Page 122 of Velvet Corruption

“Kieran,” Lorenzo said on the other end. “You good?”

“Need a clean-up,” I said. “The new DA’s house. No questions. Bring Mac with you…and don’t tell anyone. Not even Tristan and Adriana.”

A pause. Then, “On it.”

I hung up. Ruby swallowed, her throat working around something she wasn’t saying. I could practically hear the war in her head, the fight between what she should do and what she just allowed to happen.

“It’s done,” I told her.

I watched the truth settle into her bones, the realization that this wasn’t something she could undo.

It sat heavy on her, but she didn’t move.

Didn’t call me a liar.

Didn’t reach for her phone, which now sat in my back pocket, next to my phone.

Ruby looked defeated. She was angry, sure, but the bruises were bad and there was blood on her hands and her face. This wasn’t going to be easy to spin…but at least that wasn’t my job.

Cleaning up her house was going to be a lot easier than cleaning up her political career. I should’ve thought about that earlier.

This would be enough…this would destroy her. I would do what Tristan had set out to do from the beginning, I would get her out of the way and the Callahan family could get a DA elected ourselves. Someone who would play ball with us.

I should’ve been taking pictures, not helping her clean up. But my testimony would be enough…right? I could clean this up and then I could destroy her.

That was the plan. That had always been the plan.

So why wasn’t I doing exactly that?

I told myself I’d handle that later. First, the clean up. First, what I could control.

That was all this was.

Right?

Ruby spoke, her voice shaking. “This is so messed up.”

“It really is.”

She just swallowed hard and exhaled through her nose, her hands flexing at her sides.

Her hands curled into fists. “And it’s never just done with you.”

I smirked. “You’re learning.”

She glared at me. “Fuck you.”

“Would love to, sweetheart, but I’m a little busy right now. So can we raincheck that?” I asked, just to see the way her lips parted, the way that rage burned hot in her eyes.

She turned away. She didn’t have a response for that.

I bit back a grin. “Wash your hands, Ruby. Start cleaning. It’s going to be a long night.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Ruby

The kitchen smelled like vodka and blood.

My hands were still wet, my fingertips pruned from how long I had been scrubbing. The sink was empty now, wiped down to its usual clean shine, but I could still see the red-tinted water swirling down the drain, still feel the sticky warmth of someone else’s blood on my skin.