8
I held the list of cufflink purchasers in my hand, my eyes darting over the names, each one a potential lead. The exclusive nature of this list meant only a select few had bought them.
“How’d you get this?” I waved the paper at Dominic. “Isn’t this kind of information usually under lock and key?”
Dominic leaned back in his leather chair, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. “I have my ways.” His steel-gray eyes glinted with a mix of arrogance and amusement, the sharp line of his jaw accentuated by the office’s dim lighting. I couldn’t help but notice how his tailored suit hugged his broad shoulders. The scent of pine and sandalwood wafted towards me, tinged with that infuriating hint of cinnamon. His scent reminded me of Christmas season during my childhood—like someone had distilled the essence of December into cologne and bottled it up.
It did things to me.
My eyes drifted to his mouth, remembering how his lips felt against mine. A shiver raced through me at the thought of his strong hands gripping my waist, steadying me.
No.
The mahogany desk between us demanded professionalism, not daydreams about forbidden kisses on dimly lit cobblestone streets.
I raised an eyebrow. “Care to elaborate on that?”
“Let’s just say I have connections that prove... useful from time to time.”
I snorted. “Right. Connections.”
I sank into the chair across from Dominic’s desk. As I scanned the list again, a name jumped out at me. “Marcus Cretch? Doesn’t he work for Vertex?”
“Cretch?” Dominic’s eyes narrowed. “So you encountered him before our dinner?”
I shifted in my seat, the leather creaking beneath me. “Funny story, actually. Remember that day I came up here to um… speak to you?” I cleared my throat. “Well, I shared an elevator ride with him on the way back down.”
“Speak to me?” Dominic’s eyes glinted with amusement. “You stormed into my office fit for battle, if I recall correctly.”
My face grew warm. “I wouldn’t call it storming...”
“No? What would you call it then?”
I cleared my throat. “A passionate entrance?”
Dominic chuckled, a low, rich sound that made a delicious warmth flutter in my belly. “Passionate indeed.”
He leaned forward, his elbows on the desk. “And?”
“And?” I prompted, curious about his line of questioning.
“What did you and Cretch discuss during your elevator ride?” Dominic inquired, his gaze fixed on me.
“Nothing, really. Just small talk.” I shrugged, but my mind raced back to that day. I paused, my brow furrowing as I recalled the conversation. “Now that I think about it, Cretch seemed oddly curious about my visit to your office. He seemed to be prying.”
“He introduced himself as your executive assistant. The one who schedules all your meetings.” My fingers drummed against the wooden armrest. “And he made a point of saying I must be important because you never take guests without an appointment.”
“He is.” Dominic’s jaw tightened, a subtle change that drew my gaze to his chiseled jawline. “Though at times I’ve questioned his... allegiance.”
I pinched my bottom lip between my teeth as I considered the situation. “Why would he care so much about who I am?”
“Good question,” Dominic said, his brow furrowing. He leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled under his chin. “Cretch was an early liaison between Vertex and the mayor’s office.”
I mulled over this new piece of information. “You don’t think he’d use his position to influence the mayor somehow, do you?”
“It’s possible. He’s always been ambitious and I’ve never known him to give a damn about playing by the rules.”
“But why would he vandalize Rosie’s bakery? It doesn’t make sense.”
Dominic’s cool gray eyes met mine. “Perhaps he’s trying to manipulate property values. Or create problems the mayor can solve.”
A chill raced along my spine as a thought struck me. “Wait. What if Cretch was the one Jake’s neighbor saw threatening him?”
“That’s... an interesting theory,” Dominic said, his voice low. “We shouldn’t jump to conclusions, but it’s worth looking into.”
I watched him rise to his feet with the smooth precision of a big cat pouncing on its prey. “Perhaps we need to have a talk with the mayor?”
“I think you’re right.” I nodded, my mind racing. What game was Cretch and Mayor Holloway playing? And how deep did this rabbit hole go?
Dominic’s polished oxfords clicked against stone in perfect rhythm with my worn work boots as we climbed the steps to City Hall. The security guard at the entrance perked up when he spotted me. I’d fixed his daughter’s favorite ballet slippers last month.
“Leo! Good to see you.”
“Good to see you too, Carl,” I said with a smile. “Is the mayor in?”
“Just finished his four o’clock. Should be free now.”
I checked my watch. “We have a little under an hour before City Hall shuts its doors for the night.”
“Perfect,” Dominic said. “No interruptions, no excuses, just straight answers from our esteemed mayor.”
I matched Dominic’s purposeful stride down the marble hallway. The scent of pine and sandalwood from his alpha pheromones mixed with the musty air of old paperwork and floor polish as we made our way toward the mayor’s office.
A clash of muffled shouts leaked through the heavy oak door as we approached, followed by the sharp crack of something hitting a wall.
“You can’t do this! It’s wrong!”
I exchanged a glance with Dominic. “That’s Jake’s voice.”
My nose brushed against Dominic’s jacket as he pulled me behind him, his pine and spice scent wrapping around me like a shield. The muscles in his back tensed beneath his tailored suit as he pushed open the mayor’s door.
Mayor Holloway stood behind his desk, his face flushed red with anger. His eyes widened at our sudden entrance. Across from him, looking pale and disheveled, was Jake.
“Jake!” I stepped forward, but Dominic grabbed my arm, stopping me in my tracks.
Jake turned to us, relief washing over his features. “Leo! Thank God you’re here. The mayor, he’s been?—“
“Quiet!” Holloway snapped.
“This is a private matter.” The mayor said. “I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you two to leave.”
“I don’t think so,” Dominic said, his voice low and dangerous. “We have some questions for you, Mayor. About the vandalism in the Historical District… and some interesting plans for property acquisitions.”
I whipped my head toward Dominic. Property acquisitions? A chill crept down my neck as the pieces clicked into place—the vandalism, Cretch’s involvement, Jake’s disappearance. My fingers curled into fists at my sides.
I watched as the color drained from Mayor Holloway’s face. “I—I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Jake swallowed hard, his gaze flicking between us and the mayor. “The mayor and Mr. Cretch… I overheard them talking about buying out all the businesses in the Historical District.”
My blood ran cold. “Is that true?”
Holloway slumped into his chair, the fight seeming to go out of him. “It’s not what you think. This redevelopment plan, it would bring prosperity to Millcrest. New jobs, increased tourism?—“
“At the cost of our history and community,” I interrupted, anger rising in my chest.
Dominic placed a hand on my shoulder, a calming gesture. “Let’s hear the whole story. Jake, what happened after you overheard this conversation?”
Jake ran a shaky hand through his hair. “The mayor found out I knew. He... he had something on me. Threatened to expose it if I didn’t keep quiet.”
“Blackmail,” Dominic growled, his scent spiking with anger.
Jake nodded, not meeting our eyes. “I panicked. I knew I had to do something, so I... I stole some documents from his office. Proof of the whole scheme. That’s why I disappeared. I was scared, and I needed time to figure out what to do.”
“What kind of documents did you take?” I asked.
“The kind that proves the mayor’s working with the mob. Records of payments, contracts, emails—the whole deal. See, back in Boston I worked at this fancy Italian place, Bella Luna.” Jake’s voice cracked. “Turns out it wasn’t just a restaurant.”
“What do you mean?” My nostrils flared at the sour notes of fear in Jake’s scent.
“One night I stayed late prepping dough for the next day. Heard shouting, so I hid. Then—” Jake’s hands trembled. “My boss put two bullets in some guy’s chest. Right there in the kitchen.”
“Jesus Christ.” Dominic muttered under his breath.
“I ran. Ended up here thinking I could start fresh. But then Holloway spotted me at City Hall...” Jake’s shoulders hunched. “He knew exactly who I was. Said if I breathed a word about my ex-boss’ connection to the redevelopment plans, he’d tell him where to find me.”
“So you took the documents to protect yourself.” My fingers curled into fists.
“And everyone here. The contracts show how the mob’s laundering money through shell companies, using Cretch as cover for the whole operation. Once they own the district...” Jake’s eyes met mine. “Let’s just say their plans don’t include keeping the original buildings standing.”
Mayor Holloway leapt to his feet. “You little thief! Where is it?”
“Safe,” Jake said, a hint of defiance in his voice. “And if anything happens to me, it’ll all go straight to the press.”
I felt a surge of pride for Jake’s bravery, mixed with concern. No wonder he’d been making all those mistakes at the bakery. His life had been completely turned upside down.
“Vandalizing Wilson’s Bakery,” I said, turning back to Holloway. “That was part of your plan too, wasn’t it?”
The mayor’s silence was all the confirmation we needed.
Dominic stepped forward, using his imposing height to pin Holloway to his chair. “It was a two-fold plan, wasn’t it? Create problems that would bankrupt local shops and then pressure them to sell.”
“You never had any interest in revitalizing.” I said. My accusation drew the mayor’s nervous gaze toward me.
“You don’t understand,” he said. “The Historical District is charming, but it’s not sustainable. Revitalization will only go so far. We need this redevelopment to prosper.”
“That’s not your decision to make,” I snapped. “These are people’s lives and livelihoods you’re playing with.”
Mayor Holloway’s eyes narrowed on Dominic. “And what about you , Mr. Steele? Isn’t your company interested in this kind of development? Don’t pretend you’re any better than me.”
I turned to Dominic, confusion and a hint of betrayal washing over me. But his face remained impassive, revealing nothing.
I thought Vertex only wanted to renew buildings, not bulldoze them? A bitter taste filled my mouth. My fingers curled into my palms, but I kept quiet.
“My company’s interests are irrelevant,” Dominic said coolly. “What matters is that you’ve broken the law, Mayor. Multiple laws, in fact.”
As if on cue, the door burst open, and two police officers entered the room.
“What is the meaning of this?” Holloway demanded.
“Richard Holloway,” one of the officers said. “You’re under arrest for corruption, extortion, criminal conspiracy, destruction of private property, money laundering, official misconduct, and accessory after the fact.”
As the officers led the protesting mayor away, I turned to Jake. “Are you okay?”
He nodded, looking exhausted but relieved. “I will be. I’m sorry for disappearing like that. I just... I didn’t know who to trust.”
“You did the right thing,” Dominic said, surprising me with his gentleness. “Those documents you took, we’ll need them as evidence.”
Jake reached into his jacket and pulled out a USB drive. “It’s all here. Everything I could find about the redevelopment plan and the mayor’s dirty dealings. I stashed another copy somewhere safe, just in case. I’ll get that one for you too.”
“You’ll need to give a statement, but afterwards, go home and rest,” Dominic said as Jake handed over the drive.
Jake hesitated. “What about Mr. Cretch?”
“Officers should be knocking on his apartment door right about now.”
I watched Jake’s shoulders relax, the worry draining from his expression. “Thank you,” he murmured.
Once Jake had left with an officer, I turned to Dominic. “What now?”
He held up the USB. “Now, we make sure justice is served.”
“About that…” My brow furrowed, watching as he pocketed the USB drive. “How did you know to call the police? The timing seems... convenient.”
“Cretch was on the list of cufflink purchasers, but he didn’t have an account on the books with that particular shop.”
“So he’d need someone to vouch for him as a new client?” I asked.
“Precisely… which raised my suspicions given his connection to the mayor. I admit, I gambled on a hunch.” Dominic’s eyes flicked away for a split second. “Sorry I didn’t give you a heads-up.”
“That’s okay.” I nodded, suddenly aware of how close we were standing. The adrenaline of the confrontation was fading, replaced by a different kind of tension. Dominic’s scent enveloped me, stirring my omega instincts.
“Leo,” Dominic murmured, his voice low and husky. “I...”
But whatever he was about to say was interrupted by a knock at the door. A police officer entered, asking for our statements.
As the officer scribbled notes, my gaze drifted to Dominic. I studied his strong jawline and confident bearing while he spoke with the officer. I caught myself admiring how his brow furrowed slightly when he concentrated. His gaze flicked to me and the steel in them melted for a split second before he turned back to the officer.
The sun was setting by the time we finally stepped out of City Hall. Late afternoon sunlight painted long shadows across the steps. The full impact of the day’s events suddenly crashed over me, pressing down like lead in my bones. My hands shook as the adrenaline drained from my body.
“Let me drive you home.” Dominic fished his car keys from his pocket.
“I can take the bus—” I stopped mid-sentence when his cool gray eyes locked with mine, fixing me with a look that left no room for debate.
“Leo.” The gentle command in his voice compelled me to yield.
“Okay,” I said with a nod.
His warm hand settled on the small of my back, steadying me as he guided me toward the parking lot. I climbed into the passenger seat and clicked my seatbelt into place. My eyelids kept drooping during the drive, exhaustion finally pulling me under.
I blinked awake as Dominic’s car slowed to a stop outside Cobblers’ Corner. Pushing the passenger door open, I shifted to step out.
The warm glow of the streetlamps bathed the Historical District in a soft, amber light, transforming the quaint brick facades and Art Deco shopfronts into something almost ethereal.
I paused for a moment, drinking in the sight of wrought-iron lampposts and hanging flower baskets swaying gently in the evening breeze. My gaze drifted to Dominic, his profile sharp against the twilight sky.
“I can’t believe it’s over,” I said, breaking the comfortable silence between us.
I studied his face, tracing the sharp lines of his profile with my gaze. His jaw clenched, a telltale sign of tension. Those cool gray eyes of his were fixed on some invisible point in the distance, lost in thought as we strolled side by side. When he finally turned to me, our eyes locked, and I felt that familiar flutter in my chest. A tingle raced through my body and I found myself holding my breath, caught in the moment.
“I know it’s been a long day, but...” I finally said, my voice softer than I intended. “Would you like to come back to my shop? I could whip up some dinner. Nothing fancy, just...”
I trailed off, suddenly unsure. Why was I feeling so shy, stumbling on my words like a lovesick kid? Dominic’s lips curved into a smile that made my knees go weak.
“I’d like that,” he said, his rich baritone causing my skin to prickle with goosebumps. “Lead the way.”