Primary Decision (The Worthington Destiny Book #3)

Kevin Leman Dr., Jeff Nesbit

Description

Forces Conspire to Take the Worthington Family DownSarah Worthington never expected to become the US attorney general--at least not this early in her career. Plunged into the vicious vetting process, with all sides digging for secrets in her family closet, she steels herself for the path forward. Nothing will deter her from making her mark on the world in the biggest way possible--even if that means prosecuting the current president of the United States. Yet powerful forces conspire behind the scenes to take the Worthington family down, and the president orders her to close the investigation. Will she comply? Or turn the tables to pursue her ultimate dream--the US presidency? This exciting conclusion to The Worthington Destiny series will have readers on the edge of their seats--just in time for the 2016 presidential race.

Sujets

• Political
• Politics
• Thriller

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 18 octobre 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781493404094
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
© 2016 by Dr. Kevin Leman and Jeff Nesbit
Published by Revell
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.revellbooks.com
Ebook edition created 2016
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4934-0409-4
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
“To those who are given much, much is required” is a paraphrase of Luke 12:48.
Edited by Ramona Cramer Tucker
Dedication
To all those curious enough to seek, question, and forge their own path in life.
And to those who choose to do the right thing, no matter the consequences.
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Glossary
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
Epilogue
Bonus Feature: Birth Order Secrets
Acknowledgments
About Dr. Kevin Leman
About Jeff Nesbit
Resources by Dr. Kevin Leman
Back Ads
Back Cover
Glossary
AF: American Frontier
AG: Attorney General
DA: District Attorney
DHS: Department of Homeland Security
DOJ: Department of Justice
FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation
GOP: Grand Old Party (Republican Party)
JC: Judiciary Committee
NGO: Non-governmental organization
NYPD: New York Police Department
RNC: Republican National Convention
1
R USSELL S ENATE O FFICE B UILDIN G W ASHINGTON , D.C.
Tension crackled in the air.
All eyes in the room swiveled toward attorney general nominee Sarah Worthington.
“You don’t think it’s an issue?” The dark eyes of Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Phelps pierced Sarah with an accusatory glare. “That, should you be confirmed as the head of the Department of Justice, that same department will be prosecuting American Frontier? The very company for which your brother is CEO? In one of the biggest oil disasters our country has ever faced?”
It wasn’t the first targeted barb she’d faced from the 18-member committee during the all-day vetting session. Arrows had flown from both majority and minority members inside the dark wood–paneled room of the Russell Senate Office Building.
Sarah didn’t flinch. Steely gaze met steely gaze. “I believe I have already answered that question from multiple venues in the past eight hours, Mr. Chairman. But let me be even clearer. I will do the right thing always, no matter the cost to me personally.” She lifted her chin. “Just like every member in my family has done in every venture they’ve been involved with. And that includes my brother Will at American Frontier.”
She could have said much more. Her natural instinct was to defend her family from completely off-the-mark comments. But long ago she’d learned from Will that staying calm under fire and using fewer words was better. People had less ammunition for their arguments. From her other brother, Sean, she’d assimilated the masterful art of negotiation—seeing both sides of any situation. The members of the JC were merely doing their job. She’d already gone rounds with their questions not only about her work on past cases with the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, but also about her two brothers’ recently aborted political runs—Will’s for the Senate seat in New York, and Sean’s for governor of New York.
But the intensity of questioning and the flash of cameras in the press gallery had built into what now threatened to be a migraine. Sarah was tired of sitting behind the same nine-by-twelve black-cloth table.
Tired of being grilled by senators who had to sit in the same room but didn’t like each other. It was like watching adolescent boys trying to one-up each other on the playground by flexing their muscles.
Tired of the lukewarm water in the plastic pitchers next to her, since the ice had long ago melted.
The chairman gave a short, dismissive nod. “That concludes our business here today. Voting will proceed at the next session. We thank you for your time, Ms. Worthington.”
Sarah swiftly gathered her papers and stashed them in her briefcase. She was glad for the previous meetings with the legislative affairs staff at the White House to prepare her for the vetting process. The White House staff had warned her that the JC process would be ugly—that she’d likely receive vengeful challenges from surprise quarters. Her nomination by President Rich, whose tirades earned him increasingly wide enemies and fair-weather friends even within his Republican camp, and the fact she’d somehow vaulted over several rungs of Department of Justice leaders had raised suspicions in both Democrat and Republican wings. That she was a woman didn’t help with the male old-timers on the JC, especially when only two of the previous 80-plus US attorney generals had been women. That she was from a well-known blue-blood family headlined often by the media notched up the controversy further.
The White House staff had assumed the threat of any weaknesses being exposed would scare Sarah. Instead that threat made her more determined to face down any bullies. She would not cave in. America needed strong, dependable leaders with courage, expertise, and long-range discernment. She had determined long ago to be in those ranks. The only questions had been exactly where and when.
From the earliest moment she could remember, her father, Bill Worthington, had drilled into her mind the mantra that continually drove her: “To those who are given much, much is required.”
So, at the end of those prior meetings with the legislative affairs staff, she’d only said, “Let’s get to work then. I do not intend to lose this.”
Now the vetting session she’d prepared for was over. The Senate Judiciary Committee would call a vote at a later date. If that vote was in her favor, the matter would go to the Senate floor next. Then the full Senate vote would likely take a few weeks, even a month.
The long and short of it was, if she was confirmed, she’d be the new head of the Department of Justice and serve on the president’s cabinet. She intended to use that power for good, no matter who she’d have to face off with.
Now, though, after the intensity of the grilling she’d just gone through with the JC, she knew the road ahead would likely be harder than she’d ever dreamed.

N EW Y ORK C ITY
Will Worthington had felt conflicted all morning and into the afternoon during his high-powered Worthington Shares meetings. Sarah was taking a big step today. He was worried, and not only about her. Her being vetted as attorney general meant a lot of people would be digging deeply into the secrets of the Worthington family. Less than a year ago, that wouldn’t have concerned him in the least. Now, well . . .
He checked the time. Hopefully she’d be out of the Judiciary Committee vetting session. He speed-dialed her cell and asked without preamble, “So, how did it go?”
She laughed. “Typical big brother, cutting to the chase.” Then her voice sobered. “It was intense. Very intense.”
Anxiety flickered again. “Anything in particular?”
There was a pause. “Nearly everything. I haven’t had a chance to filter through any of it. I left the room only minutes ago. I’m not even in the limo yet.”
He took a breath. It was now or never. He had to ask, even though he was certain what her response would be. “Sure you want to do this?”
“Why—you think I’m not up to it?” Her tone turned testy.
So, he gathered, it had been a much harder day than even his unconquerable sister had imagined.
“No, that’s not it,” he replied gently. “I learned the hard way never to underestimate my little sister.”
“What is it then?” He didn’t have to be standing next to her to picture her scowl and narrowed eyes.
He steeled himself to stay calm. It was something he’d learned well from their father. “Stay calm and you stay in control,” Bill Worthington always said. “As soon as you lose your cool, you lose control and the other person gains it.”
“This isn’t just about you, you know,” Will said. “They’ll be digging a lot into our family too.”
“You mean that crazy rumor that floats around about where Worthington money originally came from?” Her short laugh was sarcastic. “Seriously, Will.”
“But they could care about the photos of Sean.” He didn’t need to say which photos.
“As far as public sentiment is concerned, that case is as dead and buried as the bomber,” she said in the hushed but meaning-business tone she’d perfected when in a crowd. “Sandstrom’s in jail. Nobody cares that some no-name blew a chunk out of a corporate building anymore.”
“But you care, or you wouldn’t still be digging,” he shot back. “And it’s still Sean’s face on those photos. They could pop up anywhere, anytime. You know that. I know that. And Mom and Dad have no idea.”
At that minute Drew, Will’s right-hand man and mentor, caught Will’s eye and pointed to his watch. Will nodded. They were already a couple of minutes late for a potential acquisitions meeting.
“We can talk later.” He ended the call.
Apprehension prickled down his back. Trying to shake it off so he could focus on the coming meeting, he walked briskly toward Drew. But the feeling of trouble on the horizon remained.
She has no idea just how deep and far this could go .

M APUTO , M OZAMBIQUE
Sean Worthington had been in Maput