Page 51 of Edge of Control

“So let’s keep writing the story and make sure it’s got a happy ending.”

Theo smiled at me. He had such a powerful smile. It was an odd descriptor for someone’s expression, but that’s how it felt to me. Like he was some kind of generator, stirring up positive energy whenever he flashed those perfectly white and straight teeth of his. The smile reached his eyes, his head cocked.

“Thank you, Jace. I’m glad I saved your life that one day.”

That got a laugh out of me. “That makes two of us.”

We leaned into the kiss as if our bodies moved of their own accord. It was tender, healing almost. I rubbed theback of his head. When he broke from the kiss, he leaned his forehead against mine. His breath tickled my lips.

“You’re special, Jace. Really fucking special.”

“So are you.”

“All jokes aside, I feel like I’ve known you for years. Not months.”

“Same. Ever since that first night at Chained, I felt like we were, I don’t know, fated to meet.”

“It’s all been written down.”

“It has.”

I kissed him again. We stayed like that for a while longer, holding each other. The laptop was completely forgotten. My heart still hurt for Theo’s story, but at least I was here to help make him feel a little better. That’s all I could offer. Some comfort.

That’s all I could do.

The mayor agreed to meet with me during his lunch break two days later.

It wasn’t difficult. Reaching out to his office was simple, as was getting a hold of his assistant. I didn’t want to explicitly say why I was meeting with him. Didn’t want him to feel spooked, shut me out. He likely thought the tape was still out there, ready to get released at any moment. He was living on high alert. I had to be careful with him. Treat him like broken glass.

“Right this way, Mr. Holloway,” his assistant said, leading me through the grand New York City Hall, one of the oldest city halls in the entire country. Learned thatduring a high school field trip. I’d been bored as shit back then, wanting to just get home and play on my PlayStation, but now, I actually appreciated the history and architecture that surrounded me. I was led through the rotunda, up the grand marbled staircase, past the huge gilded columns that stretched up to the domed ceiling. We walked through a long hallway lined with eighteenth-century paintings. There was a buzz of activity. Apparently, the governor was also around, set to give a press conference in the next couple of hours.

We reached the mayor’s office. His assistant knocked and got the okay to let me in.

“Mr. Holloway, hello there. Welcome, welcome.” Mayor Ashton Torres walked around his desk with a friendly smile and an outstretched hand. He wore a wrinkle-free light blue button-up with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, tucked into a pair of clean black slacks. A nondescript silver watch with a green face shone around his wrist. His light brown hair was perfectly gelled to the side, his face freshly shaved. A framed photo of his wife and kids sat on his organized desk, perfectly tilted so that whoever sat across from him could see their smiling faces.

“Jace,” I said, trying to lower his guard. “Good to meet you, Mr. Torres.”

“Yes, of course. I love spending time with constituents. Liam didn’t mention exactly what you wanted to speak about. He did say you were a detective, is that right?”

“It is, sir. And I am here to discuss a case.”

“Oh?” His demeanor instantly changed. His guard onlywent higher. He moved behind his desk as though it were a shield.

Might as well cut straight to the heart of it. “You’ve clearly heard of the Nevermore killer, correct?”

The mayor’s eyes narrowed, his face turned pale. “I have. They’ve been targeting sex workers in the city.”

“They have,” I confirmed. “But more than that, these sex workers appeared to have been involved in a blackmail ring. They’ve secretly been taping their encounters with well-connected people. Mr. Torres, I won’t be vague about this. I know you were one of the last people to have met with the most recent victims, Julie Weber.”

He looked like he was about to throw up. He leaned back in his chair. The springs creaked. The overhead lighting cast a sickly shadow across his face. The hollows under his brown eyes appeared like they belonged on a Halloween decoration. He must not have been getting any sleep.

“Shit. Does anyone else know?”

“Only me and the officer at the scene, sir.”

“I paid them. They were supposed to delete the video.”

I sat up. He had contact with them. Good. “Who did you pay?”

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