Page 16 of Power & Punishment

“Save it, Mia,” her date says. “I can’t believe I thought you changed. I’m leaving.”

“No, Keith!” she yells, with her hands still braced against my chest. What kind of name is fucking Keith?

She turns back toward me with worry wrinkling her forehead. “I need to go after him.”

“I thought you said he was just a friend,” I breathe out, frustration settling in my stomach.

“I’m such an idiot. I shouldn’t have said that. I⁠—"

“He’s already gone,” I whisper, attempting to pull her back into the moment. “Let me make you forget all about him.”

“No,” she says, pushing her hands against my chest. This time I let her. “This was fun, but I can’t do this. I’ve got to go.”

Before she can get too far, I grab her forearm and pull her back. “If you walk away, we’re done. I don’t give second chances.”

Her doe eyes hover on mine in contemplation, and it might just be the blood pumping straight to my southern region, but I swear she considers it. And then she does the weirdest thing. She smiles.

“I’m fine with that, but this isn’t over. I’ll see you soon, Leo DeLuca.”

If I was a simpler man, my jaw might have hit the floor. But instead, I stand there and watch as she disappears back into the crowd.

I may not know her, but she certainly knows me.

Without even thinking, my phone is in my hand, dialing the most important number in my contact list.

“Yes,” Michael answers, not bothering with a formal greeting.

“I need you to find a woman for me.”

He sighs. “That’s not a part of my job description.”

I ignore his snide comment and continue, “Her name is Mia. Brown eyes. Brown hair. She was here tonight with a man named Keith.”

That last part comes out a little bitter, but thankfully Michael doesn’t notice.

“That’s all you have?”

“That’s all you should need,” I say, pressing my hand against the wall I had her pressed up against. It’s still warm. “Find out everything.”

“Done,” he says before the line goes dead.

Anticipation crests inside me. I’m glad she didn’t give me a last name.

I love a good chase.

The second I get home, I’m ready to melt into my chair with a smooth glass of bourbon. That seems like the best option to distract me from the obsession I feel slowly twisting around my brain.

But fate has other plans as I spot Michael emptying the very expensive bottle into a glass of his own. “You better have good news, or I might be tempted to break that bottle over your skull.”

He chuckles, lifting the glass to his lips and taking a long drag.

Fucking asshole.

“You’re lucky I’m good at my job.”

“Just cut to the chase already. My ego and dick are not having a good night.”

“Your late-night rendezvous just so happens to be one of the detectives investigating Vince Russo’s death.”