9781631054631ChoiceAffairsSalisbury (19 page)

“My God, this is
incredible, Caitlyn. The view is breathtaking!”

“Just wait until
it’s
dark. Then, you’ll really see something
amazing.”

She sat down on the
couch, making herself comfortable. “So, what’s with the suits Jacob’s talking
to?
And don’t tell me ‘nothing,’ because I know a fed
when I see one.”

“I’ll let Apolo
enlighten you. I don’t want to say anything I’m not supposed to. Would you like
a glass of wine?
Or something
stronger?”

“You know what I’d
really like?
A beer and pizza.
I
know you’ve
probably planned this really nice meal, but I haven’t had a pizza or an ice
cold beer since you left.”

“Well, Apolo’s got
beer. Enough to get us started, anyway. And we could order a pizza. If that’s
what you really want to do.”

“It is.
Just yo
u and
me.
Not that I don’t like your husband. That’s just taking a
little getting used to, you know.”

I giggled. “Yeah, I
know. I’m still getting used to it myself.”

“Yeah, he’s intense.
By the way, what’s up with your mother?”

“Oh
my God, Izzie.
Mother is
a book all by herself,” I replied, heading
toward the kitchen. “Come on, let’s grab a beer and decide what sort of pizza
we want. Then, I’ll tell you all about her antics.”

“That
good, huh?”

“Oh, I’d say it’s at
least a three beer story.”

“Susan’s been a
busy girl?”

“Susan’s been a very
naughty, interfering girl.” I opened the refrigerator and pulled out two beers.
I noticed she’d found a pizza delivery menu and was pouring over it. I handed
her a bottle. “Decide what you want?”

“Yeah, let’s get the
usual.”

“Okay. Use the
landline when you order. I’m going to let Jacob know so he won’t freak if a
pizza comes.”

“Jeez,
Caitlyn.
Things must be bad.”

“Not bad. Not really.
Just some things have been going on. Not so good things that Tom is involved
in.”

“S
ay no more,” she replied, rolling her eyes.

I walked back into the
living room and rang Jacob. I knew discussing my mother and her escapades
wouldn’t be a problem with him. I’d just let Apolo handle the rest.
Unless the feds wanted to talk with me.
Then, I
’d
have to enlighten Izzie…and quick.

Izzie reappeared, two
more beers in her hand. “Pizza ordered.
Should be here shortly.
My treat.”
She handed me a beer. I set it down on
the table, next to my not-quite-finished first one.

“Um,
no.
Jacob will take care
of it. But thanks. Things just
flow a little differently around here these days, Iz.”

“I bet. So….” She sat
back down on one of the chairs. “Tell me about your mother, and what she’s been
up to lately.”

“Oh, where shall I
start? Did you know my mother leak
ed it to the press
in Dublin that Apolo and I are expecting a baby? Or that she’s gotten real cozy
with some senator who detests Apolo. The man is paying for a suite at the
Watergate for her. Oh, and this slime bag also is cozy with Apolo’s
ex-girlfriend.
You know—the one who all of a sudden
wants him back?”

“Talk about Peyton
Place! The woman’s a trip, Caiti.”

“That’s not all of it.
I went to meet two women from a charity. Guess who was having lunch there
together?”

“No! Not your mother
and
Apolo’s
ex!”

“Y
ep.
Still not
completely sure how that came to pass, but I think we finally got our point
across with her.”

“Damn, I hope so.
She’s really got balls.”

“Now
this with her announcing some fabrication about me being pregnant.
Do you know she even had my father
going with it? Poor man called to congratulate us.”

“That woman needs
something. What, I’m not sure, but she’s a piece of work.”

“Hopefully, she won’t
bother us this weekend. She seems to have quieted down since she was
called out on her pregnancy farce.”

“So, can you tell me
about the suits? What’s going on?”

“I’ll leave that to
Apolo to share.”

The smell of pizza and
a deep voice, invaded our space. “Let Apolo share what?”

“Apolo,
you sly devil.
You steal Caitlyn and br
ing her to the land of dirty
bedfellows.
Shame on you!”
Izzie loved to tease him, had since
they first met. Thank goodness, he didn’t mind.

He brought the box
over and placed it on the coffee table. He glanced at us both, leaning over and
kissing me first.
“Pizza?
I thought you went out to get things to
cook?”

“I did. Izzie wanted
pizza so that we could talk instead.”

He sighed, shaking his
head. He removed his suit jacket and laid it over one of the chairs while he
walked over and poured himself a glass of
whiskey. I
knew what he was thinking. If Iz and I had discussed it before she left, I
wouldn’t have had to go out.
Thus,
no accosting by brothers.
“Have you brought Izzie up to speed on
what’s been going on around here?” he asked taking a sip of his drink
.

“Only
about my mother.
I thought I’d leave the rest to you to tell.”

“Yeah,” Izzie chimed
in. “What’s with all the suits, Apolo? I know you’re a big cheese now Jacob was
obviously speaking with FBI or something.”

Apolo sat down across
from us and took a
long pull off his whiskey, almost
downing the glass. He told Izzie pretty much everything that had happened to me
with Tom and Anthony. I could see the look of concern on his face. We hadn’t
had any time together since it’d happened.

Izzie’s eyes grew wide
in disbelief. “This is some stuff. I knew Tom has always
been shady. We’ve all known it.
But
Anthony?”

“Yes, I’m afraid so.
I’ve been having him watched for a while now. Something about when he opened
his restaurant never smelled right, if you’ll forgive
the
pun. The people he was hanging out with. His answers never added up.”

Just then Jacob and
two men appeared off the elevator. Apolo rose and, taking his drink, went to
meet them. “Ladies, if you’ll excuse me. I need to speak with these gentlemen.
We’ll
use my office. Enjoy your pizza.”

Izzie and I watched
the foursome disappear from sight.

“Damn, Caiti. This is
like all James Bond-y.”

“Welcome to the world
of Senator Apolo Choice, Izzie.”

* * * *

Apolo

The first thing I
wanted to do of course when
Jacob called me and
informed me of Caitlyn’s encounter with our siblings was to go home. That,
unfortunately, wasn’t possible. Things were different now. Unless she’d been
kidnapped, I couldn’t leave my responsibilities. Truth was
,
it came damn close to it
. Lucky,
Jacob was around, watching over her.

Now, however, we’ve
had to involve the feds. Something I really preferred not to do, but I wasn’t a
private citizen now. I was a senator and my life was not my own in a lot of
details. Like this one.

Jacob told
me what our brothers wanted me to do. If those bumbling
idiots think for one minute I’m going to let them rob me blind along with
threaten my wife…they’ve got a lot to learn about Apolo Choice.

“Caitlyn goes nowhere
without security. I don’t care what she
says or where
she’s going,” I barked at Jacob and the two agents in my office. “Do we have
enough to pick the three musketeers up? We know what they’re up to. There’s
proof that they’ve been trying to hack into my mainframe in Atlanta.
They all but kidnap
ped Caitlyn today.
Threatened her.
How much more do they have to do?”

“We’re working on
warrants right now, Senator Choice. Your wife’s brother as well as your own
will be picked up as soon as we find them.
Your employee, Don Turner?
He’s another matter. A
s soon as we get the green light, he’ll be picked up. He’ll
think he’s going in for interrogation about something entirely different. Once
we have him, we’ll reveal a little more.”

I finished off the
whiskey I’d poured and set the glass down on my desk. “T
his ends now, gentlemen.” Oh, how I hate dealing with bureaucrats like
these two. They’d soon learn I was no idiot to be toyed with. I know what’s
going on, and I’ve had enough. Too much bad, unsavory stuff has happened. They
need to do their jobs and arre
st all the offending
parties.

“Senator Choice…”

“Damn it! I said it
ends now! We were lucky this time. Jacob was tailing her. Next time, they might
actually take her. But there won’t be a next time. I won’t allow anyone to harm
my wife.”

I wouldn’t, either
. Caitlyn was far too precious to me. I couldn’t—no,
wouldn’t—allow a bunch of bungling agents slip up and make a mistake. That was
part of the reason I hadn’t gone to the authorities in the first place. They
mean well, are well trained and all, but someti
mes in
their enthusiasm…

Finally, everything
coordinated and in place, the men left. Jacob saw them to the elevator, while I
remained behind in my study. I poured another glass of whiskey and walked over
to the windows to look out at the city. Dusk was qui
ckly
engulfing her. I quietly wondered where my traitor of a brother was hiding.

Taking a good stiff
drink, I waited on Jacob to return. I wanted to make sure everything for
Izzie’s visit was meticulously coordinated. I didn’t want the ladies to feel
like
they were in a fishbowl, but they couldn’t be
allowed to roam the streets by themselves.

Jacob finally
re-entered, carrying a handful of papers. Saying nothing, he passed them to me.
I quickly scanned them, looking at Jacob in disbelief.

“I told you I susp
ected something odd, Apolo. Now, we have proof.”

“This situation needs
to be contained.
Now.
Do you think the two are related?”

“I do. What do you
suggest? I can send him with the two going on the pre-visit location scout for
your trip in two weeks. That’l
l keep him away from
here and Atlanta for a few days. And it’s something he’s indicated he wanted to
learn.”

“Do it. Have the other
two brought up to speed so they can monitor his actions.
Christ, Jacob, what else?”

“It’s already done,
Apolo.”

“We can’t ri
sk him coming here. It’s obvious he’s using Izzie to get
his foot in the door.
Has been
since around the time of Caitlyn’s and my wedding.”

“Yes, I know.”

“What do you mean you
know? Do you mean you’ve known about this and haven’t said anything to me?”

“Yo
u’ve got more important things going on, Apolo. He’s
nothing I can’t handle.”