voters, and the court case acts as one giant advertisement for Malloy’s services.”
“Only, Daddy gets greedy when he realizes he holds in his hands these documents that can destroy your career,” I add. “He decides he’s going to blackmail you. Are we close?”
“Answer them.” Tiberius jams the revolver into the senator’s temple.
“Speaking hypothetically,” the senator hisses through gritted teeth as Tiberius’ fingers dig into his neck,” if someone wanted a favor from me, such as overturning drug legislation, those papers would be a good way to ensure compliance.”
“Mmmm. I thought so.” I whip the papers away as Senator Marlowe reaches for them. “I suspect that’s why you hired Brentwood again when Noah told you I was back, and why you sent someone to break into my house, because you were hoping to get your mitts on these papers.”
“This is preposterous. I never—” But his face is pale. He’s properly scared now.
Good. He should be scared.
I smile, slow and creepy-like. “Ssssh. I don’t care to hear you defend yourself. I have the papers, and the only question before us today is, what are we going to do with you?”
Senator Marlowe swipes at me, but I step back just as Noah slams his fist into his father’s stomach. The senator doubles over, choking and spluttering and gasping for breath.
“If you wondered why Brentwood isn’t reporting back…” I hold up my mobile phone to his face as he fights for breath. “It’s because I did this to him.”
He whimpers as he takes in the photograph of Brentwood in the bathtub, his mouth swollen with pills and the stab wounds visible above the scarlet water. I feel a little guilty for taking advantage of someone else’s handiwork, but Marlowe didn’t have the connections Antony did – he was unlikely to find out the truth.
I hold the papers up to the light and squint at them, pretending to consider my options. I love the way Senator Marlowe squirms in the chair, his eyes wide saucers.
“Son, what are you doing with her?” he gasps out, a last-ditch effort to save himself.
Noah’s face is dark. “You made me hate her when all this time it was you who killed him. Is that what you’re doing in here every night, Dad? Praying to Felix to atone for your sins? Because he’s not a god who needs to devour the sins of his disciples. He’s not a god. He was an amazing human, he was special and kind and good, but he was human and you took him from me.”
“Son, I—”
“I’ll never forgive you.” Noah steps back, jerking his head toward Tiberius. “Do it. Put a bullet between his eyes.”
“Son, I—” But the senator can’t even finish the sentence. He squeezes his eyes shut as Tiberius presses the muzzle of the pistol in the middle of his forehead. I catch a whiff of something acrid in the air. The senator has pissed himself.
Oh, this is too much fun.
An idea occurs to me. I place my hand over Tiberius’ fingers. He drops the gun into my hand.
“Today’s your lucky day, Senator.” Noah’s eyes widen. I slap the senator’s cheek with the pistol until he opens his eyes. He’s trembling all over, and the smell of urine is getting worse. “Don’t look so glum. I’m feeling generous, and I know your wife had a scare recently. I wouldn’t want her to be the one to discover your brains decorating the wallpaper. So you and I are going to strike a deal.”
“I’m listening.”
I love this guy. Even with a gun pointed to his head, he still pretends like I’m the one bowing down to him.
“Call off your hired guns. Brentwood was the best in the business – no one else will get as close to me as he did, and look where that got him. You don’t know how many copies of this paper I’ve made or who I’ve left them with. As soon as my people hear I’m dead, this gets released to the media. Your political career is over and you’ll be looking at time for the perjury your ass committed in the original trial against my father. All I’m asking, in exchange for your continued existence and a flourishing career unhindered by scandal, is that you leave me, and the people close to me, in peace.”
He narrows his eyes. He doesn’t believe me. “And that’s all?”
“Not quite.”
Noah’s mouth quirks. He looks amused.
“I’ve done you a favor tonight. Now you owe me one in return.” I press my finger to