Stay (Dunham series #2) Read Online Free PDF

correctly.
    “Nobody cares,” he said flatly, “as long as you keep
hanging it out there for everyone to see. You are the
American dream.” Davidson made a noise of agreement.
    “I got lucky,” Eric muttered, ever mindful of the
fact that he couldn’t have done it on his own because he
wouldn’t have known where to start. “Knox just . . . handed it to
me.”
    “No, he gave you help and guidance,” he said.
“ You did the rest. You set your goals and you’ve worked at
them. More importantly, you’ve kept yourself squeaky clean. Nobody
did that for you. You have an impeccable education from a religious
university. Your politics are consistent, even though you’re as
full of shit as Justice is.” Eric laughed. “You have an extremely
photogenic fiancée who’s as well educated and smart as you are.
Future First Lady as of a year from now.”
    “The next President and Mrs. Obama, Republican
version,” Davidson intoned.
    “Not Republican.”
    “Yeah, you’re not planning to run on a Libertarian
ticket, I bet.”
    “I might.”
    “You’ll split the conservatives right down the
middle.”
    “Libertarian does not equal conservative,” Eric
reminded him. “I’m not on board with the entire Libertarian party
platform, either.”
    Connelly grunted. “The Republican leadership’s
dying. You could take all the conservatives with you and win as a
Libertarian if you make sure to clarify where you differ from the
party.”
    “And they know that,” Davidson added. “All other
conservative issues being equal, they might vote for a candidate
who’d decriminalize marijuana and prostitution, but they’ll never
go for an isolationist.”
    “Which I am not, which is why I haven’t decided
yet.”
    “But it means the Republicans need you more than you
need them.”
    Eric didn’t bother to respond to that because it was
true. The political landscape was shifting like quicksand
underneath the old guard’s feet. Eric was young, outspoken, and had
a growing nationwide blog audience. He represented real change, and
he intended to capitalize on it. “I have a meeting with Tye Afton
next week in Jefferson City.”
    Davidson looked at him warily. “You better watch out
for him,” he said soberly. “He’s a snake in the grass.”
    Eric blinked.
    He turned to Connelly. “Do you remember? About
fifteen years ago? Afton was involved in some coverup of real
estate acquisition and funding when he was on the state House
appropriations committee? The governor was livid because he
couldn’t prove it, and then that was about the time Knox went nuts,
so he had to deal with that, too? Two scandals going at the same
time and he couldn’t nail Afton or Knox.”
    “Really,” Eric drawled.
    “Really,” Connelly said. “Missouri’s version of
Whitewater. And then he went to Washington. He’s been chair of the
Senate Appropriations Committee for so long, it’s like nothing can
touch him.”
    “I guess it’s a good thing the FBI likes me,
huh?”
    “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer,”
Connelly said. “I refuse to vote for you for anything but attorney
general, but if I wanted to sabotage you, I’d tell you to get on
his bandwagon. Afton’s not your friend and I don’t care how
powerful he is.”
    Justice Hilliard dragged in unexpectedly, dark
circles under her eyes and a can of Red Bull in her hand.
    Eric, Davidson, and Connelly all stared at her,
shocked on two levels. “Uh, Justice, aren’t you supposed to be in
the Ozarks tending to Knox?”
    “He said I was getting too bossy,” she growled. She
thunked the can down on her desk and turned to face them, her hand
on her hip. “It’s not like he died last month or anything,
right?”
    All three of the men burst out laughing, but Justice
scowled. Her sense of humor usually didn’t show up until after
lunch, but that didn’t keep her from being funny by default.
    “So . . . you’re here on time.”
    “Early, even.”
    “By an hour and a