The Golden Boy Returns (The New Pioneers Book 5)

by Deborah Nam-Krane

  "Blackmail."

  Kasi laughed. "What kind of industry are you in?" Before Emily could answer, Kasi's phone beeped. It was a text from Charlie. She opened it, then her eyes widened.

  "Everything okay?" Emily asked a moment later.

  Kasi grinned. "I think so. Powers just announced that he’s running against Castillon."

  "Oh, boy."

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Attorney General Jason Powers' candidacy the next morning was the front page story in the Globe. You could practically hear the journalists slapping their heads. It was the story everyone missed that had been right under their noses.

  It had been speculated for months that Powers was going to run for Governor against Todaro. He had beaten Todaro in the primary for Senate, and his statewide name recognition had been established in the final race with Republican Sean Walter (even if Powers’ loss was an embarrassment across the nation). But that was four years ago, and Todaro had established a reliable network of supporters. Todaro would have literally given Powers a run for his money.

  A gubernatorial race between a beloved representative and a well-known attorney general would have come down to the wire, and whatever acrimony was generated during the primary would come back to haunt the winner when they came against the Republican challenger. A congressional race in a smaller district between a media savvy city councilor and a very experienced, respected attorney general was a different story. The odds were in Powers' favor.

  "So, Charlie, think Kasi's going to quit and go work for Powers now?" David asked loudly when Kasi walked into the office on Saturday afternoon.

  "Oh, she's not going to quit," Charlie said with a nod, "but she just might have some meetings with the Powers people to tell them what she knows."

  "Very funny, you two," Kasi said, trying not to smile. "I am not going anywhere—or calling anyone—but is it alright if this makes me happy?"

  "I know I'm ecstatic about the pompous jerk who lost to that idiot Walter sitting in Congress," David said with disgust.

  "He doesn't do well with strong competition," Kasi offered. "Good thing he's not going to have any."

  Charlie clicked his tongue. "I wouldn't be so sure. That woman is not bad in front of a camera."

  "If she already has a script written for her," Kasi said sharply.

  "I wouldn't want to bring up public safety if I were her," Charlie said.

  David frowned. "All she has to do is bring up the distribution of prosecution rates in Boston. How hard would that be?"

  Kasi looked at the both of them as if they were speaking another language. "You remember that this is for the federal government, not Boston, right? Congress doesn't really affect that."

  "Of course not," Charlie said. "But it gives an indication of how they'll vote on crime bills in the House."

  Kasi smirked. "You know that's BS, right? Unless that's their signature issue, it's more likely to be horse trading than principle."

  "We know that," David said. "But most of the people watching the debates don't."

  "Watching the debates?" Charlie said mockingly. "Most people don't watch the debates; they'll read what the paper has to say about it, if they follow it at all."

  "Same difference," David muttered. "They'll cover it as if they don't know that either."

  ~~~

  Kasi met him on Tuesday at the same bar, in the same seat. "Just as I thought," he said after she ordered. "Try to contain your giddiness."

  Kasi couldn’t help smiling. "You don't like her either," she reminded him. "So don't lecture me."

  "She's one of the most unqualified public officials I have ever met, but the enemy of your enemy isn't always your friend."

  "Did I do something to piss off Powers when I wasn't looking?" Kasi asked sarcastically.

  "Powers is as much of a whore as Castillon; he's just a little smarter. You think that makes him a better public servant? He doesn't have any core beliefs."

  She twisted her mouth. "And the people who tell Paloma what to say do?"

  "Powers is corrupt."

  "Don't," Kasi said. He raised his eyebrow. "You know what she did, and you're not going to pretend that you don't so I can remind you."

  "And as much as that sticks in your craw, it is nothing compared to what he has done and is willing to do."

  Kasi opened her mouth to say something then closed it. "What are you trying to tell me?"

  "Stay out of that race for now. You'll thank me later."

  "David isn't going to endorse—"

  "I'm not talking about him, I'm talking about you." He inhaled. "'David'?"

  Kasi knew she was blushing and was grateful for the darkness. "Yes, David, my boss, and Charlie. It's hard to keep calling them 'Hwang' and 'Gavin' when we work together twelve hours a day."

  "You sure that's all that is?"

  She gestured toward his scotch. "How many of those have you had?"

  He relaxed and sat back. "Not enough. City Hall is a mess right now. Everyone's campaigning and no one's doing their job."

  "What else is new?"

  He took another sip. "First of all, as you know, some of the councilors do their job, and don't let me hear you say that Cervino didn't do his. Second of all, I'm talking about the staff."

  "But they're not supposed to be campaigning when during work hours," Kasi said.

  He snorted. "Then I guess I shouldn't tell you about all of the campaign work being done in City Hall?"

  "What else is new?" she repeated as she took a drink.

  ~~~

  Across the street from Macy’s had been the legendary Filene's. The two rival department stores had been the anchors of the entire Boston Downtown Crossing area in addition to being retail powerhouses.

  Say "Filene's Basement" to anyone in Boston, and you could depend on their eyes misting up and, possibly, a hand coming to their heart. One of the Filene's brothers had realized that excess retail stock might not be able to sell for full retail, but it could be sold for a markdown. Rather than mingle the markdowns with the regularly priced fare, they separated the businesses, putting the markdowns in the basement.

  Boston shoppers enjoyed the feel of finding a bargain, or waiting just long enough for an item they'd been looking at to be marked down fifty or seventy-five percent. It was a gamble: would someone else buy it before that? But Bostonians liked to gamble on certain things.

  As the years passed, Filene's Basement started outpacing its parent company, and they started opening their own franchises across the region. But the satellite stores never held a candle to the original, where you could buy not only clothing but cosmetics, gourmet food and any random knick knack that caught the buyers' fancy. It was that randomness, perhaps, that most captured what it was to shop through the original that no one else could capture.

  Cervino could not be held responsible for the fate of Filene's, especially since they had expanded well beyond his reach years before he took office. Boston shoppers may have stopped spending as much money as they used to, but it wasn't his fault that they had more choices to spend what they did have. Once something goes national, how much can you lay at the feet of local forces?

  But Filene's and now Macy’s were still the anchors of the region, and if one of them was departing, it needed to be replaced. In a major city like Boston, that was the mayor's responsibility...especially if he was going to authorize a hole in the ground where that building once stood.

  As a teenager, Miranda Harel Abbot had liked to visit Filene's Basement to try and touch a little of what was left of the mother she lost when she was five and the father she never knew. Now, on the rare occasions she found herself in Downtown Crossing, she would look into the hole that had replaced it years before.

  Her little sons Asher and Judah were finally asleep. She and Michael stretched out on the couch, exhausted. She felt herself drifting off, but she suddenly opened her eyes. Michael felt her become more alert. "Oh good, you're not going to fall asleep on me tonight," he sa
id as he nuzzled her neck.

  "David Hwang is running for mayor," she said as she sat up.

  He sighed. "Yes, I know, and that is so not a romantic thought."

  She ignored his remark. "Isn't that exciting? We haven't had a new mayor since we were little kids."

  "We haven't had great choices," he said, nibbling on her ear.

  She giggled and put her arms around him. "He would have been a good choice last time."

  "He was Lucy's boy last time," Michael said before he pulled her into a kiss.

  "And I thought you liked your aunt better now," Miranda said as she came up for air.

  "Doesn't change that she's a social engineer," Michael said as he reached under her shirt. "If you want to pull strings behind the scenes, admit what you're doing and why you're doing it."

  She started to unbutton his shirt. "And why is she doing it?"

  "Lucy's one of those people that thinks she's acting for the greater good—whatever that is—but she wants the same thing everyone else in politics wants: power. She tells herself that the real power is behind the throne, but that's just a cover for being too cowardly to be out front. She decided she's never going to be electable herself, so this is her consolation prize."

  Miranda positioned herself on top of him and kissed him. "And of course no voter in Boston would hold her family or her orientation against her, right?"

  "Maybe even a few years ago," he conceded as he started pulling off her shirt, "but I think she'd be electable now."

  "And I think you're wrong," Miranda said as he kissed her neck. "I think she likes being a philanthropist."

  Michael flipped her over and started undoing her pants. "You know what I think?"

  "What?"

  "That I don't want to talk about politics anymore," he said as he kissed her.

  ~~~

  Jessie Bartolome did not want to talk politics either, but if she didn’t open the conversation, Martin was going to have that vacant look on his face for the rest of the year.

  "Do you think Donnelly doesn’t know that you want to work for Hwang?"

  "Jess, these people have an honor code that makes a samurai’s look simple. If Hwang makes me an offer and I leave, that’s one thing; but if I go seek out a job with him first, then I’m a traitor. And I don’t think Donnelly is going to support Hwang in the race, which makes it more complicated."

  She sat behind him and put her chin on his shoulder. "Why? I thought they were friends."

  "There are friends, and then there are friends. All I know is that he hasn’t looked happy since David announced and if I didn’t know better I’d say he was hiding from someone."

  "Hwang?"

  He turned to face her. "I think it’s Cervino."

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  In the early stages of a campaign, there are two primary jobs: canvassing for signatures and meeting with donors. Some candidates will tell you that donor relations can be streamlined through the internet; a smart candidate knows that no technology has ever replaced the value of being able to see someone's face. Therefore, both canvassing and donor meetings require a lot of time on your feet. Kasi cursed Charlie and David frequently, both privately and out loud, as she saw that they could do both relatively comfortably in their suits while she started to feel like she was going to need physical therapy one month in.

  David laughed when she cursed him for the hundredth time. "Why don't you just get a pants suit?" he teased.

  Kasi scowled. "I have a pants suit," she said sulkily. "A few, in fact. But it's not about the suit; it's about the shoes. And I am not wearing your loafers."

  "Believe it or not, I have seen other women wear flats," Charlie said as he tried to stifle a grin.

  "I presume they're taller than I am?"

  David’s eyes lit up. "So you know, if you want to wear jeans and sneakers when you're canvassing, I'm okay with it," he said in a stage whisper.

  What a tease... "I don't want to look like I'm fifteen!"

  David couldn't help but laugh. "That would be great! People would think I really do have youth appeal."

  Kasi narrowed her eyes, hoping to distract David in case she was blushing. "And even if I did do that, how would we run to a donor meeting right after that?"

  "We could get Kevin and Ray to replace you," Charlie offered.

  Kasi was grateful for the opportunity to turn away from David. "We need the signatures they're getting, and we need the signatures I'm getting. And don't say anything about taking on someone else yet. We need to save our money until right before the primary when we make our door-to-door push."

  "Thank you, Kasi," Charlie said drily. "That's actually my job and my decision, but so noted."

  David waved. "Actually, I think it's my decision, for the record."

  Charlie shrugged. "And you're going to make that decision based on the best advice, and you know it's mine because we did this before."

  "And how did that go last time?" Kasi snapped.

  The smile dropped from Charlie’s face. "Very well," he answered curtly. "But there was only so much we could do when the mayor needed to keep a promise about getting just over fifty percent of the vote on our backs. I'm not worried about him doing the same thing this time." He paused. "Should I be?"

  Kasi looked stunned. "How would I know?"

  Charlie put his hands on his hips. "Do not play dumb because it doesn't work on you. I know you have a source in the mayor's office."

  Kasi crossed her arms. "Pretend I do. Do you think that source tells me everything, or what they want me to know?"

  "Just answer one question: is the mayor out of this race, or does he want to make one last stand to prove how much this is his town and that he's in charge?"

  "Charlie..." David said.

  "No, David. It needs to be said. We couldn't get jobs in this town after that race, and I want to know what we're looking at after this one."

  David looked from Kasi to Charlie. "And I’m incredibly grateful that you came with me to New York."

  "This is not about appreciation, David! We didn't have a choice." He scoffed. "But Donnelly got to lick his wounds in the safety of his family's law office in South Boston. I guess some things ran too deep for even Cervino to touch."

  "He wasn't worth touching," Kasi said.

  David turned his head. "What did you say?"

  Kasi swallowed. "Donnelly wasn't a threat. He could have been at one point, but he'd embarrassed himself in front of anyone who was paying attention. And he doesn't want to be mayor. He ran to make his father happy."

  "But I was?"

  "You were what?"

  "I thought we just established that you don't sell dumb very well," David said acidly. "I was a threat?" Kasi didn't answer. "I was a threat, and that's why he made sure Charlie and I literally couldn't work in this town. Or Cambridge or Somerville." He looked away. "Gee, maybe I should have tried further out like Everett and then I could have run for Congress after all. Wouldn't that have been great?"

  "Lucy...she never said anything?"

  David was incredulous. "She knows too?"

  "I don't—I just assumed," Kasi stammered.

  "Because it was such common knowledge?" Charlie interjected.

  "I don't know," Kasi managed. "It just makes sense if you think about it. Jesus, David, it's a compliment!"

  "A compliment?!" David looked like he’d been hit. Charlie looked shocked. Kasi didn't move. "The man tries to make sure I don't have a political future in the city I worked my ass off in—that I have to move away from my friends and family—and I'm supposed to be flattered? Anyone ever give you that kind of compliment?"

  Something flashed in Kasi's eyes that neither of them had ever seen before. "Did he really ruin either of you? Think about it. If he wanted to make sure you never worked in politics again, don't you think he'd be a little more thorough? You both got very good jobs in New York with a well-respected community development organization. If Cervino had wanted to destroy you, do you
think he couldn't have made a phone call to New York to make sure that didn't happen?"

  "Are you saying that he made a call to make sure I got the job?" David hissed. "Because now I can't even get a job outside of Boston on my own?"

  "I don't know," Kasi replied. "But I do know they had a close relationship. New York is bigger so—"

  "But a call from the mayor would mean a lot either way," Charlie said grimly.

  David looked around and put his hands up. "No," he finally said. "I am not going to be that man's creature. He is not going to yank me out of one city, plant me in another and then decide that it's okay for me to have a shot now." He gestured to Charlie. "And he doesn't get to ruin other lives as collateral damage."

  Kasi seethed. "Grow up! You walked into a world where people like Lucy Bartolome can open doors for you; didn't you realize the other side of the coin was that people like Cervino could close them? Or did you think that you were so exceptional, so special, that you'd never have to worry about that? Didn't anyone ever tell you not to believe your own press? Just because they called you a golden boy it didn't mean it was true!"

  "Kasi, take the rest of the day off," Charlie said, not taking his eyes off of David, who was turning purple.

  She inhaled. "Am I fired?"

  "No," Charlie said. "But I don't think any of us are going to get any work done today."

  "Be here at seven tomorrow," David said through gritted teeth. "We need to talk."

  "Fine," Kasi said as she grabbed her bag and left.

  ~~~

  "We need to talk," Charlie said a few hours later.

  "About what?" David asked tersely without taking his eyes off the screen.

  "The date you need to take Kasi on. I’m thinking she’s more of a flowers and dinner type than movie and chocolate, but obviously I’m not the expert."

  David stopped typing. "Charlie, you need to back off because you don’t know what you’re talking about."