Page 14 of Velvet Corruption

Whatever the case, Mayor Sloane seemed to like me. I was a good option for him. That wasn’t really the consolation he thought it was, though.

“Ruby! We’re with you all the way to the DA’s office!” someone shouted over the crowd’s roar.

“Thank you!” I called back, shaking hands as I moved through the room, my touch firm, my smile unwavering. The scent of expensive perfumes and colognes mixed with the tang of ambition in the air. This was Boston, and these were my people—the ones who believed I could clean up our streets.

“Ms. Marquez, your stance on crime is exactly what this city needs,” a silver-haired woman said, clasping both of her hands over mine. Her voice held the accent of old money and Beacon Hill.

“I’m just trying to make a difference, Mrs. Lockwood,” I replied, locking eyes with her to show I meant every word. “And I can’t do it without support from citizens like you.”

“Call me Helen, please. And we’ll be behind you every step of the way.”

Her endorsement warmed me more than the wine they were serving. How many of these rounds did I have to do? I knew they worked, but I was so tired, and it was always the same fucking thing.

“Ms. Marquez, we’re…uh, big fans of your policy proposals,” the man stumbled over his words, his cheeks flushing.

“Please, call me Ruby,” I corrected gently. “And thank you. It means the world to me that my work resonates with you.”

“Absolutely, Ruby. You’re going to change things. We believe in you,” his partner added with a warmth that reached her eyes.

I caught snippets of conversations as I navigated the throng, my name woven into discussions about the future of Boston. My campaign manager Aleksey Ivanov—or Alek, as he had rebranded himself to keep voters from spiraling into Red Scare paranoia—kept insisting that I “connect” with the people.” Smile more. Kiss all the babies.

I didn’t see the point.

What was my competition? I had been groomed for this position for years, first as an intern, then as a legal assistant, then an assistant district attorney. When Lenta announced his retirement, it was a foregone conclusion that I would step in and take over. Then he had the audacity to die…and now I had to do the whole dog-and-pony-show of holding hands and kissing babies way before I was ready for it.

It felt so disingenuous.

But Alek was rarely wrong, and I was no campaign expert…so I did what he told me and played the part.

As I approached the small stage at the front of the room, Alek intercepted me, sharp cheekbones sending a message to anyone who might mess with me that we were not to be fucked with. I knew better—my best friend was a teddy bear under all that intensity.

“How is it going, Ms. Marquez?”

“You literally come over to my house for dinner every other week,” I said. “You can call me Ruby.”

A smirk. “I’m going to call you Ms. Marquez…or maybe evenDistrict AttorneyMarquez,“ he said, the smirk deepening. “You look like you’re about to keel over. Need a rescue?”

I paused, considering. Alek had been with me since the beginning, and his counsel had never steered me wrong. If he thought I needed these glad-handing sessions, then I probably did.

“Just tell me I don’t have to give a speech,” I said, half-pleading.

He shrugged one of his massive shoulders. “Engagement is already high. A few words could help, but it’s not mandatory.”

I sighed in relief. “Okay, maybe just a thank you and then we can get out of here.”

He nodded, looking toward the bar. “Julian is looking for you.”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “Did you invite him?”

“No, but it’s good he came. You’re still legally married, right?”

“Technically,” I muttered, glancing over to see Julian waving, a whiskey neat in hand. He looked every bit the polished politician he always wanted to be, right down to the navy suit that complemented his boyish charm. Once upon a time, that charm had worked on me.

Alek leaned in closer, his voice dropping. “It looks better for you, Ruby. The voters need to see stability.”

Stability. That was a laugh. The only stable thing in my life right now was my career, and even that felt precarious with the whole election circus.

“And honestly,” Alek continued. “You shouldn’t forget that he’s doing you a kindness.”