Page 18 of Power & Punishment

She probably thinks she’s untouchable. Everyone thinks that way until they’re proven wrong.

“She stole my data without a warrant and with strict instruction from the commissioner to leave me alone,” I continue. “Not to mention, she ran an illegal op. That’s misconduct at best, but I’ll make sure it’s career-ending for her. She thought she was the hunter, but she just stepped into my territory, and it’s time for her to pay.”

Michael nods slowly, absorbing my words and carefully deliberating his next response. He’s always been cold and calculating like this. It’s the reason I hired him. “There’s something else you should know.”

“What?” I ask, leaning back on my heels. As if this night could get any more twisted. But still my mouth waters with the promise of destruction.

“I know something else that will guarantee she cooperates.”

“Enough with the theatrics. Just spit it out already.”

He shakes his head with the smallest smile. “Detective Esposito is living a double life. Vince Russo isn’t just another case for her.”

“I knew that bastard had a mistress. There’s no way blondie satisfied a man like that.”

It’s quick, but I catch Michael’s jaw clench, making nerves twist inside my chest. He is loyal, but I never let my guard down around him. He is a scary man, and for now, it works in my favor. But I know our relationship is circumstantial.

“I wasn’t sure at first. I knew Vince sent her away after their father’s death, but I didn’t think she’d be dumb enough to come back. But then I recovered some paperwork filed when she was a kid changing her last name.”

“And?” I ask.

“Mia wasn’t fucking Vince. She’s his sister.”

Holy shit.

A slow smile creeps up my lips.

Finally, my ticket to getting to the other Russo brother.

7

MIA

“Why do you keep touching your lips?” Keith asks, narrowing his eyes.

“No reason,” I say, quickly shoving my hands back to my lap. A little too quickly, and Keith knows it too. Thankfully, he just rolls his eyes and goes back to his computer screen full of sweet stolen data.

I can’t believe we pulled it off.

Then again, I can’t believe I kissed him.

That wasn’t a part of the original plan. All I wanted to do was get Leo in a compromising position so Keith could catch us and I’d have time to swipe his phone. But Keith was taking his sweet time, and I knew it was going to take more than some witty banter to slip my hands into his coat.

The worst part is his lips were better than I imagined. I wanted to lose myself in those velvety soft pillows of pure seduction and I would’ve if Keith never showed up. I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if I let things go a little further.

It all worked out in the end. Well, except for the lingering tingles I keep feeling all over every time I picture his body against mine.

“Find anything?” I ask, poking my head around my own screen.

He doesn’t answer right away. His fingers pause midair and his bottom lip falls open. My stomach rolls in either excitement or anxiety. I can’t really tell the difference anymore.

“What is it?”

Keith leans closer to his desktop, using his mouse to scroll back up and zoom in. His lips contort into a straight line, and his jaw seems to tighten in a way that makes my skin crawl.

“I found something weird,” he mutters, pulling his gaze away from the screen long enough to do a quick sweep of the precinct to make sure no one is listening. I do my own scan, and the place is basically a ghost town except for a uniform escorting a very underdressed and intoxicated woman to our holding cell.

“Good, like we can nail this asshole, weird. Or bad, we’re both going to get fired, weird,” I say, getting up from my desk and dragging my seat next to his. When I look at his screen, there are lines of logs and timestamps that look like pure gibberish to me.