Cannon (Savage Kings MC - South Carolina Book Series 5) by Lane Hart (simple ebook reader txt) 📕

“You look beautiful,” I tell her. Instead of the compliment warming her eyes, I swear it just makes her look pissed before she walks away from me.

Madison

When Cannon insisted on coming to the debate, I let him tag along but didn’t tell him the real reason why I agreed. Just having him close comforts me and makes me feel safe. As nervous as I am about being on camera and going at it with Bailey, I need him there. I wish I didn’t, but I do. And if I can keep Cannon away from Bailey so he can’t rile him up, everything should be fine. I hope he does make the former cop nervous.

I’ve practiced and prepared so much the last few days, I know I’m ready.

The only thing distracting me as I watch the crew set up the lecterns on the stage is what Cannon said before we left the office.

He told me I was beautiful.

And my first reaction was that I wanted to smack him for his comment.

How dare he say things like that when we’re supposed to be ‘keeping our distance’ from each other?

“You okay?” Lily whispers.

“Yes.”

“I could hear your teeth grinding together,” she explains. “You really can’t wait to destroy Bailey on camera, can you?”

I push away thoughts of Cannon to focus on the task ahead of me.

“Yes, it’ll be fun. He deserves to be called out, because I’m certain he doesn’t know anything about running a city. All he wants is the power.”

“Give him hell,” she says with a smile.

Half an hour later and I’m answering the questions from the moderator calmly and coolly. Bailey has kept his answers very, very short, which leaves me with less room to call him out. But still, I’ve held my own when asked about the city’s financial future, tax increases, bringing more jobs, and increasing tourism. And while I may be sweating profusely under my arms thanks to my nerves and all the heat from the lights on stage, at least no one else can see it thanks to my suit. Bailey, on the other hand, has sweat dripping down so fast from his balding head that he’s had to whip out a handkerchief from his suit pocket every time he thinks the camera goes back to me. Poor bastard has no idea that they’re using split screens so that the viewers at home can watch our reactions to each other’s remarks.

“All right. We’re about out of time tonight,” John Dodson, the local political science professor serving as the moderator tonight, says.

My eyes search for and find Cannon behind the cameras as I sigh in relief that I made it through this. Even in the dark, I can see the flash of his white teeth when he smiles at me, and I know it means he’s happy for me and proud of me.

John goes on to say, “I want to thank you both for being here tonight to answer my many questions, and now we’ll close the debate by allowing you each to have two minutes for closing remarks. Ms. Monroe, you’re up first.”

“Thank you, Mr. Dodson,” I reply with a confident smile. “I believe that after tonight, everyone in this great city can see that I am more than capable of serving as mayor, while my opponent, Mr. Bailey, would be more suited for serving a prison sentence.”

Bailey gasps loudly into his mic that is still on.

“Don’t pretend to be innocent now,” I tell him. “In fact, the list of your offenses is a long one. Everyone knows that you were responsible for sending two men to hurt me and threaten me in my home. You attacked the business interests of people who dared to oppose you, and you had your own daughter kidnapped because you were worried about how her behavior may impact your public image!”

I glance away from the camera to see Bailey’s stunned face. The clock in front of John shows I still have more than a minute remaining when he interrupts, losing his temper just as I hoped he would on camera.

“How dare you…you uppity bitch! You’re the one who’s been screwing a dozen low-life bikers for cash to finance your campaign. You’re nothing but a goddamn whore!”

Everyone in the entire studio gasps because we’re broadcasting live and everyone at home just heard Bailey swearing. I would’ve let the bitch remark go, but it’s the whore one that makes me want to ram my fist into his face.

Apparently, I’m not the only one who wants to make him hurt. There’s a blur of black and denim and then Cannon is socking Bailey right in his jaw, so hard that the fat man drops like a ton of bricks. It only takes a glance at his still form on the floor to know he’s out cold.

“Oh my god,” I gasp as Cannon stands over him, chest heaving, fists clenched like he wants to keep pounding on him. “Don’t!” I beg him.

The entire news crew stands silent and frozen before the “LIVE” light goes off and then four guys in all black security guard uniforms come for Cannon.

“Get that maniac out of here!” a man says before he kneels down next to Bailey. It’s probably his campaign manager or friend, because no one else bothers checking on him.

“Jesus Christ,” one of the crew says, then a woman is coming over to help me remove my mic.

“I’ve never seen anything like that before,” she says as she unclips the part from my collar. “And I’ve worked here for twenty years!”

“That was crazy,” I agree as I watch security slap a pair of handcuffs on Cannon. Dammit. What was he thinking?

“Crazy? It was absolutely wonderful!” she gushes. “What woman doesn’t want a man to come to her defense like that?”

“It wasn’t smart. Now he’s going to be arrested and thrown in jail,” I remark, keeping the “with his twin brother” comment to myself.

Security leans Cannon against a news desk to pat him