Page 2 of A Man of Power

Her eyes blink and we all look at her, but she still doesn’t speak. Tears stream down her face. Fuck. She looks a hot mess, and I only hope she wasn’t violated in any way. Thoughts of the little sister I lost only three years ago, play through my mind as I squeeze her hand.

I see the red and blue lights of a police car.

“Conner, go get them,” I say as I look up toward the flashing lights. He nods and takes off running. I look back down at the eyes that are very much alive but also look not awake like she’s sleepwalking. Kara used to sleepwalk.

“It’s going to be OK,” I murmur.

I hear Conner coming back and look over my shoulder to find two cops and two EMTs following him. We all step back as the medics start to do their job.

“Who found her?” a cop asks.

“We all did, sir,” I answer as I start to explain what happened. When we show him our college IDs, I see recognition on his face. He takes our statements and sends us on our way as the woman is loaded into an ambulance that has now pulled down the trail.

“I hope she’s going to be OK,” Aiden says, running a hand through his hair.

“There’s nothing more we can do,” I state. Conner and Aiden nod. Any happy, post-party vibes are long gone. We somberly walk home, each in our thoughts. We’ve had a lot of experiences together in the less than two years we’ve been friends, but I hope this is the only time we have to rescue someone.

Chapter1

Sebastian

Present Day

This isthe worst fucking idea that I’ve had this week. And that is saying something.

I straighten my tie and stand as Harriet knocks and opens the door at the same time. I groan. If it was anyone but her, I’d ream them out for entering before I responded. But not with Harriet. She runs this office. I know it, and she does, too.

“She’s in the waiting room,” Harriet states dryly as she walks toward me and reaches out to my tie, adjusting it to her liking. She brushes some invisible lint off my arms as she lowers her hands and looks up at me with a nod of approval. “I still don’t know why you want to do the interview solo. At least let me sit in. I already know her. I can ask questions you might overlook.”

I look down at the lady who runs my life. The same one who ran my father’s life before he was a senator. She’s not wrong, but for once, I want to do this by myself. I’ve had my guard up lately. I want all my staff cleared through me for the time being.

“First, I would never overlook a question. We both know that. And second, I want to see her reactions without you present. It’s important that she can hold her own when speaking to me alone,” I point out as I walk back around and sit in my chair. My fingers grip the carved cherrywood of the armrests. It was my grandfather’s chair and one of my earliest memories was coming to this very building and climbing onto it, so I could pretend to be powerful, just like him.

“I know, I know. I just…you have a lot going on and it doesn’t hurt to have me there.”

I study her for a long moment. Harriet is getting up in age. I rack my brain as I try to remember how old she is…seventy, seventy-five? She’s been a fixture in congressional offices longer than I’ve been alive. She would have made an amazing congresswoman, but she never had the desire to run for office. Instead, she worked her way up as a staffer and then a chief of staff for my father, and now one for me. She’s a tiny wisp of a woman, but she can stare down most imposing politician without batting an eye. She’s made of steel, and if she could, she would spit fire. She’s also incredibly kind to those that deserve it. And her loyalty is probably her best asset and her biggest weakness.

“Just, bring her in,” I demand. “I have a meeting in thirty minutes. I don’t have time to debate this.”

“As you wish,” she replies as she walks to the door. “You do remember her name, don’t you?”

I falter for a moment, trying to recall.

She sighs. “I know she was just an intern, but for fuck’s sake, Bastian, she worked in your office for a whole goddamn year.”

I give her a pointed look that says I don’t have time for this shit.

“Alexis Martin, you ass. Her name is Alexis Martin. She just finished college a few months ago. She interned for us two years ago. She’s bright, and I like her, so don’t fuck it up,” Harriet says as she looks over her shoulder at me with a stare that would bring lesser men to their knees, but not me.

“Show her in.” I motion to the doorway where Harriet stands. She nods and closes the door behind her.

I try to remember this young woman. We’ve had so many interns over the past few years. I admit to not paying attention. I’ve seen too many of my colleagues fucking their interns, and it never ends well. It doesn’t help that I’m less than ten years older than most of them.

Clearly, she must have been a great intern if my staff want me to hire her. I turn my chair and gaze out the window at the Capitol building. It was part good fortune and part knowing the right people that landed me this office with the amazing view. I steeple my fingers and contemplate how I’ll be handling my meeting this afternoon. Harriet’s knock brings me out of my thoughts.

“Come in,” I answer as I swivel my chair. The door opens and in walks a young woman that could easily be mistaken for a model. She’s breathtaking. She’s taller than Harriet, but as I stand to greet her, I notice even in those ridiculously sexy heels she’s still a few inches shorter than me. She has long mahogany hair that has a slight wave to it. Her eyes seem to defy logic. They aren’t one color, instead the inner part of the iris is a caramel brown which blends into a vivid aquamarine blue with a dark gray rim around the edge. Had I even looked at her when she interned here? I would never forget a set of eyes like that.

“Congressman, thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me,” she says, her voice slightly raspier and deeper than I would have expected. Fuck, why does even her voice have to be sexy?

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