surrender, backing away several steps.
“Far be it for me to spoil a wonderful meal.”
Jay regarded her intently. “What’s going on, sweetheart? Why were you so upset, and what did the commissioner want this early on a Sunday?”
“Have I told you how absolutely breathtaking you are?”
“Stop it, Kate. Changing the topic will not get you anywhere, and I’m not in the mood for your tricks. So give.”
“You win. Wendy’s story hit all the papers today. I was just having a nostalgic moment for my folks. That’s what had me upset.”
“Oh, honey.” Jay closed the distance between them, taking Kate in her arms. “I’m so sorry. I wish you hadn’t given her that kind of ammunition. I hate to see you in pain.”
“I just let my guard down for a second, sweetheart. I’m fine now.”
“What did the commissioner want?”
Lynn Ames
“He saw the stories and he was spitting mad at Wendy. Wanted to have her fired.”
“Uh-oh. How’d you get around that?”
“I told him just enough of the truth to mollify him.” At Jay’s raised eyebrow, she continued, “I told him there was something fishy going on that was much bigger than her, but I hadn’t figured all the angles yet.”
“Did he accept that?”
“He wanted to bust heads. I told him I wanted to handle it myself.
He’s giving me the room to do that, provided I let him know if I need anything.”
“Well, that’s good, right?”
“Sure is.”
Jay regarded her speculatively. “Honey?”
“Hmm?”
“I hate what all this is doing to you.” Kate tried to pull away, but Jay held her fast. “Just hear me out. You’re so stressed your jaw barely opens, you’re not sleeping well, you have to think three steps ahead of everything all the time. This is crazy.”
“I can handle it.”
“I’m not arguing whether or not you can handle it, baby. I’m just saying I wonder if this is all worth it.”
“What are you driving at?”
“You don’t need this. We don’t need this. You could walk away and be well out of it.”
Kate stiffened. “No.”
“Don’t you even want to think about it? Look at what this is doing to you.”
“No way. Jay, first of all, I like what I do. Second of all, I’ll be damned if I’m going to let these bastards, whoever they are, win. I won’t do it.”
Jay, sensing that her partner had her mind made up, relented. “Okay then. I’m with you, love. We’ll get through this together.”
“Thank you, Jay. Your support means everything to me.”
“ You mean everything to me, Katherine Ann Kyle. We’ll do whatever it takes. Let’s get the bastards.”
“That’s my girl.”
The Cost of Commitment
CHAPTER SIX
s soon as they were seated around the table in their usual Ameeting spot, DNC Chairman Hawthorne began. “Okay, gentlemen. Where are we?” He looked meaningfully around the table.
“So help you God if the news isn’t good.”
At the same time, the governor’s press secretary and the DOCS
executive deputy commissioner glared at Breathwaite.
“Well, David, it seems that all eyes are on you.”
“So it does.” Breathwaite barely glanced up from the notebook in which he was doodling.
“And?”
“I’m working on it, Bob.”
“We’re running out of time, and I’m running out of patience, you little—”
“Relax, Senator. I don’t see anyone else in this room stepping up to the plate.”
“You said you could handle it.” Vendetti pointed his finger at Breathwaite. “I’ve been busy trying to do damage control to keep Governor Charlie from derailing this train. Every goddamned time our boy has dinner with Kyle he comes out with some bold policy initiative that’s sure to draw fire. At this rate, I’ll never get to the White House.”
“Oh, stop your whining, pretty boy. My strategy is already in play.
It’s just a matter of time.”
“Time, you maggot, is a luxury we don’t have.”
Breathwaite’s ears began to turn red, the only visible sign of his
“Far be it for me to spoil a wonderful meal.”
Jay regarded her intently. “What’s going on, sweetheart? Why were you so upset, and what did the commissioner want this early on a Sunday?”
“Have I told you how absolutely breathtaking you are?”
“Stop it, Kate. Changing the topic will not get you anywhere, and I’m not in the mood for your tricks. So give.”
“You win. Wendy’s story hit all the papers today. I was just having a nostalgic moment for my folks. That’s what had me upset.”
“Oh, honey.” Jay closed the distance between them, taking Kate in her arms. “I’m so sorry. I wish you hadn’t given her that kind of ammunition. I hate to see you in pain.”
“I just let my guard down for a second, sweetheart. I’m fine now.”
“What did the commissioner want?”
Lynn Ames
“He saw the stories and he was spitting mad at Wendy. Wanted to have her fired.”
“Uh-oh. How’d you get around that?”
“I told him just enough of the truth to mollify him.” At Jay’s raised eyebrow, she continued, “I told him there was something fishy going on that was much bigger than her, but I hadn’t figured all the angles yet.”
“Did he accept that?”
“He wanted to bust heads. I told him I wanted to handle it myself.
He’s giving me the room to do that, provided I let him know if I need anything.”
“Well, that’s good, right?”
“Sure is.”
Jay regarded her speculatively. “Honey?”
“Hmm?”
“I hate what all this is doing to you.” Kate tried to pull away, but Jay held her fast. “Just hear me out. You’re so stressed your jaw barely opens, you’re not sleeping well, you have to think three steps ahead of everything all the time. This is crazy.”
“I can handle it.”
“I’m not arguing whether or not you can handle it, baby. I’m just saying I wonder if this is all worth it.”
“What are you driving at?”
“You don’t need this. We don’t need this. You could walk away and be well out of it.”
Kate stiffened. “No.”
“Don’t you even want to think about it? Look at what this is doing to you.”
“No way. Jay, first of all, I like what I do. Second of all, I’ll be damned if I’m going to let these bastards, whoever they are, win. I won’t do it.”
Jay, sensing that her partner had her mind made up, relented. “Okay then. I’m with you, love. We’ll get through this together.”
“Thank you, Jay. Your support means everything to me.”
“ You mean everything to me, Katherine Ann Kyle. We’ll do whatever it takes. Let’s get the bastards.”
“That’s my girl.”
The Cost of Commitment
CHAPTER SIX
s soon as they were seated around the table in their usual Ameeting spot, DNC Chairman Hawthorne began. “Okay, gentlemen. Where are we?” He looked meaningfully around the table.
“So help you God if the news isn’t good.”
At the same time, the governor’s press secretary and the DOCS
executive deputy commissioner glared at Breathwaite.
“Well, David, it seems that all eyes are on you.”
“So it does.” Breathwaite barely glanced up from the notebook in which he was doodling.
“And?”
“I’m working on it, Bob.”
“We’re running out of time, and I’m running out of patience, you little—”
“Relax, Senator. I don’t see anyone else in this room stepping up to the plate.”
“You said you could handle it.” Vendetti pointed his finger at Breathwaite. “I’ve been busy trying to do damage control to keep Governor Charlie from derailing this train. Every goddamned time our boy has dinner with Kyle he comes out with some bold policy initiative that’s sure to draw fire. At this rate, I’ll never get to the White House.”
“Oh, stop your whining, pretty boy. My strategy is already in play.
It’s just a matter of time.”
“Time, you maggot, is a luxury we don’t have.”
Breathwaite’s ears began to turn red, the only visible sign of his
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