Returning from the jail, Claire had just set her purse on the kitchen counter when her father called her up to his office. Although he should have been at his office on Capitol Hill, he’d been working from home part-time since Claire had been staying with them.

He was seated on a tufted leather sofa watching his big-screen TV when she entered the spacious room. Taking a seat next to him, she turned her attention toward the screen.

The female anchor was discussing the Parker family’s relationship with Gabe as a photo of Claire appeared on the screen behind her. A quick interview by phone with a friend of Gabe Rogers revealed that Gabe had been about to propose to Claire, and her photo was replaced onscreen by one of her father. As the reporter segued from the rumored engagement to speculation about potential implications for Senator Thomas Parker’s re-election campaign, Claire closed her eyes for a moment.

I knew it was too good to last. All this time she’d been focused on doing her part to help her father’s image, and now look. Her involvement with Gabe had done all kinds of damage. How ironic was that?

Her father clicked off the TV and turned to her. “How did your meeting go with Gabe?”

Claire shrugged. “Okay, I guess. He acted as if nothing had happened, and swore he had nothing to do with the kidnapping attempt.”

“I’m not surprised,” her father said, his expression fierce. “Con men are good at lying. To think we trusted that man with our money, with you . . .”

Shame burned through her as she met her father’s eyes. “I’m sorry about all of this.”

Thomas shook his head. “None of this is your fault, Claire. Your mother and I were equally fooled. Thank goodness you weren’t actually engaged yet.”

He wrapped an arm around her to give her a hug, and Claire laid her head against his shoulder. Affection from her dad was rare, but he’d been showing a lot of it since she’d returned home. It wasn’t that he didn’t care—her father had always expressed his love through his interest in what she did—but he wasn’t usually this demonstrative.

Maybe he was thinking the same thing she was. Life is fragile, a fleeting experience that should never be taken for granted. Feeling closer to her father than she had in ages, she wondered. Could she share some of her guilt about Jeremy’s death?

She looked up at him. “Gabe gave me a satellite phone to give you and Mother. It might be how they found us at the safe house.”

Her father listened but his expression didn’t change. Maybe he didn’t grasp what she was saying.

Needing him to understand, she pulled out of his embrace completely. “Don’t you see? I’m the reason Agent Cox was killed.”

Her father shook his head. “No, Claire. There were risks that came along with the agent’s job. He was well aware of them.”

Stunned, Claire stared at her father. How could he be so matter-of-fact, so cold?

“Dad, I got to know Jeremy—Agent Cox—pretty well. He told me all about his family. About his mom and—”

“Please, Claire,” her father said, interrupting her with a dismissive wave. “Don’t do this to yourself.”

It was written all over his face, the desire that she push things aside. He was good at that, and her mother was too, but Claire would never be able to forget what had happened. It would stay with her forever. Jeremy wasn’t coming back, and it was all her fault.

Her father frowned at her. “Are you all right?”

Blinking hard against the sting behind her eyes, she whispered, “Yes.”

“Agent Matthews visited me today.”

Surprised, Claire froze. Grayson had been by? But why? When she gave her father a quizzical look, he patted her knee and stood up.

“Protection is going to need to continue for you. At your place, if you want.” Looking down at her, he put on a stern face. “I don’t want you to argue.”

“I won’t.”

“Good. Agent Matthews said he’d be back shortly. You’re welcome to remain here, but I know you were looking forward to going home.”

Trying to get her thoughts under control, she returned her focus to her father. “I am. I’ll call Sheryl and ask her to drop Charlie off at home.”

Thank goodness. Her parents had never liked dogs—they’re too loud and make too much mess, her mother had said—so Claire couldn’t bring Charlie here. Fortunately, Sheryl had been able to keep him a little longer.

“When will you be returning to school?” her father asked.

Claire squeezed her hands together. “I have a meeting with my professor today.”

“Do you need me to speak with the dean about the time you’ve missed?”

She shook her head. “That’s all right.”

It was time to face the music with Professor Moore. Although Claire had apologized by email, Moore’s lack of response was an indication that Claire’s apology hadn’t been well received. Knowing she needed to make this right with her professor, Claire was determined to get a moment alone with Moore during their client meeting later in the day.

No matter how much she apologized, Claire’s status in Moore’s class was tenuous. Jeremy’s death had put everything into perspective, though. Life was what mattered, not her grades in law school.

At a knock on the door frame, she and her father turned around. Peter Cooley and Nick Papadakos, her father’s chief of staff and press secretary, stood in the doorway.

Peter held up a hand in greeting. “Eva let us in.”

“I didn’t realize she was home,” Thomas said.

Nick’s gaze swept over Claire’s body. “So happy that you’re safe, Claire.”

“Thank you.”

She averted her gaze from Nick’s. What was it about the man that always made her skin crawl? His Mediterranean good looks turned a lot of female heads, but already she wanted to flee.

“Ditto,” Peter said.

He came forward with open arms, and Claire went into his embrace.

“Thanks, Uncle Peter,” she said, reverting to what she’d called him when she was young.

She pulled back from the hug and looked up at him. In the years she’d known Peter—and he’d worked with her father for nearly two decades—his steel-gray hair had never been longer than a short brush cut. The wire-rimmed glasses he wore over sharp blue eyes gave him a serious, studious appearance, softened by the affectionate smile he was now giving her.

“I’ll let the three of you speak in private,” she said.

“Wait a second,” Peter said as he released her. “What we’re here about concerns you too.” Turning toward her father, he said, “We need to release information to the media about the kidnapping attempt.”

Thomas’s face reddened. “Absolutely not.”

“Are you going to make me spell it out? Fine, I will. As it was, this race was close. Your poll numbers have dropped like a stone this week. We’re going to need help counteracting Claire’s link to Gabe.”

Claire cringed as she listened.

Thomas nodded toward her. “Claire was a victim too. People will see that.”

“I don’t agree. Not everyone will.”

Nick stepped forward. “Don’t forget that I invested with him too. A lot of our staffers did, but that’s not the point. If Claire does an interview, we might have a chance at turning things around. Maybe even drum up some sympathy.”

Thomas’s expression drew into a frown. “I am not using my daughter for sympathy votes.”

“If you don’t listen to us, we’re in big trouble,” Peter said.

Thomas waved a hand dismissively. “I’ll do a press conference.”

Peter scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. “We’re telling you, there needs to be a sit-down interview with Claire.”

Not wanting the situation to get more heated, Claire squeezed her father’s arm. “It’s all right, Dad. I can do the interview.”

Thomas met her gaze and frowned.

“Really. I don’t mind.” If she were proactive, did something to turn this horrible situation around, maybe it would lessen some of the guilt she was feeling.

Thomas’s mouth twisted as he considered her proposal, but his advisors were right. Her father’s campaign was in trouble.

Seven years ago, when Thomas had been a freshman US senator, he’d proposed a bill in support of better medical care for veterans. Although the legislation had been well-meaning, it had inadvertently resulted in the shutdown of a Boston medical clinic.

The media had covered the clinic’s closure in depth. They’d interviewed former patients, who’d discussed the hardship of the closure, as well as staff members who’d lost their jobs. By the time funds had been appropriated to reopen the clinic, the damage was already done. Now Thomas’s opposition was dredging up the bad press, even thought it was old news, and using it against him.

Claire’s political views tended to differ from her father’s, but his heart was in the right place and he genuinely cared about his constituents. She would do whatever she could to help him win the election.

But she and the men didn’t have to argue the point any further. Thomas relented and agreed to Claire doing the interview as long as he participated with her. She gave her father a hug and then excused herself.

“Come back to the house for dinner this weekend,” he said as she walked out the door.

“I will.” She said good-bye to Peter and Nick and closed the office door to give them some privacy before she went to look for her mother.

* * *

Eva was in the kitchen when Claire went downstairs, looking as put together as ever with her perfectly cut blond bob and Chanel dress. She was reading something on her iPad as Claire entered the kitchen, and set it down onto the counter.

“Everything all right up there? Things sounded kind of heated.”

“Everything’s fine.” Claire explained the plan to do a press conference, and her mother nodded.

“Good. We don’t want the stink of this on us.”

Claire stiffened. “It’s on us no matter what, Mother. I dated Gabe for a year.”

“We were victims too. I’m just thankful your father didn’t invest any more than he did.”

Is that all she cares about?

Claire let out a slow breath. “I feel awful about it. I played a role in Gabe recruiting those investors.” Her voice cracked as she added, “And Agent Cox was killed because of me.”

Her mother pursed her lips. “There was no way for you to have known what would happen.”

“Agent Cox’s mother and brothers must be devastated. What are they going to do without him?”

Eva shrugged one slim shoulder. “At least he didn’t have a wife or children. Think of how much worse it would have been then.” She grabbed her purse. “I’m sorry, dear, but I have to go. Will you be okay?”

“Of course.”

Claire stared as the back door closed behind Eva. She was probably going to meet her friends at their country club.

It was so frustrating. Whenever Claire brought up Gabe or what had happened, her mother found a way to deflect the conversation. If it were up to Eva, they’d probably never discuss anything related to the situation again.

God only knew what Eva was telling her friends. Then again, they probably didn’t have the nerve to ask her directly. Knowing those women, Claire suspected the scandal was providing them a hot topic of conversation behind Eva’s back.

It was just like when her father had gotten so much bad press for the bill he’d written. Shortly afterward, her mother had been interviewed by a local reporter. The second the reporter had brought up the situation, Eva had excused herself.

Claire could still recall the look of shock on the reporter’s face as Eva had hurried from the room and didn’t return. She was incapable of dealing with embarrassing situations.

Claire pushed the memory aside as her phone rang. She pulled it from her purse and sucked in a breath as she caught sight of Grayson’s name.

“Has your father told you what’s going on?” he asked.

Claire willed her voice to sound normal. “He has.”

“Did he tell you we could stay at your condo?”

Her heart sang with relief. “Yes.”

“I’ll pick you up in fifteen minutes.”

* * *

Claire set the phone down with trembling fingers. What was the matter with her? She was acting like a schoolgirl. And were these butterflies in her stomach? She couldn’t remember ever having a similar reaction to a man. Even Gabe.

Realizing she didn’t have much time, she hurried upstairs to the guest room to gather her things and repack her suitcase to go home. She carried it downstairs and set it next to the front door, peeking out the window as she waited.

Despite her resolve to calm down, she felt a lightness in her chest at the sight of Grayson arriving. Even just walking up the steps, he exuded something. Confidence, yes, but something more.

Gabe’s demeanor had always bordered on arrogance. She’d made excuses for him, chalking up the way he’d sometimes acted to stress he was under. Deep down, though, she’d known it was something else. His job had held no meaning to him.

With Grayson, it was just the opposite. He took things to heart. There was a clear desire to do his job well and to keep people safe.

“How are you doing?” he asked when she opened the door. His sympathetic expression told her that he already had an idea.

“All right,” she lied.

He nodded and looked over her shoulder. “Will we be staying here, or would you rather go home?”

“I’d like to get back to my place, if that’s all right.”

His gaze returned to her face, piercing her with an intensity that made her shiver. “It’s fine. Your protection is being downgraded this time, so it will only be me, not a two-man team. And secrecy isn’t as critical as it was before. You’ll be able to go about your business, attend classes, whatever. Just with a bodyguard.”

“Good, because I have a client meeting this afternoon.”

As Grayson picked up her suitcase and they walked outside, Claire racked her brain for something neutral to discuss on the drive. The case brought up too much emotion, and she knew better than to bring up his mother. So she settled on Camden and Autumn.

After she and Grayson were seated inside his SUV, she said, “Autumn told me she doesn’t have any family. Is she an orphan?”

Grayson started the car before turning toward her. “She may as well have been. She was a teen when she left home with her brother. Then he left her with an outlaw biker club in New York.”

“You’re kidding me.”

“I’m not, unfortunately.” He glanced over his shoulder and pulled away from the curb. “She lived with the president of one of the chapters for five years. He was an abusive asshole. Treated her like property. She and Cam are still dealing with the fallout.” He explained the hit that they’d learned about.

Claire shook her head. It was hard to picture the petite, demure Autumn anywhere near a motorcycle club. “She and Camden are good for each other.”

“They are.” Grayson stared at the road ahead, his brow lowering into a frown. “I imagine it was a lot easier being with them than it is being with me.”

Claire pressed her lips together, hiding her smile. “Now that you mention it, it was.”

Grayson gave her a sidelong gaze. To her relief, he took her words for the joke she’d intended and grinned back.