Chapter 33 #2
His father’s gaze lowered to the floor as if contemplating the question.
He’d only learned the truth about his wife, and so, maybe he had concerns, too.
But when his focus gathered to Knox’s face, a look of confidence returned in his eyes.
“No. She says she had no idea Glenn murdered those people and framed the Russians, and so, I believe her.”
“I know, and I believe her, too.” But . . . “People keep lying. People we trust. I feel like every time I turn around someone from the inside is betraying—”
“Don’t let the one percent dictate how you look at the rest.” He cocked his head. “Most people are good. Focus on that.” He patted his shoulder twice.
“If the truth comes out about Mom, what will happen?” He leaned against the wall. The area was empty save for Secret Service. They must’ve cleared the hall for his father’s visit.
“I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
“Dad, um, what are your thoughts about a group, like the one Mom was a part of?” Like mine? “Is it a risk, is it dangerous to even allow them to exist . . . operate off the books like that? People in power like Glenn, they—”
“Do you trust your buddies?” His forehead creased.
A touch of concern dipped into his eyes, but it was brief.
“Would they ever turn their backs on you? On this country?” His dad pinned him with a serious look, one he used to give him when he was a teen being lectured for doing something his dad had deemed irresponsible.
Knox straightened. “No, sir. They’re nothing like Glenn,” he said with conviction.
He extended a hand. “Then we’re good.”
We’re good? He took hold of his hand and performed the handshake his father taught him at a young age. Firm grip, confident demeanor, eye contact. And then his dad pulled him in for a hug.
He stayed out in the hall and took a few seconds to gather his thoughts after his dad went into Adriana’s room.
“I guess the president should’ve put your people in charge.” Rodriguez approached. “You planning on telling me where Aaron Todd is now?” His lips crooked at the edges.
“What made you finally shave your mustache?” he commented instead.
“Don’t deflect.”
But shit, he’d almost forgotten about Aaron. “What makes you think we know his location?”
“Someone had to have given you insight into that compound. Hell, the place was rigged with IEDs.”
So, it was true. “He’s at his neighbor Judy’s house. She lives across the street from him,” he admitted. “He had nothing to do with this.”
“My job is to protect Isaiah and Kathleen Bennett from all credible threats. Aaron’s not one of them.
But I still have no idea how you manage to color so far outside the lines without getting cuffs slapped on your wrists.
” He produced something from his pocket.
“But I have a feeling I’ll never find out.
” With that, he sidestepped Knox and entered the room.
Knox followed after him, curious what he was planning on saying to Adriana.
“I think you forgot something back in Atlanta.” Rodriguez stood firm in his suit. His shoulders pinned back in a straight line. He extended Adriana her commission book. “What do you say? You want your job back?”
Knox walked farther into the room, and Adriana’s eyes met his before lowering to the commission book.
“As long as I’m never assigned to protect the next POTUS.” Her eyes winged to Knox’s dad. “No offense, but I’m in love with your son, and that could pose some problems.”
He loved her so damn much. Always had.
His dad looked back at Knox and smiled. Not a politician smile. A real one. “Can’t have the son of a president jumping in front of a bullet for his detail, now can we?”
“You planning on getting shot at again, Dad?” Knox cocked a brow.
“Let’s hope not, but I do plan on winning.” His dad held his eyes for a beat. “And then after that, I’m thinking there might be something you and I have to talk about.”
Two days later
“This isn’t exactly what I had in mind when I said you should all fly under the radar for a while,” President Rydell said over the phone in the conference room the guys had hijacked at the hospital. But when the commander in chief requests the room, even from a distance, you give him the damn room.
“Not how we normally roll, sir,” A.J. responded.
“But nice work, gentlemen. I should’ve never doubted you for a second,” Rydell added.
“At what point did you doubt us?” Finn scoffed, and Chris tossed a paper airplane he’d made at his face from across the table.
“With Lyle having to choose a new VP candidate, and your mom announcing to the world she was once a spy, I have no idea what will happen come November,” Rydell said, ignoring Finn’s words.
“From what I’m hearing, the American people have reacted favorably to Kathleen’s announcement. They’re calling her a Cold War hero.” Harper thumbed through the updates on her phone. She’d been keeping up with the press’s feedback since his mom had shocked the world with the news about her past.
If the public had reacted negatively, he didn’t think his team would’ve had a chance at returning come 2021.
His mom had only spoken about herself, choosing to allow her fellow colleagues to come forward in their own time if they ever wanted to.
As for Glenn, his name had been tossed around by the media more times than Knox could count during the press conference yesterday, but his mom had refused to talk about him.
And what could she say?
Nina’s mom had been selling intel to the Russians, and she’d discovered the CIA was onto her—the Polaroids Nina finally handed over to the Feds had proven that. But Glenn appeared to have acted alone, killing them, assuming everyone would blame the Russians.
“Thank you for what you said about Aaron this morning, Mr. President,” A.J. spoke up a moment later.
“He deserved the apology,” Rydell responded in a deep voice. “He’d been victimized because he served, and no man should have his name dragged through the mud after protecting our nation like that. He won’t be forgotten, I promise.”
“Maybe Aaron will even work with us one of these days,” Luke said, glancing A.J.’s way.
Rydell nodded and was quiet before saying, “I’ve decided to make veterans my main focus once I’m out of the Oval Office. I want to change how they’re treated in our nation. More medical help, too. Better jobs. No vets should be sleeping on park benches, for God’s sake.”
“You tried to make a difference while in office, sir,” Luke reminded him.
“I’ll probably have a better shot once I’m not a politician, to be honest. I can start a foundation and—”
“I, uh, have a trust fund I’ve never touched,” Knox said, nearly forgetting about the seventy-five million dollars that’d been sitting in his account since he’d turned twenty-five.
He’d never cared about money, but that money could be used to help others.
“I’ll sign the trust over to the foundation. ”
Luke looked up at Knox. “I’ve got some money, too.”
“I don’t have much, but I’ll do what I can to help our people,” A.J. said.
The rest of the team nodded in agreement.
“No matter what happens come November, we stick together, okay?” Knox’s gaze journeyed around the table to view his entire team. Jessica had flown in and was next to Asher. And Bravo Two had joined via Skype.
“No matter what,” they repeated, and their words echoed throughout the room so loud they could probably be heard all the way in Washington.