Trusting Danger (Danger, #2)(51)

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.”