Once the door closed behind him, Volos relaxed his politician’s stiffness and smiled at me like a conspirator. “Jesus, he’s an insufferable ass.”
“Yeah, well, that ass is my boss, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t put me in weird situations like that.”
“You’re the one who walked in here hurling insults.”
I crossed my arms. “Well-deserved insults.”
He crossed his arms, too, and the move pulled back the cuffs of his expensive suit to show a flash of gold. The watch probably cost more than my rent and the Blue Book value of Sybil combined. “What did I do this time?”
The amusement in his tone made my molars itch. He’d lied, cheated, and murdered a man in front of me, but seemed to think my objections to him were nothing more than trifles.
“Danny got into the Conservatory,” I said.
“That’s great.” He appeared genuinely happy. “He’ll do well there.”
“If he goes,” I said. “I haven’t decided.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Why wouldn’t you allow it?”
“You know why.”
He sighed. “That’s your pride talking. Think about the future this sets up for that kid.”
I flashed him pointed look. “Trust me, I’ve glimpsed that kind of future and, frankly, I’m not real impressed.”
He laughed, but there was a bitter note to the sound. “You’d prefer him to continue in that Mundane school training to be a middle manager at a widget company?”
“If it kept him safe, yes.”
“Safe from what?”
“People like you.”
The temperature in the office seemed to drop ten degrees. “That’s a low blow, Kate. I care about that boy.”
“Not as much as I do, John.”
He nodded to concede that point. “Love can lead to irrational decisions. Overprotection. The need to control.”
“I’m not here to debate the merits of the school. I promised Danny I’d consider it, but you’re the last person I’d come to for advice on this matter.”
He lowered his arms and leaned against his desk. “So, why are you here?”
“To threaten you.”
A shocked laugh escaped his lips. “Oh? This should be good.”
“You’re the mayor, so I can’t escape dealing with you professionally on occasion. But if you ever tamper with my private life again, mayor or no, I will come after you so hard, your head’s going to spin.”
He smirked. So cool and confident. The tiger playing with its food. “What are you going to do, Katie? Call me bad names?”
“You have a bad habit of underestimating me. It’s been that way since we were kids. You always thought you had me under your thumb, but I turned the tables on you, didn’t I?”
My reminder of how I’d walked away a decade earlier sat between us like a tossed gauntlet.
“I’m older now. Stronger. And if you think you’re the only one with dirt on your enemies, you’re not only naive but incredibly stupid.”
I’d expected him to become angry, but a look bordering on lust crossed his face. “What damage you got on me?” He’d dropped the polished diction of the mayor and had reverted to the street slang we used to use as kids.
I lifted my chin. “Try me and see.”
Very slowly, so I was sure to see it, the tip of his tongue wet his bottom lip. “You’re wrong, you know.”
“About what?” I tried to focus on his eyes and not the wet glint on that lip.
“I don’t underestimate you. If anything, I’ve been waiting for you to stop underestimating yourself.”
I laughed. “You patronizing ass.”
“Maybe, but I’m not wrong. When I saw you again for the first time when you got on the MEA team, you looked like you wanted to run and hide from me. But now?” He tilted his head as if looking at me from a different angle would reveal the answers he was looking for. “Something’s different. You’re more…something.”
“Maybe it was there all along,” I said. “And you never wanted to see it.”
He shook his head. “No, it’s new. Something’s changed.”
I crossed my arms and smiled at him. Letting him wonder.
Finally, he spoke, his expression neutral, “So, the rumors are true.”
“What rumors?”
“You and your partner…” He trailed off, as if saying the rest was beneath him. “I can’t say I’m surprised, though it is disappointing.”
“Believe it or not, your opinion has no bearing on who I take to my bed.”
His jaw tightened. “You’re going to hurt him, Kate.”
I frowned, thrown off guard by the switch in direction. What was he playing at? I didn’t have to wait long to hear his reasoning.
“He’s going to try to domesticate you because he doesn’t know better.”
“I’m not a fucking housecat.”
“No, sweetheart, you’re a Prospero. Any man you’re with has to understand that going in.”
This man was the last person I wanted to discuss this topic with, so I changed the subject.
“Did you know the Fangshi are moving in on Aphrodite’s territory?”
He blinked, and I allowed myself a brief moment to enjoy catching him off guard for a change.
“Why do you assume I keep up with what’s happening in the covens?”
I shrugged. “Old habits die hard.”
“As it happens, I’m aware of legitimate Chinese-American businesses coming into the city. In fact, I have a meeting with a representative in about ten minutes.” He glanced at his watch. “But I’m unaware of the Fangshi making any moves in town.”
I watched him for a moment but couldn’t detect a lie on him. That didn’t mean much. John Volos lied as easily as most people breathed.
“Is that the direction this Valentine case is taking you?” he asked.
I tilted my head. “I thought you didn’t lower yourself to keep up with coven business.”
His mouth twitched. “I bother myself with issues concerning the safety of this city. A potion lab exploding near downtown is a pretty big deal to my constituents.”
I tipped my chin, accepting that explanation for now. “We don’t have much hard evidence to go on yet, but we have reason to believe the Chinese are in town and may have been doing business with Basil.”
“Interesting,” he said in a noncommittal tone.
I glanced at the clock. “I need to head out.” I paused until I was sure I had his full attention. “Do not contact Danny. If you need to speak to him, you go through me.”
He looked distracted, as if his wheels were still turning. “I’m willing to give you some space, if that’s what you’d prefer, but sooner or later, you’re going to have to come to terms with the fact that we’re connected in ways that can never be severed.”
“Jesus, do you ever listen to yourself? You sound like a stalker.”
His eyes narrowed. “I won’t be mocked, Katherine.”
I leaned forward until I was in his face. He smelled like money and ozone. “And I won’t be managed, John.”
“Trust me,” he said in a sardonic tone. “I know.”
He showed me to the door and opened it for me. As I brushed past him, he said, “See you soon.”
I turned to tell him I hoped not, but a man in the waiting room caught my eye. Middle-aged and handsome, he exuded the confidence of a man used to being in charge. Volos had mentioned a meeting with a representative from a Chinese-American business, but this man had CEO written all over him.
Volos stepped around me and approached the man, offering his hand. Relieved to be forgotten, I slid toward the exit. But before I made it out the door, I heard Volos say, “Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Hung.”
It was the first time I’d ever heard John Volos defer to anyone. It was surprising enough that when I got into the hall, I wrote the man’s name down with the intention of researching him and his business when I got a chance.
* * *
On my way out of City Hall, I passed the pigeon man again. This time, he called out, “Beware the five.”
I stopped. “The five what?”
He shrugged. “Peewee tells me what to say. Not what it means.”
I crossed my arms and looked down at him. “You could ask him.”
The man threw back his head and laughed. “Oh, there’s no talking to Peewee.”
He shot the pigeon at his feet the same look a mom might give to her naughty but beloved child.