Nothing to Lose by Angela Winters Read Free Book Online

become like him. Doesn’t that seem likely? What do you guys think?”
    â€œWe’d never let that happen,” Billie said. “Would we, Sherise?”
    They both turned to Sherise, who wasn’t paying either of them any attention. She was looking at the television screen, which was showing the U.S. Senate voting on President Matthews’s nomination to replace the vice president. It was House Majority Leader Leonard McGarry. The House had already voted, by majority, to elect him vice president. With this vote in the Senate, it would be a done deal. The country would have a new vice president.
    â€œSherise!” Billie yelled at her.
    She swung around. “What? What did I miss?”
    â€œErica needs our advice,” she urged.
    â€œNever mind,” Erica said. “She hates Jonah more than anyone. She can’t be objective.”
    Sherise’s expression went grim. “Fuck Jonah Nolan. Fuck everything about him.”
    She saw Erica’s mouth open and pointed directly at her. “Say one word!”
    Erica quickly shut her mouth, but she let a smile escape as she looked at Billie, who just shook her head.
    â€œYou’re both ridiculous,” Billie said.
    â€œI don’t like this choice,” Sherise said. “McGarry.”
    â€œHe’s harmless,” Billie said.
    â€œHe has no interest in national politics,” Sherise indicated. “He’s only serving for the rest of this term. He’s not going to be on the ticket for the second term and it’s an election year. We need to know who we’re fighting.”
    â€œYou’re not fighting anyone right now,” Billie said. “We’re united under our president right now.”
    â€œYes, but it’s all a waiting game.” Sherise’s tone expressed extreme agitation as she glanced down at the phone in her hand. “I hate waiting. It’s a position lacking power.”
    It was someone else’s job to find out who the most likely candidates would be, people with stronger connections than her own. She scrolled her e-mails and saw no new updates. She needed to call and check in.
    â€œI have to make a call,” Sherise said as she slid back her chair. “It’s too noisy in here.”
    As she stood up, Sherise felt a sudden rush to her head and the room started to spin. She grabbed the edge of the table as she felt the phone drop out of her hand. She heard one of the girls—she couldn’t tell which—say her name before everything went black.

3
    â€œJ ustin!” Billie yelled his name the second she saw him enter the hallway at George Washington University Hospital. When she got his attention, she waved him over.
    Justin rushed over to her like lightning. She could see the look of pure anguish on his face as he reached her.
    â€œWhere is she?” he demanded. “Where is she?”
    â€œCalm down.” Billie placed her hand on his arm to try and calm him, but he jerked away.
    Things were weird concerning Justin and the girls. From his end, he knew they learned about Sherise’s affair with Ryan and the possibility that Cady might not be his daughter before he did. He knew that they would have never told him, as long as Sherise asked them not to.
    From their end, both girls still knew about Sherise’s affair with Jonah. They knew they could never tell Justin, although there was a part of them that believed he deserved to know. It all made for awkward interactions; but right now, all anyone was thinking about was Sherise.
    â€œWhere is she?” he repeated.
    Billie pointed to the room just a few feet away, where Erica was standing, trying to see through the small window in the door.
    Erica jumped aside just in time as he reached the door and swung it open. She snuck a quick peek and noticed Sherise was awake and sitting up in the hospital bed with the doctor standing beside her. That was a good sign, wasn’t it? When the