“Not ideal,” Farnsworth said on a huff of laughter. “That’s putting it mildly.” He glanced over his shoulder at her in the back. “The mayor will try to hard-sell you on the deputy chief thing again. You know that, right?”

“What? No, she won’t. We put that to rest.”

“You put it to rest. She hasn’t. It’s come up again several times since she first proposed it. She wants you.”

“I told her I don’t want it, and I haven’t changed my mind about that.”

“You should consider it, Sam,” the chief said. “It’d get you off the streets, which is more dangerous than ever for you now that Nick is president.”

A streak of panic cut through Sam, leaving her breathless. “Sir, with all due respect, I do not want to be deputy chief.”

“For what it’s worth,” Malone said, glancing at her in the rearview mirror, “I agree with him.”

Sam took a deep breath and tried to calm herself before she said things to her bosses that couldn’t be taken back. “I understand you’re concerned and that you both feel extra protective toward me because my dad is gone, and you were his best friends. But please… Don’t encourage her on this. I’d rather retire than be the deputy chief, and I’m not in any way interested in retiring either.”

“We do worry about you,” Malone said. “More than any other officer on our team. Everyone knows who you are, and you’d make for a very appealing prize.”

“Which is why I have the detail—and a partner. I appreciate the concern. I really do, but I’m fine. Nothing needs to change.”

Sam’s BlackBerry dinged with a text from Nick. Nevins has been arraigned on federal terrorism charges and threatening the life of the president. The ATF found bomb-making materials in his house and tied him to the device that was left at the gates. One less thing to worry about.

That’s good news, she replied, wishing she could tell him her new worry—that the captain and chief would insist on moving her to an admin role that didn’t interest her in any way. But he’d know it was because of him, and he’d hate that. So she kept it to herself, even as the panicky feeling stuck with her. They couldn’t force her to take a job, could they?

That question spiked her anxiety. “What happened with Ramsey and Lucas?” she asked, eager to change the subject.

“She took over his cases after he was fired, and now he wants them back,” Malone said. “Lucas has made progress on them and didn’t want to give them up. He went off on her, and I sent him home.”

“Is she okay?”

“She’s fine. She sat back and let him do what he does and didn’t say a word, according to witnesses.”