Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 40662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 203(@200wpm)___ 163(@250wpm)___ 136(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 203(@200wpm)___ 163(@250wpm)___ 136(@300wpm)
I whirl on him. “You’re fucking fired. Go pack your shit.”
He stares. “Sir, I—”
“Mason, if you say one more thing, I swear to fucking shit I will make sure you don’t land in some cozy fucking lobbyist job after all this is over. Do you hear me?”
He hesitates but nods, looking resigned.
“Good. Now get the fuck out.”
He leaves without another word. I’m left alone in my residence, staring at the wall, trying not to tear it to pieces.
That fucking asshole Linda Torres. She thinks I’m taking advantage of Maggie, that I’m doing something horrible. Really, we have a real relationship, as strange as it might be.
But no, I’m the fucking President. I don’t deserve an ounce of happiness, not in this miserable life.
I ball my fists and slowly relax them.
I made a mistake. I can admit it. I should’ve done this sooner.
Ramirez looks up as I open the door. “Get Charles,” I say.
He nods and leaves without a word. I storm back into my residence and finish my fucking coffee.
Charles comes up a few minutes later. He looks angry. “You fired Mason? You can’t just—”
“Charles,” I say coldly, staring at him. “If you don’t shut your mouth and sit down right now, you’re next.”
He hesitates, clearly taken off guard. “Adam—”
“Sit the fuck down.”
He stands there, clearly annoyed, but does as I ask. He sits and glares at me.
“In all my years—”
“Fire everyone,” I tell him.
He stares.
“Fire every single Secret Service agent on my detail, except those that weren’t with me last night and Ramirez. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” he says.
“I’m cleaning house, Charles. More cabinet members are next.”
“Why?” he asks, exasperated. “They didn’t leak—”
“They haven’t done shit,” I snap at him, “I hired these people to do something worthwhile, but it’s just been more of the same. We’re starting over, Charles. And this time, we’re bringing in people that’ll make a difference.”
He doesn’t say anything at first. We sit there, staring at each other. I know the old Marine is trying to decide whether he wants to support this or not.
I don’t need him. I don’t care.
I have Maggie. And I’m the fucking President.
Finally, he takes a deep breath.
“Start with Susie,” he says.
I blink, surprised. “My secretary?”
“Never trusted her. We’ll fire the agents discreetly over a few days.”
“Okay,” I say, nodding.
He looks grim. “As for the others, well… let’s find replacements before heads roll.”
“Get on it.”
“I will.” He hesitates. “Are you sure about this, Adam? All for a girl?”
“No, Charles. Not for a girl.” I stand up. “For the fucking country.”
He sighs. “You’re so melodramatic.”
I grin at him, shrug a little. “I know. Kills on TV, though.”
“Sure does.” He gets up, grumbling to himself. “I’ll get on all this.”
“Good.”
He nods and leaves.
I stand there, staring out, down the long hallway.
I’m staring at the wreckage of my presidency.
I can see it hanging in the balance. One wrong move and we’re finished. Linda Torres can bring it all crashing down.
I made a mistake. I never should’ve gone to see Maggie last night. I should’ve been safer, more discreet.
But it doesn’t matter now. I did what I did because I’m an idiot.
She said it herself though. We have a chance to make a real difference. I can’t risk that.
I need to be better, be stronger. I need to figure my shit out.
And Maggie is a distraction.
The thought kills me. Breaks me.
I can’t be weak now. I’m the fucking President.
I take a deep breath and let it out.
Time to get to work.
17
Maggie
It’s like a bomb went off in the White House.
Everyone’s traumatized. It’s like they’re still recovering, limping around, jumping at every noise. People are on edge.
All because the President is cleaning house.
He didn’t do anything halfway. One day, we were all buzzing along like normal, and the next, heads were rolling.
It started with senior staff, but it wasn’t exclusive to them.
He fired his secretary. Half his security detail. His personal chef.
And policy people. Half our department, wiped out, with no replacements in sight.
Iris survived, fortunately.
“What do you think?” she asks me.
We’re sitting in the office, staring at the empty desks. “Spooky,” I admit.
“Scary, really.” She makes a face. “I almost wish I were next. I hate this.”
“I know,” I say, sighing.
I don’t understand what Adam is thinking. The press is talking about nothing but all these changes in the executive branch, and they’re not saying anything good. Nobody is even mentioning healthcare anymore.
Maybe that’s what he wanted. Distract from the negativity, sneak through reform.
But that can’t be right. Adam has to know that would never really work, and there’s too much at stake not to do it right.
Iris keeps talking about how we’re working in a graveyard, and I can’t act like she’s wrong. It really is a graveyard, and I think I’d probably quit if it weren’t for my attachment to the President.
Although he hasn’t spoken to me or looked in my direction or acted like we’ve ever known each other past a professional setting.