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For a guy who’d ood irandfather

He and Bodie are Ivy’s fa they’d known each other, or what exactly there was between them All I kneas that while I’d been in Montana with Gramps, they’d been here with her--probably for years

Apparently, from Adam’s perspective, that made me family, too

"I’ up the phone, the muscles in his jaw taut

"If it would make you feel better, I don’t really mind," I offered

Adam’s eyelid twitched "Of course you don’t," he said with a shake of his head "You do realize that completely defeats the point?"

I was pretty sure there was no right answer to that question "I was only gone for a few hours"

Adao off the grid--not even for a few hours"

I thought about Ivy tellingout that we couldn’t trust anyone--not the police, not the Justice Department, and certainly not the White House

"Ivy hasn’t told the president or the First Lady what’s going on" I studied Adam’s face as I said those words "The only way any of this makes any sense is if Pierce had reason to believe that he would get the nomination"

Adam’s poker face was even better than Henry’s "Don’t take off again," he ordered

He’s not going to tell e his words, I turned to go upstairs

"This isn’t the time to jump to conclusions," Adam called after me His voice stoppedeach one carefully "The president is rarely the ton, Tess He’s part of a syste you don’t think the president was involved?"

"I’," Adam replied, "because Ivy told you to stay out of this I a was clear in his voice If he had to make me stay out of this, it wouldn’t be pleasant "But if I was saying so, it would be that this isn’t siton And you don’t always knoho’s holding the cards"

He was saying that the president wasn’t the only one we should be wary of He ht not even be the most likely suspect

Not when there were people out there who s happen behind the scenes