Page 114 of Power & Punishment

I scrub the overgrown hair on my chin, considering my options. I am technically just sitting here, twiddling my thumbs and waiting for Michael to find something on my stalkers so we can plan our next move.

Then again, if Adrian sees me like this, he’ll probably poke and prod until I tell him why I look like I just stepped out of a UFC ring.

“Fine,” I say, sliding forward in my chair and reaching for the questionable painkillers that Dante gave me. “Give me an hour,” I reply, hanging up before she can answer.

With Adrian, it’s better to face him head-on. That fucker is persistent.

I stand up, feeling every bone in my body protest at the sharp movement.

Michael and Dante look at me expectantly, and just as I’m about to announce my departure, Mia crashes through the door with a look of determination.

When she raises her head to see who’s in the room, she freezes when she sees me. “You’re still here.”

“Stop acting so excited, Tesoro,” I answer dryly, moving toward her without a second thought. Thank God she doesn’t pull away. I think it’d kill me at this point.

After a step and a half, my face scrunches up in pain. Mia jumps into action and steps in front of me, running her hands up and down my arms, searching for any new injuries. “Why aren’t you home in bed? Are you crazy?”

“I told you I wasn’t going home without you. I meant it.”

She wets her bottom lip, making them shiny and supple. I ignore the burning sensation in my shoulder and reach up to cup her cheek before leaning in and placing a firm kiss on her mouth. She reacts instantly, molding her lips to mine.

I groan into the feeling.

“How’d things go with Keith?” I ask, pulling away but keeping my hand on her cheek. I can feel Dante’s eyes shooting laser beams into the back of my head, but I ignore it.

“Good,” she says, her eyes going blank in that knowing way they always do when she’s attempting to lie. “He’s looking into Marco Bellini for me.”

I know she’s holding back, but I ignore it for now. “I already told you everything I know. It’s going to be hard to pin a murder on a dead man.”

“I know,” Mia says, biting her bottom lip in contemplation. And then she pulls away from me, making a beeline for her brother. “I need a whiteboard or something to write on and some push pins. I’m making an evidence board.”

“Anything else, your majesty?”

“No, asshole,” she quips, flipping him off and going to work collecting the surveillance photos on the table. “Care if I use these?”

I shake my head, taking a step forward. “Do you need anything else? I told Georgia I’d come into the office for a little bit but say the word and I’ll cancel.”

She turns toward me, her face scrunched up with concern. “You can’t work in your condition. Isn’t part of your job looking pretty? I hate to break it to you, but⁠—”

“Don’t finish that sentence, Tesoro. Just because there are people here doesn’t mean I won’t bend you over that desk and teach you some manners.”

Dante mutters something under his breath, mixed with a healthy amount of curse words, before making a graceful exit.

“Fine,” she breathes, collecting more things from the desk in front of her. And then she goes still. “Who are you meeting?”

“Another councilman. Why?” I ask, inching close enough to put my hands on her hips and spin her to face me. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

She opens her mouth just to snap it closed. I fight the urge to grip her chin harder to make her talk.

“Adrian Moretti,” Mia replies, but that’s all she says.

“What about him?” I ask, scrunching my brows.

She quickly averts her gaze and wiggles against my hold, but I keep her pinned in place. “Tell me now, Emilia,” I command, lowering my voice.

“He cornered me in his office yesterday when I came to see you. And—” She pauses, clearly debating whether or not to tell me the next part. I squeeze her hips tighter. “He wanted my advice on some upcoming legislation from a cop’s perspective. There was other stuff too, but the whole interaction just felt weird.”

“And then,” she begins, pausing again with that uneasy look in her eye.