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He grins at me as he answers, “He has a live session with Chris Jonas on Channel Eight tomorrow morning. Want me to reach out to Chris?”
“Yes, reach out.” A smile tugs at my lips. This couldn’t have worked out more perfectly.
Right now, because of his position and the way he’s been campaigning, if anything happens to him, all fingers will point at my family and the Marinos.
But if his crimes are exposed on live television, he becomes public enemy number one. He goes to prison, and everybody knows that once you’re behind bars, anything can happen. Fights break out between inmates all the time—and sometimes, there are casualties.
My smile widens.
The next morning, Vanya and I head to the castle to watch the live show with Aleksei. As Chris, the host, introduces himself and his guest on screen, Aleksei retrieves a bottle of Romanov Black Oak single malt—a thirty-five-year cask-strength he’s been saving for years.
“Seems like the right occasion to open this,” he says grimly, pouring generously.
And so, drinks in hand, the three of us sit back to watch the drama unfold.
It starts like any other interview Daniel Salvi has done since launching his campaign—except now he’s even more confident.
“I honestly can’t wait to rid this city of the stain the Petrovs and Marinos have left on it. Imagine a New York free from crime and shootouts between these criminal organizations. The people of this great city won’t regret making me their mayor.”
“I’m actually glad you brought that up,” Chris says, glancing down at his notes. “A concerned citizen reached out to me last night with an interesting question. They’re worried you’re so focused on the Petrovs and Marinos that you’re overlooking all the other criminal organizations operating in the city.”
“I’m not overlooking anyone, Chris,” Daniel answers without missing a beat. “Think of it this way: where there’s a sun, there are also shadows slinking around beneath it. Get rid of the sun, and the shadows have nowhere left to hide. Once the Petrovs and Marinos are behind bars, the others will be easy to catch.”
“Have you considered the possibility that these crimes you’ve been condemning are actually being committed by other criminals masquerading as the Petrovs and Marinos?”
This question gives him pause, but he’s quick to recover—he’s a politician, after all. “There’s no smoke without fire. If there’s nobody left to hide behind, there’ll be no one to pin their crimes on.”
Chris nods. “And what do you think of politicians trying to take advantage of these criminals to rise to power and even going as far as to orchestrate these crimes themselves?”
“What!?” The single word comes out much sharper than anything he’s said so far. Chris finally struck a nerve.
“As I said, I received a call from a concerned citizen last night, and the allegations they brought up are quite disturbing, Daniel.”
Daniel glances at the camera, then back at Chris, confusion flickering across his face. This isn’t in the script he was given, and for the first time, he doesn’t know how to respond. “Are you saying there are allegations against me?” he finally asks. “I imagine there are. These people I’m trying to bring down won’t go down without a fight. They’ll try to drag me down to their level to stop me. It’s up to the intelligent people of the city to see through these distractions and stay focused on our goal of eradicating them.”
“Speaking of that goal,” Chris continues evenly, “there are also concerns that another dangerous group is sponsoring your campaign specifically to eliminate the Petrovs and Marinos so they can seize power themselves.”
Daniel forces out a laugh that sounds anything but natural. “What are you implying, Chris? These accusations are ridiculous. Let’s get back to the issues that actually matter to the people of the city.”
“I have a video I’d like to show.” Chris picks up a remote and switches on the monitor positioned on the studio stage.
“This is my favorite part,” I tell my brothers as I sip my whiskey.
The video that plays is the one I sent Chris last night. A video I had immense pleasure putting together, showcasing all of Daniel’s activities with undeniable evidence, including recordings of his own voice on calls and footage of his own face in meetings. The camera catches Daniel in close-up. He’s gone sheet-white, mouth agape, as the evidence keeps coming.
“Wh-where did you get this? AI has gotten so good these days. This is why we should stand against AI and—” His panicked rambling is cut short when FBI agents walk onto the stage.
That’s the moment he knows he’s fucked. He bolts—or tries to. There’s nowhere for him to go. His Miranda rights are read as he’s caught, and he’s led off camera in handcuffs, still struggling, the sound of his protests fading as Chris turns back to face his audience and speaks calmly about the importance of recognizing wolves dressed as shepherds.
“This is James’s chance to swoop in for the kill,” Vanya says with a satisfied smile. “Considering how well he’s already been polling, I don’t think any of the remaining candidates can beat him.”
I nod in agreement. “Now we need to decide how to handle Daniel. Do you think he’ll give up his sponsor if properly motivated?” I never did find information on the bastard.
“It’s worth a try. We’ll let him languish in prison for a few months, then dangle his freedom in front of him and see whether he bites.” Aleksei pauses to sip his whiskey. “After that… he’ll have the misfortune of getting into a fight with the wrong inmate.”
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GRACE
