Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
Gideon
Tessa’s Ristorante was a restaurant I frequented often. I’d grown up with the owner’s daughter, Tessa, and there was a loyalty there that put me at ease whenever I entered.
By the time I arrived with Penn, Danny, and Alex, Victor was already seated. Two of his security were also with him, and so the hostess sat us at a rather large table to accommodate our party.
“Victor,” I said by way of greeting.
He rose and shook my hand. “Gideon, good to see you.” I normally frowned at people calling me by my first name, especially those who worked for me, but I sensed Victor was setting a tone.
“Is it?” I pulled out a chair for Penn—who rolled his eyes but sat—prior to taking my own. Danny and Alex were on either side of me and Penn.
“We have much to discuss.” Victor was in his late sixties, but he wore it like he was eighty. Politics was sucking his soul away much like it did for everyone.
“Let us order food and drinks, and then we can talk.”
He nodded, and the server arrived. I got a bourbon, Victor an old-fashioned. Penn, never one to drink much, got an iced tea—which Danny, Alex, and Victor’s men all ordered as well.
“I’ve only been here one time before. Care to do the honors?” Victor placed his menu down and smiled at me.
I faced the server. “We will begin with arancini and bruschetta pomodoro. I’ll have the Black Angus strip; he’ll have the penne all’Arrabbiata.” I turned to Penn. “What would you like?”
“I’m gonna have the rotini di la nonna—no peas, though. Eew.”
I chuckled and waited for Alex and Danny to order as well as Victor’s men. Once the server walked away, I regarded Victor.
“You can’t resign.”
His sigh was heavy. “I’m done, Gideon. I can’t continue. I was already entertaining the idea before the calls came. They simply pushed me in that direction.”
“Let’s talk about these phone calls. Did you recognize the voice?”
Our drinks arrived and I waited for him to answer while he took a sip. “No. I may be old, but I recognized the voice modulator.”
“Interesting. Perhaps they used that because they feared you’d recognize them.”
He shrugged. “Maybe. It didn’t matter. The threats were clear. Fee wants to move south where it’s warmer and she’s scared if I stay on the ticket and in office, I won’t make it.”
“The theory on my end is that Benito Calvern, or someone who wants him as governor, wants you to resign instead of waiting for elections because they want Solange on the ticket because she’s easier to beat. With you, there’s a chance.”
“That’s plausible,” he agreed.
“So, why not see if you win, and resign after the elections and Solange take over? They can’t do anything about it at that point,” Penn added.
The server brought over our appetizers and once she left, Victor answered Penn.
“They thought of that. The threat was if I didn’t resign before elections they’d kill Fee slowly, in front of me, keep me alive to hear all of it, and then I’d die. I don’t care much about me, Gideon, but Fee, she’s my love. I can’t risk that.”
“And what makes you think I’ll let you just walk away?” I glared at the man, but he just smiled softly.
“Because even though you’re what many would consider a bad guy, you’re also a fair one.
You’d never hurt Fee to get me to do what you want.
Innocents aren’t a target for you. It’s why I never minded working for or with you.
Is there illegal activity happening in this state?
Yes. But it doesn’t touch kids, and you protect us and our families. ”
“If you know I’d protect your family, why don’t you believe I can’t keep you and Fee alive?”
He swallowed the bruschetta. “This is delicious, by the way.” He wiped his mouth. “If I stay on the ticket and win, they’ll kill me. I believe them and I can’t risk it, Gideon.”
I fisted my hands under the table. I wanted to threaten Victor with the same violence that was making him run from his seat as governor, but he was right.
Fee wasn’t part of this, and I would never harm her like this asshole would.
I could tell by Victor’s resolve that he didn’t want to call the bluff of whomever this was.
“Solange is being encouraged to call in every favor and do whatever she can to win the election. I’m not happy, Victor. But I’ll allow you to resign on a couple of conditions.”
“Okay.”
“You make the same calls for Solange, get your people to help her beat Benito.”
“I can do that. What’s the other thing?”
“After you formally resign, you pack up and get the hell out of my state, and never return.” I couldn’t threaten him with death, but banishment I absolutely could. He had family here and now he’d never be able to visit.
He stared at me for a beat, sadness in his gaze. “Okay, Gideon, I understand.”
Throughout the rest of the dinner, we discussed all the people Victor needed to reach out to after he’d resign and exactly what he’d say in his speech. When we said our good-byes, I hated how much this hadn’t gone my way.
“Hey.” Penn took my hand in his in the back seat of the car on the way home. “It’s gonna be fine. It’s not ideal, but Victor is just one person in a long line of people who make Northchester and this state run like the machine you want it, too.”
“I know, but one broken cog can take the whole thing down.”
He pressed a kiss to my hand. “Nah, we’ll just duct tape that bitch.”
I laughed. “Duct tape, huh?”
He nodded and moved closer. “I know what will cheer you up.”
“Not in front of Danny’s and Alex’s impressionable eyes.”
Danny snorted and Alex grimaced.
Penn brought his mouth to my ear, his breath fanning over my skin and making goose bumps break out. “The kids are sleeping at Dean and Rita’s tonight; that means we have the house to ourselves. Want to see how many rooms you can fuck me in before my legs turn to jelly?”
I faced him and answered by way of sucking his tongue into my mouth. He chuckled but didn’t break away. Not even once the car stopped at the house. Not even as we walked, awkwardly, into the foyer. Penn was determined to keep me distracted for a few hours, and I’d happily let him.