his consent. And one that I was starting to fear I would regret. But I still didn’t know what choice I had. I couldn’t leave him or my father to the wolves, and right then, with Kevin waiting so eagerly for any mistake, I was certain that those two men I loved would get eaten alive.
I made an effort to be more upbeat for the rest of our shopping trip, and when we returned home, laden with bags, we were both laughing about the horrible outfits we’d tried on at a local boutique.
“You should have bought the pink one,” my mom said.
“Are you insane? I would have looked like a marshmallow Peep.” I was about to counter that she should have bought the blue caftan-looking thing, but we’d reached the living room, and I stopped dead in my tracks. Evan was there. So was my dad and three men I didn’t recognize, but who were wearing suits and looked very official.
“Um, hi. What’s going on?”
“I had some business to conduct with your dad,” Evan said, which made absolutely no sense to me. “But I think we’re square now.” He stood up and extended his hand. “Senator, it’s been a pleasure.”
He finished the goodbyes, then turned toward the door. “Angie, could I have a word?”
I saw the realization bloom on my mother’s face, but now wasn’t the time to confirm or deny. I followed him outside feeling lighter than I had in days—and at the same time angry that he’d come out here just when I was starting to get the pain under control. Because nothing had changed. There was still no possible future between us—not when my father’s career hung in the balance—and seeing him only created fresh wounds.
“What the hell is going on here?” I demanded.
“It’s done,” he said. “The bullshit Mann Act threat—it’s dead and buried.”
I gaped at him. “How?”
“We cut a deal. Cole. Tyler. Me.”
“A deal?” Fear and disgust twisted in my stomach, all knotted up with disbelief. “So Kevin was right? You were really—”
“Hell no,” he said. “Just the opposite, in fact. There’s a group working out of California and Mexico that’s doing the very thing that Kevin was accusing us of—luring girls in and forcing them into prostitution. We learned about it and have been running interference, bringing the girls into our clubs, giving them legitimate jobs. We’re doing nothing illegal, at least not on that front. But we’ve pissed off the ring—Larry’s one of their flunkies—and after you told me what Kevin said, I knew they must have threatened some of the girls into making false statements. So I came out here and met with your dad—he’s been on a task force to shut this kind of thing down for a few years now. And in exchange for immunity against the bogus Mann Act charges, Cole and Tyler and I are going to work with the FBI and local authorities.”
“In other words, Kevin’s got shit,” I said. “Nothing on you, and nothing to hang over my dad. And since you and my dad are doing this task force thing together, if Kevin tries to make a stink, it’ll just come off making him look bad.”
He grinned. “It’s easy to see you’re a politician’s daughter.”
“But—but this is incredible.” So much so that I had to lean against the hood of his rental car. “Thank you,” I said. “Thank you for getting my father out of this mess.”
“You’re welcome, but my motive was a selfish one, too. I don’t want to lose you.”
“I don’t want to lose you, either,” I said. “I miss you so damn much.”
“But you need to go in with eyes wide open. Because Kevin is going to be pissed and he just might be vindictive. I’m getting out—I already told you that. I’m cleaning up my various businesses, and if I can’t clean them up, I’m dumping them. Ending them altogether or selling my share to Tyler and Cole. I’ve been cleaning up for a while now, ever since my mom died, and I don’t think there’s a stitch of evidence for him to latch onto. But that doesn’t change the fact that I’ve done things. Things he can jump all over. He might not be able to make it stick, but he can still make life miserable for us.”
