clothes, tousled hair and slightly swollen lips. Despite not wanting to do so, he couldn't help smiling. Evidently Justin and Lorren had found a rather interesting way to pass the time while they had waited for him and Syneda to return.
Lorren's eyes sparkled with total happiness. “We're having another baby!”
“Lorren, that's wonderful! I'm so happy for the two of you.” Syneda threw her arms around Lorren, sharing her excitement.
Clayton couldn't help but roar in laughter. Now he had two pregnant sisters-in-law. Evidently his brothers had taken the good book's directive to be fruitful and replenish the earth rather seriously. “Somehow Lorren being pregnant again doesn't surprise me,” he said. “It really doesn't surprise me at all.”
Senator John Harris sat across the table from the other three men in the large conference room. They were all staring at him as if he'd lost his mind. He hated it whenever they stared at him like that.
Finally one of the men, Senator Carl Booker, spoke. “I think you're taking all of this too personal, John.”
“Because it is personal, Carl. Nedwyn Lansing and I have been at odds with each other since the first day we both arrived on Capitol Hill. The passage of that bill was important to me.”
Matthew Williams, the oldest senator in the group, spoke. “But it didn't pass, so I suggest you get over it. What you're proposing to do is crazy. I'm not all that fond of Lansing, none of us are, but I wouldn't deliberately do anything to destroy his political career.”
“That's why you and I are different, Mat. I would destroy his career in a minute if I had the right ammunition. All I'm proposing is to get someone to dig into his past, just in case something is there. No one can be that squeaky clean. Even George Washington had skeletons in his closet.”
“Forget it, John,” Senator Paul Dunlap said. “If the media hasn't uncovered any dirt on Lansing, then there isn't any to be found.”
The other men in the room nodded in full agreement.
Senator Harris fumed. “That's not necessarily true.” One by one he looked in the eyes of everyone at the table. “No one has found out about that twenty-two-year-old woman you've been two-timing your wife with for the past two years, Mat. Nor have they found out about your lovely teenage daughter's recent abortion, Paul. And last but not least, Carl, I really don't think anyone knows a thing about your son's drug addiction.”
Senator Harris's eyes crinkled at the corners at the surprised look on each of the men's faces. He had just stated information they all thought no one knew. “And don't insult my intelligence by denying any of it. I have everything I need to prove otherwise.”
“What do you want from us, Harris?” Dunlap asked in a voice with an edge to it. “It's getting late and I would like to make it home before midnight.”
“I want all three of you to back me on this. Ruining Lansing has to be a group effort. And another thing, he has too many close friends who happen to be Fortune 500 CEOs. I find it hard to believe he's never accepted any type of kickback from any of them.”
“I assume you're referring to Garwood Industries, Remington Oil, and Turner Broadcasting Corporation?” Carl said. “Everyone knows those three are loyal financial contributors to Lansing's campaign coffers.”
“Yes.”
“That can be explained,” Paul replied. “Lansing and old man Garwood were friends since Garwood Industries opened their first Texas branch office. And since his grandfather's death, Kyle Garwood has maintained a close relationship with Lansing.”
After taking a drink of water he continued, “As far as his association with S. T. Remington is concerned, it's my understanding they were roommates in college. And as for Ted Turner, they became good friends during the time Lansing was the mayor's assistant in Beaumont, Texas. He encouraged the school board to do an experiment using cable television as a teaching tool for elementary and secondary students. It was a project that proved to be very successful and got Turner Broadcasting much recognition.”
“Besides,” Mat contributed, “none of us can deny the fact that Lansing has done more for the interest of the oil and cattle industries than anyone in Congress. That's why he's always gotten such strong support from the oil companies and the cattlemen.”
Senator Harris slammed his hand down on the table. “There has to be something in his past that will drop his popularity with the voters,” he thundered. “And I plan on finding out what it is and destroying him the same way he destroyed my bill.”
Chapter 5
“Clayton and Syneda. I don't believe it.”
Justin Madaris shook his head as he whispered the words to his wife as she lay in his arms.
“They're the last two people likely to end up together. Who would have thought they would have stopped opposing each other long enough to get interested in each other,” he added.
Clayton and Syneda had retired to their separate bedrooms, and Justin and Lorren had made the sofa into an extra bed.
“I can't believe Clayton,” Lorren said tersely. A thundercloud of indignant frowns bunched her brows together. “The nerve of him hitting on Syneda.”
Justin rolled his eyes heavenward. “Aren't you getting a bit carried away?”
Lorren lifted her head to glare down at her husband. “If I am, I have every right to. I don't want Clayton and Syneda involved with each other.”
“Why?”
“He'll hurt her.”
“Have you ever considered letting Syneda handle her own love life, Lorren? She's a grown woman, you know. Besides, don't you think you're being a little too hard on Clayton?”
“No. I love Clayton dearly, but he's a man who loves women. Lots of them. And I don't want him adding my best friend to his flock. Having a constant supply of willing women has spoiled Clayton. I know just how he operates, and I don't want him operating on Syneda.”
Justin smiled. “Is that why you ignored his hints that we check into a hotel tonight?”
A satisfied glint appeared in Lorren's eyes. “You got that right. He was trying to get rid of us. As far as I'm concerned, we arrived right on time.”
Justin laughed, pulling Lorren closer into his arms. His eyes glowed with amusement. “Clayton didn't think so.”
“I'm sure he didn't. Especially when Syneda retired to her own bedroom.”
“What happens when we leave the day after tomorrow?”
“Hopefully by then you'll have talked Clayton out of this foolishness.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you.” Lorren looked at her husband with appealing eyes. “You have to do something. You're his older brother. He might listen to you.”
Justin laughed shortly and shrugged. “Lorren, I respect Clayton's privacy. Besides, it's none of my business and neither is it yours.”
“But
