yet,” he replied.
“I have the feeling this is Cartel related. They use dirty tactics like this.” She gave the man a direct stare. “Don’t you have any undercover agents who have infiltrated the Cartel?”
“We don’t have any leads at this moment.”
“Nothing? Not even a motive? Why would someone want to hurt my granddaughter? Who would have dug deep enough to learn something even I didn’t know?”
“I don’t know.” Kincannon shook his head. “And we have nothing.”
“What about Richard Nelson?” Kate asked.
The director tilted his head. “What about him?”
“He’s made several statements about eliminating the opposition. I’m his competition in his campaign to secure the party nomination for the presidential election.”
Kincannon seemed to consider her words. “That’s a possibility. He wants to position.”
“We’ve had this discussion before. I’ve toyed with the idea of backing out of the race, but I haven’t made up my mind. And I don’t want word of my decision, or indecision, to leave this room, is that understood?”
Shelby could see how the woman had built her reputation as a strong political candidate and opponent. She didn’t mince words and she thought through everything.
Kincannon nodded. “My lips are sealed.”
“As are mine,” Daniel said.
Shelby almost smiled.
Kate didn’t mess around. She demanded loyalty from the people around her, and they seemed willing and almost happy to give it to her.
Kate turned to Patrick and Shelby. “If someone is after me and my family because of my run for president of the United States, can you imagine if I were to actually go through with it?”
She shook her head. “Sometimes I wish I was that eighteen-year-old girl back on the Outer Banks. Before I was forced to marry the man my father chose for me, before I entered politics. My family wouldn’t be under attack and I wouldn’t have to worry about having a target painted on my back every time I step out my front door.”
Patrick stared at her. “It was the life you chose.”
Kate nodded. “Not really, but that’s water under the bridge.” She turned to Kincannon. “I’ve asked Daniel to provide for Shelby’s security.”
“What about you?” Kincannon asked.
“If this is an attack on my family because of my former position or my current politics, I want my family protected. After D’Angelis turned, Daniel’s the only man from your agency I trust at this time.”
“I have more trustworthy agents. Let me assign one to Ms. O’Hara.”
Kate’s lips pursed. “No. I want Daniel.”
Kincannon stared from Kate to Daniel. “You’re on board with the change in assignment?”
Daniel nodded.
A little thrill rippled through Shelby. Watching Kate Winston in action gave her a strange sense of pride. And then for Daniel to agree that he was okay with taking on the responsibility of being her bodyguard…
It shouldn’t have given her that rush of heat through her body. But it did, and she couldn’t fight what she couldn’t control. “If you all have finished deciding what’s best for me, I’d like to get out of here.”
Kincannon frowned. “Where’s she going?”
“To gather her school assignments and clothes,” Kate said. “Then she’s coming back to stay here with us until we get this figured out.”
Kincannon seemed to digest that. “Okay, then. Daniel’s on it. Do you want me to assign another bodyguard to you, Kate?”
“I’ll hire my own, thank you.” Kate faced Shelby. “I’ll see you back here later tonight?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Shelby turned and left before they started talking about her again as if she wasn’t in the same room with them. As she left the front door of the mansion to climb into Daniel’s SUV, she was struck again by how bright the sun shone and how green and colorful everything was. Being in the dark so long was like being blind. When she could finally see again, she couldn’t seem to get enough.
Locked inside a mansion, no matter how beautiful, was not where she wanted to be. If Daniel was going to be her bodyguard, he’d have to get used to following her around or be left behind.
Daniel drove the SUV down the driveway and out onto the highway heading toward Beth City, wondering what the hell he’d done by agreeing to watch over the independent, young Shelby O’Hara. He’d have his hands full keeping up with her.
“I’ll take you to the university and then we head back to the Winston Estate.”
“What if I’m not ready to go straight back?” she countered.
“I want to be back by dark. It’s hard enough watching out for bad guys in the daylight.”
He noted Shelby didn’t agree or disagree with his idea of heading right back to the estate where he could keep her in a defined area that was rigged with security cameras.
Out in the open, he had no way of knowing who might hit and when. His hands gripped the steering wheel as he navigated Raleigh traffic and finally made it out to the highway leading east to Beth City. He checked his rearview mirror periodically to make certain they weren’t being followed. So far, so good.
Shelby pressed a button and lowered the window, letting the breeze blow through the car. She leaned her head toward the wind, her dark hair flying out behind her, her blue eyes gleaming in the sunlight.
Daniel could imagine Kate looking like this when she’d been the same age. He could see why the young Patrick O’Hara had fallen for her. Too bad their affair had gone so wrong. Both had been too young, too impetuous.
He’d seen the anguish in Kate’s eyes when she’d learned her daughter hadn’t died, but had lived to die before she got to meet her. No one could fake that. To have missed knowing your child, missed watching her grow up, her first steps, her first day at school, her first crush on a boy…
Daniel’s mother had celebrated all his and his siblings’ firsts, loving every minute of their lives and loving them unconditionally.
Had Kate’s mother been that cruel, to tell her that her child had died? Why would she do that?
“Do you mind if I play some music?” Shelby asked.
Daniel shook his head. “Have at it.”
She fiddled with the tuner until she found an oldies station.
“Really?”
