Page 36 of Power & Punishment
“Adrian,” I smile, turning toward the entrance of my office.
He smiles back, sauntering over to one of the chairs in front of my desk. “What’s on your mind?” he asks.
“Oh, just how much of a pain in the ass it’s going to be to get this new ordinance passed,” I sigh, rubbing a hand through the scruff starting to pop up across my jawline.
“I wouldn’t worry too much about it,” Adrian says, unbuttoning his jacket and leaning forward. “We’ve got it in the bag.”
“I don’t know why you’re so confident. Councilman Williams is breathing down my neck about the optics. She thinks it favors certain businesses and not others.” Which is completely true, but I’ll never admit it. Just like I’ll never admit that I have no interest in getting this thing passed beyond being on Enzo Caruso’s good side.
Adrian hums, considering my words like he always does, but we both know that silence leaves room for the other person to doubt themselves.
“Williams doesn’t care. She’s like everyone else on the council—she cares about who’s going to remember her name come election season. We just need to make sure she remembers who the real benefactors of this borough are.”
I raise a brow and tilt my chin. “You make our profession sound so noble. What if she’s just looking out for the little guy?”
“Then she’s in the wrong field,” he replies easily. “I’ll talk to Williams.”
“No, I’ll talk to her again,” I say, flexing my hand. “I happen to know that her husband enjoys spending his nights at an underground BDSM club in Manhattan. If Williams doesn’t want to play her part, I’m sure she wouldn’t mind me leaking that information to the press.”
Adrian’s mouth quirks. “It pays to keep the right people happy. Enzo knows that better than anyone.”
I fight the urge to roll my eyes. “Yep. Smart man,” I say, the answer coming out flat and unenthusiastic.
Adrian tracks my disinterest with a dark focus. “I decided to keep an eye on the Russo investigation.”
The hair on the back of my neck stands up. “I thought you took care of that.”
“I did,” he says, rising to his feet. His head falls one inch shorter than mine, but his ego gives him an extra boost. “But I hear the detectives won’t back off.”
His comment immediately fills my head with images of that red dress. “I don’t have anything to hide,” I say evenly. “Besides, every lead she’s chasing passes through someone who knows better than to cross me.”
“She?” he asks casually.
“I met the girl at that gala the other night,” I say, recovering quickly from my fuck up. “Trust me, she’ll back down.”
Adrian’s brows push together before smoothing out again. “I just hope she knows that people who dig too close to the Carusos usually get the wrong kind of attention.”
“If she crosses a line, I’ll handle it. Trust me, soon she’ll have to label this one a cold case,” I suggest.
He accepts the answer as his shoulders sink to a relaxed position. “Good. I knew you’d have it under control. After you take care of Williams, keep putting that smile of yours to good use and the rest of the city council will be on board.”
“I know the drill,” I say, keeping my voice light.
I don’t care what happens to Mia Esposito after I’m done with her.
The problem is I can’t seem to figure out exactly when I’ll be done.
Michael parks a block away from the small boxing gym that sits on the corner of the street. The building has blacked-out windows covered in pale grey graffiti and cardboard that’s barely patching up the cracked glass underneath. I’d doubt the place was even open if Michael didn’t scope it out first.
“I’m surprised she hasn’t gotten herself killed already,” I mutter, adjusting my jacket. “If I ruin my shoes, I’m billing you.”
Michael keeps his eyes pinned ahead, barely acknowledging me. He only speaks when I go to open the door. “Where are you going?”
“Into the gym? I thought we were tailing them.”
“We are,” he says with a pained expression on his face. “But the second you walk in with your designer suit, the entire gym is going to know you’re there.”
I grind my molars together. “Fine. You go in then.”
