#56
“Fill my veins, feel this pain. When it rains, burn in flames” McFLY
It had taken me far too long to decode Kelsey’s motives, until a session in therapy forced me to hold up a mirror. I had done the exact same thing the night I climbed into Peter’s car and tried to negotiate with a monster.
We both trade in the currency of dangerous sacrifices to protect what we love.
Our lives had become a series of strategic maneuvers. Meeting at political galas and committee events was merely an excuse to find a locked door and a hidden corner.
The separation was unbearable, especially when we occupied the same air. We’d agreed on a strict rule: no phone calls. Perhaps that was why the lust and the sheer anticipation felt like it was stripping the skin from my bones at every meeting.
Kelsey didn’t call, but she spoke in other ways, sending rare flowers, avant-garde paintings, and private exhibition invitations that acted as breadcrumbs leading back to her.
And with every gesture, I fell deeper.
My mind was still tangled in a daydream, the memory of those blonde hands claiming my body, when the intercom shattered the silence.
"Mrs. Fognini is outside and wishes to speak with you, Your Honor," Liam’s voice announced.
"Send her in, Liam."
It took less than two minutes for my chambers to be invaded by the Italian hurricane known as Giorgia. I had the files for Matteo’s case spread across my desk; I had planned to spend the night dissecting them.
"I hear you're looking for Matteo for his testimony," she said before I could even offer a greeting. She sank into the chair across from me, her presence commanding and chaotic. "Good afternoon, Your Honor."
"Good afternoon, Giorgia. Yes, I’ve issued several search warrants. He’s officially a fugitive."
"Well, he won't be able to see you today."
"And why is that?"
She pressed a hand to her mouth in a display of mock-drama before leaning in, her eyes glinting with a dangerous mirth.
"Oh, 'cause he's dead." She let out a sharp, loud laugh that echoed against the mahogany walls before her expression turned stone-cold. "Sorry for the joke. But truly, he’s dead."
I leaned back, my pulse quickening. "You realize you’re confessing a murder to a federal judge?"
"I’m aware that I’m handing you all the evidence you need," Giorgia said, her voice dropping to a smooth, dangerous silk. "At least, the evidence for those I’ve marked for indictment."
"And the others?" I leaned forward, my eyes narrowing. "Are you simply going to exploit them until they’re useless?"
I watched as her hands tightened, her knuckles turning a stark, ghostly white against the mahogany of my desk.
"No, Woods. The others are gone. As I told you before, we do not tolerate behavior that deviates from our policy. Period."
"Did you liquidate the entire Outfit?" I asked, an eyebrow arched in disbelief.
Giorgia leaned back, crossing her legs with a lethal elegance that made the room feel smaller. "Let’s just say I’m a passionate advocate for the environment. I had to perform some significant pruning so the garden could flourish without parasites choking the trunks and branches."
"And the rotten fruit mentioned in your report?"
"Those are for you," she smiled, though the warmth didn't reach her eyes. "A way for you to make your arrests, and for me to have living reminders of what happens to anyone foolish enough to think they can pull a fast one on me."
"I’ll pass this on to the investigators," I said, maintaining my judicial mask.
"Pass it to Emma Harris specifically. Here is her contact." Giorgia slid a card and a flash drive across the desk with practiced precision. "By the way, I’d like to invite you out for a glass of wine. Somewhere private."
"I’m not available," I replied instantly, pocketing the drive. She was undeniably beautiful, a siren of the underworld, but there was no room in my life for distractions when my soul was still anchored to the only woman I truly wanted.
"Kelsey is a lucky woman," Giorgia murmured, her gaze lingering on me. "If I were her, I wouldn't have made the mistake of keeping my distance. I would choose to have you by my side every second, Megan."
I offered a small, bittersweet smile, fighting to keep my composure as the ghost of Kelsey’s touch flared in my memory.
"I have no idea what you’re talking about, Mrs. Fognini. But thank you for the information."