“C’mon, Counselor. Work with me here. I’m trying to make the best of things.” He half-turned on the couch, draping his body across Colin’s lap, giving a contented sigh as Colin’s arms instinctively closed around him, pulling him closer. For several minutes, they held each other in peaceful silence, eyes closed, savoring their soul-deep unity. Joshua’s face nestled against Colin’s throat, his fist gently clutching a fold of his husband’s shirt. Colin’s hand traced comforting paths along Joshua’s spine before sliding up to thread through the silken strands of Joshua’s hair, relishing the sensation as the warm, thick curls twined around his fingers.
Colin drew in a long, deep breath. “Jesus, I love this,” he whispered. “When I close my eyes…” he leaned back far enough to meet Joshua’s eyes, “…it almost feels like we’re home.”
“You told me once that ‘home’ was wherever I was.” He smiled and caressed Colin’s cheek. “Well… here I am.”
CHAPTER SIX
LET'S MAKE A DEAL
Three weeks had passed since Colin and Joshua’s forced relocation to the Omni Hotel, and in that time, Charlottesville law enforcement had made it their life’s work to turn up the heat on Elias Moreno. His businesses had been hit with a relentless wave of scrutiny. Routine inspections, surprise audits, and police visits that disrupted operations and put his employees on edge were now a daily occurrence. More than one of his associates had been hauled in for questioning, and while none had cracked yet, the message was clear: Moreno was no longer untouchable.
At city hall, Esther Jackson’s desk was a battlefield of legal chaos—police reports, witness statements, and thick manila folders scattered in disarray. Some lay open, sticky notes flagging key sections. Others bore scrawled notes in the margins, some in Colin’s bold, decisive script, others in Norman Clayton’s neat, precise printing.
Esther sighed and reached for her mug of lukewarm coffee, but her gesture stilled when the phone next to her rang. “Yes?” she said, lifting it to her ear.
“The mayor’s on line one, ma’am.”
“Oh lord,” Esther breathed out. “Thank you, Sheila.”
She punched the button. “Good morning, Mr. Mayor. What can I do for you?”
“Esther, I spoke with Ryan Edwards this morning, and he’s all over me about this Moreno business. He’s very concerned, and, frankly, so am I.”
“Mr. Mayor, I’m dealing with a death threat directed at one of my attorneys and the cold-blooded murder of one of this office’s informants.Bothof which are directly connected to Moreno Enterprises. Are you or Mr. Edwards suggesting I should back off?”
“I’m as worried about Colin as you are, Esther. I’m simply reminding you of the kind of power Elias Moreno wields in this town. We both know he doesn’t do business solely with criminals. Ryan Edwards owns one of the largest corporations in Charlottesville. He employs hundreds of our citizens, and his business ventures are completely legal.”
“Mr. Mayor, I appreciate Mr. Edward’s position in this community. But my job is to prosecute people who break the law. And I don’t check their client list before I do so.”
“No one is proposing anything of the kind, Esther.I want to be sure we’re not—shall we say—escalating the situation unnecessarily. Ryan’s already hearing complaints from his board.”
Esther leaned back, her tone dry as a bone. “Interesting choice of words, Mr. Mayor. And what would you have me tell Colin Campbell-Abrams—one of this city’s most capable prosecutors—that keeping him and his husband alive is too much of an inconvenience? That protecting his life and Joshua’s is—” she let the word hang between them like a challenge—“bad for business?”
There was a prolonged silence, and then the mayor spoke. “Now hold on—no one’s saying that! I need to know if this level of force is necessary.”
“In my opinion, Mr. Mayor, this level of force is not only necessary but compulsory! We’re not dealing with a gang of teenage street thugs or a pack of drunken frat boys. These are hardened criminals who have already demonstrated their willingness to murder Charlottesville citizens in order to protect their unlawful activities.”
There was a sharp rap on her door, and Colin stuck his head in. When he saw she was on the phone, he frowned and started to back away, but Esther motioned him into a chair, pressing a finger to her lips in a plea for silence. She pointed to the phone and silently mouthed, “The mayor.”
“Esther, you think I don’t care about keeping Colin safe? I want these criminals arrested, but I need to see a plan that doesn’t put civilians and officers at unnecessary risk. The press is circling. I’m not saying no—I’m saying let’s be smart.”
Colin settled into the chair, his eyes flicking between Esther and the phone. He couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, but he didn’t need to. The tightness in Esther’s jaw, the clipped precision of her words—he’d spent enough time in courtrooms and behind-the-scenes negotiations to recognize a brawl wrapped in diplomatic double-talk.
He leaned forward, his voice low and dangerous.“What’s his goddamn problem, Esther?”
Esther lifted a hand, asking for silence.
“We’re conducting this investigation with full awareness of the risks, Mr. Mayor. If you want to discuss our plans moving forward, I suggest we set up a meeting with you and all the primary participants.”
Colin’s fingers tapped against the chair, a hard breath hissing out as his upper lip tightened over his teeth.
Esther’s head gave a quick snap as the mayor spoke again, cautioning Colin to remain silent. “I don’t think that’s necessary at this point, Esther. But I would like to be kept in theloop regarding future police operations against Moreno-run businesses.”
“Certainly, Mr. Mayor,” she replied, then hung up the phone and turned to her attorney. “Colin, before you blow sky-high, take a breath. I am handling the situation.”
Colin’s eyebrows arched. “The mayor trying to tell you how to prosecute, Esther?”
Esther rubbed her forehead. “No. Just trying to tell me how to help his friends sleep better at night.”
