Fatal Justice Read Online Free

nomination to the Supreme Court.
    Graham clapped his hands together. “You said it, Senator. You boys are looking at the next Supreme Court Justice!”
    “Wow,” Terry said. “Congratulations.”
    “Thank you, but it’s all up to the Senate, of course,” Julian said. “I’m told I should prepare for one hell of a dogfight.”
    Nick couldn’t disagree with him. Julian’s liberal views on abortion and other hot-button issues made him a polarizing choice on Nelson’s part.
    “You’ve got at least one vote sewn up, right, Senator?” Graham said.
    “Of course,” Nick said. “I’ll do anything I can to help. This is one of those times when I’m glad I only have a year in the Senate and can piss off anyone and everyone without a worry.”
    Julian laughed. “Don’t expend all your political capital on me, my friend.”
    “I can’t think of anyone better to spend it on,” Nick said sincerely. Julian was one of his favorite people. “How long are you in town?”
    Julian shrugged. “For the duration, come what may.”
    “We’ll have dinner at my new place next week,” Nick said. “I want you to meet Sam.”
    “I can’t wait to meet this woman who’s got our boy’s head all turned around—and a cop, no less,” Julian said, grinning at Graham.
    “When you meet her, you’ll see why his head is turned,” Graham added with a wink.
    “All right you two. That’s enough.” Nick was thrilled to see Graham’s playful side reemerging after the grim days that followed John’s murder. “She’s here somewhere.”
    “I have to take a rain check. I don’t have any time right now, and I’d like to be able to really get to know her.” Julian checked his watch. “I’m due to meet with Hanigan,” he said, referring to the White House chief of staff. “I just wanted to pop in and say congratulations.” He extended his hand to Nick. “I’m so very, very proud, and John would be, too. He always said you were the brains behind the entire operation.”
    “Thank you,” Nick said softly. “That means so much coming from you.”
    “Make us proud.”
    “I’ll do my best.”

Chapter 3
    Nick spent the next half hour working the room, visiting with Judson Knott and Richard Manning, the chair and vice chair of the Virginia Democratic Committee, as well as Virginia Governor Mike Zorn and his wife, Judy. While Nick made polite small talk and sipped a glass of wine someone had pressed into his hand, he scanned the room in search of Sam.
    “Would you all excuse me?” Nick asked the others. As he made his escape, he realized he didn’t see Sam’s family either. After circling the big room, he finally ducked into John’s office. Of course, it was his office now, but Nick would probably always think of it as John’s. He found Sam staring out the window at the Washington Monument off in the distance.
    “Hey, babe,” he said, closing the door. “I was looking for you.”
    She turned to him with a small smile. “Here I am.”
    “Everything all right?”
    “Uh-huh. You?”
    “Yep. Did your dad leave?”
    She nodded. “They all said to tell you congratulations and they’ll see you later at the party. Celia wanted my dad to rest up before tonight.”
    “What’re you thinking about?” he asked, as he massaged her shoulders.
    She turned to him. “Just about everything that happened to put you in this office.”
    “We need to put that behind us,” Nick said. Touching his lips to hers, he was startled by the charge of desire even though he knew he should be used to it by now. He wondered if it would always be like that between them and suspected it would. Their connection had spanned six years and survived her manipulative ex-husband Peter’s efforts to keep them apart. “Everything’s new today. It’s a new beginning for both of us.” His hands shifted from her waist up to cup her face as she ran her tongue over his bottom lip. He gasped. “I wish we could fly away right now, today, to somewhere