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Grams paced the floor in front of us, and it was only because she stopped that I knew so

But it wasn’t Liam or Vida--it was Cate Her pale blond hair had been s makeup, a dress She seemed shadowed somehow, face drawn in a way thatup to steadycast Her pace slowed solad when I saw the s, I wouldn’t have trusted myself not to

"I’m so proud of you," she whispered "You fill ged me and I was filled, filled to the brim, with the warmth of her love When I finally released her and introduced her to my family, it was clear they were already well aware of who she was

She clasped my hands in hers "Can we talk later? I need to run upstairs, but I didn’t want to go anotherforher draw me into another embrace Just as I started to pull back, she said, her voice low, "There’s so I knew exactly who she was talking about, and was grateful she had givenahead of tiot off the elevator that she got on I couldn’t stop the broad grin fro across my face Zu was the first to reach h the lobby to wrap her ar aardly between his feet until I urged hiave me a hard punch to the shoulder, which I think I was supposed to read as "playful" And Liam, well aware oftheir hands He caood read on him His hair was cut and tamed, and he was clean-shaven If he was tired, it didn’t show--but I saw a shadow of grief in his eyes When he offered a s like it was about to leap out of ain, ma’am," he said, perfectly polite as he shook Gra one on his cheek and turned to me with a wink

When he reached o up?"

It was stupid to feel a pang of disappoint, butwith the need to run h his hair, smooth the lines from his face

When the elevator doors slid open I started forward, but he held us in place, allowing my parents, Zu, Vida, Nico, and about a half-dozen others onto the elevator "You knohat?" Lia et the next one"

And the minute the doors slammed shut, his arhkissed to within an inch of my life

"Hi," he said when he finally came up for air

"Hi," I said, now both dizzy and breathless as he leaned down to rest his forehead against o up?"

He nodded, but it was another few moments before he actually reached over and pushed the up button

The press conference had been set up in the hotel’s ballroom space--a room that accommodated a hundred chairs, three-fourths of which were already taken by the tiot up there When I saw that the others had saved us seats at the very back in the roo eyes shift towardwould only have been compounded if we’d been in a position for the whole room to stare at the back of my head If I couldn’t make a clean escape if I needed to Liauided me forward, a hand on the small of my back, to an aisle seat

No sooner had we found our spots than two men, both in military dress uniforave thelanced back at us again

The room shushed itself into silence as the first people walked out onto the stage All were men, some military, some clearly politicians--those were the ones who re down I released a deep breath as Senator Cruz appeared, followed by Dr Gray, and then, surprisingly, Cate Liam’s hand found mine as Chubs walked out, shoulders back, eyes forward He wore a beautiful navy suit and a striped tie, finishing off the look with new, thin, wire-rilasses

"Nerd," I heard Vida mutter, but she had this pleased little slanced at Liarie Chubs had wrapped hih to distract me from the look on his face I’d seen it a dozen ti out, the eyes sullen It was the look of someone who had just lost a vote

"Da to be bad"

And it was

"Thank you for co without the sheet of notes someone leaned over and placed in front of her "The last five days have been a true test of American fortitude, and I believe I speak not only for n allies, when I thank you for your cooperation as we begin to roll out our recovery phases The good news is, we’re already eight days into the first"