Forever Love (Arabesque) Read Free Page A

again. He was desperate and he was treacherous—two very dangerous attributes.
    “All set,” Blake said, placing his hand on Keith’s shoulder.
    “Yeah, in a few minutes,” Keith said, still looking around. He took a deep uneasy breath and released it slowly, shaking his head. “This doesn’t feel right. Dad,” he said, nodding at the men standing just inside the entranceway. “You know you really don’t have to do this. All the polls confirm it. You’re eight points ahead.”
    “With five points give or take. This election is still too close to call. Jameson still has a very strong following. It could still go either way.”
    “But you don’t really need this exposure.”
    “And that’s exactly why I’m doing this, Keith. It’s not about the polls or the numbers or the exposure. It’s about pressing flesh, shaking hands and getting to know my constituents. It’s about getting out of the office and meeting the people who matter. You know I’ve always done this and I’m gonna continue to do it even after I’m out of office.”
    Keith nodded. He knew his father was right. Blake Washington loved being with people, and people loved being with him.
    Preston finished to a very impressive round of applause. Blake’s friend Ace Miller stood up to the podium and, seeing Keith, nodded. Keith opened the door as the announcement was made. Blake entered and everyone turned to see him walk in smiling and waving. He shook hands all the way to the podium. Keith stood, watching Lester. The jealous fire in his eyes was obvious.
    Moments later Blake stepped up to the podium and shook hands with his friend and the other candidates on the stage. He took the microphone as the open show of praise intensified. He nodded his head gratefully as the crowd began to settle down. He thanked everybody for coming, then walked down into the crowd and spoke briefly about his hopes and plans for the future of the city. Applause and standing ovations praised the speech throughout. Afterward he took questions and listened to comments and concerns. That’s when everything changed.
    A few very positive comments and insightful questions began the segment. Then a young man stood at the center microphone. But to everyone’s stunned surprise, his comment wasn’t just a simple concern of interest about the general welfare of the city. It was accusatory and aggressive, laced with specific unverified allegations about corruption and misappropriations of funds.
    The next few comments continued on the same vein of polite, but assertive aggression. Several people in the audience grumbled in defense of the mayor as it became obvious that this was an ambush. These weren’t constituents here to speak and air their concerns with their mayor. These were professional rabble-rousers put in place to stir trouble.
    Keith knew a setup when he saw one, but that didn’t concern him. He knew his father would handle the situation easily. What concerned him was that this was a strategically formulated plan and he knew someone sitting in this very room was responsible. The people asking questions were merely mouthpiece puppets—somebody worked the strings.
    He looked around the room with more intent. Everyone was looking at his father, paying attention to what was going on, except for a man across the hall looking directly at him. The smug gleeful expression on his face was evident. This was the puppeteer he was looking for.
    Keith didn’t recognize him at first, and then he did. He’d seen him a few times. He worked for a community service organization, and right now that satisfied smirk on his face was a dead giveaway.
    Keith watched as he leaned over and said something to the woman standing beside him. She turned and looked across the room. Their eyes met and held. Keith’s expression didn’t change, nor did hers. After a few seconds she looked away quickly, but her companion continued to stare in an almost rapturous delight. He wasn’t just happy, he