Chapter 40
“She’s clean,” Joran reported over dinner that night, walking into the dining room and tossing a file folder onto the table beside Tasha.
“What’s this?” Tasha asked, lifting the report with her left hand since Khal still held her right hand under the table. She was unwilling to relinquish his fingers, needing the connection to this man.
“It’s the background check from our security office and several comments from people I know in the special forces community. I know a guy who used to be a US Delta Forces guy who now runs a private security firm. He looked into Marsha Fitzimmons’ background.”
“Marsha Fitzimmons is the woman running against Nathan King for his senate seat?”
“Exactly,” Joran replied, lifting his glass of wine and taking a sip. “So far, she hasn’t accepted any campaign donations from corporations, but she’s about fifteen points behind in the polls. She’s going to lose against King.” He set the wine glass on the table just as Raj walked in with Marianna. They sat down as well.
“That’s probably why King is here in Lativa. He doesn’t consider Fitzimmons a threat. So he doesn’t have to campaign as hard. He can almost coast until the election in the fall.”
“He’s disgusting,” Marianna quipped, starting to pour herself a glass of wine. Raj deftly plucked the bottle of wine from her grasp, ignoring their sister’s sigh of frustration, and handed the wine to the servant hovering nearby.
Undeterred, Marianna looked over at Tasha. “So, are you going to release the videos?”
Tasha looked at Khal. “What do you think I should do?”
He shrugged. “It’s up to you. No matter what, I’ll support you.
“You could release them anonymously,” Joran suggested. “In fact,” he looked around at his brothers, “I suspect that we could hire a publicity company to release the videos. And we have a bunch of reporters who are always keen on a good scoop. I’m sure that they’d love to rock the current election cycle with such a juicy story.”
Marianna turned to Tasha. “Are the videos really that blatant?”
Tasha nodded, sipping her wine and leaning slightly as the waiters brought in the first course of the meal. “They show Nathan talking about some pretty bad stuff. And all of his conversations can be traced back to illegal activity.”
Marianna’s eyebrows furrowed. “Then I think it’s not just a question of if, but when, you release the videos. The public has a right to know.”
Tasha stared at her soup, those words ringing in her ears.
Raj’s next comment startled her. Very softly, he asked, “Didn’t you want to make the world a better place, Tasha?”
That was it. Those were the words she needed to hear, and she hadn’t even realized that she was waiting for them.
Lifting her head, she looked over at Khal. “You’re right. That’s exactly what I want to do. I want to make things better.” She squeezed her husband’s hand. “I wouldn’t have had the courage to release the videos without you.” She looked at the others. “All of you.” She smiled and felt a bit teary. “Thank you. Your support is invaluable.”
They all lifted their wine glasses in the air, except for Marianna, who raised her water glass. “Thank you, Tasha,” Raj replied. “It’s because of you that we’re all here tonight. You’ve brought us together as a family. We owe you…”
“Everything,” Joran finished.
Tasha blinked back tears and smiled around the table. “Thank you!” she whispered, overwhelmed with emotions. A year ago, she hadn’t felt anything. Now, she couldn’t seem to stop feeling. Love, gratitude, affection, and…yes, even irritation and anger. She looked over at Khal, loving him more now than she’d ever thought possible.