the car.
“Thank you for making that happen,” I told Randolph.
“You’re welcome, but please don’t tell anyone,” he said nervously.
“Never.” Pulling on my seatbelt, I said, “The Foxhall residence, please.”
“How did it go, Miss?” he asked.
I sighed. “As expected.”
What the fuck were you thinking?
I didn’t say it though. I merely leaned on the kitchen counter and offered Pandora a kind smile to reassure her that I was glad to see her home. She’d walked into the house a minute ago and stopped short when she reached the kitchen.
I wasn’t alone and it seemed to startle her.
Bardot had only moved in with me three days ago, and already, she’d almost destroyed an empire in less than twenty-four fucking hours.
From her expression of guilt, she knew that we knew what she’d done. Her uneasy gaze bounced from me over to Madeline. She was also probably wondering if she’d walked in on something between me and my ex.
I rounded the central island and pulled Pandora in for a hug, kissing her tenderly on the lips to show her all was well—or at least as well as it could be when your girlfriend had just met with the most dangerous media mogul in the world.
She had put herself on his radar, which meant I was now, too.
I rested my hands on her shoulders.
She forced a smile at Madeline. “Hey.”
“Hey.” Madeline gave her a warm smile back.
“Coffee?” I moved away, not waiting for an answer, needing to keep my hands busy while my brain ran through the best way to deal with the situation.
“Damien invited me over,” Madeline began.
“I’m glad.” Pandora looked fine with it, but then again that was her. Always accommodating and effortlessly presenting her best self.
I slid the fresh mug of coffee over the countertop toward her. “I know about your meeting with Galante.”
Pandora approached the barstool and sat down, her brows knitting together. “I thought so. But how?”
Madeline cast a glance my way. “Galante is dangerous. We think it’s best—”
“We?” Pandora’s frown deepened.
I let out an exasperated sigh. “Just come out and fucking say it.”
Madeline’s fingers traced the handle of her mug. “Not sure if you Googled me some more or not, but if you dug deep enough, you’d have seen that ten years ago I was a media strategist with a brilliant career ahead of me. That’s how I met Damien.”
“Stick to the point,” I said firmly.
Madeline shook her head at me. “Damien, don’t interrupt.”
I gave a nod of apology.
Madeline continued, “Galante threatened to run a story on me and my lover at the time. The threat of it being published chased me out of politics.”
“What did he have on you?” asked Pandora.
Madeline pursed her lips. “Photos of me as a dominatrix.”
Pandora studied her face. “That’s why you’re a lecturer now?”
“Galante’s threat fast-tracked me into a new career. This is also why Damien and I are never seen in public. In case those photos ever emerge.”
Pandora genuinely looked sad for her. “Why did he threaten you?”
“Galante was intent on dismantling the entire campaign staff, of which I was a senior member. It was his way of influencing the election. I was caught in the middle…collateral damage.”
Pandora flashed me a confused look.
Madeline sighed. “The man who was also in the photos with me was my male submissive. He had everything to lose. Had I let Galante show the photos, his career would have been over. He deserved my protection.”
A man whose name she wouldn’t say…
“Did you date Damien before or after the photos were taken?” asked Pandora.
“Before…him,” I told her.
Pandora frowned. “Salvatore gathers something on everyone, doesn’t he?”
I nudged my mug aside. “Except on my family, as far as we know.”
“Senator Godman is always careful,” said Madeline.
“What did you discuss with Galante today?” I asked.
Pandora stared at me. “Who told you?”
“Answer the question,” I insisted.
“I asked him not to run that news piece on my dad.”
“And?”
“He wouldn’t listen.”
“You brought the spotlight down on us,” I scolded.
Madeline moved around the island and grabbed her Hermes bag on the way. “I should go.”
“Thank you for stopping by.” With a gesture, I offered to show Madeline to the door.
We made it to the hallway without looking at each other, both of us aware that Pandora would be keeping us in her sights.
Madeline pulled a scarf up and over her head, putting on sunglasses to round out her disguise. “I like her,” she whispered.
“She’s the one.” I shrugged at how easy that felt to say.
“I think you’re right.”
“Thank you for encouraging it.”
Her lips softened in a