Page 49 of Devil’s Reign
“Is your TV on now?” Dima’s voice cuts through my thoughts.
I increase my stride and head straight for the console, grabbing the remote and turning it on. “Yes, now what?”
“Go to channel 65.”
“What’s happening on channel 65?” I ask as I follow his instruction, but the question answers itself the moment the image appears. Daniel Salvi’s ugly face fills the screen, smug and polished. He’s doing an interview. “I’m sick of this fucking bastard.”
“Better get used to that feeling. We’re going to be seeing a lot more of his face during election season. Turn up the volume.”
My lips thin as I increase the sound, forced to hear the slimy words spilling from his mouth. Dima goes quiet on the line so I can listen without distraction.
“---You know, older parties are filled with men who are used to power and set in their ways. They find change hard and are naturally resistant to it. Just like we all are.” Daniel flashes a confident smirk.
The male anchor nods with a small, sympathetic smile. “Change can be scary.”
“I agree with you, Peter—change is scary. Especially a change as big as the one I want for our city. But we need to embrace it because change is constant. And on that note—” Daniel leans forward, like he’s letting the audience in on something intimate, “—I’m going to announce a big change I recently orchestrated.”
“Are you talking about the primaries coming up?” Peter asks.
“Yes. I know many of my supporters won’t be surprised, but a few might be.” He pauses for dramatic effect—the bastard. “I’ve left the Democratic Party and created something new, something untainted to carry forward our vision of change.”
“A new party? Mr. Salvi, that’s quite a bold move. Launching a new political party just a year before the election?”
Daniel laughs, and the sound creates a fist of rage in my gut. I’d like nothing more than to wrap my hands around his thick throat and squeeze until that laugh dies permanently.
“It is a bold move. A bold and scary move. But I can't be afraid to take risks when I want to change the status quo. In fact, that’s the very thing we need if we want to challenge the powers that be.”
“I like that very much, Daniel.”
“Thank you, Peter.” Another calculated smile. “I created the New Order NYC as a Clean Slate Coalition. It isn't just another political party. It's a resistance to everything that’s infected our city—crime, corruption, cowardice. I won't bow to mafia dons or political ones.”
Peter practically glows. “I have to say, I’m looking forward to this election more than I have in years. I’m eager to see how you and the New Order NYC fare against the big dogs.”
The two men shake hands before Peter turns to the camera. “Well, you heard it here first, folks. Thank you for tuning in to—”
I turn off the TV. “Fucking hell.” We already knew this was coming, thanks to the audio Dima captured of Daniel speaking with Senator Cole, but seeing it play out publicly is a different ball game.
“Fucking hell is right,” Dimitri agrees. “Daniel isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. We need to start taking him seriously.” But, right now, there’s not much more we can do than push our own candidate forward.
“Have you touched base with James Salvatore?” Smooching with the politicians is strictly Aleksei’s forte, but sometimes Dima and I need to step in—like when I had to kill James’ old partners to prevent future scandals.
“Not directly. But I've wiped his digital footprint and have been pushing his campaign online with polls and other tactics. He’s rising in popularity, but Daniel is still way ahead.”
“Fuck.” I heave a heavy sigh. We can’t even fucking kill Daniel or make him disappear. Not only is he a former U.S. Attorney, but he’s now also a popular mayoral candidate whose entire platform is built on destroying us. Any foul play involving him will be linked to us, even if we aren’t the culprits. So until the election is over, the fucker is untouchable.
“I’ll speak to Aleksei about it,” Dimitri assures me before switching gears. “How’s the investigation into the missing men? Have you been in contact with Vasily? Word is Jordan and Harvey haven’t been seen or heard from in over twenty-four hours.”
No. Jordan and Harvey are our men stationed at the port—they ensure our imports make it into the country without attracting unwanted attention from the authorities.
If they’re gone too… “Fuck,” I repeat. “Let me get in touch with Vasily.”
I end the call and dial his number. It rings, but he doesn’t answer.
My eyes narrow as I lower the phone. It’s time I visited him to remind him what’s at stake and what he stands to lose. His life.
I return to my room, moving quietly to gather clothes from my closet. Then I carry everything back to my office so I can shower and dress there without waking Melani.
After pulling on my jacket, I leave the office, eager to get to the thick of things and regain some semblance of normalcy. But something stops me. The thought of her still asleep inside tugs at my chest.
