Page 14 of Kiss Kiss Bang
CHAPTER FOUR
A fundraiser for gubernatorial candidate Olivia Russo spiraled out of control when protestors broke through security and entered the gala. President Hadley, Russo, and other high-level political figures had to be escorted out of the premises before the guest of honor was able to give her highly anticipated speech.
“What was that?” Jax said as soon as Joey jumped back into the Suburban.
“What was what?”
“You and Russo?” He looked over at Joey, a brow tipped up. Of course Joey knew exactly what Jax was talking about, but he needed a moment to think about it. Process it. Come to terms with it. Whatever it was. He wasn’t really ready to discuss it.
“Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yeah, sure you don’t.” Jax chuckled. “Don’t forget I leave tomorrow for two weeks.”
“How can I forget? You’ve been stressing about it for months.” Jax’s fiancée, the lead singer of TNT, was leaving on tour and Jax was going with her. He’d planned and re-planned it a dozen times, as if Joey wasn’t capable of keeping ICS afloat without him.
“You think we’ll have to cancel our fishing trip again when I get back?” Jax asked.
Joey had been obsessively monitoring the toxic algae situation that had been moving south from central Florida for the last two months and worsening every day. And it didn’t look as if they’d be fishing or even swimming anytime soon. “Fuck if I know, but if McGregor doesn’t start giving a shit, shit’ll just get worse. He’s not even addressing it.”
“He’s a politician. They lie, turn a blind eye, and do what’s in their best interest.”
That made Joey think of Olivia. Would she just bend over and succumb to lobbyists just for political gain like her opponent and incumbent governor, Harry McGregor? She’d been notoriously hard-nosed in the school system, which was, according to the research he’d done, where she’d begun her political career. Apparently, while she’d been the secretary to the superintendent of the school district, there had been rumors that he’d been embezzling funds that were supposed to go to programs for special needs’ children. Risking her career and reputation, she’d single-handedly blown the lid off the scandal, causing him to disclose the budget and the embezzlement. He was now in prison and she had run as a write-in candidate in the next election. That was eight years ago. The community loved her and the changes she’d made to the school district were huge and groundbreaking. People wanted her as governor, which is why she had run. So no, he didn’t agree with Jax. Not all politicians were self-serving liars.
“Annie and Rocco tried to go to the beach last week and it was closed,” Joey said. Annie was his sister and Rocco her boyfriend. “Been living here all my life and have never seen the beach closed. I’ve seen warnings about riptide, but flat-out closed? Never.”
They reached the parking lot of ICS and got out of the car. It had been a long day and the tuxedo now felt constricting and uncomfortable. But damn, he could smell Olivia on it. She’d fucking rubbed herself on him and pushed her tit into his mouth in the elevator. He’d never gone so crazy with lust before, but she’d looked and sounded like she was going to come just from his mouth on her nipple. Hell, he’d almost come himself just from watching and hearing her.
“So tonight? You really think it was nothing? Those protestors were able to get through the feds,” Joey said. “That’s serious, man.”
“Yeah, they were pretty intense, but I think the Secret Service overreacted in canceling the event. They should’ve gotten the president out and the protestors out, and kept the event going. It spooked everyone but it was manageable.”
“You think it had to do with Olivia?” He’d been wondering this all night. Even during the kiss, his mind had wandered to her safety.
“Not sure,” Jax said. “But I bet with your super-sleuthy detective work you’re going to figure that shit out before tomorrow morning.”
Joey chuckled.
“At least try to wait until the morning so our contact at MDPD can give you the names of the people arrested. Don’t want you spinning your wheels for nothing.” He patted Joey on the back, hard. “I’m headed out, brother. Be good.”
“I’ll try,” Joey said as he walked away. He wasn’t going to wait for MDPD; that would take too long. Knowing the names of those arrested would make things easier and faster, but when did a little extra work ever stop him?
Joey got into his overpriced Ferrari, which he’d won in a contest—and secretly loved, even if it was kind of douchey and over-the-top—and headed home, feeling excited for tomorrow night and his date with Olivia and amped up to start working on finding out who the hell had tried to get close to her and the president.
Maybe Jax was right. Algorithms did excite him.
* * *
“Mommy, can I eat my waffles in the living room?” Sophie asked the next morning, as Olivia scraped the burnt waffles out of the waffle iron. She’d been daydreaming about Joey and the way his tongue felt in her mouth and the way his big hands felt against her body, and she’d forgotten to open the machine. She groaned and poured out more batter.
“Yes. It’ll be ready in two minutes.” She turned the contraption over as she heard Sophie turning on the television to the ever-familiar sound of Peppa Pig. When the light on the waffle maker turned off, she opened the machine. This time they were nice and golden. She served them to Sophie who was sitting on a beanbag chair in front of the television, laughing loudly at something on the TV.
She needed to get her mind off of Joey and the date she’d agreed to go on that evening. A date she still wasn’t sure was a good idea. A date that made her nervous as hell, but also stupidly excited. A date that was nine hours away, that she needed to not obsess about.
So she pulled up the newspaper app on her iPad and sat back, her feet on the ottoman, to read the news as her daughter lounged in the living room. She hadn’t had a lazy Sunday in far too long and she was actually looking forward to doing a load of laundry without being rushed, helping Sophie finish a puzzle that had been sitting on the corner of her coffee table for a week, and then maybe going to the park before having to get ready for the date she was trying not think about . . .
“What the f—” she whispered to herself, planting her feet on the floor and sitting up.
“Mommy, you said a bad wod.”
