Page 5 of Keller

"Mystery man from last night. You've got resources now, right? Databases and stuff. You could find him."

"Oh, my God. Will you stop with him? And no, I can't just run a search on someone, you doofus."

My response comes out sharper than I mean it to. My shoulders lift, and my grip tightens around the cup until the ceramic edge bites into my fingers.

Leah blinks. "I was kidding. Sort of."

"I know. But I can't." I force my hands to relax and set the cup down. "There are lines now. Oversight. I don't get to use professional resources for personal reasons. That's not who I want to be."

"Okay, okay, I hear you."

But her eyes linger on my face, reading something I don't want her to see. The truth is, I haven't stopped thinking about him, either. But there is no circumstance where I would try to find him using the FBI resources. If only I weren't such a rule-follower.

"Using an AI face recognizer online isn't a professional resource. Just saying."

I almost laugh, but my phone vibrates against the table first. I glance down to see a text from Nate.

Still on for our run tomorrow morning? 7 sharp.

"Nate?" Leah guesses.

"Yeah. Our usual Sunday run since he's going to be in town."

"Of course." She shakes her head, grinning. "You Mercers and your routines."

I pocket my phone and pull my laptop back open. "Routines work."

"If you say so."

The riverfront path stretches ahead,lined with oak trees that filter late-afternoon sun into dappled gold. My footsteps settle into a rhythm. Left, right, breathe. The noise in my head finally starts to quiet.

Nate runs beside me, breathing steadily, posture perfect even at mile three. He looks like he stepped out of a campaign ad with his athletic shorts that probably cost more than my car payment, moisture-wicking shirt in navy blue, and hair that somehow stays in place despite the humidity.

"Have you started your new position at the bureau yet?"

I adjust my pace to match his. "Not officially. Next week. I'm about to be really busy, but I'm excited about it."

"I'd expect nothing less. You've earned this, Quinn. Your track record speaks for itself. Caroline Mercer."

Heat blooms in my chest when he mentions my mom’s name. I wish she could see me now.

Nate's approval always means so much to me. And I love that he always keeps my mom front and center. He knows how much I miss her.

Nate is my first cousin on my dad's side, and we are the closest cousins in age. We're not only family, but we've been close friends, too, since we were babies.

He's also a US Senator, which makes him the pride of our family. The cornerstone promise of his campaign has been to revive our family's foundation supporting the veteran community.

"Thanks. I'm just trying not to screw it up."

"You won't." He glances over, and his smile is confident, certain. "You're exactly where you belong. Merit got you there. Service keeps you there. That's the Mercer way."

The Mercer way.The phrase wraps around me like armor. Purpose and legacy were drilled into us at an early age. The belief that we're built for something better than the ordinary chaos most people settle for.

We round the bend where the path splits toward the water. A couple walks their dog in the opposite direction, and Nate nods at them, the polite acknowledgment of someone who knows how to be seen without trying.

He was born to be a politician.

"You know," he drags out theoooowith his smooth drawl. "The Krewe of Argentum gala is coming up. It's a big one. We have several donors who are making our big move next month into the new office that will be there."