Page 72 of Be With Me
Mother frowned. “You’re telling me you’re just sitting around, waiting?”
“It’s a delicate situation.”
Her gaze narrowed.
I made sure my face gave nothing away.
If Morales had a secret backer, Mia had no idea about any of it. I was sure of it. She was too principled. Her father would know better than to involve her.
To get information, I would need to compel her to spy on Morales. And I’d already decided I wasn’t going to do that.
Not after last night.
“We don’t have time to wait around,” Mother said, her tone leaving no room for argument. “When are you seeing her next?”
“Two days from now for a fitting. I’ve convinced her to dress me for an event next week at The Golden Circle.”
She picked up a pen. “How?”
“Her business is in trouble. Told her I’d get her more clients.”
Mother looked thoughtful as she tapped the pen against her lips. “How much damage would an intimate photo of you two cause?”
My blood ran cold. She was dipping into her favorite bag of tricks. “Could be significant. She wouldn’t want something like that getting out. But would it be enough to get her to betray her father? I doubt it.”
“Unless you have better ideas, I think we should give it a try.”
“She’s been standoffish. Aloof.”
“I’m not going to tell you how to seduce her, Romolo. Surely, you can figure that out?”
A foul sensation knotted inside my gut. “Rhetorical question, right?” I said, my voice low.
Her lips thinned as she stared at me. The pen clicked closed. “Tell me when you think you’ll be able to stage it. I can help arrange the tech.”
Help. I didn’t need her fucking help. What I needed was for her to forget that Mia existed.
But how? She was like dog with a bone. After I said goodbye to Mia tomorrow, I’d have to keep the ruse going for a while longer. Pretend like I was still pursuing her so that Mother wouldn’t suspect I’d given up.
How long could I keep it up until Mother decided to intervene?
Only time would tell.
My hand clenched around the tube in my pocket. “I’ve got it.”
She got to her feet and anchored her palms against the desk. “A week ago you waltzed in here and promised to solve our most important problem. I want results. Have I made myself clear?”
I rolled my lips over my teeth and stood up. “Crystal.”
“Good. You’re dismissed.”
CHAPTER21
MIA
There were some things I could get away with in life. Boarding with zone three when my plane ticket said zone four. Telling my nutritionist I only had a bite of cake, instead of a full slice. Skipping the occasional campaign event by pretending I had food poisoning.
Hooking up with a mob boss’s son wasn’t one of them.
