Page 85 of Ravage
Wait. Except for Joe.
I’d called his office, listed on his website, and left a message with the secretary when I’d gotten back to my apartment the next day. I’d pretended to be freaking out and checking on what happened to the congressman. The secretary had been confused and said nothing was wrong, but she would pass my message on to him.
That was two days ago.
Since Aiden and the others won’t be sharing any information they gathered from him, I needed to keep up the charade as Rebecca and get back to work on the assignment Elias gave me. As far as Joe is concerned, we were both attacked and I disappeared.
At least, that’s what I hope he’s thinking since I had nothing to do with the interrogation that followed, as much as I wanted to.
“Hello?” I answer softly, pretending to be Rebecca just in case.
“Rebecca? It’s Joe Tabershire.”
“Oh, Congressman! Are you all right? What happened?” I ask, feigning breathlessness for the innocent act.
“I’m more concerned with what happened to you. Are you okay, my dear?”
“I’m fine. Just a bit shaken up. I remember talking with you about the internship and then smoke, and the next thing I knew, I was waking up in the woods. I had to walk to a bus stop to get home and then I called the police. But when they said they checked in with you, nothing was wrong.”
He chuckles through the line. “Just a prank from a friend. He didn’t realize I’d had anyone with me, so I’m sorry you had to experience that.”
I freeze at the lie. Is he trying to keep up appearances for Rebecca and the press, maybe? “Oh,” is all I can think to say back.
“Please, let me make it up to you. I have some time this afternoon and we can pick up where we left off. I can have a car pick you up from the university around 2:30?”
I check the time on my phone. That should give me enough time to make a quick pit stop at the drug store and then bus hop my way to the university for the pick-up. “Okay. Yeah, that would be great. Thank you.”
“I’ll see you soon, my dear,” he says and ends the call.
I hop from my seat at the kitchen counter and grab the cash I have. I’m not going in empty-handed this time. Before things can get too bad, I’ll slip crushed up sleeping pills in his drink. We need to have enough alcohol before that so I can convince him we’d slept together and I had to leave to get back to the dorms. That’ll give me a small window to snoop for information.
The butler greets me at the door again with a polite smile. There’s no sign or tell from him of what happened the last time I was here. He doesn’t seem flustered or upset in the least that he’d been made unconscious a few days ago by unknown assailants.
Was this sort of thing not unheard of for public figures? Or do they always keep these events quiet from others?
He leads me to the same lounge as the last time. Congressman Joe is leaning back in his chair behind the immaculate and carved desk in the corner, his feet crossed at the ankles, while laughing into his phone as music plays softly in the background.
“Excuse me, it looks like my guest has arrived. I’ll call you back.” He hangs up and places his cell phone on the desk.
“Rebecca! I’m pleased that you did actually come back here.”
“Well, I’ll admit I was a bit nervous.”
Joe grins, but it’s darker than the ones he’s given me before. “Of course, you would be. I’ve decided this time to cut to the chase so I don’t miss you again.”
Miss me?
My gut tightens.
Something’s wrong.
I tuck my hands behind my back and start calling on my gift, hoping that I’m wrong but making sure I’m prepared if I’m right. My gut usually is.
The double doors to the room close behind me, and I hear the firm click of a lock.
“What’s going on?”
His eyes practically twinkle when I ask that. “Please, have a seat.” He waves his hand at one of the seats in front of him.
