Lethal Attraction: Against the Rules\Fatal Affair Read online

  “We have a proposition for you, Nick,” Judson said.

  Nick glanced at Graham and then at Sam. “What’s that?”

  “We’d like you to finish out John’s term,” Graham said.

  Nick almost choked on the bourbon. “What? Me?”

  Under the table, Sam grasped his arm.

  “Yes, you,” Judson said.

  “But you have any number of people better suited. What about Cooper?”

  “His wife was recently diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. He’ll be announcing his resignation from the legislature the day after tomorrow.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Nick said sincerely. “How about Main?”

  “He’s been carrying on with his son’s first grade teacher for years, and his wife filed for divorce yesterday. It’ll be hitting the papers any day now.”

  “The party’s having some troubles, Nick,” Manning drawled. “We need someone of your caliber to step in and get us through to next year’s election. We’re hoping Cooper’s wife will have recovered enough by then to free him up to run.”

  Nick couldn’t believe they were serious. He wasn’t the guy. He was the guy behind the guy. He named ten other Virginia Democrats he considered better suited to the job and was treated to a variety of disqualifying details about their personal lives that he could’ve lived without knowing. She’s expecting twins, he’s gay and in the closet—wants to stay there, he’s got financial problems, she’s caregiver to a mother with Alzheimer’s. It went on and on.

  “Listen, you guys,” Nick said when he had run out of names to float. “I appreciate you thinking of me…”

  “You struck a chord this morning,” Judson said. “With your talk of humble beginnings. The data is highly favorable—”

  “You’ve polled on me?” Nick asked, incredulous. “Already?”

  “Of course we have.” Richard seemed insulted that Nick even had to ask. “Most of Virginia and the rest of official Washington watched the funeral. You made quite an impression.” Richard directed a charming smile at Sam. “Between that and your very public relationship with the Sergeant—”

  “Don’t bring her into this,” Nick snapped. “She’s off limits.”

  Graham rested his forearms on the table and leaned in to address Nick. “You know how this works. Nothing’s off limits, especially your personal life. But the party is prepared to throw its support behind you if you want it. By this time tomorrow you can be a United States senator. All you have to do is tell us you want it, and we’ll make it happen.”

  “Your name recognition is off the charts right now,” Richard added. “Factor in youthful vitality, obvious political savvy, a well-known connection to the O’Connors and you’re a very attractive candidate, Nick. Governor Zorn thinks it’s a brilliant idea.”

  A United States senator. It boggled his mind. “I don’t know what to say…”

  “Say yes,” Judson urged.

  “It’s not that simple,” Nick said, thinking of Sam and their fledgling relationship. Could it handle the pressure that would come with a job like this on top of a job like hers? “I need to think about it.”

  “For how long?” Judson asked. “The governor is anxious to act.”

  “I need a couple of days.”

  “Two,” Judson said. “I can give you through Christmas, and then we’ll need to know.”

  “Why don’t you want it?” Nick asked, beginning to worry about Sam’s total silence and the sudden pallor gracing her cheeks.

  “Hell,” Judson said, “I’m too damned old to keep that kind of schedule. Richard is, too. We want to spend our spare time golfing and hanging out with the grandbabies. We need someone like you to get us through this transition. We’re asking for one year, Nick. Give us that, and for the rest of your life you’ll be known as Senator Cappuano.”

  The title sounded so preposterous, it was all Nick could do not to laugh.

  Judson and Richard got up to leave. Both shook hands with Graham.

  “Sorry again for your loss, Senator,” Judson said.

  To Nick, he added, “Let me know what you decide by the twenty-sixth.”

  Nick nodded and shook hands with them. When he heard the door click shut behind them, he turned to Graham and Sam.

  “What do you think, Nick?” Graham asked.

  “I’d like to know what Sam thinks.”

  “I, ah, I have no idea what to say.”

  He could tell by the wild look in her blue eyes that she was having a silent freak-out and decided to wait until they were alone to address it further with her.

  “You seriously think I can do this?” he said to Graham.

  “If I had any doubt, we wouldn’t be here.”

  Nick studied the other man for a long moment. “This was all your doing, wasn’t it?”

  Graham shrugged. “I might’ve suggested that the best man for the job was the one who knew John the best.”

  “I didn’t know John as well as I thought I did.”

  “You knew him as well as anyone.”

  Nick looked over at Sam, wishing he knew what she was thinking. No doubt the offer had shocked her just as much as it had shocked him. Standing, he offered his hand to Graham. “Thank you for the opportunity.”

  Graham held Nick’s hand between both of his. “I have nothing but the utmost faith in you, Nick Cappuano from Lowell, Massachusetts. I was so proud of you up there today. You’ve grown into one hell of a man.”

  “Thank you. That means a lot coming from you.”

  A knock on the door ended the moment between the two men.

  CHAPTER 37

  “I’ll get it,” Nick said. He strolled to the door, opened it and gasped at the face that greeted him. John’s face. Rendered speechless, Nick could only stare at the young man. He had a wild, unfocused look to him that put Nick on alert.

  “I’m Thomas O’Connor. I understand that my, um, grandfather is here?”

  Recovering, Nick said, “Yes. Please. Come in.”

  As he ushered the young man into the room, Nick experienced the same prickle of fear on the back of his neck that he’d felt once before—the day he walked into John’s apartment and found him dead. Sam, he noticed, had stood up and was watching Thomas’s every move as he approached Graham.

  “Who are you?” Thomas asked Nick.

  Surprised that Thomas didn’t seem to recognize him or Sam, he said, “I’m Nick Cappuano, your father’s chief of staff, and this is my girlfriend, Sam.” Nick met Sam’s steady gaze with one of his own, using his eyes to implore her to go along with him. Until they knew what Thomas wanted with Graham, he didn’t need to know she was a cop.

  “You’ve taken me by surprise,” Graham finally said as he sized up the grandson he hadn’t seen since the day he was born twenty years earlier.

  “I imagine I have.”

  “I thought we might see you and your mother at your father’s funeral,” Graham said.

  “She got tied up in Chicago and couldn’t make it,” Thomas said.

  Sam and Nick exchanged glances, and he knew she was picking up the same uneasy vibe.

  Thomas turned to them. “You two can take off. I came to see my grandfather.”

  “That’s all right,” Nick said, the tingle on his neck intensifying by the minute. “We’ve got nowhere to be.”

  Thomas pulled a gun from the inside pocket of his winter coat. Pointing it at Sam and Nick, he said, “Then take a seat and shut up.” He gestured to the sofa.

  “Thomas,” Nick said, taking a step toward him, “you don’t want to do this. What difference will it make now?”

  The younger man stared at him, his eyes even more wild and unfocused than they were when he first arrived. “Are you serious? What difference will it make? My grandfather ruined my mother’s life. He shipped her off like unwanted garbage to protect his political image.”

  Sam rested her hand on Nick’s arm to pull him back. Nodding her head, she signaled for him to take a sea