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I grinned, thinking Coach would be proud to have his volleyball program highlighted on a national stage.

But Coach maintained his stony expression. “It’s interesting you came all the way here…with this being a swing state and all.”

Wait a minute—was he implying my choice of school was a
political
decision? I scrunched my forehead. Dad wouldn’t have manipulated me into choosing this university simply to win votes, would he? No, that didn’t sound like him. “But…my club coach in Houston—”

“Brian, Kara,” Coach interrupted. “Let’s talk to Secret Service. I don’t like the idea of them breathing down our necks every second.”

I watched them drop back to match stride with Allison and Frank. I turned around and clenched my teeth. Coach Holter hadn’t let me explain that my club coach Susie had been the one to recommend Highbanks. Susie had played for Coach Holter almost twenty years ago. “
He’s tough
,” she’d said. “
But he’s one of the best coaches in the country
.”

I sighed. I’d seen the tough part already. Still waiting to see the best part.

“Hey, Ramirez,” a friendly voice said, and I turned to find a welcoming smile. “I’m Maddie Brooks.”

“The team captain?”

“That’s me.” We were about the same height—six-foot-two—and she studied me for a moment. “You’re obviously a strong side hitter.”

I cocked my head. “How’d you know?”

“You look strong as hell, girl.” She rubbed my right shoulder.

I felt twenty pounds lighter all of a sudden. The awesome team captain said something nice about me! “Actually, I’m a lefty.”

“Even better!” Maddie’s eyes lit up. “Bridgetown won’t know what hit them when you slam the ball down the line.”

I laughed. The Ramirez-Monroe presidential rivalry had just begun, but the storied Highbanks-Bridgetown sports rivalry had been around for years. When things had gone south at Texas, I’d considered playing at Bridgetown until my club coach Susie had squashed that idea like a tiny bug.

“So, what happened to the Texas coach?” asked Maddie.

I peeked back at Coach Holter, who appeared engrossed in lecturing Allison and Frank. Frank’s jaw looked pretty tight but Allison maintained her serene smile.
Good luck fighting US Government regulations, Coach
.

Noting my hesitation, Maddie asked, “Or maybe that was a nosy question?”

“It’s okay.” I shrugged. “Apparently the Texas coach had an affair with one of the players.”

Maddie’s jaw dropped.

“When he got caught, the athletic director made him resign.”

“Whoa.”

I nodded. “He seemed like a cool guy on my recruiting trip, and I had a full ride. But my dad freaked—he told me I couldn’t go to UT anymore, even after the coach resigned.”

Maddie blinked. “Why?”

“My dad was concerned that the affair had gone on for two years before anyone found out.” To mimic my father, I tucked in my chin and deepened my voice, allowing a subtle version of Grandpa’s Mexican accent to creep in. “
My daughter will
not
play for such a morally reprehensible program.
”

“My God!” She snickered. “You sound just like him. It’s so cool to have somebody famous on our team.”

As we approached Griffin Athletic Complex, I heard the throng of reporters a moment before I saw them. “You might not think so in a second.”

“Lucia Ramirez!” a female reporter called as she jogged toward me in heels and awakened the ten or so ambulance chasers behind her.

My chest tightened as I braced myself. I immediately felt the presence of Frank on one side and Allison on the other, hustling me forward and pushing Maddie to the side. “Sorry,” I said, and she nodded.

The breathless reporter neared me. “How do you like Highbanks, Lucia?”

“Dammit, how’d they know we’d be here?” Allison whispered as her eyes darted right and left.

Frank tapped his left ear—he must have been getting something on his earpiece. “Jansen just told me they were already here for Monroe.”

My knees almost buckled—I’d thought it would be at least a couple of days before I ran into Dane Monroe. Maybe it wasn’t such a great idea to attend Highbanks. “Is the men’s team’s inside?” I cried.

Questions hurled toward me like whizzing volleyballs.

“Why aren’t you at University of Texas?”

“Are you living in the dorms, like normal freshmen?”

“Why’d you choose the same school as Dane Monroe?”

I closed my eyes.
Why, indeed? Why attend the same university as the son of the Democratic nominee for president—my dad’s opponent in the election?
When my eyes opened, we were almost at the door.

“Back off, people!” Coach hollered from behind me. He gestured to the sign posted to the right of the entrance:
No Media and No Autographs Allowed
. I felt certain the sign was for the benefit of the wildly popular football team. This was probably the first time a lowly sport like volleyball had received the media’s invasive attention.

As I’d been instructed, I didn’t respond to any of the questions zinged at me. Allison and Frank jostled me inside, and my teammates followed, with the coaches bringing up the rear. Coach clanged the door shut on the reporters, and I felt the familiar squeeze of pressure in my chest that followed every media encounter.
Don’t panic
. I closed my eyes and forced a breath down my narrowing windpipe.

“You’re okay,” Allison whispered.

I saw her reassuring smile a moment before I noticed Coach’s frown. I knew I’d better get my anxiety in check if I wanted a chance to play for him sometime in the next four years.

“Head to the athletic training classroom,” Coach ordered, and we filed down the hall. My muscles tingled from oxygen deprivation. When I snuck a glance over my shoulder to confirm the reporters were still safely outside, I exhaled. With the election still three months away, it wasn’t a good sign that media attention already initiated such panic.

I didn’t realize Madison had stopped ahead of me until I almost plowed into her. Allison caught my elbow with her left hand.

“Go on in!” Coach barked from behind me.

From the front of the line, Blond Nina frowned at him. “There’s another team in the classroom.”

Coach bustled past me as he checked his watch. “They should be done by now. It’s our turn.”

“Hey, Frank,” a deep, male voice called.

I looked down the hall to find a muscled Secret Service agent approaching us. That must mean Dane Monroe was nearby.
Oh, no.

Frank left my side and walked toward the behemoth with his hand extended. “How ya doin’, Brad?” he asked as he pumped his hand.

The button of Brad’s suit jacket strained across his expansive pectorals, and he wore his mirrored sunglasses even though we were inside. “Good, buddy, good. Welcome.”

Frank gestured toward us. “Let me introduce you to my partner, Allison.”

Brad’s heft shifted side to side as he hulked over. Could he run fast with all that bulk?

“Ms. Ramirez.” Brad nodded at me.

“Lucia is fine,” I corrected.

Brad shook Allison’s hand. “I’ve heard good things about you from my partner.”

“Really?” Allison seemed pleased. “Who’s that?”

“She’s inside with the men’s team,” Brad said. “China Halloway.”

Allison’s hold on my elbow tightened as her face froze. She must have noticed my wiggle because she let go of my arm. “I thought China was on the VP’s detail?”

“Once the committee decided Mr. Monroe and Ms. Ramirez would be protected before the election, she got reassigned,” Brad said.

“Wow,” Allison gushed. “That’s great. I mean, uh, good for her, I guess.”

What was
up
with Allison? She wouldn’t meet my questioning eyes. I’d have to ask her about that agent, China, later.

Brad looked at Frank. “Where’re you putting up Ms. Ramirez?”

“For now we’re at the campus hotel. An advance team is scoping out a secure location.”

Brad shook his head. “Good luck finding a place—it took us a week to identify our current living quarters. The campus area’s crime central, but Mr. Monroe didn’t want to be too far off campus because of all of his practices and games.”

Frank shrugged. “We’ve got a good team on it.”

“Okay!” Coach hollered, drawing our attention. “They’re finally done. Once the men’s team exits, get in there.”

Brad thumped Frank on the back. “Catch you guys later.”

A gray-haired man emerged into the hallway—
he must be the men’s volleyball head coach
—followed by a few more tall guys. When the next player stepped out, I held my breath. Dane Monroe now stood ten yards away.

He searched the hallway for a moment before he found me. Deep blue eyes narrowed into slits as he moved toward me.

His tan face and broad shoulders would make any girl swoon, but what I liked best about him was that he towered over me—all six-foot-eight of him. It wasn’t often I had the pleasure of looking up at a man, but I definitely had to aim high to see his tousled blond hair.

Why had I chosen this university? Sure, the volleyball team was top-ranked, they had a good business school, and Susie had recommended it. But the real reason? The reason I hadn’t shared with anyone,
especially
my die-hard Republican family?

I was in love with Dane Monroe.

Chapter 2

I C
AN’T
F
UCKING
B
ELIEVE
I
T
.
I thought for sure Brad was shitting me when he said Lucia Ramirez was coming to play volleyball here. No way Hitler’s daughter would crash my world like that. But there she stood, behind Nina, Maddie, and a few other girls’ players I knew. Secret Service agents flanked her. Her big, brown eyes widened as I approached.

“What’re you doing here?” I hissed. “It’s bad enough you play my sport, but now you go to my school, too? Couldn’t you choose another program?”

It seemed like it took a moment for my words to register.
Is she as mentally retarded as her dad?
Then her eyes turned down as she took a step back.
Crap, is that a look of…hurt?
For a second I felt a twinge of guilt in my gut, but then I remembered all the things her father had said on the campaign trail. Accusing the disabled of mooching off the government? Calling women who got abortions
murderers?
The guy was a piece of work.

“And now I won’t be able to
move
without the media hounding me,” I continued. “They’re all jizzed up about Adolf’s daughter.”

A storm brewed in those shiny eyes as her tawny skin flushed. “My father’s name is
Adolfo
.”

Her voice was higher than I’d expected from such a tall, muscular girl. Higher, and sort of breathy.
Sort of sexy.

I felt Brad come up behind me. “Dane, it’s time for practice, buddy.”

I stared at her. “Why
did
you come here? Besides trying to torture me?”

“This isn’t about you at all.” Her arms laced in front of her chest. “I had a full ride at Texas—”

“Why didn’t you stay there, then?”

“The coach resigned! My father wanted me to find a new school.”

I shook my head. “This is
my
territory. I grew up here. You can tell Adolf he won’t win this state no matter how many of his kids attend Highbanks.”