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“The Justice Department and its many branches work hard to maintain separation from the White House. It’s not great for me professionally to be cozied up to the president.”
“Even if you were one of his closest friends long before he was president?”
“Even if.”
“Ugh, sometimes I hate this town.”
“Only sometimes?” he asked with a laugh.
“Ha! Most of the time, but it’s home sweet home regardless of its many deficiencies.”
“Yes, it is. I won’t keep you any longer. Just wanted to pass along what I was hearing.”
“I appreciate you, Avery. And thank you for taking such good care of our girl.”
“That’s my pleasure. She amazes me with her strength and fortitude.”
“She’s a steel magnolia.”
“Yes, she is. I just wish I could be more like her. I still can’t even think about what happened—and what could’ve happened—without getting the shakes.”
“I totally understand that. The people you love best were threatened because of you and your work.”
“Yeah, that. Exactly. And the people involved are the scummiest of scumbags. That they were anywhere near Shelby and Noah makes me crazy. I feel like I could kill them if I got the chance.”
“Don’t do that. They’re where they belong, and they’re not getting out any time soon.”
“But how many others just like them are out there blaming us for their troubles?”
“Too many to count, I’m sure, but they can’t stop us from doing the job and living our lives.”
“Can’t they?”
“What’re you saying, Avery?”
“This incident took me over an edge of some sort. I’m not sure yet what that means, but it could be that I’m done with the job.”
“Come on. No way! What will you do with yourself?”
“Be a husband and father. Protect my family.”
“Even if you aren’t working anymore, Avery, you can’t be with them all the time. Shelby will still be coming to work at the White House. Noah will be starting school before you know it. The new baby will, too. Don’t make a rash decision that you might regret later.”
“I’m trying not to, but I’m having a very hard time coping with this.”
“Maybe you should consult with a therapist?”
“Yeah, I’ve thought of that.”
“You need to find a way through this that doesn’t involve giving up your very successful career.”
“I hate that career right now. You ever feel that way?”
Sam snorted. “Is that a rhetorical question? Of course I do, especially lately with all this crap with Stahl.”
“We had a briefing about the latest because we were involved in several of the missing-person cases back when they first happened. It’s unbelievable.”
“Did you hear they found human remains in his backyard?”
