Page 128 of Power & Punishment

“Get to the fucking point,” I growl, unable to choke down the anger.

He smiles and continues his monologue with more enthusiasm than before.

“So, I killed him and decided I could pin the death on you.”

“Why did you call the commissioner then? That kind of defeats the purpose, doesn’t it?”

Adrian chuckles lowly. “Framing you only works after you serve your purpose,” he shrugs, his shoulders shaking like he’s laughing at his own joke. “I still wanted Enzo gone, and despite all your flaws, you were still useful. There was also the issue with Mia. I was still going to pin the murder on you, but when I found out his sister was investigating the case, I knew I wouldn’t be able to buy her off.”

“You’re a fucking snake.”

“I’ve been called worse,” he replies without an ounce of remorse. “You aren’t faultless in this, Leo. Your anger made you easy to control. Every opportunity you had, I handed it to you on a silver platter. The only thing you did was get my attention in the worst way.”

Adrian stands, walking toward the fireplace. “Once you kill Enzo, the outfit loses its leader, and the police get their murderer,” he says before turning back to me. “And then I step in to stabilize the chaos with clean hands and the kind of influence that Enzo will never see in a million years.”

“And I’m assuming once Enzo’s people learn that I killed their boss⁠—”

“You’ll be killed too,” he smiles, tilting his head enough for the flames to lick up the side of his face. “It’ll probably be after you’re imprisoned for Vince’s death. Not the best way to go, but at least you’ll die knowing you got your revenge.”

The room falls silent. Every part of me is frozen except for my hands that I can’t stop from shaking.

“You were always expendable, Leo,” he says, the darkness of his eyes softening for a moment. “But then your detective uncovered who I was, and you became expendable sooner than I planned.”

I surge to my feet. “If you threaten her again, you’re not leaving this fucking room alive.”

“Relax. Love makes people so weak,” he says, rolling his eyes. “I’ll let her live if you kill Enzo for me.”

I stare at him, taking in the full scope of the monster standing a few feet away.

Fuck. I hope Michael and Dante are doing their job because I don’t believe a word coming out of his mouth.

“Do you really expect me to go through with this?”

Adrian’s lips curl upward. “I think you’ll do whatever it takes to save her.”

Before I can respond, a loud crash happens somewhere above.

Mia.

Both of our heads snap toward the noise, and then all hell breaks loose.

36

MIA

Itwist my wrists repeatedly to loosen the fibers of the rope. It’s not working, and the friction keeps cutting deeper and deeper into my skin.

Gritting my teeth, I give it one more shot, and when the rope still doesn’t budge, I let out a huff of frustration and rest my head back against the headboard.

There’s no chance of even breaking the headboard to get out of these restraints. First of all, it would be too loud, and I have no clue who’s posted up outside my door. Second of all, bending metal isn’t exactly a skill I was born with.

At some point during Adrian’s dramatic speech, I knew Keith and I weren’t making it out of here alive. We know too much, and Adrian isn’t the type to let loose ends live. It’s how he’s survived this long.

The man is basically a cockroach.

One I’d like to crush under my boot.

After my heart rate settles to a normal pace, I go back to work twisting the rope. I need to get out of here. I need to save Keith. I need to see Leo again.