She cleared her throat, moving in front of me to block any curious onlookers. “Where did you get that?”
For half a second, I considered telling her just to see how she’d react, but I decided against it. My best defense was a carefully constructed offense. I held all the cards and she knew it.
“Don’t worry about where I got it,” I said, maintaining an air of indifference. “I suggest you worry more about what your donors would think about their mayor being in bed with the cartel she claims to despise so much.”
Her green eyes blazed with fire. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Don’t test me, mayor. I’ve had a bitch of a day, so why don’t you start talking and maybe I’ll consider not ruining your little party.”
Her earlier panic settled into a sheet of ice. Any heated emotion evaporated, leaving only a political puppet mouthing meaningless words. Waving a hand in my face, she pushed my phone down and glared at the teleprompter. “That’s nothing. Anything can be photoshopped.”
“You’re telling me this is a fake?”
“Of course it is. Don’t be naïve,” she mocked. “Besides, what business is it of yours anyway? You have some nerve coming into my party and threatening me with this fabricated piece of garbage. I don’t know who you are, but by the looks of you, I assume you weren’t invited. Now please leave the premises before I have you escorted out.”
I had to give her points for being fearless. Then deduct them for pissing me off.
“What business is it of mine?” I forced myself to take a slow breath. “Oh, Mrs. Mayor, you see, this is connected to your daughter, and your daughter is very much my business. Can you say the same?”
“I assure you, nothing is more important to me than my family,” she huffed, sticking her chin out and regaining her composure. “If you must know, my daughter and I haven’t exactly been close these last few years. Not by my choice, mind you. I’ve only recently learned of my daughter’s deceit, thanks to my son.”
My head spun with lies and hidden agendas. I wanted to shake her to find out if Brody had sold out his own sister, but I kept my cards close, throwing game changers of my own choosing.
“Well then, Mayor Donovan, if your daughter is so important to you, it might interest you to know the man who was in possession of this video is dead.”
She placed her hand over her heart, feigning concern. “Oh dear. Was it gang related?”
“I’d say more club related.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Looked to me like his head took a few impressive shots with a six iron,” I said, tapping my finger against my temple. “I’ve played a few times. Bad short game. I can drive the hell out of the ball but blow it on the green.”
That last part had nothing to do with anything. I just liked throwing her off balance and watching her stumble. She didn’t disappoint, her eyes clouding over as a million questions swirled behind them. She waited for more, and when I just stared at her, she patted her blonde hair and pursed her lips.
“Well, young man, it’s my turn for a few questions.”
I don’t think so, lady.
Darkening the screen on my phone, I slipped it back into my pocket and smiled. “No, we’re done here.”
It was obvious Lilith Donovan wasn’t used to being denied what she wanted, and she eyed my empty hand like a last-minute voter scrambling toward the polls. For a moment, I thought she might lunge for my pocket when a breathless Leighton shuffled in between us, the squeak of her dress announcing her arrival.
“Sorry that took so long. I forgot how much that woman talks.” She barely had time to let out a dramatic breath before her mother dug her nails into her arm, jerking her toward the edge of the stage.
“Why did you bring this lowlife thug here? You don’t think I know who he is?”
Leighton’s face paled so fast I shifted behind her in case she passed out. She had no cause to worry. After what I’d shown the mayor, I had no doubt she knew who I was. Only a cartel member would have such a damning piece of blackmail against her and not use it.
“We need to talk, darling,” Lilith coaxed. “I’ve just learned some very distressing news.”
Leighton covertly caught my eye, and I barely shook my head, the move so slight I wondered if she even noticed. I got my answer as she pulled away from her mother and sighed. “I don’t feel well. Can it wait until tomorrow?”
The heated death look Lilith shot me could’ve melted plastic. “I suppose, but I’m very worried about you.” She placed a hand on Leighton’s shoulder and squeezed it. “As well as other members of my family.”
Leighton’s lips trembled, and she squeezed my arm. “I’d like to leave now, please.”
She didn’t have to ask me twice. I’d done what I came to do, and the faster I got her out of that dress and burned it, the better. “After you,” I said, extending an arm in front of me.
“Wait!” Lilith blurted out, reaching for her hand and pulling her up the steps toward the stage. “It’s time for my speech, and I want my family surrounding me.”
On instinct, I followed them, but as Brody and Finn swept past me, Brody shook his head and held up his hand. I didn’t have to ask why. The flash storm of press cameras took care of that. Neither of them needed the publicity of an uninvited Latino rushing the stage and carrying off the prodigal daughter on his shoulder.
So, I bit my tongue and watched.
Lilith carried on and on about the fight to the governor’s mansion and her campaign promise to rid Texas of its toxic cartel infestation. I yawned. It was the same song and dance I’d heard from every politician in this city—right before we bought the rights to their opinions and their votes.
I only paid attention when she introduced her successful son, the ADA of Harris County, and her beautiful college graduate daughter who’d just returned home to support her mother in fighting the good fight. As the crowd erupted into thunderous applause, I watched Lilith lean over and whisper in Leighton’s ear. To the average person, the conversation would’ve been lost. However, the art of lipreading was one of the many invaluable skills I’d learned while serving under Val. It came in handy when watching assholes try to backdoor us.
Kind of like now.
Lilith tilted her head toward me while smiling for the hundreds of flashing cameras. “I see some things never change.”
I was still trying to decipher what the hell that meant when Leighton nodded toward her stepfather and volleyed back, “I couldn’t agree more.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Mateo
Leighton slipped off a high heel and shrugged. “You misread the conversation.”
“Don’t insult my intelligence,” I warned as she tossed her shoes across the room. “I may be a lot of things, but stupid isn’t one of them. What did your mother mean when she said, ‘I see some things never change?’” She glanced away, the wheels spinning in her head. Too bad for her, my patience was gone. “And before you make up something, I saw her nod her head toward me.”
Leighton’s hand flew to her neck, grasping the gold “L” pendant she always wore and rolling it between her fingers. “She just meant my knack for challenging her in public. You know how she loves that.”