by Dave Daren
Alessia was already shaking her head when she opened her mouth.
“Yes, very,” I cut in and motioned for him to continue.
“Then y’all are my people,” he concluded with a grin. “The dark horse is my specialty, and I’d like to add another win to my track record.”
He handed us a resume of successful campaigns that he’d worked on, and I had to admit I was impressed with his track record.
“Could you excuse us for a minute, Bear?” I asked and glanced over at Alessia who nodded.
The large man dipped his head and extracted himself from the booth to walk over next to his team. They talked in hushed tones as I turned to Alessia with excitement.
“You like him?” She raised her eyebrows with amusement.
“He’s a character, he knows what he’s doing, and he came with a whole damn team!” I pointed out. “Who else came that prepared? Certainly not Pinky, though I’m surprised Jeff didn’t have a PowerPoint ready for us.”
“That would have impressed you?” Alessia giggled. “A slideshow?”
“Maybe would have kept me awake, if he had good pictures,” I shot back with a grin. “Bear is a perfect fit. You have to admit, he had you pegged.”
“He did seem to know me very well already,” she agreed.
“And if he’s that good at reading people, I think he would be good with voters,” I pressed.
“I’m inclined to agree,” Alessia sighed. “He is much better at keeping his audience entertained than Jeffrey. Not to mention, he’s easy on the eyes.”
“He is?” I glanced over at the large dark-skinned man who smiled at his cohorts as they discussed their next moves. “I guess.”
“Let’s hire him,” she decided.
“You don’t want to talk to the one tomorrow?” I asked with surprise.
“Nope.” Her dark tresses flowed around her shoulders as she shook her head. “I’m all in with Bear.”
I waved the man and his team over toward us with a grin.
“Bear and B Team members, you’re hired,” I declared as I stood to shake his hand.
“Let the campaign begin,” our new campaign manager boomed.
Chapter 6
The next two weeks flew by like a movie on fast forward. Bear arranged for Alessia to announce her candidacy at a local food pantry, then he brilliantly followed the announcement with her and a group of volunteers spending the next two hours helping the workers clean the building and organize a new set of donations.
The video had gone viral on multiple social media sites, thanks to Mateo Rodriguez, Bear’s communications guy. He was a perfect fit for the communications role. I couldn’t have asked for a better guy to come up with dozens of ways to get viewers on our videos or reach out to those who normally steer clear of politics. He used some fancy hashtag and had thousands of New Yorkers watch Alessia’s live announcement and volunteer work.
The great thing about someone like Alessia was her ability to look natural in every situation. She didn’t look like an awkward politician who had never worked a day in her life trying to stack boxes in the pantry. She looked like any new volunteers who really wanted to help and so took her time and asked questions to make sure it was done right instead of just getting it done so she could leave. She cared about the people she was helping, and it was obvious from all the time and effort she put into her work.
Today, Mateo was pushing the hashtag “PizzanoPress” for a series of press conferences Bear had set up for Alessia to talk with a few different interest groups. A wide variety of reps had reached out to the campaign manager to get Alessia to speak at their conferences, but he was smart in whose invitations he chose to accept. He shied away from anything too polarizing and instead focused on the aspects of Alessia’s campaign that she’d already shown a deep passion for. Prison reform, anti-corruption, and fairness and equality interest groups were at the top of the list.
The last one for today was a women’s rights advocacy group that had immediately thrown their weight behind the campaign to show their support for the young ADA. They had hot pink flags that I was sure Pinky would have approved of, a giant pink and white banner along the front of their stage, and at least a hundred men and women in the crowd screaming their support.
I kept my distance and stayed out of the limelight to protect the campaign during these events, and for the women’s group, I waited in my car outside the venue and watched the video streaming on my phone. I watched the emojis pop up on the video as people liked, loved, and whatever the hugging smiley meant while Alessia spoke about her passion for helping other women work toward their hopes and dreams in every avenue possible. She was so authentic, you could feel her exhilaration through the airwaves.
A few minutes after she thanked the cheering crowd, Alessia stepped out of the building with Bear and a few volunteers surrounding her, though I would think Bear alone would be enough of a deterrent for anyone who considered attacking her. They escorted her to my car, and she slipped inside with a smile and a wave.
“Wow,” she gasped and fell back against the seat as she pulled off her heels and dropped them on the floorboard with a pair of thuds. “I don’t think this will ever get old.”
“You’re pretty damn good at it,” I said with a smile as I set my warm hand on her exposed thigh. “Along with a few other things.”
“Well, let’s get back to your place, so I can keep practicing.” Her bright hazel eyes were full of mischief as she waited for me to throw the car into gear.
“Don’t have to tell me twice,” I murmured and got us on the road.
We barely made it into my apartment before I had her pressed against the wall and was tugging on the zipper on the back of her dress. Her bronze skin shimmered under my fingers and then my lips as my trousers tightened across my hips. I slipped my holster from the waist of my slacks and set it on the counter before I returned to undressing the lovely Italian.
Suddenly, a shrill ringing sound filled the room, and Alessia gasped as she fumbled for her purse on the floor.
I stepped back with a sigh when she held up the screen to show Bear’s name.
“Hello?” she answered. “Yes… just got to-- oh… Well, of course, if you think I should… Okay, I’ll see you soon.”
That sounded like our plans were now on hold, even though all I wanted was to get her into bed, have a couple hours of naked fun, and then pass out. We’d been doing a lot of work the past ten days from meetings to press conferences to rallies all over Brooklyn. I knew I was exhausted, so I couldn’t imagine how tired she was from doing even more work than I’d been doing.
“I guess that means your practice will have to wait,” I muttered with a frown.
“Unfortunately,” she confirmed and pecked me on the cheek. “Can you zip me back up?”
“I suppose,” I sighed dramatically as I fixed her outfit and smoothed the silky fabric. “What do you need to go to?”
“We just got an invitation to join Senator Ratcliffe for his rally at the Pulaski Bridge,” Alessia replied. “He’s trying to raise money for a new homeless shelter in his old neighborhood. Bear thinks he’s also pushing a little bit for one of the anti-corruption groups, but the Senator didn’t confirm that.”
“Is he wanting to endorse you?” I raised my eyebrows at the prospect of having a Senator backing Alessia in the race.
As our campaign manager had openly admitted, Alessia was the underdog against Chatel, especially with Webber in his corner. So far, she’d fared well in the polls compared to the incumbent, Jordan, but having a well-respected politician like Ratcliffe behind her would be invaluable.
“Bear said not to get my hopes too high, but it is a possibility,” she answered with a smile.
“Well, even if he doesn’t, the invitation is huge,” I pointed out. “He could have chosen Jordan or Chatel, but he chose you.”
“Guess the mayor won’t be thrilled about that,” Alessia giggled and ran her fingers through her hair. “Ho
w do I look?”
“Gorgeous as ever.” I grinned and shooed her toward the door. “Let’s get going. Traffic will be hell over there.”
We trudged back out to my car and slid into the leather seats. I turned the radio to the local news station and listened to the jockeys discuss the upcoming election.
“Oh, God, can we listen to something other than politics?” she groaned. “I already have Bear in my ear half the day with his new schemes for adding more votes, and Mateo with his polls, tweets, and hashtags.”
“Okay, okay, you pick.” I motioned to the radio as I pulled out of the parking garage.
Then the loud twang of an acoustic guitar filled the cabin of my car as Alessia began to belt out a country song about beating up some guy’s truck. I glanced over to see the ADA jamming out to the beat, and I couldn’t help but laugh at her enthusiasm.
“You don’t know this one?” she yelled over the music.
“Not at all,” I laughed. “It’s okay, enjoy it.”
Alessia nodded and continued to dance and sing her country songs the rest of the way to the rally. By the time we arrived, it seemed she’d rejuvenated and gotten back in the groove of being in the public eye.
I parked at the curb, and Bear seemed to appear out of nowhere, though I had no clue how such a big guy could pop in and out of sight like that. He opened Alessia’s door and held his elbow out to walk her up a red carpet to the event. Cameras flashed and microphones poked out into the aisle as the pair made their way toward the stage. I offered a wave as she turned back toward me, and she smiled before she faced the crowd who erupted with applause at her appearance.
Alessia went into politician mode immediately as she shook hands and greeted the people who’d gathered next to a hotel by the bridge. It looked like the Senator had set up a podium in front of the hotel, and throngs of people surrounded the stage with American flags and various signs of support for the rally and the shelter.
I drove around the block and texted Mateo to get the link to the video I already knew he’d be streaming. Once I got the video running, I linked it to my stereo and played the video on the pop-up screen in my dash. Then I sent Anthony a text to let him know about the rally. I figured he’d be quick to make an anonymous donation to the Senator’s cause, especially since he’d shown an interest in Alessia.
Can you talk?
Anthony’s response surprised me. He’d been working hard on his end with gathering more funds and creating advertisements for Alessia’s campaign, while she and I had been on the front lines with appearances and fundraising. We’d touched base here and there on the campaign, but he wanted me to focus on the victory.
I quickly called my client, and he picked up almost immediately.
“So, my mother just returned,” he started with a chuckle. “Have you talked to Liz?”
I’d forgotten about Gulia’s little European trip that would include taking my co-counsel to her father’s Italian vineyard.
“Oh, man, what happened?” I grimaced as I waited for his response.
“Apparently, Mother, Annie, and Liz had a few too many glasses of my grandfather’s new blend,” Anthony snickered. “They passed out on the patio at the winery. Poor Uncle Michael had to carry each of them to their rooms.”
“Wow,” I laughed. “At least they had fun, I guess.”
“Now, you can give Liz shit for it,” my client continued to giggle like a schoolgirl. “It was three days ago, so she must not plan on telling you.”
“Oh, I definitely will.” I couldn’t wait to call Liz and see what she remembered from her night on the town with Gulia.
We chatted for a few more minutes about the campaign and the polls before Anthony said he was getting a business call. We hung up just as Senator Ratcliffe came onto the stage amidst cheers and chants.
“Hey, Brooklyn!” he yelled as he tossed his suit jacket to the side and held his hands up. “My name is James Ratcliffe, and I’m so happy to see everyone here tonight. The purpose for tonight is to raise money for a group that doesn’t always get the help they need and deserve…”
The Senator continued to talk about the homeless in his neighborhood and how important it was to provide housing and opportunities for them to return to a normal life, while Alessia stood toward the back of the stage with a regal smile. I could tell she agreed with everything Ratcliffe was saying, especially given her tendency to want to help people get back on their feet.
“By treating our homeless as soon-to-be functioning members of our society, we’re giving our city the chance to grow and flourish with everyone included,” he continued. “And unfortunately, we have some people in our city’s government who don’t want that fair chance for everyone.”
His statement was met with boos and angry fists from the crowd, and he held his hands up to lower their volume.
“I know, it’s sickening,” Ratcliffe agreed. “Yet today, I’m honored to introduce you to someone who is looking to step away from the toxic norm we’ve seen in city hall. She’s brilliant, caring, and truly wants to clean up our streets and our justice system, and I’m happy to introduce her to you tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, Alessia Pizzano!”
As soon as he spoke her name, the crowd exploded with applause as the ADA strode to the podium with a dazzling grin. She waved and laughed as the audience cheered, and finally, the Senator waved his hands to shush them and allow her to talk.
“Thank you so much, everyone!” The beautiful Italian had every eye in the crowd on her. “I’m so blessed to be here with you tonight, and I couldn’t think of a better reason to join together than to support a group of people that has found a struggle and simply needs us all to have their backs.”
“Nice,” I murmured as she continued her speech.
“Finally, I welcome any of you to bring me your ideas,” Alessia said earnestly. “We want to embrace our fellow New Yorkers, and the only way we can have equal justice for everyone is to come together and make it happen!”
The rallygoers went wild, and the Senator stepped back up to the podium.
“Thank you, Ms. Pizzano.” He turned back to the crowd. “For anyone that missed it, that spectacular woman is the one you should be voting in as the next District Attorney for Brooklyn!”
Holy shit, there it was, an actual endorsement from a sitting Senator.
Alessia had really done it. I didn’t know if Bear had set her up to look genuinely surprised on camera or if he hadn’t actually been certain the endorsement was coming, but her reaction was obviously the real deal. Her cheeks flushed with excitement, and she and Bear spent the next half-hour talking to people in the crowd.
I knew from previous events that she really meant what she said about giving her ideas for the reform and rehabilitation projects she pushed, so she was probably taking notes on everything the people suggested to her. She was smart enough to know that one person couldn’t solve every problem, and even the average Joe had a few good ideas.
Part of me wanted to join her in working with the citizens for a better future, but I knew it was better for her campaign if I wasn’t seen as often as we were actually together. If the NYPD had already linked me to Anthony, it wouldn’t be too difficult for someone else to do the same thing. The last thing she needed was a connection to the Mafia to taint her chances of winning.
I sent Bear a text with the location of my car, so he could bring her over once they’d finished. Eventually, the two glided over, and he helped her inside.
“Have a good night,” Bear said as his linebacker shoulders blocked my entire window.
“As long as you don’t call again,” I shot back with a grin.
I could hear the campaign manager laughing as I pulled away from the curb, and Alessia slumped against the seat.
“Wow, I’m pooped,” she sighed. “And I absolutely have to be in the office tomorrow. Do you think we can just go to my place since it’s closer?”
“Yeah, no big deal,” I agreed. “I don’t want to
fight any more traffic tonight anyway.”
“Good,” she murmured.
I could tell she was already half-asleep by the time I pulled up to her apartment and slid into an opening on the side of the road.
“We’re here,” I whispered and gently shook her awake. “Let’s get inside. It’s getting late.”
“Okay,” she mumbled and lazily pushed her door open.
Suddenly, Alessia was whisked out of my view with a shrill gasp.
“What the hell,” I grumbled and leaped out of the car to see a man in a black hoodie with one arm around Alessia’s torso and the other covering her mouth. “You stupid bastard!”
I slid over the hood of my car like I’d seen in a hundred movies, and I landed less gracefully than I’d planned on the sidewalk in front of them. I reached for my gun on my hip and cursed myself for taking it off in my apartment earlier and forgetting it on the bar when we’d left again.
The man tugged Alessia backward away from me, and I knew I’d have to get closer to get the upper hand and free her. Luckily, he didn’t seem to have a weapon, and I knew I’d win in a hand-to-hand match.
He glanced over his shoulder, and I took the opportunity to grab the elbow on the arm that covered Alessia’s mouth. I dug my thumb into the pressure point of his joint, and he grunted as he involuntarily released her head. Then I took the newly freed palm, wrenched it down, and spun it around so I faced his back with his arm twisted up behind him.
“Shit!” the hooded man cursed as he released her from his other arm and tried to swing over his shoulder at me.
“Car!” I ordered Alessia.
Without a word, she scurried back to the Mercedes and dove into the front seat.
The momentary relief I felt loosened my grip just enough for the man to yank his palm out of my grasp and twist around with a right hook. I ducked the blow and delivered my own uppercut to his gut, which made him double over as he tried to catch his breath. I brought my knee up to his nose and heard the crack of the bone breaking as I connected the strike.
As I tried to decide if I should detain him until the police arrived, I heard a car door shut behind me and further down the sidewalk. I whirled around to see another three men had just climbed out of a blacked-out SUV. One of the men looked familiar, and I struggled to place him as he barked out orders in a language I didn’t know.