to be here.” Nick smiled at her over Scotty’s head as he hugged their son for much longer than usual since Scotty had become a teenager and began recoiling from most forms of parental affection. “You’re feeling better?”
“A lot better today. How about you?”
“Same. Still not perfect, but better.”
“This would be a good day to binge watch Star Wars,” Scotty said.
“I can’t think of anything I’d rather do,” Nick replied.
They went upstairs to the master bedroom, and Sam got them settled in bed with remote controls and tall glasses of ice water. She’d been taught a big lesson about the perils of dehydration and was pushing the water hard.
“Move over and let me in,” she said to Scotty.
“You hate Star Wars.”
“True, but I love you, and I need some snuggles.”
He curled up his lip at the word snuggle, but he moved closer to Nick to let her in.
She had just gotten settled when her phone rang again. Prepared to tell Darren to fuck off and leave her alone, she flipped open the phone.
“Sam, we’ve got a problem,” Freddie said. “You need to get over here.”
“What kind of problem?”
“Josh is going off the rails. He’s terrified his father is going to have him killed.”
“What? He said that?”
“He’s been ranting about it all morning. I tried to talk him down because I know you’re dealing with Nick and the flu and everything, but he’s losing it. Nothing I say gets through to him.”
The last freaking thing she felt like doing was leaving the nice warm bed and her two favorite people, but she couldn’t let Freddie twist in the wind alone with Josh. “Where are you?”
“Crystal Gateway. He’s paranoid about me calling you. He’s convinced Hamilton is probably having you followed.”
“How would Hamilton even know I’m involved?”
“Josh says he knows everything.” After a brief pause, Freddie added, “In case there’s any truth to it, shut your phone off before you leave so he can’t find you.”
“So you’re buying into the conspiracy theories?”
Lowering his voice, Freddie said, “There’s something about how fearful he is that’s resonating with me. I’m getting a gut check.”
Sam had taught him to trust his gut, so the comment had her moving a little quicker to put on the shoes she’d only recently kicked off. “I’ll be there shortly.”
“Thanks.”
While Scotty’s gaze remained glued to the action on the TV, Nick was watching her. “What’s up?” he asked.
“Josh is melting down. Gotta do some damage control. I shouldn’t be long.”
“Be careful.”
She went around the bed to kiss him, which had Scotty making retching noises.
Nick smiled and curled his hand around her neck to keep her there for a moment longer. Into her ear, he whispered, “Watch out for Troy Hamilton. Be extra careful.”
“I will. Don’t worry.”
“That’ll be the day.”
Mindful of Freddie’s warning, she powered down her phone and put it in her pocket. Though she was suspended, she still unlocked her bedside table to retrieve the weapon she never left home without, except when running after the ambulance carrying her husband. She stuck her badge into her back pocket just in case she needed it, not that she expected to.
“Scotty, you’re in charge,” Sam said. “Make sure he does nothing but rest.”
“Got it,” he said, eyes still glued to the TV.
Though they were both a lot better than they’d been, she still hated to leave them, even for a couple of hours. And when she stepped outside the bedroom to see Melinda positioned in the hallway, she hated leaving them even more.
“They’re not to be disturbed for any reason,” Sam said.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Sam wanted to snap back at her, to tell her not to call her ma’am, but that would be pointless. As the second lady, she was ma’am to the Secret Service whether she wanted to be or not. There were battles that could be fought and won, but that wasn’t one of them. Besides, she had enough on her plate at the moment without taking on Nick’s detail.
Was it petty to let the woman bug her? Of course it was. Melinda was only doing her job, but why had her young, sexy husband warranted a young, sexy female agent on his detail? Sam wondered if there was someone she could complain to and get Melinda reassigned. But she’d never do that, especially as a law enforcement officer herself. It was hard enough working in the old boys’ club without making life difficult for a female colleague.
So she would keep her mouth shut and put up with Melinda’s presence in her home and her eyes on Nick, but she didn’t have to like it.
Traffic was light on Sunday afternoon, and she made good time on her way to Arlington, keeping half an eye on the rearview mirror looking for a tail that didn’t materialize. If Hamilton was having her followed, he wasn’t being obvious about it. There was no way anyone could get near her car outside the house with the Secret Service all over the place, and the car had been home since she brought Josh there the other day. For once, having the place crawling with Secret Service was coming in handy.
Well, that time they stopped Stahl from killing her on her own doorstep had been rather convenient too.
She kept an eye in the mirror as she took the 14th Street Bridge out of the city into Northern Virginia and headed for the Crystal City exit. That the Crystal Gateway Marriott was right next door to the Crystal City Marriott perplexed her as it always did. Who’d had the big idea to give two hotels practically the same name? Freddie had said Gateway, hadn’t he?
She pulled up to the main door and flashed her badge to the valet on duty. “I won’t be long.”
His eyes bugged when he recognized her.
Sam was long gone before he stopped gawking. Inside, she used a house phone to ask the operator to connect her with Freddie Cruz’s room. He answered on the first ring.
“Yeah.”
“It’s me. Where are you?”
“Room 718.”
“On my way.”
“Were you tailed?”
“Not that I could tell.”
