"After last week's blunder, gubernatorial candidate, Carter Billings is on clean up. He certainly enlisted a mysterious and charismatic partner to help him. It's hard to determine if Mr. Billings was fighting off an unwanted suitor to his current girlfriend, or if his explanation holds merit. You be the judge." As the press ran a clip of Carter's press statement, Carter noticed what little color Eliza had on her face disappear. Her index finger slipped between her lips, her eyes fixed to the screen.

You sound defensive, Miss Havens.

I'm offended.

"Even with Miss. Haven's obvious edge, she humored the reporters with her crack about Mr. Billings not being able to determine a ref's call during a football game. Still, this reporter isn't convinced Mr. Billings will be able to escape the now notorious YouTube video."

Jay switched to another channel. This one more sympathetic than the last, but still not what Carter was hoping for.

Without a word, Eliza stood and walked past the crowded room and into the bedroom.

Chapter Six.

Her stomach churned and she didn't even bother to keep from biting her nails.

Eliza glanced down at her expensive dress before removing the hat from her head and throwing it on the dresser. "What a waste."

She collapsed onto the bed and grabbed her purse. She removed her wallet and found a well-worn picture. On the yellowed paper was a once happy family. Her mother, who Eliza resembled so closely they could pass as sisters, and her father, an honest, loving man, and her as a child of only nine.

The picture had been taken six months prior to their deaths. Prior to their murders.

Those memories were buried so deep, at times, Eliza would forget. After seeing her picture on every news channel, she realized how much she and her mother looked alike.

And that could be a problem.

A knock at the door had her scrambling to put the picture away and to close her purse. "Eliza?"

It was Carter. "Come in."

Closing the door behind him. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. It's you they're smearing all over town. I can't believe how much they've twisted everything."

He leaned a hip against the dresser and tucked his hands into his pants pockets. Even with all the stress, he was sexy as hell. "We didn't think one press conference would fix everything."

"I hope you won't need me. My wardrobe budget is tapped for the year," she released a nervous laugh.

"I can reimburse you."

Her jaw tightened. "Please. That's not what I'm suggesting." Besides, she couldn't remember the last time someone paid for her clothes... Well, outside of a stupid yellow bridesmaid dress. "So what's next? More press conferences?" She needed to know so she could make a graceful exit from this part of Carter's plan.

"I'm sure those will happen."

He moved over to the bed and sat beside her. She placed her purse to her side.

"You have a different plan, don't you?"

He nodded, nervous suddenly in a way she'd not seen him before. "We've run studies, and researched past candidates in similar situations. Outside of waiting four more years, I need to do something drastic to get the media's focus on the race."

"How are you going to do that?"

"It's simple. They want a family man in office."

Eliza shifted on the bed. "You're going to pull a family out of your butt?"

He laughed and his blue eyes fixed to hers. "No. I'm going to get married."

Her smile fell. Kathleen? Isn't he done with her?

"That's extreme, isn't it?"

"I don't think so. Getting married fixes the image of a fight-starting, party boy in a bar. It adds stability to an office that historically has been run by married men. It's the answer to my problems."

Maybe it was, but her stomach didn't like it. She swallowed hard. "I suppose."

"You agree?"

"You're the politician, Carter. You have a finger on the pulse of the voting public more than I do. I guess as long as Kathleen agrees-"

"Kathleen?" His confused stare bordered on comical.

"Who else?" He probably had a small lineup of willing women to be Mrs. Billings.

"You!"

Eliza jumped to her feet; her purse fell to the floor. "Me? Are you crazy?"

"Before you say no-"

"No!"

"Hear me out."

"No!" She needed out of the room. Needed out of the hotel. Eliza grabbed her hat and shoved it on her head.

Carter stood and stopped her from reaching for her purse. He placed a hand on her arm, and she pulled back as if stung. "Listen, Eliza. You're half the reason I'm in this mess."

"Hey," she said poking him in the chest with a cracked nail. "I didn't invite you to that bar, and I certainly didn't suggest you get into a fight. So don't blame me for this."

"What was all that about me being an honorable man?"

"The truth of that will change the minute you try and blackmail me into marriage."

"Who said anything about blackmail? I was proposing-"

She tried to step around him only to be blocked again. "Yeah, well don't. I'm the wrong woman for you for more reasons than you could possibly know. Now give me my damn purse so I can leave. I do have a life to live."

"This discussion isn't over," he said.

"You'll be talking to yourself, because I'm done."

Carter clamped his jaw shut and stared.

She folded her arms over her chest and stared back.

He cracked first, stepped back, and reached for her purse.

Remembering the gun, she moved to intercept him. "I'll get it..."

Carter reached it first. The purse wasn't big, and the moment Carter's hand touched it, his face turned to stone.

She tried to grab the bag he lifted out of her reach.

He undid the clasp.

"Stop."

And dumped the contents on the bed.

Eliza froze, staring at the weapon she'd carried with her all her adult life. Not even Samantha knew about it. And no one knew why.

"You want to tell me what this is all about?"

Her chest heaved with every rapid breath she took. "You want to know what this is all about? I'll tell you what it's all about. None of your damn business. That's what it's all about." As quickly as she could, she shoved the contents into the bag, the gun last, making sure the safety wasn't tripped, and then stormed out of the room.

She made it as far as the door.

She opened it and found herself faced with two suit-wearing men holding badges.

"Miss. Havens."

"Sonofabitch!"

The detectives glanced at each other and put their badges away. "We need to speak with you." They glanced around at the audience of Carter and all his men. "In private."

Not too often in Carter's life, at least since the age of eighteen, did he ever feel off axis. Apparently, all that was changing today.

His bodyguard stood beside the detectives, and his staffers had turned down the television set and were tuned in like an uplink to the net.

Carter took a chance and placed a hand on Eliza's shoulder. She didn't flinch.

Worse, she trembled.

"What can we do for you, detectives?"

"It's Billings, right?"

"That's right."

"We need to speak to Miss. Havens, alone."

"Eliza?" As if saying her name snapped her out of a daze, she shook off his hand and glared at him over her shoulder.

"I have this," she told him.

"If you'd come with us, we can-"

"Hold up," Carter stepped in front of her, stopped them from leading Eliza away. He might not know what she was hiding, but he wasn't about to let her leave the hotel in custody without some explanation. "I am a lawyer and was a judge before seeking office. If you have a reason to take Miss Havens-"

"I'm sure you're a brilliant attorney, Mr. Billings, but even you understand that some things shouldn't be discussed in the hallway of a very public hotel with an entourage of people at your back."

Taking the clue, Jay said, "That's our cue, gentlemen. Time to give everyone some space."

"No." Eliza grasped Carter's arm and tugged him back. "I'll go."

"The hell you will."

"Listen, Hollywood. I get that you feel the need to protect and serve here, but you don't get it. I'll just go. Everything is fine."

"If you're in trouble..."

"I'm not."

"She's not." Both Eliza and the detectives spoke at the same time.

"I'll call you later," she promised and then stepped away from Carter's protection and walked alongside the detectives down the hall.

What the hell is going on?

Carter met the eyes of his bodyguard, Joe, and nodded toward the retreating figures. Taking the hint, Joe followed them.

Unable to pursue without drawing attention to them, Carter watched until Eliza turned the corner and disappeared.

The woman he'd just asked to marry him was being escorted away by bona fide detectives and hadn't been surprised in the least. Expected it even.

The gun didn't faze her.

She didn't explain it.

Twisting on his heel, almost colliding with Jay, Carter returned to his hotel room and swung his cell phone to his ear. "Go." He told his staffers. "And I shouldn't have to tell you to keep your mouths shut about what just happened."