Page 166 of Riordan's Revenge

Piers choked on a pained laughed. “A man who can’t raise his election campaign money from his own investors after years of ripping them off?”

The mayor purpled and turned to the incomer. “Chief Constable Kenney. What are you standing there for? Arrest them. I’ve done your work for you and found the culprit of all the crimes against me. We have the evidence we need. My testimony. Eyewitnesses.” He gestured to the collection of people up the road. “Not only that. See what they’ve done to my business associate.”

Kenney regarded the slumped body on the ground. His gaze travelled from Piers to Arran then at last to me. I couldn’t read him. Tension strung me up tight.

Not for myself. I didn’t care what happened to me.

If Cassie panicked and ran in, she could get hurt, and I knew my wild, impulsive love was probably considering doing exactly that.

“Riordan Jones, after your recent arrest, I was hoping not to see you again,” the chief constable announced.

The mayor smiled, his eyes cold. “Previous arrest? This is the man you told me you’d found a knife on, isn’t it? Like I said, I own the police and this city. Not you, Daniels,” he spat at Arran. “Not your gang of thieves and murderers.”

Arran ignored him, his voice low and deadly. “Careful, Kenney. First, because if you go looking for that blade, you mightnot find it where you left it, and second, remember what I have on you. Choose well.”

For a beat, Kenney said nothing. Hope sprang in my heart. He was waiting to pick a side. Us or the mayor.

Cassie had told me about a dossier of evidence Arran had on the cop. I had to trust that invincibility would stand.

“Seems to me you have a choice, Chief Constable.” I gestured to the flashing blue lights of the police cars. “Take your people and leave. Report it in as a scuffle gone wrong, but with all the parties absent by the time you arrived.”

Kenney clucked his tongue. “Funny, that’s exactly what the residents are arguing.”

The mayor blustered, “Get your head out of your ass, man. He kidnapped me. Drugged me, too. Are you going to allow that in your city?”

I shrugged. “Walk away and leave me to this chat with my father. I’m pretty certain that after, he won’t be up for the election anyway. Being broke will do that.”

Kenney raised his eyebrows at me then peered at Arran. For a beat, the man hesitated then whistled a tune and strolled away.

The mayor’s eyes widened, then he bared his teeth. “Stop. How dare you turn your back on me?”

Kenney didn’t pause.

The mayor fumed. “Daniels, you think you’ve won but you’d better watch your back. You enabled your fucking enforcer to rob me of my daughter, all after I maintained a deal with you for years.”

“A woman you abused. You broke our agreement. The deal’s off,” Arran intoned.

I cocked my head. “You don’t seem to understand that you’ve lost. You’ve got no money, no daughter, you never had a son, and now, you’re nothing.”

The mayor gnashed his teeth then broke from his position and charged me.

I didn’t try to hold back a cold smile. I needed this. I needed him to break so I could.

He threw a punch that I dodged, backing me to the river.

“The years I wasted thinking about your fucking mother are over. I would’ve given her anything, and all she did was throw it in my face.”

Whatever cool I’d had was lost. I let my malice show. “Because you’re a worthless piece of shit. A bad person who deserves to be alone.”

His lip curled in cruel conviction. “If I deserve that, she deserves this. To lose her precious son.”

Shock hit me. How could he not know she was dead?

The mayor of Deadwater thrust the gun at my chest.

A howl of outrage broke through the night.

Then a small figure crashed into my father. He wheeled around, his hand with the gun flailing. My heart stopped when my brain registered exactly who. Cassie clung to his back, holding tight like she was on a rodeo bull.

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