Page 89 of His Ruthless Queen

Clearing my throat, I head to the couch and sit beside her. She smiles, her chest inflating … with pride? Then, she digs through her purse, and pulls out a folder. She hands us each a sheet of paper. “Gentleman, I’ve come up with an idea I think you’ll all be interested in.”

Corbin reaches over the table, taking the paper.

“Corbin, when you announce your presidential campaign in a few years, you’ll need to endorse someone for governor. The same evening you announce that you’re running, you’ll also make a public statement backing Scotty.”

Callum’s jaw drops while Corbin snorts. “He has no credentials. How do you suppose he’ll get votes with no experience in office?”

Saoirse’s chin lifts with confidence. She’s piqued my curiosity. She hasn’t mentioned any of this to me. Probably because she knows I would have shot it down. “I had a meeting with Lawrence today. A meeting between he and Scotty is in the works. I presume he’ll be backing him for a city council position. Scotty will do that for a year, then run for mayor.”

“Who is Lawrence Fraser?” I ask.

“He’s one of my advisors,” Corbin says. “And how do you propose Scotty will win over Larry?” he asks, a brow drawn.

“Easy.” She grins, staring each of us down. “Larry is upset you won’t endorse a bill that will change the way industrial buildings are built. Scotty will convince him he has your ear, and that he can persuade you to put the bill in motion.”

Corbin pinches the bridge of his nose. “Saoirse, green buildings are too expensive for a lot of companies to afford. It’s just not feasible to require certain materials be made when it’s out of most people’s budgets.”

“I had a feeling you’d say that.” She motions toward her paper. “Those are names of my connections willing to cut a price deal for business owners in certain tax brackets. On the outside it looks like charity for them.” She grins, watching Callum. “But you’ll be funding it with your blood money.”

“Laundering,” I mumble. “Honey. You can’t clean money if you don’t get it back. If Callum is paying the difference, he’s not making a profit.”

She rolls her eyes. “Callum will hold a position on their board. On paper he is paying the company for their losses on these discounts. In reality, they’re washing the money and giving it back to him as a board member.”

“So the company is still eating the losses,” she says. “But Vaska is an old friend of mine. He’s doing it out of the kindness of his Mobster heart.” She clutches her hand to her chest.

“Vaska? As in New York, Vaska Seminov, who threatened my Haley?” Callum asks.

Last year, Sean had accidentally gotten himself into a bitcoin war with the Russians. Vaska’s cousin had been taken by the pakhan in Boston and used in the sex trade. He’d gone to Haley’s work and threatened her if she didn’t get a message to Callum.

“He’s in Miami now,” Saoirse says.

“Yeah, he left when Anton took over the bratva,” Corbin says. “He didn’t agree with the new way of things, so they came to an arrangement. Saoirse, how do you know Vaska?”

She smiles sweetly. “I went to college with his sister. I’ve met him plenty of times.”

“It makes sense,” I say. “This allies us with the Russians, even if it’s someone in Miami. He’ll back us if Anton retaliates for killing Vlad.”

“He will.” Corbin nods. “I think this is a solid plan. There’s just one thing you’re not calculating into this little equation.”

He stares at my girl with too much intensity. So much that it sends an arrow through my chest. It’s a look that I know means something beyond what it appears. Something secret. She told me the engagement was fake, yet they have a special look.

Saoirse nods, understanding his unspoken flaw in her plan. “Well, Corbin.” She stands, leaning over the table.

My breath hitches when she touches him, grabbing his wrist, and jabbing at his open palm. “Maybe you should man up and get married to the person who did this to you, if having a bride for the White House means so much to you.”

He yanks his hand away. “Not possible.” He turns to me, giving me a slight nod. “You’ll have my endorsement when I choose to step down.”

“Or maybe I’ll just run next term against you,” I threaten.

“You’d lose,” Corbin says. He stands from the chair, adjusting the cufflinks on his suit. “It’s a shame, Saoirse. You would have made a damn good First Lady.”

She smirks. “We’ll get there,” she says, squeezing my knee.

“Let’s go eat,” Callum says, standing.

“Wait,” Saoirse says. Both men turn toward her, waiting. “I’ve given you a funnel for your money. You keep it out of my hotel. It’s mine, not the Mob’s. I want nothing attached to the Southies, Callum.”

Callum hesitates, thinking it over, then dips his head. “I agree. The hotel is off limits.”

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