Chapter Twenty-Seven
Dawn
The smell of coffee drifts through the air, rich and warm, pulling me from sleep. For the first time in over a month, I feel rested. The tension that’s lived in my body for so long—coiled tight in my shoulders, behind my ribs—is gone.
Luke won. It’s over.
I blink slowly, rolling over and reaching blindly for my phone on the nightstand. I expect a text from him. Something short, teasing, maybe. Governor Carter, reporting for duty. But there’s nothing.
My brows pull together.
I sit up, rubbing my face before unlocking my phone, scrolling through my notifications. There’s nothing from him last night or this morning. It’s odd, but not alarming. He probably got pulled into meetings, dealing with whatever comes next for a new governor.
Still, I pause a moment before pulling up his contact and pressing call.
Straight to voicemail.
I lower the phone, staring at the screen, confused. I’ll try again later.
I climb out of bed and follow the scent of coffee into the kitchen. Nikolai is already there, standing by the counter, pouring himself a mug. His sleeves are pushed up, his hair neatly combed and gelled, ready for the day.
Cassidy is sitting at the kitchen island, nursing her own cup. She looks relaxed, but when she sees me, she gives a smile and opens her arms. “C’mere, governor’s sister.”
I roll my eyes, stepping into her hug and letting the warmth of it engulf me. “You heading out?” I ask as I step back.
Cassidy nods, stretching. “Yeah. Thanks for letting me crash.” She looks at Nikolai and smiles. “Take care of my girl, Blackthorn.”
Nikolai lifts his cup with an unreadable expression. “I will.”
Cassidy turns back to me with an easy look on her face. “Text me later?”
I nod, watching her grab her bag and head out the door.
The kitchen falls into quiet. I grab a mug from the cabinet, pouring myself a cup of coffee. Nikolai doesn’t say anything, but I feel his eyes on me as I add cream and stir.
Finally, he speaks. “You sleep okay?”
I lift the mug, blowing lightly at the steam before answering. “Yeah. First time in a while.”
He just nods, lifting his own cup to his lips, like he’s still waking up. Not tense—just tired. A silence stretches between us, weighted with something I can’t place. Finally, he sets his cup down. “I should head in.”
I glance up. “To work?”
He nods. “Yeah. There’s always a lot to do after any type of election.” His voice is even, but it’s the vagueness in his words that makes me think something is off with him. Still, I don’t press.
Instead, I just nod. “Alright. I’ll see you later.”
The kitchen is quiet as he watches me. There’s something in his expression, like he’s debating saying something.
I tilt my head slightly. “What?”
Instead of answering, he steps closer. The warmth of his body presses near mine as his hand slides along my jaw, tilting my face up to him. Slow. Unrushed. His lips brush against mine—soft at first, then deeper, lingering. Like a promise.
When he pulls back, he studies me for another moment, his thumb dragging lightly across my cheek. “See you later, Dawn.”
Then he steps away, grabbing his keys from the counter. I watch as he leaves, the door clicking shut behind him. For a long moment I just stand there, fingers curling around my coffee mug. The house feels different without him in it.
I lean against the counter taking another sip of coffee, scrolling through my phone.
Still nothing from Luke.
I frown, tapping my fingers against the mug. He’s most likely caught up in everything that’s required on day one of his new position. His campaign team must be pulling him in a hundred different directions. I give a slight smile at the thought of how hard he worked to get here.
I check the time. Almost ten. He’ll text me soon.
I head into the living room and throw myself onto the couch, flipping the TV on, expecting to see him plastered all over the news.
But he’s not.
I sit up straighter as if to get a better look at the screen.
My brows pull together as the morning news cycle drones on.
They aren’t talking about the election at all.
No analysis. No discussions about voter turnout.
No breakdown of key districts. Instead, the news anchors are talking about other things.
A warehouse fire in San Diego. A new development in a celebrity divorce case.
Nothing about Luke.
I lean forward slightly, gripping my mug a little tighter.
That’s… weird.
I grab the remote and flip through a few more news channels, scanning the headlines. It’s all the same. I frown, my stomach twisting slightly. The election was last night. There should be round-the-clock coverage, interviews, breakdowns of what this means for California. But there’s nothing at all.
I pick up my phone again and open Luke’s campaign website, but I pause as I look through it. Something is off.
The homepage is the same, but there’s nothing new. No victory statement. No schedule updates.
I scroll a little further.
Nothing.
I click through the tabs, my stomach dipping slightly. The site hasn’t been updated since before the election was called. That’s not right. Luke’s team was on top of this kind of thing. Last night, his site should’ve flipped over to reflect his new title: Governor-Elect Luke Carter.
But it hasn’t.
I exhale slowly, brushing my thumb over the screen. It’s probably just a delay. Maybe his team is waiting to make the transition official.
I type in his official government website—the one that should’ve populated last night.
Error 404: Page not found.
I blink and try again.
Same thing.
A small, nagging feeling tugs at the back of my mind, but I shake it off and go to my contacts, scrolling until I reach his name, and try calling again.
Voicemail.
I lower the phone, thinking. Well, if he’s got meetings all day, his phone is probably off. So, I call his assistant, Andrea.
Voicemail.
I try calling his campaign office.
Nothing.
The nagging feeling tightens slightly. I drum my fingers against the counter, trying to rationalize it. They’re probably all swamped. He just won an election. There are a million things happening at once.
It’s just… weird.
I call his campaign office one more time.
Finally, someone picks up. “Hello?”
Relief flickers through me. “Hey, it’s Dawn. Is Luke around?”
A pause.
A hesitation.
“He’s unavailable.”
I tilt my head. “Okay… do you know when he will be available?”
Another pause.
“No, ma’am.”
I roll my lips together, pressing the phone a little closer to my ear. “Alright. Well, just tell him I called, please.”
The person on the other end agrees, then hangs up a little too fast.
I set my phone down slowly. The pestering feeling in my chest doesn’t go away.
But it’s fine.
It’s fine.
I try to convince myself, but my pulse is starting to kick up. The news isn’t covering him, his campaign site isn’t updated, his official page is gone, no one is answering their phones, and the person who did sounded off.
I rub my fingers over my temples, trying to shake the tension building at the base of my skull. I need to move. I need answers.
I quickly run upstairs to get dressed for the day, then back down to grab my bag. I slide my phone inside of it and down the rest of my now-cold coffee. I don’t know what I’m looking for, but I know I have to find it.
Blackthorn Inc.
The thought comes automatically. Nikolai might not have said much this morning, but if anyone can find out what’s happening, it’s him.
I pull my jacket on, grab my keys and head for the door.