Bad Girls Finish First (27 page)

“What are you saying, Michael?”

He moved from his place in the chair across from Grace onto the sofa, next to her. “In life, things happen that we don't expect. I knew all the fooling around I did during our marriage was wrong, but I didn't expect for it to destroy us.”

“I never should have put up with your behavior,” Grace said. Except for John Reese and her own sons, Grace hadn't been this close to a man since Michael walked out. Her body knew it was him—the one who could make her feel again. It started calling to him. The long-forgotten sensation of moisture between her legs took Grace by surprise. At first she didn't realize what was going on, then the throbbing began in her groin and spread to her breasts.

Michael saw it in her face. “Grace.” He caressed her neck and then slowly slid her robe off one shoulder. When Michael bent and brushed her nipple with his lips, Grace's whole body trembled. She cradled his head to her for a moment, then pulled his face up to hers.

“Why are you doing this?” Tears flowed freely from her clear brown eyes.” She shook her head. “Michael, don't do this to me.”

“I wouldn't hurt you again for anything in the world, Grace.” He undid her robe and cast it aside, leaving her naked. “I've always loved you, and I always will.”

Grace's body was flushed from head to toe, anticipating the moment Michael would release her from the loneliness that had plagued her for so long. And then Michael kissed her. Grace kissed him back and it was the best kiss of her life. She prolonged the kiss, drew every ounce of passion from it that she could, then pulled away.

“Stop, Michael. Things are moving too fast!”

“Not for me,” he said as he tried to nibble at her breast again. Michael knew her weak spot.

Grace pushed him away again. “Not for me,” he repeated as he sat up. Grace was so discombobulated she didn't move to put on her robe. Michael looked at her and thought,
She's beautiful. How did I forget?

Michael handed Grace her robe. “I'll leave if you want me to, but I need you to think about me, Grace. Think about us.” He picked up his jacket and gently kissed Grace on the top of her head. “I'm begging you, Grace, don't let what happened in the past ruin what we could have in the future.”

24

A
s Michael walked the half-empty Corpus Christi community hall with Christopher at his side, shaking hands and accepting best wishes, he hoped his smile hid his disappointment. The election was two weeks away and the sparse crowd that showed up to hear him speak brought his hidden fears to the surface. People were not interested in him. If they didn't care enough to come out and meet him in person, they wouldn't take time on a dreary November Tuesday to go to the polls. As he listened to an elderly white man complain about property taxes, Michael thought,
God help me if it rains on election day.

Raven and Dudley were standing on the sidelines watching Michael work the crowd.

“I know it looks bad, but the election's going to turn around, now that we've got Erika under control,” Raven said. Dudley gritted his teeth. Raven looked at his balding, sweaty head and forced herself to say, “Look, Dudley, I'm sorry about not letting you talk to Erika first. The bottom line is, she's got no choice but to back off.”

Dudley looked up at her. “And you think that two weeks before the election, simply backing off is going to be enough to make Michael win?” His eyes were filled with disdain. “There are two key votes in the legislature between now and the election. I could have persuaded Erika to make sure Michael's side won those votes. There are a couple of organizations in central Texas that still haven't endorsed Michael or Sweeney. I could have gotten her to make some calls, to get them to endorse Michael.”

Raven stood with her arms crossed. “I get your point, but you know I'm not into constructive criticism, Dudley. What's done is done.”

“And all you've done is piss Erika off. We'll be lucky if she doesn't come after Michael even harder. When you add our problems with Erika to the Molotov cocktail Minshew threw at Michael in his latest editorial, we're in deep trouble.”

They cut off their argument as Michael and Christopher approached. The toll of running a losing campaign showed on both men's faces. Michael stood next to Raven and looked at the crowd filing out of the hall. “I don't understand what happened,” he said, sounding genuinely puzzled. “I had such a strong start.”

“It's not over yet, Michael. We've got to keep fighting, do something bold,” Dudley suggested.

Michael nodded and determination slowly seeped back into his face. “That's what I'm thinking.” He and Christopher turned to Dudley, unintentionally putting their backs to Raven.

Raven walked around the group to stand where she could be seen. “Michael, you need to let me handle it. Maybe I can get Minshew to retract the editorial about you.”

Dudley, addressing Michael, said, “That's an awful idea. Remember what happened when she interfered with Smotes. Besides, we can let the Minshew issue die because you're already carrying Austin.”

“True,” Christopher interjected. He was grateful to Dudley for reminding Michael that Raven was more destructive than helpful. “We need something to attract people in the Panhandle states.”

“And to make sure the faithful show up on election day,” Dudley said.

“Don't just blow me off! I still think Minshew—” Raven began.

Michael held up his hand, “Honey, we've got this covered.” He gave his full attention to Dudley and Christopher. “Dudley, do we still have time to set up something in Wichita Falls?”

“Sure do,” Dudley said. “I'll make the call right now.” He pulled out his cell phone and stepped away from the group.

“Christopher, you know my Dallas constituency better than anybody. I need you on a plane now, and I need you to get people on the phones and in the streets, making sure that everybody goes to the polls on election day. You hear me?
Everybody.”

Michael was catching fire and it was contagious. Christopher said, “I hear you, Dad. We've got to make sure the seniors get out—I'm talking high-school seniors and senior citizens. I'm going to start with those groups and work my way to every other one. Then I'll fly to Houston, do the same thing there.” As an afterthought he added, “Do you want me to get Genie to go to east Texas?”

Michael gripped Christopher's shoulder. “No, son. She's got enough things to wrap up before she leaves.” Michael's eyes conveyed the message,
Sorry about you and Genie.

Christopher shrugged. The two men walked away with their heads together as they continued making plans.

As they wandered off, Dudley came back over to Raven.

“Dudley, I don't appreciate being exed out! Getting Minshew to run a retraction is a great idea. You and Christopher are just pissed that I'm the one who thought of it.” She moved to step around Dudley. “I'm calling Minshew right now.”

Dudley blocked her path. “You're doing no such thing! Come over here!” Dudley ordered as he stepped out of earshot of the few people left in the hall.

Dudley breathed heavily and his entire face was bathed in sweat. “I'm tired of you screwing things up. That's all you've done from the beginning! I've got a feeling that you're the cause of Minshew writing the opinion piece attacking Michael.” Dudley screwed his face up like a scary clown. “We had this election won from the start until you decided to take Erika's money and get her on our asses. Then you started running around with David, being seen all over the state. Do you know what could have happened if that got out?”

Raven couldn't believe her ears.
No, this midget's not going off on me,
she thought. “You're the one who suggested that I talk to Erika. And as for David and me, that doesn't concern you,” she said coldly.

“Yeah, I did introduce you to Erika, but I didn't tell you to make promises to her you couldn't keep.” Dudley turned in an angry little circle and ended with his finger in Raven's face. “I certainly didn't tell you to get into a catfight with her over David.”

Raven grabbed Dudley's finger and bent it down. “Don't do that,” she said. “It disturbs me.”

Dudley's finger popped back up. It shook because he was so angry. “Listen to me, from now on you're going to do what I say when I say. I know about Omar Faxton, Raven. I know what you did to him.”

Raven felt the blood drain from her face. Her insides became a heated mass of knots.

“I tracked down Callie Stephens and a few other people. They told me everything.”

Raven tossed her hair and began popping her knuckles one by one. “I don't know what you're talking about,” she said defiantly.

“Like hell you don't,” Dudley said loudly. He looked around, then repeated in a furious whisper,
“Like hell you don't!
You killed Omar so he wouldn't tell about your scheme to destroy Callie. And I've got the proof!”

Dudley slowed down and tried to calm himself. He wanted to make sure that his message to Raven was crystal clear. He smoothed the front of his sweater as he spoke. “I don't know how you got away with it, but you did, so good for you. Your secrets are safe with me as long as you do what I say.”

Dudley pulled himself up to his full five feet two. He'd never felt more manly. “For the rest of the campaign, I want you on the sidelines, playing the part of the sexy supportive wife. No more stupid suggestions and no more conversations with anyone about anything. You'd better not so much as say hello to the mailman.” He enunciated slowly. “When—
if,
thanks to you—Michael wins, you're going to play the dutiful, empty-headed governor's wife. And,” he said, delivering the coup de grâce, “you're going to break it off with David.”

Raven bit her lip. She stood over Dudley, so close to him that he could smell her minty breath. “If you take back everything you said, right now, I won't hold it against you,” she said.

Dudley felt himself start to sweat again.
She can't punk me,
he told himself over and over again as he made himself stare Raven down.

“Fine,” Raven finally said. She smiled at Dudley in a way he hadn't seen before. “Just remember, I gave you a chance.” She turned and walked away.

If Raven had been certain that her body wouldn't stage an all-out revolt, she'd have driven to the nearest Marble Slab Creamery and eaten until the store ran out of ice cream. She settled for going to a movie. Raven wanted to sit in the darkened theater, with the Dolby Surround Sound threatening to take away thirty percent of her hearing. Maybe then she could think. She tried to concentrate on her problems, but couldn't. Something else tickled at her brain, distracting her. When she got a feeling like that, Raven knew that whatever it was would eventually come to her.

Her life wasn't going as planned. Michael's campaign was disintegrating. Erika was ready for war over the money and over David. And now Dudley had found out about Omar.

Raven stared at the theater marquee, trying to decide which movie would have the loudest soundtrack. Screeching car tires, bombs going off, screams, and gunfire would help Raven think, go deep inside herself. She had to go deep in order to figure out how to annihilate Dudley.

“One, please.” Raven was about to place her change in her wallet when, like solving a simple riddle, her mind put things together.

Raven remembered from snooping around in Dudley's office that his psycho drugs were prescribed by a Dr. Laverne. If anyone in the world knew how to disable Dudley it would be his psychiatrist.

 

 

When Raven called Dr. Laverne on his private line and made her appointment, he immediately said yes. He'd always wondered if a laser peel would make him look younger and he decided now would be the time to experiment. As a result, Dr. Laverne's thin face looked like he'd been pummeled with small rocks. He called one of his patients, a makeup artist, and had him make the best of a bad situation.

Raven arrived dressed down, at least by her standards. She had flat-ironed her hair so that it was long and bone straight. She put on a burgundy Dolce & Gabbana pique skirt suit and Michael Kors ankle-wrap pumps. This was to be a professional meeting.

“Mrs. Joseph, so good to finally meet you.” Dr. Laverne walked up on Raven so closely and quickly, he almost stepped on her toes. He hit her full in the face with a blast of Listerine, and it wasn't the cool mint flavor. “Please, let's sit.” He ushered her toward the sofa.

Raven laid her handbag on the table, and studied her surroundings. She took in Dr. Laverne's made-up face, new suit, and fresh, boy-band haircut, and had the thought:
All spiffed up, but his teeth look like buttered popcorn.
Maybe this meeting wasn't to be professional after all. Raven crossed her legs, and let her skirt ride up. High.

“Doctor, I really appreciate your agreeing to see me on such short notice.”

“Anytime. My door's always open for you.”

“But you hardly know me,” she said, sounding completely naive.

“Ah, but that's not quite true,” Dr. Laverne said. “I hear about you all the time.” He rushed to add, “Our conversation is confidential, you understand. So when I said that I hear about you, that's, uh, I'm ethically bound to keep that a secret.”

“Sure, your secrets are safe with me,” Raven said. She giggled and smiled. “Who talks about me?”

“The Capps brothers, David and Dudley.”

David!
Raven was taken aback. Then she remembered that when they were in San Diego, David mentioned Dr. Laverne's name.

“What do they say?”

“Well . . . lots of things. David for example, couldn't imagine his life without you. He thinks you're terrific and Dudley does too. They both admire the heck out of you, think you're the nicest person. Why, just the other day—”

“Doctor? Excuse me.” Raven raised one finger like a student. “I don't have a lot of time, so why don't we cut to the chase. What you're saying is a bunch of bullshit. I'm sure David and Dudley have said lots about me, but neither of them called me nice. Nobody calls me nice. I'm a lot of things, but nice isn't one of them.”

The doctor looked shocked. “Okay.”

“Good. So here's the deal. I'm sure David has good things to say about me, but not Dudley. He's out to destroy me and I'm here to find out how I can get to him first.”

“Well, I can't—”

“Doctor, I'm not kidding. I really don't have time for this crap.” She sighed.
Damn.
Raven loved David, she really, truly did. And the doctor had all but told her that David loved her, too. She believed David when he promised to stop seeing Erika. She meant it when she promised him in return never, ever to have sex with another man, not even Michael. But hey, when dealing with a man like Dr. Laverne, a girl's got to bring some to get some.