“No. I’ll surprise her later. Hudson, did you invite her tomorrow?”
“Duh,” Hudson replied.
“Is she coming?”
“Duh, again.” Hudson snort-laughed. “Of course she is.”
As they crossed the bridge into the district, Maverick’s phone rang. That didn’t take long. “Senator Internado, how are you?”
“That’s my question for you, Maverick. I saw the local news. Glad you made it home safely.”
George Internado wasn’t the type of man who made small talk. “What can I do for you, George?”
“I’m enjoying a burger at Rudy’s. Join me.”
“Now?”
“Yes, now.” The senator let the silence linger an extra beat. “I wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of calling if it wasn’t important. Enter through the alley behind the restaurant. I’m at a table in the kitchen reserved for Rudy’s special guests.”
“Roger that.” He hung up. “Dad, can you drop me at Rudy’s? It’s a few blocks from the Capitol.”
“Can’t the senator wait? You haven’t even been home yet.”
“Internado doesn’t know the word ‘wait’.”
Five minutes later, Maverick stood on the sidewalk outside the popular dive restaurant and peered into the car. “Thanks for coming to the airport.”
“The party starts at six tomorrow,” Hudson said. “I’m closing the restaurant for the big event.”
“Thanks, bro.” Maverick smacked the top of the car. “Love you guys.”
His dad drove away. Maverick headed into the alley and pounded on the back door. Rudy flung it open and grinned. “Hey, Maverick, long time no see. I caught the end of your interview on the news. Congrats. You’re our hometown hero.”
“Nah, not me. Just damn happy to be home.” The smell of grease and burgers filled Maverick’s nostrils and his stomach growled.
Rudy stepped aside. “I’m making your favorite burger. It’ll be out in a minute. Come on in. The senator’s waiting.”
The sixty-eight year old politician was a pillar of power in Washington. He’d held his senate seat longer than the thirty-three years Maverick had been on planet earth. In the year since Colton had introduced them, the senator had become a staunch supporter of ThunderStrike. He made calls, set up meetings, but Maverick never expected his generosity would be one-sided. He knew going into this relationship that the seasoned politician would want something in return.
His gut told him that day had come.
George Internado wiped the ketchup from his chin and extended his arm. Maverick grasped his greasy hand and shook it. After dragging the rickety chair over the concrete floor, he sat.
“Thanks for coming, Maverick.”
No choice. “Absolutely.”
“I heard you were in bad shape. Feeling better?”
“Doing great.” He rubbed his aching thigh. “I appreciate the concern, but I doubt you summoned me to discuss my health.”
Rudy set a cold bottle of beer in front of Maverick and left.
“This situation might have been brushed under the rug, had your homecoming not been plastered all over the local news.” Internado shoved a French fry into his mouth, chasing it with a swig of beer. “I fully anticipate the media will play this up. Hometown boy saves the world. A fucking syrupy-sweet story.”
“What situation?”
“While you were in the hospital, someone leaked word that your privately-funded mission wasn’t so private, after all. Those cock-sucking vultures have been scrambling to see which government agencies were involved. If this gets out, we’re in deep shit.” Internado threw down his napkin. “Why couldn’t you slip back into town without all that fucking fanfare? Does your dick need to be stroked that badly?”
