Page 9 of Power & Punishment

“I don’t like where this is going,” she muses before crossing her arms.

“It’s less of a favor and more of an assignment,” I say, trying to justify what I’m about to ask. “I need you to pop over to my place during lunch and scare this woman off. You can pretend you’re my girlfriend or whatever you come up with.”

Georgia’s lips wrinkle together in disgust. She’s put up with every ounce of bullshit I’ve thrown at her and yet, she’s still here. She’ll never admit it, but I think I add some spice to her life. “Fine, but I want a raise.”

“You’re a councilman’s assistant, Georgia,” I deadpan, lowering my brows. “I pay you too much as it is.”

“Have fun with your new live-in,” she counters with a smile before turning away from me.

“Fine,” I growl. “Just make sure she’s gone by the time I get home.”

“Yes, sir.” She smiles, perking up. “Oh, and Adrian is here to see you.”

“Of course he is,” I say, shaking my head. “Send him in.”

Georgia slips out, leaving the door cracked just enough for Adrian to slip through. My mood lightens when I see the smug grin on his face. He is one of the few people in this entire building that I tolerate. He is also one of the few that know exactly how I landed this position because that’s how he got here too.

Adrian walks into my office and fills the space with his broad shoulders and dark tailored suit. He has a way of commanding every room he walks into, whether they want him there or not.

“Rough morning?” he asks, dropping onto my couch. I stand up from my chair and walk around to the front of my desk.

“You could say that,” I mumble, leaning against the edge of my desk and crossing my arms. “I went to Russo’s funeral this morning.”

He nods, sinking deeper into the couch and claiming his space. “Funny you should mention Vince. That’s why I’m here.”

I arch a brow. “You here to offer your condolences?”

“Please.” Adrian smirks. “Don’t pretend like you two were best friends. You only tolerated him because he’s on Enzo’s payroll.”

That’s not entirely the truth, but I go along with it. “Fine, then get to the point.”

Adrian’s grin fades as he glances at the door before looking back at me. “The cops are looking into you.”

“And why the hell would they be doing that?”

“A couple of rookie detectives are looking into Vince’s murder, and your name is at the top of the suspect list. Apparently, someone caught wind of you being with him right before he was murdered.”

I push off the desk and attempt to shake off the tension building in my shoulders. The last thing I need is attention from the police. “I doubt they were able to find a witness. We were at Ristorante Ottaviani walking through that new legislation for Enzo, and no one in that area has the balls to snitch.”

“My guy says they found a valet ticket on Vince’s body.”

Dread fills my gut like wet cement. “That’s convenient,” I say, taking a few steps toward the window. “Sounds like someone is trying to set me up.”

“Maybe,” Adrian says, practically yawning, “but don’t worry, I called in a favor. They’re going to be chasing their tails for a while trying to get to you.”

“That’s not the point,” I growl, turning back toward him. “I don’t like my name being thrown around by a bunch of cops, especially when I had nothing to do with Vince’s murder.” Then again, I didn’t have a solid alibi either. The one time I go home alone and it’s going to bite me in the ass.

He shrugs, making irritation bubble up inside me. He’s always like this. So calm and collected. I swear the guy doesn’t let anything get to him.

“Relax. My guy is handling it. They won’t get so much as an interview from you.”

“I would say thank you, but I’m assuming this favor isn’t free,” I say, shoving my hands deep into my pockets. I wouldn’t respect the guy if he was just being nice. Friends or not, we both know how this world works.

“Get me a bottle of that expensive bourbon you’re always bragging about and we’ll call it even.” He smiles, dodging the rays from the early morning sunlight.

He starts toward the door but pauses and turns around. “One more thing, Leo. Make sure to keep a low profile while this blows over.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “When have I ever done that?”