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Annie paled, and I knew what she was thinking. All of this had been for nothing. We’d made initial head waves with our campaign, but now, we couldn’t afford to do much more. Not unless I was willing to give up every cent, I had to do it.
As we stood around looking at the TV, I knew that every single one of us was thinking that this had all been for nothing.
I would never be Mayor of New York City.
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
I took a deep breath as I waited outside of the large, oak door that was separating me from what was probably the worst decision that I had ever made in my entire life. It had been a week since I’d come to the realization that by sticking by my side, Ezra had tanked his entire campaign.
Swallowing, I knocked on the oak. As I watched Ezra’s campaign tank, I knew that I needed to do whatever I could to help.
“Miss Ivanov,” Joseph said. “What brings you here?”
I walked into the room. I’d worn a smart, professional suit with my new favorite pair of heels. When I was young, I would always dress up when I needed to feel good and powerful. My wardrobe had been one of the few things that I had control over, and as I was beginning to feel that way, out of control.
“I was hoping that I might be able to ask you for a favor,” I said. My mouth was so dry that I could barely get the words out. Ezra would be pissed if he knew I was here. I’d tried several times over the past week to ask him what he planned to do about his campaign, but whenever I did, he slithered down my body, tonguing me until I screamed.
My cheeks flushed as I thought about all the things that I’d done with Ezra.
“Are you here to beg for money for your boyfriend?” Rome asked, breaking me away from my thoughts of the pleasure Ezra gave me.
My lips pursed at the snarky comment.
“I’ve been watching his numbers sink in the polls. Looks like we are about to have a new mayor, and it won’t be Ezra Wright.”
His words were pissing me off. Joseph Rome was used to getting his way, and he was enjoying the fact that Ezra was flailing because Ezra didn’t bow at his face. But I wasn’t so easily put off. As much as I wanted to deny it, I was the daughter of Maximoff Ivanov, the Pakhan of the New York City Bratva.
Though I wanted nothing more than to get away from my family, I also knew that that wasn’t possible. And I was tired of hiding. I’d spent my whole life living in fear, and I refused to do that any longer.
“Ezra is going to need funding from you,” I said. I folded myself into the velvet chair that was across his desk. Rome’s office was decorated in expensive woods and rich velvets. He made it clear that he had money. He took pride in it because it allowed him to lord himself over people.
He’d tried to do the same with me, but it was no longer going to work. I’d get what I wanted, and what Ezra needed.
“What will cutting a check to Ezra Wright do for me?”
I shrugged. “Nothing. Ezra is not going to be giving you anything for your financial contribution.” The words came out a lot more confident than I felt. Inside, I was quivering. I knew that what I was about to give Rome was something that he wasn’t going to be able to pass up. But Ezra was worth it. I did believe that he would be able to reform the city. He was smart and brave, and he could change things for the better. Though he focused on crime, he was passionate about education and healthcare. He wanted to help those who couldn’t help themselves. I smiled at the thought.
I leaned forward. “You are going to help Ezra because my father isn’t going to want Patrick O’Connor as mayor. You pretty much said so yourself.”
“Your father has enough on his plate trying to get the Bratva under control and broker peace with the Blanchi’s. He’s not worried about the O’Connors.”
I snorted and shook my head. “He should be. The O’Connors gaining power is something that we’d all like to avoid, especially if they come by it legitimately. Imagine what Patty O’Connor would be able to do as mayor? What would he be able to get away with?” Even I shivered at the thought. I didn’t know Patty O’Connor, but I had heard of him. The O’Connors were nothing more than street thugs who would create a hellscape of despair if they ever managed to gain power in the city.
“What Patty O’Connor does is not my problem until your father says it is.”
My teeth gnashed together in frustration. I didn’t know what Rome did for my father specifically, but I was pretty sure it was pretty big. The Petrov’s had been pulling the political strings of the city since before I was born. It had been one of the main ways they'd been able to stay ahead of the Blanchi family.
Looking at Rome’s large, oak desk I couldn’t help but wonder what made a man like him, one who’d been born into extreme wealth, side with criminals. Was it greed? Was it blackmail? I suppose it didn't matter much, but it did make me wonder.
“What if I could give you the ultimate in with my father?” I asked.
Rome’s brow rose. “What makes you think that I need an in?”
“Because I know my father. You might have worked closely with the Petrovs, but that doesn’t mean that he trusts you. He’s a cautious man. He’d want you to prove yourself first…” I trailed off, watching Rome’s face. I’d grown up watching, and I was always able to detect even the smallest flicker in a person’s reaction, and Rome’s tell was small. When he was nervous, his mouth dropped just slightly on the left side.
“I’m guessing that you are having a difficult time with my father. He’s not one for men who aren’t willing to get their hands dirty. It was something he always criticized Isaac Petrov for. Said he surrounded himself with soft men, not Bratva boys.”
The slight drop became more pronounced, and I smirked. I’d hit the nail on the head. Things were different for Rome now that my father was in charge. They might have worked together previously, but now that he was Pakhan, he was going to be much stricter.
