“Ah…” Jill frowned, also taking a drink, but a much smaller mouthful. This time, she savored the burn in her throat, because she was about to either blow this mission all to hell or open it up for a victory in their favor. “So you’re one of them. Yeah, maybe I need to switch tables or is that what you’ve been doing on your phone, calling in the breed roundup team?”
He slammed his glass down, gaining attention from those around them. Jill’s eyes shot to Damon who was ready to stand, but she shook her head slightly. George leaned in toward her. “I’m not like that son of a bitch or his cunt of a fiancée.”
Jill remained silent, listening to Slade in her ear wishing he would be quiet so she could think. This ear thing was a really bad idea. “Dammit, Jill, be careful.”
He waited until the waitress set down his drink and left before turning on to her. “I should have been Mayor, not him.”
“And you would have done it differently?” Jill chuckled, shaking her head, hoping to hell her hunch about George paid off. “This war on half-breeds has ruined my life. Why do you think I’m slinking around at night working in dark clubs, dancing for strangers half-naked? I had a great job working in a finance office, but because of your boss, the Mayor’s ‘Stop the Breeding of Half-breeds’ campaign, I can’t even walk down the street without the fear of being locked away.”
When he didn’t say anything, but simply stared at her, draining his glass, Jill figured she’d blown it big time. Dammit, she read him wrong and she’d failed; Sloan was going to be so pissed.
“When I signed on with Tom Ferguson, he was actually a pretty stand-up guy.” He glanced down at his phone before continuing as Sloan snorted in Jill’s earpiece. “We believed in the same things, wanted the same things for the community and he was a shoe-in to win because of his affiliation with the police force. He talked me into supporting him as his Deputy Mayor. I figured it would help me in my future pursuit in politics, but it only feels like I’ve sold my soul to the devil.”
Jill took another sip of her drink, ignoring the warning from Slade to slow down, but she needed this drink. It was easing her nerves tremendously. “Why do you say that?”
“Because that’s who I feel I work for now.” George laughed without humor. “I’m so stuck in deep shit; I don’t know how to get out.”
“So quit, resign or whatever a Deputy Mayor would do.” Dammit, she wanted to dive deeper into the ‘sold his soul’ comment, but didn’t want to sound too eager and clue him in.
“I’m in too deep for that now.” True fear flashed in his eyes. “No one leaves unless told to leave, and that doesn’t happen either. They just disappear.”
“What changed everything?” Jill leaned back, taking the drink with her. “You seemed to be on track with the Mayor during his campaign.”
“His fiancée happened,” he hissed, pure hatred coloring his face. “Once she came into the picture, everything changed and the whole half-breed campaign began. It was her way or no way. I tried everything I could to talk to Tom, but she had him wrapped around her finger. She actually cornered me, telling me that if I was a good boy, she’d take good care of me…meaning sex, but if I crossed her, I would disappear.”
“I’m sorry.” Jill took another drink, setting it down, then placed her hand on his arm. “You seem like a real great guy, wanting to do right.”
“Yeah, real great guy,” he snorted, draining another glass.
Jill couldn’t believe he was still able to talk after drinking so much. “What I don’t understand is where the VC Council is in all of this? Have you gone to them?” Okay, this was the big one; she just tossed out the big guns.
“I’m watched all the time because that bitch doesn’t trust me.” George frowned, fingering his glass. “This is the only place I can escape to, but I know someone is in the parking lot or nearby ready to follow me. If I even glance at anyone on the VC Council, I’m a dead man. She has a real hard-on for those guys. Plus from what I understand, she has a traitor high in the ranks there; that’s how all the paperwork and meetings went through to Washington without the Council ever knowing until it was too late.”
More cursing from every Warrior with a mic overwhelmed her hearing. George’s cussing brought her attention back to him.
“What in the hell am I telling you all this for.” George’s voice was shaky with fear. Small beads of sweat broke out across his forehead. Nervously, he grabbed a napkin, wiping the sweat from his brow.
“George,” Jill tried to break into his freak out.
“Jesus, I need to quit drinking.” George took another gulp of the drink the waitress kept filled. “I must be out of my damn mind telling you all that.”
“George!” Jill said with more force. When he stopped and looked at her, Jill gave him a comforting smile. “I’m a stripper and a half-breed. Even if I wanted to tell anyone anything, who would believe me,” she laughed, trying to calm him down.