“No,” Rachel said, turning to walk away into the gray morning. “I’m a survivor. There’s a difference.”
Rachel smiled. It was the smile of a woman who had already played every move on the board. rachel steele gavin
The wind picked up, rattling the bare branches above them. Rachel stepped closer, her heels clicking like metronomes of doom. “No,” Rachel said, turning to walk away into
“You’ve been digging,” Rachel said without preamble. It was the smile of a woman who
Rachel laughed—a dry, brittle sound. “Insurance? Gavin, I built you. When you were a nobody state rep with a DUI and a dying campaign, who gave you the playbook? Who wiped the slate clean, not once, not twice, but a dozen times? Those emails aren’t insurance. They’re proof of my loyalty.”
“Loyalty?” Gavin’s voice cracked. “You threatened to release them if I didn’t kill the offshore energy bill. I saw the memo, Rachel. Your fingerprints are all over it.”