Blood Silence Read Online Free PDF

“I have to think long and hard about that. It’s complicated.”
    She had ideas of what she was going to do, but she needed to think things through, because if she divorced him, there were ramifications not only on her marriage but also on her professional life. They were both lawyers in the same prominent law firm, and Frederick was the firm’s biggest rainmaker. The firm would have his back, not hers. So how she handled the divorce would impact the future of her legal career. It could also impact her husband’s legal future. There were ethical rules in play—lawyers aren’t supposed to be sleeping with their clients. As for her financial future, that was a question tied into how she handled the affair. There were certain contractual rights, and then the pictures and video provided leverage to extract more.
    “Do you and your husband have a pre-nup?”
    Meredith nodded. “Yes.”
    “And?”
    “I get two million if we divorce within five years. If the marriage makes it beyond five years, there is another two million.”
    Biggs nodded. “Well, as I recall, that’s more than his last wife got.”
    “That’s true, but it’s still significantly less than half.”
    “I don’t suppose you negotiated an infidelity clause?”
    Meredith closed her eyes and slowly shook her head. She didn’t think she would need it, would need any of this. She was Meredith Hilary—smart, beautiful, his partner in law and life. Why would she need an infidelity clause?
    How foolish.
    • • •
     
    Washington, DC.
    Mac buckled himself into his plush-leather window seat in the staff seating section of Air Force One. Sally casually took her seat next to him, buckled in, and smiled as she watched Mac gaze around the spacious plane with the wide-eyed wonder of a little boy. She’d taken dozens of trips on the plane in her ten months working in the White House. It was old hat for her, so it was fun to see the excitement on his face and the shaking of his head as he looked around, not quite believing he was experiencing what he was experiencing. It reminded her of the first time Mac came to the West Wing and saw the Oval Office and, even better, the first time they went over to the president’s residence, and President Thomson served Mac drinks. Sally’s man couldn’t stand politics and all the “dicking around” politicians engaged in to accomplish absolutely nothing, but he understood and appreciated history enough to soak in the experiences, such as taking his first ride on Air Force One.
    As Washington disappeared from view and the plane reached cruising altitude, Mac snorted a laugh.
    “What?” Sally asked, leaning over to look out the window with him, slipping her right arm up around his broad, muscular shoulders.
    “Cool … just … really cool,” Mac said, turning to face her, a big grin on his face. “This is another one off the bucket list. Heck, this one was never on it. Never could have imagined it.”
    “Stick with me—I’ll take you more places you never thought possible,” Sally teased and then leaned in. “I know people now.”
    “Do you ever,” Mac answered, squeezing her hand. “What are you going to do for an encore?”
    Sally shrugged and sat back, laughing. “I don’t know. What do you want?”
    Mac thought for a moment. “I don’t suppose you know anyone who could get me on Augusta National?”
    “She doesn’t, but I do,” the Judge stated as he strode over to their seating area, twirling his trademark cigar in his fingers. “Sally, do you mind if I steal Mac for a while?”
    “No problem, Judge,” she answered, reaching down into her shoulder bag and pulling out her cell phone. “I’m sure there is some work for you I could be doing.”
    “Good. While you’re doing that, I’ll give him the real tour,” the Judge said with a wink and a sly smile, waving for Mac to follow, and then murmured just loud enough for her to hear, “I can access some places she can’t.”
    “No