Tobias gives a chilly smile. “Let’s not play games, Mr. Blackwood. I’m well aware that you’re currently investigating this on your own.”
I return the smile. “While that might be true, I cannot speak of my findings for fear of hurting the investigation.”
The governor visibly backs down, and the smile on his face is now gone. “Oh, of course, I would not want to interfere with an ongoing investigation, and that’s also the same answer I received from the police chief.” He pauses, glancing at Alex before adding to me, “But I will ask you what I asked him: Do you believe this attack was personal? I have very worried politicians in our beautiful city.”
“Truthfully,” I report, “we have yet to find the motive behind the attack, so I’m afraid I don’t have an answer for you.”
“Troublesome. Very, very troublesome.” The governor leans back in his chair, and it’s then I notice that he’s unshaven and there are dark circles beneath his icy blue eyes. “They need reassurance that there’s not a serial killer out there hunting politicians.”
He’s fishing for more information, but I have no intention of telling Tobias Harrington Hadley’s dirty little secrets. Enough people already know about the video, and the truth of the matter is I don’t work for Harrington. “I’m sure you’ll think of a way to set their minds at ease.”
Again comes his smile, and there’s a threatening edge this time. “Yes, I’m sure I will. As I told the police chief earlier this morning, I would like to be kept in the loop on this case at all times. Anything new that develops needs to come through my office. Are we clear on this?”
“Yes, sir,” I reply, even if he will never get a single thing from me. Men like the governor would use any information I gave him to look better in the public eye. I don’t doubt in the least that he’d spin the tale so somehow he’d come out looking like the hero.
He rises from his chair, and as I join him, he offers me his hand again. “Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.”
When I move to return
his handshake, something catches my eye, and I’m not sure why I didn’t notice before—perhaps I’d been too focused on his challenging stare—but my focus narrows to something on his hand. His appearance suddenly makes a whole lot of sense.
I slowly look back into his eyes. “Thank you. I will be sure to do that.”
Just as I let go of his hand, Alex jumps up from her chair and rushes to the governor’s side, a beaming smile across her face. She holds out her hand to him. “It was so great to meet you in person. I’m sorry for totally fangirling all over you, but I just couldn’t keep it in any longer. I’m such a big fan of yours. The things you do for our city and our state are amazing!”
The governor shakes her hand. “I hope that means I have your vote next year.”
“Oh,” Alex all but purrs, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “You sure do. Don’t worry about that!”
“I appreciate your support.” The governor gives her one of his charming smiles and then turns to me. “You’ll be in touch soon?”
I expect you to be in touch soon is what he said, even if those words never came from his mouth. “Sooner than you’re even expecting” is my carefully worded reply.
“Good enough,” the governor replies.
Alex and I stay silent as the governor exits the office. I move to the doorway and watch him leave the building. Each step seems to take a full minute. My heart is racing, my adrenaline pumping alongside the blood in my veins.
The second the front door shuts, I turn back to Alex; her eyes are huge. “You saw it, right?” she gasps.
“You’re fucking right I did.” The half-moon scar, it’d been there, right on his hand, telling me all I needed to know. Tobias Harrington is our blackmailer. “Please tell me that whole charade of supporting him had a purpose?”
“Well, of course it did; I’m me.” Alex smiles proudly. “He now has a tracker on his coat.”
Chapter 17
Hadley
I don’t know how long has passed since the men left me alone again. Minutes? Hours? It’s impossible to tell. The room is dreary with only the flickering lights above me and the water dripping next to me. Time down here, wherever here is, doesn’t exist. I only know that I’ve been here for a while, and I only know that because of the blue tinge to my hands.
Bondage 101: Don’t let skin turn blue.
I sigh, stretching out my fingers to stop the ache, hoping to keep the blood flowing. It’d be very easy to give in to the emotion threatening to rip me apart, when I catch masculine voices coming from somewhere. I’ve heard the heavy door open and shut a couple times, but no one’s come to see me.
Though this isn’t the first time I’ve heard voices, and now I’m beginning to wonder in the silence of my mind if I’m imagining voices that aren’t there. I force my attention away from the annoying drop of water next to me that just won’t go away, and soon begin to believe those voices are actually real as they get closer.
And closer…
And closer…