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that. You have your classified secrets. Senate staffers have theirs.”
    The hotel loomed in front of them.
    “Thanks for the walk, Christian. It did clear my head. I just may let your chief of security live now.”
    “Please do. You have no idea how hard it is to find a good man for the job who will put up with Lacey’s antics.”
    Stone shook his head. “If the threat against your boss is as real as Tucker says it is, Lacey may not survive too much longer anyway. His security is completely inadequate to face a real threat from a determined assassin.”
    Christian sighed. “I was afraid you’d say that. Just do your best. But I meant what I said before. Don’t die to save him.”
    “No matter how epic a jerk he is, my reputation in the security business would be ruined if I let a client die on my watch. I’ve got no choice but to do my best to protect him.”
    Christian didn’t actually wish ill upon his boss, and certainly not death. But it didn’t seem fair that a decent, upright, competent bodyguard should be put in this impossible position. He sighed. “Is there anything I can do to help you?”
    “Make sure he follows our instructions if we tell him to do something. I’m going to take advantage of the senator’s spa date to have a little conversation with Mr. Tucker. I don’t have time for any more of his hijinks. He and I need to get down to business and figure out exactly how we’re going to keep the client alive, with or without the senator’s cooperation.”
    “Yeah. Good luck with that,” Christian replied. “Jack’s more likely to do the opposite of what you say just to show that he doesn’t have to follow your orders.”
    “Duly noted.”
    “Will I see you at the five o’clock press conference the senator has scheduled?” Christian asked.
    “I’ll be at every public appearance the man makes from now on. You’re going to get sick of my face.”
    Christian highly doubted that. Stone Jackson had the kind of face he could look at a long damned time without the slightest hint of sickness. “Jack will go straight from the press conference to the mixer afterward. From there he’ll retire early. Likely not alone.”
    “I thought the wife was in Texas.”
    “She is.”
    “Ahh.”
    They traded knowing looks. Christian expected that in Stone’s line of work, he’d seen it all. Men cheating on their wives was probably kid stuff to him.
    Stone opened the door leading back to the lobby for him, and Christian stepped inside. As he passed close to Stone, he said, “Let me know how your talk with Tucker goes. I’ll do my best to run interference for you if he’s not on board with what you want to do.”
    “I can fight my own fights.”
    He got the feeling Stone’s words were habitual, more knee-jerk than thought-out response. “I’m sure you can,” he answered evenly. “But in Washington politics, it’s not a bad thing to have a few friends in your corner who can back you up. Trust me. You’re going to need that one of these days.”
    An eloquent eye roll was Stone’s only response.
    He’d done his best. He’d tried to warn the security agent what he was up against in trying to keep Jack Lacey alive. Frankly, he just hoped the would-be killer was an amateur lunatic without the wherewithal to plan and execute a decent attack. But something deep in his gut warned him that this time, the senator might not be so lucky. Which, in turn, made him worry for the dark and gorgeous security man walking away from him with a grim set to his jaw.

Chapter Four
     
     
    STONE stood just beyond the bright lights, scanning the crowd of reporters and cameramen. As press conferences went, this one reminded him of an awkward seventh-grade dance where everyone fidgeted around the edges of the gym and nobody actually wanted to be there. Apparently Jack Lacey’s political real estate was in more trouble than he’d realized. Particularly for a man rumored to be considering a run for president.
    Not