Mayor Sterling was a man who had built his career on a "Law and Order" platform. He was handsome, silver-haired, and possessed a voice that sounded like trust. But as he sat in the back of a blacked-out SUV parked in a derelict alleyway three hours later, he looked like a man waiting for his execution.
The door opened, and Dante stepped in. He didn't bring guards. He didn't need them. The entire block was a "Dead Zone"—Dante's jammers had killed all cell signals and cameras for three blocks.
Anna sat in the front seat, the glass partition down. She watched through the rearview mirror as Dante sat across from the most powerful man in the city.
"Mr. Vane," Sterling started, his voice cracking. "The... the disappearance of the Council is a tragedy for the city's stability. The police are asking questions. My office is under pressure."
Dante leaned back, the shadows of the alley playing across his sharp features. He pulled a single, thin file from his coat and tossed it onto the Mayor's lap.
"The police are asking questions because you told them to, Sterling. Stop. The pressure on your office is coming from the fact that your mistress's beach house in the Caymans was paid for with Syndicate blood money. I have the wire transfers. I have the photos."
Sterling's face went the color of ash. "I... I was forced. Silvio threatened my family."
"Silvio is a memory," Dante said, his voice dropping to a husky, terrifying register. "I am the reality. From tonight, you are going to announce a 'New Urban Initiative.' You will double the police patrols in the South Side, but they will report to my commanders, not your Chief. You will grant 'Vane Logistics' the exclusive contract for all city waste and transport. And in return, the files on your offshore accounts will stay in my vault."
"You're asking me to hand you the keys to the city," Sterling whispered.
"I'm not asking," Dante corrected. He leaned forward, his eyes boring into the Mayor's soul. "I'm telling you the price of your life. You will be the face of the city, Sterling. You will take the credit for the lower crime rates. You will be the most popular Mayor in history. But when I pull your string, you dance. If you trip... I'll let the public see exactly what you are."
Dante reached out and adjusted the Mayor's silk tie, a gesture so possessive and demeaning it made Anna's stomach turn.
"Go home, Mr. Mayor. Prepare your speech. Tell the people that a new day is dawning."
As the SUV drove away, leaving the Mayor trembling on the sidewalk, Dante leaned his head back and closed his eyes.
"He's a hollow man, Anna," Dante said, his voice sounding tired for the first time. "The world is full of them. They want the power, but they don't want the blood. They need a monster to do the work they're too cowardly to admit needs doing."
He reached forward, his hand sliding over the back of the seat to touch the nape of Anna's neck. His fingers were cold, but the way he stroked the small hairs there made a flush of heat rise to her cheeks.
"Are you disgusted by me tonight?" he asked, his voice a low tease. "Or are you starting to see that I'm the only honest man in this city? I don't pretend to be a hero. I just make sure the villains follow my rules."