Despite all of this, I don’t play who I am up to the media. I can’t exactly say the same about the King of New Kingston, though. Prancing around like royalty and cutting deals like an Emperor, this bastard must think himself above the law. Too bad that, as far as he’s concerned, I’m the law.
“Governor Andrews,” calls out a petite blonde woman, a pile of folders clutched close to her chest. I stop, looking at her as she takes a deep breath and tucks a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Judging by her white button up shirt and professional tight skirt, she seems to be part of the Mayor’s entourage. “I’m here to take you to the Mayor’s office,” she says, her cheeks flushing the moment we lock eyes. “The… the Mayor already knows you’re here, and he’s waiting for you!”
“Good,” I tell her, politely smiling, “I’m on a tight schedule, so just lead the way.”
Her cheeks flush even more and she looks down at her feet, trying to avert my gaze. Eventually, she turns on her heels and I follow after her. We walk to the second floor and she takes me down a hallway, stopping in front of two wooden double doors, a grand entrance to the Mayor’s office.
“Go ahead, Governor,” she tells me, stepping aside with a coy smile. I look at her with a wide smile, reading the eagerness all over her face. I’d just have to say the word and she’d be on her knees in a heartbeat. But I didn’t come here to allow myself to get distracted; I have a job to do.
“Thank you,” I tell her, and reach for the handle of the door and turn it. I step inside the office, my pupils widening in response to the dim light inside: the curtains are drawn, and aside from a lamp in the corner, the lights are out. Standing behind a massive oak desk is Liam Jeffries, the infamous New Kingston mayor. He has his feet propped up on the desk, his hands behind his head, and a lazy grin on his face. I didn’t exactly expect a warm reception, but this is almost too much. I have the sense that he’s doing it on purpose, just to spite me.
“Here he is—the wonder Governor in the flesh, Carter Andrews!” he says merrily, taking his feet from the desk and standing up. He draws the curtains, sunlight streaming into the room and filling it with a warm gentle light. Squinting his eyes, Liam extends me his hand. “Sorry, late night yesterday,” he tells me, not bothering to hide the fact that his late night had nothing do with work. He has “hangover” written all over his face. Not that it surprises me; from the stories I’ve heard, Liam lives for two things only: pussy and liquor.
“I figured as much,” I say, shaking his hand firmly. I can do without all the formality most politicians love so much, but Liam’s casual ways just manage to piss me off. After all, I didn’t come here to be his buddy. I came with a warning.
“So, what brings such a busy man to my humble office?” he asks, sitting back down on his chair and pointing to the other one in front of the desk, offering me a seat. I sit, unbuttoning my jacket, and prepare my words.
“You know why I’m here,” I tell him straight away, not wanting to beat around the bush. “The deal you’ve made … you have a few ways to call it off.
“Oh, you came all this way just to tell me that? You could've just called,” he props his feet on top of the table again, looking at me with that annoying grin on his face. “The answer is no.” I open my mouth to speak, but he raises his hand and cuts me short. “No means no. And it’s a fucking no, Governor.”#p#分页标题#e#
Here we go. He’s just a Mayor, and he thinks of himself a king. He has no idea how close he is to having the living daylights knocked out of him.
“Like I told the news when they asked, I got three words for you Carter,” Liam says, leaning back. “Go fuck yourself.”
“Liam,” I start, saying his first name pointedly, “Your deal flies in the face of the environmental legislation I’ve just passed.” I don’t give two shits if I’m disrespecting him by not addressing him as Mayor—as far as I’m concerned, this guy is just another idiot who doesn’t even deserve an ounce of respect.
“Yeah, yeah. I don’t give two fucks about it. You might like to pass all kinds of laws while you’re sitting on your fancy Governor’s chair, but I’m living in the real world. I don’t have the time for your political agenda bullshit of the week; I became Mayor in this city because I care about the people here, not because I want to be another fucking cog in the state’s machine.” I hear his words, but I can barely believe them. I fought tooth and nail to create a law that would protect our state for years to come, and this guy is pissing all over it with a grin … and that while trying to feed me some fake altruistic bullshit. Who the hell does he think he is?